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Archive for the ‘Rapture’ Category

Wow, isn’t it just amazing how when you hear truth spoken that something inside you just jumps and kicks?  I believe that is the Holy Spirit.  But some people can look at the same words and feel nothing.  Patrick dives into that in his article below: Deception and Perception.

They want to believe and live the deception because the ramifications of true reality are too terrifying to contemplate.  Thus, the pleasant lie is chosen over the unpleasant truth.

Truer words have not been spoken.  I see and feel this everyday, as I am sure you do as well, when we try to wake people up or even broach the subject of the last days.

Bold truth being proclaimed always does have a sting, especially to those that deep down know it is true.

What we are seeing today is evil.  It is enveloping this world as I have never imagined it could.  You can not escape it.

This is not God’s choice.  It is the result of the choices of our nation.

What’s coming is not God’s desire that it should happen, it’s the natural consequence of a nation and world that’s rejected God in favor of rebellion against Him.  Sin always destroys. You cannot choose it without also choosing the resultant misery and judgment that comes with it.  Interesting that one of Satan’s names is the Greek word: Apollyon, which means “Destroyer.”

We need not hide our heads and deny what is happening. But Take Heart, do not be afraid.

We are temporary residents of this country only. Our eternal citizenship is in the kingdom of the Everlasting God.  All else will pass away.

So how shall we live then, in these uncertain times of evil?

Be sure to read Patrick’s full article below, it is extremely good and enlightening.  It will give you much to ponder.

Maranatha, Lord come quickly!

myblessedhope

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Deception and Perception

By Patrick Wyett


When you woke up today, how did you see the world around you?

“Yeah,” you might say, “I know that things are getting bad.”

Do you? How bad are things getting?

Or better yet, how bad are things already?

The basic premise of the movie, “The Matrix” is that people are living in a completely fabricated lie, which most are unaware of.  Said deluded people are so programmed and comfortable with the lie that they can’t and won’t conceive of any other possibility. They want to believe and live the deception because the ramifications of true reality are too terrifying to contemplate.  Thus, the pleasant lie is chosen over the unpleasant truth.

At the time “The Matrix” came out, there were those who got it and enjoyed the movie and those who didn’t get it and thought the whole thing was confusing and pointless. Back then I had thought the movie served as a measure one’s intelligence; I was wrong. The movie served as a gauge of the viewer’s discernment, and concurrently, the level of their indoctrination.

One’s perception doesn’t alter reality, only the view of it.

“And Jesus answered and said unto them, take heed that no man deceive you.” (Matthew 24:4).

We live with a startling paradox. The word “politician” immediately brings to mind the vices of greed, corruption and lying to many. This doesn’t apply to all politicians, just most of them. Yet we want to believe that despite differences in rhetoric, party affiliation and proclaimed ideologies, that our elected officials─those same greedy, corrupt liars just identified─somehow want to do what’s best for our country.

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This is a great series of why the Rapture is closer that ever before.  It is done by one of my favorite pastors JD Farag of the Calvary Chapel Kanoehe.

You will not be disappointed!  Some of these I have listed before but re-listed them so we could have them all in one spot.

Reasons why Rapture closer than ever:

  1. Scoffers 4/14/13
  2. Absence of US in Prophecy 4/21/13
  3. Blind Acceptance: Islam 4/28/13
  4. Specific Mid East Nations in Prophecy (Egypt and Syria) 5/5/13
  5. 2 Timothy 3:1-5 – Moral Decay within church 5/12/13
  6. 3 Timothy 4:3-4 – Perilous times of Spiritual Decay within church 5/19/13
  7. Luke 17:26-30 – Days of Noah and Days of Lot 5/24/13
  8. Increase of Knowledge – Religious and Technology Daniel 12:4 6/2/13
  9. Swiftness of Ezekiel 38 (Turkey – Arab Spring) 6/9/13
  10. Lateness of the Hour since Israel was reborn May 1948 – 6/16/13

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Scoffers 4/14/13

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Absence of US in Prophecy 4/21/13

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Blind Acceptance: Islam 4/28/13

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Specific Mid East Nations in Prophecy (Egypt and Syria) 5/5/13

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2 Timothy 3:1-5 – Moral Decay within church 5/12/13

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3 Timothy 4:3-4 – Perilous times of Spiritual Decay within church 5/19/13

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Luke 17:26-30 – Days of Noah and Days of Lot 5/26/13

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Increase of Knowledge – Religious and Technology Daniel 12:4 6/2/13

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Swiftness of Ezekiel 38 (Turkey – Arab Spring) 6/9/13

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Lateness of the Hour since Israel was reborn May 1948 – 6/16/13

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Click on the article title for a link to full original referenced article.

In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile.  He writes:

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5

What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law.  But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.  It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9

Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved.  It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.

It is The Gospel of Jesus Christ.  To learn more check out the following link.

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Amazing update this week from JD on Why we should believe Paul’s “Blessed Hope”, the Rapture of the Church.

Maranatha, Lord come quickly!

myblessedhope

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Click on the article title for a link to full original referenced article.

In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile.  He writes:

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5

What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law.  But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.  It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9

Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved.  It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.

Read Full Post »

This article is so wonderful.

It is like taking a meandering walk with the Lord on the long winding road through God’s word to the narrow gate.

Simply wonderful!

Maranatha, Lord come quickly!

myblessedhope

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On the Road to Heaven: Part 1

By Cynthia Nuara


The long and winding road that leads to your door will never disappear.

The road to heaven will never disappear if we walk in the LIGHT

[Jesus said,] “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life” (John 8:12).

“He will teach us His ways, so that we can walk in His paths” (Isaiah 2:3).

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

“Send forth Your light and Your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to Your holy mountain, to the place where You dwell” (Psalm 43:3).

“I was blind but now I see!” (John 9:25b)

For ONLY if we have the Light will we be able to RECOGNIZE the darkness.

“There are those who rebel against the light; they do not know its ways nor abide in its paths” (Job 24:13).

“…For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14b).

 

When we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, His Holy Spirit enters into our hearts and gives us the instruction that we need to fulfill His plan and His purpose for our lives and for the life of the kingdom.

“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of His glory” (Ephesians 1:12-14).

I’ve seen that road before.

The Word of the Lord is the way to prepare for the trip, to travel the road, and to reach our destination.

(more…)

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The Lord has been putting on my heart a few things.  I have been working hard to tie them together and I think JD just helped me greatly.  The three things he has put on my heart through studying His word over the last week are:

Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first – 2 Thes. 2:3

Then you will discern the fear of the Lord and discover the knowledge of God. – Proverbs 2:5

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil – Isaiah 5:20

The Lord is amazing.  He says: “If you seek her (wisdom) as silver and search for her (wisdom) as for hidden treasures” (context mine)- (Proverbs 2:4)  Then you will discern the fear of the Lord.  We have to seek, meaning reading God’s word directly, and when we do, it is amazing what He reveals and how He reveals it.

2Peter below is one of the keys that JD laid out.  It is the passage on what we can expect and why.  The scoffers of Christs return are many and the intensity he mentions is so true, you can feel it.  If you even mention: prophecy, rapture, Christ, Gospel, Christs Return, or Judgement.  You will feel the intensity of the push back.  They do not want to hear sound doctrine (2 Timothy 4:3).

2 Peter 3:3-12

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

The Coming Day of the Lord

Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.” For [a]when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

A New Heaven and Earth

10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and [b]its works will be [c]burned up.

11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!

Footnotes:

  1. 2 Peter 3:5 Or they are willfully ignorant of this fact, that
  2. 2 Peter 3:10 Lit the works in it
  3. 2 Peter 3:10 Two early mss read discovered

I implore you to watch the full video, it is an amazing update on what we are seeing and why.

How far have we come?  We are mocked if we even bring it up.  We are called the evil ones, met with scorn.

We are at the hour.  Why?

The world is busy fulfilling their own evil desires, believing everything goes on as it has since creation.

Judgement is coming!  We must turn back to God.

Maranatha, Lord come quickly!

myblessedhope

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Click on the article title for a link to full original referenced article.

In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile.  He writes:

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5

What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law.  But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.  It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9

Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved.  It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.

Read Full Post »

– Have you ever seen a false Buddha or false Muhammad? – Counterfeit verifies the Truth

– Wars and Rumors of War

– Matthew 24:3-8 – All the birth pangs are beginning…

– Ezekiel 38 – Nuclear Attack

– Natural Gas in Israel

– Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Egypt – why not included in Ezekiel 38?

– Days of Noah / Days of Lot – Defense of Marriage, Same Sex Marriage – Headed to Supreme court

– One World Currency / One World Government

– Antichrist

Wow what can I say?  That is a lot of ground to cover in one weeks update, but would you believe we had all of that and then some in the headlines on a single day.  JD does a wonderful job laying out the big picture, the forest, the puzzle!

All the pieces are coming into place.  My only explanation for why people don’t see it is that they are perpetually distracted with the things of this world.  Christ called it being “asleep”.  Having awoken, I think that is a good description of what it was like.  It is not coincidence that all these things are happening on the same  day/week/month.

It is prophecy.

God’s will being fulfilled.

Maranatha, Lord come quickly!

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Click on the article title for a link to full original referenced article.

In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile.  He writes:

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5

What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law.  But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.  It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9

Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved.  It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.

Read Full Post »

JD does a great job laying out the major signs we have seen in the heavens and on earth just since the beginning of the year.

He skipped earthquakes because there are simply too many.  I need to do a count but we are averaging a least one 6.0+ earthquake or more a day.  A few years back you use to see a 6.0 maybe a dozen times a year.  Things are very much heating up.

Maranatha, Lord come quickly!

myblessedhope

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Click on the article title for a link to full original referenced article.

In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile.  He writes:

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5

What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law.  But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.  It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9

Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved.  It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.

Read Full Post »

Great continuation, I think maybe even better than the first part…

Maranatha, Lord come quickly!

myblessedhope

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Click on the article title for a link to full original referenced article.

In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile.  He writes:

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5

What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law.  But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.  It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9

Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved.  It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.

Read Full Post »

If you ever wondered how you could increase your discernment, JD lays it out very well this week as he explores why we believe what we believe.

By studying the Truth, Gods word, you get so familiar with the Truth that any deception placed before you, leaps out at you as untrue.

On the flip side, I think this is why so many are deceived today.  No one reads their Bibles, God’s word.  Or they read these watered down interpretations of God’s word.  Versions that have been made “PC” and hip with today’s culture.  Supposedly covered with sugar to help the medicine go down.

Studying God’s word is medicine for what ails us, but it shouldn’t need sugar to take it, it will turn our lives right side up and free us from our captivity.  The Truth will set you free!

God’s word keeps our minds sharp and on guard against the overwhelming deception we are surrounded and taken captive by today.  You must know the Truth, to know when your being fed the counterfeit.

In the second half of JD’s sermon on getting back to the basics, he puts forth Revelations as the place to start.  Some would call this odd but after listening to his sermon, I am in 100% agreement, I believe that is exactly what God wants us to do, and why this world tries to make Revelations seem so scary and forbidden.

God spoke to John and told him to write about what he had seen (past), what was currently (present), and what will come (future).

Revelation 1:1-3

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

The Revelation of Jesus Christ

1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John, who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near.

JD breaks out the book of Revelations brilliantly as follows:

Past          Ch1     Christ Crucified, Buried, Resurrected

Present    Ch 2-3     Church History

Future      Ch 4-5     Rapture

Ch 6-19     Seven Year Tribulation

Ch 20     Millennium

Ch 21-22     New Heaven and New Earth

Maranatha, Lord come quickly!

myblessedhope

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Click on the article title for a link to full original referenced article.

In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile.  He writes:

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5

What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law.  But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.  It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9

Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved.  It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.

Read Full Post »

I am really taken a back at how many are still asleep given all the signs we are seeing daily.  You really would need to be blind to not put two and two together.

In thinking about how I could better wake them up, God placed on my heart that it is probably due to one or multiples of three things:

1. They do not know God’s word through either not reading it or they read it, but it is the watered down interpretation of God’s Word (i.e. Message bible or others).

2. They are so distracted by things of this world: entertainment, new technologies, pursuit of money, etc.  That they are unaware of what is going on around this world.

3. Lastly, I think there are some that fall into Paul’s description in Romans 1:21-32.  They know what God asks of us but purposely do the opposite and take great pleasure in it.

People that fall into #1 or #2, I think we may be able to awaken, but I am fearful the majority left may fall into #3.  With everything going on in the world, it is hard to believe that they haven’t seen something that would shake or nudge them awake.

The real question is once they awaken where do they turn?  Is there a clear path to someone who can ramp them up?  Or do they go back to sleep?  Both sides are feverishly battling for these souls.

I just haven’t had many souls recently come back to me wanting to know more about what is going on.  Instead I am getting a strange sense of distance growing between me and those of this world that have yet to awaken.

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Jan 28, 2013

The Real Crisis

Crises and potential crises surround us during every waking moment. Except for those who are oblivious to what is going on in this nation and world today, the cultural and societal pathway ahead disappears into the anxiety-laden darkness of the unknown. Rather than take on the entire world and its problems in this regard, I will, for our purposes in this commentary, stick to analyzing the fearful future of this nation I love.

Most in America–and sadly, in the church (born-again believers)–falls into that category of the oblivious. Therefore, the crises, from their perspective, don’t exist. All the forewarnings of coming disaster seem issued to ears that will never hear and presented to eyes that will never see. Yet, at the same time, the crises, themselves, do create undercurrents of worry. Even the otherwise diverted masses notice, at least for fleeting moments, when societal dangers disrupt their world of shopping and entertainment–for example, the murder of the children at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Then, it is back to buying, selling, building, marrying, and giving in marriage, and the thousand and one other things that matter most to them.

Crises dominate the horizon politically, economically, and morally. As a matter of fact, they intertwine in such convolution as (more…)

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JD a few weeks back did a great job unpacking Ezekiel 38 and connecting it to today’s players and headlines.

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Click on the article title for a link to full original referenced article.

In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile.  He writes:

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5

What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law.  But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.  It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9

Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved.  It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.

Read Full Post »

This is a great set of mini articles on the Rapture text we find in the Bible.  The thing I have grown to love about the Bible is the limitless layers that it has.  The more I pray for discernment and study the Bible (God’s word) the more that is revealed.  The connections and foreshadowing is simply breathtaking.  It is brilliant and divine.  There are so many good revelations about the Rapture that I have read over the years, I hope to consolidate them to a new page this weekend.  there are a lot of them, which is amazing for something which the critics say is not found in the Bible.

Maranatha Lord, come quickly!

-myblessedhope

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The Rapture

Pete Garcia


Over the years, I’ve read close to a thousand articles pertaining to the Rapture of the Church. I’ve watched hundreds of videos of speakers expound on this topic.  I don’t know where to begin on how many sermons I’ve listened too…and to many of those teachers and preachers…we (those of us who benefit from their diligence) are indebted.  God has blessed many Godly men in putting to terms things many of us have missed or maybe not understood.  And just when I thought I’d heard them all, God reveals something new about this subject to me.

The Marriage

First, the Rapture must be distinguished from the gathering by the Angels that is found in Matthew 24:31 “Olivet Discourse”.  The Olivet Discourse was given in three of the four Gospels because of their intended audience.  It is not given in the Gospel of John, which many experts understand is the Gospel written to the Church.  The Church does not go through the Tribulation, hence instead of an Olivet Discourse; we have the Upper Room Discourse (John 14-17).

In Paul’s epistle to the church in Thessalonica, Christ Himself descends in the same manner in which He ascended (Acts 1:9-11) and gathers the Church unto Himself…He doesn’t have the angels gather His Bride.  Since we can model Christ’s return for His Church along the lines of a Jewish wedding, would a Jewish groom send his servants to gather his bride…or would he do it himself?

But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.

For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means (more…)

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Imminent.  We hear it mentioned quite often but what does it mean and what is it like to live with the feeling of someone’s imminent return?

The article below is a good summary of what that means, what the Bible has to say about it,  and how we should be living our lives as believers in Christ today in anticipation of His return for his bride.

Maranatha, Lord come quickly!

myblessedhope

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January 4, 2013|1:35 pm

While the Mayan Calendar’s prediction that doomsday was on Dec. 21, 2012, was wrong, the Bible has a lot to say about Christ’s return – his return is mentioned in no less than 318 times in the 260 chapters in the New Testament, Laurie said in his message, titled “Things to do before the end of the world.”

What if we knew somehow that Jesus Christ will be back for us at 3 p.m. tomorrow? The pastor asked. “I’m sure we’d all be saints at 2:45 … We’ll be wearing our Sunday morning smiles and our come-quickly-Jesus attitude.” Though we do not know when Jesus is returning, “shouldn’t we have that same smile and that same attitude every day as if that were the day that Christ could come?”

Those who doubt Jesus’ promise to return due to the delay must read 2 Peter 3:9, Laurie suggested. The verse reads: “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” The pastor went on to say he prayed in 1970 that Jesus should come soon, “but isn’t it good that he didn’t?” Many among the audience received Jesus after 1970, he pointed out.

(more…)

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The summary done below by Thomas Ice steps back to view the work of the Bible as the amazing work that it is.  Once you begin to study it both in-depth as well as tying together the story you see the promise of the “rapture” or snatching away told throughout.

One of the knocks against the Rapture is that it is escapism.  I have never understood this as I feel it prepares the believer for the exact opposite.  Procrastination is not an option with imminence.

Peter and John both admonish their audience to fix their eye on the future return of Christ, resulting in Godly living in the present. (1 Peter 1:13 and 1 John 3:2-3)

1 Peter 1:13

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

13 Therefore, [a]prepare your minds for action, [b]keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace [c]to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Footnotes:

a. 1 Peter 1:13 Lit gird the loins of your mind
b. 1 Peter 1:13 Lit be sober
c. 1 Peter 1:13 Or which is announced

The Rapture, “…my blessed hope…” (Titus 2:13),  is one of the major reasons why we gladly live for Christ today and prioritize our life in view of eternal values.

Please take the time to read through the article below in full.  It is a blessing and thought provokingly wonderful.

Maranatha, Lord come quickly!

myblessedhope

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Friday, January 4, 2013

The Amazing Truth of the Rapture

Thomas IceBy Dr. Thomas Ice
Pre-Trib Research Center

When one sits back and contemplates the great truths contained in God’s plan for history as revealed in the Bible, it is truly amazing to contemplate such reality. A partial list would include the following: God’s creation out of nothing; God’s creation of angels and their role in history; man’s fall into sin; Noah’s Ark and the Flood; the tower of Babel; the call of Abraham; the Exodus and foundation of the nation of Israel; the up-and-down history of Israel, Christ’s first coming; His death, resurrection, and ascension; the founding of the church; and Christ’s promise to return to take His bride to heaven with Him at the rapture. These real, historical events are greater than any fictional account that the most creative moviemaker could conceive. So one day the Father will tell the Son to go and get His bride and at that moment every living believer, no matter where they may be, will be caught up into the clouds to meet the Lord, in order to be taken to heaven. This will truly be an amazing event.

Rapture

The Impact of the Rapture

Romans 11:25 indicates that the trigger point for the rapture will be when “the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.” The leading Greek lexicon of our day says the noun translated fullness in this passage means “that which is brought to fullness or completion; full number.” [1] Also, Acts 15:14 says, “Simeon has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name.” Thus, when that last Gentile convert comes to faith in Christ, the Church, the Body of Christ, will be complete and the rapture will take place. The full number of Gentiles will have come in and then our Lord will turn His attention to the salvation of all Israel (Rom. 11:26) during the subsequent tribulation period.

The rapture of the church will be a truly amazing event that will confound the world. Just think about it for a moment. How will the world who rejects the possibility that a God who does miracles is out there, explain the sudden disappearance of hundreds of millions of people all over the world in an instance of time? People that are left behind will generally not be open (more…)

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Amazing must see video this week!

We are not of this world but in this world… and I feel like JD, we have overstayed our welcome.

God’s word is amazing, just amazing…

Maranatha Lord, come quickly!

myblessedhope

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Click on the article title for a link to full original referenced article.

In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile.  He writes:

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5

What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law.  But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.  It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9

Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved.  It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.

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Bill does an amazing job below pointing out how we are being conditioned as a society to accept a new set of rules:  The Rule of Lawlessness.

The Antichrist when he comes on the scene will be the ultimate “man of lawlessness” as Paul called him.  The people of this world will be so conditioned that it is the norm.  To those that are awake to the times that we are living in, it is disturbing but we should not worry, we will not be here when he shows up as we are removed with the “Restrainer”, our blessed hope.  And ironically, that may just be one of the many catastrophes that the executive orders spoken of will allow our “all-knowing” government to address.

Maranatha Lord, come quickly!

myblessedhope

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Click on the article title for a link to full original referenced article.

In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile.  He writes:

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5

What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law.  But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.  It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9

Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved.  It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.

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I think the article below is very eye opening into how the “Grand Delusion” that is spoken of in the Bible will work.  My initial thought was “Who in their right mind would label 2012 as the ‘best year ever’?”  It must just be a hook to get you to read but they are serious.  Sure they will elude to some negatives but are quick to minimize them for the bright side assessment.

Sure costs are rising, Brussels sprouts cost 70% more now than in January but who wants to eat those?  Really!!!  A 70% increase in food costs and we spin that positive.  I can see it in 2013, food prices are up 400%, but it has allowed us to keep all those new years resolutions to loose weight and we have a much more sustainable society now!

A few other key highlights: (my comments in italics)

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As I read Todd’s article several additional thoughts came to mind.  He brings up some excellent “root” causes for why we find our nation in the state it is today and especially why we are not able to reach the younger generations.  I believe they have become so “distracted” (deceived) with life and the things of this world that they are not even aware of what is happening in it, let alone prophecies of what is to come.  It is probably one of the most discouraging points for some one dedicated to waking others up to God’s word, but we must remember that with God all things are possible!

I am also reminded of the Days of Noah & the Days of Lot prophecy by Jesus in His Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24).  The turning point on Gay marriage and drug use sure do point to this prophecy.

Even with us living through these events I am amazed at how people, even fellow Christians, still do not make the connection between the Bible and the events.  Most just write it off to coincidence or something that has always occurred.  The rise of evil, (more…)

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I have been doing a lot of reading on this recently.  I strongly believe it is part of the foundation that is being laid for control once the tribulation begins or the rapture occurs.

Those that do not believe in the rapture, I would think, would be even more concerned about this as I think this is the mechanism they will use to assume control following the disappearances and/or calamities that will follow.  Either way it is something that should concern all of us.

There is a great book called Agenda 21 by Harriet Parke that was published recently by Glenn Beck that lays out what living under this could be like.  It is fiction but that is based on Agenda 21 principles and at the end reveals what might not be so much fiction and more fact soon.

The video below is excellent and really does layout step by step where it came from, what it will do, and what it means to you.

I would highly recommend reading both Harriet’s book and listening to the article below.  Afterwards you will be amazed at everywhere you see Agenda 21 encroaching into our lives day in and day out.

Maranatha Lord, come quickly!

-myblessedhope

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Sustainable Development: Agenda 21 explained

This is a video by John Anthony, an expert on Agenda 21 and government regulations, and he spends almost 90 minutes breaking down Agenda 21 in full. I’m about 51 minutes in and it’s quite interesting what he has to say about it.

In case you aren’t familiar with it, here is a broad definition of Agenda 21 (Agenda for the 21st Century):

Sustainable developers have designed a global movement coordinated through a global-to-local action plan to create world government in accordance with certain objectives. These objectives include:

  • An end to national sovereignty
  • Abolition of private property
  • Restructure of the family unit
  • Increasing limitations and restrictions on mobility and individual opportunity

This is a plan that’s been underway since the 80s and three presidents have signed off on it, starting with George H. W. Bush. It’s already at the local level in the U.S. – even my city has a sustainability council.

I highly encourage you to watch the video below and it’s an excellent breakdown of Agenda 21:

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Click on the article title for a link to full original referenced article.

In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile.  He writes:

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5

What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law.  But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.  It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9

Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved.  It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.

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I have often thought about what do you leave behind for those that were left behind to endure the tribulation.  I have never gone as far as Sandy below but have wondered if we will be aware of those we know that are still on earth.  She does a great job summing up what I would have said and the split emotion we feel of overwhelming joy and sorrow for those left behind.

Maranatha Lord, come quickly!

-myblessedhope

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OUT OF OFFICE………Raptured

By Sandy Howard


Thank you for your email.

I am sorry that I am unable to respond to your email right now. I am currently out of my office without access to email, cell phone, landline phone, U.S. mail, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Post- It note, smoke signal, or personal contact of any kind. I have been: Raptured!

I do not have an exact date of return at this point. However, I will be returning in approximately seven years. I’ll be the one riding on a (I hope) paint horse (I used to own a paint horse whom I loved with all my heart). So, who knows, maybe he will be allowed to give me one last ride! I will be following behind the Savior Jesus, whom you can’t miss (seriously, EVERY eye will see Him). He will be riding on a white horse, bigger than life, and will be entering from above like a LION!

Ok, back to reality today. I sure wish I could put the above auto-reply in my email today, but alas, I have not heard the (more…)

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The signs are many but so are the distractions of this world.  I know many who are asleep or deceived.  It is heavy on my heart and weighs down the joy I have of Christ’s return, knowing that some I know may not make the trip.  Still my heart cry’s out, Maranatha!

Maranatha Lord, come quickly!

-myblessedhope.

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Evacuation Notice 2

By Pete Rose


In the very near future there will be an evacuation (commonly known as the rapture) of all born again Christians from this planet. This evacuation will take place with no prior warning, its date and time will not be announced. You must therefore be ready at all times. Jesus in your heart is your ticket for this event. (Matthew 24:36, 1Thessalonians 4:13-18)

We are far into the period of time known as the beginnings of sorrows, or birth pangs. Signs of the coming tribulation period are multiplying exponentially. Since this evacuation must occur before the tribulation period can begin, it is even that much closer. As noted above, this evacuation will only affect born again Christians. If you have not received the Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, when it comes you will be left behind to go through a time of trouble Jesus described as being like no other before it, or ever to follow it. You don’t want to be here when this comes to pass.

Some signs of the times:

Multiplying earthquakes. Magnitude 6 (strong) earthquakes are taking place almost daily all around the world now. Twice in the past 10 years magnitude 9 (devastating) earthquakes have caused horrific tsunamis, killing thousands.

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We sang this song in worship today.  I had heard it a few times in the past and loved it but finally wrote down the name.

Very powerful lyrics that speak right to our relationship with God.

So powerful, Enjoy!

Maranatha Lord, Come Quickly!

-myblessedhope

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Click on the article title for a link to full original referenced article.

In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile.  He writes:

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5

What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law.  But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.  It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9

Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved.  It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.

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This is a great run down of the extremely fast moving string of prophetic events unfolding over the last week.

It is breath-taking how fast things are moving now!  Absolutely amazing, praise be to God!

Maranatha Lord, come quickly!

-myblessedhope

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Click on the article title for a link to full original referenced article.

In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile.  He writes:

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5

What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law.  But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.  It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9

Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved.  It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.

Read Full Post »

Over the last few months there has been a lot of activity within the Church to pray, fast, repent, cry’s for our nation to repent and turn back to God.  It has always made me somewhat uneasy and when I participate, I feel worse.

Jack Kelly really sums up better than I could my gut feelings.  When I found and read the article below and shouted out “Praise the Lord” and I think I shed a few tears.

Deep in my soul I knew that this is a personal deal, not collective in the least.  I can not save you, you can not save me.  It is something between you and God and me and God.

I think too much energy has been spent praying for our will for our nation instead of for God’s will to be done as Christ prayed.  What ever that is, it is guaranteed to be better than anything we can come up with.  He will give us what we need to “occupy” until he returns to rapture us home.

Maranatha Lord, come quickly!

-myblessedhope

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Repenting On Behalf Of Our Country?

by Jack Kelly


Now the glory of the God of Israel went up from above the cherubim, where it had been, and moved to the threshold of the temple. Then the Lord called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side and said to him, “Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it.”

As I listened, he said to the others, “Follow him through the city and kill, without showing pity or compassion. Slaughter old men, young men and maidens, women and children, but do not touch anyone who has the mark. Begin at my sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were in front of the temple. (Ezekiel 9:3-6)

The principle of marking those who would be protected from judgment was first mentioned in Genesis 4:15 when the Lord marked Cain as a warning to those who might try to kill him for murdering Abel.

It had also been hinted at when the Lord told Elijah He had reserved 7,000 faithful in Israel who had not succumbed to idol worship (1 Kings 19:18), but Ezekiel 9:4 stands as the clearest example in history of the Lord marking those who are His and protecting them from danger.  In the spiritual world the mark is a sign that the marked person belongs to the Lord and is off limits to anyone else.

Have You Been Marked?

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory (Ephes 1:13-14).

Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come (2 Cor. 1:21-22).

In these two passages Paul revealed that all born again believers were marked at the time they believed to show that they belong to the Lord.  It’s the spiritual equivalent of a rancher branding his cattle with his mark of ownership.  The presence of this mark will protect us like it has protected others He has marked throughout history.

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Terry hits the nail on the head this week…

Joshua 24:15

New King James Version (NKJV)

15 And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

Maranatha Lord, come quickly!

-myblessedhope

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Nov 19, 2012

The Gates of Hell

A great number of those who name the name of Christ believe this season of presidential politics in America represents cumulative proof that satanic darkness is descending at a pace that makes coming judgment unstoppable. Every social issue involving morality that the born again hold dear has, they believe, observably been steamrolled by a juggernaut from the darkest regions forewarned of by the Bible. There seems little, if any, hope of culture as it has been known in this nation surviving the next four years.

Such is the general sense among those who were on the losing side in this election–not just among Christians. We can know this, because all fifty states have growing numbers of quite worried, unhappy citizens signing petitions to have their respective states secede from these United States.

While secession isn’t going to happen–and should not happen–the strong sentiment for doing so, rampant and growing, makes it clear that we are a nation divided. We remember that Abraham Lincoln–another president facing the United States’ split down the middle, (more…)

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This is a MUST SEE video.

…JD does a great job walking us through the steps of grieving and getting us back on the narrow path with our eyes fixed on God’s will and not our own desires.

I know this is the reminder I needed.

Maranatha Lord, come quickly!

-myblessedhope

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Click on the article title for a link to full original referenced article.

In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile.  He writes:

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5

What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law.  But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.  It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9

Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved.  It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.

Read Full Post »

Amazing message.

Over the last few months the verse “Not of this world but living in this world…” has been running through my head constantly.  It has been somewhat may mantra these days and a reminder of my (our) calling.

John 15:19
If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.

Romans 12:2
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Maranatha Lord, come quickly!

-myblessedhope

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Click on the article title for a link to full original referenced article.

In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile.  He writes:

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5

What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law.  But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.  It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9

Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved.  It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.

Read Full Post »

We had a clear choice this year via our US national election.  I don’t think I have seen an election in my lifetime that the contrast was stronger.  Our stunning choice should be a wake up call to just where we are on the prophetic timeline.  Jesus warned us what the time period before his coming would look like.

Luke 17:26-30 (NKJV)

26 And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: 27 They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; 29 but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.

As I sat there listening to the results roll in, I felt scripture wash over me flooding my mind.  It was surreal.  It allowed me to zoom out and see the big picture, what had we as a nation just done.  There is more links between what is happening now and end times prophecy than I can list here.  Lets compare the scripture above to what we just voted in favor of as a nation.

We voted for abortion on demand, the killing of millions of children in their mother’s womb.  This is much like the evil cults of Noah’s and Lot’s time that would sacrifice their own children, yearly, to their “gods”. We are sacrificing our unborn for a lustful lifestyle (much like these ancient cults) and unburdened existence.  “We wouldn’t want our daughter to be burdened with a baby.”

We voted for free contraceptives and recreational marijuana use.  Basically promoting drug use and free sex for all, especially our youth.  We know that both Noah’s and Lot’s days were marked by extreme promiscuity and drug use.  The men that showed up outside Lot’s door wanted to have sex with the “new” men in town.

We voted for a strong homosexual agenda with our commander-in-chief, for the first time in history, opening supporting this sinful lifestyle.  This was something that marked both the days of Lot and Noah, with the latter being the only time in history (except for present day) that homosexual marriage was legal.

Pause a moment and let that sink in…

…the men outside Lot’s house also wanted to partake in these sinful acts as well.

We voted again for the least transparent administration we have ever had.  Deceptive to the core.  One that has blatantly lied to the American people and committed acts of treason on several occasions.  What was their reaction when caught?  They laughed it off and we as a nation laughed along with them and moved on.  Treason!, not the definition of “is” but treason.  Not only has there been a lack of transparency but the reverse, active deception, has been immense.

We voted for a man of lawlessness, that disregards our current laws of bankruptcy to give unions funds and leaves stock holders empty-handed.  He has demolished our home loan laws by forcing forgiveness of loans and leaving investors, again, empty-handed.  He has ignored our constitution at every possible turn.  The highest law of the land and the foundation we built this nation on.

We voted for a man who says one thing and does the exact opposite, time and time again, with nothing said about it.

We voted for the political party that voted to remove God from their platform three times!

They said NO to God three times!

Folks, step back and see the forest.

We are living in the days of Noah.

We are living in the days of Lot.

This was a huge sign for those that have their eyes open.  And now things are accelerating, roadblocks have been removed.

It was said that “the church” must take a stand this election cycle to reclaim our nation, founded on God and His word.

Look that the result.  We could not have had a clearer choice, two roads we could take, and which choice did our nation make?  The road of Sodom.  The road of Gomorrah.  The road of depravity, anger, and hate.  The road away from God.

No true born-again Christian could vote for this abomination and the path they are taking us down.

This was huge folks.  We just passed the last exit.  The harbingers have spoken.  The protection of the Lord has been removed.  We have not turned back to God in repentance, but have instead, stood in defiance of God and with the arrogance of man said “we don’t need God in our nation”.

We are hurling toward the tribulation, God’s judgement on this sinful world.  For those of us that are awake, we must keep our eye fixed squarely at all times on Christ Jesus, our redeemer.  Do not look back, do not look down, for the evil of this world is engulfing us.  Time is…  I almost said “Time is short.” but that does not express how close we are to Jesus Christ’s return for His bride.

The divided nation we see is biblical.  It is the hardening of hearts and the strong delusion of the Lord.

Ephesians 4:17-19 (NIV1984)

Living as Children of Light

17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.

2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 (NKJV)

The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Every man and woman have made their choice, look at where we stand.  Which path do you stand on?  What a stark contrast we are.  Good and Evil.  But today evil is said to be good and good said to be evil.

Isaiah 5:20-24

New King James Version (NKJV)

20 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;
Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;
Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes,
And prudent in their own sight!

22 Woe to men mighty at drinking wine,
Woe to men valiant for mixing intoxicating drink,
23 Who justify the wicked for a bribe,
And take away justice from the righteous man!

24 Therefore, as the fire devours the stubble,
And the flame consumes the chaff,
So their root will be as rottenness,
And their blossom will ascend like dust;
Because they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts,
And despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

We must put 100% of our hope and faith in Jesus Christ, and no longer in our own actions or those of man, not even 1%.  We must focus on the will of God and not on our own.  Pray, and look up and lift up your head for your redemption draws near.

Luke 21:28 (NKJV)

28 Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”

Maranatha, Lord come quickly!

-myblessedhope

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In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile.  He writes:

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5

What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law.  But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.  It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9

Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved.  It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.

Read Full Post »

This is such a common question that I believe we have all struggled with at some point in time of our lives or if not yet will at some point.  The answer is so reassuring and strengthening of our faith.  Studying prophecy has a similar effect.  I wish more understood how powerful it is.  God laid out for us what will happen before it happened so we could strengthen our faith in Him and with assurance put our trust in Him.  He knew we would struggle like Thomas with doubts and would need some reassurance.  Prophecy is that reassurance and yet largely as a church, Christ’s Bride, we ignore it or worse scoff at God’s predictions that He put in place to reassure us of His power and authority.

Maranatha, Lord Jesus come quickly!

-myblessedhope

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Is God In Total Control Of Everything?

by Jack Kelly


There’s a theory, only hinted at in Scripture, that Planet Earth had been the domain of Satan prior to his rebellion. Although he was only a created being, Satan was an enormously powerful dignitary in God’s Universe (Jude 1:9). He was the overseer of the Cherubim (the guardians of God’s Throne) and a leader of the angelic host. He was God’s most impressive creation (Ezekiel 28:12-15). Because of his position, his power, and his beauty he became proud and rebelled (Ezekiel 28:17, Isaiah 14:13-14), bringing about a judgment that destroyed planet Earth.

All this seems to have happened between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2. Hints of this in Scripture are

1) an alternate (and some say more literal) rendering of Genesis 1:2 reads, “But the Earth became formless and void”, rather than “and the Earth was formless and void.”

2) In Isaiah 45:18 the Lord said He didn’t create the Earth that way, using the same Hebrew word that’s translated formless in Genesis 1:2, but formed it to be inhabited. Putting these two points together hints at a judgment sometime after Earth’s original creation.

3) The angels already existed at the time of the Genesis creation account. They shouted and sang for joy when the Lord laid the foundations of Earth (Job 38:4-7) so they must have been created earlier. If so, then Satan must have been created earlier was as well.

4) The serpent seems to appear out of nowhere in Genesis 3:1 although there’s no mention of him in the creation account. Also the Hebrew word translated serpent comes from a root meaning enchanter, which could mean it was not an ordinary animal. And Eve didn’t seem to be reluctant to converse with him, indicating she might have recognized him for who he really was.

Let me hasten to add that I don’t believe in a pre-Adamite civilization. The Bible clearly calls Adam the first man (1 Cor. 15:45). It also says the animals were created on the same day as Adam (Genesis 1:24-26) so I don’t believe dinosaurs or any other animals preceded Adam’s creation.

After Earth sat submerged in ruin and darkness for who knows how long, God said “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3) and the six day Genesis creation process began. It helps to remember that the Bible is not a book about eternity, it’s about the age of man. As such it begins with the creation of the first man and ends when the Millennium ends seven thousand years later. It gives only vague hints about what happened before the Age of Man began and what will come after it ends. All we really know is that there was an eternity past and there will be an eternity future.

God’s first instruction to Adam and Eve was to give them dominion over Planet Earth, telling them to subdue it and populate it (more…)

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Another great overview by JD of Bible prophecy.  He reviews the staggering number of headlines we have seen over just 4 days.

What really jumped out at me this week was his statement:

It is not enough to understand the times but we should know what to do in light of the signs.

What should we be doing?  What is God laying on your heart?  Time is short.

Maranatha Lord, come quickly!

-myblessedhope

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Click on the article title for a link to full original referenced article.

In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile.  He writes:

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5

What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law.  But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.  It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9

Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved.  It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.

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Martin was right.  There are others out there struggling with these passages and the flesh – My will vs. the Lord’s will.  I for one struggle with this daily, this is a great article and worth the read and contemplation through prayer.   It will bring an immediate, Amen, from those that do struggle with it daily and for those of you that don’t my question is why aren’t you.  Hopefully, it is because you have cracked the code on death of self and are doing the Lord’s will freely in your life, but if that is not the case, may this article plant the seed in your mind that the Holy Spirit can make grow…

Maranatha Lord, come quickly!

-myblessedhope

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“What Time Is It?”

By Martin Irish


“A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited,  ‘Come, for all things are now ready. ‘But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’

And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.’ Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.’

And the servant said, ‘Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.’ Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.’” ─Luke 14:16-24 NKJV

There is a problem I have been struggling with and since the Bible says that there is no temptation that we have experienced except that which is common to man (1 Corinthians 10:13), then I think it is a safe bet to say that there are others who struggle with it too. The struggle that I am talking about has to do with the inner fight to lay down our own desires, hopes, and dreams; and to deny ourselves, pick up our cross daily, and follow Jesus.

Let’s be honest for a minute, and just admit that it is not an easy thing to die to self. The Bible says in Romans chapter twelve that we are to present ourselves as a living sacrifice to God, but someone once said that the problem with living sacrifices is that they tend to crawl off the altar. Humorous as that may be, it is also a true and sobering fact that we must continually offer up our lives and be diligent to remain in a state of submission to our sovereign Lord on a daily basis. Let me see if I can bring this closer to home and illustrate it from my own life.

In January of 2011, I met this beautiful, spirited, and loving lady whom I fell in love with and she with me. Between the time that we met and were married, I started to have the Scripture verse above run through my head, or more accurately just a portion of it. The part that kept coming to mind was, “I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.” But what it was going through my head about differed from the words of Jesus; for I did not seem to be declining to come to the Master’s banquet, but rather I was making an excuse as to why I could not obey His command to labor in His field for harvest time.

(more…)

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I am re-posting this article from a while back.  It is one of my favorite articles that Jack Kelly has done.

With time drawing short, it is critical we understand Jesus’ words and which path we find ourselves on.

Maranatha Lord, come quickly!

-myblessedhope

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Two Roads, Two Gates, One Goal

A Bible Study by Jack Kelley

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matt. 7:13-14)

This passage is often quoted in reference to the different roads traveled by unbelievers as opposed to believers.  Unbelievers are said to be on a broad road with many fellow travelers, all on the way to their destruction.  Believers on the other hand are a small segment of humanity and are on a narrow road to salvation.  This difference is further defined by some as pertaining to our behavior.  The unbeliever’s gate is wide and his road is broad, supposedly indicating that there’s room for all kinds of sinful behavior, while for the believer it’s a small gate and a narrow road suggesting that there’s very little latitude for misbehaving.  A careless step or two and you may find yourself being rerouted onto the broad road.

If you look at these 2 verses alone it’s easy to understand why so many see them this way.  But in the context of the chapter a different picture emerges.

In Matthew 7 the people in focus all claim to be believers, and the emphasis is on their fruit.  The Lord began by admonishing us against judging others,

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Matt. 7:1-2)

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Paul Washer is one of my top five favorite pastors.  I just feel the truth rings true and he cuts right to the bone of the matter.  Yes, it can be kind of harsh but I would rather have someone preach the harsh truth to me than smooth over the truth trying to soften it with the chance that I may miss it.  What a tragedy that would be, especially with time drawing so short.

Two of the passages that he preaches on in the video below are ones that have been ringing in my head for the last eight to nine years.  I find that the more I study them and contemplate them, asking God for wisdom and discernment the more alive and real they become.  There is so much truth locked up in these two verses it is astounding to my meek human mind.  God is Great!

Maranatha Lord, come quickly!

-myblessedhope

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Click on the article title for a link to full original referenced article.

In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile.  He writes:

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5

What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law.  But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.  It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9

Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved.  It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.

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…at least half of us.

It is just stunning to me how out of touch we have become as a people.  We have so many distractions these days that we don’t pay attention to real current events, let alone put them all together and take the time to step back and look at the big picture.

That is what prophecy is.  It is a puzzle left for us by God.  If we study His word as he commanded us to, we will not be caught like a thief in the night.  Events and outcomes of certain actions will not surprise us.  We understand the bigger picture and how the puzzle is coming together generally.  We were meant to study prophecy.

If these folks don’t even know this major event has taken place, how can we imagine they can assemble the prophecy puzzle God has left for us in his word.  How do we get them to wake up?

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Click on the article title for a link to full original referenced article.

In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile.  He writes:

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5

What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law.  But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.  It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9

Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved.  It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.

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Jack Kelly lays out a great comparison below of who the Tribulation is for.  I really like his concise explanation of the different audiences that are present in the Bible.  The majority of confusion surrounding prophecy comes when you do not take the time to put the scripture in context but also identify who the audience is that Jesus and/or God is speaking too.

It is the purpose of the tribulation that always kept coming up when I first started studying prophecy many years ago.  Some of the interpretations just didn’t make sense as to why it was needed.  Christ’s act of grace on the cross is all that we need, as the church, for salvation.  It allowed God to forgive us of our all of our sins: past, present, and future.

Just think about that for a moment…

How powerful is that?  He forgave through one-act of selflessness, all our past sins and our present sins, but also all of our future sins.  We are redeemed!  That to me is just mind-blowing.  He knows our heart and our actions before we even do them.  He knows we will struggle with sin while we are still in this world, but through Christ we have overcome!

Maranatha Lord, come quickly!

-myblessedhope

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The Tribulation’s Purpose Vs. The Church’s Nature

by Jack Kelly


Therefore keep watch because you do not know the day or the hour. (Matt. 25:13)

Those who shy away from the study of prophecy are fond of quoting the above verse as their justification.  But earlier in the same passage, the Lord had admonished all who read His words of prophecy to understand them (Matt 24:15).  In addition the Apostle Paul wrote that the events leading up to the end of the age should not take believers by surprise (1 Thes. 5:4) implying that we should be familiar with them.

Since the Bible cannot contradict itself, Matt. 24:15 must have been aimed at a different audience than Matt. 25:13.  And sure enough, a closer look reveals that both the implied timing and the intended audience of the two Matthew passages are different.  Matt. 24:15  was intended for everyone who would ever read the passage, but in Matt 25:13 the Lord was only speaking to people remaining on Earth at His Second Coming.  We know this because it follows Matt. 24:30 which describes the 2nd Coming.  Matt. 24:36-37 confirms the context to be the 2nd Coming, as does Matt. 25:1.  Of course in 1 Thes 5:4 Paul was addressing the church, who will not be on Earth at the 2nd Coming, but in the presence of the Father (1 Thes. 3:13).

What both the Lord (Matt.24:15) and Paul (1 Thes. 5:4) were saying is that while we won’t know the exact timing of things, we should understand the sequence of events leading up to the Day of the Lord. And perhaps no event in the sequence is more controversial than the Rapture of the Church, especially as it relates to the Great Tribulation.

It seems to me that the first thing we should do in trying to obey the Lord’s commandment to understand all this is to clarify two things, 1) the purpose of the Great Tribulation, 2) the nature of the Church.

The Purpose of the Great Tribulation

The phrase Great Tribulation makes reference to a specific event, not a general condition. While the Lord warned the disciples (more…)

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Pete goes through a lot of the prophecies we are seeing the stage set for.  The headlines he lists are also reflecting the times we live in.  It is a great read, sobering for the saved, and scary to those unsaved.  It might also be a bit jarring for those that don’t believe in the pre-trib rapture.  His last few paragraphs really jumped out at me and rang true, the end is near.

Maranatha – Come Quickly Lord Jesus!

-myblessedhope

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Something Big is Going On – Part 3

By Pete Rose


In the past two articles in this series I have focused mainly on current events such as …

  • Unexplained movements of troops and military equipment
  • Massive ammunition purchases – 1.7 Billion rounds plus – by government agencies, most of it for the Department of Homeland Security
  • The NDAA authorizing indefinite detention of US citizens just on suspicion, no hearing, no trial, no due process
  • Obama issuing one executive order after another seizing control of practically all the nation’s resources, infrastructure, food production, transportation, communication
  • And more…

Some recent developments – from Web reports

  • *Coastal military bases being evacuated over back roads under cover of darkness, cover story is expectation of massive coastal flooding
  • Obama-appointed court overturns permanent injunction on NDAA indefinite detention clause (Yes, all three judges on this court were appointed by Obama)
  • *Obama makes deal with Iran, they will announce a stop to uranium enrichment in return for relaxing of sanctions before the election
  • Huge sinkhole in Louisiana continues to grow, officials worry about huge reserves of liquid butane, propane stored in nearby salt domes amid concern the domes may be tied in with the New Madrid fault
  • Gulf stream has stopped, BP oil spill blamed, will have drastic effects on weather (this dates back to 1910)
  • *Staged bank collapse supposed to take place in late October, all banks will close, credit cards, debit cards, food cards will not work, checks unusable, all money in the banks will be frozen
  • And now, HR6566, a bill directing FEMA to prepare for the possibility of mass fatalities!

*I have no confirmation for these… I’m just putting them out for whatever they’re worth.

In this article I want to focus on prophecies pointing to these events. I have bolded all scriptures and references for ease of locating them.

Bible prophecy in all cases may be taken at face value. These are inspired by the Holy Spirit and can be depended on. Non-biblical prophecies must be judged as to source and accuracy. There are a lot of the latter around today, so be careful what you believe. If you have conflicting prophecies concerning the same event, one or the other has to be false, and both may be. These prophets must be judged based on their past record of accuracy and the witness of the Holy Spirit. If someone makes a specific prophecy and the prophesied event doesn’t happen as prophesied, this person likely prophesied out of his own heart and not by the Holy Spirit, and is not to be believed.

That said, let’s take a look at some Bible prophecies. There are many, many prophecies concerning the end times, so many I will not have room to cover all of them here. But I will try to hit the most important ones.

A quick overview

There is a wealth of prophecy about end time events and conditions in Matthew 24 and Luke 17, and the book of The Revelation focuses almost entirely on end time events. 1 Corinthians 15 and 1 Thessalonians 3 provide information on the rapture. 2 Thessalonians 2 warns of the fate of those who are left behind, and gives some clues about the timing of the rapture.

The book of Daniel contains several prophecies concerning the end-times. Some believe Psalm 83 prophesies an end-time attack of nations immediately surrounding Israel, some say it is already fulfilled. It could be both are true, some prophecies do have both a near and a distant fulfillment. Isaiah 17 prophesies the cataclysmic destruction of Damascus and surrounding territory. Ezekiel 37 gives a graphic word picture of the restoration of Israel in the vision of the dry bones. Ezekiel 38-39 describe the end-time invasion of Israel by Russia and the outer band of nations surrounding Israel. Zechariah 14 tells of Christ’s return to Earth and gives a description of the battle of Armageddon. Psalm 2 tells of the rebellion of the heathen, and the judgment that awaits them. Isaiah 11 gives a description of conditions that will prevail during the Kingdom age, the Millennium.

Now some specifics

Daniel 12:1-4 gives some important details of conditions in the end times:

[1] And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince of thy people; and there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. This speaks of the great tribulation which is to come on the whole Earth after the Church is gone. Its purpose is to purify Israel and bring its people into proper relationship with God.

[2] And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.” This refers to the resurrection of the just at the time of the rapture, and the resurrection of the unsaved at the time of the Great White Throne judgment. There will be a second resurrection of the just at the end of the Tribulation, as I understand it, of those who were saved during the tribulation and were killed for their faith.

[3] And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.” The wise are those who have trusted Christ as their Lord and Savior, and their brightness is their reward who win souls to Christ.

[4] And thou, o Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, even to the time of the end:… Until recent years, portions of the prophecies of Daniel have been sealed, that is their meaning could not be understood except in the context of current events when the time of their fulfillment was close at hand.

…Many shall run to and fro, … Until about the middle of the 18th century all travel was either on foot or with the aid of some sort of animal. With the advent of the railroad and the gasoline engine, all that changed. Now nearly everyone has a car capable of doing 70 miles per hour or faster, we have airplanes which routinely travel at 600 miles per hour and rocketships which have taken men to the moon and back.

…and knowledge shall be increased. Knowledge has increased more in the past century than in all time beyond put together. Sadly, much of today’s knowledge is being used for evil and not for good, such as universal spying, better and more efficient ways of killing people, and genetic tampering on food crops, now known to sicken both people and livestock, and having the potential to contaminate the gene pool worldwide, potentially resulting in famines with the potential to starve millions to death. Genetic tampering, mixing genes from unrelated species, was what ultimately brought on the flood of Noah’s day, because the entire genetic makeup of the world had become corrupted and only Noah and his family remained uncontaminated. This tampering is explicitly mentioned in the apocryphal books of Enoch and Jasher.

Paul’s second epistle to Timothy, chapter 3 verses 1-5, tell of the moral conditions of our day.

[1] This know also, that in the last days, perilous times shall come. [2] For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, [3] Without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, [4] Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God; [5] Having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof; from such turn away. Sounds just like conditions today, doesn’t it? And much of this has come about just in my lifetime.

2 Thessalonians chapter 2 tells about the coming of the Antichrist, and gives a hint concerning the rapture. I recommend you read the entire book.

[6] And now you know what withholdeth, that he might be revealed in his time. [7] For the mystery of iniquity doth already work, only he who now letteth [withholds, restrains]will letuntil he be taken out of the way. [8] And thenshall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: [9] Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, [10] And all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. [11] And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they might believe a lie; [12] That they might all be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (Emphasis added.)

In verses six and seven we have the Restrainer. We believe this is none other than the Holy Spirit dwelling in all born again Christians in this world. Since we are all sealed with the Holy Spirit, the only way the Restrainer can be removed is to remove us, the Church, the Ekklesia, the called out assembly of believers in Jesus Christ. Then and only then can the Antichrist be revealed (verse 8), and there is a massive push on right now for the formation of one world government and one world religion, to be led by this evil man. All the events I have made note of in my previous articles in this series are setting the stage for that eventuality. The Department of Homeland Security procuring 1.7 Billion rounds of ammunition, FEMA camps equipped with guillotines, FEMA being directed to make preparations for massive fatalities, cover stories of expectation of mega-catastrophes, what does all of this tell you? Something BIG IS going on. Verse 9 tells who is behind all of this, none other than Satan himself. Verses 10-12 tell of the fate of those who have willfully rejected Jesus in this age, they won’t get a second chance once the rapture has come and they are left behind. They will all fall prey to the delusion that the antichrist is God, and will all be condemned with him.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 tell of the rapture, how it will happen.

[16] For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: [17] Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. The dead will arise and join us who are still living, we will all receive our glorified bodies and in an instant be caught up together to join Jesus in the air, to be escorted to Heaven. I recommend you read the whole chapter.

1 Corinthians 15 gives an in depth discussion of the resurrection, then details what will happen to us when that event happens:

[51] Behold I show a mystery; we shall not all sleep [die], but we shall be changed, [52] In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. [23] For this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality. So it will all happen in an instant, Greek Atomos, the smallest possible division of time. A nanosecond, a New York Minute. (What is a New York Minute? That’s the time between when the light turns green and the cabbie behind you blows his horn. Joke! It’ll happen much quicker than than a New York minute.) Read the whole chapter.

The gospel of Matthew, chapter 24, gives many details of things that will be happening just before Jesus returns for His own. Wars and rumors of wars. Nation against nation and tribe against tribe (verses 6-7). Persecution (verse 9). Betrayal (verse 10). False prophets (verse 11). Many of them nowadays.

Verse 12: Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. Lots of that already, and much worse to come.

[13] But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. This is tribulation prophecy. Those who receive Jesus after the rapture and maintain their faith to the end of the tribulation shall be saved. That is not for this present age.

[14] Gospel of the Kingdom preached to all the world. This will happen during the tribulation. God’s grace again, not willing that any should perish, but that all should find repentance (2 Peter 3:9). Sadly, many will refuse it.

[15] Abomination of desolation in the holy place… Hasn’t happened yet. This will happen sometime around the midpoint of the tribulation. Tribulation events continue through verse 31.

Be aware that not all of the events of Matthew 24 are in chronological order. The parts concerning the rapture follow the parts about events during the tribulation, but precede the latter in their happening.

Now the key-Israel’s restoration as a nation:

[32] Now learn a parable of the fig tree; when his branch is yet tender and putteth forth leaves, ye know summer is nigh: [33] So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. [34] Verily I say to you, this generation shall not pass, until all these things be fulfilled.

The fig tree is a prophetic symbol of Israel. The putting forth of leaves is symbolic of the nation of Israel, scattered all over the world for nearly 2000 years, being restored as a nation in May 1948. Verse 33-Jesus makes the point, when you see all these signs happening, wars, rumors of wars, earthquakes, famines, storms, moral collapse etc. and you see Israel restored as a nation, know that the end is near. Jesus described this period as being like birth pangs, starting off mild and infrequent, then increasing in both intensity and frequency until the baby is born. The pangs are now increasing at an exponential rate, and things are rapidly coming to a head. Then verse 34 gives a very big hint to the approximate time of the rapture-the generation that sees all these things begin to happen will not pass away until all is fulfilled. And all means all the way up to the end of the tribulation period, at least another seven years after the rapture. According to the Bible the usual lifespan of a generation is 70 years, if by strength, 80. It has now been close to 63 years since Israel once again became a nation, and if the rapture were to happen today there would still be at least seven years until the end of all that Jesus prophesied.

No man knows the day and hour (the exact time) of the rapture, but I truly believe He is telling us we will know when that time is near. I believe that we are in that time now.

Verses 37-39 give some clues as to what things will be like at the time of His coming.

[37] But as the days of Noe were, so shall the coming of the Son of man be. [38] For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking. Marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noe entered into the ark, [39] And knew not until the flood came and took them all away; so also shall the coming of the Son of man be.

Noah preached for some 200 years while the ark was being constructed, and nobody listened. When the flood came, only Noah, his family, and the animals brought into the ark, were saved. So it is in the days leading up to the rapture, it’s business as usual for the world and will be right up until the rapture. And very few people are paying any attention.

[40] Then shall two be in the field, the one shall be taken, the other left. [41] Two women shall be grinding at the mill; one shall be taken and the other left. A perfect picture of the rapture.

[42] Watch therefore for you know not what hour your Lord doth come. This I believe is another clue to the timing of the rapture, it will come at a time when no one is expecting it. Once the tribulation is underway, things are going to be anything but business as usual. It will be chaos. Once we’ve received Jesus our salvation is assured, nevertheless if we don’t live it out, we can lose our reward. See 1 Corinthians chapter 3 for details.

1 Thessalonians 5:9: For God hath not appointed us to judgment, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. More assurance of our eternal salvation in Jesus Christ.

Revelation 3:10, from Jesus’ seven letters to seven churches: Because thou hast kept the word of My patience, I will also keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them who dwell upon the earth.

This was addressed to the church at Philadelphia, generally considered to represent the believing church in the world at this time, and is another argument in favor of a pre-tribulation rapture. It is one of seven letters from the Lord Jesus to seven churches of His day, usually thought to be representative of various conditions of churches through history, from His day to our day.

There’s much more about the tribulation and the end times especially from Revelation 4 and onward, and another hint of the pre-tribulation rapture, and all the plagues God will pour out on the world once we are gone. It tells among other things of a totalitarian dictator who will seek to control the whole world, and we are seeing preparations for that in progress in this day and time. And this is what I have been seeking to emphasize all the way through this series.

We are in critical times. Preparations for the one world government are well underway and the big push is on. According to 2 Thessalonians 2:6-8 we must be gone before the antichrist can be revealed, and that can only mean one thing in the context of today’s events: The time of the rapture must be very close. There is only one way you can prepare and be ready for evacuation in the rapture, and that is to know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. The only way you can do that is to let go of your sins, turn to Jesus and invite Him into your life by an act of your will. If you have never received Jesus into your life and the rapture happens, you will be left behind and will go into the tribulation period. Yes, a great multitude will be saved in the tribulation but for most it will be at the cost of their physical life. Revelation 20:4 speaks of the souls beheaded for their witness of Jesus and the word of God. This is as real as it gets. I have seen the reports of guillotines in the FEMA camps and I believe they are real.

But don’t think you can willfully reject Jesus now and expect to be saved after the rapture. 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 plainly says if you’ve done that you will be sent strong delusion, and you will believe the lie that the antichrist is God, and you will be cast into the lake of fire where he is going, to be tormented in flames for ever and ever. Believe me you don’t want to go there. And you don’t have to.

This is your watchman-on-the-wall warning. The horn is sounding. The enemy (Satan incarnate) is coming. Don’t let him take you. Trust Jesus as your Lord and Savior and you will be saved and rescued and safe from the enemy. Do it now! Reject Jesus and the enemy sooner or later will get you and take you to hell to live forever in eternal torment.

Romans 10:9-13: That if thou shalt confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. [10] For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. [11] For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. [12] For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord is rich unto all who call upon him. [13]For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

The choice is up to you, You must decide for yourself. I can’t do it for you. Do it today, do it now.

Pete Rose

email: wvhillbilly737@suddenlink.net

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Click on the article title for a link to full original referenced article.

In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile.  He writes:

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5

What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law.  But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.  It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9

Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved.  It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.

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Over the last year it has become harder and harder to have a conversation about faith.  I have felt a hardening of positions on both sides.  we see this in politics too.  On the faith side, it stands out to me that more and more, we feel as if we may suffer some fallout from sharing our faith and the Gospel.  Not outright persecution but blowback from differences in opinion, and a general feeling that we need to keep it to ourselves.

What Jeff shares in the article below is something I have felt to varying degrees over the last couple of years.  It’s roots come from the doctrine of the Emergent church.  The ideas are infecting our chruches and leading many off the narrow path.  We need to pray that through us planting seeds, God can pull them back onto the correct path.

Maranatha – Come quickly Lord!

-myblessedhope

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False Sense of Security

By Jeff Patty


I had a short discussion the other day with a co-worker concerning Biblical matters. It’s not the first time, and it probably won’t be the last. It became a little heated, but the co-worker seems to like heated arguments, and he seems to be more desiring to push peoples’ buttons than usual. I believe the reasons are twofold. One, he has a liberal view of Christianity, and two, he has a liberal view of politics. And as the election gets closer, he gets more aggressive and outspoken about all his liberal beliefs.

I like my co-worker; he’s funny and can be caring. And I also love and care for him as a person. But, his liberal views of the Bible and his liberal interpretation gravely concern me. You see, he claims to be a Christian and seems bold at times in proclaiming it. And at times he will say things that I totally agree with and it seems like he’s getting a grasp on the Word. But then he’ll start talking to someone, and it’s so unbiblical it’s scary! Yet he’s convinced he’s right and he’s convincing others at work that don’t know any better that he’s right. Something I like to say about people who treat the Word like this is, “They treat the Bible like it’s a salad bar. They take what they want and leave the rest.” This perfectly describes my co-worker.

I’ll give some examples of what I’ve overheard and even had brief discussions with him about. Once I heard him say very boldly that, “The book of Revelation is a pile of horse****!” Another time he said, “John the Revelator must have gotten ahold of some bad mushrooms on the Island of Patmos, because he was crazy! He believes prophecy is total nonsense. And the other thing of great concern, he has no problem with profanity, especially using the Lord’s name in vain. I don’t know how many times a day he does, I just know that I hear every form of it at least two dozen times each day at work. Minimum! It’s the same as you or I saying, “and, or but, or the” while making a statement. And he never shows any remorse or guilt for the profanity. The only thing I’ve ever known him to show guilt for is gossip. Which is good, and it’s something we all probably struggle with to some degree and should feel guilt for and ask forgiveness for but the profanity isn’t an issue for him.

Neither is sexual immorality. He is a big supporter of anything and everything homosexual. He’s single and has never been married and he’s in his early fifties. I’ve even heard him state a couple of different times that he still hopes to meet someone and get married someday and he knows God has someone for him whoever HE or SHE may be. The first time I heard him say that, I convinced myself that I didn’t hear him right. He wasn’t talking to me, I just overheard him, and so I dismissed it. The second time I heard him; there was no mistaking what he said. This is one of the scriptures he leaves out or throws away, “For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.” Romans 1:26-27 (KJV)

He listens to and follows a couple of famous pastors or, “Life Coaches” as they like to be called today, that feed people what I like to call, “Cotton Candy and Kool-Aid.” Fluff. Even though I would never introduce him to the following people, he would love the “Religious Left” teachings of Brian McLaren and Rob Bell. My co-worker hates the Jews for “occupying the Palestinians’ territory,” and he believes God is a God of love and would never send anybody to Hell. And at other times he even says there is no Hell. So if he ever becomes aware of McLaren and Bell, he’ll have their collected works. Both of these men are a big part of the emergent movement that is destroying Christianity. McLaren and Bell are the types of teachers spoken of in 2 Peter 1:1-2: “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.” (KJV)

He recently recovered from lung cancer and it almost appears that he was miraculously healed. He claims it was through the power of prayer. Maybe it was, I don’t know. He says he must have a purpose, that’s why God has spared him, more than once. He’s had a lot of other close calls. Maybe. But I can’t help but think: maybe he was spared to deceive people. You see, I believe that Satan has the power to heal. He tries to imitate God. They’re pale imitations for sure, but he is able to imitate to some degree. A fascinating and frightening book that I highly recommend is, The Beautiful Side of Evil, by Johanna Michaelsen. In it she talks about when she was involved in the occult with a psychic healer and learning the craft, and how she witnessed many healings of individuals. Some were healed for only short periods of time, others for very long periods of time. Even before she became born-again she felt an evil presence during these sessions. Once she was saved she knew the healings were demonic. Now I’m not saying my co-worker is possessed, but I do believe that because of his preaching of another gospel, he could be being used to lead people astray. “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.” Gal 1:6-9 (KJV)

Like the “Religious Left,” my co-worker seems to have an animosity towards anyone who exposes conservative Christian values. We’re seen as hateful, intolerant and judgmental. And it’s not just him but anyone else with his worldview. I’m convinced that this type of attitude and treatment will become more pronounced and accepted in the near future. I believe the day is quickly coming when it will be dangerous for a true believer to voice his or her convictions in this country, even in a small town like mine.

I haven’t written this article to judge my co-worker or belittle him. I’m sincerely concerned for his soul. He truly believes he is saved yet, the evidence suggests otherwise. I fear he has a false sense of security. And what really bothers me is, in my experience, these are the types of people that are the hardest to reach. If it’s someone who maybe isn’t necessarily an atheist, but they don’t claim to be a Christian, you can present them with the Gospel. Build a foundation. But for someone who believes they are a born-again Christian, whether through heritage or just saying it, it’s hard to say anything that doesn’t offend them or put them on the defensive. I will readily admit I have a hard time knowing how to talk to this particular co-worker and anyone else of a similar mindset. Where I work, and the area where I live, it is populated with a huge amount of people with this mindset, yet their lifestyle isn’t remotely Christian. Quite the opposite. But they believe they have secured a home in Heaven. Maybe I’m naive. Maybe it’s this way everywhere. I fear that it is. It’s a symptom of the condition of our churches. Churches that are all too willing to feed on cotton candy and kool-aid.

I will pray for my co-worker and others like him, and try to set a godly example and be a good witness. That may be more effective than words.

www.jeffpatty.com

jeff@jeffpatty.com

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Click on the article title for a link to full original referenced article.

In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile.  He writes:

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5

What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law.  But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.  It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9

Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved.  It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.

Read Full Post »

After reading the article below I couldn’t help but reflect on my own feelings.  Being a watchman and sifting through all of the garage of this lost world does add a little edge to your happiness.  It is not a depression or lost of faith but a sadness for what we the human race has become and how many of us will not be saved due to our pride and stubbornness.

Once you have detached from this world, it is no longer home, you do tend to not be as joyful of the things of this world.  This is a good thing but something I have struggled with while living in this world but not being part of it.  It is amazing how quickly “this world” pushes you aside as soon as you disconnect, but once you do you feel the peace in your heart and soul, you gripped fist loosens, opens and turns palms up.  It is how we were meant to hold the things/plans of this world, while longing for the next.

Maranatha – Come quickly Lord!

-myblessedhope

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Blessed? Very! Happy? Ehhhh, Maybe Not So Much!

By Sandee Lloyd


I hear people talk about joy, and happiness, and contentment, as if they were interchangeable, and for the “true Christian”, compulsory. The sermon was on that subject at church today. It was a good sermon. The passage was Psalm 1: 1-3. The message was this: blessed/happy is the man who is separated from the world (Walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, standeth not in the way of sinners, and sitteth not in the seat of the scornful). Blessed/happy is the man that is Saturated in the Word (meditating on the Lord’s “preserved and purified” Word –Ps. 12:6-7– day and night, delighting in it), and Blessed/Happy is the man who is Situated in the Faith (like a tree planted by the rivers of water, bringing forth fruit in due season, not withering, and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper). But I still, for the life of me, do not see how this equates to never-ending happiness in this lifetime. Technically the word “blessed” is interchangeable with the word “happy”, but happy is subjective and qualitative, while blessed, is definitive. I don’t even think “joyful” and “happy” are synonymous, although they might be considered degrees of the one state, but now I’m splitting hairs.

It is hard for me to be “ever- joyful”, being a Watchman on the wall, knowing what I know about the conditions in our world and in our nation, and seeing what I see in Scripture, as to where it is all headed. I am not discouraged or worried or despondent, rather I am accepting of what is, and very expectant of “what shall be”. It’s the “in-between now and then”, that is growing protracted and wearisome!!! Perhaps that is a mere case of “A hope deferred makes a heart sick”. The more real the prospect of Heaven becomes, the less “happy” I am here.

(more…)

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JD did an amazing job this week breaking down some of the amazing UN speeches we heard.

It was amazing to hear how much prophecy was echoed in what they are saying.  Our Presidents speech was especially chilling given what we know of prophecy.

I agree whole heartily with JD warning for what is in-store if the Lord tarries.  If they manage to pass the UN resolution – Defamation of Religion, Christians are going to be directly impacted due to our core beliefs (John 14:6).

John 14:6

New King James Version (NKJV)

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Maranatha – Lord come quickly!

-myblessedhope

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_________________________________________________________________

Click on the article title for a link to full original referenced article.

In Romans 10 Paul lays out how salvation is open to all, Jew and Gentile.  He writes:

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” – Romans 10:4-5

What he is saying is now it is not about works or how closely to a “T” you follow the law.  But that it is through God’s gift of grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.  It is really that simple, and yet a hard step for some of us.

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9

Christ is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), through faith in Him you will be saved.  It is the only “works” that God requires for eternal salvation.

Read Full Post »

So we are all anxiously awaiting the Lord return for His Church.  I know I am, but what are we to do with all this anxiousness and anxiety while we wait faithfully and patiently (besides cracking our knuckles, tapping our pencil, or clicking our pen cap, my wife hates that).  The Lord was very specific and Peter gave some very interesting words about what we should be doing while we wait.  And wait really isn’t the right word, we are supposed to be busy doing the Lord’s will.

In 2 Peter 3:12, Peter drops a subtle hint that we can impact the timing of God’s plan and that should be our goal.

2 Peter 3:11-12

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! (emphasis added)

We are not just to be looking for His return.  That is important, but we are to be hastening the coming!

Can we really do that?

Yes, we know that God has a specific number of gentiles that must be brought to Christ before Christ’s return.  We can certainly help by spreading the Gospel.  Not only should we live it but we need to get aggressive about spreading God’s wonderful promise.  Especially now as things are looking bleaker and bleaker, what better time for Good News!

Pastor JD and Ryan both have good discussions of this topic below, JD in this weeks Aloha prophecy update and Ryan from an article posted on RaptureReady.com.

Maranatha – Lord come quickly!

-myblessedhope

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I Am Calling You Out, Church

By Ryan Vanderstelt


Where are you Church? Are you reading this? Are you as ready as I to go home? If you are anything like me, you have been waiting a LONG time for Christ to return. We have been standing in the train terminal with our bags packed, peering down the tracks for the faintest glimmer of light, testing the ground for that particular tremor and waiting for the sound of that Glorious Call. We watch for Feasts. We watch for the planets and stars to be in the right positions and the right color. We watch for those things while we hold our breath: “Is this it? Is it going to be tonight? Maybe while I sleep tonight? Will I wake up to Glory…or just wake up?”.

And yet, here…we…are – still standing in the train station checking our watches. Is the train late? We don’t know. He gave us some indications of when to expect him and we see those indications all around us, but still no train Home.

Truth is, there is something lacking that we, and I include myself here, seem to be overlooking. The one thing He said would hasten His arrival. We are waiting on some passengers to arrive at the station. We cannot expect to go until there are enough of us to fill the train to capacity. So instead of looking at all the things that are swirling around us, things we can all see are pointing to His return. I make the following proposal.

I want to form an “army” of sorts. A kind of Army of God. Please hear me out – I can hear the rustlings in your mind thinking this smacks of the Crusades of the Middle Ages, but I don’t mean exactly that. I am tired of waiting. It is time we start DOING!

(more…)

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