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Archive for the ‘Rapture’ Category

Birthpangs of the Messiah

Posted in Antichrist, Christian Persecution, Church Falling Away, Days of Noah, Deception, End Times Prophecy, Ezekiel 38 War, Rapture, Rebuilding the temple, Salvation, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 21, 2012|

Did you know in the Jewish Talmud (Sanhedrin 97b) that there is a list of ten signs called the “Birthpangs of the Messiah”?

Modern rabbis admit they don’t know why the signs are called this but as Christians, especially Christians that are “watchmen” and study prophecy, these should be very familiar.  See what you think.

Birthpangs of the Messiah – (Talmud, Sanhedrin 97b)

  1. The Jews will return to their biblical homeland and the desert will bloom.
  2. The world will be in a state of complete degradation.
  3. Truth will decrease and lies will prevail.
  4. Inflation will be out of control.
  5. There will be fewer and fewer wise and righteous people.
  6. Many Jews will give up the hope of redemption.
  7. The young will treat the old with disrespect.
  8. Learning will be rejected because people will desire a life of ease.
  9. The whole world will turn against Israel.
  10. The Jews will fight each other (the secular against the religious).

The Talmud also adds that God will defeat Israels enemies in the war of Gog and Magog and confirm the nation of Israel is God’s chosen people (Ezekiel 38 and 39).

Is that amazing or what?!

It is like a checklist of what we are seeing today.

Not one of those items listed is not being done today and/or at some point of fulfillment.

We as Christians recognize these as the birthpangs that Jesus and his disciples wrote about to describe the time leading up to the tribulation, book-ended by the formation of Israel in 1948 and the climax at the confirming of the seven year peace agreement to officially begin the tribulation period and Daniel’s 79th week.

The good news for us is that Christ will return before that time to remove His church (bride) from this world to protect us from the coming wrath.

Maranatha – Lord come quickly!

-myblessedhope

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Excerpts from the post above were taken from a book by Ken Johnson, “The Rapture“ pg 48.  It is an amazing book that I would recommend everyone to purchase through the hyperlink above.

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If you have not asked Christ into your life, the essential gospel is that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and that He was raised on the third day (1 Cor. 15:3-4).  Believing this is the only qualification for salvation.  We are sinners in need of a savior.  Jesus died for our sins, and to prove that His death was sufficient for us,  God raised Him from the dead on the third day. Believing in our heart that God raised Him from the dead is our assurance that He will raise us, too.
 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, (1 Cor. 15:3-4). 

 

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Why Ezekiel 38 Will Precede Daniel 9

Posted in End Times Prophecy, Ezekiel 38 War, Psalm 83 War, Rapture, Rebuilding the temple, Salvation, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 18, 2012|

God is amazing, I just finished reading this article by Jack Kelly on the exact topic I wrote yesterday morning.  Jack does an amazing job connecting the dots on what we are seeing unfold.

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Why Ezekiel 38 Will Precede Daniel 9

 by Jack Kelly

“Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy.

“Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble” (Daniel 9:24-25).

Dispensationalists believe, with good reason, that there’s one week of years left to fulfill from the promise the angel Gabriel delivered to Daniel near the end of the Babylonian captivity.  We know the prophecy as Daniel’s 70 weeks.  Each week in the prophecy represents 7 years.  69 of these weeks (7 plus 62) had passed when the Messiah presented Himself to Israel as their King on the only day in His life that He did so.  On our calendar it became known as the first Palm Sunday.

In the prophecy 69 weeks equals 483 years (69 x 7).  This is the exact time that had passed since Artaxerxes Longimonus issued his decree giving Nehemiah permission to begin rebuilding Jerusalem (Nehemiah 2:1-10).  (The city had been destroyed when Nebuchadnezzar’s army conquered Judah and took its people captive to Babylon.)  Daniel’s prophecy was being fulfilled in specific detail, and Israel’s failure to realize this marked the beginning of the end for them (Luke 19:41-44).

After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed (Daniel 9:26).

The Hebrew word for Anointed One is Messiah.  Four days after He presented Himself to them,  they executed Him, which is what the Hebrew word translated “cut off” means.  Nothing the angel Gabriel had promised to Mary (Luke 1:32-33) had come to pass.  Three days after that He rose again, fulfilling a sign He had promised to the religious leaders to prove His authenticity, the sign of the prophet Jonah (Matt. 12:39-40). He gave them 40 days to recognize the most dramatic fulfillment of a prophetic sign in the history of mankind and accept Him as their Messiah, and when they didn’t He ascended into Heaven, fulfilling another prophecy in the process.

Then I will go back to my place until they admit their guilt.  And they will seek my face; in their misery they will earnestly seek me” (Hosea 5:15)

About 38 years after that the Roman armies destroyed the city and the sanctuary, and for all practical purposes the nation of Israel ceased to exist.  But a few years before that happened, the Jewish leadership of the Christian movement called the Church had become divided over the issue of whether Gentiles who were coming into Christianity had to put themselves under the Law first.  In other words did a Gentile have to become a Jew before becoming a Christian?  The unspoken question that lurked behind it was even more troublesome to them, and that was, “If not, what’s to become of Israel?” They had been taught that the only way to God was through Israel.  Was this being changed?

The Council At Jerusalem

They all came together in Jerusalem, where James, the Lord’s half brother and head of the Church in Jerusalem set them straight. Israel is being temporarily set aside, he told them, while the Lord takes out of the Gentiles a people for Himself. After that He will restore Israel to allow the remnant of mankind one more chance to seek Him (Acts 15:13-18).  Therefore, Gentiles would not be required to convert to Judaism in the process of becoming Christians.

The Greek word translated “take” in Acts 15:14 means to carry away for one’s own purpose and the  one translated “out of” means to remove from a specified time and place.  Before restoring Israel to fellowship with Him, the Lord will take a people for Himself out of the time and place of the Gentiles.  James was describing the rapture of the Church and saying it will precede Daniel’s 70th Week.

Paul, who was at the meeting, confirmed this by saying Israel has been blinded in part until the full number of Gentiles has come in. After that Israel will be saved (Romans 11:25).  As I’ve indicated in previous studies this is another testimony that the rapture of the church will precede Israel’s restoration and redemption.  From these two prophecies we understand that Israel’s rejection of the Messiah did not end the Old Covenant.  It merely interrupted its 490 year post exilic duration 7 years short of its allotted time.  After the Church is gone this seven years has to be completed.

“He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him” (Daniel 9:27).

The final seven years  will begin with a covenant to be signed by the “ruler who will come”, mentioned in Daniel 9:26.  Gabriel said this leader will come from the people who would destroy the city and the sanctuary after the Messiah’s execution.  In the middle of this last seven years He will put an end to sacrifices and offerings by setting up the Abomination of Desolation which kicks off the 3 ½ year Great Tribulation (Matt. 24:15-21).

Put this all together and you can begin to see why I believe the Rapture of the Church will precede the beginning of Daniel’s missing 70th week.  According to these prophecies the church has to be gone before Israel returns to their covenant relationship with the Lord.

And That’s Not All

But my main purpose in reviewing all this with you is to find the answer to one very important question, and here it is.  What event will suddenly cause Israel, currently a predominantly secular  nation, to officially restore their Old Covenant relationship with God? The study of human nature tells us that while people typically fall away from their beliefs gradually, they don’t come back to them the same way.  Usually, some external change or event, often catastrophic in nature, has to take place to snap them back.  And so it will be for Israel.

And remember, it has to be a return to the Old Covenant because they’re seven years short of completing the time God allotted to them, and the only reason they will need a Temple is for the purpose of Old Covenant worship.  If it was the rapture of the Church that gets their attention they’d be motivated to enter a New Covenant relationship rather than return to the Old Covenant. Something else has to happen . And it will.

An unexpected event that will threaten Israel’s very existence is set to take place soon and God will use it to bring them running as a nation to Him, ending a 2000 year estrangement. This event won’t be a protracted one that causes them to slowly conclude that they’re doomed and drive them to their knees in a desperate plea for help.  Rather it will be one orchestrated and executed  by God Himself for the specific purpose of opening spiritual eyes that have been blinded since that first Palm sunday.   It will happen so fast that they won’t realize what has transpired until it’s all over.

God will cause a coalition of enemy forces to strike with out warning in such numbers that it will seem like a cloud has covered the land, and when they do, He will decimate them with torrents of rain, hailstones and burning sulphur.  Then He’ll sew such confusion in the ranks that they’ll turn on each other.  When it’s over there will be so many dead bodies that it will take Israel seven months just to bury them all.

Of course the event I’m referring to is the Battle of Ezekiel 38-39. Four times during Ezekiel’s prophecy of this battle God’s objective was made clear.  Ezekiel 38:23, 39:7, 39:22, 39:28 all tell us His goal is to  show His greatness and holiness to Israel and the nations so Israel will know He’s the Lord their God. This is the event that will cause Israel’s national reconciliation with God and kick off the remaining seven years of the Old Covenant.

Today there appears to be a  growing desire among some in Israel for a Temple.  But if you read between the lines you’ll see it’s a nationalistic movement, not a spiritual one.  Advocates are hoping a Temple will underscore their right to the land by demonstrating their historical presence there.  But this movement is by no means reflective of the national mind set. Most people realize the danger in such a thing.

But after the Battle of Ezekiel 38, the demand for a Temple will be a spiritual movement that will represent the great majority of people in Israel. They’ll want to worship the God they’ve rediscovered and Old Covenant worship requires a Temple. It won’t be just a monument to their past but a necessity for their future.  And with the great victory God will have just handed them, who will dare to deny them? Even the coming world leader will appear to be championing their cause, enforcing a covenant that will allow them to build their Temple.  To Israel it will seem like peace has finally come.

One More Time

Sad to say, the Battle of Ezekiel 38 won’t result in a permanent peace for Israel.  They’ll discover they’ve been deceived by the very one who they thought to be their champion, bringing about the worst period of persecution the Jewish people have ever known.  And this time when foreign nations are mobilized against them, it won’t be just a regional coalition.  Zechariah 12:3 says all the nations of the world will line up against Israel. This time Israel will know in advance what their fate will likely be and  will come crawling to God for help (Hosea 6:1-2).

This time God won’t just use His signature weapons of rain, hail, earthquakes and fire that He can deliver from afar.  Nor will He sow confusion into the enemy’s mind to have them defeat themselves.  This time He’ll fill the sky with the armies of heaven, with His own Son at their head. The Son will slay them all with just the Word of His mouth.  This time they won’t spend multiple months burying the dead.  This time the birds will devour the carcasses (Rev. 19:11-21).

This time will be different because this time it won’t be only the Father they will have recognized.  This time it will be the Son as well (Zech 12:10).  The reconciliation will finally be complete and the Kingdom Age will begin.   You can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah 09-08-12.

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

If you’re not certain you’re saved, here is what you should do, right now:
  1. Acknowledge that you have sinned against a holy God and ask for forgiveness (even if you don’t feel you deserve it) (Rom. 3:23).  Genuinely feel the pain of your sin and be willing to turn from it (repent) (Acts 3:19).
  2. Believe in your heart and mind that Jesus is the Son of God, that he died on the cross for you (John 3:1-18) in your place, and was raised back to life.  There is no one else you can turn to (John 14:6): “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”
  3. Confess that you are trusting Jesus as your personal Savior.  Since Jesus is alive, you can talk to him.  This is called prayer.  So talk to him right now, in your own words, accept his invitation to know him.
It’s simple faith through grace, the kind of faith a little child would have.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Eph. 2:8-9)
Welcome brother or sister in Christ!  This is just the start of the journey, we are called to live in this world but not be of this world.  Begin studying God’s word (the Bible) daily to give you the strength and wisdom to live this calling out.  There are many sites like this that can help you as well.

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Mid-East Prophecy Update – September 13th & 16th 2012

Posted in Aloha Sermon's & Prophecy updates, End Times Prophecy, Ezekiel 38 War, Psalm 83 War, Rapture, Salvation, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 18, 2012|

Great pair of updates this week with a bonus update on Thursday…

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

If you’re not certain you’re saved, here is what you should do, right now:
  1. Acknowledge that you have sinned against a holy God and ask for forgiveness (even if you don’t feel you deserve it) (Rom. 3:23).  Genuinely feel the pain of your sin and be willing to turn from it (repent) (Acts 3:19).
  2. Believe in your heart and mind that Jesus is the Son of God, that he died on the cross for you (John 3:1-18) in your place, and was raised back to life.  There is no one else you can turn to (John 14:6): “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”
  3. Confess that you are trusting Jesus as your personal Savior.  Since Jesus is alive, you can talk to him.  This is called prayer.  So talk to him right now, in your own words, accept his invitation to know him.
It’s simple faith through grace, the kind of faith a little child would have.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Eph. 2:8-9)
Welcome brother or sister in Christ!  This is just the start of the journey, we are called to live in this world but not be of this world.  Begin studying God’s word (the Bible) daily to give you the strength and wisdom to live this calling out.  There are many sites like this that can help you as well.

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Israel has not been replaced…

Posted in End Times Prophecy, Ezekiel 38 War, Psalm 83 War, Rapture, Salvation, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 17, 2012|

…but put aside for a taking of the Gentiles.

The Lord this morning placed on my heart the following topic.  Romans 11 was front and center.

One of the great deceptions out there these days is that God’s promises to Israel have been transferred to the Church and in essence the Church has replaced Israel.  Nothing could be further from the truth.

It is important that this not be the case for if God’s everlasting covenant with Israel is, well, not everlasting.  Then what does that say about his everlasting promises to the Church?  Will the Holy Spirit be sealed in us now and forever more?

Israel and the Church both have covenants with God; both are unique but with a shared history and root system.  This is understandable since God is the same: past, present, and future.  Israel’s covenant is through “the law and the prophets”, Old Testament.  The Church’s covenant is through belief and faith in Christ, God’s Grace, and the Holy Spirit.

Israel’s 70 weeks were interrupted one week short of fulfillment, this is outlined in Daniel 9.  Paul lays out the reason for this in Romans 11.

Romans 11

New King James Version (NKJV)

Israel’s Rejection Not Total

11 I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying, 3 “Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life”?[a] 4 But what does the divine response say to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”[b] 5 Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6 And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace.[c] But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.

7 What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded. 8 Just as it is written:

“God has given them a spirit of stupor,
Eyes that they should not see
And ears that they should not hear,
To this very day.”[d]

9 And David says:

“Let their table become a snare and a trap,
A stumbling block and a recompense to them.
10 Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see,
And bow down their back always.”[e]

Israel’s Rejection Not Final

11 I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles. 12 Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!

13 For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, 14 if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of them. 15 For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?

16 For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. 17 And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, 18 do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.

19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.” 20 Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. 22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness,[f] if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. 23 And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?

25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel will be saved,[g] as it is written:

“The Deliverer will come out of Zion,
And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;
27 For this is My covenant with them,
When I take away their sins.”[h]

28 Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. 29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 30 For as you were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience, 31 even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy. 32 For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all.

33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!

34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has become His counselor?”[i]
35 “Or who has first given to Him
And it shall be repaid to him?”[j]

36 For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.

This world has only one covenant going at a time so for God to keep His word (which He always does) but still save the Gentiles (since He wishes that none shall parish), the Jewish covenant was put on hold with their rejection of His Son.  Once the Jewish people rejected Christ and He died on the cross for our sins, the old covenant was put on hold and the new covenant began.  The temple curtain was torn signifying we all now had access to God directly through faith in His Son Jesus Christ, Jew and Gentile.

The temple shortly after was destroyed and the Jewish nation was dispersed for a time until in 1948 when they were gathered as a nation (Ezekiel 37).  This has never happened before that a nation of people were completely dispersed and later reformed, language and all, but with God all things are possible.  God keeps His word, and His covenants; everlasting covenants.

So we saw the super sign in 1948.  Prophetically, Israel was gathered and shall be a nation ever more, never to be divided again with Jerusalem as their undivided capital.  Though this world will try, Jerusalem will be like a burdensome stone to all who try to divide her or stand against Israel (Zechariah 12:3).

See Israel is preparing herself to complete the last remaining week of God’s everlasting covenant, Daniel’s 70th week.  To do this they must complete the gathering together, rebuild their temple, and turn back to God by humbling themselves and depending on God for protection and direction.  These events will happen you have God’s word on it.  Psalm’s 83 and Ezekiel 38-39 will probably play a role as well as Zechariah 12:3.

All nations will stand against her for if you are not for her you are against her.  Yes, even the US will stand against her by not being with her.  Something you are seeing play out right now.

But remember what I mentioned about the covenants on this earth, only one can be a place at once so there is another big sign coming that will need to occur before God’s everlasting covenant with Israel can begin.  The churches covenant must be completed.  We will be taken up to be with the Lord always, our wedding banquet, and marriage to Christ.

Once the church is removed, the Holy Spirit (the Restrainer) is removed and the 70th week is free to begin.  How fast things will move at that point.  The only ones left will not stand for Israel or God.  You saw the vote at the DNC; if not scroll down and find my post on it.

They denied God and Israel (Jerusalem) three times, that is important, it foreshadows what is to come.  Three is important.  Peter denied Christ three times and Christ asked Peter three times if he believed in Him.  It is a sign folks.

Christ will come soon for His church at an hour no one knows.  But we do know the season and we are in it.  And Israel is reforming, rising to start back up their covenant with God.  The entire world is focused on one little nation, just as God said they would.  All eyes are on Jerusalem and Israel.

They are important.

Why?

Because God promised they would be and He always keeps His promises – everlasting covenants.

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If you’re not certain you’re saved, here is what you should do, right now:
  1. Acknowledge that you have sinned against a holy God and ask for forgiveness (even if you don’t feel you deserve it) (Rom. 3:23).  Genuinely feel the pain of your sin and be willing to turn from it (repent) (Acts 3:19).
  2. Believe in your heart and mind that Jesus is the Son of God, that he died on the cross for you (John 3:1-18) in your place, and was raised back to life.  There is no one else you can turn to (John 14:6): “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”
  3. Confess that you are trusting Jesus as your personal Savior.  Since Jesus is alive, you can talk to him.  This is called prayer.  So talk to him right now, in your own words, accept his invitation to know him.
It’s simple faith through grace, the kind of faith a little child would have.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Eph. 2:8-9)
Welcome brother or sister in Christ!  This is just the start of the journey, we are called to live in this world but not be of this world.  Begin studying God’s word (the Bible) daily to give you the strength and wisdom to live this calling out.  There are many sites like this that can help you as well.

Read Full Post »

The Early Church Believed in the Restoration

Posted in Church Falling Away, Deception, End Times Prophecy, Rapture, Salvation, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on September 6, 2012|

Don’s article below is a great example of why we need to understand the audience and culture / makeup of the early church when studying God’s word.  It is invaluable and without it much misunderstanding can occur.

I often hear the charge leveled that Christians that believe in dispensationalism and the rapture do not believe in restoration but exactly the opposite is true.  The literal interpretation is the only way to read the bible.  God will restore this planet and He will rapture His church to fulfill His word.  Great article.

I have included the full text of Acts 1:1-11 that Don references below.  It would be good to review it before jumping in…

Acts 1:1-11

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Introduction

1 The first account I [a]composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after He had [b]by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen. 3 To [c]these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God. 4 [d]Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for [e]what the Father had promised, “Which,” He said, “you heard of from Me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized [f]with the Holy Spirit [g]not many days from now.”

6 So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; 8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

The Ascension

9 And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And as they were gazing intently into [h]the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. 11 They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into [i]the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”

Footnotes:

  1. Acts 1:1 Lit made
  2. Acts 1:2 Or through
  3. Acts 1:3 Lit whom
  4. Acts 1:4 Or eating with; or lodging with
  5. Acts 1:4 Lit the promise of the Father
  6. Acts 1:5 Or in
  7. Acts 1:5 Lit not long after these many days
  8. Acts 1:10 Or heaven
  9. Acts 1:11 Or heaven

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The Early Church Believed in the Restoration

By Don McGee

Most in the church today deny even a remote possibility that the earth will ever be restored, and that the kingdom of God will ever have a place on such an earth. They further deny that God will ever install Israel as the pre-imminent nation on this refurbished earth. They believe the church is the only real kingdom of God, and belief in such a restoration is therefore erroneous. I believe this is a quantum leap from the viewpoint of the early church.

The early church did not see itself as an entity so spiritual and other-worldly that it did not, or could not have a place in the restored earth’s temporal future. Nearly all early Christians were Jews and they were very familiar with God’s promises to the patriarchs and with the words of the prophets. So, they had no reason to believe the kingdom of God, of which the newly birthed church was a part, was limited to what happened after Pentecost. They also understood that the church, whose existence and purpose were in the mind of God before the foundation of the world, did not void that aspect of God’s kingdom having to do with Israel. And it is in that context that the early disciple’s final question to Jesus before He left them had to do with restoring the kingdom to Israel (Acts 1:6).

That, however, changed when Gentiles began to be added to the church. Many of the early Gentile converts were from Asia Minor and Grecian Europe whose cultures had been under the strong influences of mystical religions, Gnosticism and various other pagan philosophies for generations. What makes this an important point is that those new Christians brought some of those old pagan beliefs with them as they came into the church. The apostle John forged a very strong argument against those insidious influences as seen in his letter we call 1 John.

The foundation of the Gnostic belief system is that the physical world is entirely bad, and is thus of no concern religiously. Only that which is spiritual is considered important. Of course, this opened the church door to all kinds of problems including rampant immorality. Thus, when those new believers encountered Old and New Testament scriptures having to do with the restoration of this physical earth and the presence of a physical earthly kingdom, they could not reconcile those texts with their ingrained Gnostic and mystic backgrounds. In due course, as some of them rose to places of leadership in the church, they fostered the spiritual, non-literal interpretation of prophecy, and it easily caught on.

Why was it so easy? To answer that question would require more space than that available here, but one of the major reasons was the influence of anti-Semitism. From early on Jews have been blamed for every malady Europe and the Middle East faced. Whether disease or natural disasters, it did not matter; it was the Jew’s fault. The result was that it was too much of a leap to admit, or to even consider that the earth will be restored, and that the pre-imminent nation will be a restored Israel. In this way contempt and hatred of the Jews skewed the interpretation of scripture, especially any text that pointed to the future glory of the Jews and the ascendency of Israel (e.g. Zechariah 8:23).

Most people attending mainline churches each Sunday, even self-labeled conservative churches, do not realize that their denominations are in lock-step with Islamic policy regarding Israel. Today not only do the Muslims blame the Jews for everything, but most of the Christian churches, denominations and councils, also. The unspoken, yet clearly evident thought is that the Gentile world, even the Gentile church, would rather not see this earth restored if that means a Jewish presence, much less if it means their being the pre-imminent nation.

Consider the question the disciples asked Jesus just before He ascended to heaven, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” His answer was, “It is not for you to know the times or the epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” (Acts 1:6-8)

In order to side-step a thorough investigation into this question, the church universal shrugs it off claiming that the disciples were confused, did not understand what they were asking and that Jesus’ answer proves there will never be such a restoration. I don’t think so. Read verses 1-5.

Jesus had spent the forty days since His resurrection teaching His disciples, and there is no doubt He was addressing some very important things. One might wonder how much of what we think is important today was on His list. Luke, however, leaves no question about what He taught — it was all about the kingdom of God (Acts 1:3).

With that in mind consider that Jesus was the greatest teacher in all history, and that His disciples were receiving the most important instruction any group of disciples could ever hear, for they were to be the first with the message that would turn the world on its ear. We can be certain Jesus made no mistakes, was very clear, and would insure none of them would be confused when it was all over. To say they were confused is to miss that fact. It is obvious their question was in context with what Jesus had been talking about for 40 days.

So, why did they ask the question? Probably several reasons, not the least of which is that they were on the Mt. of Olives. They would have easily connected the prophet’s words, what Jesus had been teaching for 40 days, the exact spot where they were standing and that they were in the very presence of the prophesied King! What Jew would not have made the connection? They were dead on in their thinking, and Jesus’ answer actually reflected that point. It is clear He did not rebuke them for their question, for His answer had to do with the timing of the restoration and not the fact of the restoration.

The above is a section of the Mt. of Olives east of the Temple Mount’s Eastern Gate. For thousands of years Jews have been buried here because they know Messiah will return to this spot when He comes to set up His earthly kingdom, and they want to be resurrected there and then. Being Jews themselves, Jesus’ disciples were very familiar with those issues, and saw no contradiction between those prophecies and Jesus’ teaching about the kingdom. Nor did Jesus.

Well, what about the restoration? Basically, it encompasses two major aspects, the restoration of the earth and the restoration of Jerusalem, Israel as the city of the Great King — the capital of the world.

In Acts 3 Luke gives the account of Peter and John and the lame man who was healed. This caused quite a stir among both the people and the religious leaders, and in Peter’s message to the crowd he reminded them that the suffering of the Messiah was predicted by their prophets and was fulfilled in Jesus. In the next sentence Peter told his Jewish audience of repentance, removal of sin, times of refreshing and that God would send Jesus the Messiah. The modern church often overlooks how Peter used the word Messiah (Christ) instead the word “Savior”. He further says Messiah will remain in heaven “until the period of restoration of all things”; the period the prophets wrote and spoke about. The Jews had no need of an explanation for that term, for they were familiar with it and with its use by their ancient prophets. In fact, this is the time Paul had in mind when, about 25 years later, he said in Romans 8:19-22 that all creation longs to be set free from its slavery to the curse of corruption.

The restoration will include many things such as the elimination of war (Isaiah 2, Micah 4) and the removal of the curse (Isaiah 11). Israel as a nation will finally recognize that Jesus is indeed their Messiah (Zechariah 12), and Jesus will be King over all the earth with all the world going to Jerusalem to worship Him (Zechariah 14). David will be resurrected and will be installed over Israel as their prince (Ezekiel 34:23-24; 37:24ff).

God’s prophets and some of His New Testament writers wrote about this coming time of restoration, but they did not mention its duration. It is not until we get to Revelation 20 that God tells us through John that it will last 1000 years. This period is followed by Satan’s last rebellion, the great judgment of the unsaved, the destruction Peter told us about (2 Peter 3:10) and the eternal state with the new heavens, the new earth and the new Jerusalem.

One of King David’s greatest admonitions is for God’s people to pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6), for when there is “peace within her walls and prosperity within her palaces” then the entire world will experience the same. In these last days it is arguably true that when there is no peace in Jerusalem, there is no peace in the world. And, such peace will not happen in the church dispensation, for the church cannot deliver what she has not been given the right, ability or authority to deliver. Such peace will be by the hand of the Prince of Peace; His hand only, and He will do it in person.

I once saw a painting that was supposed to be a portrayal of Jerusalem at peace. The view was from the Mt. of Olives looking across the Temple Mount. Beams of light shone through beautiful clouds with the Star of David formed by the varied texture of their shadows. The buildings were brightly colored, and splendid greenery covered the mount. However, in the middle of the picture was the Islamic Dome of the Rock. Without questioning the intentions of the artist, his understanding of God’s prophets and current events was severely limited. When real peace comes there will be no Dome of the Rock and no Al Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount.

The question of the disciples in Acts chapter one is no surprise in that it is not the first time they had asked Jesus about His kingdom. In Matthew 19:23ff we find another account of Jesus teaching His disciples about the kingdom of God. During that conversation Peter reminded the Lord that they had left everything to follow Him, and he wondered if there would be anything for them in His kingdom. Jesus did not impatiently sigh and rebuke him for his question. In fact, His answer was very clear about the coming “regeneration”.

Three things jump out of that text regarding the regeneration. First, there is going to be one. Second, it will be inaugurated when Jesus sits on His thrown. Note, too, Revelation 3:21 about His throne being distinguished from His Father’s throne. And third, the 12 apostles will sit upon their own thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Gnostics reject this hands down, and most modern Christians also. But, mere rejection in itself does not explain away the temporal context of both the question and Jesus’ answer. If Peter’s question would have been out of order Matthew would have recorded Jesus’ correction for all future Christian generations to see and clearly understand. That did not happen.

It is beyond question that we are looking for the rapture of the church. Yet, we are also looking forward to the restoration, the regeneration. We will rule with Jesus on a restored earth where peace will abound, the media will not be biased, Islam and all other religious and cultural threats will be gone, mortals will not govern, but will be governed, no profanity will be heard in family restaurants, children will not be threatened by bullies or sexual deviants, fishing ponds will abound, lakes and streams will be clean along with the air…the list could go on. That is why Jesus calls it the “restoration”, or “regeneration”. I cannot say what anybody’s specific job will be, but we can know this: it will be much better than anything this wretched, evil and miserable world has to offer. Maranatha!

 

csm01@att.net

 

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

If you’re not certain you’re saved, here is what you should do, right now:
  1. Acknowledge that you have sinned against a holy God and ask for forgiveness (even if you don’t feel you deserve it) (Rom. 3:23).  Genuinely feel the pain of your sin and be willing to turn from it (repent) (Acts 3:19).
  2. Believe in your heart and mind that Jesus is the Son of God, that he died on the cross for you (John 3:1-18) in your place, and was raised back to life.  There is no one else you can turn to (John 14:6): “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”
  3. Confess that you are trusting Jesus as your personal Savior.  Since Jesus is alive, you can talk to him.  This is called prayer.  So talk to him right now, in your own words, accept his invitation to know him.
It’s simple faith through grace, the kind of faith a little child would have.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Eph. 2:8-9)
Welcome brother or sister in Christ!  This is just the start of the journey, we are called to live in this world but not be of this world.  Begin studying God’s word (the Bible) daily to give you the strength and wisdom to live this calling out.  There are many sites like this that can help you as well.

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Something Big Is Going On – Part 1 and 2

Posted in Antichrist, Christian Persecution, Church Falling Away, Days of Noah, Deception, End Times Prophecy, Ezekiel 38 War, Mark of the Beast, One World Currency, One World Government, One World Religion, Pestilence, Psalm 83 War, Rapture, Salvation, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 5, 2012|

Excellent series, it is amazing all that is coming together, converging, all at once.

I am not sure I agree with Pete on all of the topics yet, but it is interesting to look at all the theories at once.  See the big picture that we don’t get in this sound bite world.

I have learned through discernment, that just because something sounds crazy or impossible at first glance, does not make it any less the truth.  A lot of prophecy looked crazy or impossible 10-15 years ago but now makes perfect sense.  For God all things are possible.

And there is probably a “logical” explanation for much of the conspiracy topics listed below.  But as we have seen from studying scripture, what appears logical alone, when put into context, can appear very illogical.  All I know is that with the amount of deception that is in this world today, you can only count on God’s truth.  We were warned over and over to not be deceived.  Keep an open mind and be watchful.  We must stay focused on Jesus Christ and God’s will for our lives until He comes for us as promised.

We probably won’t know a lot of the truth until we get to the other side.  But here in this world now, the key is discernment and prayer.  Take everything back to God’s word (the Bible) and God Himself through prayer.  The Holy Spirit will not lead you astray…

“And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” – John 8:32

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Something Big Is Going On

By Pete Rose

It appears something very big is about to happen on the world scene. Things are coming together at warp speed, and for those who are paying attention it is becoming quite clear it isn’t for our good. If you want to know what’s really going on, check the alternate news sites like Drudge Report, Prison Planet, Natural News, World Net Daily and Infowars. Another good site is Raiders News Update─a compilation of news stories related to Bible prophecy. You’ll get the real scoop on what’s happening on the world scene at these and similar sites, which you’ll never find on the mainline media like CNN, ABC, CBS, etc.

Financial

At the moment I am writing this, the U.S. national debt stands at nearly 16 (T) trillion dollars, and growing exponentially. That’s over $50,000 apiece for every man, woman and child in the U.S.A. If the nations holding this debt─mainly China─were to call it in: It would almost certainly cause the worst monetary collapse in history.

Billionaire George Soros has sold off some $50 million in corporate stocks and has purchased over $100 million in gold.

Billionaire John Paulson “is buying gold like crazy,” and now has 46% of his $24 billion fund in gold.

Central banks are also grabbing up gold like crazy, having bought 157.5 metric tons of gold just in the last quarter, a 138% increase over the same quarter last year. Apparently these people know something big and bad is about to happen, and are preparing for it the best they know how.

Prison Planet’s Alex Jones reports that globalists have planned a staged bank collapse for late October in an attempt to bring in their dream of a new world order, one worldwide government. I can neither confirm nor deny this, but if and when it happens it will probably cause the worst panic in history. Major rioting and a collapse of society as we know it are definite possibilities.

Domestic Terrorism/Staged Attacks

The FBI has issued a list of characteristics to be used to identify potential terrorists. This list includes among other things people who are conservatives or patriots, people who have weapons, people who stockpile food, and even people who pay cash for coffee.

(more…)

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Train up a child…

Posted in Christian Persecution, Church Falling Away, Days of Noah, Deception, End Times Prophecy, Rapture, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 4, 2012|

As bad as the world has gotten with deception, what our children face is just unimaginable.  It is something that weighs heavily on me daily.

At the precious age of 5 (or sooner), we bundle up our kids and send them off to school from 8 to 5 for a lot of them.  We intrust our child to a government agency, called our education system.

We are trading our responsibilities God gave us to “train up” our children for a “higher” standard of living and more income.

How long do we really get to influence our children each day?

And for those that choose to have a bigger influence, how hard to we make it as a society for them to unplug?

I saw some graphs a while back of what happened when we removed God (Bible reading) from our schools in 1963.  It was the most stunning thing I had ever seen.

Check them out.  These are facts folks, not an opinion or theory, it is what really happened!

Being in the Pretribulation rapture camp through thorough study, prayer and trying to remain watchful, I always am amazed when people argue that things are not worst today than when we were kids.  Just glancing at those graphs tells anyone with an ounce of common sense that things have and are getting worse.  It is enough for one to suspect God’s “strong delusion” may be upon this world already…

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Train Up A Child

By Grant Phillips

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)

We have all watched the deterioration of our youth since we began the removal of God from our society in 1963. One voice started the ball rolling by having Bible reading removed from the schools. From that point forward, God has been kicked out of every nook and cranny of society in this country.

Madalyn Murray O’Hair, one voice in this country among 189,241,798 people in the year 1963 was able to persuade our Supreme Court to remove Bible reading from the schools because it offended her. In other words, 00.000000528% of the total population, in 1963, determined for the remaining populace of 189,241,797, 99.999999471%, that Bible reading would no longer take place in the schools. Even if 241,797 people agreed with her, and I doubt it, that still means that 00.127771984% told the remaining populace of 189,000,000 people, 99.872228015%, that Bible reading in the schools would be no more.

This world has never been perfect, which includes our schools, but almost fifty years later society has gone to hell in a hand basket.

Children receive their greatest influence in the home and in the schools. If the home is a disaster, and all Godly influence is removed from the schools, what is left but everything that opposes anything to do with God?

Is it any wonder teachers are now afraid of the students, sexual practices are common place in the schools, drugs are destroying the minds of our youth, gangs roam the halls, crime is rampant, and education is failing in general? The youth of 1963 grew up with but a pinch of Godly influence. Then each following year there was less and less, until there was none to be found anywhere.

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How close are we…

Posted in Deception, End Times Prophecy, Ezekiel 38 War, Psalm 83 War, Rapture, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on September 4, 2012|

Below I pulled just nine articles from this weeks cycle (there are more) that I think give us a good pulse of  the prophetic event that will occur in the near future.  (My guess is before the end of the year.)

There are five key prophecies that I think are on the verge of being fulfilled.

Isaiah 17:1 – Destruction of Damascus

Psalm 83 – Attack of Israel by its neighbors – Purpose to wipe them off the face of the earth

Zechariah 12:3 – All nations turn on Israel and will be cut to pieces

Ezekiel 38 – Surprise attack on Israel from coalition of Gog/Magog and Islamic allies – take spoils

Isaiah 19 – Rise of brutal leader in Egypt that will persecute the Egyptian people

Let me quote a few verses from the above to see if you have heard any headlines or quotes that are similar to these over the last year.

Psalm 83:4

English Standard Version (ESV)

4 They say, “Come, let us wipe them out as a nation;
let the name of Israel be remembered no more!”

Sound like anything we have seen spoken by Iran, Hezbollah, or Hamas?  How about the Palestinians?  The Muslim Brotherhood (Egypt) certainly has, almost word for word.

Zechariah 12:2-3

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

2 “Behold, I am going to make Jerusalem a cup [a]that causes reeling to all the peoples around; and when the siege is against Jerusalem, it will also be against Judah. 3 It will come about in that day that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will be severely [b]injured. And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it.

With the recent revelation that our government has sided with Iran, can you name a country whose government/heads of state stands with Israel?  I do not see any vocal supporters.

Ezekiel 38:13

English Standard Version (ESV)

13 Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish and all its leaders[a] will say to you, ‘Have you come to seize spoil? Have you assembled your hosts to carry off plunder, to carry away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to seize great spoil?’

Footnotes:

  1. Ezekiel 38:13 Hebrew young lions

We (the US) are the young lions.  Can you see our current leaders saying these words?  Can you seeing them in their naiveté (real or perceived), stating this?  It certainly aligns with their stance to far to lukewarm diplomacy instead of action.

Isaiah 17:1

English Standard Version (ESV)

An Oracle Concerning Damascus

17 An oracle concerning Damascus.

Behold, Damascus will cease to be a city
and will become a heap of ruins.

Any chance this happens soon?  Or is currently underway?  Syria is on fire.

Isaiah 19:1-4

English Standard Version (ESV)

An Oracle Concerning Egypt

19 An oracle concerning Egypt.

Behold, the Lord is riding on a swift cloud
and comes to Egypt;
and the idols of Egypt will tremble at his presence,
and the heart of the Egyptians will melt within them.
2 And I will stir up Egyptians against Egyptians,
and they will fight, each against another
and each against his neighbor,
city against city, kingdom against kingdom;
3 and the spirit of the Egyptians within them will be emptied out,
and I will confound[a] their counsel;
and they will inquire of the idols and the sorcerers,
and the mediums and the necromancers;
4 and I will give over the Egyptians
into the hand of a hard master,
and a fierce king will rule over them,
declares the Lord God of hosts.

Footnotes:

  1. Isaiah 19:3 Or I will swallow up

Reading those verses sounds almost exactly like current events.  Swiftly, Egypt will be thrown into civil war, out of that there will be confusion and deception, and a harsh & fierce ruler will rise up to lead Egypt and rule over them.  Not just lead them, but rule over them.  Setting the stage for Psalm 83, which has Egypt turn on Israel and attack them.

So those are just a few of the key verses, if you read the full selections above, it will sound like a current day news story.  It is all coming to fruition.

How much closer then is the rapture of the church?

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you!

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JOHN BOLTON CONFIRMS: ISRAEL IS ALONE
John Bolton, former U.S. Ambassador to the UN, the most honest and clearheaded person in foreign policy, is saying that Israel should not wait to attack Iran because Barack Obama will never come to Israel’s aid. In an interview published in Maariv, Bolton stated: There is no way at this stage to prevent Iran from going nuclear without use of force. It is very unfortunate in my opinion, but I see no possibility that Obama will use military force, and therefore it falls upon Israel.

‘Iran must steer clear of US interests in Gulf’
The United States has indirectly informed Iran, via two European nations, that it would not back an Israeli strike against the country’s nuclear facilities, as long as Tehran refrains from attacking American interests in the Persian Gulf, Yedioth Ahronoth reported Monday. According to the report, Washington used covert back-channels in Europe to clarify that the US does not intend to back Israel in a strike that may spark a regional conflict.

US scales down joint military drill with Israel
Against a background of friction between the US and Israel over thwarting Iran’s nuclear drive, Washington says it will scale down its participation in what was planned to be the largest ever joint Israeli-American military exercise, Time Magazine reported Friday. The Austere Challenge 12 exercise, to be held in October, was to feature thousands of soldiers and advanced anti-missile defense systems and simulate simultaneous fire from Iran and Syria.

Iran to hold massive air defense drill in October
Iran will hold a massive air defense drill in October incorporating aerial and ground forces, Iranian air defense commander Brigadier General Farzad Esmaili announced on Saturday. Esmaili said that the maneuver will include all of the Iranian army’s air defense systems, as well as Iranian air force fighter jets, and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iranian state news agency Press TV reported.

Dempsey: I don’t want to be complicit in Iran strike
Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs Martin Dempsey said Thursday that he did not want to be “complicit” if Israel chose to strike Iran’s nuclear program, positing that a premature attack would dissolve the international pressure on the Islamic Republic, The Guardian reported.

‘PM tells US ‘time has run out’ on Iran diplomacy’
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu got into a diplomatic shouting match with US Ambassador Dan Shapiro over US President Barack Obama’s handling of Iran’s nuclear program, saying “time has run out” for diplomacy, Yediot Aharonot cited a source as saying on Friday. …A source that participated in the meeting said that a particularly angry and stressed Netanyahu began a tirade against the US president, attacking him for not doing enough on Iran.

Khamenei: Time for new world order
The world, Khamenei said “Is in transition towards a new international order and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) can and should play a new role.”

PM: NAM summit in Tehran is a disgrace to humanity
PM Binyamin Netanyahu on Wednesday evening strongly condemned the Non-Aligned Movement summit taking place in Tehran, calling it a disgrace. “Today, over 120 countries are meeting in Tehran, while the regime there denies the Holocaust, and works to destroy the Zionist state – this is a disgrace to humanity,” the PM said.– “the presence of these 120 states in Iran is a sign that the world’s pledge “never again” after the Holocaust, is hollow.’

UN chief to see Iran leaders ahead of summit
UN chief Ban Ki-moon to meet Iran’s top leaders in Tehran on Wednesday on a visit hailed by the Islamic republic as a diplomatic coup over arch-foes the United States and Israel.-The US State Department said such a visit “sends a very strange signal with regard to support for the international order,” stressing that Iran was “in violation of so many of its international obligations and posing a threat to neighbours.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this month told Ban he would be making “a big mistake” if he attended.

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

If you’re not certain you’re saved, here is what you should do, right now:
  1. Acknowledge that you have sinned against a holy God and ask for forgiveness (even if you don’t feel you deserve it) (Rom. 3:23).  Genuinely feel the pain of your sin and be willing to turn from it (repent) (Acts 3:19).
  2. Believe in your heart and mind that Jesus is the Son of God, that he died on the cross for you (John 3:1-18) in your place, and was raised back to life.  There is no one else you can turn to (John 14:6): “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”
  3. Confess that you are trusting Jesus as your personal Savior.  Since Jesus is alive, you can talk to him.  This is called prayer.  So talk to him right now, in your own words, accept his invitation to know him.
It’s simple faith through grace, the kind of faith a little child would have.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Eph. 2:8-9)
Welcome brother or sister in Christ!  This is just the start of the journey, we are called to live in this world but not be of this world.  Begin studying God’s word (the Bible) daily to give you the strength and wisdom to live this calling out.  There are many sites like this that can help you as well.

Read Full Post »

From Peace And Safety To Desolation And Destruction

Posted in Antichrist, Christian Persecution, Church Falling Away, Deception, End Times Prophecy, Ezekiel 38 War, Mark of the Beast, One World Government, One World Religion, Rapture, Rebuilding the temple, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 29, 2012|

The Holy Spirit is amazing, I just read this morning 1 Thessalonians 4-5 and one of the key verses that the Lord put on my heard was 1 Thes. 5:3.  The term “Peace and safety” has been echoing in my head all day. 

It is amazing how much that term is used these days, in that exact form. 

This after noon I found a new article posted on RaptureReady.com by Jack Kelly on this very topic.  It is a very good article and includes some of the Marian topic I have been reading about recently. 

If you haven’t explored it, you should it is amazing how wide-spread it is and how much it spreads across faiths.  If you are interested check out the book “Queen of All”.

Jack lays out a very plausible fulfillment of various Prophecies.

The other bit of scripture that has been placed on my heart was from 1 Thes. 5:20.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-22

English Standard Version (ESV)

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies, 21 but test everything; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil.

“Do not despise prophecies” and “Do not quench the Spirit”,  I still haven’t worked these out for how they apply but I will update this post when I do…

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From Peace And Safety To Desolation And Destruction

by Jack Kelly 

 While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape (1 Thes. 5:3).

Like many works of man its beginning will be filled with hope and promise.  Following the chaos that will accompany the rapture of the Church and the Middle East war we call the Battle of Ezekiel 38 a man will emerge, a leader like none the world has ever seen. He’ll claim to have a way to restore peace to a world that will have been shocked by the recent disappearance of millions and by the nuclear exchange that began in the Middle East and quickly spread from Europe in the west to Russia in the east.

People will be desperate for answers and multiple appearances around the world by the beautiful and tender Marian apparition will convince them that this leader has them.  Among other things, she will tell them he’s her son, come to restore peace to the world.  Through her supernatural influence Catholics, Muslims, New Agers, the Eastern religions and even non-believers will unite behind him and for a time it will seem like an enduring peace is finally coming to Planet Earth.

(more…)

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What hope?

Posted in Aloha Sermon's & Prophecy updates, Antichrist, Deception, End Times Prophecy, Rapture, Salvation, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 27, 2012|

JD – appears to be in a lot of pain this week, we should keep him in our prayers.  I think it was his back from what I have pieced together.  Even through the pain, he does an amazing job of laying out the answer to:

Why the rapture?

Where do we see this in God’s word? (In more places than you think)

Why do we not see the words rapture in the bible? (It Greek to me, literally!)

And finally why it is important to believe God’s word about the rapture?

What really gives us hope?  Our Blessed Hope and Blessed Assurance!

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

If you’re not certain you’re saved, here is what you should do, right now:
  1. Acknowledge that you have sinned against a holy God and ask for forgiveness (even if you don’t feel you deserve it) (Rom. 3:23).  Genuinely feel the pain of your sin and be willing to turn from it (repent) (Acts 3:19).
  2. Believe in your heart and mind that Jesus is the Son of God, that he died on the cross for you (John 3:1-18) in your place, and was raised back to life.  There is no one else you can turn to (John 14:6): “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”
  3. Confess that you are trusting Jesus as your personal Savior.  Since Jesus is alive, you can talk to him.  This is called prayer.  So talk to him right now, in your own words, accept his invitation to know him.
It’s simple faith through grace, the kind of faith a little child would have.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Eph. 2:8-9)
Welcome brother or sister in Christ!  This is just the start of the journey, we are called to live in this world but not be of this world.  Begin studying God’s word (the Bible) daily to give you the strength and wisdom to live this calling out.  There are many sites like this that can help you as well.

Read Full Post »

Christians victims of rising ‘hostility’ from gov’t and secular groups…

Posted in Christian Persecution, Deception, End Times Prophecy, Rapture, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on August 25, 2012|

One of the signs of the last days is a rise in Christian persecution.

It is something that is easy to see in countries like China, Egypt, Pakistan, and African nations but the US.  We are a Christian nation right?  It would never happen here.

Well, it might not have been as blatant over the last 10 years but it is coming out of the shadows now and becoming more and more blatant.  Even our president has said we are not a Christian nation.  I know this report shocks a lot of people but not those that have been watchful and studying God’s prophecy on the last days.  It is what Paul meant when he said that we should not be surprised by what comes to pass as we have been foretold and remained watchful as to not be caught by the Thief in the night.

It is almost humorous to read some of the arguments made in the article below, that these acts are just upholding the constitution and not attacking religion.  It is 180 degrees backwards.  The original intent of the Constitution as our founding fathers wrote it was to protect religion from government, not government from religion.  They did not want separation of church and state, that was an idea created in the 20th century.  They wanted to protect religious freedom to choose what ever religion you wanted and practice it openly and to prevent the Government from declaring a mandatory state religion, like was enforced in England and most of Europe at the time.  We have so turned this around and deceived ourselves that we now are on the wrong side of truth, and Truth is the Word of God.

The deception is so thick in this world you could cut it with a knife.  And peoples hearts are starting to harden to it all.

We are called to keep shining our Light into this world, until our blessed assurance / blessed hope occurs and Christ returns for His bride.

Maranatha!  Lord come quickly!

myblessedhope

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Christians victims of rising ‘hostility’ from gov’t and secular groups

A new report by the Family Research Council and the Liberty Institute claims that there’s been a rising pattern of hostility toward Christians in America over the past decade.

The 140-page “Survey of Religious Hostility in America,” prepared by the Liberty Institute and the Family Research Council, highlighted more than 600 examples illustrating what it characterized as religious animosity shown by judges, government bureaucrats, schools and secular groups. From ObamaCare mandates that force religious entities to pay for contraception, to children being punished for uttering prayers in school, the report’s findings shocked even those who commissioned it.

“It’s way beyond anything we had imagined. It’s so much more prolific than it’s ever been before.”

– Kelly Shackelford, president of the Liberty Institute

“It’s a conflict of world views,” Tony Perkins, president of Family Research Council, told FoxNews.com. “These groups want people to check their faith at the door of the public square.”

Among the examples listed in the survey:

  • Matthew Reynolds, valedictorian  for HLV Junior-Senior High School in Victor, Iowa, was told he had to give a ‘secular’ speech after he wished to attribute his success to his faith in Jesus Christ during his graduation speech.
  •  A cross was removed from a veterans’ memorial in San Diego, after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit  held that the memorial was unconstitutional.
  • .Dr. Frank Turek, a Cisco employee, was fired for expressing his views on traditional marriage in his book, even though he never voiced his religious opinions at work.
  • Samantha Schulz, 8, was barred from singing “Kum Ba Yah” at a Boys and Girls Club in Port Charlotte, Fla., because the song included the words “Oh, Lord.”
  • Catherina Lorena Cenzon-DeCarlo, a nurse at Manhattan’s Mount Sinai Hospital, was forced to participate in a late-term abortion against her religious convictions, and was threatened with job termination and loss of license.

The goal of the report is to raise awareness of these incidents to promote the appointment of judges “who are sensitive to the Constitution,” said Kelly Shackelford, president of the Plano, Texas-based Liberty Institute. The report was presented in Tampa just ahead of next week’s Republican National Convention.

According to Shackelford, the hostility can lead to violence, as in the case of the Aug.15 shooting at the Family Research Council headquarters, in which a gunman allegedly said he disagreed with the group’s beliefs before shooting an employee in the arm. He also cited the Aug. 5 shooting deaths of six people at a Sikh temple near Milwaukee.

“It’s way beyond anything we had imagined,” Shackelford told FoxNews.com.”It’s so much more prolific than it’s ever been before.”

One critic said the report is guilty of blurring the line between attacking religion and upholding the Constitution. A.J. Johnson, development director of American Atheists, Inc., said no one condones hate crimes such as the FRC shooting. But many other examples cited are simply cases in which advocates called for the separation of church and state,” Johnson said.

“The Family Research Council distorts court cases upholding the First Amendment as examples of “religious hostility,” she said. “In reality, they are imposing their beliefs onto others and claiming to be victims of religious persecution when they do not get unique Christian privilege.”

But Perkins said the secular nation that groups like Johnson’s seek was never envisioned by the Founding Fathers, and will not come to be.

“That’s not the future of our country,” Perkins said.

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

If you’re not certain you’re saved, here is what you should do, right now:
  1. Acknowledge that you have sinned against a holy God and ask for forgiveness (even if you don’t feel you deserve it) (Rom. 3:23).  Genuinely feel the pain of your sin and be willing to turn from it (repent) (Acts 3:19).
  2. Believe in your heart and mind that Jesus is the Son of God, that he died on the cross for you (John 3:1-18) in your place, and was raised back to life.  There is no one else you can turn to (John 14:6): “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”
  3. Confess that you are trusting Jesus as your personal Savior.  Since Jesus is alive, you can talk to him.  This is called prayer.  So talk to him right now, in your own words, accept his invitation to know him.
It’s simple faith through grace, the kind of faith a little child would have.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Eph. 2:8-9)
Welcome brother or sister in Christ!  This is just the start of the journey, we are called to live in this world but not be of this world.  Begin studying God’s word (the Bible) daily to give you the strength and wisdom to live this calling out.  There are many sites like this that can help you as well.

Read Full Post »

How do we know we are living in the last days?

Posted in Aloha Sermon's & Prophecy updates, Days of Noah, End Times Prophecy, Rapture, Salvation, tagged , , , , , , , on August 24, 2012|

End times?

End of days?

Great update this week…

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

If you’re not certain you’re saved, here is what you should do, right now:
  1. Acknowledge that you have sinned against a holy God and ask for forgiveness (even if you don’t feel you deserve it) (Rom. 3:23).  Genuinely feel the pain of your sin and be willing to turn from it (repent) (Acts 3:19).
  2. Believe in your heart and mind that Jesus is the Son of God, that he died on the cross for you (John 3:1-18) in your place, and was raised back to life.  There is no one else you can turn to (John 14:6): “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”
  3. Confess that you are trusting Jesus as your personal Savior.  Since Jesus is alive, you can talk to him.  This is called prayer.  So talk to him right now, in your own words, accept his invitation to know him.
It’s simple faith through grace, the kind of faith a little child would have.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Eph. 2:8-9)
Welcome brother or sister in Christ!  This is just the start of the journey, we are called to live in this world but not be of this world.  Begin studying God’s word (the Bible) daily to give you the strength and wisdom to live this calling out.  There are many sites like this that can help you as well.

Read Full Post »

Buildup to Sudden Destruction

Posted in Days of Noah, Deception, End Times Prophecy, Ezekiel 38 War, Psalm 83 War, Rapture, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 22, 2012|

Back when I was in college, we use to test metal samples in a tensile stress (tension) machine.  We would stretch the metal bar samples until the broke recording the stress curve and final break point.  We would watch the metal bend and stretch, sure in the next second it would snap, but it wouldn’t time and time again and then when you finally would take a breath, pop, the metal sample would snap.

A lot of Bible prophecy feels like this, we think that the tension level could not get any higher without snapping and yet we reach another level and we repeat the same thoughts, how could it get any worst and not see prophecy events occur? 

We are at one of these points where we are flinching ready for it to pop and prophecy to unfold. 

What will happen?  Only God knows.

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Aug 20, 2012

Buildup to Sudden Destruction

Rumors of war in the Middle East continue and grow by the day. We have heard of such Armageddon-like conflict that is coming for most of a decade. It’s almost like the little boy who cried “wolf,” but not quite.

Anyone with any sense of the potential for conflagration in that volatile region that could bring worldwide war knows that the breaking point has now about been reached. Iran’s nuclear weapon development project–or the fear that their nuclear program is for developing weapons of mass destruction—is, of course, the primary reason for the tensions involved.

Three observable factors are on the stepped-up agenda of potential war consideration: 1) Israel is in a top-alert configuration, talking more or less openly about its most advanced defensive capabilities; 2) Iran is expressing fear of imminent attack from Israel, and is hustling to protect its nuclear program; 3) The Israeli prime minister and his military have a strong sense that they must depend only on their own resolve, not that of their one-time staunch, superpower ally to defend the Jewish state.

(more…)

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Are You Rapture Ready?

Posted in End Times Prophecy, Rapture, Salvation, tagged , , , , on August 18, 2012|

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

If you have not asked Christ into your life, the essential gospel is that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and that He was raised on the third day (1 Cor. 15:3-4).  Believing this is the only qualification for salvation.  We are sinners in need of a savior.  Jesus died for our sins, and to prove that His death was sufficient for us,  God raised Him from the dead on the third day. Believing in our heart that God raised Him from the dead is our assurance that He will raise us, too.
 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, (1 Cor. 15:3-4). 

Read Full Post »

We Will Have A New Body

Posted in End Times Prophecy, Rapture, Salvation, tagged , , , , , , , , on August 10, 2012|

Sometimes we focus so much on the negatives that are coming upon us during these “last days” but Grant in the article below does a great job pulling out the amazing promise that God has given us through His Son, Jesus Christ. 

He will keep us from the worst and transform us and those that have gone before us into new bodies. 

Immortal and sin free!  Praise be to God!  Amen! 

I can not wait to be free of the aches and pains of this world.  Especially the constant battle with sin!

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We Will Have A New Body

By Grant Phillips

One of the most exciting Scripture passages in the Bible is written by the Apostle Paul and found in 1 Corinthians 15:35-58. For your convenience, I will include this passage below in the New Living Translation (NLT).

The Resurrection Body

35 But someone may ask, “How will the dead be raised? What kind of bodies will they have?” 36 What a foolish question! When you put a seed into the ground, it doesn’t grow into a plant unless it dies first. 37 And what you put in the ground is not the plant that will grow, but only a bare seed of wheat or whatever you are planting. 38 Then God gives it the new body he wants it to have. A different plant grows from each kind of seed. 39 Similarly there are different kinds of flesh—one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish.

40 There are also bodies in the heavens and bodies on the earth. The glory of the heavenly bodies is different from the glory of the earthly bodies. 41 The sun has one kind of glory, while the moon and stars each have another kind. And even the stars differ from each other in their glory.

42 It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. 43 Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength. 44 They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies.

45 The Scriptures tell us, “The first man, Adam, became a living person.” But the last Adam—that is, Christ—is a life-giving Spirit. 46 What comes first is the natural body, then the spiritual body comes later. 47 Adam, the first man, was made from the dust of the earth, while Christ, the second man, came from heaven. 48 Earthly people are like the earthly man, and heavenly people are like the heavenly man. 49 Just as we are now like the earthly man, we will someday be like the heavenly man.

50 What I am saying, dear brothers and sisters, is that our physical bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. These dying bodies cannot inherit what will last forever.

51 But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! 52 It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. 53 For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.

(more…)

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Christian values under attack…

Posted in Christian Persecution, Deception, End Times Prophecy, Rapture, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on August 10, 2012|

How divided have we become?

It may seem small but we are on a slippery slope and this is discrimination based on faith.

Much more hidden and deceptive by the PC society we have become but it is building.

If all this can come from one company’s faith and those that support them, what lies ahead?

Thank God for his blessed assurance that he will keep us from the worst!

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DPD Sgt. Left Holding Bag Over Chick-Fil-A Sandwich

By Andrea Lucia & Ryan Crowe, CBSDFW.com

DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) – The controversy over Chick-Fil-A may now have impacted the Dallas Police Department.

CBS 11 has learned a Dallas Police Sergeant brought a sandwich from the embattled restaurant chain to work with him last Wednesday, August 1, a day known around the country as Chick-Fil-A Appreciation Day.

When the Sergeant arrived at his post at the Southeast patrol, words were exchanged between himself and two female officers.

And while it is unclear who started the argument, police have launched an investigation into the matter.

A department spokesperson says the issue is not whether the sergeant brought the sandwich into the substation, but whether inappropriate comments were exchanged between him and the two female officers while on duty.

The Dallas Police Association, who represents all three of the officers, say they are getting two versions of the story, and while they are neutral on the issue, the association is frustrated by a move made by the department before the investigation was complete.

(more…)

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Identity Check

Posted in Devotional, Rapture, Salvation, tagged , , , on August 9, 2012|

Wonderful article, something we all need to work on, I know I do.

What makes up your “Identity”?

What is your Idol?

What is standing in the place of Jesus?!

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Identity Check

Hello blog world.

It’s been well over a year since I’ve last wrote a blog. I’ve learned that I am horrible at taking the time to put my thoughts down in writing. It is definitely beneficial for me to do this, but doesn’t always feel productive.

Pastor- “If you lose your church, will you lose your Jesus?”

This is a thought that has been on my mind for the last couple days. It’s a question that really shakes me at the core. But it’s a very valuable question to ask.

You see, many times we “pastor types” can find our identity in our ministry, our activity, our service, our good Christian quotes, our book reading- over finding our place and identity in Jesus. We can think that life is good because ministry is good, but little do we know our hearts are as far as they have ever been from Jesus.

Psalm 46:1 “God is our refuge and our strength, our very help in time of trouble.”

This verse is one of those verses you read when you’ve just lost a loved one, when you are persecuted, and when you fell all alone. But I’ve never really thought about it as a verse for good times.

The Facts

But the truth is we are all in trouble at all times and in desperate need of refuge. We are sinners in desperate need of a Savior to save us from our sin.

We don’t realize that our strength is not our own, so we work harder to accomplish our goals to success. When the truth is nothing is ours in the first place. Our church is not ours, our wife is not ours, our children are not ours, our lives are not ours… We are but stewards of the things God has given us to share in his beautiful grace.

When we find our identity in our “whatever” we place that “whatever” in a higher place than Jesus. We create an idol to take His place.

This causes worry, fits of anger, sleeplessness, and mistrust of others. We worry because we feel as if we are going to lose what is “ours.” We have fits of anger because we feel out of control of “our” life. We have countless sleepless nights because we are trying to figure out how to get “our” “whatever” working like we want it. We mistrust others because we think they are out to get us and take what is “ours.”

Thank You Jesus

The beauty of the Gospel is that we have because Jesus has, we love because Jesus loves, we have a place because Jesus makes it.

So, whoever you are, what is standing in the place of Jesus? What is your idol? Is it the work of your hands? Is it what you have?

Give it up and run to the only refuge that will help you in this time of trouble; because, one day Jesus will return to take us to a place that we will never have to experience the repercussion of our sin again.

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

If you have not asked Christ into your life, the essential gospel is that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and that He was raised on the third day (1 Cor. 15:3-4).  Believing this is the only qualification for salvation.  We are sinners in need of a savior.  Jesus died for our sins, and to prove that His death was sufficient for us,  God raised Him from the dead on the third day. Believing in our heart that God raised Him from the dead is our assurance that He will raise us, too.
 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, (1 Cor. 15:3-4). 

Read Full Post »

Worst drought since 1956 threatens world food crisis

Posted in End Times Prophecy, Pestilence, Rapture, Weather signs, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on July 21, 2012|

God warned of famine and drought in the last days, it is not just the US but every bread basket in the world right now is experiencing a drought or on the verge with drought like conditions.

The heat will continue, it will continue to get worst.

But do not fret, because the Lord said we should not put our hope in this world but in him and his Blessed assurance that he will keep us from the worst.

We do not belong to this world but to Christ in heaven, and he has promised to return for use.

Are we not suppose to make plans and live our lives fully here on this planet?  Of course not.

We need to make plans, live our lives for Christ, as a reflection of His love.

We need to hold on to those plans loosely, palms up, hands open, and be ready for his return.

The time draws near…Praise God!

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America’s worst drought in more than half a century is threatening the world with a fresh food crisis.

Marion Kujawa looks over an ear of corn picked from one of his fields near Ashley, Illinois. The field usually yields more than 180 bushels of corn per acre, but Kujawa expects to get less than 15 bushels per acre from this year's drought-damaged crop.

Corn crops have been severely damaged by the drought. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images

A month of scorching temperatures across the country’s midwest has sent corn and soybean prices to record highs, while wheat prices have reached levels not seen since the last food crisis in 2008.

The severest drought since 1956 in America’s agricultural heartland has dashed the hopes that were alive just a couple of months ago of a bumper harvest. Traders and economists warned that the effect will ripple out from the US because it is the world’s biggest producer of corn and a major supplier of soybeans and wheat.

“This year we have a rally in prices that is driven by the fundamentals,” said Shawn McCambridge, an analyst at Jefferies Bache. “I really do anticipate these prices staying strong and producers will have to try to pass the cost onto consumers.”

The dizzying gain in prices has shocked many in the industry. Corn prices have surged 51pc over the last month, wheat is up 40pc and soybeans have gained almost 20pc. The prospect of another bout of food inflation will alarm governments in developing countries where the run-up in prices in 2008 caused widespread hunger and revolts. It also presents a new headwind for western countries trying to kickstart economic recoveries.

For now – at least – all eyes are on the weather forecast for those US states that have been hardest hit, including Iowa, Nebraska, Indiana, Ohio and Illinois. While light rain fell in some parts day, there is little more forecast over the next two weeks.

The drought forced the US government last week to cut its forecast for corn production this year to 12.9bn bushels from a prediction of 14.8bn it made last month. “I get on my knees every day and I’m saying an extra prayer right now,” Tom Vilsack, the US agricultural secretary, said today. “If I had a rain prayer or a rain dance I could do, I would do it.”

Dan Basse, president of AgResources in Chicago, said that the government’s prediction will prove too optimistic if the dry weather persists. “We’ve been traipsing through the fields of southern Illinois and it is worse than the government says,” explained Mr Basse.

A sharp difference with 2008 is that speculative money is playing a far smaller role this time, said Mr McCambridge. Although rapid, analysts say the sharp increases over the last month are an appropriate response to the pullback in production and uncertainty over the eventual size of the corn, wheat and soyabean crops. Corn futures hit a record $8.16 a bushel on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange today, while soybeans touched $17.49 a bushel. If there is some good news, it is that rice – a staple for many of the world’s poorest – has escaped the increases.

 

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

If you have not asked Christ into your life, the essential gospel is that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and that He was raised on the third day (1 Cor. 15:3-4).  Believing this is the only qualification for salvation.  We are sinners in need of a savior.  Jesus died for our sins, and to prove that His death was sufficient for us,  God raised Him from the dead on the third day. Believing in our heart that God raised Him from the dead is our assurance that He will raise us, too.
 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, (1 Cor. 15:3-4). 

Read Full Post »

Plans? What plans?

Posted in End Times Prophecy, Rapture, Salvation, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on July 19, 2012|

Another great update from JD.

The line that really struck me that I had never been able to put into words before but had an urging to try was about the questions we get so often from friends and family that maybe don’t agree with our believe in the imminent Rapture.

See if this sounds familiar:  If you really believe in the Rapture, then why plan at all for next year or beyond?

Pastor JD summed it up the best I have ever heard. 

We are to hope, pray, and look for Christ’s return for us every day.  It is our blessed hope and assurance. 

Do we plan for next year or ten years out?  Of course.  We want to be as ready for his return next year or in ten years as we are today.  If we do not have plans to keep us going and prepared then would we be in a position to be ready for his Return?  Which servant would we be?  Have we truly “Occupied” until his return?

We are to make plans, both short and long-term, but we need to hold them in our hand palms up, loosely, not like you hold a bike handle (tight and rigid) but as you would  water in your palm (open and loose).

Our plans should not own us, we can not serve two masters.  Does the plan control our actions, do you serve it, or do we control the plan based on God’s word and whispers to us during our prayers.

We need to put ourselves in a position where we can enact God’s will in our lives until that blessed day he returns for us.

Great message…

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

If you have not asked Christ into your life, the essential gospel is that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and that He was raised on the third day (1 Cor. 15:3-4).  Believing this is the only qualification for salvation.  We are sinners in need of a savior.  Jesus died for our sins, and to prove that His death was sufficient for us,  God raised Him from the dead on the third day. Believing in our heart that God raised Him from the dead is our assurance that He will raise us, too.
 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, (1 Cor. 15:3-4). 

Read Full Post »

Speed of end times events…

Posted in Aloha Sermon's & Prophecy updates, End Times Prophecy, Rapture, Salvation, tagged , , , , , , , on July 19, 2012|

Pastor JD is back with a great update, though always shorter than I would like.  

He has such a clarity to his explanations of what we are seeing and what we should be focusing on these final days.

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

If you have not asked Christ into your life, the essential gospel is that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and that He was raised on the third day (1 Cor. 15:3-4).  Believing this is the only qualification for salvation.  We are sinners in need of a savior.  Jesus died for our sins, and to prove that His death was sufficient for us,  God raised Him from the dead on the third day. Believing in our heart that God raised Him from the dead is our assurance that He will raise us, too.
 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, (1 Cor. 15:3-4). 

Read Full Post »

Standing In The Way

Posted in Antichrist, Christian Persecution, Church Falling Away, Days of Noah, Earthquakes, End Times Prophecy, Ezekiel 38 War, One World Currency, One World Government, One World Religion, Pestilence, Psalm 83 War, Rapture, Weather signs, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on July 19, 2012|

Amazing article by Jack Kelly, he really lays out what we have seen happen over the last 100 years as God sets the stage for the last days.  From Israel’s return, to the fall of the USSR making way for the revived Roman enpire, to the fall of the USA we are seeing today.  He makes clearly focuses on not just what we have seen but what we should have our eye on.  God’s promises to us, His church, and His will for us until His Son returns to claim His bride in the air.  It is really something to ponder…

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Standing In The Way

by Jack Kelly 

There are lots of news reports, articles, and even books devoted to the deteriorating state of America and speculating on the likely outcome. Reading them has brought several things to my mind.

As an example, I remembered something Hal Lindsey said 20 years ago about the then current world situation. He said he had been wondering how God was going to fulfill end times prophecy while the Soviet Union was standing in the way of the revived Roman Empire taking its prophesied place in the end times.

The term “revived Roman Empire” comes from Daniel’s interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream as a prophecy of “Gentile Dominion”, the time during which Gentile Empires would rule the world. (Daniel 2:31-43).

In the dream Nebuchadnezzar saw a large poly-metallic statue, and Daniel interpreted it to represent four Kingdoms. Many scholars believe the head of gold stood for Babylon, the chest and arms of silver symbolized Media Persia, who conquered Babylon. The belly and thighs of bronze pointed to Greece who defeated the Persians. The legs of iron represented Rome who replaced the Greeks.

Finally came the feet and toes, part of the legs and made partly of iron like the legs, but different in that they were also composed partly of baked clay. Daniel called them a divided kingdom, partly strong and partly weak (Daniel 2:41-42).

The Roman Empire was never completely conquered. Instead it split into eastern and western legs, versions of which have always been visible on the world scene. Since the feet and toes are the last phase of Gentile Dominion before the God of Heaven will set up a Kingdom of His own (Daniel 2:44) and since the statue only represents four kingdoms, scholars call them the revived Roman Empire.

How Will This Happen?

OK. Let’s go back to Hal’s question. Remember, before its fall in the early 1990s all of Eastern Europe including half of Germany was under Soviet control. This was a significant portion of the old Roman Empire. He wondered how the USSR would be defeated so the end times version of the Roman Empire could emerge.

Then we all received the answer loud and clear when for all intents and purposes the Soviet Union suddenly ceased to exist. It wasn’t defeated by an external enemy, but crumbled from within under a crippling burden of debt. The debt was the result of a combination of problems, including a disastrous war in Afghanistan, an unsustainable arms race with the US, and the inability to support the resulting increase in government spending in a declining Soviet economy.

Remembering Hal’s comment made me think how similar the world situation is today, only now it’s the US standing in the way of end times prophecy. Israel can’t experience the utter abandonment that will leave God as its only hope against powerful, hate filled enemies until the US has been neutralized. Like the Soviet Union, we could crumble from within for the same reasons they did. A catastrophic natural disaster, a coordinated series of terrorist attacks, or the rapture of the Church would also get the US out of God’s way. But something will have to happen to clear the way for the next phase of the end times, because just as the USSR was not part of Nebuchadnezzar’s statue, neither is the USA.

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My Blessed Hope…

Posted in End Times Prophecy, Rapture, tagged , , , , , , , , on June 21, 2012|

Paul first used these words in his letters.  It was his personal reference to the Greek work Harpazo which we translated into the English word Rapture.

Harpazo – from the Greek Lexicon

  1. to seize, carry off by force
  2. to seize on, claim for one’s self eagerly
  3. to snatch out or away

Paul, since the first time he mentioned “Harpazo” has always put forth the positive unfearful, longing for the Blessed Hope.

The definition of the Rapture and how we got there via translation is a topic for another article, though worthwhile as that seems to be an area of much concern and attacks from critics.  But today I would like to focus in of the phrase “My Blessed Hope”.  It was the name I felt led to call this site and it has great importance to me as God’s promise for me, and you.

Hope.

We seem to hear this word a lot these days.  I feel the use of the word has been cheapened somewhat by the over use on things of this world.

The “blessed hope” is not the kind of hope that says “I hope my uncle gets well.” or “I hope it doesn’t rain on my wedding day.”  This word for hope has much more certainty.  It is a Bible word that speaks of “a blessed confidence.”  It speaks of a future event that has long been guaranteed by God Himself.  This hope is future, but it is as certain as the one hundred Old Testament prophecies that speak of our Lord Jesus’ first coming.  Which is now historical fact. – (paraphrased from Perhaps Today)

That is the Rock, the confidence Paul is saying we should have in Christ’s promise to Harpazo His church, the Rapture.

It is a promise given to us not of this world but in the world.

It is the Hope we should live everyday for as we go about striving to accomplish God’s will.

It is my blessed hope and I truly hope it is yours as well.

God Bless!

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If you have not asked Christ into your life, the essential gospel is that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and that He was raised on the third day (1 Cor. 15:3-4).  Believing this is the only qualification for salvation.  We are sinners in need of a savior.  Jesus died for our sins, and to prove that His death was sufficient for us,  God raised Him from the dead on the third day. Believing in our heart that God raised Him from the dead is our assurance that He will raise us, too.
 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, (1 Cor. 15:3-4). 

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One Isn’t Far From Zero

Posted in Antichrist, Deception, End Times Prophecy, Ezekiel 38 War, Mark of the Beast, One World Currency, One World Government, Rapture, tagged , , , , , , , , , on June 20, 2012|

This is a very good article in laying out a Theory of how certain prophecy puzzle pieces may fit together. 

I have always found it believable that the Rapture could play a role in accelerating certain prophecy events and I am amazed that most consider the events independently without looking at the “what if’s”. 

What if, this happens, then what would be the fall out. 

It is an interesting read on where we find ourselves today and what could lie ahead.

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One Isn’t Far From Zero


By Jack Kinsella

We discussed the conditioning process that must be necessary in order for the antichrist to accomplish all that the Bible sets out for him in a brief seven years. It is one thing to control the global economic, governance and religious systems, it is another thing altogether to centralize it first.

It takes no time at all to assume power over something, provided that something is fully developed to that purpose. The antichrist doesn’t have the time to develop the systems or prepare the public to accept them.

The Scriptures say that he takes control of the levers of power, he doesn’t create them. While the Scriptures say that he has a “look more stout than his fellows” and a “mouth speaking great things” — he must first have a willing and receptive audience, or he is just another fierce-looking politician.

When the One was elevated to office in 2008, he certainly looked and sounded pretty fierce. And he had a willing and receptive audience. But what he didn’t have at his disposal in 2009 was the necessary global infrastructure.

Nonetheless, the practices and policies of the Obama administration are so similar to those outlined by the Scriptures for the last days that he’s made a lot of people to wonder aloud, “Could the One be THE One?”

Not likely. Some of the stuff ascribed to the antichrist for the last days will require real leadership, not just empty words and lofty rhetoric (although he will be good at that, too.)

So on that score, Obama isn’t likely to be THE One. But it could be argued that he has done more to move the world in the direction necessary than any leader of any nation since World War Two.

One of the main obstacles holding back the revelation of the man of sin is public acceptance. While the conditioning process is complete across much of the world, America has, to this point, remained a stubborn hold-out.

The Russians, Chinese, Europeans, NATO and the UN are more than merely prepared to turn over the reins of power to a strongman, they are actually seeking one.

The EU has been attempting to create a super-dictator to impose the EU’s will on an unwilling population since the Treaty of Rome set European reunification as its ultimate goal back in 1957.

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Prophecy Update – Aloha

Posted in Aloha Sermon's & Prophecy updates, Christian Persecution, Church Falling Away, Days of Noah, Deception, Earthquakes, End Times Prophecy, Ezekiel 38 War, One World Currency, One World Government, Psalm 83 War, Rapture, Salvation, Weather signs, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 19, 2012|

Great update on what all we are seeing and the phenomenon of “disbelief” that we are witnessing…

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

If you have not asked Christ into your life, the essential gospel is that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and that He was raised on the third day (1 Cor. 15:3-4).  Believing this is the only qualification for salvation.  We are sinners in need of a savior.  Jesus died for our sins, and to prove that His death was sufficient for us,  God raised Him from the dead on the third day. Believing in our heart that God raised Him from the dead is our assurance that He will raise us, too.
 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, (1 Cor. 15:3-4). 

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Days of Noah…

Posted in Days of Noah, End Times Prophecy, Rapture, Salvation, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on March 31, 2012|

Do you know the last time in human history when it was “legal” for marriage between same sexes?

Roman times?

No, that was my first guess.

Days of Lot?

No, it was very common to have sexual relations but not marriage.

Sodom and Gomorrah?

No, same as days of Lot.

The Days of Noah is the correct answer.  That was the last time in human history until this decade.

Christ Said:

Matthew 24:36-38 – (KJV)

 36But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

 37But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

 38For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,

We are seeing sin normalized on so many levels these days, this is just one of many sins.

But it is a guidepost that the Lord put in the ground for those that were watchful, to know when Christ’s return was near.

Luke 21:27-28 – (NKJV)

27 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”

The Days of Noah, that was the only other time in history!

Wake up and lift up your heads because our Lord’s return draws near!

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Alabama civil rights museum creates lesbian photos exhibit

The normalization of homosexuality continues as a civil rights museum in Alabama is putting it on display in a new lesbian exhibit:

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

If you have not asked Christ into your life, the essential gospel is that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and that He was raised on the third day (1 Cor. 15:3-4).  Believing this is the only qualification for salvation.  We are sinners in need of a savior.  Jesus died for our sins, and to prove that His death was sufficient for us,  God raised Him from the dead on the third day. Believing in our heart that God raised Him from the dead is our assurance that He will raise us, too.
 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, (1 Cor. 15:3-4). 

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“For men will be lovers of self…” – apostasy?

Posted in Aloha Sermon's & Prophecy updates, Church Falling Away, Days of Noah, Deception, End Times Prophecy, Rapture, Salvation, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 28, 2012|

Pastor JD echos the heavy heart that I have been feeling.  But that is not really a good description.  It is more than that.  It really is a very strange combination of heavy heart, intense feeling that something big is just about to happen (anxious & nervousness combined), and finally a felling of things getting harder, as if the incline is quickly increasing on the treadmill of life.

Not a simple or pleasant feeling or easily described, but even though I feel weighted down by it.  I have this thread of nervous excitement, anticipation.  For what I am not exactly sure.

When I heard JD’s update this week, I was so very comforted.  Not because it necessarily cleared anything up for me, but it echoed the feelings I was having.  It confirmed that it is not just me.  I have since confirmed this with other brothers and sisters in Christ that I trust and listen to.

He quoted some very eerie prophetic words from Paul Harvey back in 1965.  I have included the full audio & text of it below.  It was the second time I have heard it this week and it just really hits home.

Paul Harvey’s words really do exactly match what has happened since they were spoken some 47 years ago.  They paint a picture of what Paul told Timothy the last days would be like.

2 Timothy 3:1-5 – (NKJV) – Perilous Times and Perilous Men

3 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!

Lets run down the list:

– Lovers of themselves — check

– Lovers of money — check

– Boasters and proud — check

– Blasphemers — check

– Disobedient to parents — check

– Unthankful — check

– Unholy — check

– Unloving — check

– Unforgiving — check

– Slanderers — check

– Without self-control — check

– Brutal despisers of good — check

– Traitors — check

– Headstrong, haughty — check

– Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God — check

– Having a form of godliness but denying its power — check

I think that about sums up what we are seeing.  But wait you say, we have seen all of these things throughout history what makes this time special.

Ahh, I may agree if Paul was talking about the world but he is talking about the church.  This is what has crept into the church in the last days.  Read the next five verses.

2 Timothy 3:6-10 – (NKJV)

6 For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, 7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8 Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; 9 but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was.

The other piece that makes me so sure in my heart is the magnitude we are seeing and the combination with other end times signs.  It is the entire picture God is painting for us, if we just have eyes to see.

“For men will be lovers of themselves…” and

“…lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God…”

Those two really stood out to me and drove the nail home.

The phrase “Pastors will preach man centered sermons” and the term “itching ears” pops into my mind.

JD does an excellent job stepping through the progression we are seeing.

God’s Word is truly amazing!  Praise God!

It is all there for us to read, all we have to do is have the desire to look.  To knock and the door will be opened…

Another area that JD explores is the comparison between the two end time churches Jesus speaks of in Revelation.

Philadelphia (Revelation 3:7-13) and Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-22)

“…I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name….” – Revelation 3:8 (partial)

“You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’…” – Revelation 3:17 (partial)

What pastor JD pointed out that I had not caught before was that the Philadelphia (faithful) end time church will be “weak” or “weakened” in the last days.  It will be the Laodicea (unfaithful) church that will be strong when measured by this worlds standards.

Give it a listen, maybe it will bring you comfort as well.

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

Satan wants us uninterested in the things of God.

The stakes are so high: eternal life or eternal death.

Why would you not be concerned about that!

If you have not asked Christ into your life, the essential gospel is that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and that He was raised on the third day (1 Cor. 15:3-4).  Believing this is the only qualification for salvation.  We are sinners in need of a savior.  Jesus died for our sins, and to prove that His death was sufficient for us,  God raised Him from the dead on the third day. Believing in our heart that God raised Him from the dead is our assurance that He will raise us, too.
 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, (1 Cor. 15:3-4). 

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PREPARE CHURCHES FOR INEVITABLE: America, Israel and the Church are at risk

Posted in Christian Persecution, Church Falling Away, Days of Noah, Deception, End Times Prophecy, Ezekiel 38 War, Psalm 83 War, Rapture, Salvation, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 22, 2012|

When ever Joel lays out the relationship between prophecy and the events we are seeing today, I tend to listen.  He has always stayed true to God’s Word on the topic, which is why I think he has such a good track record.

The quote from the host Pastor of the conference really summed up well the feelings I have been having recently.

“It seems that there is a sense in the spiritual air we breathe that things are unraveling quickly. The slide is not unstoppable. It will take a great awakening, a supernatural intervention, an act of God, to turn us back from the precipice toward which we run.”

Time is Short, we need to step up our effort of outreach as a church, it is no time for our churches to be asleep at the wheel.  The Rapture draws near!

God Bless!

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PREPARE CHURCHES FOR INEVITABLE: America, Israel and the Church are at risk

February 13, 2012
By Joni B. Hannigan, Managing Editor, Florida Baptist Witness

JACKSONVILLE (FBW)—The handwriting is on the wall and war between Iran and Israel is imminent, Joel Rosenberg, an evangelical Christian and New York Times best-selling author, told the last session of the First Baptist Jacksonville Pastors’ Conference Jan. 29.

“War is coming,” Rosenberg said. “You and I are living in an extraordinary moment in one of the most dangerous moments in the history of our country; one of the most dangerous moments in the history of Israel and the Middle East; and one of the most dangerous moments in the history of the church.”

And the question is, “Are we ready for what could be coming?”

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Over-stayed our welcome…

Posted in Antichrist, Christian Persecution, Church Falling Away, Days of Noah, Deception, End Times Prophecy, Mark of the Beast, One World Government, Rapture, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 6, 2012|

I feel like we are being setup.  Maybe “conditioned” is a better term.  It is a slow creeping persecution that has taken 20-30 years to crescendo.  It is a war on beliefs.  It is a war on speech.  It is intimidation at its core and it is from Satan.

What am I talking about?  I am talking about the slow death we are experiencing through “political correctness”, PC and the manufactured “outrage” that usually follows.

This really struck a chord with me while watching some MSM interviews of strong Christians.  The last straw probably started with the Franklin Graham interview and snapped as I watched the Kirk Cameron and Michelle Bachmann interviews yesterday and today.

This PC concept seems to expand every so often to restrict our rights further with each expansion.  This period expansion seems to be around the concept of “Judgment”.  It appears now that by stating our beliefs and opinions as Christians, we are “judging” others and causing them to be “offended” (the last few years major expansion).

Not only can we not express our beliefs but when asked directly by these same people what our beliefs are we are to bite our tongues or lie.  Otherwise we will offend and judge others.

(more…)

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One World Religion is here?

Posted in Christian Persecution, Deception, End Times Prophecy, One World Government, One World Religion, Rapture, Salvation, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 2, 2012|

It is amazing to see how far we have come to accepting our new world religion and without even realizing it.

It is really our new world religion and new world government all rolled into one nice neat and tight package.  Most are not aware they are even submitting to it.  Diana West does and excellent job laying out how it is happening right in front of us.

Every time I read these articles on Islam’s reactions to perceived transgressions, my mind immediately shifts to what will happen after the rapture of Christ’s church.  You can actually feel the Church /Holly Spirit restraining the rage and violence of Islam. (Like someone banging on a door while you hold it shut.)

How quickly will that accelerate once the Restrainer is removed.  It is not beyond belief that over night submission would occur, it is already occurring today.  Pretty scary stuff if you believe you will be left behind or will have to live through it.

But the Good News is that Christ promises to keep His bride from this time.  He tells us when we see these things look up and keep your eyes on Him!

It is like they tell someone frozen by fear on a ledge to not look down and to keep their eyes locked on the rescuer.  Christ is our rescuer, Savior!  For we can not do it ourselves, only through Him.  We need to keep our eyes locked on him.

We are not of this world, and we will be leaving soon.

Lord come quickly, to remove us from this world!

If you haven’t come to Christ yet, come to him now, time is short.  Read Romans 10:9, profess your belief in him, and ask Him into your heart.

Romans 10:9 – (NIV)

If you confess with your mouth “Jesus is Lord” and believe in your heart God raised Him from the dead you will be saved.

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Islamic rages and America’s dhimmitude

Diana West: U.S. dangerously falters by submitting to violent Muslim dictates

Six U.S. military men have been murdered by Afghan security forces seized by what may be labeled Quran-Burning Rage.

These murders are an outrage in and of themselves, but it’s crucial we don’t see them as isolated. They fit into a pattern that above all spreads “dhimmitude,” the submissive state of Christians and Jews (known under Islam as the “dhimmi”) in thrall to Islamic law.

Quran-Burning Rage follows Pastor Jones Rage, which, after a Florida pastor burned a Quran in 2011, seized Afghan Muslims and inspired rioting. Some rioters overran a United Nations outpost and murdered seven U.N. personnel.

Pastor Jones Rage followed “Fitna” Rage, which seized Muslims worldwide even before the release of Dutch parliamentarian Geert Wilders’ short 2008 film “Fitna.” That film sparked rioting, arson, boycotts, death threats and, as a bonus, charges that led to the protracted trial in the Netherlands of Wilders for “insulting Muslims.” (He was acquitted in 2011.)

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Watchman, are you? What does it mean…

Posted in End Times Prophecy, Rapture, Salvation, tagged , , , , , , , , on March 2, 2012|

One of the things I have been praying for understanding of, is the concept of watchmen.  It is mentioned many times in the Bible, both old and new testament.  It was a very important role in the times of the Bible, with significant responsibilities.  Jesus himself used the word watchmen and also repeatedly mentioned: to be watchful, watch.

What I have been lead to is Ezekiel.  We that are awake and aware of the signs have a greater responsibility.

(more…)

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Muslim threats against WND heat up

Posted in Christian Persecution, Deception, End Times Prophecy, One World Currency, One World Government, Rapture, Salvation, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 1, 2012|

Some of the quotes in the article below are simply amazing.  The boldness that evil has taken, we must be on the doorstep of seeing our Lord Return for us.

The scary part is he mentions that this tactic has worked with other media outlets.  How can we trust that we are hearing the truth?  Deception was to be the theme of the last days.  We are seeing it.

Some of the article was repetitive with what I posted yesterday, but here is the newest response they have gotten from the Islamic organization issuing the threats…

Contacted by WND at a telephone number in Africa, Mohammedi could cite no specific issues with WND’s reporting. Nor would he immediately provide information on how he has dealt with other media reports he’s found objectionable.

Instead, he promised to respond to WND by email with documentation about those cases.

Today, he contacted WND again, but not to provide documentation he had promised.

“Before I send you an example of how we dealt with other media outlets regarding Islamophobic and religiously racist content I would like to share with you our latest message from the global caliphate to the Muslim world; I’ve taken the time to have it translated for you in the attached,” Mohammedi’s email said.

“You see … there’s an easy and peaceful way in which people can come to terms based on common grounds of mutual respect and there’s the other way and it’s called silence,” he continued.

“I hope you will take the time to try and extract the value and much needed understanding from this communication. I have referred the matter of monitoring WND and it’s (sic) employees to our higher council of senior Ulama for instructions based on what we have found on the history of WND’s online activities.”

The attachment was a 23-page brochure promoting a worldwide Islamic caliphate. Called “The Global Islamic Civilization: The Power of a Nation Revived,” it said, “People who follow Islam are divinely selected and guided by the Almighty Allah Himself, these people then form part of a great Islamic civilization, that are united as one nation. a universal empire, known as the Muslim Ummah.”

The religious tract lauds the characteristics of true believers as humility, piety, honesty, loyalty, obedience, good conduct, peacefulness and morality. Those who fall outside of Islam are made up of “ignorance, arrogance, deception, faithlessness, disobedient, indecent conduct, war mongering.”

“Can you imagine having leadership based on the implementation of the qualities of believers? Can you imagine a family, a community a city, a country, No! a nation! built on such a beautiful standard of character. It would be the most moral society on the face of the earth, it is such people that deserve full respect and honor, it is such people who not only deserve to rule the world, it is their right to rule the world.”

Can anyone say One World Religion and One World Government rolled into one?  What do you think will happen when all of the Christians are raptured?

The following part of the quote sent a chill over me as pure evil, something out of a movie:

“You see … there’s an easy and peaceful way in which people can come to terms based on common grounds of mutual respect and there’s the other way and it’s called silence,” he continued.

or

Mohammedi told WND in the telephone interview that his concern is that publishing material he doesn’t like “creates a problem on a global scale.”

“Some people have different ways of reacting to different articles that are published,” he said. “We’re trying to prevent certain unwanted events from happening due to these publications.

“We need that (publication) to come to an end because if you want peace and stability around the world, you would need these things to come to an end as well.”

Wow!

Lord come quickly, to remove us from this world!

If you haven’t come to Christ yet, come to him now, time is short.  Read Romans 10:9, profess your belief in him, and ask Him into your heart.

Romans 10:9 – (NIV)

If you confess with your mouth “Jesus is Lord” and believe in your heart God raised Him from the dead you will be saved.

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Muslim threats against WND heat up

A leader of an Islamic group that warned WND to “moderate” its reporting on issues involving Islam because of the way Muslims may react is ratcheting up the pressure, telling a reporter today, “There’s an easy and peaceful way in which people can come to terms based on common grounds of mutual respect and there’s the other way and it’s called silence.”

The email came today from Faarooq al Mohammedi, who has said he is working on behalf of the Muslim organization called United Muslim Nations International organization.

He initially contacted WND with a warning to take “extra precaution when publishing religiously sensitive material or in creating religiously sensitive suspicions about peoples (sic) religious beliefs and practices.”

(more…)

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Body, Soul, And Spirit

Posted in Rapture, Salvation, tagged , , , , , , , , on February 28, 2012|

This is an amazing article by Jack Kelly.  I have been reading and listening to Romans recently and I had so many ah-ha’s while reading his article below that I lost count.

He does a wonderful job unpacking how we were designed to work and how sin has corrupted and confused that design.

I have added in the Scripture text that he referenced so that you can see God’s word on the subject.

Enjoy!

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Body, Soul, And Spirit

by Jack Kelly

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. (Hebr. 4:12-13)

Some people view the soul and body interchangeably, while others think the soul and spirit are the same. But it’s more accurate to think of them as separate components.  Our soul is the conscious part of us, composed of mind (intellect), will, and emotions.   It makes choices and controls our behavior by giving orders to the body. Our spirit is the subconscious part, an internal adviser to the conscious soul.  It’s  our conscience.

(more…)

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Over stayed our welcome?

Posted in Christian Persecution, Church Falling Away, Days of Noah, Deception, End Times Prophecy, Ezekiel 38 War, Psalm 83 War, Rapture, Salvation, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 27, 2012|

Great message this week from pastor JD.

He also brought up Franklin Graham’s interview and I couldn’t agree with him more. (12:38 min mark)

He also mentioned a follow-up on the interview where Chris Matthews calls for Blacklist of Franklin Graham.  It appeared in Real Clear Politics on Thurs. 2/23.  I think it just adds to the magnitude of the interview as an example of what is occurring in this world.  We are living Bible Prophecy!

Another quote that jumped out at me from Pastor JD:

“You can have this world after we are gone.  You will only have it for seven years though.”

He also brought up a lot of other great prophecy events we are seeing unfold in the headlines.

He ended with quoting Philippians 2:9-12.

Philippians 2:9-12 – (NKJV)

9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;

The last line does a good job summing up what the interviewers and much of this world lack.

They have no fear of God.

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Restraining Sudden Destruction

Posted in Antichrist, Christian Persecution, Church Falling Away, Days of Noah, Deception, End Times Prophecy, Rapture, Salvation, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 27, 2012|

Terry lays out in this weeks Nearing Midnight article something I have been feeling as well.  It is strange how what he wrote is almost exactly the conversation my wife and I had late last night.

There is just a feeling of something big looming, accompanied by a sense of anxiousness.  The looming thing/event is also preceded by a feeling of a blanket of evil that is enveloping this world.  Everywhere you turn, it feels like evil is wrapping its tentacles throughout every inch of our public lives and in some cases appears to be winning the battle.

Worst yet, those of this world seem to be supporting it and promoting it.  To them what should be wrong is right.  I call it the “1984” effect.  What’s up is down and whats good is evil, 2+2=5.

I don’t know how anyone that has their eyes open, could not see we are living in the end times.  The signs are so vivid and numerous.

The part of Terry’s commentary that really struck a chord with me was the last 4-5 paragraphs.

He talks about the restrainer and how it will be removed in the last days.  Paul addresses it in 2 Thessalonians 2:7-10.

2 Thessalonians 2:7-10 – (NKJV)

7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He[a] who now restrains will do so until He[b] is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 9 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.

Then he posed the questions that really hit home for me:

” How can God be ‘taken out of the way’ so evil and Antichrist can take over for a time?”

God promised us that once sealed with the Holy Spirit that it could not be removed from us.  So if the Holy Spirit has to be removed, then so do we (the church).

The church must be raptured as Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 and 5:1-11.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 – (NKJV)

16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will 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 thus we shall always be with the Lord.

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 – (NKJV) – The Day of the Lord

5 But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. 2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 3 For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. 8 But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.

11 Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.

Yet another proof point on the Rapture of the church and a message of joy in this time of anxiousness.  Could that anxiousness really be the Holy Spirit prodding us, preparing us, to look up for our redemption draws near?

It’s almost time to go home!!!

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Rapture Ready – Nearing Midnight Commentary 2/27/12

Restraining Sudden Destruction

There is a sense among many at this moment in history that impending disaster presses against the fabric of life on planet earth from every side. This is not mere paranoia pushing against the collective anxiety-ridden psyche of a world uncertain about its future. The threat is real, and it is in Bible prophecy. A quick scan of issues, events, and anticipated actions testify to the reality of the threat and validates the angst.

Israel is ground zero for much of the fear pressing upon a world full of dread. The Jewish state is considered the trigger point for possible nuclear conflict in the Middle East–conflict that is sure to spread globally once unleashed. Iran is the antagonist that is the cause of the most immediate threat to regional and world peace–although the world diplomatic community seems intent on making Israel responsible for keeping war from erupting. This is the way it is, despite the fact that the Iranian regime’s leaders threaten to wipe Israel off the map.

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Iran warns world of coming great event

Posted in Antichrist, Deception, End Times Prophecy, Ezekiel 38 War, One World Government, One World Religion, Psalm 83 War, Rapture, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 3, 2012|

Prophetic signs are accelerating, there are so many to try and keep up with that I have felt very overwhelmed and a bit schizophrenic recently.  After much prayer, I have decided to not try and keep up with all of them as I have in the past but try to pick the clearest one or two and present it here for you.

The one that stood out this morning to me was the warning that Iran’s spiritual leader gave this week.  It was eerie to hear these words and not see it echoed in our media.  Many will have no idea of what Iran is telling their people and their Muslim allies.  The first quote that jumped out at me was as follows:

Khamenei then claimed the current century as the century of Islam and promised that human history is on the verge of a great event and that soon the world will realize the power of Allah.

We have heard similar things before from Iran’s leaders, but this time around there was a immediacy to all of their statements.  (more…)

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They Are Called, and Chosen, and Faithful

Posted in Church Falling Away, Deception, End Times Prophecy, Rapture, Salvation, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 31, 2012|

Revelation 17:14  “These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.”

One of the ways satan has tried to confuse and deter Christians from solidifying their beliefs is by making prophecy seem scary or confusing.  I am going to address the latter today, and hopefully the first in the coming days. 

(Why does the word Revelation = Scary?  Is that what you thought when you read the first word of this post?)

The Lord led me to an article by Mike Taylor from a while back.  It really lays out the comparison well between two of the most popular beliefs. 

Having studied the different views on end time timelines, there is one that rose above the others, premillennial.  What make it stand out to me is that you really did not have to suspend believe for the pieces to fit together.  And more importantly, there were not any pieces left on the table as “not fitting” the theory you have assembled.

I believe that the bible is 100% correct and the infallible word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit.  God would not layout prophecy that contradicted itself, it all fits together.  You just need to continue to pray, study and dig deeply untill they all fit.  In all my years of (more…)

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Cringe-inducing

Posted in Church Falling Away, Days of Noah, Deception, End Times Prophecy, Rapture, Salvation, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 31, 2012|

A question I have been asking myself recently is what does it mean to be a “watchman”?  Jesus uses this term several times throughout prophecy.  I have prayed about this and I feel pieces are beginning to come into focus.  One of the pieces is summed up well in an article this week by Jim Fletcher, at Israel Watch.

I think being a watchman for God and His signs of the last days has a lot to do with “not being of this world” as Paul so eloquently stated in Romans 12:2.

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

We are not supposed to “fit into” this world, we are not called to be normal.  Jesus said take heart and do not be discouraged if the world hates you because they hated Me first.

John 15:17-19 (KJV) –  17These things I command you, that ye love one another.  18If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.  19If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

This is not a bad thing, it is actually good.  I think that is where we have gone so wrong as a church and frankly as parents.  We should not try ourselves to conform to this world and we should not teach our kids that is the right way.  I think that is a major component of (more…)

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Are we listening? – Aloha Bible Prophecy Update – Jan. 3rd, 2012

Posted in Church Falling Away, End Times Prophecy, Rapture, Salvation, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on January 4, 2012|

It seems the Lord is sending me a message early in this new year.  I have had the thoughts and feelings to slow down and listen, calm my mind, clear my life of the “clutter”.  Normally, I get this feeling every year, wanting to rid my life of stuff and simplify but normally it is just physical stuff and yes I still have those feelings but it is different this year.  I feel the Lord is really trying to get through to me to quiet my mind and listen, block out all the “noise” of today and truly listen, because time is short.  I think “time is short” is the secondary message I am getting.  It is the feeling when someone calls you over to tell you something important and says shhh, shhh, we need to focus here and execute.

This morning I posted an article I have read a few weeks back before the holidays, saved off and re-read this morning after my prayers.  It was the one the Lord led me to and I was prompted to post.   Then this evening, I listen to my favorite paster from the islands out west, and toward the end, he tells a story about the same topic, we need to “hear the still small voice”.

Are we slowing down to hear what God is asking us?

That is the question I am asking myself everyday now, are you?

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The Last Christmas?

Posted in Church Falling Away, End Times Prophecy, Rapture, Salvation, tagged , , , , , , on December 21, 2011|

The article below by Jack Kelly, does a good job summing up what I have been feeling this Christmas season.  I have felt this season more reflective, and a focus on savoring the small things. 

Trying to focus on generosity instead of all of the stuff that usually surrounds holidays these days.

Kind of a back to the basics sort of approach. 

Even more interesting is what I have not been feeling to the degree I have in years past.  I have not felt anxious, or overwhelmed.  I am saddened by all of the evil that is overwhelming the world but internally, I feel at peace, maybe even a little excited for what we are on the cusp of.  If asked “what” we are on the edge of, I would have to say honestly I don’t know exactly, my blessed hope just like Paul is that Christ’s Return is near, the Rapture, but it could just be another series of sorrows.  But it just feels different. 

I feel an acceleration is coming, it feels like the calm right before the storm, where things are peaceful and then the 100 mph winds hit 2 minutes later.

Maybe it is just the time I took off from posting helped me step back from the barrage of signs and events.  Maybe it is the realization of God’s true distinction of “good” people from saved.  (more on that in a future article)  But I think not, its more than that.  It is a reassuring peace. 

But it really does feel different this Christmas, it defies the “reality” of our world but maybe it is not a “peace” of this world.

God’s christmas gift is where our focus should be…

May God Bless each of you this Christmas season and may you remember what the true meaning is behind it all.

myblessedhope

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The Last Christmas?

by Jack Kelly 

Whether you’re following commentaries by prophecy scholars on the nearness of the rapture or predictions by financial experts on the nearness of the world’s economic downfall, the message is the same. This could very well be the last time we celebrate Christmas as we’ve come to know it.

And that’s a good thing. Because for most of the world, Christmas has become little more than an annual exercise in spending money we don’t have to buy things they don’t need for the people on our list, some of whom we don’t even like.  Add to that the sad fact that millions of American families are doing this from homes they no longer own, adding to a debt load they can hardly carry now, and you can see the level to which the world has sunk. And the saddest fact of all is they aren’t doing this out of any gratitude for what the Lord has given them.  They’re doing this because for a brief period of time they can pretend everything’s OK.

For believers it should be a different story, although most of us are totally unaware that the greatest event in Church history is looming on our horizon. The coming rapture should be energizing the body of Christ and causing a massive reorientation of our priorities and yet current polls indicate that over 90% of us are still focused on the secular world and the fading illusion of happiness it offers, rather than the incredible promises of the Bible.

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I Come Quickly

Posted in Church Falling Away, End Times Prophecy, Rapture, Salvation, tagged , , , , on November 22, 2011|

I will have to second Grant’s take…I feel we are near indeed. 

The signs are numerous.  Lord come quickly…

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I Come Quickly

By Grant Phillips

In the last chapter of the last book of the Bible, Jesus says to the Church three times, “I come quickly”. (Revelation 22:7, 12, 20)

Many years ago, I realized that when a word or phrase was repeated in the Scriptures, it was a way of emphasizing the need of listening intently to that word or phrase, because of the importance of what is about to be said. For example, when Jesus said, “Verily, verily”, as He sometimes did, He was saying, “Listen up. Everyone pay attention. It is very important you hear this.” Today, we would probably underline the word or phrase, or put it in italics, or make it bold, or use an exclamation point, or all of the above.

Following are the actual words from Jesus, in this last chapter of Revelation, v.7 “Behold, I come quickly, v.12-13 And, behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. v.16 I, Jesus, have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. v.20 Surely, I come quickly. ”

Get this. He said the same thing previously to the Philadelphian church in Revelation 3:11, “Behold, I come quickly …” So this actually makes four times in this one book He made this statement to His Church.

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