Is the Rapture Close?

IN TODAY'S NEWSLETTER... 
 

• Featured Article: Is the Rapture Close? 
• Rabbi warns “Super Blood Moon” over America is a sign of War 
• A New Study That Was Just Released Could Fundamentally Change The Way That We View This Pandemic 
• A Mighty Fortress 
• Daily Jot: Bidenista 
• Daily Devotion: Four Pictures of God 

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Is the Rapture Close? – Pastor Mike Taylor – https://pastormiketaylor.blogspot.com/2021/04/is-rapture-close.html
 
50 “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” (1st Corinthians 15:50-55)
 
In the letter to the church at Corinth, Paul speaks of a “mystery”. This is not to be confused with a detective thriller or a murder mystery, as the word “mystery” comes from the Greek word “Musterion” which literally means “secret or a hidden thing”. Many in our modern era think of a mystery like Sherlock Holmes, or Agatha Christie, but this it not what Paul is referring to.
 
Paul's use of the word “mystery” is defining a much hidden doctrine which describes the “rapture” or the Harpazo in Greek of the church, which literally means to “remove by force from one place to another”. This was a truth that had yet, not been revealed.
 
You cannot claim it with the Day of the Lord, as the doctrine of the return of Christ to reign and rule and had been thoroughly written about in the Old Testament and it was very much one of the oldest prophecies that was recorded in scripture. Just to name a few recorded in Daniel:
 
“And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.” (Daniel 12:1-3)
 
And the prophet Zechariah spoke of the same subject in chapter 12 of the book:
 
8 In that day shall the Lord defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the Lord before them.
9 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.” (Zechariah 12:8-10) and again in chapter 14 of the same book:
 
4 “And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.” (Zechariah 14:4)
 
This is but two of the prophets that proclaim the “Day of the Lord” not to forget Amos and Joel, and near every Old Testament prophet from Isaiah to Malachi have something to say of the “Day of the Lord” so no, it was not a mystery to anyone who had read the Old Testament from the Torah into the major and minor prophets as they all made reference to the “coming of the Lord”.
 
Besides the Apostle Paul, Jude the brother of Jesus made reference to Enoch who Jude proclaims him, the “seventh from Adam” who prophecied the same event noted in the Old Testament, that the coming of the Lord will come with “TEN THOUSANDS” of His saints.........
 
14 “And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” (Jude 1:14-15)
 
This is the same picture that John gives us in the 19th Chapter of Revelation that closes out this book of the Apocalype and describes it even further...
 
11 “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords.” (Revelation 19:11-16)
 
The Apostle Paul cannot be referring to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, as that was dealt with in many books of your Bible, Old and New Testament.
 
So what is this “mystery” that Paul speaks of? Paul is speaking of a “hidden thing” that God had not made known to men before Paul. Where did Paul come to knowledge of this mystery he speaks of?
 
Remember after Paul received his sight from Ananias and laying his hands on him ? Immediately, Paul went into the wilderness. I believe that was most likely the Arabian desert and stayed there for 3 years before he even revealed himself to the other apostles and began preaching in the synagogues throughout Israel. I believe this is where Paul received his “revelation” of the mystery of the rapture of the church and it came directly from the “Master” Himself, Jesus Christ, who revealed things to him that were not lawful for men to hear.
 
2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.
3 And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)
4 How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.” (2nd Corinthians 12:2-4)
 
This is where Paul was “schooled” in the things of God that had not previously been revealed. It is where Paul introduced “faith through Grace” of our Lord God, and a “mystery” of the rapture of the church. Previously, even Jesus came and preached the Kingdom of God, but until Paul was given the visions or an eye witness to things that had not been revealed to other apostles. Paul spoke of these two mysteries that had never been approached by any other Biblical writer in the Old or the New Testament.
 
First Rapture, then Tribulation
 
As the end of this age draws to a close, I have many people who are beginning to wonder if we might already be in the Tribulation, even now. Quick answer to that question is “We're not. Not just yet”
 
Many people have a hard time grasping the belief of the Pre-tribulation rapture of the Church. I have some even in my own family who think I am “way out there” for believing such a thing, saying there is not any evidence for that belief found in the Bible. I have to smile to myself (or frown depending on the person saying it), as they can't see the forest for the trees, but rely on men to give them the interpretation of what the Bible speaks of, instead of allowing the Bible to interpret itself.
 
I had one man, who charged that there is not one word in the Bible that speaks of a “rapture” as if that meant something, as if they interpreted what is written. Then they would see it staring back at them, as they read in the New Testament, especially the words written by Paul the Apostle.
 
There are several words that are not in the Bible, like try to find the word “Bible” in scripture. Does its absence from the text mean there is “no Bible”? Of course not. It is something all people accept as they have the book in their lap which is defined as “what it is” even though the word is not mentioned.
 
I have others who babble on mindlessly about “Margaret McDonald and C.I. Scofield, or John Nelson Darby, before pronouncing Dispensationalsim and the Pre-Tribulation Rapture as a modern day “invented” doctrine. I say “mindlessly” because they don't know what they are talking about, not realizing that the subject was doctrine within the 1st Century church, but was squashed by the likes of the Theocracy that ruled in the Dark Ages. Each are just parroting somebody else's research and embracing it as Gospel, not realizing that they have no basis for the belief, save to believe somebody else.
 
I have dealt with the Margeret McDonald and John Darby argument in the past, and won't go into it further here, save to note that Paul wrote of the Rapture 1800 years before this little girl and the preacher who they credited this doctrine and proclaim it as nothing but myth of a deranged girl and a heretic of a preacher.
 
SO WHAT DOES THE BIBLE ACTUALLY SAY?
 
Before making an argument based on what the Bible doesn't say about the Rapture, it is most helpful to focus on what the Bible does say about the rapture.
 
Beginning in a passage in the Old Testament, Isaiah first comes to mind when he spoke of us being hidden in our chambers.
 
19 “Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.
20 Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.
21 For, behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.” (Isaiah 26:19-21)
 
This almost mimics the words that Paul spoke of in the letters to the Corinthians as noted in the opening verses and to the Thessalonians:
 
13 “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
14” For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” (1st Thessalonians 4:14-18)
 
Again, our Lord Jesus told us that He would separate us from the coming wrath when He spoke to the Apostle John:
 
10 “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.” (Revelation 3:10-11)
 
I put part of the verse in bold italics to draw attention to the words “I will keep thee” which as I have in the past brought to your attention what this passage means as the book of Revelation is written in Greek and the word used in Greek for this phrase “I will keep thee” is something I love to remind those who scoff at the idea of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture and I will do so here, as well. The word in Greek for the afore-mentioned phrase is the Greek word “EK”...if you look it up, this is the meaning of the word:
 
ἐκ • (ek) (governs the genitive) (of place) (of motion) Out of,
from, with the source of
to denote change from one place or condition to another
to express separation of distinction from a number
(of position) outside, beyond
(of time)
from, since
(of particular points of time) just, after during, in
 
The means that our Lord will remove us out of the way, not through, but away from the time and the event that our Lord is speaking of...and He is speaking of the coming Tribulation. The Rapture removed God's Church from their position on earth, to the heavenly realm, as Isaiah so aptly put it, that we will hide in our chambers, until the indignation is past.
 
Side note.....I had a brother in Christ who was a firm post-tribulation believer until I showed him what Revelation 3:10 meant...He was a student of Greek and Hebrew and looked it up...He came back amazed saying “you are right”...I coached him on Isaiah 26:19 about us entering our chambers until the indignation be past, and men rising from theirs graves...the discussion made him change his mind, and is now a pre-tribulation believer.
 
Continuing, then to add to the doctrine, Paul speaks of in several places of “we are not appointed to God's Wrath”...and that is what the Tribulation and the Great Tribulation is all about.
 
8 “But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.” (1st Thessalonians 5:8-11)
 
This is but one of the passages that speak of being saved “out of” and away from God's Wrath.
 
8 “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.” (Romans 5:8-10)
 
Notice from these verses, and there are many more that are peppered throughout the Bible, which describes the movement of believers from this earth to heaven, to be hidden away in our chambers. Some ask, what chambers...Jesus said it best and another clue to the sudden removal of the Bride of Christ from this earth...
 
2 “In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” (John 14:2-3)
 
Note that Jesus is creating a place for us and will come again to RECEIVE YOU UNTO MYSELF (JESUS). Not coming to where we are, but bringing us to where He is....Jesus is at the right hand of the Father God in heaven and He will bring us to this third heaven and we will be adopted as sons and daughters in the “family of God”. This will all happen at the Bema Judgment seat of our Lord Jesus, where He gives rewards for service and we are adopted, because we will have the same rights as a spouse has with her husband...We are the Bride, and Jesus is our husband in the spiritual sense of the words.
 
So by this short study, I pray you can see, that the mystery that Paul speaks of is not the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus, and the rapture of the Church and the Second Coming are NOT the same event
 
And things that are different are NOT the same. What would be the point of Rapturing the Church then, anyway? The Lord returns to establish His kingdom on earth, so why pull out all the Christians?
 
Who is He gonna rule?
 
"And before Him shall be gathered all nations: and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And He shall set the sheep on His right Hand, but the goats on the left." (Matthew 25:32-33)
 
This verse highlights another problem with other views of the coming rapture of the church. If the post Tribulation model is correct, then if all the believers are removed at the Second Coming, that would also include the Tribulation saints. Where would the believers in mortal bodies come from, if they are raptured at the Second Coming?
 
Who would be able to enter into Christ's Kingdom? Enquiring minds want to know. The answer would be no one, as all rebellion has been extinguished and the saints have been changed, so the Post Tribulation model doesn't make sense when reading God's Word.
 
LET US NOT FORGET DANIEL
 
Then there is Daniel's 70 week prophecy. The Church was absent for the first sixty-nine weeks -- the countdown was suspended at the Cross so the Church could be born.
 
Daniel makes it clear that all 70 weeks are determined upon Israel.
 
"Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints." (Revelation 19:7-8)
 
If the Bride is made ready to accompany Christ to the earth at the Second Coming, (while part of the bride is still on earth during the Tribulation) then how does the Bride (the Church) also come with Christ at His Return? You see, it doesn't make sense, if you believe any other rapture model. Those who are tribulation Saints are not the church. They are saints, as we are, but they are not the Bride. They are the guest at the “Marriage Supper of the Lamb.” Which speaks of the 5 wise and 5 foolish virgins. The wise didn't let their lamps go out, or the sign of the Holy Spirit. Those that let their lamps go out, were overcome with the evils and the persecution of this world and are not allowed into the marriage as guest.
 
There is the example of Enoch:
 
"And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him." (Genesis 5:24)
 
Not only does Enoch prefigure the Rapture, note that Enoch's Rapture was pre-Flood, and not mid-Flood or post-Flood.
 
The Scriptures are plain, clear and concise on the topic of a pre-Tribulation Rapture -- provided one interprets the Bible literally, instead of figuratively or symbolically.
 
While no man knows the day of the hour, it doesn't stop some folks who have popped up on my Christian forums to state that the rapture of the Church was April 6th. No really!! The guy was serious, although I have not had a response from him on his “little error”. Then I have another “sister in Christ” who proclaims that the rapture will “definitely” be during the year of the Jubilee and will end on April the 19th...so Jesus will come between now and then. What will each do when their predictions come to nothing? Do they want to look like another Harold Camping and destroy their witness? The Bible makes clear that we don't know the day or the hour, but we know the season. WE are “definitely” in the season of the Lords return. Jesus said that there was one key to let us know the hour is at hand.
 
ISRAEL THE KEY TO END TIME PROPHECY
 
32 “Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” (Matthew 24:32-26)
 
It is the only sign Jesus gave for the timing of His return. Oh, we'll see many things that Jesus laid out to be looking for in the same chapter, BUT the birth of Israel was the sign of a generation would not pass who saw Israel reborn in a day, and would see Jesus back on earth reigning and ruling for 1000 years. He told us in His Word that a generation is 70 years, 80 years by strength, but is full of sorrow and then we fly away. (Psalm 90) Simple math will show that the season is right upon us. We don't know the day or the hour, but the timing of His return could be any year that Paul spoke in the opening passage, which is a reference to the Feast of Trumpets. Paul speaks of the “last Trump” which is used to end the autumn feast every year.
 
Now Jesus fulfilled each “Feast” on the very day of the Jewish observances, as they are not Jewish, but given to all mankind as a plan of redemption. The next one is the coming Feast of Trumpets, which has the “last Trump” that Paul speaks of . As God is a God of order, then logically and prophetically, God will keep the fall Feast observances in order, as He did the Spring feast, and I look and listen for the sound of a trumpet every fall about that time. Will it be this year, next year, and a year after that? A generation of the rebirth of Israel is 73 years this May...how much time does the Church have to wait before Jesus breaks through the clouds and cries aloud “Come up Hither”?...It may be sooner than anyone of us can imagine.
 
The Pre-Tribulation Rapture is often called the "Blessed Hope" by those who look for His return before the Tribulation begins. Those who believe the Church will go through the Tribulation sneeringly call it the 'Great Escape'.
 
Don't let anybody steal away your Blessed Hope:
 
"For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable." (1st Corinthians 15:16-19)
 
Praise our God, the rapture happens before the Tribulation, and if you look around you, Tribulation is festering on our front door steps. You can call it the “Blessed Hope”, or the “Great Escape”, but be not fooled my friend, He IS COMING and with the state of Global affairs, it can't be much longer.
 
DON'T BE CAUGHT BY SURPRISE
 
Will you be ready? We only have possibly a short time before Jesus breaks the heavens and splits them wide open and the tribulation starts in earnest with the pouring out of His Righteous Wrath that grows stronger as time passes by. We know in our spirits that the time is close at hand. Again. Will you be ready.?
 
How do you get ready? Believe these next verses in your heart and soul and repent of your sins and follow Jesus and you will be ready.
 
16” For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John 3:16-18)
 
Then confess to your friends and loved ones what Jesus just did for you.
 
8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.” (Romans 10:8-11)
 
That is the key. I know it sounds simple, but that is the beauty of the Gospel. It is so simple, even a small child can grasp the meaning of those Words when believed in their spirit. I did it when I was 10 years old...one of my grandsons was 6 years old and knew exactly what he was doing, as we questioned him. It is not age specific, but heart specific....open your heart to the calling of the Holy Spirit, as He wants to save you right now. Do it before the Lord returns, and you then have to endure the horror that is coming...called the Wrath of God, or the Tribulation.
 
This is pastor Mike Taylor, praying you make that decision for Christ right now, and don't put it off one more minute, as you are not promised tomorrow....AS Today is the day of salvation...not tomorrow....If you need prayer, counseling, or just a listening ear, then email me at [email protected] , or visit me online at my blog for more biblical lessons from the Word of God..
God bless you all…TILL WE MEET AT JESUS FEET

 


 
Rabbi warns “Super Blood Moon” over America is a sign of War – Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz - https://www.israel365news.com/189871/super-blood-moon-to-rise-over-america-an-omen-of-war-with-ishmaelites/
 
 Before the great and terrible day of Hashem comes,* I will set portents in the sky and on earth: Blood and fire and pillars of smoke; The sun shall turn into darkness And the moon into blood. Joel 3:3 (The Israel BibleTM)
 
Next month, a blood moon eclipse will pass over the continental US. According to one rabbinic expert astronomical phenomenon, the eclipse, a super blood moon, comes as a warning to the US concerning re-establishing relations with the Palestinian Authority.
 
BLOOD MOON ECLIPSE
 
On the night of May 26, the first total lunar eclipse of 2021 and the first since January 2019 eclipse will appear in the heavens over southeast Asia, continuing on until it is visible in South America, Australia, and the western half of North America.
 
A lunar eclipse occurs when the Sun, Earth, and the full Moon are perfectly aligned with each other so the Moon enters Earth’s umbral shadow in space. The eclipse in May will be a“blood moon”, the result of atmospheric conditions that give the moon a reddish tint rather than black when it moves into the shadow. The red color comes from some of the sunlight passing through Earth’s atmosphere where it gets bent and colors like blue or green are filtered out, leaving behind longer wavelengths like the color red.
 
This eclipse will take place when the moon will be the biggest and brightest of the entire year, what is referred to as a supermoon, which occurs when the moon is at its perigee, the point in its month-long elliptical orbit brings it closest to Earth. At that time, the moon appears up to 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter than at its apogee, its furthest point from Earth.
 
TALMUD: LUNAR ECLIPSE IS A BAD OMEN
 
In his book Davar B’ito, a guide to the calendar based on esoteric Jewish sources, Rabbi Mordechai Genuth discussed the meaning of eclipses in Jewish tradition. Rabbi Genuth explained that under normal circumstances, lunar eclipses are considered a bad omen for Israel.
 
This is based in a discussion of eclipses from the Talmud (Sukkot 29a) that specifically stated that the nation of Israel is spiritually represented by the moon. If during the course of the lunar eclipse the moon appears red, as the upcoming eclipse will be, the Talmud states that this is an omen that great wars will come to the world.
 
“In the time of the Talmud, only Israel set the calendar according to the moon,” Rabbi Genuth said. “Setting the calendar according to the sun was the practice of the idolaters, like Rome which named the solar months and days after pagan gods. Today, the Muslims set their calendar according to the moon, even more than the Jews, in a manner that leads their calendar to be imbalanced. So a lunar eclipse is closely connected to the Muslims and, in this case, is a warning for the Arabs.”
 
He noted that the lunar eclipse will take place one week after the Festival of Weeks and two weeks after the end of the month-long Muslim fast of Ramadan.
 
“The eclipse will pass over the United States,” Rabbi Genuth said. “The new President is connecting his fate with that of the Arabs, choosing them over Israel. He is choosing war, the wars that originate in Ishmael, the wars that are presaged by the upcoming blood moon.”
 
Rabbi Genuth made one disclaimer; at the end of the section of the Talmud describing the omens contained within eclipses, the Talmud states: “When Israel does the will of the place (God), they have nothing to fear from all of this,” citing the Prophet Jeremiah as a source.
 
Thus said Hashem: Do not learn to go the way of the nations, And do not be dismayed by portents in the sky; Let the nations be dismayed by them! Jeremiah 10:2
 
“This is a warning to the Israeli government,” Rabbi Genuth said. “They need to be strong when it comes to Jerusalem.”
 
He explained that the name of Jerusalem is rooted in the Hebrew word “Shalem” (complete) which is a reference to the sun which, unlike the moon, does not go through phases.
 
“THE JEWS HAVE TO BE STRONG REGARDING JERUSALEM,” RABBI GENUTH SAID.
 
The rabbi also noted a prophecy in the Book of Joel states that the coming of the Messiah will be preceded by a blood moon.
 
Before the great and terrible day of Hashem comes, I will set portents in the sky and on earth: Blood and fire and pillars of smoke; The sun shall turn into darkness And the moon into blood. But everyone who invokes the name of Hashem shall escape; for there shall be a remnant on Mount Tzion and in Yerushalayim, as Hashem promised. Anyone who invokes Hashem will be among the survivors. Joel 3:3-5
 
“We are indeed close to the end of days so these astronomical signs are taking on increased importance,” Rabbi Genuth said.
 


 
A New Study That Was Just Released Could Fundamentally Change The Way That We View This Pandemic - by Michael Snyder - http://endoftheamericandream.com/a-new-study-that-was-just-released-could-fundamentally-change-the-way-that-we-view-this-pandemic/
 
There is still so much that we don’t know about COVID, but fortunately scientists all over the globe are feverishly studying this virus. Earlier today, I came across a study that was just released that completely took my breath away. The study was conducted at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, and what it discovered has enormous implications. Many COVID victims have continued to experience severe symptoms long after the virus is out of their systems, and researchers at Texas Tech University wanted to figure out why this is occurring…
 
Over the last year, COVID “long haulers” have continued experiencing a variety of symptoms months after the virus clears. These include anything from skin problems, to shortness of breath, to losing the sense of taste or smell. Now, researchers say they may know why this is happening. A new study finds coronavirus actually causes long-term changes to an infected patient’s genes.
 
“Long-term changes to an infected patient’s genes”?
 
That does not sound good at all.
 
Specifically, the researchers found that exposure to the COVID spike protein alone “was enough to change baseline gene expression in airway cells”…
 
SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is covered in tiny spike proteins. During infection, the spike proteins bind with receptors on cells in our body, starting a process that allows the virus to release its genetic material into the inside of the healthy cell.
 
“We found that exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein alone was enough to change baseline gene expression in airway cells,” said Nicholas Evans, a master’s student in the laboratory of Sharilyn Almodovar, PhD, at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. “This suggests that symptoms seen in patients may initially result from the spike protein interacting with the cells directly.”
 
Up to now, we had been told that the spike protein itself was relatively harmless.
 
But now new research is completely contradicting that assertion.
 
In fact, the researchers discovered that even exposure to low concentrations of purified spike protein could cause long-term gene changes…
 
The researchers found that cultured human airway cells exposed to both low and high concentrations of purified spike protein showed differences in gene expression that remained even after the cells recovered from the exposure. The top genes included ones related to inflammatory response.
 
I know what many of you must be thinking at this part in the article.
 
The mRNA vaccines have been specifically designed to get our cells to produce the COVID spike protein. The following comes from the official website of the CDC…
 
COVID-19 mRNA vaccines give instructions for our cells to make a harmless piece of what is called the “spike protein.” The spike protein is found on the surface of the virus that causes COVID-19.
 
For a long time, the CDC has been using the term “harmless” to describe this process, but this new research may force them to withdraw that assertion.
 
Meanwhile, new questions continue to be raised about the new mutant COVID strains that are spreading all over India like wildfire.
 
Earlier today, I came across a report about the situation India that is incredibly alarming. The following comes directly from the New York Times…
 
At Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, a huge facility in the middle of India’s capital, 37 fully vaccinated doctors came down with Covid-19 earlier this month.
 
The infections left most with mild symptoms, but it added to their growing fears that the virus behind India’s catastrophic second wave is different. They wonder if a more contagious variant that dodges the immune system could be fueling the epidemic inside the world’s hardest-hit nation.
 
If one or two doctors had gotten infected, that could have probably been dismissed as being not too significant.
 
But 37 all at the same time?
 
What is going on in India right now appears to be very different from what the rest of the world has been experiencing. In the last 24 hours, the number of new cases set another all-time record high, and the number of new deaths in India surpassed 3,000 on a single day for the first time ever.
 
India has become the brand new epicenter of the COVID pandemic, and these new strains are being blamed.
 
Of course it is just a matter of time before these new strains spread all over the globe. In fact, cases of the “double mutant” strain have already been identified in the United Kingdom…
 
Three cases of the Indian Covid variant have been spotted in Leicester, sparking a testing blitz at a school to snuff out any potential cases.
 
The strain, linked to an explosion in cases in India, has officially been detected 132 times in the UK but experts say there are likely hundreds more.
 
If scientists confirm that this new variant “dodges the immune system”, that is going to have enormous implications for every nation on the entire planet.
 
So many people had been hoping for a quick end to this pandemic, but those hopes may soon be completely dashed.
 
In the Scriptures, we are warned that there will be multiple “pestilences” in the last days. So if these really are the end times, we should expect to see pandemics that kill large numbers of people.
 
And as I detailed in my latest book, killer pandemics that are coming in the future will absolutely dwarf the death toll from this current pandemic.
 
All throughout human history, great plagues have wiped out large numbers of people, and despite all of our advanced technology we continue to be extremely vulnerable.
 
In fact, the Scriptures indicate that pestilences will wipe out more people in the last days than ever before.
 
Unfortunately, most of the population still does not realize that we are actually living in the end times, and that is extremely unfortunate.

 


 
A Mighty Fortress - Nathele Graham - [email protected]
 
“The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.” Psalm 18:2-3. David knew his strength came from God and that the Lord would never fail to protect him from enemy attack. Christians have that same assurance. God protects us. He is our Rock, Fortress, and Deliverer. We may face human enemies, but the enemy may also be from entities in the supernatural realm. Satan and his minions lurk everywhere and will try to stumble us, but with God protecting us, we have nothing to fear. “What shall we then say to these things? If God be with us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31. They enemy may strike fear into our hearts, and he may even harm our mortal body, but for those of us who have chosen Christ for salvation, our eternal soul is safe.
 
A MIGHTY FORTRESS IS OUR GOD, by Martin Luther
 
A mighty fortress is our God,
a bulwark never failing;
our helper he, amid the flood
of mortal ills prevailing.
For still our ancient foe
does seek to work us woe;
his craft and power are great,
and armed with cruel hate,
on earth is not his equal.
 
People have always faced troubles. Plagues, famine, and war, are all part of living in this fallen world. Lately the perils of the age in which we live seem overwhelming. God cannot be blamed for any of the frightening things we face. There is an ancient foe who is a liar and will stop at nothing to destroy humanity. Adam and Eve were safe in the Garden of Eden and would have remained that way if they hadn’t broken God’s one rule: don’t eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Satan lied to Eve and convinced her to disobey God. Instead of believing God, she ate the fruit then convinced Adam to join in her disobedience. In so doing, God’s protection was breached. All sin has consequences. When we choose to disobey God’s ways, we always pay a price for our sin. Satan has no love for mankind, and will lead us into a life of destruction if we listen to his lies. Satan again tried to destroy mankind using genetic manipulation to destroy the human genome, but Noah’s bloodline was pure because his family obeyed God and found protection through the judgment of the flood. Job was a victim of Satan’s hatred of humans. He accused God of protecting Job. “Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side: thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.” Job 1:10. Satan knew God’s protection was around Job. Satan could not touch Him until God allowed it. Job suffered loss of fortune, loss of children, and loss of health, but he never lost faith in God. Today, we need to stay strong in our faith and not allow fear of disease, war, or famine to tear down our bulwark of protection. Indeed, God is a mighty fortress and a bulwark which never fails.
 
Did we in our own strength confide,
our striving would be losing,
were not the right Man on our side,
the Man of God's own choosing.
You ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is he;
Lord Sabaoth his name,
from age to age the same;
and he must win the battle.
 
We like to feel as if we’re in control of everything. Many problems have come from people trying to “play God”. When we start to rely on ourselves or any human for truth, we won’t find it. Only God can arm us with spiritual weapons to fight the spiritual battle we face daily. “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” Ephesians 6:11. It’s God’s armor and His strength we need. When you put on the armor of God you need to follow Christ’s lead in battle. It’s no good to put on the helmet of salvation or wield the sword of the Spirit if you don’t follow Christ as your Commander in Chief. Obey God. “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6. Don’t trust yourself in battles, whether spiritual or non-spiritual, but arm yourself with Scripture. Scriptural truth doesn’t change. The same God who created all things, is the same God who shed His blood on the cross. “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” Hebrews 13:8. He never changes.
 
And though this world, with devils filled,
should threaten to undo us,
we will not fear, for God has willed
his truth to triumph through us.
The prince of darkness grim,
we tremble not for him;
his rage we can endure,
for lo! his doom is sure;
one little word shall fell him.
 
Satan is known by many names, and one of those names is the “god of this world”. That isn’t a compliment. This evil entity has nothing but contempt for us. He isn’t all powerful, but has managed to blind many people to the Gospel through lies and fear. “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine into them.” 2 Corinthians 4:3-4. Christians must share the Gospel with everyone we meet because the darkness of Satan can only be dispelled by the Light of God. Satan cannot stand against Jesus. “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11. The name of Jesus is powerful and Satan cannot take possession of anyone who belongs to Christ. Many miracles are recorded in the Book of Acts which the Apostles did in the name of Jesus. The lame walked, the dead were raised, and demons were cast out of people all in the name of Jesus. Jesus is the name above all names, and only through Him will the darkness of the evil one flee. Share the Gospel. Unless Christians share God’s truth, there will be many souls lost. Follow the example of the Apostles in Scripture on how to share the Gospel. Peter and the other Apostles were arrested, beaten, and warned not to teach in the name of Jesus. When they were let out of prison what did they do? They went right back to preaching in the name of Jesus. That’s the Scriptural way to spread the Gospel and come against Satan.
 
That Word above all earthly powers
no thanks to them abideth;
the Spirit and the gifts are ours
through him who with us sideth.
Let goods and kindred go,
this mortal life also;
the body they may kill:
God's truth abideth still;
his kingdom is forever!
 
The power of the Holy Spirit is available to all Christians. When we truly accept Christ as our Saviour, the Holy Spirit is sealed within us. Before His crucifixion, Jesus told of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. “Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” John 14:17. When a person hears the Gospel and believes, they are then sealed with the Holy Spirit. “That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.” Ephesians 1:12-14. If you are a Christian, God lives in you. He has given spiritual gifts that each of us need to use for His glory. You may offend friends and family if you give your life to Christ and live for Him, but Jesus Christ needs to be honored by every Christian. It’s possible that you will be mocked, disowned, or even martyred for sharing the Gospel with others, but for a Christian, the death of this mortal body is the beginning of life in the presence of Christ. “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21. That’s a truth we can live with.
 
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1. The Psalmist knew of God’s strength and power. Our Lord has been there to help humanity through troubles since Adam was created. God’s truth is written in Scripture and if we learn the lessons recorded there, we will always trust God. Unfortunately, humans tend to try to handle troubles all on our own instead of turning to God first. This error leads to a multitude of problems because we disobey God. The troubles we bring on ourselves can put fear into our hearts. Trusting in God is the way to prevent fear from overcoming us. “Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.” Psalm 46:2-3. When God is our strength, we have nothing to fear.
 
We live in a turbulent time that was prophesied by prophets of God. The end of days is upon us and Christians will soon be taken Home in the Rapture. Then the time of Jacob’s trouble will begin and there will be seven years of horror followed by God’s judgment on Satan and his followers. Satan’s time is running out and he’s doing all he can to strike fear into Christians and silence us. We need to remember that Christ Jesus is our Mighty Fortress and serve Him.
 
God bless you all,
Nathele Graham
[email protected]
[email protected]
                        
All original scripture is “theopneustos” God breathed.
 
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Daily Jot: Bidenista - Bill Wilson – www.dailyjot.com
 
The Communist Manifesto says, “But communism abolishes eternal truths, it abolishes all religion, and all morality, instead of constituting them on a new basis.” Exodus 20:3 says, “Thou shalt have no other god’s before me.” When government replaces God, bad things happen. The first 100 days of the Biden Administration, capped by Joe Biden’s “address” to congress is an indicator of those bad things. The entire speech was about expanding government programs and raising your taxes. Biden was throwing around the word “trillion” like it was nickel bubble gum and told us in the first 200 words he was operating off the communist playbook when he said: “Turning peril into possibility, Crisis into opportunity.”
 
Marxist Saul Alinsky wrote: “The organizers first job is to create the issues or problems.” Biden followed suit, saying, “Tonight I come to talk about crisis and opportunity.” He pointed to the COVID crisis and how he is meeting that crisis with patriotic sounding government programs—The American Rescue Plan, The American Jobs Plan, The American Families Plan, The Affordable Care Act, The Paycheck Fairness Act. All these plans and acts with user friendly names that are essentially designed to use crisis to establish communism—the absence, mind you, of God and faith. These acts and plans usually are named for the exact opposite of what they do—just so they make you feel good and that the crisis is being handled. But the real crisis is about to come if Biden is successful in his agenda. And you are going to feel the pain.
 
Biden said, “We’re going to reform corporate taxes so they pay their fair share – and help pay for the public investments their businesses will benefit from.” That means that there will be less incentive to create private sector jobs and that the government will put a knee to the throat of American enterprise, entrepreneurship and industry. But don’t worry, all Biden’s “American Plans” will fill in the empty economy with government handouts. And who is going to pay for all that? You and me. Oh, he says that he is not raising taxes on us, but he is. If the taxes on the “wealthy” are put in place, you will be taxed in other ways—higher prices, inflation, job loss and more. Higher taxes are bad for everybody, not just the rich.
 
By the way, do you really think Biden will raise taxes and close loopholes on the rich? He is one of them. He’s not spending $80 billion of your tax money to beef up the jack-boot tactics of the IRS just to collect money from the rich. The IRS will be coming after the rest of us. It has to. How else can we pay for all the “Plans” plus pay Central and South American countries to not send their “immigrants” here, pay for China’s global warming pollution, pay for Iran’s nuclear program, and pay for gun confiscation so only the criminal have them? This is a train wreck and the passengers are being propagandized into thinking it’s a free ride—yeah, a free ride off a cliff, or worse yet, a godless, communist hellhole. That’s where we’re headed with Bidenista.

 


 
Daily Devotion: Four Pictures of God - by Greg Laurie – www.harvest.org
 
Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. —Psalm 91:1–2
 
https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/four-pictures-of-god/ - Listen
 
Just as there are different words we use to describe people, such as father, friend, wife, or son, the Bible uses different words to describe God, giving us a glimpse into His nature and character.
 
We find an example of this in Psalm 91, where the writer presents four different pictures of God.
 
The psalm begins, “Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty” (verse 1 NLT). The name “the Most High” comes from the Hebrew word Elyon, which speaks of God as the One who possesses everything. It reminds us that God owns it all.
 
The next name, “Almighty,” or Shaddai in Hebrew, speaks of provision. It’s wonderful to know that God owns everything, but it’s also wonderful to know that He wants to provide for us. He’s not only the living God but also the giving God.
 
Then we come to verse 2, which says, “This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him” (NLT). “Lord” comes from a Hebrew word that has been translated “Yahweh” or “Jehovah” in English. It’s the word God gave to His own people, the Jews, in speaking of the covenant He established with them.
 
Also in verse 2 is the term “my God,” which originates from Elohim and means “more than one.” There are not three Gods, but there are three members of the Trinity: The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
 
To put it all together, we see that the all-knowing, all-powerful God who possesses Heaven and Earth is in a special covenant with us and wants to protect us and provide for our needs. So before we even get into the promises contained in this great passage, the psalmist gives us great confidence in God.

 

 
FROM THE HEART
    
Let Us Make the Short Time We have Left,
Count for ALL of Eternity!

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 "On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand, All other ground is sinking sand."
 
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