Seals, Trumpets, and Bowls

IN TODAY'S NEWSLETTER... 
 

• Featured Article: Seals, Trumpets, and Bowls 
• Enemies of the State 
• A “Mega-Comet” That Is At Least 62 Miles Wide Has Entered Our Solar System 
• Hold Fast 
• Daily Jot: Crisis of trust
• Daily Jot: The Core Issue 

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Seals, Trumpets, and Bowls – Pete Garcia - https://www.rev310.net/post/seals-trumpets-and-bowls
 
Someone recently asked me to explain why God uses seals, trumpets, and bowls as the symbols for the earth’s final judgments. Since no one had ever asked me that before, I found it intriguing and worthy of investigation. In my brief searching through both my books and online, I discovered that hardly anyone else had bothered to discuss it either. In fact, you are overwhelmed with what these judgments are, but hardly any discuss why these particular symbols are used. I was able to find some descriptions in Clarence Larkin’s book on the book of Revelation so I will lean some on his work. So here we go.
 
Why Seals?
 
Books in ancient times came in the form of scrolls. It wasn’t until the time of Julius Caesar (circa 30BC) that books were put into different forms resembling what we come to think of as rectangular-shaped books we have today. However, this particular scroll (book) contains the Title Deed to the earth. It was the inheritance that Adam forfeited when he sinned against God. Adam had been given dominion over the earth (Gen 1:26, 28), but when he willingly disobeyed God, he forfeited that over to Satan (Gen. 3:17-19, Luke 4:5-6).
 
Thus, the sealed scroll represents the Title Deed to the earth that Adam lost, and God regained, and now in Revelation 5, will be opened by its rightful owner. This is why we see the angel ask, “Who is worthy to open the book and loose its seals?” As Revelation 5 goes on to show, only Jesus was worthy to do so. Jesus is both God and Man and accordingly, the only capable and worthy Kinsman Redeemer in all of existence (Lev. 25:23-34, Ruth 4:1-12). Regarding this worthiness, the great Clarence Larkin wonderfully points out,
 
In the Gospels four titles are given to Jesus. He is the Son of David; the Son of Abraham; the Son of Man; and the Son of God.
 
1. As the Son of David, He has title to the Throne of David.
 
2. As the Son of Abraham, He has title to the Land of Palestine, and all included in the Royal Grant to Abraham.
 
3. As the Son of Man, He has title to the Earth and the World.
 
4. As the Son of God, He is the Heir of All Things.
 
The Scroll has seven seals on it. As many have pointed out, the number seven represents completeness and perfection throughout the Bible. The Bible itself is broken into seven major divisions: the Law, the Prophets, the Psalms, the Gospels and Acts, the General Epistles, the Pauline Epistles, and the book of Revelation. The angel Gabriel gave Daniel God’s remaining prophetic timeline for the nation of Israel (Daniel 9:24-27) as 70 weeks of seven years (or 490 years). The 69th Week ended with the Crucifixion of Christ, and the 70th week is still future since nothing historically corresponds with its fulfillment.
 
In the book of Revelation alone, the number seven is used 49 times (7x7). This includes only the explicit uses of seven and not the duplicates in the same verse. These groups of seven are churches, spirits, candlesticks, stars, lamps, seals, horns, eyes, angels, trumpets, thunders, thousand men, heads, crowns, plagues, vials (or bowls), mountains, and kings.
 
Therefore, we can conclude that these seven seals, plus the seven trumpets, and the seven bowls (equaling 21 judgments, or 7 x 3) represent God’s perfect or complete series of judgments upon planet earth. What is hidden still, is what or how the Seven Thunders (Rev. 10:3-4) figure into the judgments.
 
The first four seals unleash what we commonly refer to as the Four Horsemen since these judgments come in the form of riders on different color horses. But all of the Seal Judgments seem to find a corresponding description in the Jesus’ Olivet Discourse found in the Synoptic Gospels (Matt, Mark, Luke). However, this discourse is not a strict timeline, as it seems to cover all of the overarching components of the 21 judgments.
 
Seal 1: White Horse (arrival of final world tyrant- the Antichrist)
 
 Matthew 24:4-5 (false Christs)
 
Seal 2: Red Horse (peace is taken from the earth)
 
 Matthew 24:6-7 (wars)
 
Seal 3: Black Horse (global famine and scarcity)
 
 Matthew 24:7
 
Seal 4: Pale Horse (1/4 of the earth dies)
 
 Matthew 24:7-8
 
Seal 5: The cry of the Martyrs
 
 Matthew 24:9-13
 
Seal 6: Cosmic disturbances, a great earthquake- The wrath of the Lamb recognized
 
 Matthew 24:29-30
 
Seal 7: Silence in Heaven for about half-hour (Heaven is never silent)
 
Nevertheless, the seventh of each judgment works to introduce the next series of judgments.
 
Why Trumpets?
 
Trumpets are used for many things in the Bible. They were used as a call to war, a call to worship, for the convocation of the people, and to proclaim the festivals of the Year of Jubilee and the Feast of Tabernacles, and also for Judgments (Ex. 19:16. Amos 3:6. Joshua 6:13-16. Zeph. 1:14-16). These "Seven Angels" prepared themselves to sound.
 
Whereas most of the Seal Judgments are focused on both the geopolitical terraforming and culling of the global population, the Trumpet Judgments seem to focus initially on physically terraforming the earth. This may have not just been about judgment, but also channelizing, or limiting Satan’s options as time progresses forward. Thus, the severity of the judgments is increased and diversified in not just destroying man, but nature as well.
 
There is much confusion today for many who subscribe to either the Mid-Trib or Pre-Wrath Rapture positions who liken the Seventh Trumpet Judgment as the timing of the rapture (harpazo, catching up). The problem with this is there is nothing in Rev. 11:15-19 that speaks too, or addresses the catching up of believers, a translation from mortality to immortality, or a resurrection of the dead in the corresponding passages.
 
One must conclude that if the Church (ekklesia-called out assembly) are caught up at the last trump (1 Cor. 15:52), there must also have been a corresponding first trump of equal or like nature (if we are comparing apples to apples). It would make no sense to use the first trumpet blast of Joshua’s march around Jericho as being equal to the last trumpet spoken of in 1 Thess. 4:16. This has the same inequality as comparing 1 Cor. 15:52 Rapture, with the 7th Trumpet Judgment. These are two very different things.
 
Thus, if the purpose of the Rapture of the Church is the ingathering of all believers from the first Pentecost after Christ’s ascension until today (both alive and dead), to meet the Lord in the air, then we must find a corresponding first gathering of a called-out assembly.
 
The first mention of a trumpet blast in Scripture is found in Exodus 19:16-20, when the Israelites were gathered together for the first time as a nation at the foot of Mount Sinai. The last trumpet blast, correspondingly, gathers the Church of all ages together for the first time to meet the Lord in the air.
 
Note the similarities:
 
The first trumpet-
 
Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. 17 And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18 Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly. 19 And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by voice. 20 Then the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. Exodus 19:16-20 (Emphasis mine)
 
The last trumpet-
 
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 Thess. 4:16-17
 
In both passages-
 
· A trumpet blasts
 
· The Lord descends
 
· Man goes up
 
I believe the ‘third-day reference is equally compelling, both as symbolism pointing to the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, as well as to God’s prophetic overview in dealing with the nation of Israel in Hosea 6:1-3 passage. Nevertheless, we see the judgments increasing both in scope and severity.
 
Trumpet 1: 1/3 vegetation struck and consumed by fire
 
Trumpet 2: 1/3 of the seas struck and turned to blood
 
Trumpet 3: 1/3 of freshwaters are struck and made bitter (Wormwood)
 
Trumpet 4: 1/3 of heavens struck
 
Trumpet 5: Demonic Locusts from bottomless pit torment mankind for five months
 
Trumpet 6: Angels from the Euphrates released- kill 1/3 of mankind
 
~Seven thunders proclaimed- not written down
 
Trumpet 7: Kingdoms proclaimed
 
Why Bowls (Vials)?
 
The last series of seven judgments are the full measure of God’s wrath being poured out on increasingly recalcitrant mankind. These judgments must either be of short duration, or they occur right before the very end since some are so severe mankind could not long survive. Why does God use bowls instead of say, barrels or buckets? Like the seals and the trumpets, bowls are of those most basic of human tools common throughout all of man’s epochs.
 
There has always been some form of seal to cover the contents of a parchment since there have been either leather or papyrus parchments. There has always been some form of metal horn (Gen. 4:21-22) used to announce and to make music. Similarly, the bowl or vial is one of those most basic of human tools common to every age, culture, and nation. This is also why God doesn’t use an iPad, an electric keyboard, and a blender for these symbols, as they would have only made sense in this last generation. Everyone can picture a bowl overflowing, and here, we get a glimpse of God’s wrath overflowing from these bowls to pour out upon the earth.
 
Bowl 1: Loathsome soars on those who bear the mark of the beast
 
Bowl 2: The rest of the seas turns to blood
 
Bowl 3: All freshwater sources turn to blood
 
Bowl 4: Men are scorched by the sun and its heat
 
Bowl 5: Painful darkness descends upon the Beast’s kingdom
 
Bowl 6: The Euphrates River dries up, opening the way for the kings of the east to join in on Armageddon
 
Bowl 7: The greatest earthquake in history utterly shakes the earth and drastically alters earth’s geography; Jerusalem is divided into three parts; every island disappears into the seas of blood; 100lb hailstones pummel the earth
 
That is the basic overview of why God uses the seal, trumpet, and bowl to convey His great displeasure and wrath with the wickedness of a fallen creation. Glory be to God that we (the Church) will not be here to experience it. Jesus stated, the final seven years will be the worst period of time in all of human history and if He didn’t personally intervene, there would be no flesh left to save.
 
Even so, Maranatha!

 


 
Enemies of the State - by Pete Hoekstra - https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/17586/enemies-of-the-state
 
The Biden Administration, Big Tech, and other organizations will go to almost any extreme, including propaganda, to promote their priorities. Their efforts on COVID vaccines may be a trial run for what we may see for the next three years on a range of issues. With vaccines, we have already seen social media censor those who have raised legitimate concerns or objections to various COVID vaccines.
 
"Now we need to go to community by community, neighborhood by neighborhood, and oftentimes, door to door — literally knocking on doors — to get help to the remaining people protected from the virus," President Biden said.
 
"Trusted" local leaders could be going door-to-door to discuss getting vaccinated. The administration also may enlist Big Tech companies to manage our views countless issues, by controlling our access to information.
 
Make no mistake about it, this is a huge propaganda effort, and it is troubling. A campaign that "suppresses the conversation; the man opposite is no longer an interlocutor but an enemy," French philosopher Jacques Ellul wrote in his book Propaganda: The Formation of Men's Attitudes. Taken together, the administration's efforts paint a picture of an emerging, out-of-control police state. Those of us who disagree with the administration are no longer citizens, it seems we have become enemies of the state.
 
How America is changing. In my 18 years as a Congressman, I frequently met with constituents who voiced opinions on policies. Our views differed many times, but even then, we were able to discuss our differences in a constructive and civil manner. Contrast that with how the current administration treats those who disagree with them on their key priorities, including COVID vaccines.
 
Skeptics have been vilified, which the administration apparently now believes necessitates and justifies retaliatory action. Just in the last few days, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the administration was working with Big Tech on correcting "misinformation." This is censorship. They are doing this with increasing frequency, banning President Trump, originally banning discussion of the origins of the COVID virus (reversing their wrong decision a year later), and shadow banning conservative writers and groups. They are setting themselves up as the arbiters of truth. Americans used to be in the position where they could decide for themselves.
 
The Biden Administration, however, appears ready to go further. They will enlist "trusted messengers who are part of the community" to go "door-to-door," Dr. Anthony Fauci said. Do not come to my door! Americans do not want so-called community messengers -- picked by who knows who -- knocking on our doors asking personal questions about health or much else.
 
I have knocked on plenty of doors during my political career and experienced quite personally how strongly people feel about the sanctity of their home. Mr. President, this is a really bad idea that should be cancelled.
 
As Charlie Kirk's group, Turning Point USA, recently said in an email blast to its supporters:
 
"Throughout history, dictators have sent government agents to intimidate members of the public in their own homes ... forcing them to comply with the edicts of the government. The result of these brutal tactics has always been less freedom and forced compliance...."
 
So, this administration no longer trusts its citizens' personal judgment, and wants to come into your homes to "change your mind." While these first two steps are rather open and obvious, the third part of their strategy might be the scariest. They could begin employing breakthrough social media technology developed on the battlefield against anyone who disagrees with their "official" policies, label those people "extremists," then use this technology against their newly designated internal enemies.
 
In the ongoing war against ISIS and al-Qaeda, technology wizards have developed technology to identify potential terrorists (the enemy) through engagement on the internet. These wizards then manage potential terrorist's social media interactions, attempting to control and direct the content terrorists receive to dissuade them from radicalizing -- an admirable and laudable goal we need in order to defeat real enemies and terrorists.
 
My fear is that President Biden or others may use these same strategies against individuals who are opposed to administration policies. When individuals engage with social media, the federal government, in coordination with Big Tech, will have planned responses that will move them to sites designed to give them the "right" answer.
 
Sound far-fetched? Moonshot CVE, a company backed by Google that works with the Pentagon, says it uses "targeted advertising to connect people searching the internet for violent extremist content with constructive alternative messages." It goes on to say it has deployed its methodology in partnership with tech companies, governments and grassroots organization to challenge ISIS and Al Qaeda and violent far-right narratives. Just interchange conservative, anti-vaccine activist, or even libertarian where you see ISIS or extremists and you begin to understand the challenge we face.
 
Rather than the federal government using its massive power to facilitate our access to knowledge and information, thus enhancing our individual freedom and decision-making, the Biden administration appears to be seeking to become a behemoth propaganda machine targeting its perceived enemies.
 
This is the stuff of civil liberties nightmares. And it is not just big-name conservatives the Biden administration might be going after; they might be coming for you.
 

 


 
A “Mega-Comet” That Is At Least 62 Miles Wide Has Entered Our Solar System - by Michael Snyder - http://endoftheamericandream.com/a-mega-comet-that-is-at-least-62-miles-wide-has-entered-our-solar-system/
 
Did you know that an absolutely gigantic comet that is at least 62 miles wide is cruising through our solar system right now? Comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein is already closer to the sun than Neptune, but scientists are assuring us that it is absolutely no threat to our planet. If that is true, that is great news, because it appears that this is the biggest comet ever discovered. It is being projected that it will make its closest approach to the sun in January 2031, and after that it is expected to head on a path that will eventually take it out of our solar system. Let us hope that all of this information is accurate, but could there be a possibility that the scientists that have studied this giant space rock are wrong?
 
I think that there are at least a couple of reasons for skepticism. First of all, at this moment Comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein is incredibly difficult to see. Two astronomers recently discovered it by “studying old images from 2014 to 2018”…
 
Don’t worry, but a huge comet is headed toward our sun. Scientists found it while studying old images from 2014 to 2018 taken for the Dark Energy Survey. Two University of Pennsylvania astronomers, Pedro Bernardinelli and Gary Bernstein, spotted the object heading inward from the Oort Cloud, possibly from as far as half a light-year away. Many have been calling it a mega comet.
 
The object was originally designed 2014 UN271. It’s now been officially named Comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein, for its discoverers.
 
Secondly, nobody can seem to accurately tell us exactly how big it is. At this point, we are being told that it is “between 62 to 230 miles (100 to 370 km) in diameter”…
 
It’s thought to be the largest comet yet discovered, possibly as big as a dwarf planet. It’s still far away and hard to see, but the current estimate suggests its nucleus, or core, is between 62 to 230 miles (100 to 370 km) in diameter. Whoa! That’s big for a comet.
 
That is a huge range.
 
Most media outlets are using the measurement on the low end of the range, but the truth is that we are being told that it could be almost four times larger.
 
If there is such uncertainty about the size of the object, how in the world can they have so much certainty about the orbit?
 
Somebody needs to be asking that question.
 
For purposes of this article, let’s assume that the 62 mile estimate for the diameter of the comet is accurate. That would make it about 1,000 times larger than a normal comet, and it would also make it the largest comet ever discovered.
 
Accuweather tried to put this comet in perspective by comparing it to other very large objects…
 
To put the size in context, Halley’s Comet is about 3.5 miles wide, Long Island is 118 miles long and part of the Florida peninsula is 160 miles across.
 
Can you imagine the devastation that would be caused if such an object actually hit the Earth?
 
Needless to say, it would be a disaster unlike anything in the recorded history of our planet…
 
A bad day would be an understatement if a space rocket of this size was on a collision course with Earth and slammed into the land.
 
The asteroid that is thought to have been a factor in the extinction of the dinosaurs was estimated to be about seven miles wide when it hit Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, creating a crater that was 125 miles wide, according to EarthSky.
 
So hopefully what the scientists are telling us is accurate and that there is no chance that it will hit us.
 
For now, it is located approximately 1.8 billion miles from the sun, and that means that it is much closer to us than the planet Neptune is…
 
The comet’s active status is a wild result, given its current location some 1.8 billion miles from the Sun. At approximately 20 AU from the Sun (in which 1 AU equals the average distance of Earth to the Sun), the object is currently closer than Neptune (30 AU) but still more than twice as far as Saturn (9.5 AU).
 
And if the scientists are correct, this comet will come closest to the sun in January 2031 and after that it will “head back to the Oort cloud”…
 
It will take another 10 years for Comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein to make its closest approach, at which time it will be 10.95 AU from the Sun. After reaching its perihelion point, the comet will head back to the Oort cloud, in a journey that could take hundreds of thousands and possibly even millions of years.
 
Let’s just hope that they have not “miscalculated” somewhere along the way.
 
As I noted earlier, they can barely see this object right now and they can’t even give us a truly accurate estimate of how big it is.
 
In addition, the truth is that they don’t even know for sure that it is actually a comet. They think that it is, but there was also some speculation that it might just be a really huge asteroid.
 
And those that have read my latest book already know that really huge asteroids are of particular interest to me personally.
 
Astronomers like to put on such a confident front, but the reality of the matter is that our ability to see giant space rocks is still very limited.
 
Sometimes we only see a giant space rock that is heading our way a few days before it arrives, and sometimes we never even see them until they have whizzed past our planet.
 
I am not going to lose any sleep over Comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein, but I will certainly keep my eyes open for more news about it.
 
And actually the truth is that we could be hit by a different giant space rock long before 2031 ever rolls around. On average, the Earth is hit by 17 space rocks a day, and of course the vast majority of them are way too small to be of any concern.
 
But eventually a really large one is going to come along, and when that happens nothing will ever be the same again.

 


 
Hold Fast - Nathele Graham - [email protected]
 
We are in a time of great turmoil. Everywhere we look, there are wars and plagues. It’s always been somewhat of a joke about crooked politicians, but it’s not a joke any more. It’s impossible to know truth by listening to the news media. It’s important to study all sides of a news item to decide for yourself what’s the truth. Even the foundations of our faith are being attacked, as we are forced to accept sin and lies as “normal”. The only way to know truth is to study Scripture. Unfortunately, a very different Gospel is being preached from the pulpits today. Pastors are more afraid of offending liberal politicians than offending God. Jesus spoke to His disciples about following the Master. If we follow Christ then we need to respect Him. If we say we are Christians but bow to other masters, then we need to rethink our faith. “It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household...What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops. And fear not them which kill the body, but ae not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:25 & 27-28. If you respect and fear any master other than Jesus, then you have misplaced your loyalty.
 
There are many messages of deception found in the liberal news today, and from liberal pulpits. Deception was the first warning Jesus gave to His disciples when they asked for signs to look for signaling the end of the age. “And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.” Matthew 24:4. We are living at this final time of history and if we don’t hold fast to our faith in God Almighty, we will be deceived by Satan instead of standing firm on God’s truth. We live in a time when fear is strong. We need to be sure we run all things through Scripture. Jesus told us these things would come to pass, so why do we fear Satanic devices, rather than holding fast to our faith and Biblical truth?
 
There are many Scriptures that tell us to hold fast, and we need to pay attention. Paul wrote to the young pastor, Timothy, telling him that he needed to be true to the Lord, Jesus Christ. “Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, but is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel: whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.” 2 Timothy 1:8-11. Young pastors and older ones take heed. If you are tempted to water down God’s word in order to appease liberal lies, or to protect your tax-exempt status, then you are doing a huge disservice to the One you call Lord. Preach the Gospel as it is taught in Scripture. Teach line upon line through the Bible in order to not miss any important teachings of God. “Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 1:13. Paul, who once persecuted Christians, renounced his evil ways and became the strongest evangelist we’ve ever known. His letters are a guide to living for Christ. He never compromised his faith, but spread the Gospel by speaking God’s truth. He held fast to the end.
 
If we hold fast to the truth of God, we won’t open ourselves to the wiles of the devil. If we don’t study Scripture, we can easily be deceived. “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” 1 Thessalonians 5:21. How do we “prove all things”? By prayerfully testing it by God’s word. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17. If man’s laws contradict God’s truth, then hold fast to God’s truth. If you use Scripture as your guide, you know that “In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth.” Genesis 1:1, and you won’t allow the lie of evolution to confuse you and draw you away from God’s truth. By holding fast to God’s truth, you will understand that there’s no “gender choice”, only male and female and you are one or the other and no amount of lying, hormone tampering, or surgery will make you what you aren’t. “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” Genesis 1:27. You may be confused, but God isn’t. You’re special because you’ve been created in the image of God. Prove all things by Scripture, and hold fast to God’s truth.
 
We are living in the end times. How do I know that? Scripture gives many prophecies that make it obvious that time as we know it is coming to an end. There are many things that make this life worthwhile, but I long for the Rapture. It will happen soon. Will it happen this year? Many Bible scholars think it may, but others believe it will happen a few years from now. Whether this year, next year, or a hundred years from now, don’t waiver in your faith but trust in Jesus. Jesus Christ was God incarnate and loves you enough to have given His life for you. If you profess to be a Christian, hold fast to God’s truth and don’t allow Satan’s deception to confuse you into compromising your faith. “Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.” Revelation 3:3. This verse comes from a letter to the believers in Sardis. Jesus had dictated it to the Apostle John. It’s one of seven letters that summarize the history of the ecclesia (the congregation of believers throughout history). This was in the letter to Sardis, and it contained warnings because they were slipping away from Truth. They weren’t paying attention to prophecy and were living life apart from God. “Be watchful and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.” Revelation 3:2. Not all the people in that congregation had turned from God’s truth, and we need to heed Christ’s warning to them. They were compromising their faith, and God wasn’t pleased. There’s more than a bit of Sardis in the world today, which is shameful.
 
The Jewish priesthood was just a foreshadowing of the eternal priesthood of Jesus Christ. It was the priests who made the sacrifices according to God’s Law. There were qualifications for the priesthood regarding age and Tribal restrictions, but Jesus Christ fulfilled the Law and He is our eternal High Priest, after the order of Melchizedek, who was a priest long before the Law was given and is without restriction. “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.” Hebrews 4:14. Jesus is the Creator of everything, yet He is aware of you. He loved you enough to enter His creation, knowing full well that He would be rejected, beaten, and mocked. He knew He would be crucified, but He gave His life so that whosoever believes in Him will have eternal life through His righteousness. Do you believe? “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.” Romans 10:9. If you’ve made that profession of faith, then you need to understand what it means. Your life should change. The old lifestyle of sin needs to change as you hold fast to your new life in Christ. “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” Ephesians 4:22-24. In this verse, the word “conversation” doesn’t just mean the way you talk, but it means the way you live. Paul is saying to live for Christ, not for sin. Before confessing Christ for salvation, the world approved of you raging in anger, gossiping, following sexual promiscuity, and many other sinful actions. Your new life in Christ should reflect forgiveness instead of anger, not talking about people, and understanding that God made people male and female, and a one man/one woman marriage is the only place for sexual relations. “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)” Hebrews 10:23. Jesus paid a huge price to redeem you, you’ve confessed Him as your Saviour and expect Him to give you eternal life, now hold fast to Scriptural truth, and live for Him.
 
It can be easy to slip away from Scriptural living when we make friendships outside of the Christian faith. We have to be around lost people in order to witness to them and share the Gospel, but we need to assemble with Christian friends in order to keep each other grounded in Scripture. “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Hebrews 10:24-25. See what day approach? The Rapture. The signs of the times are screaming that Christ will call us Home soon, but many Christians don’t care. Our children are sent to public schools, where a witch’s brew of lies is fed to them daily, and the Scriptural foundation of Biblical truth is broken. Most Moms and Dads are busy building their fortune with worldly treasures, and those treasures don’t include assembling together with fellow Christians, or caring about their children’s salvation. It’s the world and its allure that matters to most people. It isn’t too late to turn away from the world and turn back to Christ. It isn’t too late to hold fast to Scriptural truth. This world and all that’s in it will soon pass away, but Christians need to hold fast to eternal things that will never pass away.
 
Don’t turn away from Christ. Look to Scripture and see that the signs of the times are here. Understand that events of the Great Tribulation are falling into place today. Unless you hold fast to Jesus and His truth, you will fall for the lies of Satan. Don’t let any man deceive you, but hold fast to God’s truth.
 
God bless you all,
Nathele Graham
[email protected]
[email protected]
                        
All original scripture is “theopneustos” God breathed.
 
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Daily Jot: Crisis of trust - Bill Wilson – www.dailyjot.com
 
Against the backdrop of Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) threatening to prefer a criminal investigation against COVID czar Dr. Anthony Fauci for lying to Congress, there are many questions remaining about COVID 19, the vaccine, and what is safe. The landscape is complicated daily with all the information that comes out—most of it conflicting. For example, last week it was reported by the Centers for Disease Control that COVID vaccine deaths outpaced COVID deaths. Now CDC is saying that the COVID 19 vaccine deaths of 12,313, up from 6,079 was in error. A CDC spokeswoman told The Epoch Times, “So someone doing an update misrepresented that or made a mistake, in other words.” This is no small thing.
 
The Epoch Times quoted the CDC spokeswoman saying, “It is double what it was yesterday and so it definitely is incorrect. We checked our stats internally and it’s only 6,000. So someone doing an update misrepresented that or made a mistake, in other words…We caught it this morning ourselves and noticed that it had doubled suddenly.” The spokeswoman was unable to say when the error would be fixed. “It’s being worked out,” she said.” If the CDC can’t get its vaccine statistics correct, especially in an environment where people are so edgy about everything COVID, who can be trusted to provide correct and reliable information?
 
This has been exacerbated by Fauci and the CDC. Everybody should wear masks. Masks are not effective in preventing COVID infections. The vaccine is safe. There are deaths from the vaccine and terrible side effects. The virus jumped from bats to humans. The virus was created in a Chinese lab. The virus somehow was transmitted from the Chinese lab accidentally. The virus is not weaponized. The virus is weaponized. The US funded Chinese research on the virus, but not its weaponization. The US funded weaponization (gain of function). So-called “Scientific” studies after studies are released almost daily conflicting one another. Politicians are now considering mask mandates and more lockdowns.
 
Here you have the lead doctor, Fauci, giving conflicting reports and being accused of criminal activities by a leading senator who is also a doctor. The preeminent authority on containing disease in the US cannot get its statistics correct and nonchalantly says “it’s being worked out.” Meanwhile, half of Americans are scared nearly to death over this flu and the other half doesn’t believe it’s as serious as authorities say. To top it all off, the government, media, and big business are strong-arming everyone to submit to an experimental vaccine with obvious side effects that can lead to death. This is a terrible mess. Who do you trust? Psalm 20:7 says, “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the LORD our God.” Trust in Christ. Pray. Be silent. Discern. Hear that still small voice. Find peace. Act.
 

 


 
Daily Jot: The Core Issue - by Greg Laurie – www.harvest.org
 
‘Sir,’ the woman said, ‘you must be a prophet. So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshiped?’ —John 4:19–20
 
https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/the-core-issue/ Listen
 
Sometimes when we share our faith, people want us to go off on a tangent. When we start talking to them about their need for God, they’ll come back with questions like, “Well, if God is good, why does He allow suffering? And what about a person who has never heard the gospel? What will God do with them?”
 
While you’re answering one question, they’re moving on to another. It’s a diversionary tactic.
 
That’s what happened as Jesus spoke with the Samaritan woman by the well. She was getting uncomfortable, so she tried to get Him off the subject. She said, “So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshiped?” (John 4:20 NLT).
 
The Jews and the Samaritans had an ongoing debate about where they were to worship God. The Jews, of course, believed they should worship God in the temple that He had established in Jerusalem.
 
Meanwhile, the Samaritans had their own temple and their own views.
 
Jesus could have easily gone down this road, because it was a heated debate. But He answered it very succinctly, pointing out what was right. Then He brought it back to the big issue: “For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth” (verse 24 NLT).
 
He brought this woman back to what really mattered, what was really essential. Her initial cynicism gave way to curiosity, and ultimately, she believed on the spot.
 
In the same way, when we’re sharing the gospel, we should try to answer questions to the best of our ability. But then we need to bring it back to the core issue: their need for Jesus Christ.

 


 


 
FROM THE HEART
    
Let Us Make the Short Time We have Left,
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