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Today’s Assault On Bible Prophecy Takes Aim At Jesus’ Future Glory - By Jonathan Brentner - https://harbingersdaily.com/todays-assault-on-bible-prophecy-tarnishes-jesus-future-glory/ Bible prophecy is under siege today; it’s become the target of much abuse from both fellow believers and those outside of Christ. Jan Markell’s article on Harbinger’s Dailly, We Are Under Siege Like Never Before, aptly sums up the increasing intensity of attacks on our belief in the pre-Tribulation Rapture, which often overflow to those of us who cherish this hope. Over the past few years, I have noticed an underlying current in teachings that deny what the Bible says about the Rapture, the seven-year Tribulation, and Jesus’ thousand-year reign. They greatly diminish the magnificence of Jesus’ role in end time events. I believe that today’s assault on Bible prophecy tarnishes Jesus’ future glory by: Focusing Our Hope on An End of Days Event Rather Than Jesus Pastors who say there’s no such thing as the Rapture of the church or thousand-year reign of Jesus dishonor Him by shifting the hope of the saints away from Jesus to an event that’s remarkably sterile compared with how Scripture describes Christ’s return to earth. Most often than not, it’s a perfunctory wrap up of history just before the eternal state that may or may not include the Second Coming. The 1833 New Hampshire Confession of Faith perfectly sums up this no Rapture view of future things. Yes, it includes Jesus’ Second Coming, but His return becomes anticlimactic against the backdrop a far distant occurrence during which time God simultaneously raises both saints and sinners after which He separates and judges them. Many in this amillennial camp say Jesus returned to earth in AD 70 and tell us that the culmination of our Gospel hope occurs either with the inauguration of the eternal state or the appearance of the New Jerusalem. Such teaching, which often includes sermons stating that all believers will die someday, contradicts Paul’s emphasis on Jesus’ appearing as central to the Gospel. In 1 Corinthians 15:1-19, the apostle connects our future resurrection with that of Jesus making them both essential to the Gospel message he sums up in verses 3-11. These two themes run together for the rest of the chapter culminating with our receipt of immortal resurrected bodies when Jesus appears (vv. 47-55). Our future receipt of immortal bodies is the hope of the Gospel proclaimed in the New Testament. Yes, the Rapture is an event, but it focuses our hope squarely upon Jesus alone and exalts Him as our Savior. Our focus thus becomes that of eagerly awaiting “a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to by like his glorious body . . .” (Philippians 3:20-21). Biblically sound teaching makes Jesus and His appearing the focal point of our hope of glory. Making The Church Our Hope Rather Than Jesus In several of my conversations with those that make the church the recipient of God’s kingdom promises in the place of Israel, I have often heard words exalting the church rather than the Lord Jesus. At first, I did not attribute any particular significance to these statements, but now I see them as symptomatic of an undue exaltation of the church. Those that say the church is now God’s kingdom in fulfillment of prophetic passages such as Psalm 2 or Revelation 20:1-10 make a remarkably similar error as do those that say the church alone will rule over the world before Jesus’ returns to it. They diminish Jesus’ importance in the culmination of human history and thus shift the focus away from Him to the church. The Bible says that when Jesus rules over planet earth, things such as wars, ethnic strife, extreme wickedness, deception, lawlessness, and widespread corruption will not exist. The prevalence of these things in our day signifies that Jesus’ reign over the nations, including a restored Israel, awaits a future day. Is it not demeaning to Jesus to say that He now fulfills the words of Psalm 2 when these things characterize our world? Yes, absolutely! Only Jesus can initiate this future time of righteousness and peace on planet earth. This is not our current experience nor is it something a woefully divided and worldly church could ever accomplish in the future. Those that make the church the replacement kingdom for Israel, either now or in the future, exchange the glorious wonders of how the Bible describes this coming realm for the decay we now experience today in our world. Elevating Human Wisdom Over the Words Jesus Inspired This leads me to a third reason why I say that the current siege of Bible prophecy tarnishes Jesus’ glory. Those that say the church is now God’s kingdom, or an outpost of it, contradict the words that Paul wrote to the Corinthians. There he identifies “the kingdom of God” as our future inheritance rather than our current possession (1 Corinthians 15:50). Yes, of course, God transfers us to His spiritual domain at the moment of our redemption (Colossians 1:13-14). However, the Bible tells us that we are also heirs to a yet future and physical manifestation of it (compare Ephesians 1:11-14 with 1 Corinthians 15:50). James 2:5 confirms that as believers, we are heirs to a kingdom: “Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?” The Apostle Paul wrote that we are “joint-heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17). The New Testament never identifies the church as God’s kingdom, nor does it say that we are “co-possessors” of Jesus’ realm at this present time. Words matter! The words of 1 Corinthians 15:50 provide additional insight regarding our inheritance of the kingdom: “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.” In this verse, Paul says it’s impossible for us to receive our inheritance of the “kingdom of God” in our current state. The apostle’s words negate all teachings that claim the church is God’s kingdom either in its current or future state. Such things cannot happen while we exist in “flesh and blood” bodies. The good news is that Jesus will make us fit for His kingdom when he appears, raises the dead “in Christ” with “imperishable bodies,” and also gives those of us who are alive at the time immortality (1 Corinthians 15:51-55; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; Philippians 3:20-21). The Rapture is most definitely not a tertiary matter, but one of utmost biblical importance because it’s when Jesus will make us fit for ruling with Him in the glorious kingdom that’s coming. After responding to His disciples’ questions about the end of the age and His return Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away” (Matthew 24:35). Those that disparage Bible prophecy should take careful note that after teaching His disciples about the signs of the end times, the antichrist’s future defilement of a Jewish temple, His spectacular return to earth after the Tribulation period, and the “fig tree” as an illustration of Israel’s rebirth, Jesus asserted the absolute permanence of His “words.” My chief complaint with teachings that either claim there is no such thing as a Rapture and assert that the church is now God’s kingdom rather than Israel is this: Either willfully or perhaps unwittingly, those that teach such things tarnish the glorious name of our Lord by pushing our expectation of meeting Jesus in the air to a spectacularly dull wrap-up of human history that disregards all that the book of Revelation teaches until the last couple chapters (although some claim that its words have reach fulfillment). The words of Bible prophecy, taken at face value, exalt the Lord Jesus as they focus our hope solely on Him (not the church), and affirm the spectacular nature of His Second Coming and wonders of His future kingdom, which will exceed our most fanciful thoughts of what it might be. In Hereafter, It’s Far Better Than You Can Imagine, Terry James and I describe the future glory that awaits us as believers beginning with Jesus’ appearing to take us home. From beginning to end, we emphasize the jubilant joy that awaits us in Heaven. The way in which the Bible exalts Jesus in its portrayal of future events radically differs from what’s taught in many churches. In addition, the silence regarding Heaven deprives believers from anticipating the wonders that lie ahead for us, which are truly far better than we can imagine in our most fanciful thoughts. What Happened the Last Time Two Eclipses Formed a Giant “X” Over the New Madrid Fault Zone? - by Michael Snyder - https://endoftheamericandream.com/what-happened-the-last-time-two-eclipses-formed-a-giant-x-over-the-new-madrid-fault-zone/ Could it be possible that history is about to repeat itself? On April 8th, the Great American Eclipse of 2024 will complete the giant “X” over America that the Great American Eclipse of 2017 started. Meanwhile, the Devil Comet will be racing through our solar system for the first time in 71 years. Most of you already know all this. But what is not widely known is that we have seen this same pattern before. In 1811, a solar eclipse finished the giant “X” over the heartland of America that a solar eclipse in 1806 had started, and meanwhile Tecumseh’s Comet was making headlines all over the nation as it raced through the heavens. Approximately three months after the giant “X” over America was completed, cataclysmic earthquakes began erupting along the New Madrid fault. A lot of you are not familiar with this, and so let me take it one step at a time. A remarkable total solar eclipse crossed the entire continental United States from the west coast to the east coast on June 16th, 1806… On June 16, 1806, a total solar eclipse crossed the North America from Baja California to Massachusetts. This was a long duration eclipse with nearly 5 minutes totality at the point of greatest eclipse. While the western United States was sparsely populated, this eclipse did pass over Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. That was the first half of the giant “X” over America in the early 1800s. The second half was formed by the path of a “ring of fire” solar eclipse that took place on September 17th, 1811. This eclipse was so widely anticipated that even Thomas Jefferson wrote about it… But in 1811, when the solar eclipse that occurred on Constitution Day was visible in central Virginia, that is exactly what Thomas Jefferson did. On September 17, he diligently recorded his observations in his weather journal. He noted the times when the moon first “contacted” the sun, when the annulus (ring shape) formed, when the annulus broke, and when the contact ended. He also indicated the central time of the contact and the central time of the annulus. According to Jefferson’s observations, the entire event lasted 3 hours, 15 minutes, and 34 seconds. The paths of those two eclipses intersected in the vicinity of Cleveland, Ohio… The 1806 and 1811 eclipses cross in Cleveland, which was founded in 1796. It is not a Hepton Cross, and one of the eclipses is annular, but it’s still probably the most pronounced US cross until our current ones. Approximately three months after the eclipse of 1811 completed the giant “X” over America, the New Madrid fault zone started to go absolutely nuts. To this day, we have never seen earthquakes of such destructive power in the continental United States… The New Madrid earthquakes were the biggest earthquakes in American history. They occurred in the central Mississippi Valley, but were felt as far away as New York City, Boston, Montreal, and Washington D.C. President James Madison and his wife Dolly felt them in the White House. Church bells rang in Boston. From December 16, 1811 through March of 1812 there were over 2,000 earthquakes in the central Midwest, and between 6,000-10,000 earthquakes in the Bootheel of Missouri where New Madrid is located near the junction of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. In the known history of the world, no other earthquakes have lasted so long or produced so much evidence of damage as the New Madrid earthquakes. Three of the earthquakes are on the list of America’s top earthquakes: the first one on December 16, 1811, a magnitude of 8.1 on the Richter scale; the second on January 23, 1812, at 7.8; and the third on February 7, 1812, at as much as 8.8 magnitude. According to the USGS, at one point the geography of the region became so distorted by seismic activity that the Mississippi River actually began to flow backwards temporarily… In the winter of 1811 and 1812, the New Madrid seismic zone generated a sequence of earthquakes that lasted for several months and included three very large earthquakes estimated to be between magnitude 7 and 8. The three largest 1811-1812 earthquakes destroyed several settlements along the Mississippi River, caused minor structural damage as far away as Cincinnati, Ohio, and St. Louis, Missouri, and were felt as far away as Hartford, Connecticut, Charleston, South Carolina, and New Orleans, Louisiana. In the New Madrid region, the earthquakes dramatically affected the landscape. They caused bank failures along the Mississippi River, landslides along Chickasaw Bluffs in Kentucky and Tennessee, and uplift and subsidence of large tracts of land in the Mississippi River floodplain. One such uplift related to faulting near New Madrid, Missouri, temporarily forced the Mississippi River to flow backwards. In addition, the earthquakes liquefied subsurface sediment over a large area and at great distances resulting in ground fissuring and violent venting of water and sediment. One account of this phenomena stated that the Pemiscot Bayou “blew up for a distance of nearly fifty miles.” These earthquakes opened up enormous fissures in the ground. Some of them were up to five miles long, and most of the crevices “ran from north to south”. I think that is a very interesting detail. Just before the earthquakes started, Tecumseh’s Comet made a spectacular appearance… The earthquakes were preceded by the appearance of a great comet, which was visible around the globe for seventeen months, and was at its brightest during the earthquakes. The comet, with an orbit of 3,065 years, was last seen during the time of Ramses II in Egypt. In 1811-1812, it was called “Tecumseh’s Comet” (or “Napoleon’s Comet” in Europe). Here in 2024, the “Devil Comet” has made a spectacular appearance just before the Great American Eclipse of 2024 finishes the giant “X” over America that the Great American Eclipse of 2017 started. Interestingly, CBS News is reporting that large numbers of Americans will be flocking to an area in southern Illinois where the paths of the Great American Eclipse of 2024 and the Great American Eclipse of 2017 intersect… While many are likely to head as far south as possible, some of the biggest cities in the Midwest are likely to fuel day-of migration to spots in Missouri and Illinois, many of them likely seeing a total eclipse for the second time in a decade. A small zone centered around Carbondale, Illinois, was along the path of totality in 2017, and will be once again this month. For a lot of these people, the Great American Eclipse of 2024 will be a wonderful opportunity to party. As the most ominous sign in the entire history of our country passes over our heads, they will be celebrating. But the last time we saw a giant “X” over the heartland of America, it certainly wasn’t anything to celebrate. Scientists tell us that it is just a matter of time before cataclysmic earthquakes erupt along the New Madrid fault zone once again, and when that time arrives the death and destruction that we will witness will be off the charts. DOWNLOAD THE PROPHECY UPDATE APP Prophecy Update Videos Must Watch Videos! Videos You Can Trust
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Your Support is Important to this Ministry - We Could Not Do This Without Your Support! Let Us Make the Short Time We have Left, Count for ALL of Eternity! Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift! II Corinthians 9:15 Worthy of Your Support? It has been said, one of the most reliable ways to determine if a ministry is worthy of your financial support is to examine its fruits. If Prophecy Update is keeping you informed and if that information inspires you and causes you to draw closer to the Lord, if Prophecy Update equips you with valuable information and knowledge to share with and encourage other believers and open the eyes of non-believers and if Prophecy Update keeps you connected to current events relating to Bible Prophecy then you are partaking of the fruit produced through this ministry. None of this would be possible without the Lords blessings and your support. I believe where the Lord guides, the Lord provides and most of the time He provides through the willing and generous hearts of believers just like you and me. I genuinely believe that Prophecy Update and many other like-minded ministries, are needed now more than ever! The world is getting darker daily, almost hourly, but never has the light of the Word of God shone so brightly. Never in our history has there been such a thirst for Truth and a need for a Savior! The Prophecy Update website, newsletter, and Video Channels are all dedicated to providing the truth, encouraging and informing believers, and prayerfully opening the eyes and hearts of non-believers with the Gospel, but none of it would be possible without your prayers and support. DONATE HERE Your can also mail your support to: Prophecy Update PO Box 40516 Bakersfield, CA 93384 Missing Jesus Again - Steve Schmutzer - https://www.rev310.net/post/missing-jesus-again It seemed like forever since God had spoken to His people. Four hundred years had passed since the last Scripture had been written, and the spiritual leaders had gotten way off course. Very few of them showed they were worthy of their office. The religious system they oversaw had become a whitewashed crypt. It looked impressive, but it was hollow and dead. It was mostly a charade to boost their personal sense of importance. They were obsessed with their status, and they loved to be recognized for it. Most of the public was fooled by the whole sham. These religious leaders had a long leash to practice their act, and they took full advantage of it. They prayed in public to be heard by others. They talked about God without really loving Him, and they paraded their image for all to see. They esteemed certain parts of Scripture, and they generally ignored the rest. They ran the temple system as they wanted to keep the monies flowing. The spiritual health of many suffered because of the hypocrisy at the top. To reinforce the status quo, these religious leaders wove various traditions and rules into the practices which Scripture had made plain. Eventually, these leaders came to regard their own rituals of ‘religious conduct’ to be every bit as important as God’s laws. Anyone who challenged this was harshly criticized. Their control over the people was often politically motivated. This showed in the way some of the religious leaders mirrored the attitudes and conduct of the culture around them. They diluted all vestiges of God-centered governance because they secretly supported the ruling class. They preferred to compromise with the political establishment rather than lose their power. Four hundred years was a long stretch. Although things were changing in a very big way, the religious leaders clung to their blindness and behavior, and they missed the signs. Callous to the times and seasons around them, they ignored the things they should have paid attention to. It was dynamics like these that defined the conditions of Jesus Christ’s First Coming. Had these religious leaders given proper respect to the prophetic Scriptures, they would have known where and how Jesus Christ would be born, where His ministry would be centered, what He would do – and most importantly - who He would be and why He had come. Had they cared enough about the truth, they would have changed who they were and how they were acting. But their pride suppressed a righteous response. The religious leaders were not looking for a suffering servant - someone humble, sorrowful, and acquainted with grief. They were not looking for a spiritual Savior, a light to the Gentiles, a shepherd, one born of a virgin, or even a gentle donkey rider. It’s hard to fathom, but the religious leaders chose to diminish hundreds of prophecies in the Old Testament that detailed every nuance of Jesus’ life and death. It all happened exactly as it had been prophesied to, but these learned men opposed and scorned every detail instead. They should have known who Jesus was, but they weren’t really interested. This wasn’t the Jesus they wanted. Many of the religious leaders would have rather had a Messiah who would immediately reign. They wanted someone who would deliver on all the promises given to Israel, who would lead a military revolt against their oppressors, and who would establish an earthly kingdom. They wanted a mighty ruler - a warrior king. But that’s not the way God planned things, and a big part of these religious leaders’ problem was they were stuck in a rear-view perspective. They held the five books of Moses in much higher regard than the prophetic Scriptures. They were focused on looking backwards in time, not forwards. They treasured the past and they ignored the future. Because they emphasized those parts of Scripture which they were most comfortable with – the parts they perceived as giving latitude to the things they wanted to say, believe, do, and be - they didn’t see the dangers of their choices. They refused to acknowledge their desperate spiritual condition when this was pointed out to them. They were willfully deceived. Their religious culture was much more important to them than a right relationship with Jesus Christ, and so they eagerly donned their blinders. Their senses had become dull to what was taking place because their hearts were callous to truth. The Bible shows that most of these religious leaders didn’t recognize the signs, the times, and the seasons. Instead, they protected a system that was out of touch with the full counsel of scripture, out of touch with their Messiah, and out of touch with their own need to repent and get right with God. They pushed back on seeing Jesus Christ properly. They weren’t watching for His coming, and so they missed Him. Fast forward to now. It seems like forever since Jesus Christ first came, was crucified for the sins of the world, and rose again. It’s been about two thousand years. Almost the same time has passed since the last Scripture was written, and once again, the spiritual leaders have gotten way off course. Very few of them show they are worthy of their office. The church today is lukewarm. It looks impressive - but looks deceive. It is mostly naked, pitiful, poor, blind, and wretched. It has devolved into a social charade that boosts its leaders’ personal sense of relevance. Many of them are obsessed with their image and credentials. They get plenty of positive strokes since most people are fooled by a good show, a few platitudes, and some alphabet soup after a name. Today’s ‘Christian’ leaders have a long leash to practice their act, and they take full advantage of it. They publicly tolerate sin to appear attractive and nonjudgemental to a depraved culture. They talk about God without really loving Him. They esteem certain parts of Scripture and mostly ignore the rest. They run their churches however they choose to keep the monies flowing. The spiritual health of many suffers because of the apostasy at the top. To preserve the status quo, these ‘Christian leaders’ cling to petty and irrelevant church traditions. As they ignore the examples of early believers, these church leaders elevate big programs, elaborate buildings, bloated budgets, surface worship,’ and ear-tickling sermonettes instead. Many of them behave as though the constructs of modern ‘Christian culture ’ are on par with God’s Word. Anyone who disagrees with their views and methods is unceremoniously maligned. Their control over the people is often politically motivated. This is clear in the way many church leaders support the liberal views and woke trends of the culture around them. They avoid pointing their congregants to sound principles of God-centered governance because their minds have conformed too much to godless agendas. They prefer to hold a wet finger in the air, to promote socially acceptable themes, to enforce patently deceptive mandates, and to compromise with the political establishment rather than lose their power and position. Two thousand years is a long stretch. Although things are about to change in a very big way, many church leaders today rigorously defend their blind spots. They persist in clinging to their tepid ways, and most of them are anything but awake and alert. Callous to the rapidly changing times and seasons around them, they ignore the very things they should be paying most attention to. These dynamics define what is happening now as we stand upon the threshold of Jesus Christ’s Second Coming. If these church leaders repented, humbled themselves, and gave proper respect to the prophetic Scriptures, they would quickly recognize their own condition - and the signs. If they responsibly taught the full counsel of God’s Word, they would know how Jesus Christ will return. They would know where His kingdom will be centered, what He will do when He returns – and most importantly, who He will be the second time around. If they cared about the truth, they would promptly change who they are and how they act. But their pride is suppressing a righteous response. With few exceptions, church leaders today are not looking for an omnipotent ruler with an iron scepter - one who will show righteous justice. They’ve not adequately comprehended a King of Kings and Lord of Lords who will dash the nations to pieces, who will deliver on all the promises given to Israel, and who will lead military campaigns against rebels. Very few church leaders know Jesus will harshly judge those who treat the Jews poorly and who support a two-state solution. Even fewer grasp that Jesus will return in fury as a warrior king on a war horse – that He will slay his enemies and become soaked with their blood. It’s hard to fathom, but most church leaders today deliberately choose to diminish a huge record of prophecies that detail every nuance of Jesus Christ’s Second Coming. Over 1500 of the prophecies in the Bible are devoted to Christ’s Second Coming. For every prophecy in the Old Testament about Jesus’ First Coming, there are eight about His Second Coming. Jesus Christ’s return also comprises one of every five verses in the New Testament. Frankly, there’s no excuse for this apostasy – for this willful departure from truth. The church leaders of today might be more irresponsible than the religious leaders of yesterday. It’s all going to happen exactly as it’s prophesied to, but many of today’s ‘learned’ church leaders mock and scoff at these prophetic details instead. They refuse to endure sound doctrine and they’ve conditioned their followers to respond the same way. While they’re accountable to teach about Jesus’ return, they aren’t really interested. It’s not the Jesus they want. Truth be told, most church leaders today much prefer to focus on Jesus Christ as a suffering servant - someone humble, sorrowful, and acquainted with grief. They really like the baby in a manger thing, that donkey ride, all those palm branches, and how He fed a huge hungry crowd and washed a couple dozen dirty feet. They thrill in how Jesus ate with sinners rather than judging their sin. “It shows He loves us, and He accepts us just as we are,” they say. But this misses the bigger picture that God has planned, and a major part of these church leaders’ problem is they are stuck in a rear-view perspective. They hold certain parts of the New Testament in much higher regard than the Old Testament or any prophetic passages. They are focused on looking backwards, not forwards. They like the past Jesus, and they ignore the future Jesus. As they swim endless laps in those parts of Scripture they are most comfortable – the parts they feel give latitude to things they want to say, believe, do, and be - they don’t perceive the dangers of their choices. They refuse to see their desperate spiritual condition when this is pointed out to them. They are deliberately deluded. Their trappings of ‘Christian culture’ have become much more important to them than a right relationship with God. They celebrate their blindness and nakedness because they’re obsessed with looking good in the world’s eyes. They routinely claim, “It’s all about Jesus,” but they couldn’t be more wrong. The Bible says, instead, that Jesus is knocking at their door and trying to get in. Their senses have become dull to their dire condition and to what is taking place because their hearts are callous to truth. The Bible warns that many of these ‘Christian’ leaders won't recognize the signs and seasons. It states that they will revel in a system that is out of touch with the full counsel of God’s Word, out of touch with the complete person and work of Jesus Christ, and out of touch with their own need to repent and get right with God. Because they push back on seeing Jesus Christ properly, because they only want a part of Him and not all of Him, and because they refuse to give attention to the myriad signs of His coming, they are in grave danger of missing Him when He returns. It’s happened before. The parallels between the past and the present are real – and alarming. In both cases, those most responsible for the spiritual welfare of others willfully fail to understand their own calamity and blindness (Matt. 15:14; Rev. 3:17-18, Et al.). Any accountability they may receive is often regarded as a personal threat. In both cases, their obstinate “I do not need a thing” posture (Rev. 3:17) pushes back against the obvious fact they need a reality check. So, what are we to do? Do we stick our heads in the sand and pretend the gravity of this problem does not exist? Do we spar in constant discord with shallow and obstinate leaders who refuse to submit to and teach the full counsel of God’s Word? Do we resign ourselves to the conclusion that the problem is so big and pervasive that there’s nothing we can do? Of course not. People make their own choices, and they will face the consequences of them (Matt. 7:21-23; Rev. 20:12-13; Et al.) But that doesn’t mean we should hitch our wagon to their folly. The wise response is to take personal responsibility for spiritual growth. The importance of this cannot be overstated. In 2 Tim. 2:15, the instruction is given to personally “study” God’s Word. It’s a command, not an option. Moreover, properly studying the Scriptures qualifies for God’s approval, and as noted with the Bereans (Acts 17:11), it is also a distinction of nobility. Applying what is learned in this discipline results in blessing (James 1:25). Taking personal responsibility for understanding the times and seasons holds significant benefit. It enables one to properly perceive rapidly unfolding prophetic events - the understanding of which eludes all who have subordinated Biblical truth to their own ego, agenda, and position. It is this sort of spiritual discipline which keeps one eagerly watching and waiting for the return of Jesus Christ. Two examples of this righteous personal discipline are found when we look back once more to the time of Jesus Christ’s first coming. There, we find two little-known figures which are presented in Luke 2:25-38: Simeon and Anna. While Anna receives the distinction of being a ‘prophetess,’ and Simeon is noted to be ‘righteous and devout,’ neither appears to have had any formal role with the religious leadership of that time. In other words, they were laypeople – probably ordinary folks like most of us. But both recognized Jesus Christ as Israel’s long-awaited Messiah. In other words, they clearly grasped what the learned religious leaders failed to understand. Why? What can we learn from Simeon and Anna’s example? First, Simeon and Anna knew the Scriptures for themselves. Specifically, they knew and understood God’s prophetic Word. The Bible says they were both actively waiting for the ‘consolation of Israel,’ and the ‘redemption of Jerusalem.’ These phrases refer directly to Jesus Christ. Simeon and Anna knew He was coming because this promise had been repeated in Scripture. Because they personally studied and knew God’s Word, they knew their Savior was due any moment, and they were watching for Him. They didn’t miss Him. Second, they both maintained an expectant anticipation. The Bible says of Simeon: “This man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him” (Luke 2:25). It says of Anna: “And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of the child to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.” (Luke 2:38). So, Simeon was faithfully waiting for Jesus’ arrival, and Anna was faithfully teaching about Jesus’ arrival. God blessed both for their faithful endurance in one direction. Both Simeon and Anna were alert, prayerful, and ready. They persevered in righteous and expectant anticipation. And lastly, both Simeon and Anna never gave up on believing in God’s promises. Each of them knew what God had said, and they believed it. They demonstrated great faith in God’s Word. Each of them embraced the truth even when few around them were doing the same. Satan’s tactics always cause us to wonder, fear, and doubt. It’s been that way since the beginning when the serpent asked Eve, “Did God really say…?” (Gen. 3:1). Simeon and Anna were unmoved by the currents of their time, and unfazed by the vacuous and self-absorbed religious leadership. They remained steadfast in their personal patience and endurance. The Bible shows that many people missed Jesus the first time. It also says many will miss Him the second time. It’s vital that we connect the dots between the two eras and avoid making the same mistakes. While the dysfunctions of the modern church contribute greatly to this dilemma, faithful hearts will continue to study God’s Word and eagerly anticipate Jesus Christ’s return. You can reach Steve at www.solidbreadllc.com Anticipation of Home - By Dennis Huebshman - https://www.raptureready.com/2024/03/12/anticipation-of-home-by-dennis-huebshman/ In 1971, singer Carly Simon wrote a song called “Anticipation” as she waited for her date, another singer of that day, Cat Stevens, to pick her up. While this particular song has nothing to do with the end of this era, we can relate to that feeling as we await our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, to come and take all true believers for our “ultimate date.” For those who have received and accepted His gift of eternal Salvation, this will absolutely be the most joyous occasion that we will ever have here. (ESV – all emphasis is mine) Far too many people are looking for the ultimate gift, the ultimate joy, the ultimate personal satisfaction, and even the ultimate love through what this world supposedly has to offer. This would best be described as; “Looking for Love In All The Wrong Places”, as the song title states in a song by Johnny Lee in 1980. The truest form of love we will ever experience is given in one of the most popular Bible verses ever: John 3:16; “For God so loved the world, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” Our one and only true creator could have been totally different and ruled over us with an iron fist and with absolutely no tolerance of our feelings at all. There are stipulations that He has made for us to be able to receive our eternal home with Him, and to some people, they seem very difficult to follow. John 3:17-18; “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” While believing is one of the elements, another is admitting we are all sinners, and without a true Savior, we deserve eternal punishment. This is clarified in Romans 6:23; “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus, our Lord.” Finally, we have to call out to our Savior to forgive us, come into our hearts, and be our eternal Shepherd. Three verses that state this fact are Joel 2:32, Acts 2:21, and Romans 10:13. Combined, these three actions on our part make up the ABCs of Salvation (Romans 10:9-13). Admit we’re sinners; Believe Jesus is the true Son of God and His sacrifice was to conquer eternal death for all who Call on Him to be their eternal Savior. What’s hard for some is believing that we can personally do no works or deeds or pay for any part of our way into Heaven. Jesus came here willingly to be our perfect sacrifice (John 10:18), and He could have stopped the process at any time. However, as John 10:16 states, He came not only for God’s chosen people, the Jews, but for all other sheep as well. This included every living, breathing soul of His day and everyone who would exist from then on. This includes you and me. Our Heavenly Father is a perfect God and could accept no less than perfection as payment for our sin debts. He allowed the blood of animals and birds for a time until the permanent sin-free sacrifice could be made. Hebrews 10:4 is very specific; “For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” Jesus is a part of the Triune Godhead, and as such, was a part of our creation. His actions on our part are given in Philippians 2:5-8; “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped; but emptied Himself by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Because of His gift to all mankind, is it any wonder that Philippians 2:9-11 follows this perfectly with; “Therefore, God has highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, in Heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.”? When we realize Ephesians 2:8-9 is complete, we can finally receive and accept Jesus as our Shepherd and be a part of His precious flock of true believers. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works so that no one may boast.” For those who have received and accepted Jesus, as long as we are in these human forms, we will still slip and sin. Our Heavenly Father knows this and has made provisions for our redemption while we are in this fallible state. In 1 John 1:8-10, we read, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.” This world is getting more evil each and every day. We are witnessing events that were spoken of in God’s word, telling of signs near the end of this age. Instead of the wasted anticipation spoken of using Ms. Simon’s song in a Catsup commercial, would it not be better to gain positive anticipation through the reading of our Father’s love letter to us? Some will refuse to read and accept the true word of God, which is indicated in 1 Corinthians 1:18; “For the word of the Cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God.” Those perishing souls are purposely accepting the lies of Satan, and Jesus knew there would be more of them than those who would follow Him (Matthew 7:13-14). For someone who has never read the word of the Father in a true interpretation of the Bible, the best way to find one would be through a Christian bookstore. Sadly, there are false prophets who have taken to the pulpits of previously evangelical churches and are tweaking the word to fit their causes. Personally reading the true word for oneself can make a difference to each individual. Romans 8:1 states, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” John 14:6 tells us, “And Jesus said to him; I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.” First-time readers would do well to read the book of John and then Romans. After that, start with Matthew and read through Revelation. Just before starting to read each day, I have found it helps to ask the Father to provide more understanding of what He wants me to know. By doing this, I have found His word becomes clearer and more understandable. Catchy tunes can be fun to hear, but true understanding is that our Father loves us completely and wants us to know His word is true. Titus 1:2 specifically states that God cannot lie. No one can say the Rapture will be at a specific moment. Only our Heavenly Triune Godhead knows the exact day, hour, minute, and second. Rest assured, it will happen just as described in 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17. Meanwhile, we sit in anticipation, and one day, we will suddenly be in the presence of the Savior. Please don’t miss His call to rise up to meet Him in the air. Your eternal home is your choice, and the Father will force no one to accept His Son. It will either be Heaven with Jesus or hell with Satan. There is no other choice available. Once you take your last breath on this earth, your eternity is set for one of the two places mentioned above. If you end up in the line at the Great White Throne, there will be no forgiveness or pardons there. The purpose of that judgment is to determine the degree of each person’s eternal punishment. If you end up at the Judgment Seat of Christ, you will gain or lose rewards for whatever you did on this earth, but the end result is still eternity in paradise with the Savior, just as He promised the thief on the cross. Call out to Jesus today to forgive you and to be your eternal Savior. From that moment on, you, too, will be in Anticipation of Home with Him forever. Maranatha! (Come, Lord Jesus!) [email protected] Daily Jot: Stupidocrisy: Believing political ads - Bill Wilson – www.dailyjot.com In these days of tremendous technology advances, artificial intelligence, and 24-7 bombardment of media, it is very difficult to discern the truth from lies. And often a small bit of truth makes are far better lie. The news media, which at a time in the distant past, prided itself on getting the facts right and distinguishing between news reporting and editorializing, cannot be depended upon for truth. There is always a slant whether it’s the most far left mouthpiece of statism or the conservative voice of freedom. They write it from the content of their hearts with little consideration of what is fact and how it relates to truth. Remember Christ’s words in John 8:32, “the truth will make you free.” But what of it? Truth these days is not so much knowing the Word of God and then knowing truth. Truth has become what is right in each individual’s eyes. You can read to someone the very documentation, the original documentation of an event and they will say, “I don’t believe that.” People believe what they want to believe and the truth matters very little as a little truth makes their belief stronger. Fact is defined as something that has actual existence. Truth is the body of real things, events and facts. Truth is, therefore, proving a fact. For example, a fact may be that a person is lying dead on a floor. The truth would encompass why he is dead on the floor. Did he die of natural causes, an accident, or foul play? That would be finding the truth. Recently, we witness political campaigns and the news media interpreting words and facts at the expense of truth. For example, in Ohio, Associated Press wrote a story about Republican Senate Candidate Bernie Moreno saying that he used an online dating site to solicit male sex. His primary opponent used the story in a campaign ad. While the entire episode was swiftly proven untrue, the damage already had been done. Another example is Donald Trump’s use of the word “bloodbath” in context that it would be an economic disaster (as defined by Merriam-Webster) to American workers if China was allowed by the Biden Administration to sell cheap cars in the US built in Mexico. Biden used Trump’s statement in a campaign ad, tying it to political violence of January 6 and Trump describing white supremacists in Charlotte being “good people”—also falsely taken out of context. The ad was wrapped in extremism with images of violence and Nazis. Facts are Trump did say those things. Truth is that he didn’t remotely mean how the media and Biden interpreted them. These two examples indicate how campaigns and the media, especially if the media is opposed to a certain candidate, twist the facts to create a new truth, a better lie. And once the better lie is in the public, there is no taking it back no matter how many stories refute it. People will believe what they want to believe. This is why being grounded in the Word of God and understanding how to discern is so very important in this day and age. In the months ahead, anyone that would believe a political ad and the subsequent media frenzy around it without investigating or discerning the truth is practicing, say it with me…Stupidocrisy. Daily Devotion: Nothing Better - by Greg Laurie – www.harvest.org And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. —Colossians 3:15 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/nothing-better/ - Listen In the Old Testament, we find the story of Gideon, a man whom God chose to lead the Israelites into battle. But Gideon was hardly a trained warrior. In fact, he was overwhelmed by the task and asked God to confirm His word. In effect, Gideon said, “Lord, I will make You a deal. Tomorrow morning, I’ll lay a fleece on the ground. And in the morning, if this really is Your plan, there will be dew on the fleece but not on the ground. Then I will know that it’s Your will.” The next morning, there was dew on the fleece and not on the ground, just as Gideon had asked. But he thought that it might have been a coincidence. So, he went back to God and basically said, “Tomorrow morning, I’m asking that it will be the other way around. Then I will know that it’s Your plan.” So, the next day, there was dew on the ground but not on the fleece. God had confirmed His will to Gideon. In the same way, you might say, “Lord, this seems to be Your will, so I’m asking You to please open the door circumstantially.” However, don’t base your entire situation on circumstances because circumstances can sometimes lead us in the wrong direction. Colossians 3:15 tells us, “And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful” (NLT). The Amplified Bible puts the same verse this way: “Let the peace of Christ [the inner calm of one who walks daily with Him] be the controlling factor in your hearts [deciding and settling questions that arise].” I have learned to listen to the peace of God. I’ve been in dangerous situations and have felt God’s peace. Then there have been other times when I didn’t have God’s peace in a situation. Instead, I had turmoil in my heart. I’ve learned to listen to that because I’ve made some mistakes by not listening to it. If we want to know the will of God, then not only do we need to ask God to give us His peace, but we also need to ask Him to open doors through circumstances, confirming His Word. We also must remember that God will not lead us into something that is contrary to what Scripture says. And just as important as the will of God is the timing of God. Sometimes, He doesn’t do things as quickly as we want Him to. At other times, He does things so quickly that we have a hard time keeping up. But God is not a distant force with no plan or purpose for you. You are uniquely created in the image of God, and He has a custom-designed plan just for you. He wants to reveal Himself to you. And He wants you to enter into a friendship with Him. Can you imagine anything better than that? PROPHECY UPDATE NEWS HEADLINES Yesterday's Prophecies - Today's Headlines HEADLINES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TRACKING BIBLE PROPHECY 4/3/24 http://trackingbibleprophecy.org/birthpangs.php
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