TODAY'S NEWSLETTER...
Don’t Let Scoffers and Date-Setters Steal Your Crown - By Arden Kierce - https://www.raptureready.com/2024/07/06/dont-let-scoffers-and-date-setters-steal-your-crown-by-arden-kierce/
Those who are watching and eagerly waiting for Jesus’ return at the Rapture are given a very special promise. In 2 Timothy 4:8, the Apostle Paul reveals that everyone who loves the idea of Jesus’ appearing will receive the Crown of Righteousness as an eternal reward. However, in Revelation 3:11, Jesus himself warns that it is possible for this crown to be taken away, seized, or even stolen by others. We can know that the crown Jesus mentions here is indeed the Crown of Righteousness because, in context, this warning comes only one sentence after Jesus promises that he will keep the Christians of the church of Philadelphia (and by extension, all true Christians who are alive today) out of the time of trial that is about to come upon the entire world (Revelation 3:10). This is the promise of the Rapture, and so it truly is a most blessed hope (Titus 2:13). Believers today often call this upcoming period of time which follows the Rapture ‘the Tribulation.’ It consists of twenty-one devastating divine judgments that will occur on Earth during the final seven years before Jesus returns at his Second Coming to set up his Millennial Kingdom, as described in the book of Revelation. The Tribulation will be the worst time in the entire history of the planet (Matthew 24:21). So, getting back to Revelation 3:11, it seems that this special crown, which is promised to everyone who is looking forward to the Rapture, can indeed be lost due to the actions of other people. How might such a situation occur, and who are the people who might metaphorically ‘steal’ our crowns? One possibility that immediately comes to mind is the mockers and scoffers. The Apostle Peter warned that in the last days, people would doubt that Jesus will be coming back soon at the Rapture. They will insist that nothing has changed for the past two thousand years, and life continues on just like normal, so this means that Jesus is not coming back anytime soon (2 Peter 3:4). Unfortunately, today, such scoffers exist even within faithful Christian communities. They will say they love Jesus and will heartily sing worship songs at church, regularly attend Bible study, and compassionately pray for others, but the moment the topic of the end times and the Rapture comes up, they suddenly don’t want to talk about Jesus’ return. The reason Peter gives for this behavior is that the scoffers want more time to indulge their sinful desires (2 Peter 3:3). This may seem harsh; however, even our desires for apparently ‘good’ things, such as getting married, having children, finishing a degree, getting a promotion, going on a vacation, or enjoying retirement risk becoming sinful if they outrank our desire to finally see Jesus face to face and be with him forever. When Christians who do look forward to the Rapture more than any other worldly goal dare to mention the signs of the end times that we see occurring all around us, and precisely the ones which Jesus warned us would indicate his return at the Rapture is very near, the scoffers effectively say the exact line that Peter prophesied. In modern language, it might sound something like: “Well, all of those signs have been happening ever since Jesus left. Nothing has changed. Don’t get too hopeful or excited. Just enjoy your life and plan for the future since he might not be coming back for hundreds of years.” Hearing this reply can be both disheartening and frustrating for believers whose whole hearts are set on Jesus’ appearing at the Rapture. If we hear such scoffing often enough, whether from family members, friends, fellow Christians at church, or even pastors, we might be tempted to give up our hope. But if we take the advice of the scoffers, we will be letting them steal our crown. Therefore, it is important to not let the scoffers persuade us to give up our blessed hope in Jesus’ coming at the Rapture. Instead, let us see their scoffing as simply one more sign that Jesus’ return truly is at the very door. Yet there is another group of people who I believe can also act as potential crown-thieves. In the Bible-prophecy community, they are frequently referred to as ‘date-setters.’ Many date-setters can be found on YouTube where they gain a large following by producing videos that argue for their favorite dates for the Rapture. Now, I do have sympathy for some of these people. Many date-setters do seem to be genuine Christians who are truly excited about Jesus’ return at the Rapture. They may even preach the correct gospel message that we have eternal salvation only by putting our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior who died for our sins on the cross and that our salvation does not depend on any good works we may do so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9, Galatians 2:16, Romans 3:21-28, John 3:16-18, 6:28-29). Many date-setters argue that trying to find the date of the Rapture is an expression of their love for Jesus and that it is their way of watching for Jesus’ return. They may also warn non-Christians to believe in Jesus before the Rapture occurs, encourage fellow Christians to share the gospel with their unsaved family and friends, and warn them about how little time may be left before the Tribulation begins. As good as these motives are, I believe that attempts to search for the precise date of the Rapture are potentially dangerous. This is not just because of how the date-setters risk losing their own crowns by becoming disheartened when their predictions fail to be fulfilled, but also because the date-setters may inadvertently discourage fellow Christians who have been convinced by their date-setting. Date-setting may take the form of believing that certain feast days listed in the Old Testament are ‘high watch’ days for the Rapture. I used to think this claim made some sense because I believed that if the Rapture were to occur on such a day, it would be more likely to wake the Jews up to the idea that the disappearance of millions of Christians around the world is somehow related to their God. This would make the Jewish people jealous (Romans 11:11), which would be a first step toward them putting their faith in Jesus as their true Messiah. Following this logic, ‘high watch’ dates among date-setters often include Passover, Pentecost, Shavuot, the ninth of the Hebrew month of Av, the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, or sometime during the Feast of Tabernacles, or maybe even Hanukkah. Lately, some end-times watchers are promoting the supposedly ‘hidden’ Feast of New Wine as a potential true Pentecost date, based on Acts 2:13, where onlookers accused the early Christians of being drunk on “new wine,” which was supposedly only available at a certain time of year. However, date-setting gets complicated because there is disagreement among date-setters regarding exactly which calendar to use to determine when these feasts and ‘high watch’ days occur. Should we use the Western Protestant/Catholic calendar? Eastern Orthodox? Jewish? Enochian? Various date-setters argue for why their favorite calendar is correct based on various factors. It may involve finding the first day of the Jewish year, but there is debate about whether this day is in the fall or the spring. Some say it depends on the date of the equinox, or equilux. The dates of some fall feasts also supposedly change depending on whether it is a ‘jubilee’ year or not, and date-setters then debate how to calculate whether it currently is or is not such a year. Other date-setters argue about whether the date of these feasts depends on the sighting of a new moon or a full moon in a particular constellation. Yet there are questions about whether this is even still valid, given the precession of the equinoxes over the last two thousand years from when Christ walked the earth. Some date-setters attempt to create a ‘biblical’ calendar by arguing that certain dates have to be a certain number of days or months from other days based on events that occurred on these days as documented in Scripture. These days are then correlated with our current calendar (again, using debatable methods), and theological arguments are made as to why particular days would be an appropriate day for the Rapture to occur. A few date-setters may attempt to figure out the exact day, month, and year when Jesus was crucified, add two thousand years to that (based on Hosea 6:2 and 2 Peter 3:8), and then subtract the 2,520 days of the Tribulation to try to find the last possible day by which the Rapture supposedly must happen. Using these above approaches can lead to having a ‘high watch’ day almost every week, if not twice per week, depending on the season. At least these approaches listed above are more legitimate than various modern self-appointed ‘prophets’ who claim they were given a particular date for the Rapture directly from God. These supposed prophets’ evidence is often based on purely subjective and unverifiable data, such as their dreams and visions or their followers’ dreams and visions. Even more dubious ‘evidence’ that such date-setting prophets might rely on may include how they saw a certain number on their grocery receipt or an expiry date on a food product in their fridges. Maybe they woke up at a particular time or looked at the clock at a particular time. Basically, they can appeal to almost any possible way that someone might find a particular combination of numbers, and then they claim that this was divine revelation about the date or time of the Rapture. At the most subjective, some date-setters may claim they “just feel” that the Rapture will be on or before a particular date, with no specific justification for it at all. They may also go on to insist that anyone who disagrees with them is simply not as ‘spiritual’ as they are. At worst, the ‘prophet’ may claim that other Christians who disagree with them do not truly have the Holy Spirit in them because if they did, they would agree with said ‘prophet.’ The problem with all of these attempts to find the exact date of the Rapture is that after one of these ‘high watch’ dates comes and goes, there is always a feeling of disappointment, if not outright despair among those who had become so convinced by their favorite date-setter that this was truly going to be the day of the Rapture. And then the date-setter simply moves on to a new date that is weeks, months, or sometimes even a year ahead. In this way, it can feel to those Christians who follow these date-setters that we are running a race with ever-changing goalposts. We think we see the finish line up ahead, get excited, and even start celebrating, only to realize it was all a mirage and we still have an unknown number of miles left to go. This is how I believe that date-setting can lead people to potentially lose their crowns. At best, Christians who are convinced by the date-setters can be tempted to give up on watching for Jesus to return at any time, and instead, they simply sit back and wait for their next favorite ‘high watch’ date to come. In this way, the return of Jesus is no longer seen to be imminent but is limited to only particular days of the year. Yet Jesus gave a strong warning that we should not say that his coming is delayed until some yet-future time, as it can tempt us to slack off or behave badly in the meantime (Matthew 24:48-51). At worst, after being promised by date-setters that this next high watch date is definitely, absolutely, 100% the one, but it still passes by without the Rapture happening, it’s natural that some believers feel like they are spiritually exhausted, and they become tempted to give up watching for Jesus’ return altogether. This may be especially true for believers whose personal health is failing, or who are barely able to make financial ends meet, or who may be on the verge of (or are actually experiencing) homelessness, or whose family situations are difficult. It’s completely understandable that these Christians would look to the Rapture as the ultimate escape from their problems. Yet this also means these Christians can be particularly vulnerable to disappointment and disillusionment when the Rapture doesn’t happen when they hoped it would. I have even seen some people who put their trust in particular dates become angry at Jesus himself for not coming back ‘on time’ or for supposedly stringing them along with date after date. Yet, in fact, the source of the problem was actually the dubious practice of date-setting, not Jesus’ tardiness. It is also confusing to Christians when date-setters do not agree with one another regarding the date of the Rapture, yet they all claim to be led by the same Holy Spirit. However, we know the Holy Spirit will not lie, contradict himself, or change his mind about things he has inspired the prophets to prophesy (Numbers 23:19, 2 Peter 1:21). So then how should we know which date-setter(s) are truly in tune with God’s spirit? And if Christians cannot even agree among ourselves about all of this, then what do the non-Christians who are watching us think about it? I doubt it would persuade them to take our warnings about the coming Rapture very seriously. Such skeptics may easily become scoffers when they see that none of the ‘high watch’ dates that have been hyped by various Christian date-setters have led to anything thus far. For all of the above reasons, I believe that date-setting is not what Jesus meant for us to do when he told us to watch for his return. I also believe that we can support this claim from Scripture. After all, Jesus said that if we do not watch for his coming, we will be taken by surprise when it occurs (Mark 13:32-37), like when a thief breaks into a house at night at an unexpected time (Matthew 24:36-44, Luke 12:35-40, 1 Thessalonians 5:2-5, Revelation 3:3). Jesus did not warn that we would be surprised by the Rapture if we do not: – Figure out the proper calendar to use to calculate ‘high watch’ days. – Study obscure biblical details to determine the most likely ‘high watch’ day for his return. – Count the correct number of days from significant solar or lunar eclipses, new moons, or full moons. – Accurately determine if it is or is not a jubilee year. – Research the exact year and day of Jesus’ crucifixion. – Follow the proper divinely anointed ‘prophet’ or channel on YouTube. Actually, if we are actively watching for the signs that Jesus gave us regarding his return, Paul said that we would not need anyone else to tell us about how close the end times are or, by extension, how soon the Rapture will be (1 Thessalonians 5:1-2). When we see everything beginning to come together just like Jesus prophesied it would before the Tribulation begins, we will know that we should be looking up for him to come redeem our bodies (Luke 21:28, Romans 8:23). This redemption will occur when living Christians will be instantly transformed from mortal to immortal at the Rapture (1 Corinthians 15:50-53, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18), and will have bodies that will be similar to Jesus’ own resurrected and glorified body (1 John 3:2, 1 Corinthians 15:49, Philippians 3:20-21). Yet there is no hint that we will know the exact day or hour of this event. Indeed, if we did know the exact time of the Rapture, we would not have to watch, but we could do exactly what many date-setters do: simply sit back and wait for that day to come. Even Jesus, who is God’s own divine Son incarnate, said that he did not know the day and hour of his return since this was known only to God the Father (Matthew 24:36). Naturally, date-setters do not take this verse literally, but usually say it was only Jesus making an allusion to the customs of a first-century Galilean wedding. For such a wedding, the bridegroom would supposedly return to take his bride to the wedding ceremony only after the bridegroom’s father had deemed that everything was ready for the wedding to take place. These preparations included inspecting and approving the bridal chamber that the bridegroom had built and outfitted for his bride, which was built as an addition onto the groom’s father’s house. This tradition should remind us of how Jesus promised us that he was building dwelling places for his disciples in heaven and that one day he would return to take us to be with him there (John 14:1-3). This is exactly what will occur at the Rapture. We also see that the true Church, composed of everyone who has put their faith in Jesus Christ alone for their eternal salvation, is referred to as the bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:22-33, Revelation 19:7-9). Thus, the similarities between these verses and the details of a Galilean wedding are quite compelling. However, contra the date-setters, this wedding analogy should actually reinforce the idea that Christians will be slightly surprised by the exact timing of the Rapture, just as a first-century Galilean bride would be surprised by not knowing the exact time that her bridegroom would come to take her to her wedding. So date-setters should not dismiss Jesus’ claim that no one except God the Father knows the day or hour of the Rapture just because it may have also been a first-century Jewish idiom that referred to a Galilean wedding ceremony. Alternatively, I have heard some date-setters dismiss Jesus’ warnings that his return will occur at an unpredictable and unexpected time by saying that these warnings only apply to Jesus’ Second Coming, not the Rapture. But I do not see why Jesus would provide so many warnings for his people to be awake and watching for his return if he only intended these warnings to apply to the Tribulation saints (i.e., the people who will put their faith in Jesus after the Rapture). First of all, I suspect it is unlikely that any faithful saints who manage to survive to the end of the Tribulation would not be desperately watching for Jesus’ Second Coming to occur at any moment. This is because Jesus’ intervention will be their only hope to avoid being exterminated by the Antichrist who will be hunting them down (Revelation 13:7-10). It should also not be difficult for the Tribulation saints to know the timing of Jesus’ Second Coming. Once the Antichrist confirms the covenant in Daniel 9:27, Jesus’ Second Coming will occur exactly 2,520 days later. That is 1,260 days for the first half of the Tribulation (Revelation 11:3), plus another 1,260 days or 42 months of 30 days each for the second half (Revelation 12:6, 13:5), for a total of 7 years of 360 days (Daniel 9:27). Even if Jesus shortens the days of the Tribulation for the sake of the elect saints (Mark 13:20), such that each day is only two-thirds as long as it is now (Revelation 8:12), the total number of days must remain the same, or these prophecies listed above would be wrong. And at worst, if some Tribulation saints are too preoccupied with fleeing from their enemies and trying to find food, water, and shelter for them to remember the exact number of days that are left before Jesus’ Second Coming, then at worst, Jesus’ return will be to them a sudden but very welcome rescue. So I do not believe that any believers in Christ who are alive on Earth during the Tribulation will be negatively affected if they are not watching for Jesus’ Second Coming to occur at any time. In contrast, for Christians who are alive now before the Rapture occurs, there are indeed many negative consequences for our lack of vigilance, not least of which is the possibility of losing our eternal crown. Most seriously, if we are not watching for the signs that indicate Jesus’ return at the Rapture is approaching, we will also likely not be warning those around us that they should seriously consider putting their faith in Jesus Christ as their personal Savior right now, in order to be included in the Rapture and escape the terrible divine judgments of the Tribulation. Furthermore, Christians today who are not watching for Jesus’ return will miss out on all of the spiritual benefits and blessings that come from living as if Jesus could return literally any day. I examine these benefits in my latest book, titled Why Study The End Times: The Relevance of the Rapture, Tribulation, Final Judgment, and Heaven for Christians’ Lives Right Now (available at Amazon). The fact that God will reward Christians who are watching for his return at the Rapture with a special crown also implies that this behavior is somewhat unusual, uncommon, and maybe even difficult to do. It implies that watching for Jesus’ return at the Rapture will not be done by the majority of Christians but only by a committed minority of believers who have persevered in their hope despite the mockers and scoffers (2 Peter 3:1-7), and despite life around them generally appearing to continue on as normal with people buying, selling, building, planting, marrying, and so forth (Luke 17:26-37, Matthew 24:36-44). Those Christians who receive this Crown of Righteousness will also have persevered in the face of the date-setters who tell us that the Rapture won’t happen until they say it will. In fact, I wonder if when Jesus said he will come at a time when some of his servants are not expecting him (Matthew 24:44, 24:50, Luke 12:40), this means that Jesus will actually not come on one of the popular high-watch dates that all the date-setters are looking forward to. However, by paying attention to what is going on in the news day by day, or even hour by hour at times, we will be the faithful servants who will not be completely surprised when Jesus returns at the Rapture. We will also not risk losing our crowns by becoming discouraged and giving up watching when the next ‘high watch’ day comes and goes. Instead, we will see that the signs of the approaching Tribulation are still all present and are escalating like birth pains (Matthew 24:7-8, Mark 13:8). We will see the people of the world crying out louder and louder for peace and safety (1 Thessalonians 5:3), and begging for a leader who can solve all their problems (Revelation 6:1-2, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12). In this way, by looking at the signs, not at dates, Christians will be safe from losing our crowns. And right now, there is especially no reason to become disheartened or discouraged since the Psalm 83 war seems like it’s on the verge of breaking out any day, along with the potential fulfillment of Isaiah 17. The alliances for Ezekiel 38 are quickly forming up also, and wars and threats of wars around the world just continue to multiply. Politically, no world leader seems to have any solutions to problems that just continue to pile on top of one another. If it were not for the restraining power of the Holy Spirit, any number of slowly escalating crises would surely have already broken out and removed normalcy from our world. Yet for now, they keep simmering away below most people’s awareness, despite being ready to explode on the world scene just after the Rapture occurs. So no matter whether the next high-watch day comes and goes, keep looking at the signs, and keep holding on to your hope that Jesus could return any day now. In this way, you will be sure to receive an eternal crown. Iran’s New President Is Anything But ‘Moderate’… But The Western World Prefers The Illusion – By Erick Stakelbeck - https://harbingersdaily.com/irans-new-president-is-anything-but-moderate-but-the-western-world-prefers-the-illusion/ A new so-called “moderate” Iranian president has been chosen, “voted freely” by the people… or not. There are two things to know about any presidential election in Iran. Number one, you can have the charade, but any winner in the Iranian presidential elections is handpicked by the Supreme Leader of Iran. If Ayatollah Ali Khamenei doesn’t want you, you are not getting in that slot as Iran’s president. Remember, the supreme leader of Iran is exactly what his name suggests: he is the “supreme leader” who rules over the nation with an iron fist. The Iranian president is essentially a figurehead in charge of the day-to-day “political game,” and, in some respects, he is the regime’s face to the world. Iran’s new face is Masoud Pezeshkian. The second thing to know about Iran’s elections is that if the mainstream media is hailing the victor as a “moderate” or “reformist,” then you can bet your bottom dollar that he is anything but. Masoud Pezeshkian keeps to the same old radical standard of every one of his predecessors, including the Butcher of Tehran, Ebrahim Raisi, who was killed in a helicopter crash in May alongside Iran’s Foreign Minister. There’s a great song by The Who, “Won’t Get Fooled Again.” One of the closing lines was, “Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.” That gives you a pretty good idea of what we are looking at with Iran and the presidential landscape. A true so-called “reformer” would have to abandon Iran’s Terror proxies. Right? How can you call someone a “moderate” when they still desire the destruction of Israel and wholeheartedly support the likes of Hezbollah? The mainstream media has swallowed the Kool-Aid. They desperately want some great moderate Iranian reformer to take the helm. We’ve seen this script before. Mohammad Khatami was Iran’s president from 1997 to 2005. They hailed him as a reformer and a moderate. Hassan Rouhani, who was at the helm from 2013 to 2021, apparently was also a moderate reformer. Khatami and Rouhani were both imams who smiled for the cameras and often cloaked their radical beliefs in more pleasing-sounding language. They knew how to play the game. Sandwiched in between them was the notorious radical Mahmoud Ahmadinejad from 2005 to 2013, and after them, the Butcher of Tehran from 2021 until his demise in May 2024. They are going back and forth. A so-called “moderate reformer” followed by a hardcore fire-breathing radical. Why would Iran do this? Again, it’s all up to the Supreme Leader. When the supreme leader wants to present a certain face to the world, that will be reflected in the Iranian president. This time around is telling because Iran is sprinting to the finish line in its nuclear program. If they have a fire-breathing radical at the helm, it may result in more scrutiny of the regime. Masoud Pezeshkian is pretty much a no name with not much of a history. We don’t know a whole lot about him. He’s a 69-year-old heart surgeon, and he hates Israel—more on that in a minute. Pezeshkian is seen as a more moderate face, and Western diplomats, in addition to their compadres in the mainstream media, are ready to roll out the red carpet, “Gee, look! The Iranian regime has moderated. They’re pretty reasonable. Pezeshkian is a nice guy; they wouldn’t want to develop nuclear weapons!” This plays right into the regime’s hands. While Pezeshkian grinning at the UN General Assembly and elsewhere in Brussels, the centrifuges are spinning in Iran’s nuclear program. The game of chess was invented in ancient Persia—modern-day Iran. The Iranians are the craftiest, dirtiest players in the game. Every move is calculated, and no one ascends to the presidency of Iran without the blessing of the very radical, fire-breathing, apocalyptic supreme leader. The one place where these Iranian presidents will drop their guard is talking about Israel. There’s no semblance of moderation, charade, or facade when it comes to their rhetoric against the Jewish State. However, Iran’s radical anti-Israel stance doesn’t seem to bother the mainstream media. You have got to love the way this article in the UK Telegraph starts, “Iran’s new moderate president told Hezbollah’s leader that he will continue to support the terror group and other regional ‘resistance movements’ against Israel.” How could Akhtar Makoii, the author of this piece in the Telegraph, write that? How do you write “moderate” in the very same sentence that you say he pledges to support Hezbollah and other terror groups against Israel? If that’s the case, then he can’t be moderate. Moderate in comparison to Ebrahim Raisi, perhaps, but radical in contrast to 99.9% of the world. The Telegraph continued, In a letter to Hassan Nasrallah, the Hezbollah leader, Masoud Pezeshkian said: “The Islamic Republic of Iran has consistently supported the resistance of the regional people against the illegitimate Zionist regime [Israel].” He emphasized that the support is “deeply rooted in the fundamental policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the ideals of Imam Khomeini, and the guidance of the Supreme Leader.” It marks Mr Pezeshkian’s first public statement on foreign policy since his election on Saturday. The letter suggests that Iran’s approach to regional politics and its relationship with Israel is unlikely to shift under the new administration despite Mr Pezeshkian’s moderate stance. I haven’t read anything about Pezeshkian that suggests that he is remotely moderate. He is committed to the destruction of Israel and America—you can’t be moderate and hold those views. Pezeshkian went on to say, “I am confident that the resistance movements in the region will not allow this regime [Israel] to perpetuate its warmongering and criminal policies against the oppressed people of Palestine and other nations in the region.” By “resistance movements,” he means Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, Islamic Jihad, and the Shia militias in Iraq and Syria. AKA terrorists, not resistance movements. How did he possibly gain this “moderate” and “reformist” moniker? If you’re sitting in a Western capital right now, by and large, whether it’s the UK, France, Germany, or Washington DC, you want nothing more than to appease the Iranian regime. In their heart of hearts, they know that Iran is not going to stop at its nuclear program. They know Iran has nefarious, wicked, and demonic intentions to develop nuclear weapons to destroy Israel and destroy the West. Nonetheless, the illusion of “moderate” makes them feel better. It’s much more pleasant to convince themselves that the threat of Iran has diminished with its new president. Western leaders are more concerned about what’s going on in the world when it fits into their great reset narrative. They would much rather enthusiastically focus their attention on propping up the secular, socialist, and radical left-wing movements globally gaining steam. The gathering storm involving Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, and terrorism is all a distraction from the greater goal of fundamentally transforming the West. The elections in Iran, the UK, France, and the United States and the move toward radical leftism hold severe ramifications for the Western World and, no doubt, Israel as well. Keep it all in prayer. In an upside-down, dark world, as believers in Jesus Christ, we need to shine light in the darkness. PROPHECY UPDATE VIDEOS
RECOMMENDED READING & LINKS
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 Woke Churches Continue to Spread Their Poison and Infect the Next Generation - PNW Staff - https://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=7077 In the book of Jeremiah, we are reminded of the dangers of people pretending to speak for God when, in fact, they are spreading lies. Jeremiah 14:14: "The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries, and the delusions of their own minds." One such recent example is Presbyterian Pastor Rebecca Todd Peters, who preached that if Jesus were giving his Sermon on the Mount today, he might add, "Blessed are those who end pregnancies, for they will be known for their loving kindness." Peters is on a mission to shift the Christian paradigm that abortion is not only not sinful but a good and moral thing to do. She of course serves on the Clergy Advocacy Board of Planned Parenthood and often wears her Planned Parenthood stole when giving sermons. Peters ironically serves as co-moderator of the Faith and Order study for the World Council of Churches on Moral Discernment in the Churches. She will often begin her messages by detailing her own reproductive history, readily volunteering that at 55, she is married, has two children, and has undergone two abortions. "I felt God's presence with me as I made the decision to end two pregnancies, and I felt no guilt, no shame, no sin," she told the congregation in Chapel Hill. "A forced pregnancy or birth is not holy." She went on to tell the Community Church of Chapel Hill: "Abortion is a moral good. Abortion is an act of love. Abortion is an act of grace," and finally: "Abortion is a blessing." One wonders if church discipline still exists where rogue preachers can be reeled in by those higher up in the church body. However, this is the same denomination that just warned about the dangers of Christian support for Israel at its annual convention last month, suggesting such support was heretical. Heretical for believing God's promises to restore the nation of Israel and defend itself against Islamist murderers? This denomination decided long ago that they would switch out the Word of God for progressive causes such as reproductive justice, same sex marriage, drag queen storytime in the church and anti-Israel teachings. They are the perfect example of a woke church and thankfully as a result of it's teaching this denomination is dying fast. In fact so many Presbyterians have left the church that it is estimated the church could die out in two more generations. In the meantime however, they are causing terrible damage to the body of Christ. Not to be outdone, the Rev. Dr. Caleb J. Lines of University Christian Church in San Diego recently dressed up in Star Wars attire and declared to his congregation (with pride rainbow colors placed all over the pulpit) that Star Wars is compatible with the theology of Jesus. "God is that which is within us and all around us ... The Spirit of God ... is within you and around you, just like The Force, you see? ... I've learned to see God less as a divine being and more as a source of connection." This theology of God simply being a force should not be too surprising after also declaring during church announcements that "We have actual Holy Week, we have the Theology of Broadway, and we have PRIDE, and those are big seasons here." Equating Pride celebrations with Holy Week and the theology of Broadway? He didn't elaborate on the theology of Broadway, but it would be a stretch to suggest it aligned with scripture in any form. Finally, we have the United Church of Canada, which last month dedicated a worship service to exegeting the "Progress Pride" flag for Pride Month and got some of the children in the "church" to participate in the recitation. You will probably experience both anger and sadness as you watch the clip below and witness this "Christian Churche" brainwashing the next generation into LGBT indoctrination. 2nd Peter Chapter 3 warns us that in the last days there will be those who have the appearance of godliness but lack the power of the Holy Spirit. From such places, we are to turn away. Watch the service below: https://youtu.be/E1fBKIA3tWg Apologist Ken Ham, in response to the rise of wokeness in the church, recently said this: "What a state the 'woke church' is in! Well, the 'woke church' is not the true church. Compromise with the world and the thinking of today abounds. Now, these compromises are very obvious—the lies are right out in the open, and the majority of Christians can see them for what they are: deceptions from the enemy. But most compromise is much more subtle (and the 'in-your-face' compromise usually starts out with subtlety). Christians need to be equipped to recognize and answer this subtle compromise, keeping their thinking aligned with God and His Word." The Seven Miracles in John - By Jack Kelley - https://www.raptureready.com/2024/07/09/the-seven-miracles-in-john-by-jack-kelley/ In the past, I’ve explained the need for four gospels and the tremendous increase in understanding we can gain by comparing events from the different perspectives of each (read The Four Faces of Jesus). In this study, we’ll focus on the unique character of John’s Gospel. Due to his extensive use of symbolism, John’s Gospel, written to the church, can be the most intriguing. Everything he recorded in his gospel actually happened, but he arranged and described them to convey additional truths. Sometimes, he even rearranged the order of events to underscore (emphasize) this additional truth. John 2 is an excellent example of this. He placed the cleansing of the Temple right after the wedding at Cana to show that the Lord came to create an intimate personal relationship with His church (as in a marriage), not to fix a broken religion. The focus of John’s gospel is the Lord’s Judean ministry, and really only the last part of that. He devoted most of nine chapters (John 12-20) to the Lord’s last week and used one-third of the 879 verses to describe His last 24 hours. The first 11 chapters define the Lord’s ministry through John’s selective use of 7 miracles, and we’ll use them to show how John’s Gospel contains more than meets the eye. Miracle 1: Water Into Wine (John 2:1-11) This one is misunderstood by most and yet results in the disciples putting their faith in the Lord. “This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed His Glory, and the disciples put their faith in Him” (John 2:11). It seems so insignificant when compared to the opening miracles in the other gospels, which involved either casting out demons or curing leprosy. This miracle took place because an embarrassing discovery had been made. A wedding banquet Jesus was attending was in full swing when the servants suddenly realized they were out of wine. His mother, who was also there, asked Him to help. The Lord had six empty jars of stone filled with water, which He then turned into wine. The master of the banquet proclaimed the wine Jesus had made to be superior to the wine they had served earlier, saying they had saved the best for last. Look at the symbolism: These six stone jars normally held water used for ceremonial cleansing, an important part of Old Covenant life. Now, they contained wine, which is often associated with the New Covenant due to the Lord’s Supper. What’s more, the wine these jars now contained was superior to the wine the wedding guests had been drinking before, just as the New Covenant is superior to the Old Covenant (Hebrews 8:6). This miracle symbolized nothing less than the Mission of the Messiah; changing the empty way of man’s religion into a living, joyful, relationship with the Lord, as demonstrated by the wedding celebration. (You can read more about this here.) Miracle 2: Healing the Official’s Son (John 4:43-54) Here’s an act of God’s Grace, pure and simple. There’s no indication of the official’s nationality or background, his religious conviction, or his worthiness—only his faith. He had heard of Jesus, and His miraculous power, and begged Him to come and heal his dying son. Jesus didn’t go with him but simply told the man his son would live. The man took Jesus at His word and departed for home. The next day, while he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his son had recovered. From their discussion, he learned that his son had been made well from the very time he had spoken with Jesus. Because of this, He and all his household became believers, saved by grace through faith. Miracle 3: The Healing at the Pool of Bethesda (John 5:1-9) Tradition holds that an angel periodically stirred the waters at the Pool of Bethesda. The first one into the water when that happened was healed. Many people who were sick or disabled waited there by the pool day after day for a chance to be healed. But a cripple can’t get himself to the pool in time. This man had been crippled for 38 years and had repeatedly tried and failed. Then Jesus came along and healed him. I believe this man’s predicament demonstrates the poverty of the Law, which was never intended to heal us of our infirmities (physical and spiritual) but to show us our need for a Savior. It demonstrates that we’re hopeless and helpless without Him. He was at the very edge of healing, but all of his unsuccessful efforts to get into the pool had only made it obvious that his infirmity was preventing him from being healed. In the same way, the Law leaves us at the very edge of salvation, but our unsuccessful efforts to keep it only make it obvious that our sinfulness will prevent us from being saved. Just like the cripple needed someone to heal him, we need someone to save us. Miracle 4: The Feeding of the 5000 (John 6:1-5) This is perhaps the best known of all the Lord’s miracles and the only one before the resurrection that is recorded in all four gospels. A large crowd had followed Jesus into a remote location, and Jesus could see they would need to be fed. But the men alone numbered 5,000, and adding the women and children could have more than doubled that number. Andrew found a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, and Jesus multiplied it into a satisfying meal for everyone, with enough left over to fill 12 baskets. This is the practical demonstration of the Lord’s promise that if we seek His kingdom and His righteousness, all our other needs will be met as well (Matt. 6:31-33). But there’s more in view here than just our physical needs. We who believe in Jesus will never again feel that emptiness; that tells us there’s more to life than just having our physical needs met. This is what Jesus meant when He said: “I AM the bread of life. He who comes to me will never be hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty” (John 6:35). (You can read more about this here.) Miracle 5: Walking on the Water (John 6:16-25) The 5th miracle is also well-known to everyone familiar with the Lord’s ministry. The disciples had labored all night long to row only about halfway across the Sea of Galilee (about 3 miles) when the Lord passed by them—walking on the water! When they realized it was Jesus, they let him into the boat and immediately reached their destination. Without Him, they were struggling just to make headway, but with Him in their midst, the struggle was over. (You can read more about this here.) Miracle 6: Healing The Man Born Blind (John 9:1-41) A man had been blind from birth. Jesus made some mud, put it on the man’s eyes, and told him to go wash it off. When the man did as Jesus instructed, he could see. While Jesus performed this miracle early in Chapter 9, the balance of the narrative clearly (and sometimes comically) shows how much more spiritual discernment this blind beggar had than the learned officials of the religion, who had studied all their lives. In their experience, no one had ever opened the eyes of a man born blind, and they were determined to discredit the lowly beggar, especially since this event took place on the Sabbath. A lengthy interrogation followed, where the beggar put the religious experts to shame, and they ended up throwing him out. Afterward, Jesus found him and introduced Himself. The man became a believer and worshiped him. Jesus said He came so the blind would see and those who see would become blind. When the Pharisees asked if He thought they were blind, He said, “If you were blind you would not be guilty of sin, but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains” (John 9:39-41). As it concerns your eternity, it doesn’t matter what you claim to know about Jesus. What matters is whether you know Jesus. Miracle 7: Raising Lazarus from The Dead (John 11:1-44) The last miracle John recorded before the resurrection shows the fulfillment of our Lord’s promise to all who believe in His name, as He called Lazarus out of the grave and restored him from death to life. The text shows that even though Jesus knew Lazarus was sick, He actually waited until Lazarus was dead and buried before He responded to the sisters’ call for help. He did this so He could bring Lazarus back to life. It was an unmistakable model of the resurrection of the believing dead that contains the tiniest hint of the rapture. I don’t think people who don’t already know about the rapture see this, but those who do can take comfort in this faint hint contained in John 11:25-26. “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’” (John 11:25-26). What’s The Point? Near the end of his gospel account, John said, “Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:30-31). This tells us he selected these seven miracles specifically for their ability to help us believe that Jesus is who He claimed to be and that by believing, we might have eternal life. So, what do these particular miracles show us that would help us believe?
I purposely confined my commentary on these miracles to what I believe John was trying to convey to us in his gospel. Some of these miracles are contained in one or more of the other gospels, where you might see details John didn’t include or where the emphasis might be a little different. Matthew’s account of Jesus walking on the water is a good example (Matt. 14:22-33). I encourage you to read the different accounts of all these miracles to get the whole story. Selah. http://gracethrufaith.com (Jack Kelley went home to be with the Lord in 2015. His wife, Samantha, continues to maintain his website.) Daily Jot: Stupidocrisy: There they go again - Bill Wilson – www.dailyjot.com The Democratic Party is in sheer panic mode after Joe Biden’s poor debate performance. There have been many stories where the party faithful are wringing their hands about what to do. Some have even called for him to step down in an apparent admission that Biden has dementia and his continued candidacy will pull down the rest of the ticket come election day. If it wasn’t enough that his feeble him-hawing, freezing up, rambling on without finishing thoughts to give the entire world the impression that Joe’s not in control, his wife Jill helping him off the stage so he wouldn’t fall on national television should be enough to convince even the least discerning among the party faithful. Then came Nancy Pelosi. Sunday’s episode of CNN’s “State of the Union” found US Representative Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and host Dana Bush (also the “unbiased” debate moderator) teaming up to accuse Trump of exactly what Biden has. Bash quoted friend of Joe saying that Biden has no business running for reelection and slow pitched the question to Pelosi, “What do you say to that? Is there any part of you that believes that President Biden should step aside?” Pelosi responded, “I want you to know I came home to California, south and north, and people are for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. They have some judgment about a person who said, stood on that stage and lied, lied, lied, if you’re just talking about the debate.” Pelosi continued, “I am respectful of some of the opinions that people have, but it is also respectful of the grassroots. My people are very much Biden and Kamala Harris and this is an opportunity for Joe Biden to go out there and show he has the stamina… By the way, the press and for some reason they don’t, there are healthcare professionals who think that Trump has dementia. That his connection of his thoughts does not go together. It’s not only that he just lies. He doesn’t even know the truth. So, if we’re talking about mental acuity, let’s be fair about it. I don’t think Tom Friedman thinks that Donald Trump should be president of the United States.” There was no comparison about how clear and in control of his mind Trump handled the debate. Biden looked like he didn’t have much control over his thoughts, his understanding of the issues or command of the facts. So now Pelosi and her ilk are trying to say that not only is Trump a liar, he is mentally unsound. Trump took away the democrats abortion attack platform by clearly stating his position. He was clear about illegal aliens and the burden Biden’s policies are forcing on Americans. He demonstrated without challenge how Biden’s inflation is hurting every American. So now, Pelosi and the crew are focused on calling Trump a mentally incompetent liar. As Romans 2:1 says, “You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on another. For on whatever grounds you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.” There they go again. It’s, say it with me…Stupidocrisy. Sources: https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2024/06/30/pelosi-trump-likely-has-dementia/ Daily Devotion: Changing the World in Thirty Years - by Greg Laurie – www.harvest.org Peter replied, ‘Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’ —Acts 2:38 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/changing-the-world-in-thirty-years/ - Listen The Book of Acts is the original template for the church, the blueprint that Jesus Himself laid down for all of us. And we stray from it at our own peril. This is the church that changed the world through prayer and preaching. But it seems the opposite is happening in the church today. We have double standards, moral compromise, and little to no power. It was said of the early church that they “turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6 NKJV). And that, by the way, was a criticism, not a compliment. The Book of Acts is the story of a handful of men and women who, by the power of the Holy Spirit, didn’t leave their world the same way they found it. They were ordinary people who, empowered by the Holy Spirit, were able to do extraordinary things. It records the beginning of a movement that continues to this very day. The Book of Acts is an unfinished book in a sense, because it’s the story of the life-transforming movement of the Spirit of God, changing the lives of those who encounter Him. That is not to suggest that we need to add new chapters to the Book of Acts. But we shouldn’t put a period where God has put a comma. God is still working, and in a sense, these acts of the Holy Spirit are still being recorded in our day. Acts covers a period of church history spanning about thirty years. As we read it, we encounter nonstop action as one chapter ends with a miracle and another begins with something supernatural taking place. Thus, we might falsely conclude that these first-century believers experienced multiple miracles every day. But most likely, they, like us, had many days of simply walking by faith and applying biblical principles as they sought to obey God. Even so, Acts is a record of the intervention of the Holy Spirit as He did amazing things, when and where He chose to do them. In Acts, we see the Spirit of God working through the Word of God in the hearts and lives of the people of God. Think about this simple fact: In a relatively short period of time, thirty years or so, this original group of 120 Christians and their converts were able to turn their world around. And the world of the first century was a hard place to share the gospel. Everywhere the believers brought the gospel, people harassed them, ridiculed them, persecuted them, physically assaulted them, and, in some cases, even put them to death. Yet the gospel prevailed. How were the first-century Christians able to do it? They understood that every man and woman had a job to do. They recognized that ministry was not just for those select few called apostles. Ministry was for everyone. Everyone was to go and bring this message to their generation and to their sphere of influence. And if we want to change our world, then we need to do the same. PROPHECY UPDATE NEWS HEADLINES Yesterday's Prophecies - Today's Headlines HEADLINES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TRACKING BIBLE PROPHECY 7/10/24 http://trackingbibleprophecy.org/birthpangs.php
FROM THE HEART Let Us Make the Short Time We have Left, Count for ALL of Eternity! IF YOU HAVE BEEN BLESSED THROUGH THIS MINISTRY, THEN WE ASK THAT YOU WOULD PLEASE REMEMBER PROPHECY UPDATE IN YOUR GIVING - WE ARE TRULY, TRULY, THANKFUL FOR YOUR SUPPORT WORTHY OF YOUR SUPPORT? 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. Humbly Seek Your Support Prophecy Update has no corporate sponsors. This ministry is paid for and prayed for by readers and supporters. Without your support, there would be no Prophecy Update, Please pray about becoming a monthly supporter - thanks! If ever there was a time to invest in God's Kingdom, it's now! What on earth are you doing for Heaven's Sake? "Share in the Blessings and Rewards that will last Forever!" "Folks, it's all beginning to unravel. America is in more danger of falling than at any time in its history. But I believe Bible prophecy predicts this very decline. From this point on, we believers have to get serious. We are going to face discouragement, disillusionment and, most certainly, persecution in the time between now and the Rapture. But don't be discouraged or disillusioned. The coming turmoil will provide us unrivaled opportunities to share the good news of the Gospel. So be ready to share your faith and your hope with those who need Christ. We still have time to reap a great harvest of souls for God's kingdom!" - Hal Lindsey 1) We need your prayers!- We proclaim the Truth of the Word of God and we are under constant spiritual and sometimes even physical attack. 2) We need your encouragement!- We need to hear from you, let us know how the Lord is blessing you through this ministry so that we can share it with others. 3) We need your input! - If you have a prophetic article or story or if there is a news related item we missed, let us know. 4) We need your financial support!- To put it quite simply, without your support, there would be no Prophecy Update. I ask that you would prayerfully consider partnering with us to get the Word out and keep the world informed. Remember, your gift, no matter how small, does make a difference! You will be helping to touch lives, around the world, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, thanks to the internet your generosity carries a global impact! - Thanks! Our Prayer for You- "Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else." 2 Corinthians 9:10-13 If you have been blessed by Prophecy Update and would like to help support this ministry financially. You can make a secure donation online by going to: DONATE NOW Or write us at: Prophecy Update P.O. Box 40516 Bakersfield, CA 93384-0516 We are very pleased to offer all our readers this FREE download on Bible Prophecy from the Evangelical Bible College of Western Australia - Just download and enjoy and be blessed! Feel free to share it with all your friends and family members. Click below to download! "AS YOU SEE THE DAY APPROACHING" If You Died Today, Would You Go To Heaven? Find out, visit: www.thegoodtest.net www.gotquestions.org www.wayofthemaster.com How to know God DID YOU KNOW? You can submit an article, leave a comment or praise report at email: [email protected] Maranatha! (Lord Come Quickly) "On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand, All other ground is sinking sand." "Let Us make the short time we have left count for all eternity!" YBIC-Randy
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Archives
February 2025
Categories |
Proudly powered by Weebly
This Site Was Updated By The Computer Group
|