|
IN TODAY'S NEWSLETTER...
The Rapture Is a Biblical Event – Jonathan Brentner - https://www.jonathanbrentner.com/https/jonathan-brentner-g8fgsquarespacecom/config/2022/1/17/the-rapture-is-a-biblical-event
Early in the twentieth century, belief in the Rapture became a mainstay at Bible-believing churches in America and throughout the free world. Pastors boldly encouraged their flocks with the hope of Jesus’ imminent appearing. Unfortunately, much has changed during the past twenty-five years. The word “Rapture” has become taboo in most churches, even in many that claim to believe in the inspiration and inerrancy of Scripture. Last year, I listened to a former pastor of mine preach on 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. He avoided all references to Jesus’ return for His church and said nothing whatsoever about verse 17. He changed our biblical hope in Jesus’ imminent appearing to a far distant resurrection that does little, if anything, to encourage the saints during these perilous times I often ask myself this question, “Who are these scoffers who exert so much influence over what is taught regarding the Rapture?” For those who desire to present the truths of our “blessed hope” in a persuasive and cogent way, I am offering a guide, beginning with this post. You will not convince the mockers of our hope, but this will enable you to help those willing to listen understand the firm scriptural basis for what you believe about the Rapture. The first step is to present the Rapture is a biblical event, which it surely is. SCRIPTURE CLEARLY DESCRIBES THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS THAT WE REFER TO AS THE RAPTURE Scripture clearly outlines a series of events that we call the “Rapture.” Consider the following quote from Dr. Ed Hindson in his wonderful book, Future Glory: “If you disagree on the timing of the rapture, please don’t tell people, ‘There’s never going to be a rapture.’ No, there must be a rapture or the Bible is not true. There must be a time when the archangel shouts, when the trumpet sounds, and the dead in Christ are raised and the living are caught up (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). We may differ on the timing of the rapture but not the fact of the rapture.”[i] The best place to begin talking about the Rapture is how it’s presented on the pages of the Bible, as an actual future event. We can establish the Rapture as scripturally sound event irrespective of its relationship to the Tribulation period. As Dr. Hindson alludes to in the above quote, there must be a time when the actions that Paul describes in 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 happen or God’s Word is not true: “For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.” This is the same event that the apostle wrote about in Corinthians 15:50-53: “I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.” Our biblical hope as New Testament saints consists of the following sequence of events all of which will happen very quickly, almost simultaneously:
There’s no greater comfort than this hope, as outlined above, as we journey through these perilous times. Paul told the Thessalonian saints to encourage each other with these things (1 Thessalonians 4:18, 5:11). Is this not something we should be doing as the days grow darker in the shadow of the rapidly approaching Tribulation period? THE NEW TESTAMENT REPEATEDLY CONNECTS THE RAPTURE WITH THE GOSPEL In 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10, we learn that Paul’s initial proclamation of the Gospel in Thessalonica included the fact of Jesus’ appearing to take believers away from a future time of wrath upon the earth (aka the Rapture): “For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.” Their conversion stories consisted not only of turning away from idols, but included that of waiting for Jesus’ appearing (as described in the previous section). Pay close attention to the words in Romans 8:23-25: “And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” The event Paul alludes to is what we today call the Rapture; this is the time when we receive our immortal bodies (“the redemption of our bodies”), and the Lord completes our adoption into God’s forever family. Notice what the apostle says about our anticipation of this event, “For in this hope we were saved.” The Rapture is an essential aspect our hope, the future tense of the Gospel. For New Testament saints, the Rapture marks the time when we fully experience the eternal life that we inherited at the moment we first believed. Paul’s descriptions of Jesus’ appearing simply adds details to Jesus’ promise of eternal life for all those who would believe in Him. The Rapture is either mentioned or alluded to in these additional New Testament texts: Philippians 3:20-21, Colossians 3:4, 1 Corinthians 1:7, Titus 2:11-15, Hebrews 9:28, James 5:7-8, 1 Peter 1:3, 1 John 3:2-3, and Revelation 3:10-11a. The event we call the “Rapture” is the essence of our eternal hope; it’s the Gospel future. It was never an afterthought in the New Testament church as it has become today. JESUS REFERRED TO THE RAPTURE, TOO In John 14:1-3, as Jesus sought to comfort His disciples after telling them He was about the leave them, He referred to the event we know as the Rapture. “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” The Greek word for “place” indicates that Jesus is preparing a physical residence for us in His Father’s house. And, Jesus promises to take us to that place. It’s not complicated; Jesus is coming for us to take us to the place He’s now preparing for us. Consider the words of Colossians 3:4, “When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.” When Jesus appears (aka the Rapture), we appear “in glory” with Him. We do not remain on the earth, but the Lord will catch us up just He promises us in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 and take us to glory as He says He will do in John 14:2-3 and Colossians 3:4. Pastors, some will take issue with you and possibly leave your church at your mention of the Rapture. These scoffers, however, are those who do not accept something that’s plainly taught in God’s Word. Please understand that it’s such people that cause division in your congregation (see Jude17-20; Proverbs 22:10), not you. People have called me a heretic and false teacher more times that I can remember. But remaining true to God’s word is what matters, not the opinion of others. And the Lord continues to bless my ministry in spite of the intense opposition and in spite of me as well. The first step is to discuss the Rapture as a biblical event that’s either described or referred to throughout the New Testament. Next, I will demonstrate why we can assert that the Rapture is different from the Second Coming of Jesus. They absolutely cannot be the same event. Click here for my next post. My new book, The Triumph of the Redeemed-An eternal Perspective that Calms Our Fears in Perilous Times, is now available on Amazon and at the Defender Bookstore. Jonathan C. Brentner - Website: Our Journey Home Please consider signing up for my newsletter [i] Ed Hindson, Future Glory (Eugene, Oregon: Harvest House Publishers, 2021), p. 14. The Rapture Cannot Happen at the Same Time as the Second Coming – Jonathan Brentner - https://www.jonathanbrentner.com/https/jonathan-brentner-g8fgsquarespacecom/config/2022/1/24/the-rapture-cannot-happen-at-the-time-of-the-second-coming In my previous post in this series, we established the Rapture as a biblical event; we have a firm scriptural basis for the series of closely related events that constitute our “blessed hope” (Titus 2:11-14). This next step consists of presenting the Rapture in a persuasive and cogent way that establishes it as unique event. Many insist that the Rapture happens when Jesus returns to earth, especially those who falsely dismiss biblical references to the Tribulation as allegory and deny that a time of God’s wrath is coming to our world. You will not convince those who belong to this group of deniers that Rapture is unique, but for those who interpret prophetic texts in the Bible according to the intent of the author, you will be able to make a solid case for separating the Rapture from the Second Coming. The following points, which I have condensed from my book The Triumph of the Redeemed, demonstrate that we cannot combine the two events into one. 1. THE PLACE OF THE RESURRECTION IN THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS In 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18, Paul states that the “dead in Christ will rise first.” We see this same order of events in 1 Corinthians 15:52; when Jesus comes for His church, He raises the “dead in Christ” first. The resurrection of New Testament saints occurs first in the rapid sequence of events in the biblical event that we call the Rapture. In Revelation 20:1–4, however, the resurrection of dead Tribulation saints occurs after Jesus’ triumphal return to earth, His defeat of the vast armies gathered against Jerusalem, His destruction of the False Prophet and Antichrist, the imprisonment of Satan, and the setting up of numerous thrones for judgment. After all these time-consuming events, the Lord raises the dead Tribulation saints from the grave (Revelation 19:11–20:6). Do you see how the place of the resurrection in the order of events differs significantly during the Rapture versus the Second Coming? In the Rapture, Jesus raises the “dead in Christ” first, before He does anything else. With the Second Coming, the resurrection happens after a series of events; it may not even occur on the same day as Jesus’ return to the earth. It’s impossible to merge the two events into one based on the placement of the resurrection of the dead saints in the sequence of events. 2. THE PARTICIPANTS Not only does the placement of the resurrection differ significantly between the Rapture and Second Coming, but so does the identification of its participants. John wrote the following about the resurrection that occurs at Jesus’ Second Coming: Those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. (Revelation 20:4). This group represents martyrs from the Tribulation whom we refer to as the “Tribulation saints.” When Paul writes about the Rapture, he says that Jesus resurrects the “dead in Christ” (1 Thessalonians 4:16; 1 Corinthians 15:52). It’s clear that this applies to all New Testament believers that have died rather than just the subset of the saints that John attributes to the resurrection that occurs after the Second Coming. The identity of the participants in the resurrections further distinguishes the Rapture from the Second Coming. 3. THE PLACE WHERE JESUS GATHERS THE SAINTS In 1 Thessalonians 4:17, Paul states that all living believers at the time of the Rapture will be “caught up…to meet the Lord in the air.” At His appearing, Jesus gathers us to Himself in the clouds and takes us back to the place He’s preparing for us in His Father’s house (see John 14:2–3). The passages describing the Second Coming don’t mention a meeting in the air. Jesus arrives amid much fanfare as He defeats the armies of the world in a climactic battle. It’s only after conquering the vast army arrayed against Jerusalem that He sends out His angels to gather both living believers and unbelievers for judgment at a location on the earth (Matthew 25:31–46). With the Second Coming, there’s no meeting in the air; everyone stays on the earth. With the Rapture, we will meet Jesus in the clouds. 4. THE DESTINATION OF BELIEVERS The accounts of Jesus’ Second Coming in the Gospels and in the book of Revelation do not include a return to heaven. During Jesus’ return to earth, the feet of those alive never leave the ground. The account of the Second Coming in Revelation 19:11–20:4 doesn’t include a trip to heaven; everyone remains on the earth. Such is not the case according to the passages from God’s Word regarding the Rapture. In John 14:2–3, Jesus said: In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. The Greek word for “place” in John 14:2–3 denotes a physical residence. Jesus is preparing a special “place” for us in His “Father’s house.” And, why would He mention rooms within His “Father’s house” in this context if He didn’t intend to take us there at His appearing? Consider the words of Paul in Colossians 3:4: When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. When Jesus appears, we “appear with him in glory”; we depart from this earth to be with Jesus and witness His glory. This is the Rapture! The Rapture and Second Coming cannot be the same event, because in one case the saints go to glory with Jesus and in the other instance, everyone remains earthbound. 5. THE TRANSFORMATION OF LIVING BELIEVERS In 1 Corinthians 15:51–54, Paul emphasizes the transformation of living believers that takes place at the moment Jesus appears to take us home. The Lord not only raises saints from the dead with immortal bodies, but also gives imperishable bodies to those alive at the time. The apostle again highlights the aspect of our new bodies in Philippians 3:20–21, where He promises that when the Lord comes for us, He “will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body.” This is the Rapture. The passages that describe the Second Coming do not contain any reference to the transformation of living believers. Although Jesus sends His angels to gather the elect, the text does not say that He gives them imperishable bodies. This only happens during the Rapture. 6. THE PRESENCE OF REBELLION DURING THE MILLENNIUM Since Jesus gives all believers—whether alive or dead—glorified, resurrected bodies at His appearing (Philippians 3:20–21; 1 Corinthians 15:51–55; Romans 8:23), combining the Rapture with the Second Coming would signify that no one would enter the millennial kingdom in natural bodies, which would make sin impossible during the thousand-year rule of Jesus, since everyone would possess glorified and imperishable bodies that are free from the presence of sin. Such a premise, however, directly contradicts what the Old and New Testaments tell us about the Millennium. Zechariah 14:9–19 reveals that during Jesus’ earthly reign, people will have the capacity to disobey Him by refusing to go to Jerusalem to worship. Furthermore, why would Jesus need to rule over the nations “with a rod of iron” during the Millennium (Psalm 2:9) if everyone has a sinless and immortal body? Who would rebel at the end of Jesus’ thousand-year reign (Revelation 20:7–10) if everyone enters the Millennium as a glorified saint incapable of sinning or reproducing? The Rapture must happen well before the Second Coming takes place to allow time for people to come to faith in the Savior and survive the Tribulation. The sin and rebellion that occur during the Millennium can only happen if people enter it with their natural bodies. This necessitates that a significant amount of time must transpire between the Rapture and Second Coming. 7. THE DIFFERING EMPHASES The emphasis of the Second Coming is judgment. During Jesus’ return to earth, He destroys the armies gathered against Him, throws the Antichrist and False Prophet into the lake of fire, locks up Satan for a thousand years, and gathers those who survive the Tribulation before His throne for judgment (Revelation 19:19–20:4). The message of the Rapture, however, is one of comfort and encouragement (1 Thessalonians 4:18, 5:11); it’s something that we can use to build up each other in the faith and this applies to today as much as in any previous time in church history. Our sudden departure from earth will signify judgment for the world, but for those of us in Christ, it constitutes our joyous anticipation and comforting hope. The uniqueness of the Rapture, as demonstrated by the above differences between it and the Second Coming, does not by itself confirm that the Rapture must happen before the Tribulation, but it does require that it must take place well before the Lord’s return to earth at the end of this time. Because the scoffers of our hope in Jesus’ imminent appearing continue to bring up church history as their way of refuting the Rapture, I will discuss this matter in my next post. My intent will be to give you a sure defense against such attacks and establish that early in the history of the church, theologians regarded Jesus’ appearing for His church and the Second Coming as two separate events. Note: Please consider signing up for my newsletter on the home page of my website at https://www.jonathanbrentner.com/ . It will greatly help me in reaching more people. Thanks! My new book, The Triumph of the Redeemed-An eternal Perspective that Calms Our Fears in Perilous Times, is now available on Amazon. Jonathan C. Brentner — Website: Our Journey Home Nearing Midnight: God’s Egress System – Terry James - https://www.raptureready.com/category/nearing-midnight/ Harkening back fifty plus years ago to my time in the United States Air Force, memories of the jet fighter trainers we were responsible for maintaining further stimulates thoughts on Bible prophecy. The words of Dr. J. Vernon McGee come to the forefront of that time a half-century ago. Dr. McGee once commented in answer to the naysayers about him being an “escapist” in regard to his pre-Trib view of Bible prophecy. He answered the detractors in his typically southern, cornpone, yet brilliantly humorous way. The arguments of those who poo-pooed the Pre-Trib Rapture usually went something like this. “Those who preach that that Christians will somehow avoid being part of the Tribulation are pie-in-the-sky escapists. They are preaching and teaching false doctrine. They just hope to escape that terrible seven years of God’s judgment and wrath.” Dr. McGee would say something like: “You better believe I hope to escape that time of God’s judgment and wrath. If the house is on fire, I’ll go out the door, through the window, or up the chimney. I’ll leave that burning building however I can.” Then McGee would usually add: “That’s who Jesus Christ is. He is the blessed hope. And He is my way of escape from that coming time.” “Boy howdy!” as ol’ Dr. McGee might say, were he here instead of with the Lord in Heaven. “Are we ever in a house on fire today!” As we’ve covered time after time, every which direction we look we see signals that indicate, like the title of a Billy Graham book once read, in a World Aflame! Societally and culturally, the landscape is so debauched that nothing short of a miracle can bring things back into a normal pattern of life with morality at its center. The Antichrist spirit has brought about a turning of humanity’s back on God. The result is the reprobate mind of Romans 1:28 for the majority across the world. Consider the gravity of the sexual revolution of the 1960s that has pulled human sexuality ever downward into some sort of insane-asylum configuration. Men can now be women and women can be men. Boys and girls are taught they can be whichever gender they decide, leaving the parents out of any decision-making. Sodom and Gomorrah-level homosexuality and other depravity is not only accepted, but embraced and championed by governmental leaders and mainstream media. Even worse, a large portion of so-called Christian clergy declare it all to come under God’s love, with no condemnation. The Bible is old-fashioned, out of tune with the times, and should be rewritten to be inclusive of all these new ways of sexuality and human behavior. Governmental and political lies reside at the heart of everything from legislation to judicial decision-making. Deceivers are on the scene as never before, just as Jesus forewarned for the end of the age while sitting atop the Mount of Olives answering his disciples’ questions about when the end would come. All nations mentioned in Bible prophecy for the wrap-up of human history seem at play at this very moment. Russia is about to assault Ukraine; Iran threatens Israel with utter destruction; and the Europeans are in turmoil, becoming lockdown states as the likes of Emmanuel Macron of France becomes more dictatorial by the day. China is on a tear, threatening all within its sphere of hegemony and promising to bring Taiwan back into its orb, even if it takes kinetic war. Pope Francis embraces the dark side at every turn. He fires from the Catholic government longtime clerics who don’t go along with his rewriting of the Scriptures to include homosexuality in biblical approval. It is indeed a World Aflame! So, this brings me back to ol’ Dr. McGee and my time in the US Air Force all of those decades ago. Just as McGee said he would go out the door, through the windows, or up the chimney to escape a burning house, so pilots of those high-performance jet trainers we worked on wanted to escape sure death if necessary. All jet fighters have an egress system. This is that means of escape. The seats in which the pilots sit and in which they, with their parachutes, are strapped tightly, have what was called in my day t-handles. As I recall, there was a metal handle that the pilot could grip on each side of the seat so it was easy to pull if necessary. The t-handles were painted bright yellow in the T-38 trainer, as I remember. The pilot could pull straight up on the t-handles. When that happened, the canopy was supposed to pop loose and the wind would take it away. Instantly, a small but powerful rocket ejected the pilot high above the doomed aircraft. At least this is how it was supposed to work. There were times when the canopy wouldn’t pop loose and be carried away by the wind stream. The top of the seat above the pilot’s helmet-covered head had a canopy piercer. It was a piece of metal shaped kind of like an axe blade. If the canopy didn’t deploy, the canopy piercer would crash through the canopy bubble when the rocket fired. As I say, there were cases when the whole egress system didn’t work properly. These sometimes ended with the pilot being caught up in the destruction of the plane. All this is to say that we are on a planet about to crash, and, like ol’ Dr. McGee, any sane person would want a way to escape any such holocaust that Bible prophecy foretells. I’ve given the commentary the title “God’s Egress System” because that’s exactly who His Son, Jesus Christ, is. He is the “blessed hope”—the Savior of the world that is aflame. He came to seek and save the lost—all who are headed down into flames if not ejected into the air when Christ calls all born-again believers to Himself. The crash into judgment and wrath could happen at any moment. This world is aflame with all of the things we have looked at as indicators of the end times. God’s escape is available for all who will grip that blessed hope—the t-handle of God’s egress system. Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. (Titus 2:13–14) The United States Is Becoming A Third World Country - by Michael Snyder - http://endoftheamericandream.com/the-united-states-is-becoming-a-third-world-country/ In the old days, Americans would derisively speak of “third world countries” that were plagued by high crime rates, corrupt governments, severe economic problems and an overall lack of civilized behavior. Unfortunately, the tables have turned, and now we are becoming a “third world country”. The thin veneer of civilization that we all used to take for granted has been steadily disappearing, and our nation seems to become a little bit more degenerate with each passing day. Of course this didn’t happen overnight. It has taken decades of decline to get us to this point, and now our decline appears to be accelerating. If you have ever visited a foreign country with a major crime problem, you probably recall the unsettling experience of suddenly realizing that you are the prey and that the predators on the streets won’t hesitate to take advantage of you if they sense an opportunity. Sadly, many Americans now feel like that on a permanent basis in their own local communities. In recent years, crime rates in our core urban areas have absolutely skyrocketed. For example, the Daily Mail is reporting that carjackings in some major U.S. cities have risen by up to 510 percent… Major cities across the US have observed carjackings spike by up to 510 percent in a ‘disturbing’ trend some are attributing to lax punishment and a shift in driving habits. In line with an overall rise in violent crime across the nation, cities such as Chicago, New York, Philadelphia and New Orleans are experiencing a jump in violent vehicle takeovers as critics slam criminal reform systems. Other forms of theft has become absolutely rampant as well. Footage of thousands of discarded boxes and packages that had been stolen from cargo trains in southern California shocked the nation so much that California Governor Gavin Newsom felt compelled to go down there and check it out for himself. Once he got down there, he actually used the term “third world” to describe what he was witnessing… Last week, the governor visited the site as an effort was already underway to clean up the shredded boxes after looters broke into railcars to steal Amazon and UPS packages. “What the hell is going on?” Reuters quoted Newsom as saying amid the aftermath of the railcar thefts on Union Pacific train tracks in downtown Los Angeles. Newsom said the scene “looked like a third world, these images, the drone images that were on the nightly news.” For once, Newsom was actually 100 percent correct. This sort of thing shouldn’t be happening in a civilized society. But even when we catch criminals and take them to jail, they are often put back on the streets very quickly. In Detroit, a drug dealer that doused his pregnant girlfriend with lighter fluid and set her on fire “was granted a $5,000 bond” and is now free to continue terrorizing those around him… A Detroit drug dealer was granted a $5,000 bond despite allegedly setting fire to his girlfriend who was 27 weeks pregnant with twins, burning 60 percent of her body and leaving her critically-ill. Convicted drug pusher Devonne Marsh, 42, reportedly doused his 26-year-old girlfriend with lighter fluid and ignited her on fire after the pair had an argument. Of course crime is just one piece of the puzzle. Inflation is out of control, there are widespread shortages all over the country, basic services are breaking down, this pandemic has exposed rampant incompetence and deep corruption among our health authorities, and our streets are filled with drug addicts, homeless vagrants and scam artists. As our country deteriorates at a very alarming pace, an increasing number of Americans are blaming the Biden administration for our woes… “Downhill, divided, doubting democracy, falling behind, and tuning out — this is how Americans are feeling as they’re heading into 2022,” Democrat pollster Jeff Horwitt of Hart Research Associates told NBC News. Biden’s approval remains in the low 40s (43%) and 72% of Americans say the country is headed in the wrong direction. NBC News reports more than 70% saying that in back-to-back polls has happened just six times in the poll’s history, according to the report. And another recent survey found that just 19 percent of Americans “strongly approve” of Joe Biden’s performance at this point… Only 19 percent of likely voters strongly approve of President Joe Biden’s performance, down three points in two weeks, a Monday Rasmussen poll revealed. After Biden’s two-hour press conference last week in which he was questioned why 49 percent of voters believe he is mentally unfit to be president, 49 percent also strongly disapproved of Biden’s presidential performance, a 30 point differential. Certainly Biden has been a complete and utter disaster, but all of our problems are not solely his fault. It has taken decades for America to reach this juncture, and things are getting worse with each passing day. I really like how Victor Davis Hansen summarized the current state of affairs in one of his recent articles… Hard Left “woke” ideology has all but obliterated the idea of a border. Millions of impoverished foreigners are entering the United States illegally — and during a pandemic without either COVID-19 tests or vaccinations. The health bureaucracies have lost credibility as official communiques on masks, herd and acquired immunity, vaccinations, and comorbidities apparently change and adjust to perceived political realities. After decades of improving race relations, America is regressing into a pre-modern tribal society. Crime soars. Inflation roars. Meritocracy is libeled and so we are governed more by ideology and tribe. We are so deeply divided, and there is so much anger and hatred in our nation today. And a house that is divided will surely fall. If we really want to behave like a third world country, perhaps we should eat like a third world country too. In fact, the elite have already been strongly promoting the idea that we should all become accustomed to eating bugs… A quick search of the World Economic Forum website reveals an obsession with the idea. Here’s a small selection of articles from the last few years: “Worms for dinner? Europe backs insect based food”; “Good grub: why we might be eating insects soon”; and “Fancy a bug burger?” The house journals of global capitalism, the Financial Times and The Economist, take a similar line. Both publications advocate for entomophagy beneath perky headlines such as “Eating bugs: a culinary idea with legs” and “Why eating insects makes sense”. Doesn’t that sound fun? Actually, at the rate that global food supplies are tightening, bug eating may become quite popular sooner rather than later. We live in such troubled times, and I have a feeling that they are about to become a lot more troubled. But I don’t plan on eating bugs. And I don’t want to live in a third world country. Unfortunately, our politicians don’t listen to people like you and me. They are just going to keep doing what they are doing, and we are all going to suffer the consequences of their disastrous decisions. Daily Jot: Stupidocrisy: Doubleminded statements and policies - Bill Wilson – www.dailyjot.com The Department of Homeland Security announced that on January 22 non-US travelers who wish to enter the US by ferry or land ports of entry at the Mexico and Canadian borders must show proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19. That is, all except those who illegally cross the border. OSHA, after a Supreme Court smackdown, officially withdrew Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate on companies with 100 employees or more, saying it just wanted to protect unvaccinated workers of large employers “from workplace exposure to coronavirus.” Really? The vaccine does not prevent contracting or transmitting COVID. OSHA says it will be back with a permanent COVID “healthcare standard.” But wait, there’s more. Former head of the Food and Drug Administration, now on the Pfizer board of directors—isn’t that a cozy gig—Dr. Scott Gottlieb, told CNBC that the time is coming where mask and vaccine mandates should be removed as quickly as they were put in place. He said, “I think a lot of the acrimony that we are having here in the United States is because we haven’t prescribed clear goal posts for when we are going to withdraw a lot of these measures.” Talk about moving goal posts, Townhall.com reports that Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla openly stated during a J.P. Morgan healthcare conference this week that current COVID vaccines the company developed offer “limited, if any” protection against contracting current variants of the disease. He then encouraged booster shots. Huh? Couple that with White House COVID Czar Dr. Anthony Fauci’s remarks on ABC’s This Week and there is total removal of the goal posts. Fauci said, “But we do know—these are the recent data that have come out from the CDC that, even with Omicron, boosting makes a major, major difference in protecting you from hospitalization and severe outcomes, so things are looking good.” The head of the company that made the vaccine just said that the vaccines offer “limited, if any” protection against variants like Omicron. Talk about conflicting statements from the captains of the COVID battle. By the way, Fauci also said that those people who haven’t been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or received vaccine booster shots may still see “a bit more pain and suffering with hospitalizations.” In the same interview, Fauci said, “You never want to be overconfident when you’re dealing with this virus. But if you look at the patterns that we’ve seen in South Africa, in the UK, and in Israel and in the northeast and New England and upper Midwest states, they have peaked and [are] starting to come down rather sharply.” So what is it? Foreigners entering the country need to be vaccinated, or not? The mandates need to end, or are more government restrictions coming? The vaccines protect against new variants, or don’t they? Has the virus and variants peaked, or not? One thing for certain, Fauci was right that there will be more pain and suffering—but for everyone. James 1:8 says, “A doubleminded man is unstable in all his ways.” And that has been the lies and deceit during this entire COVID fiasco—doublemindedness. Say it with me…Stupidocrisy. Daily Devotion: Moving On from Setbacks - by Greg Laurie – www.harvest.org Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry. —2 Timothy 4:11 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/moving-on-from-setbacks/ - Listen John Mark had a weak start. As the nephew of Barnabas, he went on a missionary journey with his uncle and the great apostle Paul. We don’t know what happened, but for some reason Mark changed his mind and wanted to go home. And when Paul and Barnabas went on their next missionary journey, Barnabas suggested they take Mark with them. Paul, however, was opposed to it. He didn’t want to take him along because of what happened on the previous trip. However, Mark eventually was able to repair his relationship with Paul, because in 2 Timothy 4:11, the apostle wrote, “Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry” (NKJV). Add to this the fact that Mark was very close to Simon Peter, because Peter referred to him as his son (see 1 Peter 5:13). And Mark ended up writing the Gospel that bears his name. Actually, many believe that the gospel of Mark was dictated by Peter (and I happen to agree), meaning that it’s effectively the gospel according to Peter. Yet at the same time, Mark witnessed the ministry of Jesus. And when an angel of the Lord delivered Peter from prison, the Bible tells us that Peter showed up at Mark’s house, where he lived with his mother, Mary (see Acts 12:12). Mark was at the epicenter of many incredibly significant biblical events. Yes, he had a huge setback at one point, but he made a recommitment and ended up as a bona fide Gospel writer. That’s quite a distinction. Maybe you’ve had a setback in life. Maybe you’ve done something you regret, bailed on a commitment you made, or had a lapse of faith. Know this: Your setback actually can turn out to be a set up. Your test can become a testimony. 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
December 2024
Categories |
RSS Feed