Walking by Faith in Perilous Times – Jonathan Brentner - https://www.jonathanbrentner.com/https/jonathan-brentner-g8fgsquarespacecom/config/2020/11/11/walking-by-faith-in-perilous-times
I still experience varying emotions in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election in the United States. At times, I feel a calm confidence in God’s sovereignty. I know we live in the last hours of human history as we know it and all the signs point to the nearness of the seven-year tribulation and hence our departure to the place Jesus is preparing for us (John 14:2-3). On too many occasions, however, what I read about the widespread election fraud aimed against President Trump stirs up panic in my soul. It’s then that I find myself scurrying back to Scripture and prayer through which I bring my heart’s unrest before the Lord. The outcome of the election in the United States impacts the entire world in the sense that if America falls under the leadership of those dedicated to the New World Order, this will remove the most powerful obstacle in the way of the globalists that seek to establish a Marxist one-world government. Habakkuk lived in a day remarkably similar to ours and he felt the same despondency we often feel as we witness the corruption, violence, and injustice of our day. His words below express his desire for the Lord to intervene in the wickedness rampant in ancient Judah. O LORD, how long shall I cry for help, / and you will not hear? / Or cry to you “Violence!” / and you will not save? / Why do you make me see iniquity, / and why do you idly look at wrong? / Destruction and violence are before me; / strife and contention arise. / So the law is paralyzed, / and justice never goes forth. / For the wicked surround the righteous; / so justice goes forth perverted. Habakkuk 1:2-4 Not only does this prophet of old express many of our thoughts today, there’s also much we can learn from the ongoing dialog between Habakkuk and the Lord. The exchange teaches us much about a walk of faith during perilous times. WE CAN EXPRESS OUR THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS TO THE LORD Habakkuk knew that he was not conveying new information to the Lord in his initial complaint, but he felt the freedom to fully express his heart to Him. Putting his feelings in words helped him unburden his heart and clarified the answer he sought from God. We have the freedom to follow the example of the prophet in sharing our deepest feelings with Him knowing that He cares for us. There are a great number of Psalms where David and others do exactly that. As I battled feelings of despondency last week, I made my distress known to the Lord. In response, He brought the words of Psalm 37:28 to my mind. “For the LORD loves justice; / he will never forsake his saints. / They are preserved forever, / but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.” Just as He did with the prophet, God responded to my complaint through His Word, though not quite as directly as He did with Habakkuk. This verse assured me that the Lord sees all the great injustice taking place in America. As a result, I found I could rest in His sovereignty and righteousness while still praying for a favorable resolution to the election. I very much want justice to prevail in the U.S., but I also agree with JD Farag in that if I had a choice between “four more years” and the rapture happening in the next few days or weeks, I would without hesitation pick Jesus’ appearing to take me home. He alone is my Savior and my ultimate hope. WE MAY NOT LIKE GOD’S ANSWER In His response to Habakkuk, the Lord told the prophet about His future judgment of Judah. In 1:5-11, He revealed that the Chaldeans, also known as the Babylonians, would come against Judah because of the violence and injustice the prophet had cited in the opening verses. The Lord’s answer troubled the prophet (see Hab. 1:12-17). How could the Lord use such a fiercely violent and idolatrous people as his instrument of justice on his chosen people? The Lord again assured the prophet that He knew all about the wickedness of the Babylonians and would judge them accordingly (2:6-20). I cannot help but wonder if the great division in the United States stems from the great wickedness that is rampant here. I grieve over the widespread acceptance of the evil and the horrors of abortion and so many other matters such as sex trafficking that surely deserve God’s judgment. I wonder if I would have been happy with God’s response to my complaints during the past week if He would have responded to me as specifically as He did with the prophet. What would the Lord say about the fate of the United States? Would it be as dire as His message concerning the future of Judah in Habakkuk’s day? WE WAIT AND THEN WE WAIT SOME MORE If there’s anything I have learned from my walk with the Lord over the years is that He often makes me wait. He does not answer my pleas as soon as I would like, nor do I see Him respond as quickly to injustice as I expect. But I have also learned that His final answer is always worth waiting for. In response to Habakkuk’s second complaint, the Lord told him to “wait” and that “the righteous shall live by faith” (Hab. 2:2-4). Notice the Lord’s answer to the prophet in these verses: Write the vision; / make it plain on tablets, / so he may run who reads it. / For still the vision awaits its appointed time; / it hastens to the end—it will not lie. / If it seems slow, wait for it; / it will surely come; it will not delay. / “Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, / but the righteous shall live by his faith. In these verses and those that follow, the Lord tells the prophet that He will also judge the Chaldeans, but he would need to wait for it. I believe there was a near and far fulfillment to the vision that Habakkuk saw in the remainder of chapter 2 and most of chapter 3. Under Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and took many people captive. Habakkuk may have lived to witness this as it happened a decade or two after he wrote. He would not have lived long enough, however, to see God judge the great Chaldean Empire, which occurred almost a century later. As for the future fulfillment of the vision, the Lord will destroy a future representation of Babylon as described in Revelation 18, which I believe is the kingdom of Satan during the tribulation. We see it coming to power now under labels such as the New World Order or The Great Reset. I believe the globalists behind the movement for a one world government lie behind the current coup to remove President Trump via election fraud. He stands in the way of their aspirations to control the world. Spurred on by the devil himself, what we see is evidence of their impatience as they seek to bring the world under their total control. We live in a time of waiting. It may be several weeks, or more, before we learn the final outcome of the 2020 U.S. presidential election. At the same time, we also wait for Jesus’ imminent appearing to take us home. We do not know the timing of what lies ahead for us, but we know that when the end comes, it will come suddenly (1 Thess. 5:3; 1 Cor. 15:52). These words from Habakkuk aptly apply to our current period in history as we wait for the Lord to intervene, “If it seems slow, wait for it; / it will surely come; it will not delay. While we wait, we walk by faith knowing that the convergence of signs tells us we live in the season of Jesus’ return. WE LOOK TO THE LORD FOR STRENGTH AND JOY The book of Habakkuk ends with one of the strongest proclamations of faith in Scripture. The prophet starts his book questioning God’s absence amid the violence and corruption of his day, but ends with these amazing words recorded in 3:17-19: Though the fig tree should not blossom, / nor fruit be on the vines, / the produce of the olive fail / and the fields yield no food, / the flock be cut off from the fold / and there be no herd in the stalls, / yet I will rejoice in the Lord; / I will take joy in the God of my salvation. / God, the LORD, is my strength; / he makes my feet like the deer's; / he makes me tread on my high places. After the prophet describes conditions that would be totally catastrophic to any agrarian nation such as Judah, he amazingly states his total faith in the Lord. Regardless of the future for his nation, he would “rejoice” and rely upon the Lord’s strength. He knew dark and traumatic days were coming to Judah, but that didn’t shake his absolute trust in the Lord. We have a distinct advantage over the prophet Habakkuk. We live in New Testament days and have the entirety of Scripture at our fingertips. The Bible is essential to our faith in times like these. It pushes our hearts and souls ahead to the promises of Jesus’ appearing, our reign with Him in His millennial kingdom, and our eternal enjoyment of paradise on the new earth and in the New Jerusalem. We do not know what tomorrow will bring, but we rest in what the Lord has promised in His Word. In times like these, we look to the Lord for both our strength and joy. I love the United States and the freedoms I have enjoyed here all my life. I feel great sorrow at the prospect that corrupt people might erase many of our liberties through election fraud. However, I also value my heavenly citizenship and know that someday, possibly quite soon, my hope will become a reality, “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself” (Phil. 3:20-21). I long for the day Jesus returns and transforms my “lowly body to be like his glorious body” and takes me home to be with Him forevermore. Jesus’ appearing is the hope that keeps us going as we walk by faith in perilous times. We know that much better days lie ahead for us, days when we will experience the redemption of our bodies and live forever in paradise. It may seem like we live in the midst of a long delay, but keep watching; Jesus will surely come for us! We live on the very edge of eternity.
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Are America’s Foundations Crumbling? – Jonathan Brentner - https://www.jonathanbrentner.com/https/jonathan-brentner-g8fgsquarespacecom/config/2020/11/6/the-foundations-are-crumbling
According to the notes of Dr. James McHenry, one of Maryland’s delegates to the Constitutional Convention in 1787, a lady asked Dr. Franklin this at its conclusion, “Well Doctor what have we got, a republic or a monarchy.” Benjamin Franklin replied, “A republic . . . if you can keep it.” This quote has been ringing in my ears since I heard about the election fraud taking place in many states. If this coup succeeds in ousting our legally elected President from office, we will be well on our way to losing our republic, our freedoms, and our way of life. The foundations of our freedoms are crumbling as I write. I feel similar to how I felt on September 11, 2001 as I watched the two towers of the World Trade Center fall to the ground. Within our trust of the Lord, I believe there’s room for sadness as we watch political corruption prevail in the country we love. Psalm 11 has come to mind several times this week. There David, the anointed king of Israel, gives us a window into his heart as he faced great danger from King Saul and his armies who wanted to kill him. At the end of Psalm 11, David voices confidence in the Lord and it’s a hopeful message for me and I suspect for many of you as well. THE ATTACK OF THE WICKED In Psalm 11, David’s advisors tell him to run away; they say, “. . . for behold, the wicked bend the bow; / they have fitted their arrow to the string / to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart . . .” (Psalm 11:2). The picture here is of the wicked operating in the dark looking to ambush the righteous. Is this not an apt picture of what happened in several states as we slept in the early hours of November 4 under the cover of darkness? Things have not changed much since the days of David; the wicked still attack the righteous with greed in their hearts. The language in Psalm 11 is similar to Psalm 37:12-15 but includes a much different outcome. There, David says that “the Lord laughs at the wicked, / for he sees that his day is coming “ (v. 13). Then he adds that “their sword shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be broken” (v. 15). Those intent on making anarchy a way of life will ultimately fail although they may succeed for a while. The Bible tells us that the agenda of the globalists will eventually succeed in making their New World Order a reality. This is the final form of the beast in Daniel 8 and in Revelation 13 that will dominate the world under the direction of the antichrist. Could the attempted coup to oust our duly elected President be a part of their plan? I believe it is. Although the wicked may succeed for a while, the message of Psalm37:1-20 is that in the end, they will do more harm to themselves than to the righteous. TRUST IN GOD VERSUS LIMITED OPTIONS Those advising David saw no way out of his current predicament other than to run far away, “. . . if the foundations are destroyed, / what can the righteous do?” (v. 4). In other words, they told him he options were limited, if even that. He needed to flee from the danger. Bruce K. Waltke, in his commentary on Psalms for The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, states that “foundations” in this verse represent a “metaphor for the order of society . . . the established institutions, the social and civil order of the community.” Is this not what we see this week in the United States? Make no mistake, the election fraud is an attack against the “civil order” of our nation and if those behind it succeed, they may do irreparable damage to the basis of our liberties. If we cannot trust states to accurately report the results of the elections in their states, then we are surely in danger of losing our republic as Benjamin Franklin warned about so many years ago. David, however, did not let his limited options shake his confidence in the Lord. THE LORD REMAINS SOVEREIGN David did not place his confidence in what he could see, but rather in the One who sees everything and remains in control of all things. In Psalm 11:4 we read, “The Lord is in his holy temple; / the Lord's throne is in heaven; / his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man.” David responded to his dire situation by voicing his trust in God’s absolute sovereignty. Nothing escapes the notice of our all-knowing and all-powerful Lord. The One who loves justice (Psalm 37:28) sees all the corruption and violence that we see and so much more! David continued by saying that the Lord “soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.” Bruce Waltke adds this about God’s hatred for the wicked, “The holy God may not immediately judge the wicked, but his holiness excludes any love for those who ‘love violence’” (v. 5). We may not see the end of those seeking to wreak havoc on our freedoms, but God sees their fate as though it’s happening now. The word for “violence” in verse 5 includes the implication of “unjust gain.” The ESV translation captures this usage of the Hebrew word in Proverbs 1:19, “Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain; / it takes away the life of its possessors” (emphasis mine). While violence may be the means of those seeking unjust gain (Prov. 1:11-18), their ultimate motive is to steal what does not rightfully belong to them. THE LORD IS THE ULTIMATE JUDGE Not only does the Lord see everything that happens, but He will also judge the wicked, those who remain hostile to Him. In verse 6, David describes the end of the wicked. “Let him rain coals on the wicked; / fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.” While David’s desire sounds quite harsh to modern ears, it rightly portrays the fate of the wicked who persist in rejecting the Lord. So many today refuse to accept the idea of God’s final judgment, but the Psalmist here correctly depicts the fate of all those who reject Christ and His sacrifice for their sins. It’s only by God’s grace and abundant mercy that we escape the fate of the wicked and inherit the very righteousness of Christ (2 Cor. 5:21). The words “But God” in Ephesians 2:4 sum up our salvation. Because of our place “in Christ,” Paul says that in the “coming ages” the Lord will “show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:7). I often think Ephesians 2:7 is the most overlooked verse in the Bible. It’s good that we emphasize the truths of Ephesians 2:8-10, of course. But so often we forget that the Lord intends to shower us with kindness through all eternity. This is over-the-top joyful news regardless of our lot on earth. FINAL THOUGHTS Although the election drama in the United States remains out of our hands, here are a few thoughts that I have as we face the peril that the election drama may pose for our freedoms. 1. Prayer is essential. This is perhaps the most important thing we can do as we wait for a resolution to the election drama, and it may be a very long wait. Pray for our President and for a just resolution to this serious crisis facing our nation. Let the Lord know how you feel and what you desire. 2. Spending time in God’s word is vital for us in such a time as this. I cannot emphasize this enough. It’s in Scripture that find our hope in Jesus’ appearing and know that someday we will reign with Jesus over the very nations that now reject Him and repudiate His Word. I read Psalms 37 and 73 when I feel tempted to fret over the injustice and violence I see in the world. Righteous indignation is not sinful, but it can become something dark when we hold on to it and do not let the Lord minister to our soul through Scripture along with the Holy Spirit (see Ephesians 4:26-27). 3. It’s okay to be sad. As I write this post three days later, I remain quite sad over the events of the past week. This morning, the Lord reminded me of Nehemiah’s sadness after learning of the dire condition of Jerusalem. His sorrow appears to have lasted for over a month (Neh. 1-2). The Lord, however, used his grief to spark his desire to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. 4. It helps to read passages that assert God’s sovereignty. I often turn to Psalms 46-47 when I feel sadness over what I see in the world. It helps me to recite Psalm 46:10 and imagine the Lord Jesus ruling over all the nations of the world as described in Psalm 47. We will reign with Him over the nations that now grow in their hostility to Him. I do not know what will happen in the coming months. I dare not even hazard a guess. Perhaps we will see a just result to the election, perhaps not. The Bible says that a world government will arise in the last days that will include all the nations of the earth, including America. I believe the attempt to steal the election in the United States is a part of the globalists seeking to make this happen. President Trump rightly stated at his campaign stops that as long as he remained the president, the socialist agenda for America would not succeed. This perhaps explains the concerted and well-planned efforts of the left to see that he no longer remains in office. The wildcard I see for us is the timing of the rapture. Scripture tells us that our departure from earth will happen before both the seven-year tribulation and the rise of the antichrist to world dominance. We know the rapture is imminent, but we do not know how much more of the world’s rush toward the New World Order we will experience before Jesus comes to take us home to the place He’s preparing for us (John 14:2-3). The road ahead may become difficult or even perilous for those of us who love the Lord and have also long valued the freedoms we have enjoyed in the United States. We are very much in danger of losing the republic as Benjamin Franklin warned about long ago. The foundations of our nation crumble a little bit more with each vote fraudulently counted in favor of Biden. Will this fraud continue undermining the United States? We do not know the answer to that question at the present time. Despite what we see, never forget that God remains sovereign and is a safe refuge for our soul when all looks lost. Proverbs 18:10 assures us of this, “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.” Maranatha! Through the Looking Glass – Pete Garcia - https://www.rev310.com/2020/11/through-the-looking-glass
“If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn’t. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn’t be. And what it wouldn’t be, it would. You see?” The Mad Hatter, Alice in Wonderland From a faux-impeachment to a CCP-spawned pandemic; from Murder Hornets to massive wildfires; from numerous hurricanes to anarchy and riots; from historic Mid-East peace initiatives to one of the craziest election heists ever seen in American history. The year 2020 will definitely go down in the books as one of the most bizarre, topsy-turvy years on record. Most people (believers and non-believers alike) have been scratching their collective heads trying to make sense of all this. All I can say is that this has been 100 years in the making, and promises to lead to one, inescapable conclusion- the Rapture of the Church, and the world’s coming appointment with divine judgment. * Since the founding of our nation in 1776, our nation has undergone several, significant turning points that have shaped the course of our nation’s destiny. This means had the U.S., gone in the wrong direction, our nation would have never survived. Fair to say, our nation has been under assault by our adversary the Devil, since before its inception, and he has been relentless. The Revolutionary War was the result of our declaration of independence from the world’s superpower at the time. Great Britain, then led by the “mad” King George III, who, either he or his enablers, hardened their hearts against their subject’s pleas for liberty. This led to armed conflict, where thousands lost their freedoms, their livelihood, and even their lives. Satan attempted to strangle this baby republic in its cradle, only to see the church rise up and galvanize the citizens against tyrannical rule. The next major turning point was the Civil War, America’s bloodiest conflict. This war happened when a Republican Union led by a newly elected president, Abraham Lincoln, fought against the pro-slavery Democrats (the Confederates) attempt to secede and form their own nation. Brother fought against brother over the issue of human slavery, costing this nation nearly 700,000 American lives. The next two events were World War I (the Great War) and World War II (the Good War). While the US survived the aforementioned events, it did so at great costs. World Wars I and II were no exception. Our history presents us with the view that World War II was fought by the greatest generation, against the greatest evil, and winning the greatest victory. However, we did not come out of this war the same as we went into it. The Civil War changed us from These United States to The United States, which was/is a subtle yet powerful distinction. Similarly, World War I changed us from being merely those distant cousins from across the pond to new actors on the world’s stage. World War II changed us from being merely actors on the world stage, into the world’s premier superpower. The spoils of victory here were and are still self-evident. Our victory gave us global prestige, economic dominance, and military superiority. History tells us the United States and her allies decisively won World War II; but did we really win? Moreover, what did we lose in this victory? How does this play out today in the 21st century, and what does it mean in this contentious election year of 2020? The answer is both maddeningly simple, yet, intentionally complicated. Simple: With our victory, we lost our sense of American Exceptionalism. Intentionally complicated: We spent the next seventy-years heavily investing ourselves in globalism by way of endless nation-building to combat the spread of communism. We oversaw the rise of the military-industrial complex, and we justified it by declaring a Cold War against the Soviet Union. This inevitably led to speeding the rise of increasingly frightening technologies that will one day enslave humanity. This technology led to the rise of extremely powerful and wealthy multinational conglomerates, which began spreading its ties around the world like an impossibly complicated spider web. In other words, the waters got muddied. ** However, let me back up a second. By the late 18th-century, the American and French Revolutions (followed by numerous others) had influenced much of the European elite that it was perhaps time to sunset monarchial rule. Although Europe has kept their royal families even until today, the true political power began to shift toward nationalist governments by the middle of the 19th-century. This, along with the Industrial Revolution, began to play itself out as a time of great turmoil, as nations jockeyed to become the number one military power. This escalation and overconfidence in the industrial arms race was a large reason why Europeans were so quick to rush into World War I. In early 1914, though, it seemed almost impossible that Britain and France would go to war with Germany to defend Russia against Austria-Hungary over a dispute with Serbia. Yet by June 28, war moved straight from impossible to inevitable — without ever passing through improbable. Four years later, 10 million people had died. (From World War One: First war was impossible, then inevitable; Anatole Kaletsky) Even though World War I cost Europe a generation of young men, it presented itself as the right time to dismantle the old empires, and build a new world (e.g., Sykes-Picot Agreement, Balfour Declaration, San Remo Conference, League of Nations, etc.). The world leaders of the 1920s decided nationalism would be the solution to the world’s problems. This decision turned former colonies into nation-states almost overnight. Most of these former colonies were often ill-equipped for self-governance. Predictably, freedom, when given to people who have never had it, often turns bad, quickly as the first strong man to grab the reins, often never let go. Within two decades, the world was filling up with tin-pot, banana republics. However, even a modernized and civilized nation like Germany was not immune to poorly thought-out decisions. The Treaty of Versailles for instance was so heavy-handed in its punishment against Germany that socialism and communism became the preferred solution to their problems. This allowed for an unknown political entity called the National Socialist German Workers Party, or Nazis, to rise to power. As history has borne out, the Third Reich became the vilest expression of nationalism had ever seen. The world once again marched quickly toward war. Nevertheless, if WWI was the rallying cry to dismantle the old world order, then WWII became the rallying cry to create a new one. The Nazis had just provided globalists the perfect crisis to expose the evils of nationalism and supposed virtues of globalism. This then provided the perfect justification for a United Nations. Even the great British statesman Winston Churchill was not immune to the globalist euphoria sweeping the late 1940s. He took it a step further and proposed creating a united Europe with a single leader. The End state: Globalism good. Nationalism bad. That was the way of the world for roughly the next forty years until President Reagan came along. In fact, no president since Abraham Lincoln had done more to champion American Exceptionalism than Ronald Reagan. *** In asking what we lost by winning, what we really lost was western civilization. With socialism (communism-light) the most predominant form of government in the post-WWII era, one notable change was the subtle, yet, increasingly aggressive attacks on American history, our civic duties, on Christianity, and the family. This corruption came through the education systems, through pop culture, churches, and the political machinations of both the ideological left and the bureaucratic establishment. Their goal? To fundamentally change America. How would they do it? By corrupting America from the inside out. Not to be outdone, there was also a war to corrupt America from the outside in. The political, military, and economic interests became multinational in scope and international in reach. From endless wars and conflicts arising from our global nation-building during the Cold War to the industrial empires rising out of the ashes of the old world order. Add in the political and unelected power brokers (Trilateral Commission, Bilderberg Group, Club of Rome, etc.) who began to exert their influence over the elected powerbrokers. Their goal? To make America so hopelessly entangled in world affairs that we had no choice but to embrace globalism. Granted, Reagan was not perfect (no president is), but he understood what made America exceptional. It wasn’t our political power. It wasn’t our economic power. It wasn’t even our citizens. It was our Constitution and our shared history that forged us into a nation like no other. After Reagan’s second term ended in 1988, it would be nearly thirty-years later until we saw this same mentality rise again, through the likes of the most unlikely of candidates, Donald Trump. **** There are six major narratives being spun today, that bear sorting through to make any sense of what we are seeing here in the waning months of 2020. One candidate, the incumbent populist/nationalist Republican, President Donald J. Trump, ran against the former Vice President, Joe Biden, in one of the most lopsided campaign years ever recorded. Let us go through these together. · Illegitimacy: The Democrats spent four years trying to delegitimize the Trump Administration. After four years of complaining, rioting, protesting, boycotting, and investigating supposed Russian interference in the 2016 election surprise victory by Donald Trump, the Democrat Party, and it’s sycophants- the MSM, Big Tech, academia, and Hollywood are actively working overtime to convince everyone the 2020 election was legitimate. This, despite egregious abuses and irregularities that are too obvious to ignore. · Suppression: The mainstream media (MSM) ignores the actual outright and blatant election fraud and interference by major social media platforms and news outlets. They are selling this false narrative (polling propaganda) that a candidate who: did not campaign, could not string two sentences together, has promised to pack the courts, continue lockdowns, kill energy industries, and raise taxes, has preemptively won the 2020 Presidential election in a historic landslide. In fact, they have all declared him the defacto winner. Joel Osteen would be proud. · Scandal: The massive “laptop from hell” scandal broke out weeks before this election. What it exposed, rather graphically, is corruption at the highest office. More evidence is coming out on how the democrat candidate’s flagrant abuse of ‘selling influence’ to the Chinese and Ukrainians in the years leading up to 2020, completely compromises him as the POTUS. Furthermore, the Democrat scandals of the outgoing Obama Administration (spy-gate, Hillary’s laptop, Benghazi, etc.) have plenty to lose with a Trump reelection. · Desperation: The year 2020 also saw a complete change in our voting processes, which, supposedly due to the global pandemic, meant voting in person, was deadly. This was the justification for the universal distribution of unverified, unsolicited mail-in ballots, which blanketed our nation, particularly in swing states. Of course, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) predictably reversed this decision two weeks before the election, despite the fact, mail-in ballots had already been sent out. They presumably did this because they saw the potential for the “red wave” happening. Now numerous states have to contend with “double-ballots” (mail-in and in-person), ballot harvesting, the stashing of blank ballots used as a fail-safe against a Trump victory in swing states. · Interference: Technology and its social media platforms are actively being used to alter/interfere with the outcome of this election in swing states. The vote-counting machines (Dominion) in nearly 30 states are linked to the Clinton Foundation. These machines have already demonstrated “glitches” which automatically switch votes from Republican to Democrat. · Bizarro-World: Superman once had an “evil twin” who came from an opposite world called Htrae (earth backward) that did everything the opposite of how it is done on earth. 2020 sorta feels like that. Rioting, looting, and tearing down statues is good, peaceful protests and Trump rallies are evil, super spreader events. Extended lockdowns, face masks, mail-in ballots are good, economic recovery, no facemasks, and voting in person are bad. Now we all know how Alice felt when she fell into Wonderland. Most of you already know all this. I am writing this for posterity’s sake, so that in the months and years ahead (should the Lord tarry), there will be some evidence of the absolute lunacy we are witnessing today. In addition, I have included the full timeline of the COVID-19(84) viral scheme recently added to this website. Conclusion “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, For wisdom and might are His. And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding. He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, And light dwells with Him. Daniel 2:20-22 Belief in political ideologies, whether they be nationalism, globalism, communism, or even something as hopeful as American Exceptionalism, does not occur in a vacuum. Ephesians 6:12 states that there is a spiritual war going on all around us, in which the evil forces are trying to shape and dictate the direction this world will go. There is always a spiritual connection to the ways in which mankind derives his understanding of governance. Ultimately, we know God is on the throne and that our focus should be more on Jesus regardless of who sits in the White House. Still, the election of Donald Trump to the world’s highest office in 2016, seems to run counter to where the forces of evil want this world to go. While it seems their victories are mounting, we also know it is temporary. We know, according to Scripture that this world is going to get worse before it gets better (2 Timothy 3, 2 Peter 3). We also know that we should be anxious for nothing, but instead, placing our faith in Christ and His promise to take us where He is (John 14:1-3). We also know that that many people Christians have suffered far greater fates than we, however, it is not a fair comparison to say that we shouldn’t be outraged at the corruption going on simply because other people have had it worse than us. God places each of us at our appointed time and place, and we are to continue to be the salt and light in an increasingly darkening world. I believe that Trump’s 2016 election victory was not a fluke, nor accidental, but by design. I believe God put Trump in there primarily, to begin moving things along with Israel that are primary to her role in the last seven years. Whether that is the recognition of her capital Jerusalem, or the Embassy move, or even the Abraham Accords. I suppose that if Obama or Bush had done those things already, Trump would have been unnecessary to the grand prophetic scheme. Nevertheless, Trump’s victory, and his subsequent protection since then, has been nothing short of miraculous. I am 46, and I do not know of any other human on the planet who could have endured the 24/7 onslaught that man has had to endure since before he took office. Furthermore, the fact he was able to get his Supreme Court candidate ACB through the process at the right time, and also, she just so happens to be a woman of great faith; again, another miracle. Surely, he could not control how long RBG would live for, and neither could he predict how his nomination would turn out in an election year, so fortune here, favors the one whom God’s hand is upon. With all these things mentioned, I have four major talking points (with pros and cons) for you to consider regarding the outcome of this 2020 election and whether or not I believe Trump is actually is reelected. I believe he will, however, please consider the following and come to your own conclusions. [Pro = Trump reelected / Con = Biden elected] Hardening 1. Pro: Literally, the entire world, save two news networks (and the appropriate government agencies) have called this election for Joe Biden. Considering how deranged the wicked have become since 2016, I am seeing a hardening occur, that reminds me of the Pharaoh of the Exodus (Exodus 8-14). Perhaps this is intentional, and God will allow this hardening to continue through a second Trump term…especially when they thought they had this in the bag? 2. Con: Let us say Biden wins the election recount and he is pushed through to become the 46th president regardless of what the courts find. The wicked would party and rejoice as if they had all won the world’s biggest lottery. They will be marrying and giving in marriage. Buying and selling. Finally, they say, “peace and safety.” Well, you know what follows (1 Thessalonians 5:1-9). I could see this going either way. God could be prepping this last generation by separating, as it were, the wheat from the chaff. He could be hardening them by keeping his man in office. If I were Satan and spent the last 100 years trying to get the world to embrace globalism, and ultimately, a one-world government, I would not want a “Trump” in office derailing all my hard work. Gog-Magog Part I 1. Pro: According to Ezekiel 38, Israel will be living in a time of prosperity and living peacefully in their land. The only scenario I can envision this is if Trump is still in office. They were/are on the way to finally get their dream of normalization with all their Arab neighbors with the Abraham Accords. 2. Con: Given the Obama-Biden Administration’s history with the Arab Spring and Iran, I think the Abraham Accords would all fall apart rather quickly. Biden would remove the sanctions from Iran, and get them back on track to building a nuclear bomb. Israel would not be living safely with an empowered Iran. I believe the Gog-Magog Invasion happens between the Rapture of the Church, and the official start of the 70th Week. I am not dogmatic about the timing of this, but I feel like this makes the most sense regarding all that must occur with the rebuilding of the invasion (attempted), the arrival of the Two Witnesses, the building of the Third Temple, etc. New Babylon 1. Pro: My third reason for believing in a Trump reelection is the creation and/or rise of the new Babylon. We know the Saudi’s have a plan for the construction of a new mega-city called Neom that will border Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Egypt. I do not know if this will be the “new Babylon” or not, but it sure seems like it wants to be it. This is feasible under a second Trump administration, especially given his friendship with the Israelis and the Saudi’s, and his extensive real estate and construction background. 2. Con: If Biden is elected, I think we get the Arab Spring 2.0. I have a difficult time seeing how a Democratic administration, which had already destabilized the Middle East once, somehow, shifts US foreign policy back to friends with Iran and simultaneously gets the Sunni’s and Israelis to back any US foreign policy interests. We know according to Scripture that this new Babylon (if it has to be a literal interpretation) should be rebuilt in Iraq, however, Iraq lacks the waterway access to ports and the oceans like Neom would. Perhaps this new Babylon will span (once complete) from Iraq into where Neom will be built through high-speed rail (Iron-Silk Road extension) or some other means of rapid transportation. I could see a political headquarters in Iraq, with its financial districts at Neom. Either way, I do not see a new Babylon coming about under a Democratic Administration. Gog-Magog Part II 1. Pro: I discussed Israel’s state of affairs under both a Trump and Biden Administration and how different they would likely look. Now we need to go to antagonists for this future drama, namely Russia, Iran, and Turkey. Despite the lack of press coverage, Trump has dealt rather harshly with these three during his first four years. What this has done, in effect, has been to isolate these three from the rest of the world. It has forced these three to become more intertwined; perhaps even more than they even want. 2. Con: I see the policy of appeasement (leading from behind) with a Biden Administration. Historically, appeasement has invited further aggression, which could lend some credence to the Gog-Magog invasion, however, I do not think Israel would fit the profile of living safely in their land were that to happen. President Trump’s political, diplomatic, and economic pressure on Russia (Gazprom pipeline), Iran (Sanctions), and Turkey (Armenia), has effectively been to stress and further ostracize these three nations. Given the success of the Abraham Accords, and Israel’s newfound natural gas exporting endeavors, I believe we are starting to see how the two are going to come to a head in the not too distant future. Now Biden’s presumed policy of both destabilization and appeasement does invite violence, but more terrorism (ISIS) and anarchy (Libya, Syria) and less mass military incursions. The Obama administration’s previous payments to the Iranians gave them breathing room. They would not be as desperate to attack Israel if the sanctions were lifted and other nations were making deals with them once again. Again, these are largely my prognostications, and I cannot see the future. I, like you, see through the glass darkly. With that said, I could easily end up being wrong. Biden could be elected and largely not do anything in the Middle East. He could serve one, two, three, or four years and then someone else takes over after him. However, I have tried to look at these things from a Biblical, historical, and geopolitical perspective, and hopefully, have given you some things to consider. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 1 Corinthians 13:12 Shaping Up Now - By Daymond Duck - https://www.raptureready.com/2020/11/08/shaping-up-now-by-daymond-duck/
Concerning the end of the age, Jesus told us to watch the Fig Tree (Israel, Matt. 24:32-34); God said Russia, Iran and others will attack Israel in the latter days and latter years (Ezek. 38-39), and there will be a world government that (New World Order) will track all buying and selling (Rev. 13:1-18). These things are shaping up now. One, Israel captured East Jerusalem and the West Bank in 1967. About five years later, the area was being called “occupied territory,” and the U.S. stopped allowing U.S. funds to be spent in that area. On Oct. 28, 2020, the U.S. and Israel signed an agreement that reverses that U.S. policy. This means the U.S. will no longer call East Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria “occupied territory,” the U.S. has acknowledged that Israeli settlements in that area are now legal, and the U.S. will no longer demand that Israel return to a pre-1967 Green Line or border. Two, for years, the U.S. would not issue passports to U.S. citizens that were born in Jerusalem to contain the information that they were born in Jerusalem, Israel, because the U.S. was unwilling to acknowledge that Jerusalem is part of Israel. On Oct. 29, 2020, the U.S. announced that passports issued to U.S. citizens that were born in Jerusalem will list Jerusalem, Israel, as their place of birth. Passports with Jerusalem, Israel, on them is more recognition that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. Three, concerning the Battle of Gog and Magog, Iran has underground nuclear enrichment facilities, weapons-storage warehouses, etc. Israel needs bunker-buster bombs from the U.S. to attack those facilities, but current U.S. policy is not to sell them to Israel. On Oct. 27, 2020, it was announced that a bill will be presented in Congress in a matter of days requiring the U.S. to consider the sale of bunker busters to Israel. Four, also concerning the Battle of Gog and Magog and the destruction of Damascus, Syria, on Oct. 28, 2020, it was reported that the head of Iran’s judiciary has vowed to help Syria retake the Golan Heights and bring about the demise of Israel. Israel’s Defense Minister warned Iran and Hezbollah against efforts to establish bases near the Golan Heights. Five, on Oct. 28, 2020, David Friedman, U.S. Ambassador to Israel, said the Palestinians “have been indulged by the Arab world, by the European Union, and by others. People have made excuses for their malign activity for generations.” He added that people, including the U.S., have given them large sums of money to help the Palestinian people, but the PA leadership is corrupt, has squandered it, has enriched themselves, and kept their people in poverty. He said this is coming to an end. This will increase the pressure on the PA to negotiate a peace treaty and increase the pressure on Israel’s enemies to act before it is too late. Six, concerning world government, the Great Reset is part of a World Economic Forum (WEF) plan to replace capitalism with socialism, replace cash with a digital currency, redistribute wealth, bring down the U.S., and establish a world government with laws that everyone on earth will have to follow. The WEF is scheduled to present its plan at a meeting for the summer of 2021. On Oct. 30, 2020, LifeSiteNews reported that Time Magazine has devoted an entire issue to The Great Reset. I have not read the Time Magazine articles, but I have read that they promote The Great Reset. Seven, more on world government: former Vice-Pres. Joe Biden’s campaign slogan was “Build Back Better.” “Build Back Better” came from the wannabe world government at the UN and was being used by several world leaders. Eight, concerning tracking all buying and selling, on Oct. 30, 2020, the state of Michigan started requiring barbershops, recreational facilities, restaurants, and tattoo parlors to record names, contact information and visit times of all customers. Business owners can be fined and possibly jailed for not complying. Nine, the election is over, but the hatred for Trump, and the globalist desire to establish a world government and religion are not. I cannot predict what will happen, but most of the swamp creatures are still in place, most are corrupt, and several should be prosecuted. I hope I am wrong, but it is my opinion that the effort to remove Trump will continue. I believe it will include false accusations; more hatred; violence, rioting and looting (a wall has been built around the White House, many businesses have boarded up their windows, and piles of bricks have been found in several cities). Many are concerned that there will be so-called newly discovered, uncounted votes; late mail-in ballots; hundreds of millions of dollars spent on litigation that will no doubt wind up in the U.S. Supreme Court, and who knows what else. This is a spiritual war, America is still divided, prayer is still badly needed, the predictions of Bible prophecy are still shaping up, and making one’s salvation sure should always be everyone’s number one priority. The closer the globalists get to their much-desired world government, the closer the Church gets to the Rapture. One more thing: a Biden win could speed up the Arab desire to normalize relations with Israel and for all of them to do something to prevent Iran from getting nuclear weapons. God loves you, and if you have not done so, sincerely admit that you are a sinner; believe that Jesus is the virgin born, sinless Son of God, who died for the sins of the world, was buried and raised from the dead; ask Him to forgive your sins, cleanse you, come into your heart and be your Saviour; then tell someone that you have done this. Prophecy Plus Ministries, Inc. Daymond Duck duck_daymond@yahoo.com Mysteries of God Given to Paul the Apostle (Part 1) - By Pastor Mike Taylor - https://pastormiketaylor.blogspot.com/2020/11/mysteries-of-god-given-to-paul-apostle.html
“It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) 4 How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.” (2nd Corinthians 12:1-4) Saul of Taurus, who became Paul the Apostle to the Gentiles, (Romans 11:13) was a remarkable man who lived a remarkable life in the service of Almighty God. Being transformed from the greatest enemy of Jesus Christ, Paul became the greatest evangelist and God's greatest servant at a point in God's timing where God's focus and plans took on a dramatic shift from focusing on Israel as the source of blessing to the world, to focusing on a mostly Gentile body, known as the Church. It was Paul's God given mission to establish this church, and the church began with him. To him, we owe a debt of gratitude that he was sold out to God and God used him to bring us the truth of God's Word. In the verses above, Paul speaks of a time when a man, (I believe Paul was referring to himself) was caught up to heaven and heard revelations and what Paul spoke of as “mysteries” that were not revealed to any other prophet, or even the twelve apostles of our Lord. It was not spoken of in the Old Testament, and was not spoken of in the New Testament until Paul arrived and was given the mysteries of the plan for mankind that were revealed to him alone by the risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. You ask, “When did this happen?”. Remember what happened after Paul was given his sight by Ananias? According to the account of Paul's conversion in Acts 9 the Lord stated twice that He would show Paul what to do and what would happen to him for the Gospel's sake. However, Paul immediately began to show from scripture that Jesus was the Christ and apparently displaying his capability to communicate well to the Jew, but his ministry ultimately was to the Gentiles. This was something that would not go down well for some one trained in the sect of the Pharisees and the Jews did not receive the message Paul preached. So if Paul was to go Arabia how do we understand what is written in Acts 9. Verse 23 states that "After that many days were fulfilled" the “after that” would refer to Paul's showing the Jews that Jesus was the Christ many days past? This would work in very well with Paul's traveling to Arabia when rejected by the Jews. Here we will discuss a few of those mysteries, that God gave Paul, and the Apostle Paul gave to us. God in the form of the Risen Christ, instructed Paul by revelation on the “mysteries” that had not been revealed in times past, but only hinted at when Isaiah wrote similar language as did Paul, about what we can expect in the near future. 19 “Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. 20 Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. 21 For, behold, the Lord cometh out of hplace to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.” (Isaiah 26:19-21) Many people read right over this passage above and don't see what Isaiah was telling us. The Apostle Paul fleshed it out for us in 1st Corinthians and 1st Thessalonians, when he made known the “mystery” that was hidden from the understanding of those in Old Testament times. Paul made known to us, many mysteries of God. Paul was being commissioned to take the Gospel of salvation through faith in the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus and that it was by grace that we are saved: 8 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) Paul stayed for three years in the Arabian desert. Paul didn't go to the Apostles, but was led, much like Jesus was led into the wilderness, to be instructed by God Himself on “secrets” that had not been revealed prior to the calling of Paul on the road to Damascus. THE MYSTERIES OF GOD The word “mystery” is a confusing translation, as it can mislead the reader of what mystery means and what Paul is talking about. Is it “weird, strange, or an enigma” which is the common interpretation of the word in the English language? No, the word is Greek (μυστήριον ) It means a “secret”–something kept hidden, something previously not revealed. Paul used the term to describe the body of doctrines the risen, ascended, glorified Lord revealed to him. God alone can keep a secret and He had kept these revelations hidden until He chose to disclose them. I believe God waited until Jesus had ascended on High with God our Father and chose Paul as His minister to share this truth of God's Plan for Mankind. Paul called these doctrines “secrets” for this was what they were. What were these secrets that Peter and the other apostles knew nothing about? As the opening scripture speaks of, Paul was taken away, translated via the Spirit of God into the Third Heaven, and heard words that were not lawful for a man to hear. At least not in regular Judaism, as they were Holy and revealed by the most Holy God, Jesus the Christ. Let us briefly touch on a few of these mysteries, or “secrets” that our risen Lord revealed to Paul and to him alone to change the focus of the Lord's plan for the redemption of mankind, by setting aside Israel for a predetermined span of time, until the fullness of the Gentiles had come in which has been going on for the last 2000 years. 25 “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. 26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.”(Romans 11:25-27) THE SECRET GOSPEL OF THE GRACE OF GOD Paul preached what he called “his Gospel” that focused on the mercy and grace of God, instead of the coming Kingdom of God. He said it many times in his epistles to the churches of his day. Did not the Apostles preach this Gospel? No, not until Paul taught them as a new revelation, that salvation came but by grace. Paul declared his gospel was, “kept secret for long ages past, but now is manifested.” Paul wrote that by revelation he went to Jerusalem to communicate the gospel that he preached: 2 “And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain.” (Galatians 2.2). It was a “secret” until the ascended Lord revealed it to Paul. What was the gospel John the Baptist, Jesus, and the Twelve proclaimed? They preached the “gospel of the kingdom of God” (Matthew 4.23; 9.35; Mark 1.14-15) The focus of the Gospel before Jesus was risen and ascended back to the Father in heaven was to preach to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. This was the content of the Gospel preached by Jesus and the 12 apostles. It was even preached upon the conversion of Paul for a time, as he declared that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. Each of the apostles believed that the Kingdom of God was imminent in their life-time and they would be a part of that Kingdom. No where in the scriptures do the Apostles preach the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, until Paul came and taught them upon returning from the wilderness experience with our Risen Lord, Jesus our Messiah. Read the scriptures for yourself, and you will find that no one but Paul introduced salvation through faith. Beforehand, the apostles preached salvation through repentance and baptism which is what Peter proclaimed in Acts chapter 2 on the day of Pentecost: 37, “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 38, Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” (Acts 2:37-38) But even Peter did not emphasize the finished work of the cross through the blood of Jesus Christ, as the cross was deemed a curse. Now each are necessary that Israel believe that Jesus was the Messiah, to be baptized out of obedience to the example of Jesus Christ, but Paul preached a “mystery” that there is nothing we can do by doing this or that, as salvation comes only by faith and the pardon of our sins is a gift of God. It is a bestowing of the mercy and grace and unmerited favor that is imparted to those who believe on Jesus Christ and His finished work when crucified, resurrected and ascended back into heaven's realm to sit at God the Father's right hand. There is no action, no work, no tradition, no ceremony that one can do what is required for the remission of our sins, but the blood sacrifice of Jesus for payment of the sins of the world and our justification, finalized with the Lord's resurrection, leading to our sanctification that takes our whole lives to be refined into the image of Christ, and for our future glorification along with Him. Paul wrote the Corinthians, 1 “Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, (1 Corinthians 15.1-4) This “secret” mystery was a total change in the concept of salvation as Paul preached salvation through faith alone THE SECRET OF THE BLINDING OF ISRAEL God laid the groundwork for His creation of a new race of people, the Jews, with His calling of Abraham. Through the line of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, God began to reveal Himself. From that point until the time when the ascended Lord commissioned Paul, God dealt with mankind through the nation of Israel. To the Jews belonged the adoption, glory, and covenants, etc. “I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, 2 That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. 3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: 4 Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; 5 Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.” (Romans 9:1-5) 11 “Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; 12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: 13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.”(Ephesians 2:11-13) 24 “Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days. 25 Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. 26 Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities."(Acts 3.24-26). God revealed His prophetic plan through the Jewish prophets. But because Israel rejected the timing of the visitation of their Messiah, the Kingdom would be given to another to bear the fruits thereof. But at the end of the Age, all Israel would be redeemed. What had been unknown was the when and the how. Paul revealed that following Israel’s rejection of their Messiah that the nation’s salvation would not occur “until the fullness of the Gentiles is come in.” Jesus proclaimed to them prior to Paul, when the apostle Matthew wrote about Jesus scolding the Pharisees: 42 “Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? 43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. 44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. 45 And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.” (Matthew 21:42-45) No where in scripture does it make mention of the temporary blinding of Israel and God’s creation of the Church, the body of Christ, during this blindness. These truths are found nowhere in the Old Testament. Why? Paul declared these things were a secret of God. A partial hardening–not total and not forever–would last until the fullness of the Gentiles occurred, and until the body of Christ was complete. 24 “For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree? 25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. 26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. 28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the father's sakes.”(Romans 11:24-28) After that, all Israel, the entire nation, every single Jew alive on earth who will recognize Jesus as the Messiah, will be saved ...so much for Replacement Theology. This heresy of Replacement theology flies in the face of what Paul revealed to the world through his Gospel that the Jews, all of them alive would be saved. At the end of the Tribulation, at the end of the great Day of the Lord, all Jews will believe Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. They will go into the promised kingdom 14 “If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them. 15 For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? 16 For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. 17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; 18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.” (Romans 11:14-18) .7 “Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child. 8 Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children. 9 Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the Lord: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God. 10 Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her:”(Isaiah 66:7-10) (also see Matthew 6.10). Unlike the generation of Jesus’ day who failed to repent and experience the kingdom, the Tribulation generation will respond and believe Jesus is Messiah (See Matthew 23.39, cf. John 10.16). God is sovereign and has promised through his prophets that Israel would enjoy the kingdom (Romans 9.29 cf. Deuteronomy 28.1-14). God will keep His word. THE MYSTERY OF THE HARPAZO OF THE CHURCH. This mystery of the return of Jesus Christ for His church was something that no one in all of the pages or verses of your Bible was given this revelation. It was given to Paul the Apostle exclusively through Jesus Christ our Lord when Paul as previously mentioned, was in Arabia and experienced the “translation” into the third heaven to hear words that should not be uttered quoted at the beginning of this message. Why was it a “secret”? Because the return of Jesus Christ, our Lord after the Day of the Lord, called His Second Advent, was common knowledge in the Old Testament prophets. Like the prophet Zechariah: “3, Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. 4, And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. 5, And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.” (Zechariah 14:3-5) Not only Zechariah, but many of the minor prophets like Amos, Joel, or Haggai, and the major prophets made mention of the coming of the Lord to set up His Kingdom at the end of the age. So this was not something new...this was not a secret, as it had been clearly revealed prior. This snatching away, (the before not mentioned revelation of the removal of the church, some call “rapture”) is the resurrection of the Church, the body of Christ. In this divine event members of the body of Christ will receive their resurrection bodies. When the body of Christ has been made complete God will take His body unto Himself. Paul called this occurrence the “fullness of the Gentiles” (Romans 11.25) since the body of Christ is composed primarily of Gentiles. The word Paul used for the Rapture was ἁρπάζω which is the word HARPAZO, which literally means “to seize” or “to snatch away by force.” Our English word “rapture” comes from the Latin “rapiemur” which is the word Jerome used in the Latin Vulgate to translate ἁρπάζω. Paul revealed the secret of the Rapture when he wrote the church at Corinth: 51 “ Behold, I tell you a mystery [secret]; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52 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 will be changed. 53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.”(1st Corinthians 15-51-53) Paul went on to elaborate when he wrote the church in Thessalonica about the order of this resurrection: 13 “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4.13-18). IN the passage above Paul gives the sequence of the “catching away” of the body of Christ. The dead in Christ will rise first, then those who are alive and remain will be changed “in the twinkling of an eye”...both groups will meet the Lord in the air, meaning those who are alive and changed and will never experience physical death, but given immortal spirit bodies right along with the resurrected saints who have died in faith and belief in the Lord Jesus Christ. The words for “moment” and “twinkling” are ἄτομος and ῥιπή. The thought here is that this will occur instantaneously. This return of the Lord is an entirely different event from His return to save Israel and the nations at the end of the Tribulation. As Jesus told us that the end of the age will be as in the days of Noah, or people going about their everyday routines of life, not knowing that their destruction is at hand. At the end of the Tribulation, men and women will NOT be going about their everyday lives, but trying to survive in a world gone mad. It will be no secret that judgment has come and Jesus will not come as a Thief in the night. In the first return, the Lord will meet the body of Christ in the clouds (a heavenly return for a heavenly people, (Ephesians 1.3). Some scoff and label is an “escape hatch” from the coming Tribulation, but I prefer to call it “victory in Jesus” over this world. In the second return, the Lord will return to earth, (an earthly return for an earthly people,( Zechariah 14.4). God our Lord Jesus will claim what is His and bought with His own blood, and will rule the world with a rod of iron. The Rapture is the “blessed hope” of the body of Christ 13 “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14, 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) And the coming of the Lord was Paul’s personal hope: “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: 10, That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 11, If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.” (Philippians 3:9-11) Concerning this doctrine, Paul had to correct false teaching, when one posing as Paul or preaching a different Gospel proposed that the Day of the Lord had already happened, and that Nero was the Ant-Christ. This false prophet refuted Paul's teachings concerning this “catching away” of the saints and the people were sorely afraid, as they thought and believed erroneously that they had missed the return of Christ and were heading into the Tribulation. Paul wrote them to admonish and refute this false notion in the second letter to the Thessalonians: 1 "Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?”(2nd Thessalonians 2:1-5) Even today, people try to rationalize what God is going to do and that Bible prophecy is a non-starter and everything has been accomplished. They are what are known as Preterist and have a problem explaining what the book of Revelation has to reveal. No one spoke of this “secret”, this mystery of the “catching away” of the church, the fullness of the Gentiles, until Paul revealed what Jesus had told him alone in revelations, being taught by Jesus personally. Jesus never mentioned it in his earthly ministry and the Twelve Apostles never mentioned it in their writings. That changed when the glorified Jesus Christ told the Apostle John in Revelation 3:10 that we would be taken “OUT OF” the coming Tribulation, not experiencing the event or going through and enduring the time of God's wrath, which I have covered in past messages. All non-Pauline writings of Christ’s return speak of His return to earth at the end of the Tribulation found in the Old Testament, that is unless you discern what John wrote in Revelation, and the Lord God revealed to him about 30 years after Paul was slain by Emperor Nero. All the prophets from Ezekiel, Isaiah, to Zechariah, Malachi, Amos and the rest of the minor prophets spoke of the coming “Day of the Lord” where God would come in wrath to take revenge on a God rejecting world, in favor of worshiping a false god, the Anti-Christ during the Tribulation. THE DAY OF JESUS CHRIST But the Apostle Paul spoke of a different day. He called it the “day of Christ” or the day of the Lord Jesus. The “day of Christ” is a day of deliverance, not a day of judgment. The “day of Christ” is the return of Christ for his body, the Church, or the Rapture (the HARPAZO). Associated with this day of deliverance is judgment of the believers works. Paul wrote the Corinthians about this : 10 “According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. 11 For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. 14 If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet as through fire.”(1st Corinthians 3:10-15) This is the Bema Judgment seat of our Lord Jesus Christ. Not a day of judgment , but a day of rewards for the saints of God that have done deeds for Christ and are receiving rewards for their service, or the lack thereof, but “being saved as though by fire”. Paul spoke of many more mysteries, “secrets” that I will address in a part 2 of continuing this message, but I'll leave it there for this time. As you read these “secrets” that Paul shared with you and I today, our time of the soon coming of our Lord is an event that Paul looked down the annals of time and knew not when they would happen. All he knew is that Jesus had commissioned him a preacher of the Gospel of the risen Lord and to establish His church on this earth. His work survives and the words he wrote from what he saw and heard, are with us for our own salvation through faith and belief in the Son of God, crucified, buried, and resurrected the third day according to the Scriptures. What I have witnessed to you, is a salvation message in a nutshell and a rewards banquet that is fast approaching. Will you be at that Bema Judgment seat along with all of have believed by faith, not of works, lest any one of us should boast? Will you stand with me, as we all hold hands and raise them in worship to the King of kings, and Lord of lords, my God and yours, Jesus Christ, the Lord God Almighty? It all is encapsulated in the whole point of this message and the point of the whole of the Bible: 16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Begotten Son, That whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17, God sent not His Son into the world, to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved, 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. ” (John 3:16-18) I've given you three powerful, witnessed mysteries (secrets and there are more) that was revealed only to Paul and no one else. He wrote the major portion of the New Testament of the Christ who changed him from Saul, the persecutor of the saints, into Paul, the faithful, powerhouse witness of the saving Grace and Mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ and God our Father. Now my last witness (plea) I want to leave you with “What will you do with these mysteries (secrets) given to us by the Apostle Paul? Will you embrace them for the salvation of your soul, or will you put it off and think you can do it another day, or if at all? Don't wait another day, as you are not promised tomorrow. 8 “But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.” (Romans 10:8-11) This is Pastor Mike Taylor, praying you receive the Lord Jesus as personal Savior today. If you need counseling, prayer, or just a listening ear, drop me an email to pastormiketaylor@yahoo.com, OR visit me online for more on Bible based teaching on Prophecy and the Salvation through no other than Jesus Christ, the Way, the Truth, and the Life. God bless you all, TILL WE MEET AT JESUS FEET Contrasting Conditions at Rapture & Second Coming - By Gene Lawley - https://www.raptureready.com/2020/10/31/contrasting-conditions-at-rapture-second-coming-by-gene-lawley/
About Contrasting Conditions at Rapture & Second Coming What the conditions of the economic, social and geophysical in the world are likely to be at the Second Coming of Christ seem to be overlooked when placing some Scripture passages into the correct timeline. Those things make a great difference in how to rightly divide the Word of Truth. Getting that scenario straight is always important for knowing how prophetic passages fit together properly. Let’s consider some factors that will contribute to those conditions at that time of the Second Coming. We believe the Scriptures clearly pinpoint the Rapture of the body of believers, the church, at the beginning of the seven-year period of tribulation, the time of “Jacob’s trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7). It is not the “time of judgment on the saved in Christ.” At the time of the Rapture, the Bible says there will be “sudden destruction,” and one can easily envision the chaos that will take place when millions of people from all walks-of-life situations will suddenly disappear. They will leave their clothing and any non-body, non-flesh items lying where the person was sitting or standing. The Scripture times the disappearance as “in the twinkling of an eye” it will happen. That full passage is very worthy to be quoted here: “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. 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 incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality” (1 Corinthians 15:50-53). How many fatalities will result from the chaos that will occur at that time cannot be imagined. Then, the preview in Revelation 6 of what is coming in those seven years only increases the horror. First, the Antichrist comes on the scene, riding a white horse and deceitfully posing as the Redeemer, but instead, “conquering and to conquer.” That means he will be taking charge of all things as he presses toward the time of his final judgment. Knowing that his modus operandi is to “steal, kill and destroy” (John 10:10), one can clearly expect things to be very terrible clear to the end of the age. With that view in mind, what conditions of economic, social, and otherwise should we expect to see at that time? It will not be a pleasing environment, for sure. That preview in Revelation 6 continues with three other horses, each having a rider, who certainly must represent that first rider in his conquering mode. Those horses are colored red, black, and gray or pale. They represent warfare, famine, and death, the conditions that will be predominant in the seven years—not peaceable, happy or prosperous at all. As one reads through Revelation 7 to 19, he will discover the judgments on the earth will be very destructive. A third of mankind will be killed, a third of the sea will be turned to blood, a third of the green foliage will be burned up—and that is just in the early phases of that time. When the heavens begin to explode, with hailstones of a hundred pounds weight falling from the sky, earthquakes in multitude, waves of the oceans creating havoc, it will not be a place of safety and security for anyone. It will be a time of judgment upon Jacob, that rebellious nature of the Jewish race, and all of those who will have rejected Jesus Christ as their Savior. Two-thirds of the Jews will be killed, and one-third will have God’s protection in a wilderness hiding place (Zechariah 13:8), but they will recognize Christ as their Atonement and turn to Him in fulfillment of the Feast of the Atonement (Zechariah 12:10). The final half of those seven years will be very, very terrible, for the Antichrist will have imposed a Mark of the Beast upon all people, and those who do not accept that mark, a mark of submission to his authority and lordship, will be killed. The false prophet who is introduced in Revelation 13 will be readily available to do the Antichrist’s bidding in all of those evil actions. Those who are shown in Revelation 7, standing before the throne of God, souls in white robes, are identified as those who have been killed in the “Great Tribulation,” the last half of the seven years. There are multitudes standing there, not in resurrection bodies, but souls. Thus, they are not the raptured saints, for they have been “snatched away” before the tribulation gets underway. Remember how Luke 17:31-36 relates it: “Two will be sleeping; one will be taken and the other left; two will be grinding meal, one will be taken and the other left. Two will be in the field, one will be taken and the other left.” As Noah and Lot were taken out of the way of judgment, so are those taken out of the way of judgment that will occur on earth to all those left behind. It is not at all likely there will be any “eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, buying and selling, building and planting” going on during those seven years, especially at the end of that time, for it is far more likely there will be a total effort being made merely for survival, even to those who have taken the Mark of the Beast. And given the multitude already killed for not taking that Mark, the few, if any, who still survive, their motivation may well be only to survive over multiple oppositions. Now take a look at conditions well described when the Son of Man will be revealed. Both Matthew 24:38-39 and Luke 17:26-30 describe the physical and social conditions when the Lord comes, although Luke includes Lot’s time, additionally. Both passages in their extended contexts describe the “taken and left behind” actions, however, which are clearly a pre-tribulation action not later timed for nor mentioned at the end of the tribulation in Revelation 19 when Jesus returns to the earth. Following is the Matthew description of conditions at Noah’s time: “For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matthew 24:38-39). Luke reports what he has learned, guided by the Holy Spirit: “And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed” (Luke 17:26-30). The spiritual conditions of the times of Noah and of Lot, in Genesis 6:5 and Genesis 18-19, respectively, were marked by a saturation of sinfulness. In Noah’s time, God’s observation was “that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” In Lot’s time, the whole city of Sodom was saturated with all the men of the city filled with the lust of homosexuality. It is clear that those physical and social conditions are not like what the results of the tribulation will leave behind. It is also clear that such conditions of all things being as they have been, generally, will make the coming of the Lord “as a thief in the night” much more of an unsuspected surprise. Peter wrote of this in 2 Peter 3:3-4: “…knowing this first, that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.'” While the exact time of the Lord’s coming to meet His saints in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) is said to be unknown by anyone except the Father in heaven, there are many clues toward the general time of His return at the Rapture event. These references to the conditions on earth tell us much about the timing. Realizing that the Lord never made a promise that He did not intend to keep gives us much more guidance to the timing. It is so told in Luke 21:28, where Jesus announced, “When you see these things begin to happen, look up, for your redemption draws near!” He said this in context with descriptions of extreme physical disturbances in the earth and the restoration of Israel to its statehood in the far-off future of the year 1948—the blossoming of the fig tree (Luke 21:29). Then, the timing of the confirming of a covenant foretold in Daniel 9:27, along with the exclamation in 1 Thessalonians 5:3, saying, “Peace and safety,” tells us more of the timing of the Rapture. God has appointed the day and the hour before time began, and I submit that it will not be “some day and some hour” that occurs, but on the day and the hour so appointed (italics used for emphasis). One important thing we must not forget is distinctly mentioned by Jesus in John 7:6 that brings home the significance of our mortal uncertainty: “Then Jesus said to them, ‘My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready.'” He said this in reference to His coming death on the cross, but it is equally true in these last days that His appointed time has not yet come, but every mortal person could face death at any time. And that means eternity is merely a heartbeat away for any of us. No one can mentally picture or imagine the breadth and depth of that “sudden destruction” that will occur around the world when that “last trumpet” sounds and Jesus calls the dead in Christ out of their graves and up to Him in the air, along with those who are alive, all in transformed, resurrected bodies. Again and again, we acclaim the victorious “blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ!” (Titus 2:13). Contact email: andwegetmercy@gmail.com The Soul of a Nation – Pete Garcia - https://www.rev310.com/2020/11/the-soul-of-a-nation
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12 The Biden-Harris campaign, recently switched campaign slogans from the generically bland, “Build Back Better,” to the emotionally charged “Battle for the Soul of a Nation.” But why was that? Was it because “Build Back Better” was already a campaign slogan for the United Nation’s Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development agenda? Yes. The UN’s Build Back Better (BBB) campaign (part of Agenda 2030) is fraught with radically problematic, anti-family, anti-capitalist, anti-Christian, globally binding (if adopted), initiatives that would in a sense, attempt to make the whole world San Francisco. Therefore, in that sense of the meaning, the Biden campaign inadvertently exposed where their allegiances truly lie should he take the White House in 2020. Granted, Biden probably did not realize the association at first. These days, Biden is having difficulty recognizing which race he is running in, or whom he is running against. The “BBB” slogan was most likely drummed up by some low-level DNC operative feeding the Biden Campaign a catchy slogan they could use to combat Donald Trump’s MAGA (Make America Great Again) during the summer months before and after the Democratic National Convention. It could have also been used to signal the Bernie Sander radicals on the left in a subtle way that they fully intend on dismantling the sovereignty of the United States. However, the Democrats realized this message would NOT resonate with the electorate at large and could be damaging if the connection between the two were ever made. This required the change to the “Battle for the Soul of a Nation.” But what is the “soul of a nation?” According to the left, it is generosity, unity, comity, and bipartisanship. On the surface, these all sound great. So why hasn’t the left been practicing this since 2016? I mean, if that is what they really believe. Realistically, the only person on the left to have accepted the Trump 2016 election victory was Hillary Clinton, when she conceded on election night. The rest of the leftist establishment, i.e., the media, academia, Hollywood, radical agitators, political progressives, and the previous administration, etc. have essentially waged a non-stop war on the President even before he officially took office on January 17, 2017. In other words, President Trump has been battling a non-stop rebellion since before he took office. Wait, what happened with generosity, unity, comity, and bipartisanship? Perhaps it is best if we break down what those words, to the radical left, really mean. Generosity: America is the most prosperous and wealthy nation on the planet, however, our wealth and power were ill-gained, thus, not really ours. We must give it back to the global community because of white supremacy (i.e., the Pilgrims, Founding Fathers, etc.). Not only that but also any documents forged in the era of those white supremacists (e.g., the US Constitution), are therefore illegitimate. Unity: America is the final roadblock to global government. Global government is the radical lefts’ solution to ending: poverty (see Generosity), man-caused climate change (ending US energy independence), and inequality (as it applies only to LGTBQI rights). Comity: Merriam Webster (since 1862) has defined comity to mean, countries bound by a courteous relationship based on mutual recognition of executive, legislative, and judicial acts. Cornell Law interprets it this way: The principle that one sovereign nation voluntarily adopts or enforces the laws of another sovereign nation out of deference, mutuality, and respect. The United States (according to progressive ideology) must abandon its inane belief that the United States is a sovereign nation, and adopt UN mandates as law. Bipartisanship: America has existed as a two-party nation since the Civil War. The Republicans were founded as an anti-slavery party. President Lincoln was the Republican’s first president. The Democrats were the party of slavery, and eventually seceded to become the Confederacy. What bipartisanship means to the left (Democrats) is that when they have power (Executive, Legislative, and Judiciary control), the right (Republicans) must acquiesce to their demands, never the other way around. Never. Assessment Mr. President and Gentlemen of the Convention. If we could first know where we are, and whither we are tending, we could then better judge what to do, and how to do it. We are now far into the fifth year, since a policy was initiated, with the avowed object, and confident promise, of putting an end to slavery agitation. Under the operation of that policy, that agitation has not only, not ceased, but has constantly augmented. In my opinion, it will not cease, until a crisis shall have been reached, and passed. “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” I believe this government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved — I do not expect the house to fall — but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing or all the other. - Abraham Lincoln, June 16, 1858 In addressing the Republican convention two years before his election, Abraham Lincoln rightfully noted, ‘if we could first know where we are, and wither we are tending (where we are heading), we could then better judge what to do, and how to do it. We could and should ask the same questions in 2020. Where are we as a nation? Where is this nation heading? What could we do? How can we do it? Nationally speaking, we are a much-divided nation. Former President Obama spent his eight-years in office, browbeating the average American into accepting its guilt over the success of the United States, as well as apologizing to every tin-pot banana republic despot over said same success. By the time then-candidate Trump announced his intent to run in 2015, he did not need to redefine reality to convince the American public how terrible things had become, he simply told them to look around and see for themselves. As he has noted on numerous occasions, the only reason he ran, was because of how terrible the Obama-Biden administration had become. Response Had the United States been a nation like so many others, without checks and balances, and without a Constitution to protect the people from their government, would have resulted in absolute tyranny. Our government would have been an incestuous cancer of revolving leaders (think Putin, Medvedev, Putin, etc.) that would have cemented their power forever. Instead, the people stood up against the Obama Administration, and by 2012, they lost control of Congress. I would like to tackle each point with a bit of expansion. Most of you, like myself, lived through this so I only bring up the salient points as a reminder. · They had run the economy into the ground. · They had placed American sovereignty into numerous, foreign diplomatic entanglements · They undercut the bedrock of America’s economic success (manufacturing, research, and development), by outsourcing abroad. · They had refused to tap into America’s vast energy resources, thus, beholding us to Middle Eastern interests with little to no leverage. · They took aim at destroying the family, the church, and religious liberties. · Obama stoked the flames of racial inequalities 1. The first argument about Obama’s handling of the economy could be summed up into-“it’s not his fault, he inherited the 2008 Mortgage Crisis.” That is true; however, he willingly inherited an American economic crisis and promised to fix it. He did not fix it, because he did not know how to fix it. Foolishly, he relied on his Keynesian economic experts to try untested theories that slowed and then stalled our economic growth. Obama even sent his Treasure Secretary Timothy Geithner to China to calm the nerves of Chinese investors over the strength of the US Dollar to which, he was laughed at. Loudly. Juxtaposed to this, Donald Trump took a lackluster economy, and clobbered it with his “magic wand,” unfettering the bureaucratic tentacles and unleashed our economic power. In less than three years, America had the lowest unemployment and highest wage growth she had ever seen. Even with an artificial shutdown (COVID-19), and the prolonged lockdowns in Democratic states, America is doing better now than forecasted by almost every expert. 2. The Obama-Biden administration tied American hands with several global treaties that would have destroyed our economy, had Hillary Clinton won. First, the Paris Climate Accord would have unfairly held the American economy to reducing its ‘carbon footprint,’ (i.e., shuttering our manufacturing and energy development) ahead of the world’s worst offenders (China, India, Mexico, etc.). It would have done zero to help the so-called ‘climate crisis,’ but it would have crushed the American economy. The Iran Nuclear Treaty would have supposedly, slowed Iran’s intent to become a nuclear power, by heaping tons of cash and supposed “oversight” by UN observers. Considering how well that has worked in other places (Syria, Iraq, Rwanda, etc.), Iran would already be nuclear had Clinton won. Unofficially, the Obama Administration could single-handedly be pointed at as the prime mover for the Arab Spring with its “leading from behind” policy agenda. Obama’s first trip abroad was to Egypt, where, he coordinated through his staff, to signal to the Muslim Brotherhood that he would support their efforts. This had a ripple effect that quickly spread across North Africa, and like so many other times, a single event (self-immolation in Tunisia), became the dejure battle cry for change. This change (i.e., revolution) was aided, abetted, and funded through the Muslim Brotherhood with Obama’s tacit support. Remember, this cringe-worthy Hillary Clinton bravado regarding Qaddafi’s premature death: We came. We saw. He died. 3. Three successive presidents had done little to stop the Chinese Juggernaut from ripping out the manufacturing strength of the United States: Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barak Obama. Clinton enabled it. Bush was distracted with two unnecessary wars. Obama accepted it as a fait accompli. Obama had no vision, nor desire, to see American greatness ever resurrected. He grew up believing that what made America great was largely a myth, predicated on white supremacy, and nationalistic empire building. His job, if I could summarize it, was simply to oversee, and potentially expedite, the dismantling of a nation in decline. It was in his mind, a foregone conclusion that Hillary would win, thus, she would just be an extension to his eight-years. They would, as he promised, fundamentally transform this nation. Trump did not share that view; neither did the American electorate. No one in China is laughing at the Trump Administration. 4. In the 2008 election, John McCain’s campaign promised to reduce our dependence on foreign oil (upwards of 60% then). His statement, “$700 billion a year to countries that don’t like us very much,” resonated with the American electorate, mostly due to our proximity to 9/11 and the two wars (Iraq and Afghanistan) we had been fighting. Now, fast-forward through eight-years of Obama-Biden, and the US had done little to reduce that dependency. Obama went so far as to fight against the Keystone Pipeline (Canada-US) siding with the environmentalists and their ever-shifting crisis of climate change as cause dejure. The price at the pump average: $2.97 throughout his eight-years. Since 2017, the Trump Administration has reversed our dependency on foreign oil completely. We are now the world’s largest energy producer, providing hundreds of thousands of jobs to states like Texas, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Ohio, as well as the benefits of low gas prices around the nation. Now the US has also become (again) a major energy exporter. The price at the pump average: $2.50 throughout his four-years. 5. The Obama-Biden Administration, became the single, most hostile, presidential administration ever, against Christians and traditional families. The twin rise of secularization and pro-Muslim narratives skyrocketed from 2009-2016 and has left behind a track record that is openly hostile to Christianity and the traditional (male-female) family. Obama was also responsible (albeit indirectly) by leading from behind in speaking out and protecting thousands of Christians and non-Sunni Muslims from an organization he helped enable (ISIS), by prematurely pulling out of Iraq, thus, leaving behind a vacuum for ISIS to fill. In contrast, Trump came into office, immediately working to reverse numerous Obama executive orders, as well as military action to crush ISIS. Whereas Obama requested a cross be covered up behind him when speaking at a university, Trump has openly embraced the support given to him by Evangelicals, Catholics, Muslims, and people from every faith. Trump’s first trip overseas to Saudi Arabia, followed by his trip to Israel (from Saudi Arabia) highlighted his willingness to work with both sides of the religious divide. Furthermore, Trump’s campaign promise to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s eternal capital, and moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem was just as much a hit with Israelis as it was with Christian Evangelicals. This, followed up with the highly successful Abraham Accords (Abraham being important with both Jews and Muslims), brought the first legitimate Middle East Peace plan since 1992’s Oslo Accords. 6. The political left has been beating the racism drum against Trump since the day he announced his intention to run. However, the day before (and for years prior), Trump was hailed by Democrats, Republicans, Hollywood, New Yorkers, and pretty much everyone else, as a champion for minority causes. Trump has been friends with Jesse Jackson, Alveda King, Sean Combs (P. Diddy), Mike Tyson, Russel Simmons, Herschel Walker, Whitney Houston, and many others. If Donald Trump was really the racist the media has put him out to be, I doubt seriously that any of these would have been his personal friend for decades. But instead of me opining about that, let’s see what Ms. Alveda King had to say about the subject. As much as the left likes to point to Charlottesville’s shooting/racial riot as Trump’s advocacy of white supremacy, they refuse, no matter how many times he has publicly denounced white supremacy, to let it go. Therefore, I will just let Ms. Alveda King put the situation in her own words. Joe Biden is basing his entire candidacy on a discredited lie, trying to make President Trump seem like a racist so that Biden can present himself as some sort of “anti-racist” candidate. That’s the furthest thing from the truth. In the video announcing his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination, Biden cherry-picked a partial quote from remarks the president made in the immediate aftermath of the Charlottesville riots, stripped it of context, and presented it as evidence that Trump had called neo-Nazis “fine people.” That’s a load of malarkey, and Biden knows it, because President Trump also said that “neo-Nazis and white supremacists … should be condemned totally.” The “fine people” he was referring to were the ordinary Americans, “on both sides,” who felt passionately enough about a civic issue to demonstrate — peacefully — on behalf of their views. Conclusion “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.” President Ronald Reagan The battle for the soul of the nation is truly at stake. On one hand, you have a democrat bureaucrat who has spent decades in Washington D.C. The other, was a self-made (and sustained multi-billionaire) that has spent decades creating jobs and familial empire. One has used the government to enrich his own family. One came in already wealthy and has refused to take a paycheck for a job he views as a duty. One candidate is not mentally able to carry out a full four-year term, and would likely be replaced (Pelosi’s 25th Amendment pitch) by his radically progressive Vice-President. One offers a dark winter, the incumbent, a hopeful future, but either way, God is in control. Either way, God’s plan for the conclusion of this dispensation, will come to its inevitable end. As students of the Bible, and in particular, Bible prophecy, knows that the final week of years, is coming, and nothing can abate or assuage this appointment with divine destiny. Moreover, given the proximity to the 2020 election, where does America fit in this indisputable ending as laid out in Holy Scripture? And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; Acts 17:26-27 This is not to say that Christians should not vote. Absolutely, you should vote. God has, for His own reasons, allowed our nation to be governed by the will of the people in these last days. God could have arranged this final superpower, to be a monarchy or a communist regime. We could have lived under the rule of King George XXIII (or whoever), but we live in a Constitutional Republic. I am under the firm conviction that God will always get the final victory, in whatever realm He chooses to exercise His authority over and nothing would get under Satan’s skin more than to lose the jewel in his earthly crown, just before the Rapture. One party has intentionally decided to run on the Anti-Christ, Anti-Life, and Anti-Israel agenda; the other has not. Since the Democrats have voted God off the Democrat Platform, I am genuinely curious as to what “soul” they are attempting to battle for? We, as Christians living in these final moments of human history, have been given the opportunity to exercise our Romans 13 duty to indeed, battle for the soul of a nation. We do that by electing good leaders while we can so that righteousness might flicker a little longer in these darkening times. Fighting for an abortion-free America is something worth fighting for, even if, the Tribulation is still ahead. As I have always believed, we keep looking up as if the Rapture were tomorrow, but we must occupy until He comes. America is as divided today, as it was in 1860. However, the divides are not between North and South, but between capitalism, and socialism. It is between nationalism and globalism. It is between freedom and tyranny. America is long overdue for another civil war, or worse, complete collapse. However, while we can, let us let those things come after the Rapture, and not before. Benjamin Franklin, at the close of the Constitutional Convention of 1787, when queried as he left Independence Hall on the final day of deliberation—in the notes of Dr. James McHenry, one of Maryland’s delegates to the Convention. “Well, Doctor, what have we got—a Republic or a Monarchy?” “A Republic, if you can keep it.” Closing In - By Daymond Duck - https://www.raptureready.com/2020/10/31/closing-in-by-daymond-duck/
The Bible teaches that we can see the day of our Lord’s return approaching. It seems to me that the peace treaties in the Middle East, the opposition to those treaties by some of Israel’s enemies, the departure from the faith by Pope Francis, the attacks on freedom of religion and free speech, the lawlessness, and the increase in the frequency and intensity of natural disasters are sure signs that society is closing in on the Tribulation Period. Below are some of the things that have recently taken place. One, concerning peace in the Middle East, on Oct. 21, 2020, it was reported that U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman said, “There will be more countries that are in the Arab League that will normalize and make peace with Israel, I have no doubt it is a certainty. How many, in what order, I think everyone will have to wait and see.” Two, On Oct. 23, 2020, Pres. Trump announced that Sudan has agreed to a peace treaty with Israel, and he added that “There are many, many more coming.” This is not the covenant with many, but many are signing or preparing to sign a peace treaty, and it could be a major step toward the covenant with many. Trump was asked if he will have a signing ceremony at the White House for Israel and Sudan like the one he had for the UAE and Bahrain and Israel. He replied, “We will have them along with some other countries that you’ll be hearing about coming, probably simultaneously. Then ultimately, we’re going to have a big reunion at the end where everybody’s here and everybody’s gonna be signed. We expect Saudi Arabia is going to be one of those countries.” Ultimately, there will be a reunion and signing for all (many) of the nations that have normalized relations with Israel. This is beginning to sound like it could develop into the covenant with many. One thing is sure, the Arabs are beginning to separate themselves from the Palestinians and to move closer to a peace treaty with Israel. It is an enormous step forward in Bible Prophecy with major implications for the Rapture, the rise of Antichrist, the Tribulation Period and more. Three, not all agree, but several well-known prophecy teachers believe Israel will get into a war with her neighbors called the Psalm 83 war. The PA, Hamas and Hezbollah (some of Israel’s neighbors) are unhappy with the peace treaties that several Arab nations have signed with Israel. Whether or not they resort to war to stop these treaties remains to be seen. Four, concerning a departure from the faith, on Oct. 21, 2020, Pope Francis said, “Homosexual people have the right to be in a family. They are children of God. You can’t kick someone out of a family, nor make their life miserable for this. What we have to have is a civil union law; that way they are legally covered.” His call for a law to legitimize deviant sexual behavior that the Bible calls an abomination and give it the same status as Biblical marriage between a man and a woman is a departure from Scripture and traditional Roman Catholic teachings. If the Pope is an infallible man of God, wouldn’t you think he would stick to what the Bible says? Five, on Oct. 20, 2020, it was reported that YouTube has admitted that it is removing videos (more than 200,000 since Feb. of this year) that disagree with World Health Organization (WHO) claims. The WHO has been wrong on several issues, but they are trying to silence anyone that disagrees with what they say, and they want to tell U.S. citizens and the Church what to do (wear masks, limit attendance at services, etc.). This is censorship and a denial of free speech, not science. Six, concerning lawlessness (rioting, looting, burning, etc.), there have been several articles stating that a Trump victory will unleash hell on earth. Several groups are threatening violence. One group called Shut Down DC has posted a website message announcing plans to hit the streets between Nov. 4-7 proclaiming that Trump’s victory is an attempted coup against Biden. The group has also announced that it plans to confront members of Congress on Nov. 8-11 as they return to Washington after the election. Businesses near the White House have already started boarding up their windows. Be aware that violence is coming if Trump wins, and it is part of a continuing effort to remove him from office. This may be why Hillary Clinton advised Biden not to concede the election. Seven, concerning natural disasters, on Oct. 23, 2020, it was reported that wildfires in California and Colorado have burned more acres than any year in their history, and approaching 60-80 mph winds with gusts up to 100 mph will grow the fires. In California, about 100,000 people have been driven out of their homes, and about 1,000,000 have had their electricity turned off. In Colorado, seventy-seven per cent of the state is under an extreme drought. In Potomac, Montana, on Oct. 25, 2020, the temperature hit twenty-nine degrees below zero (a record). Spokane, Washington, is experiencing the snowiest October in more than 125 years. On Oct. 26, 2020, it was reported that tropical storm Zeta will turn into a hurricane that will hit the Gulf Coast on Oct. 28, 2020. Zeta is the eleventh Atlantic hurricane in 2020, the third most hurricanes ever in one year, the fifth hurricane to hit the Gulf Coast in 2020, and the Hurricane season is not over. Eight, concerning pestilence, on Oct. 23, 2020, the U.S. had the highest one-day total of new Covid cases ever (83,000 new cases in one day). Pres. Trump said it is because the U.S. is testing more people, not because Covid is getting worse. Nine, several readers have asked me who I think will win the election. I don’t know the answer to that. But I will view a Biden victory as a sign that God has removed His hand of protection from America and that world government, etc. are going to move forward even faster. I will view a Trump victory as a sign that God is going to show grace to America a little longer. Finally, our Christian faith should guide us all of the time, not just part of the time. What we do should be based on the Scriptures even when we are in the voting booth. The Scriptures are very clear about abortion, same-sex marriage, rioting, looting, burning buildings, Israel and more. Do you want to go to heaven? Know that God loves you, and if you have not done so, sincerely admit that you are a sinner; believe that Jesus is the virgin born, sinless Son of God who died for the sins of the world, was buried and raised from the dead; ask Him to forgive your sins, cleanse you, come into your heart and be your Saviour; then tell someone that you have done this. Prophecy Plus Ministries, Inc. Daymond Duck duck_daymond@yahoo.com Is Jesus Return in the Rapture, Imminent? - by pastor Mike Taylor - https://pastormiketaylor.blogspot.com/2020/10/is-jesus-return-in-rapture-imminent.html
47 "The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven. 48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. 49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. 50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory." (1st Corinthians 15:47-54) The above opening verses describe a reality that many of us will experience, I believe soon in this time of the end of this age. It describes the 'Harpazo" or the forceful removal of the church from this earth in a instant, or the twinkling of an eye. Some people just cannot wrap their minds around such a concept. Many don't believe what the Bible shows us to be truth. Paul was the first to make this known to the world, as it had never been taught before Paul called it a "mystery" or something not revealed in the past. The prophet Isaiah approached the doctrine in chapter 26, when he described the coming of the Lord to those in his time period. 19 "Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. 20 Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. 21 For, behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain." (Isaiah 26:19-21) I've noticed that as you read Isaiah, much of the words the prophet writes lines up with the prophecy that John wrote in the final book of your Bible or Revelation of Jesus Christ. But until Paul fleshed out the concept and actually addressed the coming of the Lord for His church, then many people who read the Old Testament couldn't see what Isaiah was saying. A FIRST CENTURY BELIEF I've spoken of the doctrine that was believed in the 1st Century church but was squashed in the Middle Ages by the ruling theocracy of a "church" whose main goal was power and authority over other men. The doctrine was revived in the 19th century, as the Reformation gave men the ability to discern through God's Holy Spirit what the Words of God written actually meant. This doctrine was written for our time, not when it was written, as we are the last generation before Jesus comes again. I've always believed that the Bible clearly teaches a Pre-Trib (HARPAZO) rapture of the church, not because I look for a so called "great escape" as some scoff, but because I embrace the belief that it is "Victory in Jesus" and that the church is not appointed to wrath that falls on this earth starting in Revelation chapter 6 all the way through chapter 19 of the destruction in Divine retribution of those who are in rebellion against Almighty God and God judges them as His patience has come to an end. HOW CLOSE ARE WE TO THE COMING OF JESUS? I use the word "imminent" in the title of this message...what does that mean? Definition is "about to happen"...an overhanging truth on the cusp of fulfillment.....Why do I think it is close to being fulfilled? As Jesus spoke in Matthew : 32 "Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: 33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. 34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. 35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." (Matthew 24:32-35) Many people have been looking for the return of Jesus Christ, even from the first century, but down through the ages, even into the first of the 20th Century, one event had not happened, and was fulfilled in May, 1948 when Israel, "the fig tree" bloomed and became a nation again....THEN the time clock for the end of this Church Age began....Jesus said that "this generation shall not pass away" till all things be fulfilled. Then you ask, what is a generation? As Psalms 90 proclaims and man's generation to live is 70-80 years, and is filled with sorrow, then we fly away. 9 "For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told. 10 The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away." (Psalm 90:9-10) Note that this year 2020, Israel is now 72 years old and we are pushing for 80 years. And if you look around you, and take to heart what Jesus said in that same chapter, you will see that world events are being fulfilled at "warp speed". How much longer will Jesus tarry before He comes for His bride as He promised all through your bible? I believe not long, hence it is "imminent". The Bible clearly teaches a Pre-Tribulation rapture that puts the last days and the Tribulation into context that is consistent with the overall flow of Bible prophecy. That is the only reason I teach and believe in the removal of God's church prior to the Tribulation as it makes no difference to me if someone else does not believe in the doctrine and embraces another point of view, as the timing of the rapture plays no role in our salvation. Of all the doctrines of the Bible, this one is hotly contested among "brethren" who do not believe what they read, or fail to discern the meaning of the Words. We are saved by faith through grace and the person believes that He is coming again, as promised, and will keep all of the many other promises that are spelled out in your Bible, including being an Advocate before the Righteous Judge of all the earth. The believers faith is in the scripture that I so love to quote and believed as a small boy that God the Father sent His Son into the world to save all who come to Him. 16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." (John 3:16-18) But,( there's that word) the timing of the rapture of the Church is central to the understanding of the overall BIG picture of the last days. We are in the last days and it is a different era than the coming Tribulation period. The "last days" are used throughout the whole of the Bible in the context of the "Church Age" that we are now coming to the end of the period known also as the "Age of Grace". It all began at Pentecost when the newly indwelt by the Holy Spirit apostles rushed from the upper room to the street proclaiming the salvation of God and the population thought they were drunk. "Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine. But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. But THIS IS THAT WHICH was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass IN THE LAST DAYS saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:" (Acts 2:13-17)(caps, my emphasis) The last days that we speak of is the Age of the Church that we are living in and near at its end, whereas the 70th week of Daniel prophecy is called the "Time of Jacob's Trouble also known as the Tribulation. These are two different "dispensations" of God and it is central to the understanding of the times that we now live in. The apostle Paul referred to this age, as the "dispensation of the grace of God". 2 "If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: 3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, 4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)" (Ephesians 3:2-4) Paul called the conclusion of this present time the "Dispensation of the fullness of times". 9 "Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: 10 That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: 11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: 12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ." (Ephesians 1:9-12) DISPENSATIONS OF THE BIBLE During our current dispensation, believers are indwelt by God's Holy Spirit as the Apostle John reminds us: 2 "Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: 3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. 4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world." (1st John 4:2-4) Note the context of what John speaks of? The spirit of anti-Christ is already in the world, even in John's day, but this spirit cannot overcome the Church saints, because He Who dwells in us (The Holy Spirit) is greater than the spirit of anti-Christ. But this same prophet, writing of the same Anti-Christ who will come in the flesh during the Tribulation will over come the saints says: "And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to OVERCOME them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations." (Revelation 13:7) Since the Apostle John wrote both passages, and they cannot be simultaneously true, the flow of the Bible is interrupted if the Church Age is concurrent with the Tribulation. I've spoken of this in past messages, that if the 'Anti-Christ' is given power to overcome the saints, will he also be given power to overcome the Holy Spirit? Since John tells us that He (Jesus) had overcome the world, the Anti-Christ cannot overcome those who have God's Holy Spirit, but John tells us that he will overcome the saints. So the only explanation is that those who are saints in the Tribulation are not sealed with God's Holy Spirit and are not the church, but Tribulation saints. The Holy Spirit will still be moving, but each saint must guard their salvation to the very end as they will not be sealed with a guarantee of their salvation. This is showing that God is not given the Anti-Christ power over Himself, the Holy Spirit of God. That leaves two possibilities apart from the Pre-Tribulation rapture in an analysis of the passage. The first is that Jesus lied to us, that He would come to us and never leave us and we would always have the Comforter, that is until the tribulation comes and the Comforter would be withdrawn from the Church or the vessels He indwells and leaves them on their own to battle the Anti-Christ. Now we know that Jesus is God and does not lie, and He said He would NEVER leave us or forsake us. So strike that possibility. The apostle Paul makes that clear that the Holy Spirit will be withdrawn back to Pre-Pentecostal manifestations on the earth, before the "WICKED' is revealed: 6 "And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved." (2nd Thessalonians 2:66-10) The Holy Spirit is the power of God holding back complete evil overtaking this world, and He indwells each believer who has come to Christ Jesus and proclaimed by faith, their Savior. For when the Holy Spirit indwelled believers are removed, then Satan will be allowed to attempt to destroy all mankind and receive worship for himself. For a pre-Trib Rapture to be a false doctrine means our generation was chosen out of all others in Church history to face the greatest spiritual trial the world has ever known -- without the Comforter that Jesus promised would indwell us until He comes. That is a biblical contradiction. The second possibility is that John was either lying or mistaken when he said the spirit of antichrist cannot overcome indwelt believers. In either case, the promises of Scripture are broken. Since we know that Scripture cannot be broken, and that Jesus never lied, as He was sinless, then the only possible explanation is that the Pre-Tribulation rapture is the Truth of God's Word. THOSE WHO DON'T BELIEVE. In all my years in the ministry, I have heard every explanation of why the belief in a pre-Trib rapture of the church is nothing but a "great escape" and scoff that it is a false doctrine. Those who misunderstand the clear meaning of God's Word have not had their eyes opened to the words of Paul as I have spoken of this great Mystery, that only Paul reveals the truths of "Grace through Faith" and the "Harpazo or rapture of the church" which until the Apostle Paul had never been spoken of in the Words of your Bible. That is why in each case, Paul calls it a "mystery" or something that had been hidden. I believe the One who opened the "mystery" to Paul was none other than our Lord Jesus when Paul was in the wilderness for 3 years being taught before he even showed himself to the other apostles in Jerusalem. But, its opponents will spare no effort to 'prove' that it is a false doctrine, as if the timing of the Rapture were somehow of eternal significance. It is not. The eternal significance of the Rapture is this: 14 "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words." (1st Thessalonians 4:14-18) POINT AND COUNTER-POINT Now with these two opposite opinions clearly in view, let us try and pull this all together by starting with the Words of Jesus in Matthew: 3 "And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? 4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. 6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet." (Matthew 24:3-6) Jesus warned that there will be one who comes in his own name and will deceive many, as most of Israel will be fooled: "I am come in My Father's name, and ye receive Me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive." (John 5:43) Even today, Israel has been looking for a "political messiah" much as they did in the time of Jesus that would rid them of the Roman occupation and today, to give them "peace and security" in their own land from their enemies that surround them. There will come a man, possibly soon, who will give them what they have been longing for, at least temporarily, and will receive him as their "messiah". They have never believed up to this point that they needed a "spiritual Messiah" to save them from their sins, as they had the Law of Moses, even though we know the law kills and no one is able to keep the law perfectly. Jesus was the only "Man/God" on earth who ever did. It is why the Jews rejected Jesus as their Messiah, as they were looking for a warrior King, much like King David to destroy the Romans. Jesus just didn't fit their pre-conceived notions of who their "Messiah" would be, as they needed a warrior, not a suffering servant who came to die for the sins of the world. So if one looks at the coming Anti-Christ, should you be so unfortunate to actually see him in the flesh, then if he is standing on the ground, instead of meeting you in the air, then you will know that he is an imposter, no matter what magic trick he performs to attempt to deceive you. In summary, the Pre-Tribulation rapture is NOT a "great escape" for the church, is is a necessary evacuation of the Holy Spirit's restraining influence and allowing Satan to have full sway of men and women upon the earth to deceive and destroy them. So since the Holy Spirit resides in each of the Church members, or the body of Christ as a deposit of future glorification, then with the Holy Spirit being withdrawn, so will every believer that has His Spirit residing within our spirit. If you remove the doctrine and the removal of God's people from this earth in the coming rapture of the church, then the chronology of Bible prophecy is thrown into chaos. Although the doctrine of the rapture of the church has no "salvation value" as we are saved by "Grace through Faith" not of works, lest any man should boast, it has no eternal consequences to anyone that they must believe in the Pre-Tribulation rapture. They can believe or choose not to believe in this doctrine, as it has no salvation attached to it. I find no particular need to convert a believer to my own understanding of the last days. BUT, I stress the doctrines, as those who have not come to faith in Jesus Christ will be faced with the coming horror known as the Tribulation and the even more destructive Great Tribulation that will destroy nigh 80-90% of all mankind. Prophecy is a great witnessing tool to those who are lost. I believe those who are found in Christ, when the trumpet sounds and they realize that they are being taken to meet Jesus Christ in the air will be as I am, raising my hands and praising God, knowing that they have been wrong to reject the doctrine. I have people in my own family who fear the coming tribulation and what will happen to their children and other loved ones. Sadly, they have no blessed Hope of being removed from this planet before the wrath of God falls upon all who are left. 10 "Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. 11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown." (Revelation 3:10-11) Our Risen Lord proclaims to the Apostle John when speaking of the coming Tribulation that He will remove each of us from this planet, not through the Tribulation as some believe, but completely away from the time and space of this coming event. I have proclaimed in the past of the Greek Word that tells us this in the phrase "will keep thee" which states to be forcefully removed from point A to point B away from the time period or place. But those who fear the coming Tribulation who do not have the assurance that "we are not appointed to wrath". 8 "But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. 9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. 11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do." (1st Thessalonians 5:8-11) Yes, my reader, Jesus is coming soon and will catch many believers asleep, and the whole world will wonder where millions of people have gone to. The left behind leadership will attempt plausible excuses and explanations of what has happened, but they speak falsely and attempt to blind the masses to the "snatching away" of the Church of the Living God who has been their blessed Hope. 11 "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14 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 2:11-14) To re-emphasize I must restate that salvation is given by God as a gift of His grace. It is through faith in the finished work of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, when He shed His blood on a Roman instrument of death, the cross. His shed blood if full payment for our sins, and His resurrection is our guarantee of our future glorification to be just like Him. "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 2 "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." (1st John 3:1-3) SO WHY TEACH THE RAPTURE? But I have said all this to answer the question, "Why teach a pre-tribulation rapture of the church?" Because without this doctrine that draws the Bible's prophecy into a coherent chronology of events, then Bible prophecy has no context, as without it, it makes no sense. I believe God has been most clear in the concept of the removal of the Church and I warn those who are playing church, warming a pew, or use the church as nothing but a social event, have missed the message of salvation and are doomed to endure, or most likely die in the coming Tribulation. Those whose eyes are opened by God's Holy Spirit feel the dread of being cast into the tribulation without God. And those who do eventually find God in the coming period of "Jacob's trouble" will most likely die a martyrs death. I warn those who are lost in their sins and have not made Jesus Christ, Lord of their life, changed their mind about God, repented of their sins, and asked Jesus into their heart and lives that there is coming a time that I would not want my worst enemy to endure. Not them and not you. The obligation to preach the Word of God in prophecy looking forward to the coming of our Lord for His Church and the beginning of the Tribulation is what I have been called to do. As a minister of Christ I can do no other. Search your Bible, and be a good Berean and find out if what I have said is true. Ask God to lead you into all Truth...as Jesus said "Thy Word is Truth". 8 "But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10:8-13) "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (2nd Timothy 2:15) We are to study diligently, as it is our insurance of not being fooled by false teachers or false prophets and succumb to end time deception that Jesus said would be a sign of our times. As a Watchman on the Wall, I plead with you to look to Jesus now, the Author and Finisher of our faith. The Harpazo of the Church, (rapture) is close, even at the door, as Jesus will someday soon burst through the clouds and cry with a loud voice "Come up hither".....WILL YOU BE READY? This is Pastor Mike Taylor, praying you find Jesus before the Trumpet calls. If you need prayer, counseling, or just a listening ear, email me at pastormiketaylor@yahoo.com, God bless you all. TILL WE MEET AT JESUS FEET The Mark of the Beast: Part III - Pete Garcia -
https://www.rev310.com/2020/10/the-mark-of-the-beast-parts-i-iii The Mark - Part III Imagine your next trip to the supermarket. You spend a couple of hours loading your cart up with goodies, you go to check out and your card is declined. How do you feel? Embarrassed, and then angry? Especially when you KNOW you have money in the bank. So next, you excuse yourself real quick and you run over to an ATM to draw some cash out, but the same thing happens, no money and no service. Now what? Maybe you'll call the bank and give them a good 'whatfor' or you'll just tell the teller that something has come up and you will not be needing the groceries, either way, you walk out empty-handed. Now imagine, that you can't do ANYTHING from filling up your car with gas to paying your bills because your currency is no longer valid. Oh, and by the way, your no longer receiving a paycheck from your employer. You have to have this thing put on your hand or forehead to buy, sell, pay bills, buy groceries, hold a job, pay your mortgage, or anything else that requires a financial transaction for goods or services rendered. That's what it will be like when this kicks off inside the Tribulation. Men, women, families once of good standing (with excellent credit scores to boot) suddenly find themselves the people they once looked down on with pity. But, all you have to do is put this new mark put on your forehead or hand (it really is painless) and all of your former luxuries will be restored. Oh, and by the way, once you do this, you'll be making the WORST decision in the history of mankind. At best, you'll be trading in 7 years of comfort, for eternity in torment and darkness. At worst, you probably won't even live out the full 7 years. Sounds like a bargain huh? Well, there is coming a day and age when this will become reality. Oh, it may not happen lickety-split overnight, but changes are coming. Kinda like how the music industry quit making cassette tapes and moved over to Compact Discs. At some point, all the cassette tapes are relegated to the dust bin and no one is making them anymore. You have NO choice but to buy a new radio that plays CDs. Or like when television left analog and went strictly digital. Did you have any say in it? No. When the time comes for this 'new and improved' way of living/shopping/security/freedom comes about, either you get on board or you get left behind. And by behind, I mean, utterly left to either starve or be killed by a tyrannical government. There is really great article that does an outstanding job in covering this topic. My intent here is not to reveal some deeply hidden mystery that only I am privy to (cause I'm not), but to share some thoughts peripheral to this event. With the body of Christ removed at the Rapture, what semblance of organized "Christianity" that remains, will be both Christ-less and incapable of offering a path to salvation that holds to its ecumenical swayings. I offered up Roman Catholicism, simply because they're the most global "Christian" organization in the world. They've not shown any qualms or regret in the past in either killing true believers (Crusades, Inquisitions) or from embracing non-Christian beliefs in order to stay relevant (Paganism/Islam). Chrislam anyone? Mormonism may play a prominent role in this time as well, since they share such a striking similarity to Islam, embracing both universalism and to an extent, pantheism and will probably be the most organized and intact American religious system left standing, post-Rapture. Either way, what is left is an empty shell of pure religiosity that will be used as a tool to prepare the world to worship the satanically indwelt Antichrist himself. That leaves only the practical matter of enforcement of said worship. The mark is not just a system of worship; it is a system of control. Satan is not God, and at best, can only try to mimic God which is what he attempts to do with the mark. God has and does mark those that belong to Himself. (Deut 6:8; Ez 9:4; 2 Cor 1:21-22; Eph 1:13; Rev 7:3) Satan counters with a system that is emplaced by the Antichrist as a logical, pragmatic choice to many of the world's problems. The world's economic systems are currently being shaken down so that it only leaves the mark as the only practical solution. How does the world get out of the current financial quagmire that it is in? It is completely unrealistic to think the US could pay off 16 Trillion dollars (let alone 65 Trillion in unfunded liabilities). Our citizens have become dependent on many of the entitlement programs that have put a majority of the country on life-support. If the government threatened to; a) impose huge cuts to MEDICAID, MEDICARE, Welfare, and Social Security in order to pay down the debt, or b) move off the dollar to a new system where no cuts were needed, I believe the US population would overwhelmingly elect the latter. Greece, Paris, and London are just tiny microcosms of what we could expect in every major city, if strict austerity measures were put in place. But it's not only the US but the entire world that finds itself in the same debt-laden boat. The problem with the US though, is that we are supposed to be the big pole in the tent that holds up the whole show. If we go down, (as a witness to the 2008 financial collapse) we'll drag the world down with us. Nations like Brazil, Russia, China, and France have only recently expressed openly, a desire to move away from the dollar into a basket of currencies. Whether it is a digital credit, special drawing rights, or a new currency altogether such as the Phoenix, they will all fail. That is not my opinion on the matter that comes straight out of the Bible. The world ends up in one global system, run by one man, using one currency. "And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six." Revelation 13:16-18 The Man Many theories are out there as to who this man (Antichrist) is. Speculation aside, there is only one man named in scriptures whose number adds up to 666, and that is through the number of family members he has. "The children of Adonikam, six hundred sixty and six." Ezra 2:13 This man's descendants were among those Jews that had been taken captive by the Babylonians under King Nebuchadnezzar, and these were the remnant who was returning to Jerusalem at the end of their captivity. I do not know if one of this man's descendants turns out to be the Antichrist or the False Prophet, but I do know that the Jews would never accept a man as Messiah who was not Jewish. All we really know is that the Apostle Paul stated that he (the Antichrist) would not be revealed until the Restrainer (the Holy Spirit) is removed (2 Thess 2:7-8). But to point out one last thing, Paul called the Antichrist the 'Son of Perdition'. The only other person called that in scriptures was Judas Iscariot (John 17:12). It's not any stretch of the imagination to assume that Paul was familiar with who Judas was, and what he did. If we are to remain true to the symbolism used in Revelation, we then understand that in Chapter 13, the Beast that rises up out of the sea (sea=gentile nations) is a Gentile. The Beast that rises up out of the land (land=Israel) is a Jew (the False Prophet). Maybe the False Prophet is hailed as the Messiah, but he, in turn, directs worship to the Antichrist who the Jews reject (for not being Jewish) which is why he commits the Abomination of Desolation spoken of in Matthew 24:15 and 2 Thessalonians 2:4 like his much earlier predecessor Antiochus Epiphanes IV (Daniel 11:30-32). But those refusing to worship him will have to suffer death or starvation for not receiving the mark since they will not be able to buy or sell. In order for that to be a threat, the technology first needs to exist to make that possible. We've spent the last 40 years being primed for this kind of system. From the gold standard to the fiat system at a national level to the personal desensitization through the use of credit and debit cards, online banking, and moving the society off of cash to plastic. We've also had the conditioning in place by getting us used to instant (food, service, and solutions) and by marketing and advertisements that continually sell us the notion that we deserve the best, and nothing less will do. The mark of the beast will obviously not be labeled as such, nor its consequences, but will be presented as the most logical, reasonable way forward in troubled times. We know that the mark is not used prior to the Tribulation, so whatever technologies are currently out there today (and there are many now that could fit the bill) are just being staged for the right 'crisis' to implement them when the time is right. Assuming that the Rapture of the Church is the trigger that causes the worldwide chaos, I foresee a couple of possible avenues. * If the Rapture is a standalone event, aside from the immediate effects of wrecks, looting, fires, etc.. it will trigger an economic avalanche of panic in the US due to the sudden removal of millions of consumers, employers, employees, tax/mortgage/bill payers that will put the already fragile economy into panic mode. The government will bypass the constitution and move to join an economic union. * If the Rapture is accompanied by some other cataclysmic event (EMP/Solar storm, nuclear or dirty bomb, or mega-thrust earthquake), the US may cede control of the government to the EU "temporarily" until the US can get back on its feet. For those who are not taken in the Rapture, they can expect to be subjugated from the Wrath of the Lamb and an onslaught of satanic terror here on earth. For those who fall in line and take the mark, they can expect the following: * Eternal damnation (Rev 14:11) * Drink from the cup of indignation (unmixed) the wine of the wrath of God (Rev 14:10) * Grievous Sores (Rev 16:2) * Torment on earth (painful darkness, heat, 100 lb hailstones) (Rev 16:8, 10-11, 21) Is it worth it? Are even the worst 7 years of your life worth an eternity in hell, let alone the hell on earth you will face if you 'opt-out' for a few years of momentary comfort here on earth? Would you spend a million dollars on a car that you could only drive for a day? Probably not, so why would you take something infinitely worse? The technology exists today, the hour is late, and our Lord and Savior is returning just like He said He would. "And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." Revelation 22:12 |
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