Prophecy Update Newsletter
IN TODAY'S NEWSLETTER...
COME UP HITHER: The Rapture is Imminent - Joseph Chambers - http://www.pawcreek.org/the-rapture-is-imminent/
Revelation 4 1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. 2 And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. 3 And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. 4 And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. No one can doubt that the Rapture is imminent. The anger against Donald Trump is so vile that there can be no explanation but "a hatred for Biblical values." The President is doing everything in his power to restore the past values of America. This nation was built on family values, rule of law, and love of country. The absolute hatred for all of these past standards is beyond understanding. Our world is under the delusion to establish a "One One Order," and President Trump is in their crosshairs. Only our Heavenly Father can protect us until Jesus comes. The Bible is exact about the rapture of the saints of God before the Tribulation begins. The Bible shows us a multitude, and I mean a huge multitude, being saved after the Rapture. It's heart breaking when you see the hellish sorrows that the entire world will be subject to after the saints are gone. More and more it looks like the great end times revival will be after the Rapture. Let's first look at the fourth chapter of Revelation. Any view of Revelation chapter four that does not allow for the triumphant Rapture of the saints is woefully inadequate and an embarrassment to the truth. It is the grandest picture of the true church and the overcoming saints who were brought up from the Lion's mouth unto the King's throne. The blood-washed saints that were hated by the world had faced their persecutors for the last time. Giving up the world, they had gained the grandest seats around the throne of the Father. This chapter is the beginning of the glory that has been promised to the saints since the opening of the Holy Bible. From seats around the throne to the city of the throne, the saints will never suffer shame again. They are His saints; they will take up positions as His elders until they march forth as His army, reign as Kings, and possess the city of the Bride. Revelation chapter four moves us past the Church Age, where His saints are pilgrims and strangers on this earth. After the opening of chapter four, everything revealed in this book is future prophecy. The pilgrim saints become serving elders that sit on lesser thrones and participate with the Father and the Son in the redemption of this earth. Redemption in the Bible is always a judicial business incorporating cleansing, judgment, and the renewing and perfecting of that which sin has corrupted. The authorized elders, Cherubim, and angels will serve the Lamb of God during this process. This chapter is the opening volley, and ultimately the universe will be perfectly redeemed. From the rebellion in heaven, where Satan and his angels were cast to the earth, until Satan presents his false Christ and false spirit, every act of evil must be presented and judged at the bar of justice. It will be seven years of perfect redemption until the earth is fit for the King of Kings to rule and reign. The great Jehovah God is seated on His throne in the celestial heavens and is fully prepared for the heavenly court. Over six thousand years have passed since a serpent possessed by Lucifer walked into the garden and deceived God's perfect couple, Adam and Eve. From the venom of lies in the garden, sin has touched every offspring of Adam. The upheaval of the earth by the Noahic flood left its scars on a sin-cursed earth. There is not one element of the created world unspoiled by the flood of evil, and it's now time for redemption. Jude 3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. 4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. 5 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. The celestial city of Jerusalem, now in heaven, and its inhabitants are the only untouched geography in the cosmos, and the court will be held in its temple. David must have had a slight view of this seven-year session. "Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness. Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. God is known in her palaces for a refuge." (Psalms 48:1-3). The court proceeding that must be held in this city demands a Pre-Tribulation Rapture to transfer the saints from their graves or from their living on earth to fulfill their appointed place in the judgments. This earth is the Lord's and He has appointed it to His saints to possess for eternity. It has been clearly stated that we shall judge this earth, and our removal to this grand event is unquestionably guaranteed. The fight against the Rapture is a last-ditch battle from the devil to prevent us from our heavenly task. The proceeding cannot begin until we arrive at our appointed seats before the throne. Come Up Hither! After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter (Revelation 4:1). Please look carefully at this truth. The scene in heaven was visible to John. It was a drama for him. He did not hear it described, he saw it in action. The Lord said, "I will shew thee things which must be hereafter",. speaking of the Church to which John had just delivered seven letters. There is no event on God's calendar that demands a door opened into heaven from the earth's advantage except the Rapture. This great vision by John incorporates all the fine details that Scripture associates with the saints being caught up to meet the Lord in the air. "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: 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". (I Thessalonians 4:16-17. Before John sees the throne in heaven, he hears the voice of Jesus Christ "as it were of a trumpet" saying, "Come up hither." The trumpet voice gave details to John to make sure the church would understand this further information as "hereafter" or following the letters to the seven churches. Nothing from this point in Revelation can be a historical event. This was clearly stated in the introduction of chapter one. "Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter" (Revelation 1:19). All through chapter one, two, and three the whole vision and scene is the High Priestly appearance of Jesus Christ and His letters to His churches. 2 Peter 3 3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, 4 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 the creation. 5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: John is clearly caught up into the heavens to view further proceedings that demand his presence. He is going to witness the glorified saints seated in positions of honor and dressed in attire that would be impossible on earth. Everything he sees and writes from this verse has no connection to the Church Age and its kingdom business, which the Scripture identifies as the spiritual kingdom "that cometh not with observation. Then Jesus told them that the Kingdom was still future. "And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:20-21). "And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald (Revelation 4:2-3). What John was about to witness demanded that a spiritual dimension temporarily overshadow him. This again proves that his vision was beyond the physically observable age of the church and was a prophetic view of future events. No one can stand before God's throne or even view God's throne until our bodies are glorified. "For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven" (2 Corinthians 5:2).This vision given to John was for our future hope and demands the Rapture to fulfill its glory. In the Spirit, John looks on the majestic throne of Almighty Jehovah, where our Heavenly Father is seated in His glory. The description given to us is limited by human language inadequate to reach to such heights of splendor. The glory was such that the writer could only compare it with the grandeur of rare jewels. There was a gleam of glory and overwhelming splendor making Him incomparable to earthly beauty. The dazzling colors of a rainbow were seen overshadowing the throne and its occupant. The throne itself was in sight like unto an emerald. No earthly wonder has ever been so described. How can we question that something is about to transpire that the ages of human pain has longed to behold? Ten thousand gods have imitated God the Father and have tried to possess His kingdom. They all have faded into defeat. The last of those gods are soon to disappear. His presence settles the God-questions of the rebellious multitudes. The proceedings that will issue from His throne will not leave any questions or doubts. His glorious presence became the backdrop of the rest of this great masterpiece of literature called REVELATION" Every scene from this point forward must be understood as the acts and transactions of Him, His Son, His Holy Spirit, and His appointed elders and angels. He is sovereign God, and all glory and honor must flow from His throne. And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind (Revelation 4:4-6). All three of these verses begin with references to the throne of God and He that is seated in His majesty, Notice the progression, "And round about the throne", "And out of the throne", "And before the throne." That is breathtaking language. and John both heard it and saw it. Luke 21 31 So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. 32 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled. 33 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. 34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. First, "round about the throne" are the saints of God that have been promoted to elders. No more pilgrims and strangers traveling through a weary land, but exalted, glorified, and seated "round about the throne." The judgment seat of Christ has occurred, and His saints have been promoted to their lofty positions. They are seated after a lifetime of pilgrimage and sorrows. They are clothed in sparkling-white raiment, which is the righteousness of the glorified elders. They are crowned with crowns of gold, and this is just the first day of eternity for all of them. I can hardly wait because He has paid our debt of sin and redeemed his chosen so we can be there. The Rapture is at the door and Satan is fighting with a fury. With New Peace Plan In The Works - President Trump Prepares To Pressure Israel - By Stephen Flatow - http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=2021#0SAAU8JKovpHdDfW.99 In recent weeks, President Donald Trump has repeatedly indicated that he intends to pressure Israel to make yet more concessions to the Palestinian Authority. I wonder why pro-Israel voices have not been expressing concern about this development. I admit that his rhetorical swipes at the P.A. have been a welcome change from the "see no evil" policy of his predecessor. U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley's speeches at the United Nations have also been terrific. And the administration's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital was gratifying, although it's still puzzling why it should to take two or more years to set up an American embassy in Jerusalem when the building already exists. These positive verbal and symbolic flourishes will not count for much, however, if the current administration returns to the old pressure tactics that were unfairly used against Israel for so many years. We all remember the Trump-Netanyahu press conference a year ago, on Feb. 15, 2017, when the president said: "I would like you to hold back on settlements for a little bit." Many of us wondered why. Jewish settlements in the historic Jewish homeland are peaceful, legal and deeply anchored in the Judeo-Christian heritage cherished by Israelis and Americans alike. Not only that, but settlements have nothing to do with the Israeli-Arab conflict. The Palestinians and other Arabs were waging war against Israel long before there were any settlements at all. They waged war before the Jewish state even existed. The idea that "holding back" would promote peace is utter nonsense. And what, exactly, did President Trump mean by "a little bit"? Weeks? Months? Years? How long should basic Jewish rights be "held back" in order to appease a regime that glorifies terrorists, and incites hatred and violence against Jews? In recent weeks, there have been more worrisome signs. In a tweet on Jan. 2, the president wrote: "We have taken Jerusalem, the toughest part of the negotiation, off the table, but Israel, for that, would have had to pay more." He used similar language when speaking to reporters in Davos on Jan. 25: "I helped it because by taking it off the table--that was the toughest issue--and Israel will pay for that. You won one point and you'll give up some points later on in negotiations if it ever takes place." Why in the world should Israel have to "pay" for the U.S. decision to recognize reality? The Trump administration simply did what previous presidents should have done. And what's this about "giving up some points later on"? Ever since the signing of the Oslo accords in 1993, Israel has been giving up, and giving up, and giving up some more in its dealings with the Palestinians. Israel gave up the historically Jewish and strategically important Gaza Strip. It expelled more than 8,500 Jewish residents who had called Gaza home. In exchange, Israel has had thousands of rockets, missiles and mortars launched against it. Israel gave the P.A. control over 40 percent of Judea and Samaria. Israel let the P.A. build a security force that serves as a de facto army. Israel released hundreds of terrorists as "gestures" to the P.A., even though many of them then returned to terrorism. Yet in an interview with Israel Hayom on Feb. 9, President Trump said: "I think both sides will have to make hard compromises to reach a peace agreement." Until now, only one side, Israel, has been making all the significant compromises. It should not be expected to give up even more. The old moral-equivalency thesis--that both sides are guilty, and both sides must make "compromises"--is a timeworn falsehood. It deserves to be consigned to the dustbin of history. In the midst of all these troubling hints comes a report (from the Axios news site) on Feb. 1 that "The White House is considering presenting President Trump's Middle East peace plan even if the crisis with the Palestinian Authority continues and Palestinian President Abbas refuses to come to the negotiating table . . . " Yet President Trump and other administration spokesmen have said repeatedly that the U.S. will support whatever solution the Israelis and the P.A. both want. If that's the case, then why should the U.S. present a plan of its own? The only conceivable purpose of an American plan would be to embarrass the two sides and therefore pressure them to agree to the U.S. terms. The last thing that's needed now is yet another American plan that will demand even more concessions from Israel in exchange for unenforceable Palestinian promises. It's time for a U.S. policy based on two principles: first, that Israel has already made enough concessions; and second, that there is value to waiting. Let's wait until the P.A. demonstrates, through deeds, that it is ready for peace. Let's wait until the P.A. outlaws and disarms terror groups, extradites terrorists to Israel and publicly recognizing Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state. Until then, any new U.S. plan is doomed to failure. Waking up to the Iranian threat - David M. Weinberg - http://www.jpost.com/printarticle.aspx?id=542779 Iran is threatening Israel with war and destruction. Perusing global media coverage of the sharp skirmish on our northern border last weekend, I was struck by the fact that few outlets focused on the Iranian aggression. Instead, the story was played out as a clash between Israel and Syria. This is a serious mistake. It is an error in analysis that belies a deeper and more dangerous trend, which is the tendency of Western observers to ignore the root of so much evil in the region: Iran. It continually surprises me that public figures I meet here, visiting from North America and Europe, are truly not aware of the scope of Iranian muckraking and troublemaking in the region. Generally, they know that there are bad actors at play here, from al-Qaida and ISIS to Hezbollah, but they don't have a comprehensive picture of Iranian belligerence and ambition, or the transformative, tectonic threat of Iran to Middle East stability. If anything, they often think that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (former US president Barack Obama's nuclear deal) has shunted concerns about Iran to the back-burner, and that the ayatollahs are now placidly focusing on rebuilding their society and economy. But, of course, nothing could be further from the truth. The Islamic Republic is on an aggressive march across the Middle East, presenting significant security challenges to Israel, to moderate Sunni Arab countries, and to Western interests. Iran does not hide its overarching revolutionary ambitions: to export its brand of radical Islamism globally, to dominate the region, and to destroy Israel. So, for the purposes of briefing those who haven't been paying sufficient attention, here is a summary of the treacherous Iranian record: Iran is carving out a corridor of control - a Shi'ite land bridge - stretching from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea, including major parts of Iraq, Syria and Lebanon, under the control of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps and its Quds Force, various Shi'ite militias, and the Hezbollah organization. This corridor gives Iran a broad strategic base for aggression across the region. Iran is establishing air and naval bases on the Mediterranean and Red seas, and especially in Syria, in order to project regional power. It has also stepped-up its harassment of international shipping and Western naval operations in the Persian Gulf. Iran is inserting militia forces into many regional conflicts, including support for the Houthi rebels in the Yemeni civil war. It seeks control of the Horn of Africa and the entrance to the Red Sea - a critical strategic choke point on international shipping. Iran is fomenting subversion in Middle East countries that are Western allies, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan. It is particularly focused on destabilizing the Hashemite regime in Jordan in order to gain access to Israel's longest border (its border with Jordan) and from there to penetrate Israel's heartland. Iran is arming guerrilla armies on Israel's northern border (Hezbollah), southern border (Hamas and Islamic Jihad), and terrorist undergrounds in the West Bank. It has equipped Hezbollah with an arsenal of more than 150,000 missiles and rockets aimed at Israel, and supplied Hamas with the arms and rockets that fueled three military confrontations with Israel over the past decade. Iran is sponsoring terrorism against Western, Israeli and Jewish targets around the world, including unambiguous funding, logistical support, planning and personnel for terrorist attacks that span the globe - from Buenos Aires to Burgas. Iran maintains an active terrorist network of proxies, agents and sleeper cells worldwide. Iran is building a long-term nuclear military option, under the cover of the 2015 nuclear deal; an agreement that expires within a decade and which legitimizes Iranian uranium enrichment and advanced nuclear research as it sunsets. Iran is developing a formidable long-range missile arsenal of great technological variability, including solid and liquid propellant ballistic missiles and cruise missiles. The latest Iranian missile, called the Khorramshahr, seems to be based on the North Korean BM-25 missile with a range of 3,500 km. The Iranian ballistic missile program is in violation of United Nations Security Council prohibitions. Iran is threatening Israel with war and destruction. The supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, regularly refers to Israel as a cancerous tumor in the Middle East that must be removed, and speaks of the complete liberation of Palestine (meaning, the destruction of Israel) through jihad. Israel and Iran have essentially been in a war of stealth since the early 1980s (when Hezbollah was formed), but now Iranian generals and military forces have decamped on Israel's border with Syria and have moved to direct and open military confrontation with Israel. Last weekend, the Iranian military launched an attack drone from Syria on a spy mission into Israel, and commanded the antiaircraft batteries that subsequently fired on Israeli jets (and hit a $50 million F-16I - the first Israeli jet felled by enemy fire in 30 years). With the weakening of ISIS, the growing strength of Russia in Syria, and the continuing retraction of American involvement in the region, Iran apparently feels emboldened enough to escalate its confrontation with Israel. Iran is also confident enough to continue to oppress its own people, with no regard for human rights or free speech. It had no problem putting down large anti-corruption protests that erupted this winter, and the ayatollahs continue to hunt down and assassinate critics of the regime abroad, too. It is time to pay attention to the grave Iranian threat to us all. Evil Under the Sun - Jack Kinsella - www.omegaletter.com Wisdom is something all of us seek, but few of us find when we're looking for it. According to the Bible, King Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived. But King Solomon is also the author of the Book of Ecclesiastes, in which Solomon strives to explain the nature of life, only to conclude that he cannot. "I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit." (Ecclesiastes 1:14) Although Solomon was gifted with God-given insight and discernment, or wisdom all through his life, he was still in search of understanding as his days on earth dwindled down to a perilous few. The Book of Ecclesiastes can be divided in four main parts: * The Futility of all Human Endeavor * The Futility of all Human Achievement * The Limitations of Human Wisdom and; * The Conclusion: Live Joyously in the fear of God Solomon, at first blinded by the seeming futility of life despite his wisdom ("all is vanity") reached his final conclusion only after he attained a measure of understanding: "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil." (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14) The Scriptures tell us that wisdom plus instruction equal understanding and that 'understanding' is the senior of the three attributes. Psalms 111:10 says "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do His commandments: His praise endureth for ever." Proverbs 1:7: "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction." Proverbs 3:13: "Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding." Proverbs 8:5: "O ye simple, understand wisdom: and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart." Do you see the progression? When one seeks wisdom through instruction, the Bible promises the result will be understanding. But what is the difference between wisdom, which Solomon always had, and understanding, which came to Solomon only later in life? Solomon outlines the progression of spiritual learning. It begins by seeking the source of wisdom. Having identified the source of wisdom, one must prepare to receive instruction; in other words, have a teachable spirit. Wisdom plus instruction, when properly applied, will then yield understanding. Assessment: Let's break this down a bit further. Many people learn to drive by seeking instruction from a skilled driver. The instructor, if he is worth his salt, will impart certain wisdoms; keep your wheels straight when waiting to make a left turn until you are ready to move, for example. But if you don't know why that is a wise move, it is probable that you will forget it as soon as you've passed your driver's test. If your instructor is any good, he will impart his wisdom together with instruction, which will lead to understanding. If your car is rear-ended while you are waiting to turn, if your wheels are already turned, you will be pushed into an oncoming lane of traffic and probably get hit again. Once you know why, you are far less likely to forget what. Because wisdom plus instruction yields understanding. As we progress in our walk with the Lord, we learn that the source of all wisdom is Scripture. The Bible says that the 'fear' [respect] for the Lord is the beginning of all wisdom. That is to say, without respect for God's Word AS God's Word and therefore infinitely wise, instruction will be useless and understanding will never come. Like the guy who gets mad when he gets a ticket for rolling through a stop sign. To his mind, the cop is 'picking on him'. He never makes it to the point of understanding -- and he probably gets a lot of tickets. "And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity." (Ecclesiastes 2:9) We miss much of what God has planned for our lives. Instead of applying Scripture to our lives, we apply the wisdom of the world, best expressed as 'live and learn.' That will eventually yield some measure of worldly wisdom, but by itself, it won't bring us to the next level, that of understanding. Many Christians start out eager for instruction and seeking wisdom. But then they reach a point where they feel they've learned all they need to know. Paul refers to them as 'milk' Christians -- baby Christians not yet able to digest 'the strong meat' of the Word of God. Think back to the guy who got mad because he saw his ticket as evidence the cop is picking on him. Now think about the last time you had a discussion with somebody over some element relative to Bible prophecy for the last days. Take the Tribulation, for example. The Scriptures teach that there will be saved Christians on the earth during the reign of Antichrist. From there, it is easy to conclude those Christians are part of the Church. Having reached that conclusion, any instruction to the contrary becomes a point of contention over the timing of the Rapture. Putting the Church into the Tribulation Period means spiritualizing and allegorizing the rest of Scripture instead of seeking understanding. Scripture teaches that the Christian in the Church Age cannot be overcome by the enemy. (1st John 2:14,4:4) But the same Scriptures teach that during the Tribulation, the antichrist is not only empowered to make war with the saints, but ALSO to overcome them. (Revelation 13:7) How does one seek to understand what appears to be such a glaring contradiction? "Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not." (Proverbs 8:33) The purpose of the Tribulation Period is two-fold; in the first, it is the 'Time of Jacob's Trouble'. "Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble, but he shall be saved out of it." (Jeremiah 30:7) Note that Jeremiah says that "Jacob" [the children of Israel] will "be saved out of it." They will be saved OUT of the Tribulation, by the Promise of God -- as Jews. During the Church Age, individual Jews are saved by grace through faith and become Christians. At the end of the Tribulation, Scripture says that ALL Israel will be saved, but by sight, rather than faith alone. "And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon Me Whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for Him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn." (Zechariah 12:10) The Church plays no role in Israel's national redemption during the Tribulation. The Church is in heaven and the 144,000 Spirit-filled Jews of Revelation 7 carry the Gospel, primarily to the Jews. The second purpose of the Tribulation is to bring judgment on a Christ-rejecting, unrepentant world. "Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts." (Revelation 9:21) By definition, Church-Age Christians have already repented -- they have no role to play in the Tribulation. The Tribulation Saints are saved through the Spirit-dwelt 144,000 Jews empowered as evangelists by the seal of God (Revelation 7). They are overcome by the antichrist, and are either killed or accept his mark. During the Church Age, salvation is open to all men. They need only to accept Christ and they are forgiven, their crimes erased, and they are washed in the Blood of the Lamb and spend eternity with Christ. The Church Age and the 70th Week of Daniel are in different dispensations. During the Church Age, salvation is unconditional. During the Tribulation, there is no redemption for those who take the Mark of the Beast, according to the Word of God. The Scriptures provide both wisdom and instruction. But one must be teachable to combine the two and come up with understanding. Daily Jot: Of gun control and evil - Bill Wilson - www.dailyjot.com Inevitably, the leftists use every crisis to shamelessly promote their agenda. Once again, the cries for gun control can be heard before the mourners are even mourning. It's disrespectful and it is without merit. How about looking at this another way? By making schools gun-free zones, and having liberal-minded and mandated programs that prevent common sense protection of our youth in schools, they are the ones who make the children easy targets of nut cases and terrorists. Where there are criminals, there will always be guns. Banning guns only disarms the law-abiding. Look at the examples. In countries where there are gun bans, there are coups; dictatorships, communism, tyranny. It goes with the territory. Baltimore, Maryland should be the poster city for gun control. Maryland has one of the strictest gun control laws in the nation. It's one of those non-common sense laws where even law-abiding citizens who want to target practice in neighboring Virginia or Pennsylvania can properly transport their gun across state lines, but it is illegal for them to bring the guns back home. Baltimore had 343 murders last year. It's not a safe place to be. Illinois is another place where gun control is on the lips of every leftist. In Chicago, where police confiscate sometimes 600 guns a month, there are over 250 victims of shootings-a month! This is proof positive that taking guns away only emboldens those who will use them. It is also amazing that in this day and age when someone posts on social media that they intend to do others harm, and they are reported to the FBI, that nothing is done about it. Perhaps, the FBI should get back to its original intent of crime solving and protecting the people it serves rather than trying to undermine presidential candidates and spy on people politicians seem to think are threats to their fiefdoms. Those who are critical of government officials and higher ups are put on watch lists and secret courts are asked to allow surveillance of them, but, hey, somebody threatens to do a mass attack, its just some nut case trying to get a rise out of someone. Gun control, what about doing your job? Now all the crazies are busting on the Trump Administration for these deaths in Florida. They should be looking at their own failed policies and have an understanding why we all have the right to protect our lives. But then again, these are the same people who fight for the right to kill babies in the womb--something wrong with this picture. Life is precious. Joshua 24:15 says, "And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Kind of simplifies things. If we choose, love and serve the Lord, we're not perfect, but we are less likely to be double-minded, mean spirited, and death-cultured like the gods others serve. Daily Devotion: Never Left Hanging - By Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. -Philippians 1:6 There are many reasons I'm glad I'm not God. One of them is that I'm the kind of person who starts projects and then forgets them. I have half-done projects like models that I started building three years ago and vow to finish one day. I will get to the very end of building it, and all I have to do is paint a few things. I'll say, "I need to go buy that paint . . . one of these days." And I never get around to it. Or maybe I will be cleaning my desk and will get it almost complete. Then I'll think, "I'll do that a little later. I want to do something else right now." Aren't you glad God isn't that way? Imagine Him working with us and then suddenly losing interest. I'm sick of him. I want to move on to a new life. I'm not going to finish him. Meanwhile, you're left hanging. God is with us, and He is aware of everything we have ever done for Him. Sometimes when we're faithfully and quietly laboring away for the Lord somewhere, we don't receive any fanfare from others. They don't recognize the sacrifices we have made. They don't see when we get up late at night and pray for people or when we're out there faithfully reaching out. People aren't aware of it, but Jesus Christ sees it. And if we're doing it for Him, isn't that all that really matters anyway? He will complete the work He has begun in our lives, and He has a future for us as well. This not only means that we will get to Heaven one day, but it also means that He will complete the work of making us more and more like Jesus. Share this today 
FROM THE HEART
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