END TIME

[Ranb2khz]

What Would Jesus Say to the Persecuted Church?

"I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown." ~ Revelation 3:11

• Today we share a message composed by Steve Haas for Prayer for the Persecuted Church:

"To the angel of the church of the despised, incarcerated, separated, raped, and martyred; the Persecuted Church. These are the words of him who knows your patient endurance, understands your distress, and like you has been faithful to the shedding of his own precious blood.

You say you are isolated, cut off, that no one acknowledges your state. I see the terrors you face: the raids of your house churches in Laos, Indonesia, and China; the assault and murder of your leadership in Iran, India, and Chechnya…

I register every tear that is cried, record each longing conceived, hear each desperate plea confessed. I identify intimately with your plight. I have not forgotten you. Nor have many others who, although unfamiliar with the gravity of your suffering, draw hope and strength from your noble sacrifices for me. I have revealed your plight to your brothers and sisters in Christ and have called thousands of churches to pray for you and to serve you.

You say you are afraid. Recognize what you have that cannot be taken away. I have given you new life, an irrepressible joy, and an ever-present Spirit. Your transforming faith in me cannot be crushed but instead shines like a lighthouse, drawing those who sincerely search for the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

You say you are losing hope. Know that these afflictions are not the final word, that I am sovereign and just. In time, I will repay. Although these tribulations threaten to overwhelm you, I have prepared an eternal place of peace for you, a permanent sanctuary of refreshment and true freedom that begins the moment you recognize me as Lord and serve me as King. I am with you always.

Beware of those who come from outside your fellowship, who masquerade as teachers of the church but elevate personal comfort over godly obedience. Many travel from long distances and present themselves as spiritual masters of the faith, proclaiming that temporal health and security are your due. Do not listen to them. Theirs is a false teaching, only shackling you to the unrequited masters of greed and disquiet. In the midst of your suffering, I will prove to be your only true peace and anchor…

I delight in your resourcefulness with little, your dignity in suffering, your joyful endurance in the midst of adversity. It is these things that give witness to a power above all earthly kingdoms, a source of strength stronger than the might of any human power.

Remain faithful, and I will raise you up in victory. Patiently endure, for I will not tarry long."

Response:

Today I reaffirm my commitment to be faithful and patiently endure until Jesus comes.

Prayer:

Pray that the Persecuted Church will understand the deep reality of patient endurance.

http://members.opendoorsusa.org/site/MessageViewer?em_id=76815.0&dlv_id=109734

[Ranb2khz]

U.S. Soldier Just Revealed The ‘Real Truth’ Behind Paris Attacks

Army sergeant Marcus Rogers, who made a viral video in the spring denouncing the Baltimore rioters, posted a new one on Facebook discussing the spiritual forces that he believes are behind the ISIS and Black Lives Matter movements.

In the video, which was put up over the weekend, the solider said he woke up in South Korea, where he is stationed, and learned about the Paris attacks. His assessment was, “We are at war. Whether you want to admit it; whether you want to believe it.”

“You want to know the truth about the attacks in Paris?” he continues. “ISIS and all these other things that are going on in the world, it’s just the Enemy’s pawns and his temper tantrum. Why is he throwing a temper tantrum? Because he knows his time is short. He knows that he is fighting a losing battle.”

Rogers explains that the devil employs people who “allow themselves to be used by him to carry out his anger….He’s roaming the earth like a lion, seeking who he can devour.”

He offers the example of the persecution of Christians as proof of his point that Satan is behind the violence. “You look at ISIS, who they they hate? They hate Christians, they are going around putting Christians in cages, setting them on fire, cutting their heads off,” he said.

Rogers believes that the fear and death being sown by ISIS and the discord being spread by Black Lives Matter are part of a satanic plan to wreak havoc in the last days. “He is trying to come against us with fear. He is trying to come against us with division, that’s why you’ve got ISIS and Black Lives Matter and racism and all this mess going on in the world,” the soldier states.

“The Bible says when you see these things happening look to the sky for your redemption draweth nigh,” he exclaimed.

Rogers exhorts any who see his message to fulfill their God-given purpose, using their God-given abilities in these “end times,” and not to get distracted by side agendas like Black Lives Matter. “There is nothing bigger and badder than the power of Christ. There is nothing bigger and badder than the Word of God,” he says.

“The Spirit of God will give you a backbone, the Spirit of God will give you some fire. It’s not on your own strength that you stand,” the soldier preaches. “I already know that He who is in me, is greater than he who is in the world,” quoting the Bible verse 1 John 4:4.

“When I see stuff going on in the news, I’m not going to get scared; I’m not going to panic…Jesus is coming, you all better wake up. The signs of the times are very clear. He’s about to crack the sky, any day, and I hope that you are ready,” he says.

http://www.westernjournalism.com/watch-u-s-soldier-just-revealed-the-real-truth-behind-paris-attacks-its-going-viral/

[Pro-Life]

Did You Know???

http://endoftheamericandream.com/did-you-know

The following is how Perry Marshall puts it…

1) DNA is not merely a molecule with a pattern; it is a code, a language, and an information storage mechanism.

2) All codes are created by a conscious mind; there is no natural process known to science that creates coded information.

3) Therefore DNA was designed by a mind.

[Ranb2khz]

Archeologists Discover A 4000 Year Old Archeological Find Linking Allah To Lucifer And The “Harlot Religion”

~ By Walid Shoebat and Theodore Shoebat

4000 years old is as close as we can get to connecting how old is “Allah” as deity, his relation to the great rebellion, sex, war … everything.

Amid excavations at four different ancient sites in the Central Anatolian province of Yozgat in the Usakli Mound at the Büyük Taslik village in Turkey there laid a cuneiform tablet unearthed after laying there for 4000 years (2,000 B.C.) The cuneiform tablet in the Sorgun district of Yozgat shows symbols of Ishtar, known as the Hittite goddess of love, war, fertility and sexuality. Ishtar or “the queen of harlots” goddess was found mentioned more clearly in this cuneiform than those on any other unearthed tablets.

Linking Ishtar to other archaeologic relics, also written in the same cuneiform is the Epic of Atrahasis cuneiform dating just as far back in ancient history (1700-1800 B.C.), which reveal that this ancient deity known as Ishtar and the snake beast god known as Ishtaran another name for “Allah” who is literally mentioned in the epic by name and was a transvestite (dual male and female nature).


(Ishtar Cuneiform)

The The Epic of Atrahasis is the Mesopotamian account of the Great Flood, which was a corruption of the biblical account in Genesis where Satan rebelled against Yahweh. The amazing epic translated by archeologists who did not coverup the name “Allah” at the beginning of the epic where all of the gods are laboring in slavery for the head deity, Enlil, and then one rebellious deity named “Allah” then revolts against Enlil where Enlil crushes the rebellion and then defeats Allah who was also called Tammuz in Sumerian mythology. Yet this defeat of the rebellion caused by this god of war “Allah” is not considered evil, but his loss is lamented over:

"Alas the lad, the warrior Ninazu! Alas the lad, my lad, my Damu! Alas the lad, the child Ningishzida! Alas the lad, Allah, owner of the net!…The shepherd, lord Dumuzi, bridegroom of Inanna … [The bitter cry for him! the bitter] cry [for him!] [The bitter] cry for the captive D[umuzi!] The bitter cry [for] the captive Ama-ushumgal-anna! Woe the lad, the child Ningishzida! Woe the lad, Ishtaran of shining visage! Woe the lad, Allah, owner of the net!"


(Epic of Atrahasis)

Allah, Allat, Tammuz … these were different names to the same deity, Allah, who in the Epic is referred to as Ishtaran who according to archeology is “the beast and symbol of Ištaran, as frequently represented on kudurrus, is a snake“. Biblically, from Genesis “the snake” to Revelation “the beast” these are associated to Lucifer and the devil who caused such rebellion by transforming himself into a snake with four legs then lured Eve. On a side note, while some think that a four legged snake is myth, archeologists earthing fossil records prove that a snake with four legs is a fact, the snake must have then devolved, not evolved.

Another link to Lucifer in the Bible is Venus and the pagan deity Sin which historically both link to Allah, the ancient deity, which is not only the “moon-god” Sin (Nanna to the Sumerians) but also to the star and crescent (often identified as Venus) with Ishtar (Inanna to the Sumerians). Even the Bible links Venus to Isaiah 14:12 to Helel (Crescent) ben Shahar (morning star) identifying the Lucifer possessing the Antichrist becoming the King of Babylon.


(venus-morning-star / The Babylonian name of Venus, at certain times of the year were viewed star of Venus and crescent)

Ishtar/Allah was originally a male deity of Venus for the Akkadian Arabs, and after settling into Mesopotamia from Yemen, became Athtar with the Sumerian goddess of Venus Inanna, and would become the Babylonian Ishtar. Ishtar was the Arabian Allat, the female consort of Allah who was so revered by the Mesopotamians that they had called her Um-Uruk, or “the mother of the town of Erech,” an infamous city of ancient Iraq.

Since Allat (Ishtar) was the feminine root of Allah, and was worshipped in Mesopotamia, and equal to the Sumerian Inanna, since they were both Venus goddesses, we should be able to find Allah associated with this goddess, based on inscriptions.

In fact, we do, a Sumerian verse which directly identifies “Allah” with the bridegroom of Inanna, Dumuzi or Tammuz who was an ancient deified king who once ruled the city-state of Erech, or Uruk, as the fourth king of its First Dynasty, at around — according to Kramer — the third millennium B.C., and whose death was ritually lamented by the Sumerians.

In essence, this “Mother of Harlots” which ruled the kings of the earth from ancient times until now is this transvestite deity Allah whose worship covers the entire region, then, and until now. So when Muslims roam roundabout the black stone it is a throwback to the worship of Ishtar, whom they called Athtar and Allat. St. John of Damascus said that the image of the Black Stone in the Kaaba in Mecca, is really an idol of Aphrodite porne, which is really just a Greek rendition of saying Allat or Ishtar, the harlot goddess.

The cuneiform of Ishtar, the goddess harlot discovered in Turkey and the worship of this Allah relates to the Kaaba in ancient times. In other words, from a biblical perspective, the facade of this harlot religion never changed and simply adopted monotheism. Christians were instructed to beware of a religion that “look like a lamb,” which in other words, seems like the real deal, but is a prostitute religion which “speaks like a dragon”. In other words it utters blasphemies. Even the imagery given in Revelation speaks of this harlot decked in gold, silver, jewels and adorned as a queen. Allah’s residence in Arabia lays an effeminate structure covered with pure silk black dress and is considered by Muslims to be a woman’s dress. The Kaaba’s attire is called “Kiswa/Kuswa” which even the prominent historian Edward Gibbons elaborated on this:

“…the kuswa of the magnificent Kaaba, is what is used for clothing of a [virtuous] covering, on top of it, it is written, the Kaaba’s dressing, meaning ‘we have dressed her her dress.”

Whoever dreamt that the “seven towers” of ancient extinct Babel exists today and is literally called “Babel”? Any doubting Thomas needs to visit Mecca and see (be advised if you’re not Muslim and enter Mecca you could get beheaded). Al-Sharq Al-Awasat, the prominent Middle East Newspaper names Mecca’s great project and the choice where it was built is atop the mountain that is literally called “Mount Babel” as it is called today and in history:

“The project Towers Of The House is the first project in Mecca … which carry seven towers … “Towers Of The House” is on the area of Mount Babel in Ajyad. The site overlooks directly on the Haram al-Sharif (Holy House [Ka’ba]).”

“is also the largest tower in the world in terms of area. Contractor Bin Laden Group, Saudi Arabia … Classified as the largest building urban in terms of the total area on the face of the globe, where excess space land for the project 1.4 million square meters and consists of 7 towers”.



And just as archeologists ignored the literal reference to Allah in the Epic of Atrahasis no one in the prophecy arena has even raised a single red flag about the significance on how this harlot is described and is biblically linked to Ishtar and Babylon or how it is destroyed in the end. Isaiah links Iran vs. Saudi Arabia to what we see today in the Iran Nuclear Deal. According to Isaiah, Iran (biblical Elam) must destroy Arabia and John levels similar destruction to what seems to be the harlot’s abode in a distant desert. The house of Allah, while Isaiah 14 talks of Lucifer’s rebellion, in Isaiah 21:9, God finally ends it leveling a prophetic oracle against this harlot, the root cause of this rebellion. “Elam, attack!” says Isaiah (v2) leveling this prophetic oracle specifically against Arabia (v13) even referring to Arabia as “Babylon is fallen is fallen” (v9) using the same announcement in Revelation 18:1-2 and Revelation 14:8 against the harlot city: “Babylon is fallen, is fallen”:

“‘Babylon has fallen, has fallen!” (Isaiah 21:9)

“The burden against Dumah” (Isaiah 21:11)

“The burden against Arabia” (Isaiah 21:13)

“All the glory of Kedar will fail” (Isaiah 21:16)

And to see the nuclear effect, again, a few chapters before, the destruction of Babylon is described as being absolute and complete “I will sweep it with the broom of destruction” (Isaiah 12:15).

“The broom of destruction” seems like footage of a nuclear explosion all with the fury and the power of the ominous cloud that sweeps up everything in its path. This woman (the Kaaba), as the Muslim myth has it, is Bab-Illah (Bab-El / Babel) the Gate Door to Allah decked with gold and silver with declarations which the Bible considers utterly blasphemous since it denies The Father and The Son.



Ancient history as it seems still continues, and it is still guised as “true religion”.

http://shoebat.com/2015/08/21/archeologists-discover-a-4000-year-old-archeological-find-linking-allah-to-lucifer-and-the-harlot-religion/

[Ranb2khz]

Mountains Need Moving

Scripture:

“Jesus answered them, “I assure you: If you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you tell this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ it will be done.” ~ Matthew 21:21

When a nation loses its ability to discern morality, it embarks on a slippery slope toward self-destruction, especially when it comes to basic sexual morality.

When a nation turns its back on the commands of God, He will say, “That’s the last step. I wash My hands. You asked for it. You got it.”

Americais in a crisis, and unless we have a moral rebirth, we will join the graveyard of the nations—it’s time to wake up. Time is passing — it’s time to look up. Jesus is coming — it’s time to sober up. Satan is working — it’s time to pray up. Mountains need moving.

Ask the Lord to heal our land, forgiving the iniquities of the wicked by bringing salvation to their souls.

~ Pastor Adrian Rogers

[Ranb2khz]

A Call to Prayer

http://intouch.org/watch/a-call-to-prayer

We are living in one of the most dangerous periods in history. Every day we see more crime and corruption, and the effects of a growing hatred toward the things of God. But because of our Lord’s faithful promises, there is always hope.

Dr. Stanley reminds us that It is only when we seek God, turn from our sin, and submit to His will that our nation — and our world — will be free. As we spend time with the Lord each day, we must remember to pray with passion and perseverance for our churches, our country’s leaders, and the challenges facing our nation. And let’s remember to thank our heavenly Father for His love and His willingness to heal our land.

[Ranb2khz]

The Reign of the Lord’s Anointed

Psalm 2

"Why are the nations in an uproar and the peoples devising a vain thing?"

"The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against His Anointed (Jesus Christ), saying, “Let us tear their fetters apart and cast away their cords from us!”

"He who sits (enthroned) in the heavens laughs, the Lord scoffs at them."

"Then He will speak to them in His anger and terrify them in His fury, saying, “But as for Me, I have installed (consecrated) My King upon Zion, My holy mountain.” “I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son, today I have begotten You. ‘Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, and the very ends of the earth as Your possession. ‘You shall break (rule) them with a rod (scepter or staff) of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware (potters ware).’”

"Now therefore, O kings, show discernment; take warning, O judges (leaders) of the earth. Worship (serve) the Lord with reverence (and fear) and rejoice with trembling. Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, for His wrath may soon (quickly, suddenly, easily) be kindled."

How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!"

[Ranb2khz]

Where World History Ends

"On the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying: "To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates. . ." ~ Genesis 15:18

What on earth is happening in the Middle East? It seems that all we hear about in the news from this region is another outburst of violence — or a threat of one.

In his address at the U.N., then Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had threatened once again to eliminate Israel. Also in another speech, he spoke of some Islamic "messiah," as well as a new world order.

As we look at the attacks on our embassies around the world, and specifically the September 11 attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, it is now clear that the war on terror has not been won.

When Osama bin Laden was killed, we hoped that might be the end of it. But after Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans, Sean Smith, Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods, were murdered in Libya, there were people rioting in the streets and burning American flags. As they waited for their close-ups from the American media, they chanted together to the cameras, "Take a picture, Obama! We are all Osama!" That pretty much says it all. The message of Osama bin Laden and the terrorists appears to be alive and well.

And what about the so-called Arab Spring? What some thought might be a hopeful sign, perhaps a surge of democracy in the Middle East, has not turned out so well. So what is the explanation of all of this chaos and confusion? What in the world is happening?

The short answer is that Bible prophecy is being lived out in real time before our very eyes. The Bible has predicted the things that are happening in this part of the world. Scripture is very clear in pointing out that the end of the world will be centered in the Middle East. And it has all been foretold in the only book that accurately predicts the future: the Bible.

Thousands of years ago, Hebrew prophets predicted the Jewish people would be scattered across the earth and then later regathered. Jesus, in fact, gave a very specific prediction when He said the temple in Jerusalem that was being rebuilt by Herod at the time would not only be destroyed, but also would be dismantled, stone by stone:

"Jesus came out from the temple and was going away and when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him. And He said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.” ~ Matthew 24:1-2

Did that prediction reach fulfillment? Yes, it did. Because all historians agree that in A.D. 70, Titus and the Roman legions marched into Jerusalem, slaughtered thousands of Jews and dismantled the temple. Why did they dismantle it? Because there was gold in the temple, which had been burned, and they had to dismantle it to extract the melted gold. This fulfilled, to the letter, the prophecy of Christ. Also at this time, the Jews were scattered.

Fast-forward many years to the Holocaust, when Hitler sought to eradicate the Jewish people from the face of the earth. Thankfully, the United States, Great Britain, and their allies stopped the Nazi war machine. And what happened in the aftermath of the Holocaust was nothing short of amazing. The Jewish people began to return to their homeland. And on May 14, 1948, a modern miracle happened. The state of Israel was officially declared.

Here was a nation that had been dispersed for centuries, and then it was regathered. This has never happened again in history. And this was a super-sign that started the prophetic clock ticking. The people of Israel were back in their homeland again.

But there was still a problem. Israel did not have control of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem plays a key role in the end-times scenario. Although they had declared their statehood, Jordan was still controlling the old city of Jerusalem, including the Temple Mount and most of the historic sites. Then, the Six Day War broke out in 1967, in which Israel was attacked. No one expected her to survive. Not only did Israel survive the attack, but she won the war and gained back a lot of the things she had lost, including the old city. And for the first time in more than 2,000 years, the city of Jerusalem was under Jewish control.

Yet to this present day, Jerusalem remains at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with Arab leaders worldwide insisting that Jerusalem and the entire West Bank are rightfully Palestinian territory and ultimately must be given back as a condition of peace.

Of course, I am going to side with God on this issue. God gave Jerusalem to Israel. He said to Abraham:

"On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates:" ~ Genesis 15:18

He gave that land to Israel, and the Israelis are not going to give up the city of Jerusalem.

The Bible predicts that the city of Jerusalem will be at the epicenter of it all, and the attention of the planet will be directed toward Israel and toward the city of Jerusalem.

Is this happening now? Yes, it is. All of this is happening just as the Bible predicted it would.

So let's go over the chronology of events the Bible has predicted:

* Israel will be scattered. Yes.
* Israel will be regathered after her people are scattered. Yes.
* Israel will regain the city of Jerusalem. Yes.
* Israel will be isolated from the other nations of the world and basically will stand alone. Not quite, but it appears to be moving in that direction.
* Israel will be attacked. Not yet, and not on the scale the Bible predicts. This is still in the future, but perhaps the near future.

Scripture specifically tells us that world history, as we know it, will culminate in this part of the world. Some people would assert that it is not important to study Bible prophecy, but I beg to differ. We must study Bible prophecy. The reason we should want to learn about the future is so we will be motivated to live rightly in the present.

http://www.harvest.org/devotional/archive/devotion/2015-02-07.html

[Ranb2khz]

Revelation 20:11-15

Judgment at the Throne of God

"Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."

[Ranb2khz]

Franklin Graham: Is the World Coming Apart at the Seams?

Dear Friend,

As you watch the news, do you feel as I do — that it seems the world is coming apart at the seams? There appears to be no end to the bad news. The killing of Christians by Muslims from Indonesia to Bangladesh to Pakistan. China tearing down church buildings. Christians tortured, beheaded, and crucified in Iraq, with villages burned and churches destroyed, and much the same in Syria.

American pastor Saeed Abedini is still imprisoned in Iran for his faith. Throughout Northern Africa, the Middle East, and many parts of the world, the church of Jesus Christ — and anyone or any group who bears His Name — is under attack. In our own country as well, there is great opposition to the church of Jesus Christ. We see this throughout the media, the entertainment industry, government, and politics.

Jesus warned His disciples in Matthew 24 when they asked Him about the signs of the end of the age. He said there would be wars and rumors of wars, famines, earthquakes, and pestilence. He told them:

“Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake” ~ Matthew 24:9

As I read the news, I can’t help but wonder if we are in the last hours before our Lord Jesus Christ returns to rescue His church and God pours out His wrath on the world for the rejection of His Son. I don’t know if we have hours, days, months, or years — but as Christians, God calls us to take the truth of the Gospel to the ends of the earth. Our job is to warn sinners of the consequences of sin and show them that God is loving and gracious, willing to forgive if we come to Him in repentance and faith. We have to accept God’s provision for our sins — the shedding of Christ’s blood on the cross. This is what we preach at BGEA — Jesus Christ, dead, buried, and risen! Ultimately this is what matters most in this world.

We have seen firsthand the pestilence of Ebola. This year the virus has already claimed the lives of over 1,000, making it the deadliest Ebola outbreak in history. A medical doctor serving with Samaritan’s Purse in Liberia was infected with this deadly virus, but through the prayers of many righteous, God spared his life. All this reminds me of the urgency of preaching the Gospel while we have the opportunity. Jesus tells us:

“As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work” ~ John 9:4

I have just completed a major evangelistic Crusade in Pittsburgh, and we have another coming up in Toronto, Ontario, and then Erie, Pennsylvania, where the Good News will be proclaimed to thousands and broadcast over the Internet to reach even more. This fall we have a powerful new My Hope film being released with a never-before-seen message from my father about Heaven. This is a great chance for you and your church to partner in My Hope 2014 with Billy Graham and invite your friends and loved ones to hear the Gospel. Plan to show it to people you know and encourage your church to show it as well.

Whether we are holding evangelistic Crusades in stadiums or reaching the lost in closed countries in the Middle East through the Internet as they search for answers to questions like “What happens after I die?” or “Who is Jesus?” — through whatever means we are able to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ, your prayers and financial gifts make this ministry possible. We are grateful for your partnership and your heart for the Gospel.

May God richly bless you,

Franklin Graham

http://billygraham.org/story/franklin-graham-is-the-world-coming-apart-at-the-seams/

[Ranb2khz]

Tribulation Has Begun

Matthew 24:3-14:

Signs of the End of the Age

"While He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples approached Him privately and said, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what is the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?” (v3)

"Then Jesus replied to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and they will deceive many. You are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, because these things must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines, epidemics and earthquakes in various places. All these events are the beginning of birth pains." (vv4-8)

Persecutions Predicted

“Then they will hand you over for persecution (tribulation, distress), and they will kill you. You will be hated by all nations because of My name. Then many will take offense, betray one another and hate one another. Many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. Because lawlessness will multiply, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be delivered (saved). This good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed in all the world (inhabited earth) as a testimony to all nations. And then the end will come." (vv9-14)

[Ranb2khz]

666 Thursday, July 31, 2014

[Ranb2khz]

After the Rapture, What's Next?

By: Richard B Barnes

This book contains information on what happens after the Christians are taken out of the world in what is known in ancient Greek as the snatching away, or as Christians refer to it, the RAPTURE. I also look at Isaiah 17 and discuss why I think it has not likely taken place as of yet and is likely going to in the near future.

The new testament of the Bible was written in ancient Greek and so when a Christian said that they believed in the rapture, others would say that the Bible does not contain the word "rapture" and they would be both correct and wrong. The Bible uses the ancient Greek word that means to be caught up. The ancient Greek word was basically, harpazo (sorry, my PC does not do the ancient Greek alphabet) Harpazo was translated to the word rapere, which is Latin as part of the 5th century Vulgate translation for the pope. Anyway, rapture the meaning was taken from it. However let me be clear on this, the Bible does talk about the Christians being taken out of the world at the return of Christ. When we talk about the second coming of Christ many of us believe that it has two phases.

The first phase being the rapture or "catching up". This will happen fairly soon and thus I am writing this book to maybe help those who become brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ after the rapture occurs. After the rapture occurs, there will be a large push to form an overall governing world body. The man in charge of it at some point will be loved by the whole world. He in reality is the "anti- Christ". There will also be an agreement made in the middle east with the Arab states and others with Israel. Israel's temple will be rebuilt and that may be a part of this agreement as well. The agreement will be for a term of seven, 360 day years or to keep it simple 2520 days. However this will be the most turbulent time in world history, with all types of problems cropping up not long after the government is up and running. However, other things will seem quite nice apparantly as the world will love the anti-Christ. However at the mid point of the seven years the worst war in history will start. In mathematical terms I believe that's at the 1260th day into the seven year agreement. Billions will lose their lives. Those who accept Jesus forgiveness for their sins will have their souls saved and those who don't, won't. More on that latter. The second phase of the second coming of JesusChrist will be to the earth and will be after or at the end of the 2520 days is up. Jesus will raise his children from the dead that were not part of the resurection and the rapture BEFORE the tribulation, and take them into his Kingdom. However the sinners who are raised from the dead will be judged and thrown into the lake of fire. This is how I understand the phrophecies in the Bible. For now however, let's get to the basics.

First things first. Jesus is the son of God. He was sent to earth to live as a true man and true God. He had mans abilities, but he wilfully denied his own Godly powers and trusted God the father and God the Holy Spirit as we must also do, and yet he overcame sin and did not sin himself. He was born sinless. The virgin Mary his mother was forgiven her sins because she believed God's word and believed that her son Jesus would someday provide forgiveness of her sins and the sins of the whole world. So when she gave birth to Jesus, he was not born in sin as other men were. He was conceived of God and a righteous women. He lived a sinless life so that he could give his life up as a sacrifice for us. As a replacement death for you and I. Just as a lamb was sacrificed in the old days for the Jews, Jesus gave himself as our sacrifice. When a man or woman admits that they are sinful and want to follow Jesus and do God's will. Then all they need to do is admit they are sinful and ask for Jesus gift of forgiveness of their sin. If they do this then all sin they have ever committed or ever would in their life has been instantly forgiven. They are reborn spiritually and placed into the resurrected body of Jesus Christ. Because Jesus raised from the dead and returned to heaven and promised to return for us we will also be changed and made like him when he raptures the church. Many of us who have accepted God's gift of eternal life in his son Jesus Christ are expecting the rapture of the Church very soon.

If you pray to God a prayer like this:

Dear Saviour Jesus, I am a sinner, I want to change my life and live according to your will and no longer mine. Please forgive me of my sins, I accept your free gift of forgiveness of my sins and I thank you for it. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray, amen.

Amen, just means that you Really mean what your saying. If you just prayed that, then congratulations, you have just been saved in the forgiveness of Jesus Christ!

What you need to know now!

First off, the world government run by the anti-Christ will cause everyone on earth to receive some type of mark on the skin or some type of computer chip implant under the skin. Whatever it is going to be it CANNOT be taken by you!!! If they come after you to get you to willfully take the mark then you need to totally refuse and tell them it is a sin against God. God is one in three persons. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Don't worry too much about that right now, just accept it. They may toss you into prison or just leave you on the streets or perhaps kill you if you refuse. Without the mark, the Bible says that you will not be able to buy or sell; it sounds like you will be a non-person of sorts and cannot even hold a job. I do not know for sure at what point in the tribulation period the mark will start being forced on the people, so my advice is to start preparing for life without money as quickly as you can. The going won't be easy, but God will not forsake you! If you find other Christians you may be able to pool your resources, land, food, medical etc...

Remember God will be with you! Have faith, God will provide for you. The Bible says that many Christians will be murdered by the non believers of that time. However, they CAN'T take away your salvation and those that do have to lay down their lives will be greatly rewarded in heaven. There will also be several punishments that are brought on the world by God during this 7 year tribulation period, but these are not meant for you when you become a Christian, but that does not mean that you will not suffer as this will be a very troubled time.

I expect that the tribulation period is about to start. ISAIAH 17 is very likely to unfold and may be the trigger that causes the world to form a one world government.

Well, as of right now (Nov 2013) I see that the war described in the Bible in Isaiah chapter 17 looks to be about ready to start. The agreement with Assad that has been made to get rid of his chemical weapons is taking place, but the problem is that this could take years and we may not have the time before these could be used in a conflict. The deal also does not address biological weapons that Syria may have. Assad has warned that if NATO or Turkey invade Syria that he may use missiles and try to destroy the city of Tel-Aviv in Israel. If he does this, Israel has stated that they will destroy Damascus and if the missile attack continues other cities will be attacked. I don't have the exact threat but the meaning is clear. To me that means a likely nuclear strike against Damascus. HERE'S THE KICKER, Damascus has been defeated in war over the thousands of years of it's exitance, however it has never been destroyed to the point that it was no longer inhabited. As far as we know it has always remained a city and the Bible in Isaiah chapter 17 states that it will be taken away from being a city and will become a ruinous heap. It's claim to fame is that it's the oldest CONTINUOUSLY inhabited city on earth. The Bible also states that the cities of Aroer will be forsaken and not inhabited except by flocks. Aroer was a city in Jordan on the banks of the Arnon river, close to an ancient trade route that started in Damascus and went on into Egypt. It seems that God could have destroyed Damascus and caused people to never return to the cities of the area of Aroer, but not a human army as some scholars point out. No army could have destroyed the city of Damascus and killed everyone over night and then traveled down some 140 to 150 miles to the area of Aroer to drive people out. It's just physically impossibe, in ancient times. So to put this in a nut shell I'll say this. If cities are attacked with weapons of mass destruction in the middle east, coupled with the world's economic system already on the ropes, I think the economic system could likely fall.

Especially if Iran becomes something of a problem and oil from the gulf is slowed or stopped. Under those conditions, with an economic system dead in the water and millions dead due to weapons of mass destruction in the middle east, a one world government will have an ideal type of moment to step in and convince the whole earth that a world government is needed to avoid this type of economic trouble in the future and to work out and control the best way to stop wars. Now many of us Christians would see this for what it is and would vote against this, so it's likely to me that the rapture of the Christians is about to happen. At that point the newly born one world government could use forgiveness of debts both public and private as a sugar cube to get people to accept it. It would also give the new monetary system a better starting point, rather than unsolvable debt. I also want to point out that the war that takes place in the middle of the tribulation period, listed in Ezekiel 38, does not list Syria as one of the nations involved. Having said that, there is no guarantee that Isaiah 17 is about to be fulfilled, however it looks very likely that it may take place soon and may usher in the new world order. When this world government takes shape a leader will be chosen at some point. Either he will step up before it is formed or at the point it is formed or after it is formed. However you may be sure that this man will be the anti-Christ. He will do miracles of all sorts. He will be wounded to the head at some point and seem to raise himself from the dead. He will perform wonders and almost everyone will love him and follow him. At one point he will go to Jerusalem in Israel and go to the newly made Temple of God and stand in the temple and proclaim that he is God.

So the general outline is this as I believe it in the Bible. The rapture of the Church will happen very soon and a one world government will form. It may form just prior to the rapture or just after, but it will be soon, not likely years down the road. It will have a great leader either push to get it started or he will come to power after it is formed. The only thing that I know is that in either case the rapture of the Christians will happen before the anti-Christ is revealed. That great leader will perform wonders and is known in the Bible as the anti-Christ. After the church is taken out of the earth some people will start to think about what they have learned before about the rapture and other events they now see happening and turn to Jesus Christ as their savior. When millions of people around the world go missing, I'm not sure what the governments lie will be, but I can tell you for sure, it won't tell you that the rapture of the Christians has actually happened! Maybe it will say they were all killed due to alien activity, or that the new atom smasher created a weird condition and people just went missing, who knows, but it will sound possible so don't be fooled by it! During the tribulation there will also be 144,000 Jewish people who become saved in Jesus Christ and become great evangelists. At about this time there will also be two witnesses sent by God who can not be killed by anyone but the anti-Christ. They will witness to many about Jesus Chrst. Now it is important to know so I will restate it quickly that a peace treaty in the middle east will be signed by Israel and handled/guaranteed by the anti- Christ. When this treaty is signed it will mark the start of the tribulation period.

The tribulation period is going to last for 2520 days. This is also known as 7 lunar years. 7 years that each consist of 360 day years. At the end of this period Jesus Christ and his saints will return down to the earth itself to establish Jesus Christ reign on the earth. This tribulation period will start out looking like the anti-Christ is the greatest ruler of all time, but God will be punishing man for their continued rejection and the punishments will get progressively worse. Listed below are a basic outline of the judgments that will take place as I believe it. There are three groups of judgments:

The 7 seal judgments, the 7 trumpet judgments and the 7 golden bowl or vial judgments. These are listed below:

The Tribulation Judgments

These judgments are started after the rapture of the church in my belief. Each group of 7 judgments are played out with the 7th and last judgment starting the 1st judgment of the next group. They start with the 7 seal judgments which are presented as a scroll which has seven seals. Each time a seal is broken it presents more of the writing on the scroll. Jesus Christ breaks the first seal and the judgments are started.

1st seal: The white horse. It is believed to represent - The judgment of the anti-Christ being made the conqueror of the earth.

2nd seal: The red horse. It is believed to represent - The judgment of war, where the peace treaty that was made for 7 lunar years is broken, which I believe represents the war listed in Ezekiel Chapter 38. I will briefly state that I believe that this war will start in the middle of the tribulation period and will start with an invasion of Israel and Egypt of what I believe are people that likely represent Russia, Turkey, Iran, Libya, and Ethiopia and likely others that I don't clearly understand. This will really start a whole series of terrible judgments.

3rd seal: A black horse. It is believed to represent - The judgment of starvation because food is scarce and costs a great deal of money. My advice here would be to anyone that is a Christian and living before the war started is to save a huge amount of food and hide it and yourself as best as you can devise. Preferably with other Christians. And as you likely can tell, you must be very careful about who you would share the word of God with.

4th seal: A pale horse. Also known as an ashen horse. It has as it's rider death and hell follows it. It shows that 1/4 of the earths population has died, likely due to the war.

5th seal: The Christians that have been saved during the tribulation that died for Jesus Christ are under the alter of God and ask God when will he avenge them of those on the earth and God gives to them white robes and tells them that they should rest yet a little time while their brothers and sisters in Jesus who should be killed, should fulfill their course. I'm paraphrasing of course but the point is made.

6th seal: A great shaking of the earth. Due likely to earthquake, volcano's or to my mind the most likely possible cause, Nuclear weapons. It speaks of the sky's darkening.

7th seal: When open there is a 1/2 hour of time in heaven of silence and 7 angles with 7 trumpets prepare to sound off. This 1/2 hour could be literal or it could simply represent a short period of time that will pass before the next set of judgments starts. It may even represent a few days or weeks but the exact amount of time I can't be sure of.

The Trumpet Judgments

1st Trumpet: 1/3 of the earth is set on fire. All green grass and likely grain type crops will be destroyed with the grass.

2nd Trumpet: 1/3 of sea life is killed.

3rd Trumpet: 1/3 of all fresh water is polluted and poisoned. This is a tough one, but I would recommend finding a spot under ground where a large amount of water could be stored and stirred to keep it fresh and out of the open air, to protect it from radiation fall out or pollution.

4th Trumpet: 1/3 of the light of the sun, moon and stars will be darkened. This may mean that the day light is reduced by 1/3 and the light at night by 1/3, or it could be a literal 1/3 blockage that I cannot figure out at this time. I am paraphrasing this information in an attempt to keep it as simple and straight forward as I can. It is far better to take this information and open up a Bible and read it and see what you think. I would recommend reading a King James version or American Standard version Bible, but you may have to use whatever you can find.

5th Trumpet: This is a judgment of locusts that sting men like scorpions. These are likely creatures that literally sting non-Christian people during this time period. They will continue tormenting men for 5 months. These locusts will not have an interest in Christians, so don't go poking at them. My best advice is to leave them alone and they will leave you alone. This torment is not meant for Christians. I do wonder if the mark of the beast is in fact some type of chip implant and if it is, it may emit some type of signal that will be irritating to the locust but that is purely speculation.

6th Trumpet: 4 angles are let loose that have been bound at the river Euphrates from the time of Noah's flood. They will kill 1/3 of the men still alive at that time. An army of the kings (nations?) of the East. The number of soldiers will be 200 million and they will be riding some type of armored vehicle that seems to fire what may be nuclear war heads. It's hard to say because it's something that I have not yet seen. But the US used to have short ranged nuclear artillery for small nuclear warheads in the 1950's I believe. With that in mind and the fact that today it's 2012, it's possible that China has devised a mobile tank like vehicle that can fire small nuclear warheads. My advice? Try to find somewhere well below ground that is not in a weak geological place where they normally have earth quakes. I know that's pretty vague, but that's the best I can offer. Your number one help is prayer to God.

7th Trumpet: In heaven are heard great voices that say: "The kingdom of the world is become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ: and he shall reign for ever and ever". At this point God has taken his kingdom but is not done yet with the tribulation period. Next in chapter 16 of Revelation we have 7 more angels with 7 golden bowls or vials as I will talk about in the next section below.

The Seven Golden Bowl or Vial Judgments:

"And I heard a great voice out of the temple, saying to the seven angels, Go ye and pour out the seven bowls of the wrath of God into the earth." ~ Revelation 16:1

1st Bowl: Is poured out into the earth and it became a noisome and grievous sore upon the men that had the mark of the beast ,and that worshiped his image.

2nd Bowl: Is poured out into the sea and it became blood as of a dead man; and every living soul died, even the things that were in the sea. So at this point there is no more sea life at all.

3rd Bowl: Is poured out into the rivers and the fountains of water and it became blood. So now the fresh water is undrinkable.

4th Bowl: Is poured out upon the sun and it was given unto it to scorch men with fire. Again under ground housing would be preferred.

5th Bowl: Is poured out upon the throne of the beast; and his kingdom was darkened.

6th Bowl: Is poured out upon the river Euphrates and it's water is dried up. This will allow the army of the kings of the east, that has already killed 1/3 of the remaining population, to cross into the middle east. The nations will gather for battle in the valley of Har- Magedon.

7th Bowl: Is poured out upon the air and there came forth a great voice out of the temple, from the throne saying, It is done: Now several more things in Revelation are spoken of and then it returns to this point in Revelation chapter 19 verse 19:

And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat upon the horse, and against his army. (this is talking about Jesus Christ and his saints returning to earth). And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought the signs in his sight, wherewith he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast and them that worshiped his image: they two were cast alive into the lake of fire that burneth with brimstone: and the rest were killed with the sword of him that sat upon the horse even the sword which came forth out of his mouth: and all the birds were filled with their flesh. After this battle, Satan is then bound in the abyss for 1000 years and Jesus sets up his kingdom here on earth. All those who became Christians during the tribulation rather alive or dead will be saved. After 1000 years however, Satan is released for a short period of time and deceives men and they take up arms against God again and then they are destroyed when they apparantly surround God and his saints. The remaining people who are not found to be believers in Jesus Christ are thrown along with Satan into the lake of fire. After that happens, a new heaven and earth are made.

It is at this point that we enter eternity. What we will be doing is'nt fully known, but death and pain are no more. The Bible conveys that the wonderful things God will have us doing for eternity have not even entered the imagination of men. I hope that this is a help to some if not many people either now or after the rapture. Now, I would like to encourage you to read the Bible for yourself and with other Christians if possible. Pray often and have faith in God and your salvation in Jesus Christ.

It's my hope that this booklet will bring many to salvation in Jesus Christ and be an aid to those who become saved during the tribulation period.

My name is Richard Barnes, if you have read this before the rapture of the Church and have any questions please feel free to email me at [e-mail] and I will try to get back to you. If I can't be reached please follow-up with other Christians and be sure to pray to God about all of your troubles and read the Bible. May God bless my brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ. Amen.

http://www.booksie.com/religion_and_spirituality/book/richard_b_barnes/after-the-rapture-whats-next

[Ranb2khz]

My head is ready to explode every time I hear someone say, “The Mayans were wrong the world did not end.” First, the Mayans never said it was the end of the world in any of their translations. This erroneous statement was perpetuated by the media and the woeful movie 2012. The Mayans said it is the beginning of a new age and there would be themes to this new age.

Let’s take a look of the accurate 2012 themes the Mayan’s predicted for our time:

1. A time of great global social change
2. A time of great earth changes
3. A shift in human consciousness
4. The return of the gods

We can all agree all of these themes have happened and I submit to you the fourth theme, “the return of the gods” is happening right now. The caveat is they are no gods but really fallen angels. They are prophesied to return in the Bible under the scripture of, “It will be like the days of Noah.” The only distinction between the day of Noah and now is the fallen angels are not in plain view.

“And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man” ~ Luke 17:26

As you can see this is changing and people are witnessing more fallen ones every month. The December 21, 2012 was not about an ending but the beginning of the return of the gods. Could 2013 be the year “they” actually land and come out of their interdimensional closets? The global population is conditioned in these UFO sightings and understand there is something else to them. Many people would like to believe they are UFOs but most people ignore their ancient history as — fallen beings.

There are continuous debates regarding what time we are really in now. Because of the transitioning to the Gregorian calendar, it is argued time is off. I am not one to debate the exact time because according to the prophetic books of the Bible we can mark time by what signs are fulfilled. There are many key signs yet to be fulfilled and World War III will coalesce into the Second Coming but first there must be a great earthquake — including the fall of America.

With the advent of social media these UFO sightings can easily be shared with the world and I am sure that is the true intention. By showing themselves without violence offers a peaceful intention. We can assume these advanced beings could easily land capture many of us and store us like a bucket of chicken. This clearly is not the case — it is merely a case of “show” and not tell. The Mayans told us it will be the return of what they called the gods but to those of us in the spiritual know — know.

http://revelationnow.net/2013/09/30/mayan-calendar-2013-and-fallen-angels/

[Ranb2khz]

The 2 largest religions on the face of the earth have taken a stand against Christ Jesus! Just another sign of the "end times" that we're living in.
____________________________________

Pope Francis assures atheists: You don’t have to believe in God to go to heaven

by Michael Day, Wednesday 11 September 2013



In comments likely to enhance his progressive reputation, Pope Francis has written a long, open letter to the founder of La Repubblica newspaper, Eugenio Scalfari, stating that non-believers would be forgiven by God if they followed their consciences.

Responding to a list of questions published in the paper by Mr Scalfari, who is not a Roman Catholic, Francis wrote: “You ask me if the God of the Christians forgives those who don’t believe and who don’t seek the faith. I start by saying – and this is the fundamental thing – that God’s mercy has no limits if you go to him with a sincere and contrite heart. The issue for those who do not believe in God is to obey their conscience.

“Sin, even for those who have no faith, exists when people disobey their conscience.”

Robert Mickens, the Vatican correspondent for the Catholic journal The Tablet, said the pontiff’s comments were further evidence of his attempts to shake off the Catholic Church’s fusty image, reinforced by his extremely conservative predecessor Benedict XVI. “Francis is a still a conservative,” said Mr Mickens. “But what this is all about is him seeking to have a more meaningful dialogue with the world.”

In a welcoming response to the letter, Mr Scalfari said the Pope’s comments were “further evidence of his ability and desire to overcome barriers in dialogue with all”.

In July, Francis signalled a more progressive attitude on sexuality, asking: “If someone is gay and is looking for the Lord, who am I to judge him?”

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/pope-francis-assures-atheists-you-dont-have-to-believe-in-god-to-go-to-heaven-8810062.html

[Welcome2Pinkyland]

amen brother!

[Ranb2khz]

It’s Getting Gloriously Dark!

“And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” ~ Luke 21:28

I wonder what would happen if scientists began making a human being from the cell of another human being. We are living in strange days, are we not? But I want to tell you our hope is not to be found in science. There’s no blessing in the book of science. Friend, the blessing is in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

When I see things like cloning come to pass they do not shake me. Sometimes they grieve me or sadden me, but they do not shake me because I know God’s Word. I know it is the fulfillment of prophecy, and I can say with all of the saints, “Praise God! It’s getting gloriously dark.”

Next time you read something in the paper that shadows the end times, use it as an open door to share the Second Coming of Jesus with someone.

For more from Love Worth Finding and Pastor Adrian Rogers, please visit www.lwf.org

[EarlyOne]

Would You Rather Wear a ‘Digital Tattoo’ or Take a Pill Instead of Remembering Your Passwords? Motorola Is Working on It
Jun. 9, 2013 12:30pm Liz Klimas

Imagine not having to remember a half a dozen passwords and avoid having to input them countless times per day. Motorola is working on a digital tattoo or a indigestible pill that could do all the password authentication for you — no memorization or cheat sheet list required.

Motorola’s Advanced Technology and Projects Group Chief Regina Dugan, who was a former DARPA chief, showed off such an electronic tattoo at the recent D11 conference, according to SlashGear.



“Essentially your entire body becomes an authentication token,” she said.

Working with the company mc10 to develop a flexible, skin-like tattoo with this capability — which TheBlaze has seen before but it was used checking medical vital signs – Motorola is thinking this could someday be the next stage of durable, wearable technology.

SlashGear reported mc10 co-founder Ben Schlatka telling them last year more about the various uses of the electronic tattoo technology and also explaining how it could easily integrate into our everyday life:

“Imagine a kids’ fake tattoo that can sense how our bodies work: data from the heart, the brain, muscles, body temperature – even hydration levels,” Schlatka told SlashGear. “When a sensing technology conforms to the consumer and not the other way around, it can capture more insights for longer periods of time without discomfort or distraction.”



The pill version of an authentication system by the company Proteus, according to Dugan, is activated when it mixes with one’s body chemistry after being swallowed and produces what SlashGear described as “an 18-bit ECG-like signal.”


Showing off the size of such a pill. (Image via SlashGear)

Watch Dugan talk about the technology, which is still years away, in this video:

[EarlyOne]

What Biblical Plague Has Hit Egypt Just Three Weeks Before Passover?
Mar. 4, 2013 7:23am Sharona Schwartz



A massive swarm of locusts is descending on Egypt, creating scenes reminiscent of the eighth plague described in the Book of Exodus. The timing is particularly unusual as Jews later this month will be celebrating Passover which retells the Israelites’ dramatic journey to freedom from slavery in Egypt. According to the Bible, Pharaoh released the slaves only after his people were struck by ten plagues.

Though it’s a seasonal scourge – there’s even an “anti-locusts department” in the Agriculture Ministry – this locust infestation is particularly pesky. Egyptian media report that this year’s swarm numbers an estimated 30 million insects making their way north from Suez to Cairo. Farmers along their path are on high alert, worried their crops could be wiped out, and are accusing government officials of doing nothing to prepare for the invasion.

Salah Moawad, an Agriculture Ministry official, says locusts have even landed on the runways of Cairo International Airport after being chased from other locations. Flight delays were not reported.

Egyptian authorities are deploying crop-dusting aircraft and even the military to combat the locust assault. Egyptian Agriculture Minister Salah Abdel Momen says, “The armed forces and the Egyptian border units are trying to battle the swarm with various means at their disposal.”

“I ask the families living in the area afflicted with the swarm to not light car tires,” he said. “It doesn’t drive the locusts away, it only causes damage, and it could start a fire that will take human life,” Abdel Momen added.

He’s also trying to instill a sense of calm, declaring perhaps prematurely on Friday that the locusts would not damage crops. After meeting with President Mohammed Morsi last week to discuss the locust-combatting plan, the minister had this explanation, as paraphrased by Egypt Independent:

The locusts are merely storing fat on their bodies while they go on their spring migration outside of Egypt, the minister said, adding that they store the needed fat for over a week to remain light, thus making their journey easier.

The Agriculture Ministry official Salah Moawad also denied the locusts had caused damage. “The current inspection teams at areas targeted by locusts did not witness swarms damaging a single inch of crop till now,” he said.

Those words were quickly belied by Alwatan News which reported on damage to agriculture.

Contrary to the official façade of calm, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reports that the Ministry of Agriculture has cleared 11,000 hectares of crops threatened by the bugs.

Albawaba quotes figures from the UN’s FAO which say a one-ton swarm of locusts is able to consume “the same amount of food in one day as about 10 elephants or 25 camels or 2,500 people.”

Israel is also keeping a watchful eye on the infestation. Due to the cooler ties that characterize the two countries’ relations since the Muslim Brotherhood took control, Israel’s Army Radio reports Israel is getting no cooperation from Egyptian authorities to keep the swarm from crossing the border.

Moshe Weiss, Israeli Agriculture Ministry Deputy Head of Plant Protection Services tells Army Radio that he and his colleague are being updated by UN officials, not by Egypt. “We are waiting and are hoping it doesn’t arrive. We are preparing crop-dusting planes and are preparing to put people in the field,” Weiss said in an interview Monday morning.

Army Radio Correspondent Rami Shani reports that in the past, Israel and Egypt had a joint tracking system, but the more icy relations have led to a severing of cooperation in this area, forcing Israel to rely on updates from intermediaries, that is, international organizations.

Israeli farmers on the southern border have been instructed to set up observation points and to report if they see the locusts. Weather reports predict strong winds will blow the locusts south on Wednesday toward the Red Sea and Saudi Arabia, so – like in the Bible – Israel is likely to be spared.

Several YouTube users have posted this video showing a huge number of locusts loudly flying over Egypt:

Update: On Monday evening, Israel’s Agriculture Ministry reported that a “small” locust swarm had entered Israel and was seen over the Negev Desert.

Avigdor Kalfa, Field Growers Manager of the Negev Moshav Company, tells Army Radio that the swarm reached Ramat Negev, where there are presently no crops being grown so “we are less fearful.”

“But the fear is they will move further north and then there will be a problem,” Kalfa said.

Despite the forecast that winds will blow the locusts south away from Israel, the country’s Agriculture Ministry is taking no chances. It’s set up a hotline for farmers to call at the first sight of an infestation. It has also reached out to pesticide suppliers to make sure the inventory is in place should a need arise.

Agriculture officials are urging calm, with one official emphasizing to Ynet: “The problem is when they appear in the millions.”

“It looks like a black cloud – you really can’t miss it – and they will eat anything. They can devour acres of crops very fast,” he said.

[terryt]

2 Timothy 3: 1-5

1) But know this that in the last days perilous times will come;

2) For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful,

3) unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,

4) traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

5) having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away.

[EarlyOne]

Have You Seen the Offensive Definitions of the Word ‘Bible’ on Urban Dictionary?
Feb. 22, 2013 12:13pm Billy Hallowell

Urban Dictionary is an edgy, online platform that provides user-driven definitions for practically every word and phrase imaginable. Perhaps most known for describing the meaning of slang, the site regularly offers up some pithy, comical and offensive content. Among the more controversial definitions present on the site are the descriptions given for the word “Bible.” Ranging from “a novel full or murder” to the “#1 fiction bestseller,” many of the attributes given for the world’s most revered holy book are stunningly offensive.

The first and most popular definition present on Urban Dictionary’s web site for “Bible” reads, “An ancient novel full of murder, corruption, homosexuality, bestiality, incest and cruelty. It is often read to children on Sunday.” And the second definition, which showers additional negativity upon the holy book, offers up the following disparaging remarks:

“The Bible is probably the best book ever. You can use it as a coaster, hit people with it, look funny and quote it, eat the pages, fire fuel, toilet paper, start a war, control the stoopid people of the world, read it and become president, Hanaukkah present, piss off the Muslims, and turn back the clock. I used my bible yesterday as a fiber [substitute].”

And it doesn’t end there. Other definitions include expletives that are used to dismiss the stories told in the Bible. Another entry describes Jesus Christ as a “cosmic Jewish zombie who was his own father.” Aside from the general theme that the book is fictitious, there is a common thread — though written in jest — of encouraging people to destroy the book.

“A historically ficticious piece of literature written to inspire the gullible, bring fear to small children and provide a good substitute for fire wood,” another definition proclaims, apparently advocating for the book to be burned.

While the top six characterizations on Urban Dictionary are overwhelmingly offensive to people of faith, the seventh actually takes an intriguing and less divisive crack at defining the holy book. A user submitted, 50-word description captures the Bible’s main themes from Genesis to Jesus’ resurrection. Here it is:

“God made, Adam bit, Noah arked, Abraham split, Joseph ruled, Jacob fooled,Bush talked, Moses balked, Pharaoh plagued, people walked, sea divided, tablets guided, Promise landed, Saul freaked, David peeked, prophets warned, Jesus born, God walked, love talked, anger crucified, hope died, Love rose, Spirit flamed, Word spread, God remained.”

Not every definition is negative in nature, but the vast majority of the top 20 paint the book in a less-than-favorable light. Click here to see them all. It would be noted that Urban Dictionary allows users to submit definitions, so the web site cannot necessarily be blamed directly for the comments. Still, finding them so prominently placed will likely be startling for believers and Bible enthusiasts.

[Ranb2khz]

Malachy Prophecy: Next Pope Will Be Last

Ancient Catholic prophecies by a revered Irish bishop end with the chilling prediction that the next Pope to be selected by the College of Cardinals to fill Benedict XVI’s place will be the last Pope.

St. Malachy, an Archbishop of Armagh who died in 1148, left behind a list of 112 Popes that has amazed some with its remarkable accuracy.

Malachy used a short phrase in Latin to describe each Pope, beginning with Celestine II and “From a castle on the Tiber.” That Pope’s birth name was Guido di Castello.

More recently, he described Pope John Paul I with the phrase: “From the midst of the moon.” His reign, which began in 1978, began with the moon half full and lasted only one month — or one moon.

He was followed by Pope John Paul II by the Latin expression “Laboris Solis” — or translated “From the labor of the sun” — an expression meaning a solar eclipse.

As it turned out, John Paul II was the only known pope to be born on the day of a solar eclipse — and he was buried on the day of a solar eclipse.

A near total eclipse was seen across Europe on May 18, 1920, the day he was born in Poland. And on April 8, 2005, the day of the Pope’s funeral, a partial solar eclipse blotted out most of the sun and darkened a wide area of the world, from the South Pacific to the Western Hemisphere.

For the next Pope, Benedict XVI, St. Malachy wrote: “Glory of the olive.” Before the Pope was selected, some suggested a Benedictine would be elected because the order is sometimes referred to as the Olivetans, whose name ultimately derives from the Mount of Olives in the New Testament.

A Benedictine was not selected. However, upon his election as pontiff, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger chose the name Benedict after St. Benedict of Nursia, founder of the Benedictine Order.

St. Malachy described only one more Pope after Benedict, “Petrus Romanus” or “Peter the Roman.”

The Irish prophet wrote: “In the final persecution of the Holy Roman Church, there will reign Peter the Roman, who will feed his flock amid many tribulations; after which the seven-hilled city (Rome) will be destroyed and the dreadful Judge will judge the people.”

Some believe the prophecy could foretell the destruction of the Church, or the world, and play into Christian prophecy as revealed in the book of Revelation which suggests a final battle between good and evil.

St. Malachy’s prophecies were first published in 1595 by a Benedictine historian.

According to a traditional account, Malachy was summoned to Rome by Pope Innocent II in 1139, and while there he purportedly experienced a vision of future Popes. He recorded the vision in his cryptic phrases and this manuscript was left in an archive and forgotten until its rediscovery in 1590.

A book published last year entitled “Petrus Romanus: The Final Pope Is Here,” by authors Cris Putnam and Tom Horn, detailed the Malachy prophecy and predicted that the current Pope would abdicate for health reasons, paving the way for the final Pope.

http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/pope-resignation-malachy-prophecy/2013/02/12/id/490019?s

© 2013 Newsmax. All rights reserved.

[Ranb2khz]

Understanding the End Times: The Lake of Fire

Scripture speaks of a literal lake of fire, or hell. But some believers find this hard to reconcile with biblical teachings about God’s love, forgiveness, and grace. They consider it excessive for a God of love to send people to hell forever. After all, they reason, how can 70 or 80 years of sin merit an eternity of torment?

That question reveals an error in their understanding of sin and God’s nature. If man’s eternal destiny were a matter of counterbalancing his bad deeds with good, these questions might have some merit. If hell were part of a system that allowed a person to repay the Lord for sin, 70 years versus eternity would seem disproportionate. If God arbitrarily decided the rules about who goes to heaven or hell, we would have good cause to call His fairness into question.

But hell is a reality because we have an incompatibility problem. God’s holiness cannot coexist with man’s wickedness. And no amount of time spent away from His presence will change that.

The rules that determine who goes to heaven and hell are established by God’s holy nature. It is hard for us to grasp the power and awesomeness of His glory and holiness. John — who also knew Jesus well — saw the Savior in all His divine splendor and fell down like a dead man (Revelation 1:16-17). Why? He was overwhelmed by the magnificence of God.

The only solution to this dilemma is for the Lord to change us, which is the very reason Christ came and died — to pave the way for change in our very nature. Those who accept Jesus’ death as the payment for their sin are made holy (2 Corinthians 5:21). That is why we who believe in the Savior are referred to as saints, and the Holy Spirit is able to dwell in us. At salvation, there is a fundamental change in our nature, and we become one with Jesus Christ.

Those who reject the gift of salvation go to hell because their natures are incompatible with heaven. The quantity or severity of their sins doesn’t send them there. The problem is that they have not been cleansed of sin, so they remain unholy.

Although hell isn’t the most pleasant topic discussed in the Bible, there is some good news about it. Like heaven, hell will not be the same for everyone there. On one occasion when Jesus was sending His disciples out to preach in the surrounding villages, He made a notable comment about the final judgment:

"Whatever city you enter and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, “Even the dust of your city which clings to our feet we wipe off in protest against you; yet be sure of this, that the kingdom of God has come near.” I say to you, it will be more tolerable in that day for Sodom than for that city" ~ Luke 10:10-12

The phrase “more tolerable” indicates that there will be different degrees of punishment. The judgment — and hell — will be more unbearable for some than for others. Because they had been exposed to more teaching and miracles, people from the towns visited by Christ’s disciples would be held more accountable than the residents of Sodom — having received more truth, they had less excuse for not believing.

In John’s description of the final judgment, we find further evidence for hell not being the same for everybody: “And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds” (Revelation 20:13, emphasis added). What a person does in this life does not determine where he will go when he dies, but it does affect what it will be like when he gets there.

The Bible doesn’t elaborate on how punishment in hell will differ from one person to the next. Neither does it outline which sins will incur a greater punishment. All we know is that before handing down a sentence, Christ will take into account the type of life each person lived.

Now, this in no way implies that hell will be a good place for anybody. People in hell will forever be separated from God and all that is good. As much as I dislike the idea, I do believe that the lake of fire (hell) is a real, literal place. And as hard as it is to grasp, I do accept the Bible’s teaching that people will eventually be sent to remain there for eternity.

I believe this because of the sacrifice Jesus made. If He had not thought hell was real, He would not have gone to such extreme measures to pay the price for humanity to avoid it. His belief was so deep, and His mission so clear, that it drove Him to leave His throne in glory and die an excruciating death.

So how should you respond? Christ’s desire to rescue you from hell motivated Him to give His life for you. If you haven’t already accepted His sacrifice on your behalf, I encourage you to do so. Jesus wants to cleanse you of sin and give you a brand-new life. Confess your wrongdoing to the Lord, ask Him to forgive you, and invite Him to be the leader of your life. Then you can be sure of spending eternity in the God’s presence.

If you are already a follower of Jesus, let His sacrifice motivate you to reach out to and pray for lost people. Ask God for divine opportunities to share about new life in Christ. Allow the Lord to speak through you and use you to rescue people from eternity without Him.

~ Adapted from: "Handbook for Christian Living” by Charles F. Stanley

http://www.intouch.org/you/article-archive/content?topic=the_lake_of_fire_article

[Welcome2Pinkyland]

Good end time info from Charles F. Stanley- thanks for sharing.

[Ranb2khz]

Understanding the End Times: The Millennium

"Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years." ~ Revelation 20:4

As the apostle John gazes into the future, he is privileged to see the glorious day we all long for—the day when Christ returns and establishes His kingdom on this earth. It is impossible for us to comprehend what it will be like to see Jesus face-to-face. Yet the Scripture declares that Jesus will come again and take up residency on earth. The next time He appears, however, He will come not as a babe in a manger but as the Ruler and King of all creation! The peace that has escaped the world thus far will be the benchmark of the thousand-year reign of Christ known as the Millennium. Satan will be bound, and Christ will be in charge.

Yet, just as is true with all prophecy, until the time is fulfilled, there will be questions and debate over particular meanings and whether these prophecies can be taken as literal or as a figurative expression of what is to come. With increasing interest and growing debate over future events, many have taken sides on the issue of the Millennium. Some doubt that there will be a literal millennium. Others are divided over questions concerning when and where it will transpire.

Among those who debate these questions, there have evolved three positions regarding the Millennium. The three positions are (1) amillennialism; (2) premillennialism; and (3) postmillennialism. As you will discover, these positions are hotly debated by their proponents and are vastly different in their conclusions. However, there is almost universal agreement that this period of time is the fulfillment of promises made in both Old and New Testaments. Jews and Christians alike believe that this is the promised time when Jesus (or another Messiah) will reign for a thousand years. As to when this will take place, these three positions have garnered their own debate teams with Scripture in hand and knowledgeable scholars to validate their positions.

A Closer Look:

Where do you stand on the millennial question? Perhaps you believe, as I do, in the premillennial position. However, unless you have done considerable study on the subject, you probably don’t know where you stand. Therefore, a quick look at each of these positions will equip you to make an informed decision.

One position is amillennialism. The roots of amillennialism can be traced as far back as the third and fourth centuries, to Augustine and others. The general point of agreement among those who hold to this belief is the denial of a literal reign of Christ on the earth. Holding to the belief that Satan was bound at the first coming of Christ, amillennialists believe that this present age (between the first and second coming of Christ) is the fulfillment of the millennial kingdom. One area of tension among amillennialists is the question of whether or not the Millennium is being fulfilled at this moment here on earth or whether it is being presently fulfilled by the saints in heaven.

There are obvious divisions among those who hold to this belief that affect the relevancy of major portions of Scripture and its impact on this present age. If the Millennium is presently being fulfilled on earth, the conclusions drawn from Scripture would take on an entirely different meaning than if it was being fulfilled spiritually by the saints in heaven. With so much debate even among those who hold to this position, their points of agreement are few: (1) a millennial age after the second coming of Christ is denied, and (2) prophecy regarding this subject should not be taken literally.

The second position — premillennialism — is the oldest of the three positions. Premillennialists support their view by a more literal interpretation of Scripture. For example, when the apostle wrote, “They lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years,” those holding to a premillennial understanding believe that verse refers to a literal one-thousand-year period of time on earth. Premillennialists take the Scripture’s description of the chronology of events literally as well.

Specifically, premillennialism derives its meaning from the belief that the second coming of Christ will occur before (pre) the Millennium — the thousand-year reign of Christ. Therefore, it is called premillennial.

Premillennialists believe that the present age will end suddenly when Christ appears. At that time, the wicked will be judged, the righteous will be rescued, and Satan will be bound. Furthermore, God will pick up where He left off in His dealings with Israel. In the premillennial scheme of things, Israel and the church are two distinct entities. Premillennialists hold to the belief that the Jewish nation will be restored — including the repossession of their ancient land when Christ returns to earth. Furthermore, they believe that Satan will be bound, that a theocratic kingdom will be established, and that those who have died “in Christ” will be raised to share in the blessings of this time.

The premillennial position concerning the thousand-year reign of Christ on earth holds to a plain interpretation of the prophecies that speak of a righteous kingdom of God on earth.

The third of the three primary positions regarding the Millennium is postmillennialism. Daniel Whitby, a Unitarian, is often given credit for originating this view. Those holding a postmillennial view believe this present age will end with a worldwide spiritual revival resulting from the gospel being preached to all nations. Essentially, the postmillennial position adheres to the belief that the whole world will be Christianized and brought to submission to the gospel before the return of Christ. Those who adhere to the postmillennial position believe that the Millennium will occur prior to the second coming of Christ. Postmillennialism is based on a more figurative interpretation of scriptural prophecy.

Those holding the postmillennial position do not believe in a literal reign of Christ on the earth. They are confident, however, that the world will be Christianized by the successful preaching of the gospel, that the kingdom of God will triumph in this world in this age.

The postmillennial and amillennial positions hold in common a belief that the final judgment of people and angels is one single event that will occur after a general resurrection of all people and before the eternal state begins.

One thing is clear: there is considerable difference in opinions and theology concerning the millennial kingdom. The most literal viewpoint concerning this subject is found within the position of premillennialism. As I concluded earlier, all the questions surrounding this subject (and other subjects that concern prophecy) will be answered only when the actual prophecy is fulfilled. However, one constant throughout Scripture gives us all rest in the middle of the debate. Our sovereign God knows the future and is in control of it. Whatever happens in that day and time will be in His time and under His control. That should give us all peace when we seem to have so many questions that elicit so many different answers.

Growth:

As with all the Scripture passages that concern prophecy, study can be exciting and can lead to a much greater dependence on God for what we know and understand — and what we leave in His hands. If you find the subject of prophecy interesting and want to know more, I encourage you to find a study group that makes use of the many excellent studies written on biblical prophecy.

As with any study or study group, it is essential to accurate understanding and teaching that two elements be held to without fail. The first is to be sure that the material being used is reliable and comes from a source that is committed to belief in the inerrant Word of God. Second, be sure that the one who teaches is a godly person who has studied Scripture thoroughly and has drawn conclusions from what the text says rather than from opinions.

If you feel somewhat overwhelmed and out of your league when it comes to Bible prophecy, don’t give up. Keep reading. Keep learning. Seek God’s guidance in finding a good Bible study or Sunday school class that can lead you through your fear and insecurities concerning Scripture.

~ Adapted from: "Handbook for Christian Living” by Charles F. Stanley

http://www.intouch.org/you/article-archive/content?topic=going_deeper_millennium

[Ranb2khz]

Understanding the End Times: Armageddon

Armageddon: The name of the valley where the final war between God and the kings of this world — led by the Beast — will take place.

"And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. Then the beast was captured and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh." ~ Revelation 19:19-21

A Closer Look

The whole subject of eschatology — or the study of things to come — is vast and complex. It is difficult to single out one aspect or event because all are interrelated; each builds upon the other. For this reason, I encourage you to read all of the chapters in this book related to end times. Together they present the overview concerning the future. Our primary concern in this chapter, however, is the battle of Armageddon.

The word battle is a modest description. This is not a little skirmish; this is a war. The war. The big one. The last one.

Lest some saints wonder if they will be forced to hold out during all of this, let me hasten to add that I believe the Bible teaches we won’t be here. I believe the Bible teaches that we will have been raptured. Paul writes,

"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. 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. Therefore comfort one another with these words." ~ 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18

Although the actual word rapture is not in the Bible (the word is from the Latin, which means to be “caught up”), Paul is telling us that we are going to be caught up — raptured — before this final war breaks out. That is why we can “comfort one another with these words.” Besides, the very fact that when He comes back to set up His kingdom, He is bringing us back with Him leads to one conclusion — we are with Him, not down here in the carnage. More on that later.

So, we need not fear that we might have to hold out. I am not saying we will not be persecuted for our faith because as the end of the age draws near, that is surely more and more a distinct possibility. But I am saying we will not be here when the Antichrist rules, breaks his peace covenant with Israel, and the war breaks loose. Praise God for the blood of Jesus Christ, which provides the way of escape for those who trust Him!

As the stage for this last war is being set, it is interesting to see that the Middle East has risen to world power in an unusual way. That spot on the globe finds its way into the headlines just about every day. From the standpoint of prophecy, that is electrifying evidence that the scene is getting set for Armageddon.

A staggering amount of oil will be needed to guarantee prosperity as the global economy advances in the twenty-first century. What part of the world has the oil and the bargaining power that it affords? The Middle East.

The oil crisis of 1973 was a drop in the bucket compared to what may be coming. In our country, fights broke out because people were irritated that they had to stand in a line to pump gas into their cars. If tempers flare that quickly over such a small thing, imagine when oil is tightly controlled throughout the whole world. The Antichrist will use this bargaining tool to the hilt.

Saddam Hussein literally burned the precious oil in the fields, knowing that the black billows of smoke would get the attention of the world. And he was right.

Not only will Antichrist have economic power and political power, he will have religious savvy. Because of the Antichrist’s ecclesiastical influence, the apostate church, so blind and so deceived, will follow along. This leader will break his peace covenant, not only with Israel but with his religious following as well.

During this explosive reign of the Antichrist, as demonic forces motivate kings and generals, the whole world will go to war. Because the saints of God had been raptured before all this, the restraining power of the Holy Spirit is gone (2 Thessalonians 2:6-8). It is hard to imagine what the world will be like when the salt and light of the saints are no longer here and the Holy Spirit is no longer at work to restrain. Utter evil will reign. Human depravity will go unbridled.

Plagues. Mourning. Famine. Torment. Blood flowing two hundred miles four and one-half feet deep. Chaos. Earthquakes. Screams. Fire.

The pot will be boiling over. Spewing.

And the good news is this:

"Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from east to west, making a very large valley; half of the mountain shall move toward the north and half of it toward the south." ~ Zechariah 14:3-4

There is a fault running east to west right through the Mount of Olives. It would take only one small earthquake for it to be split.

When the Lord Jesus ascended to heaven from the Mount of Olives, two angels asked those gazing into the clouds, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11).

I think it is extremely significant that He was sitting on the Mount of Olives when the disciples asked, “When will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” (Matthew 24:3).

Zechariah tells us that not only will the Lord Jesus come back, but all the holy ones will come with Him. One angel smote 185,000 men dead (Isaiah 37:36). We can only imagine what all the accompanying heavenly hosts can do when they come back with Him.

The language of Scripture is vivid as Christ descends from heaven to launch the final assault against the Antichrist.

"Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS." ~ Revelations 19:11-16

What an ending! What a beginning!

Satan will be bound for one thousand years, and we will reign with the Lord Jesus Christ during the Millennium. Righteousness will flourish, peace will be universal, and productivity will be greatly increased.

After this one-thousand-year reign, Satan will be loosed and given one last opportunity to regain his power (Revelation 20:7-9). But in the end he will be defeated: “The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever” (Revelation 20:10).

Politically, the stage is being set today. Economically, the stage is being set today. Religiously, the stage is being set today.

After we are raptured, the Antichrist will wield his power, break his treaties, and the war will begin.

We know who will win.

Actually, He already has.

Application:

Since eternity past, God has been planning the progress of redemption. The first prophecy in the Bible concerning Jesus is in Genesis 3:15:

"I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel."

Satan’s head was bruised fatally at the cross. We are no longer prisoners of war. We can stop cowering.

And at the final battle, Satan will be cast aside forever.

As someone said, “When Satan reminds me of my past, I remind him of his future.”

Praise the Victor!

~ Adapted from: "Handbook for Christian Living” by Charles F. Stanley

http://www.intouch.org/resources/article-archive/content.aspx?topic=GOING_DEEPER_Armageddon

[Ranb2khz]

Understanding the End Times: The Antichrist

The Antichrist: One who is to come; a political leader who will falsely set up a covenant with Israel and lead the world during the tribulation.

"Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour." ~ 1 John 2:18

One visit to your local Christian bookstore should be enough to convince you of the immense interest in end time events. An issue that continues to intrigue much of the Christian community is the identity of the Antichrist.

Is he alive today? Is he in power somewhere in the world? Which nation will usher this seemingly dauntless leader onto the stage of world affairs? These are just a few of the questions many have sought to answer about this person. Several writers have developed intricate numeric schemes in an effort to identify either his name or his identity. Others have approached the subject from the standpoint of current world events.

The Bible, however, teaches that when the Antichrist comes onto the scene, there will ultimately be no doubt about his identity. His deeds and doctrine will eventually expose him to the world.

In his epistles and the book of Revelation, the apostle John made it clear that many people would come along in the spirit of antichrist. But there will come a day when one world leader will rise to power who will be the embodiment of evil, one who is empowered and directed by the devil himself. This will be the Antichrist. The benchmark by which these false prophets were to be tested concerned their attitude toward the incarnate person of Jesus Christ. Their refusal or failure to acknowledge that Jesus had come in the flesh would expose the spirit of antichrist, according to John. Therefore, if we take our cue from John, we can assume (accurately) that antichrists have come and gone since the day John penned his letters.

In the book of Revelation, John refers to the final and ultimate antichrist as the Beast. The Beast will be the embodiment of the entire spirit of antichrist. He will have supernatural power and global influence.

The Beast first appears as a political leader, who will make a covenant with Israel and assume world leadership. Later he takes on the role of a religious leader who is worshiped. Supported by his sidekick — the False Prophet — the Beast will deceive the world. He, his prophet, and Satan will form an unholy trinity to rule all of creation.

A Closer Look:

Although we derive much of our thinking about the Antichrist from the descriptions of the beasts found in Revelation 13, the word Antichrist appears only in the epistles of John. As discussed earlier, John’s reference was more pointed to a false doctrine than to a particular person. However, because of the interest in the “person” or “persons” described in Revelation, a brief look at the connection between John’s idea concerning antichrist and the beasts described in Revelation is essential.

Two meanings go along with the prefix anti. The first carries the thought of “instead of” or “a substitute.” A better way of putting this would be “false Christ.” The second meaning is probably the one most often thought of — ”against,” or “against Christ.” If you are antisomething, then you are against it. This, I believe, is the more accurate meaning of the term used in John’s epistles.

The latter definition lends itself to the description of the first beast in Revelation 13:1, “I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name.” Scripture says this first beast will set himself up in direct opposition to Christ, falsely pledging to give Israel the land, bringing about peace for the first three and one-half years of the tribulation period. For this reason, many evangelicals believe this first beast to be the Antichrist.

The description of the first beast — especially the ten horns and seven heads — has led many to conclude that the first beast will be a political leader. He will achieve worldwide control through his plan for peace. This ruler will be in this position for the entire seven-year tribulation period.

Who Will He Be?

Will he be resurrected from the dead, as many believe because of the reference to a fatal wound that has been healed? No one knows, and our most educated guesses are just that.

In direct cooperation with the first beast is a second beast known as the False Prophet, who will assume a place of leadership in the religious community that rightly belongs to Christ. Reference to this second beast is found in Revelation 13:11: “I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke like a dragon.”

There is much to be learned about the False Prophet from the description in Revelation 13:11–17. The description that he had two horns like a lamb but spoke like a dragon signifies his religious role. The word dragon has been used as a name for Satan; thus, the False Prophet is described in terms such that he will look like a lamb (Christ) but speak like a dragon (Satan). The role of this second beast is to support the first beast — the political leader. The authority that this False Prophet claims is derived from Satan and the political leader. His role is to cause the inhabitants of the earth to worship the first beast, thus fulfilling the third part of the false trinity.

Many words have been used to describe or define antichrist(s) or the Antichrist. One that comes to mind most often is the deceiver. Based on further study of Scripture, we can see that there will be an onslaught of false teaching that will cause many to form a new world religion. Those drawn to this new theology will be deceived into believing Satan’s lies, as taught by antichrists (those who teach against Christ) and the False Prophet who deceives those who listen to his lies.

As the religious leader of this time, the False Prophet will gather credibility among the earth’s peoples by performing great and miraculous feats. Although all who believe in the only true and living God recognize His ability to perform miracles, many forget that (within limitations) Satan can also perform miracles. With power derived from Satan, the False Prophet is able to induce the inhabitants of the earth to worship the Beast, thus deceiving them with false teaching.

In addition to the use of miracles, the False Prophet will require everyone to wear the mark of the Beast on the hand or forehead as a sign that he or she has worshiped the Beast. Many have speculated on what the mark will be, with the most common thought being some use of the number 666. Again, this is speculation at best, and I will leave those studies to others. Suffice it to say that Scripture says there will be a mark, and whatever that mark is, it will be placed on everyone who worships the Beast. Without it, Scripture says the right to buy and sell would be prohibited.

The false religious system that will eventually come into being will be a clever, but nonetheless false, imitation of the divine Trinity. In his unholy schemes, Satan desires to be worshipped as God, the Father, with the first beast (the Antichrist) assuming the place of Jesus Christ and the second Beast (the False Prophet) taking the place of the Holy Spirit.

Application:

What application can be made concerning things that are yet to come? Perhaps that question overwhelms you and causes you to fear what is to come. If that is where you are, I urge you to consider solemnly your position in Christ and rest in His absolute control of future events.

Although the descriptions found in Revelation and in other places through the Bible that deal with the end times can be frightening, our trust in Christ is our ultimate weapon against fear. If you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, your future is secure.

~ Adapted from: "Handbook for Christian Living” by Charles F. Stanley

http://www.intouch.org/you/article-archive/content?topic=going_deeper_antichrist

[Ranb2khz]

Understanding the End Times: The Rapture

Scripture:

"Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord." ~ 1 Thessalonians 4:17

Have you ever had the experience of closing your eyes as you listened to some brilliant piece of music and later remarked that you were carried away by its beauty? Well, that’s what it means to be raptured — to be carried away. Whereas in the realm of music we talk of being carried away in figurative terms, Paul talked literally of the church being carried away in the air. Paul’s words to the Thessalonians give us just a glimpse of what that day will be like for those living when Christ returns for the church.

There is considerable discussion today among believers and unbelievers concerning this topic. When will it happen? Who will go? Is this the second coming of Christ that Scripture speaks of? Paul takes great effort to educate the Thessalonians concerning these matters. Earlier in this same chapter, Paul speaks of the resurrection of those who have died “in Christ,” indicating that immediately prior to the rapture of the living believers, believers who had died during the New Testament period and afterward would be resurrected.

Tom Constable explained these verses well in The Bible Knowledge Commentary. He wrote:

"Then the dead in Christ will be resurrected, that is, believers of this dispensation will be raised. Old Testament saints, it seems, will be raised at the end of the Great Tribulation (Daniel 12:2), for the phrase “in Christ” usually refers exclusively to Church-Age saints. The bodies of the dead in Christ will rise before the living Christians are caught up to meet the Lord in the air."

The basic idea of the Rapture is drawn from the Latin term for “caught up” — rapturo. It means that the church of Jesus Christ, those who have trusted in Christ as their Savior, will literally be transported from earth to heaven in an instant. There will be no death for those who are raptured. They will be taken — caught up — in the air to be with Jesus! Paul believed that Jesus’ return was imminent, and that brought great comfort to him in his daily struggles. It is not difficult to understand Paul’s longing for this to occur when faced with the trials we are confronted with daily. However, no one knows when this will happen. We do know that we are given His Word as the assurance that it will happen.

A Closer Look:

If you have made any attempt to study scriptural references to what the future holds, you know that the major discussion among believers today concerns the point of time that the Rapture will take place in relation to the Tribulation. There are several theories, but two dominate. The first is the pretribulation view. This is the belief that the church will be raptured prior to the Tribulation. I believe this is the view Scripture supports. The second is the posttribulation view, which is the belief that the church will not be raptured until the very end of Tribulation; that the Rapture and the second coming of Christ are a single event rather than two separate events as held to by those who adhere to the pretribulation Rapture.

In his book "What You Should Know About the Rapture", Dr. Charles Ryrie compares these two theories concerning the Rapture. But he also asks a very important question for anyone who is about to study the end times. He asks, “Does it really make any difference when the Lord will come? Is it not His coming that is important? If His coming should be pretribulational, then we will praise Him for the fact that we missed that terrible time. If it is posttribulational, then we will gladly suffer for His sake. Either way, we still have the blessed hope of His coming.”

The fact that God has chosen to reveal some things regarding the timing of the Rapture is significant. Additionally, the time factor is important as it relates to the power and motivation of an impending event or events that are soon to come.

If the Rapture is to occur prior to the Tribulation, it could happen at any time, and that adds anticipation to the thought of being raptured into the heavens with Jesus. On the other hand, if the Rapture is not to occur until the very end of the Tribulation — after all the prophecy concerning the events of the Tribulation has transpired—we certainly won’t find ourselves living as if He could appear at any moment. The two views have different effects. Clearly, the question of when is important in light of what we can expect and the revelation of God to the church.

The fact that Revelation 3:10 promises to keep us from the hour of temptation is the basis for my belief that the church will be raptured prior to the Tribulation: “Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.”

The only way to keep us from the hour of the temptation is to eliminate our presence, and the means of doing that is the rapture of the church into the air to meet Jesus! Others argue the point. There is nothing wrong with debate, and questions have never changed the truth. Whatever you believe about when it will happen, rest assured, the time will come.

What is the Rapture?

In addition to what you believe about when the Rapture will happen, there is much to be gleaned concerning exactly what the rapture is. From the definition, we have determined that it means the church will be caught up or carried away into the air to be with the Lord, but exactly what does that mean? Well, I believe it covers a number of things.

First, Christ will return. That this event will be one of great drama is vividly portrayed in Scripture. His coming will be accompanied with a loud command from what will sound like the voice of an archangel. This will be accompanied by the trumpet call of God. The implication is that these sounds will be heard all around the world.

The second thing we can know about the Rapture is that there will be a resurrection of those who have died “in Christ.” The dead will be raised even before those who are living will be changed. And yet both groups will experience their respective changes “in the twinkling of an eye” (1 Corinthians 15:52). Neither will be a process occurring over a period of time. It will be as Scripture describes it — instantaneous.

Third, there will be a rapture of living believers who will be caught up to be with Jesus without experiencing death. Although we have used the word rapture to encompass the entire experience, the Rapture specifically refers to the transformation of living believers into immortal bodies without the event of physical death. Paul calls it a mystery, and I can add nothing beyond that description. Whatever happens in that instant is a mystery, but what a glorious one to consider!

The fourth aspect of the Rapture relates to the reunion with loved ones who have died and our union with Christ. Can you imagine what that will be like? Perhaps you never met your father or grandmother because each died before you were born. Many children born during times of war lost their fathers without knowing them. Just think about what kind of reunion that day will entail! And yet, it holds no comparison at all to what it will be like when we see Jesus. The very thought makes my heart long for the day.

There is one more truth regarding the Rapture we need to take a look at. This is the most practical of the five. The doctrine of the Rapture is to be a source of comfort and encouragement. Paul writes, “Comfort one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:18).

It is not difficult for me to find comfort in Paul’s words. I never knew my father. The knowledge that we will be united in heaven is encouraging to me. Several years ago my mom died. To know that one day we will be reunited is comforting.

Application:

There will be questions about future events. However, the fact that Jesus is coming back is the bottom line and the source of comfort for me as a believer, as I hope it is for you. Whether you believe that the Rapture will happen prior to the Tribulation or at the very end, the fact that it’s going to happen should encourage your heart as you look to the future with great hope.

~ by Charles F. Stanley

Understanding the End Times: The Rapture

[Welcome2Pinkyland]

hope your day is a Blessed one in Jesus Ranb2khz!

[Ranb2khz]

Very good article - thanks for sharing!

[Welcome2Pinkyland]

God is alerting believers of the soon return of His Son through what are called "signs of the times." These are prophecies concerning world events that we are told to watch for, prophecies that will identify the season of the Lord's return.

The Bible is full of these signs. There are about 500 prophecies in the Old Testament that relate to the Second Coming of the Messiah. In the New Testament, one out of every 25 verses is concerned with the return of Jesus.

In fact, there are so many signs that it is difficult to grasp all of them. The best way I have found to do this is to put them in categories:

1) The Signs of Nature — We are told to watch for earthquakes, famine, pestilence, and signs in the heavens (see Matthew 24:7 and Luke 21:11).

This is the least respected category of signs for several reasons. For one thing, many people simply shrug their shoulders and say, "There have always been natural calamities, so what else is new?" Note that Jesus says these signs will be like "birth pangs" (Matthew 24:8) — that is, they will increase in frequency and intensity as the time draws near for His return. In other words, there will be more intense earthquakes and more frequent ones. That is exactly what is happening today.

Another reason these signs are given little respect is because most Christians are so rationalistic that they do not really believe in the supernatural, and they therefore find it difficult to believe that God speaks to the world through signs of nature. Yet, the Bible teaches this principle from start to finish.

God dealt with the world's sin through a great flood in the days of Noah (Genesis 6). He called the nation of Judah to repentance through a terrible locust invasion (Joel 1). In like manner, He called for the nation of Israel to repent by sending drought, wind storms, mildew, locusts, famine and pestilence (Amos 4:6-10). The prophet Haggai pointed to a drought as evidence that God was calling the people to get their priorities in order (Haggai 1:10-11).

The New Testament begins with a special light in the heavens marking the birth of the Messiah (Matthew 2:2). On the day that Jesus was crucified, there was three hours of darkness and an earthquake (Matthew 27:45-51). And when Jesus returns, the earth will experience the greatest earthquake in its history as every mountain is lowered, every valley is raised, and every island is moved (Revelation 16:17-21).

God has always spoken through signs of nature, and He continues to do so today. We had better pay close attention to them.

2) The Signs of Society — Jesus said that society will become increasingly lawless and immoral as the time approaches for His return. In fact, He said it would become as evil as it was in the days of Noah (Matthew 24:12,37-39).

Paul paints a chilling picture of end time society in 2 Timothy 3:1-5. He says it will be characterized by three loves — the love of self (Humanism), the love of money (Materialism), and the love of pleasure (Hedonism). He then points out that the payoff of this carnal lifestyle will be what the philosophers call Nihilism — that is, a society wallowing in despair. Men's minds will become depraved (Romans 1:28), and people will call evil good and good evil (Isaiah 5:20).

We are seeing these prophecies fulfilled before our eyes today as we watch our society reject its Christian heritage and descend into a hellish pit of lawlessness, immorality, and despair. Even worse, we are exporting our nihilism around the world through our immoral and violent movies and television programs.

3) The Spiritual Signs — There are both positive and negative spiritual signs that we are to watch for. The negative ones include the appearance of false christs and their cults (Matthew 24:5,11,24), the apostasy of the professing church (2 Thessalonians 2:3), an outbreak of Satanism (1 Timothy 4:1), and the persecution of faithful Christians (Matthew 24:9).

These negative spiritual signs began to appear in the mid-19th Century when Christian cults started forming. First came the Mormons, then the Jehovah's Witnesses, and then a great variety of spiritualist groups like the Church of Christ Scientists and the Unity Church.

The apostasy of the mainline Christian denominations began in the 1920's when the German school of higher criticism invaded American seminaries and undermined the authority of the Scriptures, teaching that the Bible is Man's search for God rather than God's revelation to Man.

During the 1960's Satanism exploded on the American scene and has since been exported worldwide through American movies, books, and television programs. Dabbling in the occult has become commonplace in the form of astrology, numerology, crystal gazing, transcendental meditation, and channeling. The whole trend has consummated in the appearance of the New Age Movement with its teaching that Man is God.

As society has secularized, true Christianity has come under increasing attack. Judeo-Christian values, once the foundation of Western Civilization, are now openly mocked, and those who still adhere to them are castigated as "intolerant fundamentalists" by the media.

The positive spiritual signs include the proclamation of the Gospel to the whole world (Matthew 24:14), a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Joel 2:28-32), and spiritual illumination to understand prophecies that have been "sealed up" until the end times (Daniel 12:4,9).

As with the negative signs, we are seeing these positive signs fulfilled in our day and time. Through the use of modern technology, the Gospel has been proclaimed throughout the world in this Century, and the Bible has been translated into all major languages.

The great end time pouring out of the Holy Spirit that was prophesied by the prophet Joel has also begun. Joel called it "the latter rain" (Joel 2:23), and he said it would occur after the Jews had returned to their land. The state of Israel was re-established in 1948. In 1949 God anointed two ministries that would have a worldwide impact — the ministries of Billy Graham and Oral Roberts. Then, in the 60's, came the Charismatic Movement which prompted renewal in worship and gave emphasis to the continuing validity of the gifts of the Spirit.

The acceleration in the understanding of Bible prophecy began in 1970 with the publication of Hal Lindsey's book, The Late Great Planet Earth. It seemed to open up to popular understanding many prophecies that had been "sealed up" until the end times (Daniel 12:4, 9). Remarkably, it became the number one best seller in the world — with the sole exception of the Bible — for the next ten years!

4) The Signs of Technology — The book of Daniel says that there will be an explosion of knowledge in the end times and that people will move about quickly (Daniel 12:4). There are many Bible prophecies that cannot be understood apart from modern technology. For example, how can the whole world look upon two bodies lying in the streets of Jerusalem (Revelation 11:8-9)? Modern television satellite technology makes it easy. How can the False Prophet build an image of the Anti-Christ that appears to be alive (Revelation 13:15)? The answer, of course, is the science of robotics. How can the False Prophet require all people on earth to take the mark of the Anti-Christ in order to buy and sell (Revelation 13:16-17)? It would not be possible apart from computers and lasers.

Jesus said that the Tribulation will be so terrible that all life on earth would cease to exist if He did not cut the period short (Matthew 24:21-22). How could all life be threatened prior to the advent of nuclear weapons? Another reference to nuclear power is likely contained in Luke's statement that men in the end times will "faint from fear" because "the powers of the heavens will be shaken" (Luke 21:26). That certainly sounds like a reference to the splitting of the atom.

5) The Signs of World Politics — The Bible prophesies that there will be a certain pattern of world politics that will characterize the end time geopolitical map.

The focus will be the re-established state of Israel (Zechariah 12:2-3). It will be besieged by a menacing nation from the "remote parts of the north," the nation of "Rosh" — or modern day Russia (Ezekiel 38:2,6). There will also be a threatening nation to the East that will be capable of sending an army of 200 million — namely, China (Revelation 9:13-16 and Revelation 16:12-13). A third source of danger to Israel will be the Arab nations that immediately surround it. They will covet the land and will try to take it from the Jews (Ezekiel 35:10 and 36:2).

Another key player on the world political scene in the end times will be a coalition of European nations that will form a confederation centered in the area of the old Roman empire (Daniel 2:41-44, Daniel 7:7,23-24, and Revelation 17:12-13). This confederation will serve as the political base for the rise of the Anti-Christ and the creation of his worldwide kingdom (Daniel 7:8).

Other international political signs include wars and rumors of wars (Matthew 24:6), civil wars (Matthew 24:7), and general international terrorism and lawlessness (Matthew 24:12).

6) The Signs of Israel — The signs related to the state of Israel are prolific and very important.

The most frequently repeated prophecy in the Old Testament is the prediction that the Jewish people will be regathered from the "four corners of the earth" in the end times (Isaiah 11:10-12). The Bible states that a consequence of this regathering will be the re-establishment of the state of Israel (Isaiah 66:7-8). The Scriptures say that once the Jews are back in their land, the land itself will experience a miracle of reclamation (Isaiah 35). The desert will bloom and people will exclaim, "This desolate land has become like the garden of Eden" (Ezekiel 36:35).

Another end time miracle will be the revival of the Hebrew language (Zephaniah 3:9). Most people are not aware of the fact that when the Jews were dispersed from their land in 70 A.D., they ceased to speak the Hebrew language. The Jews who settled in Europe developed a new language called Yiddish — a combination of German and Hebrew. The Jews who migrated to the Mediterranean basin created a language called Ladino — a combination of Hebrew and Spanish.

Other significant signs of Israel that we are told to watch for in the end times include the re-occupation of Jerusalem (Luke 21:24), the resurgence of Israeli military strength (Zechariah 12:6), and the re-focusing of world politics on Israel (Zechariah 12:3).

All these signs have been fulfilled in this century. The nation has been re-established, the land has been reclaimed, the ancient language has been revived, the Jews are back in Jerusalem, and Israel is the focal point of world politics.

Jesus says in Luke 21:28 that when these signs begin to happen, we should "straighten up and lift up our heads" because "our redemption is drawing near."
The Key Signs

The most important signs are the ones that relate to Israel because God uses the Jews throughout the Scriptures as His prophetic time clock. By this I mean that very often when the Lord is revealing an important event that will take place in the future, He will point to the Jewish people and state that when a certain thing happens to them, the important event will also occur.

A good example of this principle can be found in Daniel 9 in the famous "Seventy Weeks of Years" prophecy. The prophet tells us to watch for a decree to be issued that will authorize the rebuilding of Jerusalem. He then says that the Messiah will come sixty-nine weeks of years (483 years) after that decree is issued to the Jewish people.

There are two key prophecies which relate the return of Jesus to events that have occurred in Jewish history since 1948. These two events clearly established the period in which we are now living as the season of the Lord's return.
http://lamblion.com/articles/articles_rapture1.php

[Ranb2khz]

God is the same - yesterday, today and tomorrow. It is NOT God's fault that bad things happen to good people - including small people! He could not possibly be a God of Love if He did not allow "free will" for each human being. Our ancestors brought the ugliness and wrath of sin upon us.

You can rest assured though, that those of us who place our faith and trust in the Lord Jesus will be a part of the new Heaven and Earth - which will be free of sin - upon His glorious return! And that certainly does not appear to be too far away.

[Ranb2khz]

With all this backlash of Spiritual empathy since the obamanation was granted at least 4 more years - now is NOT the time to "hunker down" and ride out the storm until Jesus comes! We have a mission from God our Father to carryon, and to surpass, Christ's work that was started from the foundation of the world!

The following is a lengthy, but an eye-opening reminder of who we are and who we are actually battling against:
______________________________________


How to DismantIe America’s Greatest StronghoIds

11/12/2012 Tommi Femrite (© Shutterstock/George Allen Penton; geopaul)

A veteran prayer warrior explains what it will take to bring down the demonic forces gripping our nation

For more than 30 years I’ve traveled the world equipping believers to combat the forces of darkness through prayer and intercession. I’ve led prayer missions behind the former Iron Curtain and watched strategic prayer play a role in dismantling Communist regimes. I’ve been part of tearing down demonic forces in Tibet, Uzbekistan and countless other places that would qualify as the spiritually darkest areas in the world.

Yet when I was approached about writing this article and identifying America’s greatest spiritual strongholds, I realized how easy it can be for prayer leaders who minister globally to talk about the often overt spiritual forces ruling other nations — and yet forget to name the enemy’s strongholds established in our own nation.

I’m a natural optimist who sees most situations from a glass-half-full perspective. So I prefer to celebrate how the Holy Spirit is currently moving among His people here in the United States. But even the most positive thinkers like me must come to grips with our country’s current woes.

Despite the increased emphasis American society has placed on raising children, only 63 percent of them grow up with both their biological parents — the lowest figure in the Western world. The latest statistics show that 1.2 million abortions are performed each year in our nation (and that’s only those that are legal and reported), while approximately half of all marriages here end in divorce.

In a country birthed in gratitude for God’s mercy and founded upon His Word, teachers are now arrested and students suspended for praying in schools. Politicians are mocked and rebuked for uttering Jesus’ name in public, and our current president has already declared that America is no longer a Christian nation. Our biggest newspapers, magazines, television networks and online media outlets simply further this by spewing vitriolic “editorials” announcing the death of Christianity, evangelicalism, the church and God Himself. Meanwhile, pornography has become a cultural norm for entertainment; the sex industry makes more than $13 billion a year — more than all of the major sports leagues combined. And in the business world, we are no longer surprised when a Fortune 500 company goes belly-up from yet another Wall Street Ponzi scheme or leadership scandal.

Clearly, we need societal transformation. In every facet of America that I just mentioned—family, religion, government, business, education, media, and arts and entertainment — we’ve drifted farther and farther away from following God’s standards. What has become increasingly obvious, however, is the extent to which ungodly spiritual forces are in command. As a result, we remain gripped by demonic strongholds that can only be dismantled through the greatest spiritual weapon God gave the church: prayer.

Identifying those strongholds — or at least getting believers to agree upon what they are — isn’t the easiest thing. Prayer leaders across the nation can name territorial spirits specific to their city, county, state or even region. But when it comes to targeting national strongholds, it seems everyone has his own list. In addition, there’s often confusion over what qualifies as an actual stronghold. Because we’re tackling such a broad topic in the confines of a magazine article, I’ve honed in on what I believe are the two overarching strongholds in America: the religious spirit and the antichrist spirit.

The Religious Spirit

The religious spirit, which is a counterfeit of the Holy Spirit, is one of the main demonic strongholds operating in our nation. Rooted in pride, this ancient spirit is the church’s greatest enemy opposing our calling to establish God’s kingdom throughout what have been called the “seven mountains of society”: family, religion, government, business, education, media, and arts and entertainment. The religious spirit is also the No. 1 opponent to lasting revival (both personally and corporately). It manifests through such forces as corruption, homosexuality, idolatry, abortion (child sacrifice), Mammon (lust for money), witchcraft and atheism.

In 2 Timothy 3:2-5, Paul spells out what the religious spirit looks like in the flesh: “People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God — having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them” (NIV).

The religious spirit has a form of truth yet lacks the fullness of truth. It operates under the guise of Holy Spirit power yet has no intimacy with the Father to produce such power. It is a spiritual vacuum that, due to the subtle ways it manifests, can distract believers from their true destiny and calling for months, years, even lifetimes. As I heard Chuck Pierce say at a recent conference, “Religious spirits are sent to seduce you and cause you to wander in the wilderness.” Tragically, that is where countless believers have remained under the influence of this spiritually poisonous power.

(To learn more about the religious spirit, including how to identify if it’s operating in your life, I urge you to read my book, Conquering the Religious Spirit.)

The Antichrist Spirit

While the religious spirit may be Satan’s deadliest tactic in his arsenal, it’s also one of his subtlest — which explains why it has had such a hold on the church throughout history. Yet far more overt is the other major stronghold in America: the antichrist spirit. Its very name reveals what it is — a force that stands against or in direct opposition to Christ, who He is and all He stands for. Sadly, it has become the ruling spirit in our nation as our leaders have continued to blatantly oppose God through their public speeches, rulings or political alignments.

What’s shocking to most believers, however, is that much of the American church has succumbed to this same spirit. First John 4:1-3 says: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world” (NASB).

Sadly, we have so-called leaders in the American church at large that fail to confess Jesus but instead point to other means of salvation (e.g., “Send a check to our ministry and you can save yourself!”). By the same token, many church leaders fail to teach believers or help them know who we are in Christ.

Both of these errors play into the antichrist spirit’s two major orders of attack. First, this spirit will always try to diminish who Jesus is, just as the Scripture above indicates. The antichrist spirit denies Jesus’ deity; therefore, it will even use counterfeit healings, signs and wonders (as Scripture attests) to mimic God’s power, yet it will always fail to exalt the deity of Jesus.

The second mandate the antichrist spirit follows is to attack who we are. The enemy wants to keep us blinded to the reality of who we are in Christ. He uses the antichrist spirit to try to diminish our role as priestly overcomers. But the truth is that Christ — the hope of glory — lives in us. Scripture says we will reign with Christ (2 Tim. 2:12)! God’s mandate has always been for us to rule on earth with Christ. The antichrist spirit will fight against this because, as Jesus said in John 14:14, we were destined to do even “greater works” than He performed while on earth.

Enemy Tactics

God doesn’t want America — or any nation, for that matter — to be held captive by the enemy’s strongholds. His desire is to see the earth become a reflection of His heavenly kingdom. So that we might overcome the forces of darkness that currently rule this world, He has equipped His children with a heavenly weapon strong enough to demolish any stronghold — including the religious and antichrist spirits (see 2 Cor. 10:4). But if prayer is truly the most potent weapon, why have we not launched an all-out assault on the demonic realm over America?

Simply put, it’s because we have succumbed to Satan’s tactics. He has many, yet one of his most successful is distorting lines of communication within the church.

Intercession is pure communication — with God and with the forces of darkness. It’s all about declaring to the enemy what God has already communicated to us, reminding him of his defeat and standing in the gap announcing victory. Satan is fully aware of how vital communication is to our victory and his imminent defeat. Because of this, he’ll do all he can to stir up confusion through miscommunication, which then leads to division. How often has a group of believers — a church, a network of churches or entire denominations — split because they’ve majored on the minors when it comes to scriptural interpretation, theology and eschatology? The more our enemy can wreak havoc among us with such “miscommunication,” the less unified we are.

Satan also uses the tools of apathy and resignation to keep us from dismantling strongholds held by the religious and antichrist spirits. Once the enemy has us in a place where don’t care about anything or anyone, we lose all sense of ownership. And from Satan’s standpoint, what better tactic is there to keep Christians apathetic regarding whether abortion laws are enacted, whether schools incorporate Muslim history into curriculum or whether the entertainment world continues to sink further into vulgarity?

Much of the church has been content to watch evil dominate certain cultural mountains while we hunker down on our own religious mountain. Yet when we no longer care about taking back our own communities or cities, we’ve missed the kingdom perspective of the gospel.

Walking hand-in-hand with such apathy is the notion that it’s not our responsibility as believers to save the world. This mentality resigns to believing that the earth is ultimately on a downward spiral none of us can stop, so there’s no point in trying to do so. I’ve heard countless people — Spirit-filled Christians, mind you — admit that with today’s world “going to hell in a handbasket,” there is nothing they can personally do to change things.

The truth is, we can make a difference. In fact, we not only must, we will make a difference. And that will come when the American church learns how to invade, dismantle and establish dominion over these strongholds in our nation.

Invade to Conquer

I always thought I understood the meaning of the word invade. After all, my father flew an anti-submarine warfare aircraft in the U.S. Navy. My husband served 28 years in the Air Force, including flying fighter aircrafts in the Vietnam War. I had heard the term used often since I was a little child. Yet it wasn’t until a few years ago when I discovered the full scope of this powerful six-letter word. Invade has at least eight different meanings:

* To enter forcefully as an enemy.
* To go into with hostile intent.
* To enter as if to take possession.
* To enter and cause injury or destruction.
* To intrude upon.
* To encroach or infringe.
* To advance beyond established limits of property, domain or rights of another in order to possess.
* To make an invasion to take possession or overrun.

Each of those definitions is loaded with meaning, yet none suggests timidity or passivity. If we want to tear down a stronghold, we don’t need to send the enemy an announcement, call first or knock at the door when we arrive. We have full permission — from God — to invade.

God has anointed each of us, and the anointing breaks the yoke (Is. 10:27). But when we invade enemy territory as intercessors to dismantle a stronghold, our anointing alone (ministry from position) will not get the job done. We need authority (ministry from alignment). And to have authority imparted to us, we must have relationship with the King of Glory. Jesus summoned His 12 disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out and heal every disease and sickness (Matt. 10:1-2).

Principalities and powers ultimately have no defense against governmental signs and wonders being released. The antichrist spirit vehemently resists them, because it knows they can bring down its rule over a region. When we move into this realm of apostolic signs and wonders, we don’t just heal people; we free entire regions from satanic principalities and powers. In fact, signs and wonders on this level do things that our repenting and rebuking can’t.

A Different Kind of Praying

We can’t resort to an old mindset of prayer if we hope to do this, however. I know far too many intercessors who, after all is said and done, approach prayer as if it involves nothing more than continually asking God for things. They’re stuck in a single mode of begging God for Him to move. I call these petition prayers, and although they have their place in the arsenal of every powerful prayer warrior, God is shifting us from petition prayers to apostolic-prophetic intercession. When we spend all our time petitioning God, asking Him for that which He’s already granted us, we’ve missed the purpose of intercession.

Apostolic-prophetic intercession, on the other hand, begins with two premises. First, we have been given the authority by God to speak His words, not ours. At its core, a petition is a formal request that originates in us rather than God. It’s time we reset our default method of prayer from petition that originates in us to proclamations and declarations that originate from the Lord and align us with Him.

The second major premise — one that prayer warriors often forget — is that we are already commissioned and sent by God. Paul uses the perfect illustration of this when he refers to us as ambassadors: “We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us” (2 Cor. 5:20). When an ambassador is sent to a foreign nation, he appears on behalf of his native country’s ruler, is the extension of that ruler and is given the authority to speak on his behalf. The ambassador comes with inherent power not because of anything he has done personally, but purely because he serves as the incarnate expression (i.e., the mouthpiece, hands and feet) of the one who sent him.

This is our role as apostolic-prophetic intercessors. Jesus came as God incarnate, yet through Christ, we have been adopted as sons of God and joint heirs in His kingdom (Gal. 3:26-29). Since this is a foundational truth of our faith, we must stop praying as paupers and start interceding as ambassadors of the one true God. We have been given the authority: Jesus has commissioned us (Matt. 28:16-20) and empowered us with His Holy Spirit (Acts 2). We already know what to say because He has given us His message via the Word.

The End of the Fight

Let me set the record straight if there is any doubt: Jesus has won. He is the lone victor in the final battle and does not split the spoils with the enemy. The script has already been written: He wins; Satan loses. But until the American church wakes up and realizes we are the enforcers of that victory in the here and now, bringing the kingdom of God to earth, then we will remain oblivious to the battle that continues to wage over souls, cities, states and regions.

If Holy Spirit-filled Christians still can’t see that we are currently in a war over this country’s government, education, families, media, businesses, religion, and arts and entertainment, then I seriously wonder if they shouldn’t be asking God for a hefty dose of discernment. We are at war! And having spent most of my life in and among military families, I know that when you are at war you better know your enemy and his strategies of attack.

The truth is, we do have the most potent weapon in the world that can change everything. But until we “wise up” on the various ways Satan distracts, removes and destroys those who wield this weapon — particularly those standing in key areas of the cultural gaps—we will continue to be an army with unlimited potential yet minimal effectiveness, simply because we fail to recognize our own God-appointed power.

(For further detail on everything mentioned in this article, I suggest reading my book Invading the Seven Mountains With Intercession.)
___________________________________

Tommi Femrite is an ordained minister and the founder of GateKeepers International and the Apostolic Intercessors Network. A respected teacher and speaker with 30-plus years of ministry experience,Tommi is recognized as a spiritual strategist. She lives in Colorado Springs, Colo., with her husband.

http://www.charismamag.com/spirit/spiritual-warfare/15572-how-to-dismantie-america-s-greatest-stronghoids

[Welcome2Pinkyland]

The Antichrist

Major religions are currently anticipating the appearance of their “savior,” variously called, “Messiah,” “Jesus Christ,” “the Twelfth Mahdi,” “the Fifth Buddha,” or “the Tenth Avatar.” Within ecumenical circles, there is a growing awareness that one single man might actually fulfill all these religions’ expectations. A one-size-fits-all messiah would bring all the world’s religions together.
http://www.endtime.com/the-antichrist/

[Welcome2Pinkyland]

The Importance of Bible Prophecy
Key Scriptures about Prophecy

Let's conclude with a reminder of what the Word of God itself says about the value of prophecy. In this way we can be assured that the effort we expend in looking at the prophetic scriptures will be time extremely well spent.

"The secret things belong to the Lord our God; but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our sons forever" (Deuteronomy 29:29).

"Surely the Lord God does nothing, unless He reveals His secret counsel to His servants the prophets" (Amos 3:7).

"I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things which have not been done... I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, surely I will do it" (Isaiah 46:9-11).

"[Jesus said] 'Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill'" (Matthew 5:17).

"[Jesus] said to them, 'These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled'" (Luke 24:44).

"Of Him [Jesus] all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins" (Acts 10:43).

"The prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful search and inquiry, seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow" (1 Peter 1:10-11).

"...we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place... But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God" (2 Peter 1:19-21).

"The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy" (Revelation 19:10).
http://lamblion.com/articles/articles_general1.php

[EarlyOne]

I am sharing this article because it talks about the biblical principle of "Jubilee". The article also shows how far we fallen.

No More Exits, We Are Already Past The Point Of No Return
October 23, 2012

On the heels of renewed discussion about a global ‘debt jubilee,’ today Michael Pento spoke with King World News about, “... why this could never happen today without unbelievably painful consequences.” Pento predicted, “You would see a huge cascading effect, where all asset prices would crumble.”

Pento has been incredibly accurate regarding his predictions of moves by the central planners. But regarding a debt jubilee he warned, “We have quite simply past the point of no return, and there is no way this will ever be done voluntarily.”

Here is what Pento had to say: “The ‘debt jubilee’ is a Biblical premise that every 50 years all debts would be purged. It’s a wonderful idea because without such debt forgiveness it meant that if you had inexorably rising levels of debt, eventually it would lead to an involuntary purging of that debt which would wipe out the entire economy.”

“So they thought it was a much better idea every 50 years to do an involuntary purging of debt. This way it would be mildly painful, but in the long-term it would be very beneficial for the economy. Here is the problem. The major problem without any kind of debt forgiveness scheme, is that one entity’s debt is another entity’s asset.

Some people are thinking about doing something like this today. But let me explain why this could never happen today without unbelievably painful consequences....

“In Biblical times there was no fractional reserve system. They operated, for the most part, on a bimetal standard based on using gold and silver as money, and all lending was done on a 100% reserved basis. What that means is that you could not amass the debt levels we see today in the developed world.

For instance, there is $11.3 trillion of publicly traded US debt. Who does the government owe $11.3 trillion of their debt to? Well, as an example, commercial banks own $1.85 trillion of that government debt. That is at an all-time record high by the way.

So what would happen if there was a debt jubilee is the entire banking system would voluntarily fall on a sword and commit suicide, rendering itself insolvent. The thought here is that this would somehow lead to the days of ‘wine-and-roses.’

But we would wipe out the entire economic system of the United States overnight if we did something like that. What would happen to the economy if you had no banking system? The banks would all be instantly insolvent and forced to close down. That would mean a depression in this country which would be exponentially worse than what we witnessed in the 1930s.

So I think this is lovely talk, and it would have been wonderful every 50 years if we had a debt jubilee, and if we never went off the 100% fractional reserve gold system. But the problem is we are off that gold system and we have run up tremendous leverage and debt.

The world has never seen this amount of debt before. Any kind of forgiveness of that debt would wipe out the economy overnight. Would that be deflationary? Absolutely. You would see a huge cascading effect where all asset prices would crumble. All money supply measurements would plummet.

You would have massive insolvency across the entire planet overnight. So this is never going to happen voluntarily. I wish it would have happened every 50 years as the writers of the Bible envisioned. I also wish we were still on a 100% fractional gold reserve system, but we aren’t.

I do believe something like this could happen, but it will be an involuntary jubilee. It will come because the government simply defaults on the debt and walks away from it. That will be your ‘debt jubilee’ but nothing about it will be jubilant I promise you that.

I also agree with the premise of the recent Telegraph article that 100% reserve banking would end credit bubbles and vanquish inflation forever. However, the article does not deal at all with the effects of adopting such a plan. What would be the effect of wiping out $1.85 trillion in bank assets? We are talking about 20% of all bank assets! It would mean instant insolvency for the entire banking system because none of them have a 20% capital ratio.

Again, you are talking about eliminating all bank lending overnight. What would that do for the real estate market, commercial loans, car finance, credit card borrowing, etc.? As sound an idea as this plan may be for the future, as I mentioned earlier, its implementation would lead to a dramatic decline in money supply and credit creation, which would cause plunging asset prices and a global depression, the likes of which have never before witnessed on this planet.

We have quite simply past the point of no return, and there is no way this will ever be done voluntarily.”

[Welcome2Pinkyland]

When is the Rapture?

We Shall All Be Changed

In the Bible, 1 Corinthians describes our final victory:

“Behold, I shew 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 trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” 1 Corinthians 15:51-52

Paul says this occurs at the last trump, which the Bible tells us is the seventh trumpet. 1 Corinthians 15 and Revelation 11:15 are referring to the same thing. For the trumpet shall sound, the dead shall be raised, and we shall be changed.

Transformed Instantly

At the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, all born again Christians will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). At the sound of the “last trumpet,” the dead who were born again during their lifetime will be resurrected from the dead. At the same time, those who are born again and still alive on earth will be transformed instantly, from mortal beings to immortal beings. Romans 8:11 tells us that our mortal bodies will be made alive if we have God’s spirit living in us.

It is often taught that at the rapture all of us will instantly disappear, but that is not what the Bible says. It says we will be changed in a moment and in the twinkling of an eye. When Jesus Christ was caught up, He was seen leaving the earth. Just as they were able to see Jesus go, so will people be able to see the church go.

Of That Day and Hour No One Knows

“But of that day and hour no one knows,” Jesus said to His disciples on the Mount of Olives (Matthew 24:36). Some say we cannot know the day and the hour when Jesus will return and gather His church to Himself. But others claim that Jesus was speaking only to people living in the first century, not to people living today.

The Times and Seasons

Just before He was caught up to heaven, Jesus’ disciples asked, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6). Jesus replied specifically about what would happen “at this time.” In other words, His response was particularly directed to the first century generation in which they were living. He said, “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in His own power.” (Acts 1:7) Will we also, then, be unable to know the times and the seasons?

The Sons of Light Will Know

The answer to this question is found in Matthew 24:34, in which Jesus says, “Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” “This generation” refers specifically to the people who live to see all of the terrifying events that Jesus had just mentioned as increasing immediately before His return; such as wars, rumors of wars, earthquakes in various places, widespread famine and disease, and the Antichrist’s rise to power. Paul validates this view, saying,

“But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.” 1 Thessalonians 5:1-5

We will know, according to Paul, the times and the seasons. If we pay attention we will see the day of the Lord coming. This settles the controversy about knowing the times and the seasons, but what about knowing the day and hour?

Those in Darkness Are Surprised

1 Thessalonians 5 and Matthew 24:42-43 teach us that the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night. The master of the house will not know what hour the thief will come. The thief clearly represents the Lord. The master of the house was living in darkness and was not ready for the coming of the Lord. Unbelievers are the ones who will not know the hour of the Lord’s coming. Paul explicitly states that the coming of the Lord would only be a surprise to those living in darkness. 1 Thessalonians 5:4-5 indicates that, unlike the situation with unbelievers, the day of the Lord will not overtake His children of light as a thief in the night. If we keep studying the scriptures, and strive to understand current events in light of Bible prophecy, we will know the generation and the times and seasons. And as the time draws nearer, we may not only begin to understand the day of His return, but the hour also.

The Harvest of the Earth

In chapter 14 of Revelation we see a vision of Christ reaping a harvest.

“And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.” Revelation 14:14-16

Jesus compares souls to a harvest in John 4:35. The reaping of the good harvest of the earth is the rapture of the church. This harvest that He reaps is immediately before the wrath of God, described in Revelation 14:17-20. Thus, the rapture of the church occurs just prior to God’s wrath.

The harvest signals the end of this age, at which time Jesus Christ will come back for the rapture of His church and the Battle of Armageddon. Jesus prophesied of the harvest. We call it the “rapture,” although the word “rapture” is not found in the Bible. It is merely a word we use that means “the catching away”. 1 Thessalonians speaks of this “catching away.”

“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.” 1 Thessalonians 4:17

Immediately After the Tribulation…

Those of us who have been taught a pre-tribulation rapture cannot read Matthew 24 without concluding that Jesus placed the rapture immediately after the tribulation of those days.

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” Matthew 24:29-31

Not a Salvation Issue

The timing of the rapture seems to be the most controversial of all prophecy teachings. However, whether it will occur before, during, or after the tribulation has no bearing on your salvation. God can come for any one of us at any time. Jesus said in Matthew 24,

“Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.” Matthew 24:42-43

At Any Time

Whatever you believe about the timing of the rapture, or whether you even believe in Bible prophecy, if you were to die right now, you would be immediately removed from the earth to stand before your Creator for judgment. The Bible says, “Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men” (2 Corinthians 5:11). “And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?” (1 Peter 4:18) This is not the time to emphasize only the parts of the Bible we like, to make us feel good. But it is time for us to make sure that our lives are in line with all the teachings of God’s Word. If ever there were a time to walk closely to God, this is the time, as we see the day of the Lord drawing near.
http://www.endtime.com/urgent-questions/when-is-the-rapture/

[Ranb2khz]

Globalism: Lessons from History



Do you ever feel as though the America you grew up in is vanishing before your eyes? And what do you think of the small group of globalists that are telling us we need to transform America to be more compliant with their new order? As always, the Scripture gives us hopeful insight.

The book of Psalms, chapter 2, warns national rulers of the errors of scheming and assembling together against the Lord:

“The kings of the earth band themselves, and the princes [rulers] are assembled together against the Lord, and against His Christ...But he that dwells in the heaven shall laugh; the Lord shall have them in derision.”

But by His grace He immediately offers hope:

“Now therefore, O you kings, act wisely; be instructed and warned, O you rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with reverent awe and worshipful fear; rejoice and be in high spirits with trembling. Kiss the Son [bow, pay homage] lest He be angry and you perish in the way, for soon shall His wrath be kindled. O blessed [happy, fortunate] are all those who seek refuge and put their trust in Him!”

Throughout the centuries, numerous attempts have been made by men and nations to establish a new world order without God. Each of these attempts has met with failure. Like the withering weeds that Isaiah speaks of in Isaiah 40:23-24, these power hungry leaders have found some real obstacles as they lunged for the golden ring of world power. This knowledge that God knows how to handle the evil conspirators and tyrants of our day, just as He has in the past should encourage Christians worldwide.



The first unified skirmish in man’s rebellion against God followed the Flood. Before this time, every man followed his own will – which set all people except Noah and his family against the plan of God. After the waters of the flood subsided and the world was again populated, mankind united under the banner of Nimrod.

The Bible teaches that all civilization after the universal flood came from Noah’s sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Their descendants migrated southeastward from Mount Ararat to the plain of Shinar (Sumer).

Originally, the people had been told by God to go forth and fill the earth (Genesis 9:1-3). And Genesis 10:5 says that for a time this did happen:

“From these the coast land peoples of the Gentiles were separated into their lands, everyone according to his own language, according to their families, into their nations.”

But Nimrod, one of Noah’s great-grandsons and the founder of Nineveh, “began to be a mighty one on the earth.” He built many cities and was able to coerce or entice all of the other families to come under him and his worship of pagan idols, such as Baal and Ashtoreth. In direct rebellion against God’s command to multiply and fill the earth all the people of the earth set out with one language to build a tower into heaven. God thwarted their efforts and scattered the people by confusing their languages.

In Genesis 11:1-6, in Nimrod’s Tower of Babel, we see man’s first attempt at salvation through a counterfeit Messiah – state worship disguised as religion. God did not tolerate man’s assault on His sovereignty. By confusing the languages of the masses, he forced a dispersion of the people into various nations worldwide, thereby preventing a centralized one-world government.

All civilizations from Mesopotamia to Egypt, Greece, and Rome, as well as our modern cultures, have faced the same challenges when attempting to overthrow God’s moral order. They have faced the scriptural truth that it is God who has set the boundaries and the times of habitation for every people on earth (Acts 17:26). No one overrides God’s will for men and nations.

They also have faced the historic reality that since Nimrod, numerous drives at world power have been attempted and all have been thwarted by God. Nebuchadnezzar was turned into a hairy beast eating grass on all fours. On the verge of world conquest, Alexander the Great self-destructed before his death at the age of thirty-three. Julius Caesar met his fate in the Roman Senate. Napoleon met his on the mud-drenched fields of Waterloo. Adolf Hitler faced off with God, and then committed suicide in a Berlin bunker in April 1945.

Another great obstacle faced by all tyrannies is the penetration of the Gospel and the Word of God into all the world. Over two billion people now profess Christian faith worldwide. They acknowledge God’s sovereignty and man’s sinfulness, and are hard to convince when the United Nations or any new order offers the deceptive bait of the false promise of worldwide peace and unity.

We and our children can learn from the Tower of Babel the great truth expressed by Isaiah that we should fear God, not those who conspire for world conquest:

“Do not call conspiracy all that this people will call conspiracy; neither be in fear of what they fear, nor in dread. The Lord of hosts – regard Him as holy and honor His holy name, and let Him be your fear and let Him be your dread.” ~ Isaiah 8:12-13

At the same time, the Tower of Babel gives us ample warning that we should shun any movement that calls for world unity or the blurring of national or familial identities. The Bible calls for local accountability in the family, church, and local civil government to restrain man’s sinful nature.

The prophet Isaiah continues:

“Listen to Me, O my people, and give ear to Me, O My nation; for a divine law will go forth from Me and I will establish My justice for a light to the peoples. My rightness and justice are near. My salvation is going forth and My arms shall rule the peoples; the islands shall wait for and expect Me, and on My arm shall they trust and wait with hope” ~ Isaiah 51:4-5

What a great future lies ahead for those who see with the eyes of faith!

~ Marshall Foster

WORLD HISTORY INSTITUTE teaches the liberating lessons of historically-proven biblical principles to benefit people of all nations. Resources, conferences and tours have been provided since 1976. WHI is a 501(c)3 non-profit ministry. Your involvement and tax-deductible contributions are encouraged. © Copyright 2011, World History Institute, PO Box 4673, Thousand Oaks, CA 91362, 805.523.0072, www.WorldHistoryInstitute.org.
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http://www.worldhistoryinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/WHI_10Oct2011_Journal.pdf

[SOROS]

I just wish God would stop the "day is like a thousand year" stuff, and do "a day is like a day," for a bit, and then, perhaps, the end could come in our lifetimes. I, for one, am really tired of, "the end is near," "the Lord is at hand," "His return is very close," etc. I've been hearing that for almost 70 years and watching people die, and now, my generation is facing death, yet no end. Not trying to be "unfaithful" or poke fun, but I can see how the scoffers scoff. Watching the evil get rewarded is getting old. This place is not our home, so would it hurt to speed things up a bit? If God would give me the decision of pushing the big red button to kick off the last 7 years, I'd push it very quickly, even if there is no pre-trib rapture.

[tenac]

http://www.absolutelyuncertain.com/


Remember folks...Israel is the keep player...country...concerning the last of the 7 years of the "Tribulation"....
anti-christ...Battle of Armageddon!

Its all in scripture!

[Welcome2Pinkyland]

What Is Armageddon?

Mountain of Slaughter

The word “Armageddon” appears only once in the Bible. Armies will be gathered together “into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon” (Revelation 16:16). Looking at the origin of the term, “Armageddon,” we see that “Har” means “mountain.” Next is “Gadad,” meaning “cut off,” as in a slaughter. This “Mountain of Slaughter” will be the site of large-scale death and destruction.

The valley of Megiddo, part of the Plain of Esdraelon, will be the main location of “the battle of that great day of God Almighty” (Revelation 16:14). Historically, it is the site of many military clashes. Barak and Sisera, Gideon and the Midianites, the Philistines and Israel, the Crusaders and the Saracens, Napoleon and his foes, and General Allenby and the Turkish army all fought major battles here.

Jesus will overthrow a gathering of nations at Armageddon in “the latter days” (Daniel 2:28). The Antichrist will be destroyed “with the brightness of his coming” (2 Thessalonians 2:8). After the Great Tribulation, Jesus will return to “judge and make war” (Revelation 19:11), to judge the nations (Matthew 25:31-46) and fight the battle of Armageddon.

All Nations Invade Israel

The “kings of the east” will invade Israel at Armageddon (Revelation 16:12-16). Zechariah 14:2 says that “all nations” will be gathered against Jerusalem at Armageddon. It doesn’t seem feasible that troops from over 190 nations could gather in Israel for the Battle of Armageddon. But a global force representing all the nations of the world, probably under a UN resolution, will gather to invade Israel.

Great armies from the West and East, filled with hostility toward each other, but united in their opposition to the God of Israel, will try to combat the overwhelming, divine power of Almighty God. (Psalm 2:2; Isaiah 34:2; Revelation 17:14). Russia, Iran, Turkey, Libya and Ethiopia are some of the nations named in Ezekiel 38. See Revelation 19:11-21 and Ezekiel 38 and 39 for additional descriptions of Armageddon.
http://www.endtime.com/urgent-questions/what-is-armageddon/

[Welcome2Pinkyland]

Why would anyone devote their life to the teaching of Bible prophecy?
http://www.lamblion.com/enewsletter1/new_enewsletter_template_120919.html

[EarlyOne]

Can anyone believe they would ever hear a U.S. President say "The future does not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam."

I know that he says a lot of other good things after that statement but I wonder why lead with "the future does not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam."

My soul was deeply disturbed this morning when I first heard those words uttered by our President.

As a Bible believing Christian I would have said something like "the future does not belong to those who slander the God of Abraham."

I know the U.N. is pushing UN Resolution 1618 which would make any statement deemed by the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) ‘offensive’ to Islam a crime.” This would be a global law.

Hillary Clinton has signed onto this resolution and has promised she will do everything in her power to get UN Resolution 1618 ratified by the U.S. Senate. If this happens, say goodbye to the 1st Admendment of the U.S. Constitution.

[EarlyOne]

Muslim Day Parade In NYC Features Calls for Global Laws Against Insulting Islam and Promotes Sharia In USA
Posted on September 25, 2012 at 10:38am by Mike Opelka

Sunday September 23rd marked the 27th annual United American Muslim Day Parade in NYC. The parade, which included floats and flags of many nations, marched down Madison Avenue from 42nd Street to 23rd Street. Intrepid blogger Urban Infidel attended the event and captured many of the images and video seen in this story.

During the parade, a program was handed out featuring shots of the White House with the Black Flag flying over it.





Inside the full-color program handed out to those along the parade route was a four-and-a-half page article titled, “Islam, The Future of America.” That article features the first image shown above with the black flag Islam flying over White House.

The article documents the recent growth of this “third wave” of Muslims in America:

Population growth from 50,000 Muslims to an estimated 6 million in just the past twenty-five years
Mosques have increased from 50 in 1960 to 1400 today.
There are also some paragraphs inside the document that are worthy of review. For example, the subject of relationships between Muslim Americans and non-Muslims. The point of view here is quite clear: inter-faith and inter-cultural marriages are strongly discouraged. And it clearly states that Muslim women are forbidden from marrying outside of their faith. The two paragraphs posted here show:

It is permitted for a Muslim man to marry a non-Muslim woman — as long as she converts.
Muslim woman are not permitted to marry a non-Muslim man.



In the section discussing the education and upbringing of Muslim children, this paragraph suggests the creation of Islamic Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, with the underlying rules of Sharia being mandated:


The marchers and floats carried many messages stating that Islam is a religion of peace. However, there were several participants flying the black flag of Islamic jihad:



In one instance, the flag was flown in front of the stage featuring young children:



At the end of the parade route, a stage was set up for speakers. One Imam from Coney Island in Brooklyn used his time to push for the U.S. government to ban the anti-Islam video some blame for the uproar of late, to “not allow anybody to disrespect our prophet in future,” and asked the UN to pass a low banning such speech against Islam:

That push shouldn’t be a shock to regular readers of TheBlaze. Last week, we reported on similar calls being made by many Islamists who were demanding UN intervention on behalf of Islam’s reputation. One story covered the ultra-conservative Islamists in Egypt who demanded UN intervention to criminalize this defamation. We also interviewed a NJ Imam who said that free speech that allows mocking Islam is a threat to America’s national security.

[EarlyOne]

Ahmadinejad: Israel Has No Historical Roots in the Middle East & Will Be ‘Eliminated’
Posted on September 24, 2012 at 3:29pm by Billy Hallowell

[EarlyOne]

Is this what the uprisings are really about... taking away the world's (and the U.S.'s) free speech?

Ultraconservative Islamists in Egypt Call for U.N. Legislation to Make Defaming Islam Illegal
Posted on September 23, 2012 at 1:10pm by Madeleine Morgenstern
The head of the largest ultraconservative Islamist party in Egypt is calling for United Nations legislation to make defaming Islam and the Prophet Muhammad illegal.

Salafist Nour Party leader Emad Abdel Ghaffour told Reuters on Saturday that Egyptian President Mohammad Morsi and other Muslim leaders should demand U.N. action during a meeting of the General Assembly in New York this week.

“We call for legislation or a resolution to criminalize contempt of Islam as a religion and its prophet,” Ghaffour told Reuters in an interview. “The voice of reason in the West will prevail if there is mutual respect, dialogue and efficient lobbying for this critical resolution.”

The Salafist Nour Party is the second-largest party in Egyptian parliament and played an important role in supporting the Muslim Brotherhood during presidential elections this summer, according to Reuters.

Ghaffour’s call comes amid widespread deadly protests throughout the Arab world blamed at least in part on an anti-Islam film that denigrated Muhammad as a womanizer, killer and child molester. In France last week, a magazine published satirical cartoons of a naked Mohammad, prompting French embassies and schools across the Middle East to close.

“A proposal to look into the root causes of the obvious racism against Muslims and Arabs as the recent fierce campaign against their Islamic beliefs shows is much needed,” Ghaffour said.

He told Reuters there are “interest groups” trying to subvert ties between Western countries and newly-elected Islamist governments by defaming Islam.

“A new reality in the Middle East has emerged after the toppling of autocratic regime of [former Egyptian President] Hosni Mubarak and others through democratic elections that brought newly-elected Islamist governments,” Ghaffour said. “There are interest groups who seek to escalate hatred to show newly-elected governments and their Muslim electorate as undemocratic.”

Ghaffour said his party intends to make a documentary film about the life of Mohammad to counter “Innocence of Muslims.”

Hardline Salafist Muslims take a purist interpretation of Islam similar to followers in Saudi Arabia. It was revived in Egypt in the 1970s based on a 19th century Saudi teaching, but was repressed under Mubarak’s rule. Experts believe three are 3 million followers of Egypt’s Salafi movement, according to Reuters.

TheBlaze TV this week will air a two-part series titled “The Project” that will explore the Muslim Brotherhood’s infiltration of American government.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Csb1vlvu_jU&feature=player_embedded

Part one of “The Project” will air Wednesday at 8 p.m. Eastern.

[Welcome2Pinkyland]

An economy run by numbers

Revelation 13:17: “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.”

The prophecy simply states that, during the endtime, everyone will need a mark or a number in order to participate in the economy. How could such a system possibly be implemented?

Until recently, it couldn’t. Only since the invention of the computer and the advent of the Internet, has the fulfillment of this ancient prophecy been remotely possible.

Now it is becoming commonplace to see articles proposing a cashless society. Who hasn’t been prevented from using a credit card because of forgetting a PIN number (personal identification number)? Experiments are already being conducted with using eye scans, face scans and fingerprints for proof of identity. Positive ID has become so necessary in a world that increasingly does business “online.”

The new money of Europe, the euro, has been in use for over two years. Millions of euros are traded every day. And yet to this point, physical euros do not exist. All transactions have been electronic – cashless! Euro notes and coins will be introduced in January 2002. Can a cashless society work? Europe has proven that it can.

Between online transactions and the use of smart cards, the technology presently exists to set up a cashless society. The only blockade is public acceptance. How long will it be before society is able to get used to it?

The Bible is crystal clear that the prophesied economic system will be implemented during the final three and one-half years before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Never possible before…totally possible now!

Most of the prophecies of the Bible are written in symbols. Only four or five give the literal name of a person or a place. Two of these special prophecies appear to have come to pass during the last fifteen years.
http://www.endtime.com/blog/why-i-believe-jesus-will-return-in-my-lifetime/

[Welcome2Pinkyland]

Why I Believe Jesus Will Return in My Lifetime
http://www.endtime.com/blog/why-i-believe-jesus-will-return-in-my-lifetime/

[Ranb2khz]

Thanks for sharing that site! It has been added to the IBOX.

[Welcome2Pinkyland]

"So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled." (Matthew 24:33-34)