The title of this article ("It's Not About Why, But About Who!") is from the following 24 minute sermon by Charles Lawson, in which he quotes Psalm 91 and Proverbs 3:5-6, which Scriptures most of you are familiar with. One thing to note, in his sermon below, Pastor Lawson tells us "When you choose God, He will direct and choose your way." And, "Your way is your attitude toward God."
"The Bible recognizes no faith that does not lead to obedience, nor does it recognize any obedience that does not spring from faith. The two are at opposite sides of the same coin." - A.W. Tozer
"The evidence of spiritual growth is when in difficulties you run to the Lord first - in prayer! Get on your knees!" - David Wilkerson
Today's world has its share of "darkness" and troubles. It affects us all in one way or another. In the following 14 minute sermon by Pastor David Wilkerson, he tells us that we may go through many darknesses, but if you are a true Christian, Jesus will rescue you and strengthen you !
"If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the right shining of a candle doth give thee light." - Jesus at Luke 11:36
At John 3:19-21 Jesus tells us: "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that they are wrought in God."
In view of the fact that we are now living in the last moments of the last days (according to how Bible Prophecy is now coming true daily) we do well to concern ourselves with living a life in obedience to the good Lord and watching expectantly for Jesus' return! (Titus 2:13)
"For yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry." - Hebrew 10:37
Following is a 4 minute sermon clip by Pastor David Wilkerson on the topic of : It's time to wake up! Please watch! Pastor Wilkerson stresses how we should make time for the good Lord! His return is near! What will Jesus find you doing then?
Concerning Bible prophecies and the fact that nothing should alarm true believers in Jesus Christ the Savior, Charles Spurgeon has this to tell us in one of his "Faith's Checkbook" devotions based on Daniel 12:13 =
"We cannot understand all the prophecies, but yet we regard them with pleasure and not with dismay. There can be nothing in the Father's desire which should justly alarm His child. Though the abomination of desolation be set up, yet the true believer shall not be defiled; rather shall he be purified, and made white, and tried. Though the earth be burned up, no smell of fire shall come upon the chosen. Amid the crash of matter and the wreck of worlds, the Lord Jehovah will preserve His own - Calmly resolute in duty, brave in conflict, patient in suffering; let us go our way, keeping to our road, and neither swerving from it nor loitering in it. The end will come, let us go our way till it does. Rest will be ours. All other things swing to and fro, but our foundation standeth sure. God rests in His love, and therefore we rest in it. Our peace is, and ever shall be, like a river. A lot in the heavenly Canaan is ours, and we shall stand in it, come what may. The God of Daniel will give a worthy portion to all who dare to be decided for truth and holiness as Daniel was. No den of lions shall deprive us of our sure inheritance."
Times are urgent in which we are now living! Urgent especially if you are not saved, are not born again, and have not put your trust and faith and belief in Jesus Christ as the Savior and Him as the only way to the Father and heaven! Jesus paid your sin debt in full on the cross ! He was our substitute as the Lamb of God to take our sins upon Himself and Redeem us by the shedding of His precious blood. Think of how He suffered for you! Think of His great love and compassion for you!
Following are some Salvation Scriptures for those who are not saved to take to heart -- to realize their perilous unsaved condition, and to repent of their sins in all sincerity, and turn to the Lord, recognizing their sinful state and that only Jesus can save us if we but put our faith in Him.... Pray for forgiveness ! Turn to Him with all of your very being in faith NOW !!
Jesus loves you and will welcome you with open arms in an embrace of love and forgiveness!
"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life, and he that believeth not the son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him." - John 3:36
"Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." - Titus 2:13-14
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me." - John 14:6
"Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die. Believest thou this?" - John 11:25-26
"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." - John 3:3
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." - John 3:16
"Grace be with you all!" (Titus 3:15)
Have a blessed and Christ-centered weekend - and life!
Flowers cheer me up, even when I do not need cheering up; when all is well with me. Most women, and some men, will agree that flowers and their beauty soothe the soul as well as being a delight to behold.
Actually, only the good Lord can truly and completely soothe the soul and give you hope and encouragement and a reason to live; and give you everlasting life if you believe in the ransom sacrifice of Jesus on the cross; that His shed blood cleanses you from all sin when you put your whole faith and belief in Him as the Savior.
This reminds me of the hymn "In Christ Alone". I posted a video of that hymn recently on this blog. Two stanzas stood out for me in that hymn : "And as He stands in victory, sin's curse has lost its grip on me." And, "No power of hell, no scheme of man, can ever pluck me from His hand; Till He returns or calls me home, here in the power of Christ I'll stand."
Just a note, people you knew before you were saved, cannot believe the change in you is real once you become a child of God by belief in His Son Jesus. That applies to unsaved acquaintances of your past. Not knowing the Scripture at Romans 8:1(nor any other Scriptures as well), and being carnally minded, they cannot grasp the new spiritual birth concept. Most of the time they will not listen to you or anything you have to say about Jesus or salvation. Many of you true followers of Jesus have experienced this from others.
"Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you." - 1 Peter 4:4 (KJV)
The NLT Bible renders the above verse: "Of course, your former friends are surprised when you no longer plunge into the flood of wild and destructive things they do. So they slander you."
The following verse in Romans 8:1 is good to make them (former unsaved associates) aware of ; and it is also encouraging for us as believers to focus on:
"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." - Romans 8:1
This means your past sins have been erased in God's sight as the Father now sees you as washed clean by Jesus' sacrifice and redemptive work on the Cross. When God sees you now, (as you being saved by faith) He sees you through Jesus. You are a new creation!
"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." - 2 Corinthians 5:17
Here again is a video of the hymn "In Christ Alone" :
It is very true, as many men of God have stated, that when you give your life to Jesus and become a sincere and devoted believer, the devil will attack you with various trials (and even doubts about your faith) because you are a threat to that evil deceiver and he hates you as he fears God. The devil is also angry because he once had you in his grip, but when you came to faith in Jesus the evil one had no more power over you. And the devil, the slanderer, will endeavor to turn people and events against you.
In my previous post last weekend (scroll down to view) there was included a short 4 minute sermon clip by Pastor Jack Hibbs on the subject "We are in a spiritual battle". You might want to go there and watch it.
Leonard Ravenhill said, " If you stir hell up [by sharing the Gospel or by just living a holy life ] the devil will stir up everything he can against you: you'll get misrepresented, misunderstood......"
Let's go ahead and include that sermon by Ravenhill now. It is only 25 minutes long. The sermon is titled :"Suffering - the marks of God's approval".
"These people draweth nigh unto Me with their mouth, and honoreth Me with their lips; but their heart is far from Me." - Jesus at Matthew 15:85
That verse directly above, spoken by Christ, applies to many who are mere professors of Christianity, and that are not truly born again.
"God's will: nothing more; nothing less; nothing else; at any cost." - author unknown
Note: the devil is also known as the destroyer at Revelation 9:11; and he is called a murderer and the father of lies at John 8:44; satan is called "the god of this world" at 2 Corinthians 4:4; and, again, he is called the deceiver at Revelation 12:9.
Be on guard ! Recognize satan's tactics when they occur!
1 John 4:4 says: "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world."
Most Christians are familiar with the above Scripture at 1 John, but following is some commentary on that verse they may find helpful and, in addition, unbelievers who might read this article may also be encouraged to come to faith and/or see Jesus working in your life by the following explanations:
Adam Clarke's Commentary tells us: (on "ye are of God"); "Ye are under the influence of the Divine Spirit, and have overcome them (false teachers). Your testimony, proceeding from the Spirit of Christ, has invalidated theirs which has proceeded from the influence of satan; for greater is the Holy Spirit which is in you, than the spirit which is in the world."
Today there are still false teachers as you know, but this verse can also apply to worldly people as well (those who are not saved and who do not believe in Jesus). Watch your associations ! (1 Corinthians 15:33; James 4:4)
Albert Barnes tells us in his commentary on 1 John 4:4; "God/Jesus, Who dwells in your hearts, and by Whose strength and grace alone you have been enabled to achieve this victory, is more mighty than satan, who rules in the hearts of the people of this world.... the apostle meant to say that it was by no power of their own that they achieved this victory, but it was to be traced to the fact that God dwelt among them, and had preserved them by His grace. What was true then is true now. He who dwells in the hearts of Christians by His Spirit, is infinitely more mighty than satan, "the ruler of the darkness of this world." And victory, therefore, over all his arts and temptations may be SURE. In his conflicts with sin, temptation, and error, the Christian should NEVER DESPAIR, for his God will insure him the victory."
Focus on the good Lord and the things above; be filled with the Holy Spirit and have a strong faith in God/Jesus. Do NOT focus on the bad and the negative; if you begin to do that, go to God in prayer and He will help you to overcome the negativity. Have faith!
"If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth." - Colossians 3:1,2
This article focuses on the devil more than I ever think about him; it was with the aim to make people aware of his evil schemes and how we must remain in close fellowship with the good Lord in order to overcome the wickedness of this world of today.
Do NOT focus on the evil one !! Keep your focus on the things above!
Pray often ! Read your Bible often!
Just a few more words of caution about the evil devil, and then let us please move on to good, and lovely, and pure things.
To put it bluntly, satan is after your mind! Your mind is the devil's top priority. To ward off this evil deceiver's attacks, you need to feed your mind often with God's Word (the Bible) and thereby reprogram your mind. (Romans 12:1,2). And, of course, be often in prayer. This, and much more, is brought out in the following 13 minute video. This video gives the best explanation EVER on what the Bible calls the whole armor of God! (Ephesians 6:10-18)
When the devil attacks you with doubts or any form of torment he can think of, tell that accuser, "I'm not wearing my own righteousness, I am wearing the righteousness of Jesus Christ." So says the narrator in the above video. You can also say out loud to the accuser and the deceiver, "I plead the blood of Jesus." That will send the devil away from you fast! The name of Jesus has power!
Suffering, therefore, according to Ravenhill, is the mark of a true believer, because he has the marks of God's approval. Not all believers suffer as greatly as did Job or the apostle Paul, for example, but none of us are exempt from trials and hardships in this life. As the Bible encourages us, trials will send you flying to the good Lord and on your knees in prayer, and you will therefore learn to rely on Him more and more as He molds and shapes you - thereby producing a close, intimate, loving, and personal relationship that you will have with Him. And hardships and problems that seem insurmountable will help you to become more Christlike as you seek help and guidance and direction from God; and His answers to your prayers will build your faith, as well.
"Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets." - Jesus at Luke 6:26
That verse above can well apply to some of the "celebrity preachers" of today.
The secret of endurance? Walk with God!
"He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" - Micah 6:8
Following is a daily devotional (published May 28 ) of Charles Stanley on the topic "The Storms of Life". Please watch it; it takes only almost 3 minutes to view it.
The verses quoted in the above video are from 1 Peter 4:12-19. After the verses above are read there is a brief commentary on them. It would be beneficial for all of you to go to Dr. Stanley's devotions every day.
[Cannonball Tree Blossoms]
The world we now live in is very different from when I was young. It is very different also from even about 10 years ago. As stated before on this blog, we are now seeing the beginning stages of the New World Order, or the One World Government; which will include the One World Economy and the One World (false) Religion. There is much chatter on the Web about the soon to be cryptocurrency - meaning the world will go "cashless." That will set the stage for the future "Mark of the Beast (antichrist)" during the Tribulation which follows the Rapture of the Church, Jesus' Bride. (Go to the "search box" in the upper right hand side of this page and enter such information as "cryptocurrency, ID 2020 Alliance, ID 2020 vaccine, New world order" and so on for more information. Many other topics you may also enter such as "Faith, hope, salvation, forgiveness, the Rapture," etc. )
Also, please check on the web concerning prophecies of these end times we are currently experiencing. But better yet, read your Bible daily and pray to the heavenly Father to guide you, and to help you know His will for you in all matters.
It is so very important to be in God's Word daily. The Holy Spirit will give you understanding if you are a born again believer in Jesus as the Savior.
If you are a saved and true believer in the Redemptive work of Jesus on the Cross, and you believe that He is the Savior and the only way to heaven; that His shed blood washes our sins away when we put our faith and trust in Him and when we believe with all of our very being that He alone is the way to heaven because He is the Savior...... then you will NOT be here for the soon to be 7 year Tribulation period. Those 7 years will be hell on earth, full of horrific judgments and the wrath of God on the ungodly persons left on earth then. There will be plagues and destruction such as we cannot even begin to fathom. Read the Bible book of Revelation to find out more about the judgments and plagues and horrors of the Tribulation . Actually, the 7 year Tribulation is also God's way to bring the Jewish people to come to acknowledge that Jesus is the true Messiah.
As stated above, true followers of Jesus will be raptured to heaven before the 7 year Tribulation when He returns soon - very soon - to take believers (the Church) to glory with Him.
There is a ton of information in this article ! The reason is, it could possibly be the last blog post I write. I am hopefully waiting for Jesus' soon return!
Time is short!
Turn to Jesus in faith before it is too late!
Jesus will welcome you with love and forgiveness and hold you tight and secure forever in His safe and protective embrace !
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by Me." - John 14:6
Romans 10:9.10.13 tells us : (9) "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (13) For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." - John 3:36
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." - Jesus at John 3:16
Time is running out!
If you are already a believer, remember what Jesus said concerning these end times we are experiencing. In particular the signs that are occurring now that He told us would happen in the "season" of His return ( the signs found at Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21). He said when these end times signs begin to happen:
"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 Have a blessed and Christ centered weekend - and life !!
You may be thinking, "The world is falling apart, another World War is on the horizon, how can I not be troubled?" May I remind you that the good Lord is in control, and things are not falling apart, but instead are falling into place, according to Bible prophecy.
Although we will concentrate here on John 14:1, let us also read verses 1-4 of John 14:
(1) "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me. (2) In My Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. (3) And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (4) And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know."
What comfort do those above words of Jesus bring to all who love Him and long to be with Him in heaven soon! The whole 14th chapter of John is Jesus comforting His disciples. He had previously told them that He would suffer and die and would be leaving them shortly, so now He sought to comfort the disciples. His words are of great consolation to His followers in this modern age as well.
Following is a beautiful song titled "Do Not Let Your Hearts Be Troubled", by David and Renae Haas.
Sometimes there is nothing quite like a hymn or worship song to bring comfort to the soul. I urge all of you who have a computer to go to You Tube and listen to old time hymns every morning before your Bible study. God wants us to rejoice and be glad in Him; to praise Him and to follow in the footsteps of His Son, Jesus Christ.
But remember, no hymn or anything else can take the place of reading and studying God's Holy Word. Also much prayer is needed to develop a close , personal, intimate, love relationship with the Lord. Pray to the good Lord to give you an extra portion of His Holy Spirit to enable you to comprehend and live by His Word.
"The saints could not be perfected but by Jesus' shed blood and the renewing by the Holy Spirit." - Charles Spurgeon
Let your heart be kept with the full trust in God. Christ's disciples, more than any others, should keep their minds quiet, when everything else is unquiet. The remedy against a troubled mind is to believe. If you have trouble believing, pray to the Lord for strength and for giving you more of the Holy Spirit, which will enable you to believe in God and Jesus, and in all of the promises which they have made. Pray believing that you will receive.
"And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive." - Matthew 21:22
Following is a sermon by Charles Spurgeon on John 14. For those who are not familiar with him, He was born in 1834 and died in 1892. He was a Baptist preacher at the congregation of The New Park Street Chapel (later the Metropolitan Tabernacle) in London for 38 years. Before he was 20, Spurgeon had preached over 600 times. He has been called "The Prince of Preachers", although he was also an author of many various types of works.
Spurgeon's sermon here is 51 minutes long, but I pray that you take the time to listen to it.
Spurgeon says, " Be not troubled! Your Savior reigns. He lives! He is not far away! ..... Do not worry! Jesus will come again! He will receive His followers. All of this is near at hand! We will be with the Lord forever......endless bliss!"
If you have never surrendered your life to the good Lord, now is the time ! His return is imminent! You need to be repentant of your sins, confess them to the Lord, be sincere in your belief that Jesus is the only way to salvation. Believe that His blood shed at Calvary washes away your sins....He will wipe the slate clean when you come to Him in faith and repentance. You will be assured of eternal life with Jesus forever !
"All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out." - John 6:37
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me hath everlasting life." - John 6:47
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me." - John 14:6
"When inventors fear their own inventions, look out!" says Gary Stearman. Artificial Intelligence seems like it is cropping up everywhere nowadays: everywhere from Watson to Apps on your smartphones. Recently two computers were left alone to talk to each other - successfully. They even developed their own type of shorthand speech.
In the following video by www.prophecywatchers.com, Gary Stearman shares some frightening concerns about AI possibly turning on their creators. He also asks the question, "Can a machine (AI) become inhabited by a devil?" My opinion on that is, if possible, demon possession of an AI or robot would explain their ability to reason and to turn against man. Mr. Stearman takes us to the Bible book of Daniel and discusses the antichrist, among other end time events. Please watch this thought provoking 12 minute video:
As Christians, what are we to think about such things as Artificial Intelligence and a possible true-life "Skynet" where they take over?
First of all, everything seems to be out of control today on many fronts, not just AI. It is all a sign of the end times in which we live: the threat of nuclear war, terrorism, violence, unnatural affection, human - animal chimeras, increase in natural disasters such as earthquakes and signs in the heavens, and the list could go on and on. The Bible prophesied all of that and much much more as a sign of the end times.
"But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased." - Daniel 12:4
2 Timothy 3:1-5 tells us, (1)" This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. (2) For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, (3) Without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, (4) Traitors, heady; high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; (5) Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away."
"And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring." - Luke 21:25
You can easily discern that the above verses can be applied to the time in which we live....the last days.
It is a time to be very afraid and full of doubts ... that is, for those who do not know Jesus as their Savior, Lord, and Master. True believers have a blessed hope (Titus 2:13) and will soon be raptured to heaven and away from this dying and decaying and wicked world, and will therefore be spared any robotic or AI takeover, if such a takeover by machines is even possible. Such a thing is not even hinted at in the Bible, except in Daniel 12:4 where it says that knowledge will be increased, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything about an AI takeover. Quite frankly, I personally do not believe the good Lord will allow such a thing to transpire.
Also, followers of Christ will not have to endure the wrath of God which He pours out during the seven year tribulation period upon all the ungodly people left on earth during that time. We should concentrate on what the Bible says and prophesies, and not believe every speculation that comes along.
The Bible is very clear that things will be "business as usual" when the Rapture of the Church occurs. In other words, there will be no artificial intelligence "takeover" before the Rapture.
"But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage until the day that Noah entered into the ark," - Jesus speaking at Matthew 24:37-38. In other words, life was going on pretty much as usual in the time of the flood before it came; therefore, it will be life as usual when Jesus returns to rapture the Church.
All this points to the fact that, in light of end time events now occurring, the Rapture cannot be too far in the future.
Now is the time to make sure that you are right with the Lord. Confess your sins to Him, ask for forgiveness, show your sincerity by repenting and not continuing a life of sin, believe in Jesus and His resurrection. If you do this, you have the hope of eternal life with the Lord forever. (Romans 10:9 ; John 3:16)
If you do not repent, you will spend all eternity in hell.
"And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire." - Jesus at Matthew 18:9
Turn to the Lord now.
The time is short.
"The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." - 2 Peter 3:9
"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." - John 3:36
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. " - John 3:16
The above young White-Rumped Shama Thrush looks alert and like he is paying attention to his surroundings and is ready to take action, if need be. Oh, how we need to pay attention to all the signs around us which scream out at us, "Wake up! End times are here! Be ready for Jesus' return!"
I have written much about the Rapture and the 7-year Tribulation. (Go to the search box above and to the right and type in a subject). I will continue to write about the end times right up to the time I either die or I am raptured to heaven, whichever comes first. There is a sense of urgency in my heart and soul that compels me to warn people that we are living in the last hours of the last days.
Unfortunately, many people are so caught up in the affairs and cares of everyday living, that any notion of it all ending soon just floats on by them in an unreal, dreamlike state of non-concern and even of unbelief that it could be true that these are the last days. That falls right into the schemes of the devil; to keep people from realizing that time is running out. The evil one also tries to keep us so busy, busy, busy that we do not have time for Bible reading and prayer, whereby we could grow to maturity in the faith and be able to endure and persevere to the end.
"But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." - Jesus speaking at Matthew 24:13
Following is a recent video https://prophecywatchers.com featuring Billy Crone and his views on the soon to happen Tribulation. He believes that prophecy can wake up the Church and motivate us to share the gospel and to live godly lives. In many cases, and in many churches, the Christians are asleep where prophecy is concerned.
Billy Crone feels that God wants us to know the future because He built the future and wants to give us a hope of a glorious future with Him....that is, if we are true believers. Human beings cannot exist without hope; the heavenly Father gives us a hope and a reason to live. That is one more indication of His immense love for us.
"Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;" - Hebrews 6:19
"And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." - Romans 5:5
"There is an intimate connection between the life of the Christian here and the enjoyment and the glory in the day of Christ's appearing." - George Muller
Regarding the Rapture of the Church, C. S. Lewis has said, "Precisely because we cannot predict the moment, we must be ready at all moments."
The Rapture will precede the 7-year Tribulation, because believers are not appointed to suffer God's wrath in the Tribulation.
"Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him." - Romans 5:9
"For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ," - 1 Thessalonians 5:9
Perhaps there are some scoffers reading this now, that do not believe in Bible prophecy and say, "Where is the promise of His coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation." - 2 Peter 3:4
It is well to point out that today all things are NOT the same as they were a few years ago.... not even 10 or 20 years ago. Read the news in one hand and the Bible in another (figuratively speaking) and you will comprehend that what the Bible prophesied to happen in the last days is indeed occurring now....a convergence of all the end times signs happening all at once, as Jesus told us would be the case in Matthew 24, Luke 21, and Mark 13.
Why take a chance and scoff at the prospect of a soon Rapture of the Church, which is followed by the fearsome and devastating seven year Tribulation? Open your heart and ask God for discernment. What if all the Bible tells us is going to happen is really true? - which it is, because God cannot lie (Titus 1:2). If you remain unyielding and do not surrender to Jesus and do not believe in Him with all your heart and soul as your Savior, Lord, and Master; then you will be left behind (after the Rapture of true believers) to face and endure a time of trouble and wrath like the world has never seen before when the Tribulation period occurs.
Why take the chance of being stubborn and hard-hearted and thereby suffer in hell for all eternity? Ask God to open your eyes of understanding and to teach you the truth as you read the Bible. Admit that you are a sinner and that you need a Savior (Romans 6:23). Repent of your sins (Mark 1:15). Put your trust and faith in Jesus to save you and believe on Him for eternal life (John 3:16).
The Lord has made it simple. But it requires faith and surrender to Him to make redemption possible. He will not force you. Repentance and Faith must come from your heart.
God loves you.
Jesus is waiting to take you by the hand and call you His own.
Don't delay.
Tomorrow may be too late.
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." - John 3:16
The best way to know the future is to begin reading your Bible. In it are many prophecies, most of which have already come to pass. There are approximately 500 prophecies left in the Bible that have not yet been fulfilled; many of which will transpire during the soon 7-year Tribulation period. There are prophecies being fulfilled now almost on a daily basis.
When Jesus' disciples asked Him what would be the sign of His coming and of the end of the age, He replied at Matthew 24:5-7:
"For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes in divers places."
Please read all of Matthew 24 to find out about more events to take place in these last days and during the Tribulation period. Following is a video from prophecywatchers.com which goes into detail about "The Coming Convergence" and which also discusses end time events.
In the above video, Brent Miller, Sr., brings to light many interesting tidbits of information, such as the odds are 1 in the 45th power of one man (Jesus) fulfilling even only 16 prophecies about His first coming 2000 years ago. And there were over 300 prophecies in all that Jesus fulfilled in His first coming.
Earthquakes and their increasing frequency and magnitude (6.3 or higher) are not being reported by the U.S. Geological Survey as being a serious concern; they are saying everything is fine. Things are not fine; things are downright scary.
Many other topics such as the Internet and the New World Order and the Mark of the Beast are also touched upon by Mr. Miller. Please watch this informative and eye-opening video. You will comprehend how times are urgent and that we are, indeed, living in the last hour of the last days.
We need to make sure we are right with the Lord. We need to repent of our sins and, if you have not already done so, turn to Jesus in faith and total surrender and believe He died for your sins and shed His blood at Calvary so that - if you have faith and believe in Him and in His resurrection- you will be saved and be a child of God. (John 3:16; Romans 10:9,10,13) If you do all of that with a sincere and contrite heart, you will be caught up to heaven by Jesus in the Rapture of the church before the 7-year Tribulation begins. You will escape all of the wrath of God that He will pour out on the ungodly sinners in the Tribulation.
"For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ." - 1 Thessalonians 5:9
We need to pray without ceasing, be thankful to God and praise Him, and "abstain from all appearance of evil" - 1 Thessalonians 5:12-24 . We need to be watching and hoping for the Lord's soon return.
"And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him." - Colossians 3:17
"And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." - 1 Thessalonians 5:23
