"Turn ye to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope: even today do I declare that I will render double unto thee;" - Zechariah 9:12
The prophet Zechariah uttered the above plea to the Jews who were still in Babylon. Other Jews had already returned to Israel from Babylon, but some still tarried in the pagan city instead of returning to their ancient homeland and sharing in the restoring of the Jewish nation They intended to return and hoped to return to their native Jewish land, but some of their excuses for not doing so were that "they were not willing to break up their associations in Babylon, family ties, increasing wealth there, and business relations." They indeed had a vague hope of returning to the Jewish nation "someday". They procrastinated. "Procrastination includes hope, but it is a hope that imprisons."
We all have hope where the eternal salvation of our souls is concerned. None of us intend to be among the lost. We all have hope that we will not perish forever, or should I say, that we will not burn in hell forever.. But some of us put off coming to Christ and accepting Him as our Savior and Lord and Master. We think there is plenty of time and we will get around to it someday. We may be involved in pleasures of the world, or too busy with our careers, or we may even feel we are so sinful there is no hope for us. So we become prisoners of hope, thinking that someday we will get right with the Lord "when the time is right". It is an imprisoning hope that keeps us from responding to the gentle, pleading voice of Jesus who is knocking on the door of our heart, asking us to turn to Him in faith and obedience. "Someday" you say, "but not yet."
"(For He saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the day of salvation.)" - 2 Corinthians 6:2
"Now is the day of salvation." Repent and turn to Jesus so you may spend eternity in bliss with Him in Paradise. You do not want to face the alternative choice, which is hell.
"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." - Hebrews 11:1
We all know what the word hope means. One of its definitions is "trust." True believers trust in Jesus and have faith in His promises and in the salvation He offers. We have a hope for a glorious future in all of eternity. Therefore, in a sense, true believers are prisoners of hope as well. We are prisoners on this wicked earth, and long to be with our Lord . We have "the blessed hope", and are "looking for the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ." (Titus 2:13).
We are "prisoners of hope" by our faith in Jesus and by His promises to us. This is expressed beautifully in the following song:
Romans 8:24-25 . "(24) For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? (25) But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it."
"And now, Lord, what wait I for? My hope is in thee." - Psalm 39:7
"In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;" - Titus 1:2
Israel is "the apple of God's eye." (Zechariah 2:1-8). If you mess with Israel, you are essentially fighting against God Himself. God told Abraham in Genesis 12:3, "And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed." Abraham and his future family became the nation of Israel. God made an everlasting covenant with Israel and that included the Promised Land, Israel. Israel has existed thousands of years, except for the fact when they were scattered throughout the nations for a time. There never was a Palestine or Palestinians. The land belongs to Israel because God gave it to them.
Below are two videos with commentary by Gary Stearman about the recent developments concerning the implications of the U.N. Resolution 2334 anti-Israel vote. Both are short videos and I urge you to watch them as they not only delve into history, but also the Scriptures.
In Mr. Stearman's commentary in the following video, pay particular attention to his explanation of Jeremiah 31:35-40. All of this territory described in Jeremiah 31 .- what God gave to Israel - has been warned by the U.N. Resolution to now be off limits to Israel. Not only is it like a slap in the face to Israel, it is also defying God Himself to deny this land to Israel.
You might find the following link interesting pertaining to an article by Joel C. Rosenberg on this recent U.N. anti-Israel vote. In this article he also gives a link to the full text of U.N Resolution 2334.
Another link gives Scriptures and insight on how a two-state solution fulfills Bible Prophecy. Perhaps more in the sense of if it could happen....if God lets it happen, which I don't believe He will. He gave the land to Israel. They may begin the process to some degree, however. And, granted, there is a possibility there could end up being a two state solution either soon or during the Tribulation period. However, it will only be temporary if it happens; God intends that land - all of it given to his chosen people back when the Israelis first began to conquer the Promised Land in the days of Joshua and beyond - the Almighty Sovereign God intends that all of that ancient Promised Land will be given back to Israel, and it will happen in the future.
Remember Genesis 12:3 where the LORD says He will bless those who bless Israel and curse those that curse Israel? Well, this U.N. Resolution is like a curse to Israel. We need to pray for Israel and for the United States of America as well. Many in this country are bracing themselves for some great calamity to come upon America soon. There have been several books written about many adversities that have come upon America in the past each time she goes against Israel in some manner, and in particular when the USA attempts to divide the land of Israel.
What is happening is that Zechariah 12 is currently being fulfilled. Here are some verses from that chapter: "(1) The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him. (2) Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. (3) And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it. (9) And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem."
Remember also that the so-called "Palestinians" do not want peace with Israel; they want to annihilate Israel ! How many times have you heard them say, "We will wipe Israel off the map !" How many times have you heard them call Israel the "Little satan" and, for that matter, call America the "Great satan"? A two state solution will not bring lasting peace ! Please read again the above verses in Zechariah 12. Eventually God in heaven will destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem (verse 9). America should think twice before coming against Jerusalem and Israel.
Keep your eyes on what happens January 15, 2017, at the Paris Peace Conference where 70 nations will meet and discuss this two state solution. Some feel that they will pass a law to give the Palestinians a portion of what now belongs to Israel; and if they vote on it it will become binding. It is feared, therefore, that Donald Trump will not be able to veto or reverse this vote. It is also a fear that President Elect Trump may never be allowed to take office or, if he does, that his term will be cut short by an assassination. Bible Prophecy is indeed taking place and coming true in these last days. It will not be long now before God intervenes. First with the Rapture of the church and then all the prophecies of the book of Revelation will come to pass during the 7-year tribulation period. We are living in a time when all of these events will soon take place.
That is good news ! God is in control ! If you are a true believer in Jesus Christ you need not fear what is to happen. You will be taken out of all the wrath from God before it occurs. You will be included in the Rapture of the Church. After that, God will pour out His wrath on the ungodly persons left behind. If you have not given your life to Christ and put your faith in Him and have not repented of your sins, I urge you to do so now before it is too late !
All that is happening worldwide reminds me of the hymn, "Because He lives, I can face tomorrow". It says, in part, "Because I know He holds the future and life is worth the living just because He lives" and also, "Because He lives I can face tomorrow; because He lives all fear is gone." Isn't that beautiful ! If you are a born-again child of God, you can rest in those words and not fear what the future holds. God will take care of you. I have posted that hymn in the past, but here it is again:
Another good thing to consider is the fact that when things are falling apart, not only in your personal life but in dire world situations as well, people tend to turn to God for answers and to pray more and to attend church more frequently. This happened after 9 -11, remember? My prayer is that more will turn to faith in Jesus now before the Rapture occurs, so that they may be included in that glorious event.
"Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;" - 1 Peter 1:13
"For we are saved by hope:" - Romans 8:24a
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose." - Romans 8:28
Someone once said, "Write your plans in pencil, but give God the eraser." This is so true, as only the good Lord knows what the future holds; and also because life is so precarious and risky and uncertain. We do not even know what the next day may hold, or even the very next hour. We could make all kinds of grandiose plans for the next day, only to find ourselves in a terrible accident and then handicapped; or we could die before our next breath. Yet man is notorious for making plans and ignoring God in the process. I realize we have to have goals in life and to prepare for the future as much as possible, but we need to plan with the knowledge that everything we work for could be taken away at any moment. We need to put our trust in God and seek His will. First !
God is in charge !
This all reminds me of James 4:14 , but I will also quote here verses 13 through 16:
"(13) Go to now, ye that say, today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: (14) Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow: for what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. (15) For that ye ought to say, if the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. (16) But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil."
Verse 14 above tells us that life is like a vapor..... a mist, always fleeting, and then fades away. Vanishes. No one can depend on or calculate on the "permanence" of a vapor. Something as evanescent as a vapor cannot be depended upon and cannot last. We all have seen a morning mist or ground fog and watched it disappear as the sun rose in the sky. The vapor or mist simply vanishes with no trace remaining; no outline or anything that will remind us that it ever existed.
"As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more." - Psalm 103:15-16
"For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:" - 1 Peter 1:24
This post is meant to uplift you, but the Scriptures quoted here tell us how frail and transitory life really is. Which points us to the fact that we need to have a hope beyond what this life on earth holds. A glorious hope for eternal life with the Lord in heaven !! So many people live life on earth as if this is all there is; as if there is no hereafter once you die. "Eat, drink, and be merry; for tomorrow we die" type of mentality. True believers know better. This life on earth is a test. A schoolhouse to prepare us for our future with God and Jesus. It took me a long time to realize that truth; the Bible taught me that, but for many years I did not study God's Word. I seldom if ever prayed. I thank the good Lord that He opened my spiritual eyes and my heart to truly embrace the Gospel and Jesus Christ and to have a close relationship with Him.
In these perilous times in which we live - these last of the last days - we need to hang on to the hope and promises of God and Jesus. If we don't, we will be depressed and feel like there is no hope. But true believers know that with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26). Give your heart and mind and soul to Jesus Christ in faith. Repent of your sins and confess them to God and ask Jesus to come into your heart. Time is short before the Rapture to heaven of true believers.
"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:7
"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." - Jesus speaking at John 14:27
Yes, the Almighty powerful true God rejoices with singing ! The thought of Him singing never occurred to me until I read Zephaniah 3:17 which says, "The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; He will save, He will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in His love, He will joy over thee with singing." Isn't that amazing ! This verse in the Revised Standard Version even says that "He will exult over you with LOUD singing."
Some may say that is just figuratively speaking; He doesn't really sing. I tend to take this verse literally, that God does indeed sing with joy over us. This verse is primarily speaking of Jerusalem and Israel, and some commentators believe it is speaking of Christ's 1000 year reign of peace on earth after the seven-year Tribulation during the Millennial Kingdom. Still other scholars are of the opinion that this verse includes the Christian Church today, Christ's Bride. Regardless, it is a joyful thought for us to consider that our Lord can sing over us like a loving parent does over his child in his arms.
Zephaniah 3:14 tells us "Sing, O daughter of Zion, shout, O Israel; Be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem." The people of Jerusalem were singing praises to God, which in turn caused God to expresses joy Himself when His people praised Him. Therefore, we can make God want to sing when we praise Him in worship and in song. There is one happy, joyful hymn I enjoy that just makes me feel good all over, especially if I count my blessings as it says to do :
When we count our blessings we are aware of how good the Lord has been to us; we are more appreciative of His love and tender care, and it makes us realize how much we need Him. Sing along with this happy song and see if your spirits lift and take you to a new appreciation of all that God has bestowed upon you in the way of love and tender mercies and blessings.
God wants us to be happy, and the only way we can be truly happy is by following Jesus and obeying Him in all we say and do. The way to do this is to pray without ceasing, thereby developing a close personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. When I observe sunsets and beautiful flowers and landscapes, it gives me a feeling of awe where God's power is concerned, and also makes me feel so tiny and insignificant in His presence. At the same time, observing His creation and thinking about His awesomeness draws me closer to Him. Below is a beautiful time lapse video of skies.
My hope and prayer is that you enjoy these videos and photographs and that you are happy and safe in the Creator's loving and protective arms; that your days may be filled with joy and praise to the Lord.
Following is one more time lapse video to brighten your day and your week to follow.
Keep a song in your heart, sing praises to God, give Him thanks, and see if you can perceive and sense God singing with joy !
"I will praise Thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works." - Psalm 9:1
"By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name." - Hebrews 13:15
"I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." - Jesus speaking at John 10:10b
To sum it all up, no sane person would want to live on this earth after the Rapture of the church occurs. It will be a time of desolation, violence, wars, natural disasters, lawlessness, and untold suffering as Almighty God in heaven pours forth His wrath upon all the ungodly earth dwellers during that time....the time of the seven-year Tribulation. This is only doom and gloom for the unbelievers; true believers have the hope of the imminent Rapture when they will be taken to heaven to be with the Lord. It is prudent to be aware of what will happen on the earth and what will happen to wicked mankind, so you can prepare yourself spiritually by belief and faith in Jesus Christ and surrendering your life to Him, and you can also help friends and relatives and other lost souls to come to Christ so that they will not suffer the Tribulation period. The following video is an excellent tool to help you to do just that....save your soul and the souls of others. The creator of this video encourages you to share his video with as many others as you possibly can.
The above video explains what might happen in the first few minutes after the Rapture, the first few hours after the Rapture, and then the day after the Rapture which will be hell on earth. The creator of this video speculates that many left behind will realize what has happened, and will repent and turn to God and ask Christ to save them; perhaps more people will be saved right after the Rapture than ever before (at one time). One bit of information that I have mentioned before myself (that there may be a gap of time between the Rapture and the Tribulation), but this video mentions several things that must take place (according to Bible prophecy) that must happen before the seven-year Tribulation begins, all of which will take time that cannot be completed only during the Tribulation period. I pray that you watch this video; it is an hour long but you will want to see it all once it begins. I intend to share this video with as many people as I can.
An interesting link concerning- in brief - prophetic events that must take place in the end times may be read here.
As I have strongly urged you many times before, if you find yourself left behind during the Tribulation, do NOT take the Mark of the Beast (the antichrist). Many will take it in order to buy and sell and to have food, but they will forfeit their very souls by thus pledging their allegiance to the antichrist instead of to the One True God, Yahweh. (Revelation 3:16-18). Most scholars believe this Mark will be an RFID chip or some similar type of tattoo that has your entire history in it, such as your bank account so that it can be used to buy and sell.....and no doubt connected to some internet system to keep track of you and your actions.
Below are two passages of Scripture that pertain to the Rapture of true believers. There is much to be joyful about and much to look forward to if you have put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ.
"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 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory." - 1 Corinthians 15:51-54
"For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words." - 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18
So many Christians are in a "battle" with each other over whether the Rapture of the Church will occur before the Tribulation, or somewhere during or even after the seven-year Tribulation. We need to spend less time debating about all this and more time in evangelizing and saving souls from hell, so says Billy Crone in the following video and I entirely agree with him on that. He shares excellent Scriptures and reasons to support his view, which is that the Rapture will occur prior to the tribulation period. Please watch the entire video as it is chock full of fantastic information.
I mention the Rapture often, because it is closer to happening than ever before, the way Bible prophecy is being fulfilled at such a fast pace now....many things converging all at one time. My hope is that the Scriptures and the videos I share will bring others to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior before the Tribulation. After the trib. begins, it will be more difficult to do so; you will be subject to mistreatment in the antichrist's one world government, and you must choose to be martyred rather than to take the Mark of the Beast. (Revelation 13:16-18). Those who take the Mark of the Beast in order to buy and sell and to keep from starving will lose their very souls. You do not want to go through the Tribulation !! More information about this may be read here.
In the video above, Billy Crone focuses primarily on the Rapture and the reason for the Pre-Tribulation belief, which he explains thoroughly. I like how he says that Jesus would not "beat up" His Bride (the Church) before He "married her" (in heaven) by causing her to suffer any part of the Tribulation.
"For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ," - 1 Thessalonians 5:9
"Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him." - Romans 5:9
"For yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry." - Hebrews 10:37
Just posted today by Amir Tsarfati, another update on Middle East affairs. This is HUGE !! Aleppo has fallen! It is the largest city in Syria and it has fallen into the hands of the Syrian regime, the Russian military, and the Iranians. Amir feels certain that Damascus will be the next to fall. (Isaiah 17) Please watch this short video report by Mr. Tsarfati, a Christian living in Israel.
Last week I posted another video with Amir about Damascus . In that post I quoted the prophecy in Isaiah 17 which says that Damascus will be a heap of ruins....destroyed completely, in other words. Isaiah 17 also informs us that it will be Israel who destroys Damascus. I urge you to read that post.
These current events prove how relevant and true Bible prophecy is, and things are converging now like never before.....things pertaining to the end times. We need to make sure we are right with the Lord as time is short...He will return soon ! Will you be ready? Have you accepted Jesus as your Savior and your Lord and Master? If not, you will be left behind when Jesus raptures His Bride, the Church, and then you will suffer horrendous atrocities and untold suffering during the seven-year tribulation that will follow. Unless you turn to Jesus Christ, you will suffer eternity in hell.
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."
Don't delay! Repent of your sins; change your life to be a godly one; believe in Jesus with all of your heart, mind, and soul. All you need to do is to confess your sins to God, ask for forgiveness, and truly repent and totally commit your life to the Lord. As time goes on, as you read the Bible and pray continuously, you will see unfolding in your life a close, personal, and intimate relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Our whole purpose in life is to bring honor and glory to the Lord !
