Many Bible scholars have written and lectured extensively for years regarding Babylon the Great as mentioned in the Bible. The most popular view - as to accuracy - has been challenged lately. Please watch the following 29 minute video from prophecywatchers.com, with Gary Stearman as host interviewing Doug Woodward concerning Woodward's insights and views on where Babylon (or "Babylon the Great's daughter" ) just might be located. Gary and Doug Woodward also discuss other scholars viewpoints as to the whereabouts of Babylon the Great ! A fascinating discussion !
More about the end times we are currently experiencing, and also about the identity of Babylon the Great may be found by going to the "Search box" in the upper right hand side of this page and entering such topics as "Babylon the Great, end times, the Rapture, last days signs, Mark of the beast, " and so on. You may also find articles concerning faith, hope, salvation, forgiveness, etc. Many of the articles will also have videos.
Did you realize that 80% of Christians today do not believe in a pre-tribulation Rapture? (So said in the above video). My personal opinion as to the "why" of that fact may lie in the unfortunate truth that many of today's professing Christians do not read their Bibles! Oh, many may open them while at church services, and some may read devotionals such as "Our Daily Bread" or Oswald Chambers' "My Utmost for His Highest", and the like. Which is all fine and good - even excellent - practice. But nothing compares to reading the actual Word of God daily and in depth - prayerfully and expectantly and reverently! All Scripture is God-breathed! 2 Timothy 3:16
Following is another 29 minute video by prophecywatchers.com, with Gary Stearman and his co-host Mondo Gonzales discussing the so-called "Rapture Wars" of today - meaning the different beliefs as to the timing of the Rapture (pre-trib, pre-wrath, etc.) and how Christians can get argumentive concerning their beliefs thereof. As brought out in the following video, "The gift of faith does not require you to know everything. If your faith is whole and true, you will be raptured!" (no matter what view you might have as to the timing of the Rapture - whether before the Tribulation or after the Trib. or whatever!)
Some time ago I read a quote by A.W. Pink which said, in effect, "If you do not understand all of Scripture (or it is not necessary to understand all of Scripture) - just Believe!" I am paraphrasing it because I could not find it again on the Internet today to quote it exactly, mainly because I did not want to spend time looking for it in my urge to hurry and get this article posted now. When you think about it, Pink's quote is a wonderful insight into what true faith is! If you don't understand all of Scripture, just believe it in faith because God cannot lie, and He certainly is telling us the truth in His Holy Word!
"But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." - Hebrews 11:6
"And when He saw their faith, He said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee." - Luke 5:20
"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. Believeth thou this?" - John 11:25-26
"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
"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
My cat, Lika, shown above, likes to nap in this spot frequently, although she varies her choice often and moves to other favorite napping areas. In the following video, it opens with a discussion about fears in the nighttime while you sleep, and how it is a command of God that we not be fearful. There is much encouragement on other topics as well in the following 22 minute video, complete with many scriptural references. It explains what "the shadow of God" means, and how no evil can overwhelm you when you abide under the shadow of the LORD.
The above video is from "The Lion Of Judah" channel. If you have followed this blog lately, you know that I sometimes use that excellent Christian You Tube source. Lately, for my own edification, I've been enjoying the Lion of Judah Prayer Channel. I pray everyday on my own, but also listening to the audio prayers can be comforting. For those who never pray, or who just don't know what to pray or how to pray, I encourage you to go to the Lion of Judah Prayer channel on You Tube. Following are a couple of samples from that source.
Since the title of this article post concerns protection from God, the first prayer below is also a prayer for protection. In this 11 minute video, it mentions how "no plague to come near our dwelling."
Below is another 11 minute video; this one an example of a morning prayer.
On the Lion of Judah Prayer channel, there are also prayers for nighttime and sleep, as well as many other topics of prayers. Hope you check it out ! But of course, the main thing is to daily read your Bible and to have fellowship with the good Lord through your own private prayers to Him. That is the only way you will ever feel close to God and Jesus - by spending quality time with them. By doing so, you will find that a strong bond will form between you and the good Lord, because you will begin to know Him intimately the more you spend time with Him. Just like with a human friend; the more you communicate with your friends, the closer the bond between you, as you grow to understand their attributes and characteristics and the like. The same is true with the LORD. But some fail to grasp this fact and how important it is to develop a close, intimate, personal, loving and trusting relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ.
This is especially important NOW to be in frequent contact with the Lord in prayer- I do not have to tell you anything about the dangerous and evil times we are living in right now. You already know, especially if you are up in years and remember how different things were in the 1950's and 1960's, etc. Goodness, even 20 years ago it was an entirely different story than the way it is now. Not that things were perfect, of course, or that the precursors to what we see happening today weren't already in place back then waiting for the times and circumstances to begin what we now currently face.
We are living in the last moments of the last days of this Age of Grace, the Church Age. This blog has posted much information about the last days and the Rapture of true believers by Jesus soon, as well as other future events such as the Gog of Magog War, the 7 year tribulation, the Mark of the Beast, and much, much more. For more information on that, go to the "search box" in the upper right hand side of this page and enter one or more of the mentioned topics, or topics of other interests for you - such as forgiveness, strength, endurance, and the like.
[Juvenile Shama Thrush]
Some Scriptures for you :
Romans 8:32-39 tells us: (32) He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? (33) Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. (34) Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, Who is even at the right hand of God, Who also maketh intercession for us. (35) Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? (36) As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. (37) Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. (38) For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, (39) Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
"And ye shall be hated of all men for My name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved." - Jesus at Matthew 10:22
"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me. 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. 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. And wither I go ye know, and the way ye know." Jesus at John 14:1-4
Let those Scriptures above sink into your heart and soul. The verses directly above (at John 14) should be especially encouraging as Jesus tells us that He is now in heaven preparing a place for us, and that He will return for us to take us to be with Him in heaven (in the Rapture of the Church - His Bride, true believers)- and Jesus' return is imminent, meaning it could happen at any moment! What a glorious hope!
"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
[Angel Trumpets]
"He will fulfill the desire of them that fear Him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them." - Psalm 145:19
Charles Spurgeon ( 1834 - 1892) was a prominent pastor in England, and who is still very influential even today among the clergy as well as everyday ordinary people , wrote an excellent devotional on the above verse at Psalm 145. Following is a short portion of it:
"Those who fear HIM are men under the holiest influence and, therefore their desire is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. ... God-fearing men desire to be holy, to be useful, to be a blessing to others, and so to honor their LORD. They desire supplies for their need, help under burdens, guidance in perplexity, deliverance in distress, and sometimes this desire is so strong and their case so pressing that they cry out in agony like little children in pain; and then the LORD works most comprehensively and does all that is needful according to this WORD - "and will save them."
Yes, if we fear God, we have nothing else to fear; if we cry to the LORD, our salvation is certain.
Let the Reader lay this text on his tongue and keep it in his mouth all the day, and it will be to him as "a wafer made with honey." - (end of quote).
It is a good practice to memorize several scriptures (as many as possible for you) so that - no matter where you are during the day or night and it is not feasible to read the Bible or you have no Bible available at the time -- then you may meditate on the Holy Word and be refreshed, especially if you are in an uncomfortable circumstance.
When the Bible speaks of "the fear of God" , for the most part it means to reverence Him, to hold Him in awe, to hold Him in high esteem, to recognize that He is the Sovereign of the universe, to give Him proper respect and to give Him all the glory!
We show that in many ways, but mostly by obeying Him and doing His will; by putting Him First in our lives. That of course means Jesus as well (God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit).
If you are not saved and have not put your full belief and trust in Jesus Christ as the Savior, following are some Scriptures especially for you:
"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 he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) - 2 Corinthians 6:2
"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
"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
Have a blessed and Christ centered weekend - and life !
When we are young, we tend to often act without thinking things through first. Sadly, that is also true at times when we become mature adults. Part of that is the result of acting immediately on feelings (such as hurt or anger), without realizing or even caring that what we do or say may affect others, as well as ourselves, adversely - if not at the present time, then further down the road in our unknown future.
Take, for instance, the disobedience of Adam and Eve in the Garden. We all know the bad choice they made - disobeying God, big time! Their disobedience not only affected themselves, but all of mankind right up until our present time! They introduced sin into what was once a perfect paradise, and look where we are now.
But God!
The loving heavenly Father made a way for humans to be reconciled to Him - through the sacrificial and redeeming death of His Son, Jesus, who paid our sin debt for us - so that by faith in Him as the Savior, we may have life everlasting and forgiveness for our sins ! What love and mercy in God's heart for mankind!
Following is a 15 minute video on the subject of how our choices have consequences - even of "monumental proportions"!
One important thought brought out in the above video : besides Adam and Eve playing the "blame game" - is the following thought: There will be a Judgment Day! Man was created as a spiritual being, and that spirit can never be destroyed. Therefore, any punishment a person will have to endure will be a lasting one - never ending.
But if you are a born again believer (by a spiritual birth from above) ; if you have put your faith in Jesus Christ as the Savior and have repented of your sins and sincerely pray for forgiveness, you have a wonderful hope of future bliss in heaven when you die! God is love, and He forgives abundantly!
(Verses on Salvation to follow).
Another recent Christian video follows with information on the "mark of the beast" of the Bible book of Revelation. One thing to note: "It is all about the battle of who to worship!" The following 15 minute video tells us that even with the mark of the beast, the issue is all about "who" to worship. If one takes the mark of the beast during the 7 year Tribulation, that person shows he directs his allegiance to and worship to the antichrist.
Remember, the devil tempted Jesus Himself to worship him!
"Again, the devil taketh Him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth Him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and said unto Him, All these things will I give Thee, if Thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, satan: for it is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth Him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto Him." - Matthew 4:8-11
We Christians, true believers in the Savior, must follow Jesus' example ! Rebuke the devil! Do not listen to that deceiver's lies ! The devil will lie to you through other people - be cautious and discerning! Beware of anyone who constantly lies and deceives.
That is one reason to be constantly in prayer and in the reading and studying of God's Holy Word, the Bible ! It will give you strength and discernment. But most importantly, it will draw you closer to the good Lord ! When you communicate almost non-stop with God and Jesus, you will feel His presence and guidance and understand better what His will is, not only for you personally, but for mankind in general. The blessedness of fellowship with the Lord (and He does desire our fellowship) is that you will have a personal, close, intimate, loving, trusting, and lasting relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ! How awesome is that! It is the heavenly Father's will that we do so!
Here is a partial quote from A.W. Tozer: "Do not try to short-circuit God's plans for your discipleship and spiritual maturity here. If you and I were prepared for heaven in the moment of our conversion, God would have taken us home instantly!. ....... God can be known only as He reveals Himself! I have found this to be a fact: every redeemed human being needs the humility of spirit that can only be brought about by the manifest Presence of God. This mysterious yet gracious Presence is the air of life eternal. It is the music of existence, the poetry of the Christian life. It is the beauty and wonder of being one of Christ's own - a sinner born again, regenerated, created anew to bring glory to God! To live surrounded by this sense of God is not only beautiful and desirable, but it is imperative!" - end
What Tozer said above about God revealing Himself: God does this through the Bible, events in your life and in the heavens, through other godly people, and the list goes on. But for this to be so, you need to be in communion with the good Lord often to hear Him "speak" and for Him to "reveal" Himself to you and your heart and soul.
Pray without ceasing!
Constantly pour over His holy word!
Have faith and believe!
"He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me: and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him." - Jesus at John 14:21
Also, at John 14:23 = "Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love Me, he will keep My words: and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make our abode with him."
"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
"Excuses are the cradle that satan rocks men off to sleep in." - unknown
"Because where we put our hope and what we put our hope in will truly determine how we live." - Peter Eide
"Satan can climb housetops, and enter closets, and even if we could shut out that foul fiend, our own corruptions are enough to work our ruin unless grace prevent." - Charles Spurgeon
"God wants full custody, not just weekend visits." - unknown
"A prayerless spirit has no affinity for a clean heart. Prayer and a pure heart go hand in hand. Purity of heart follows praying, while prayer is the natural, spontaneous outflowing of a heart made clean by the blood of Jesus Christ." - E.M. Bounds
Following are Salvation Scriptures for those reading this article that may not be saved; or for those who are in doubt of their salvation. By the way, doubt of your salvation is a trick of the devil to bring you down, for the most part.
"The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God." Romans 8:16
"For ye are all children of God by faith in Christ Jesus." - Galatians 3:26
"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
"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
"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
"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
Have a blessed and Christ centered weekend - and life !
Let us begin with the following 10 minute Christian video which explains the title of this article:
In the above video, we are encouraged to "come to God's throne." In other words, go to Him in prayer about everything, and never stop praying, whatever you do !
"Pray without ceasing." - 1 Thessalonians 5:17
There are other things we should do and not stop doing, when it comes to spiritual things. We also should not lose faith. However, let us focus for the most part on prayer right now; how we should persevere in prayer, which is a form of faith itself. The act of prayer shows faith in the good Lord, and that He does hear us and He does answer heartfelt prayers that are in agreement with His will.
This blog has stressed over and over again that God wants to fellowship with us. We do that by much prayer to Him and by many hours pouring over His Holy Word. You cannot come to truly know a person if you never communicate with him. Obviously, the same applies to the good Lord. He loves us deeply, and we should feel the same towards Him and express it with much time spent with Him. What the wonderful and precious result of that will be is a strong, enduring, loving, intimate and personal relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ. That relationship will continue to grow and blossom into something beautiful that will last for all eternity!
E. M. Bounds has been quoted previously on this blog. He wrote many fantastic articles concerning prayer, which have been compiled into a rather large book titled "The Complete Works of E.M. Bounds on Prayer", which I am happy to have in my possession. Following is a partial quote on his article titled "Prayer incidents in the life of our Lord." =
"The spirit of prayer with Christ was to do God's will. So he who follows Christian prayer must have God's will as his law, his rule, and his inspiration. He is not the best pray-er who has the greatest fluency, the most brilliant imagination, the richest gifts, and the most fiery ardor, but he who has imbibed most the Spirit of Christ. It is he whose character is the nearest to a facsimile of Christ upon whom God's power is bestowed and to whom God's person and will are revealed. ...[..]... The condition of receiving God's revelation and of holding God's truth is one of the heart, not of the head. The ability to receive and search out is like that of the child, the babe, the synonym of docility, innocence and simplicity. These are the conditions on which God reveals Himself to men. ....[...].. It is not by hard, strong, stern, great reasoning that the world gets God or gets hold of God, but by big, soft, pure hearts. To become babes again, on our mother's bosom, quieted, weaned, without clamor or protest, is the only position in which to know God. A calmness on the surface, and in the depths of the soul, in which God can mirror His will, His Word, and Himself - this is the attitude towards Him through which He can reveal Himself, and this is the right attitude of prayer. .... Prayer to Jesus, just as it is to us, was a necessity, an absolute, invariable condition of securing God's fullest, consecrating and qualifying power. And so the Holy Spirit comes upon us in fulness of measure and power only in answer to ardent and intense praying......" (End of E.M. Bounds' quote.)
Following is a link to an article on this blog written 3-3-18, which includes two short audio sermons from the works of Andrew Murray: one on the subject of prayer, and the other about faith. They are excellent 16 minute sermon clips with many gems within them which will bless you spiritually!
Not to be overlooked is Jesus' parable of the widow in Luke 18 who, with her insistence and constant pleas to an unjust judge, secured the request of her petitions from him, though he cared nothing about her or her problems.
"And He spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; (verse 1) and then Jesus continues in verses 6 and 7: " Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them?"
Please read all of the above account at Luke 18:1-8. Very faith building!
"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. " Jesus at Matthew 7:7-8
"And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive." - Matthew 21:22
"Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." - Matthew 26:41
"But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which is in secret shall reward thee openly." - Matthew 6:6
"Those persons who know the deep peace of God, the unfathomable peace that passeth all understanding, are always men and women of much prayer." - R.A. Torrey
"Prayer will make a man cease from sin, or sin will entice a man to cease from prayer." - John Bunyan
"We have to pray with our eyes on God, not on the difficulties." - Oswald Chambers
"Don't pray when you feel like it. Have an appointment with the Lord and keep it. A man is powerful on his knees." - Corrie ten Boom
Please realize how urgent it is to pray "without ceasing." We all know that the times we are living in now are unstable - chaotic - and that we cannot completely depend on anyone or anything except the good Lord. He will be our comfort, our guide, our protector, and our hope! And so much more!
Much has been written on this blog concerning the end times and Bible prophecy being fulfilled right now like never before - and at warp speed. That is another reason to be in prayer constantly and also to witness to others about the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
(For more information on the end times, go to the search box at the top right hand side of this page and enter topics such as " 7 year tribulation, the Mark of the Beast, signs of last days" etc. Also are many encouraging articles about endurance and faith and salvation and many other topics. Many articles also have videos.)
Following is a wonderful old hymn concerning the "Sweet Hour of Prayer":
"And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." - 1 John 2:17
Regarding the title of this post: "Are you trying too hard to be good enough to come before the presence of God?" As Pastor Charles Lawson tells us in the following 36 minute sermon video, "You cannot do anything to merit coming before the Father." The only way you can come before holy God is through Jesus Christ, the Savior and Intercessor. Fellowship with God is not possible if you do not have Jesus. "You have no righteousness of your own to approach the heavenly Father."
"If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin." - 1 John 1:6,7
There are many gems of truth in the above sermon that we can all benefit from. Pastor Lawson discusses different kinds of angels described in the Bible as well. Please watch! One Biblical principle is to "humble yourself" in order to come before God. Even Jesus humbled Himself
before the Almighty God, the sovereign of the universe. (Philippians 2:5-9)
"Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up." - James 4:10
"Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble." - 1 Peter 5:5
[Hawaiian Stilt (Ae'o)]
Another requirement to draw close to God and Jesus is, obviously, that we must have FAITH. This is common knowledge among Christians. Much has been written on this blog concerning faith.
"But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." - Hebrews 11:6
You will gain great insight on faith by reading all of Hebrews. Actually, reading the entire Bible and spending much time with the good Lord in prayer will increase your faith; as well as your love and awe and reverence for God. When you see Him working in your life and answering your prayers, how incredibly faith building is that !!
"Every trial of suffering is an opportunity to grow in the faith." - T. A. McMahon
You will discover that by fellowshipping often with the good Lord, you will begin to have peace.... a peace with Him as well as in your soul and mind.
"Peace with God brings the peace of God. It is a peace that settles our nerves, fills our mind, floods our spirit, and in the midst of the uproar around us, gives us the assurance that everything is all right." - Bob Mumford
"These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." - Jesus at John 16:33
The above words of our Savior do NOT say that we will not have trials and hardships; it means that even in spite of adversities we will have a peace knowing that in the end, the Lord will see us through, no matter what.
"Adversity stirs us up and causes us to look at life differently. We are forced to deal with things on a deeper level. Nothing causes "self" to cave in like suffering. And once our religious facade begins to wear thin, God moves in and begins teaching us what real Christlikeness is all about." - Dr. Charles Stanley
"Afflictions are but the shadows of God's wings." - George Macdonald
"You and I cannot change or control the world around us, but we can change and control the world within us." - Warren Wiersbe
Following is a Must to watch: a video on the purpose of life by Pastor David Wilkerson :
Please take the time to watch the above 6 minute sermon clip ! It makes very clear what our focus should be as Christians.
Keep in mind always that the return of Jesus is imminent !
When He raptures the true believers to be with Him in heaven soon, you do NOT want to be left behind to face the horrors and destructions of the following 7 year tribulation period ! It will be difficult to be saved then by coming to a sincere faith and belief in Jesus Christ as the Savior. In fact, if you do put your faith in Jesus while suffering under this tribulation period governed by the antichrist, it is certain you will be put to death.... and by being beheaded.
"And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years." - Revelation 20:4
For more information on the 7 year tribulation and the Rapture of the Church and other end times signs, please refer to the "Search Box" in the upper right hand side of this page and enter such topics as "7 year tribulation, Mark of the Beast," and so on. Many posts will appear, and most will also have videos in them. Also there are various other topics such as "endurance, forgiveness, peace," etc. that you might want to view.
But what if you are an unbeliever and have not come to faith in Jesus as the Savior? Please take to heart the following Scriptures and pray to the Heavenly Father for forgiveness....and repent! If you are sincere, God will answer that prayer!
"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
"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
"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
Jesus loves you!
He is waiting to hear from you !
He will welcome you with His open arms full of love and forgiveness!
Put your faith in Him now, before it is too late.!
Have a blessed and Christ centered weekend - and life !!
The above parrots I photographed in Waikiki ! Their owner was nearby. Just felt like sharing this today.... maybe because we Christians should be "parroting" to others about the signs of the end times - which we are most definitely experiencing now - and, most importantly: sharing about the hope and salvation and eternal life found only by believing in Jesus Christ as the only way to heaven, the only way to the Father.
"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
The post here on September 17, 2020, was concerned mostly with the proper fear and reverence of God. While doing my Bible Study this morning, part of it was focused on Psalm 130: 3-7. I hope you will take the time to read all of that Psalm. Following are verses 3 and 4:
"If Thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O LORD, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with Thee, that Thou mayest be feared."
If God were not a forgiving God (to those who are truly repentant and are sorrowful for sinning and disobeying the good Lord) - we would be toast if He were cruel and unforgiving towards us. We would fear to approach a God who was harsh and "out to get us"! We would run the other way. But knowing that the Lord is forgiving and merciful, we sinners may come to Him in faith and can be assured of His mercy and forgiveness. One commentator says on Psalm 130:4 "Not a fear of bondage, but of LOVE, fearing to offend."
Love for God will make you want to spend time with Him. This and more is brought out in the following 6 minute sermon clip by Pastor David Wilkerson.
Here is a link to the latest report from prophecynewswatch.com. There is more than one article you might find interesting (and shocking) concerning current events as relates to Bible Prophecy. For one, China is on the way to becoming a superpower; for another, the recent peace treaty (Abraham Accord), is it preparation for the antichrist? Check it out, as there is more information pertinent to our very lives.
Some of you may be familiar with Mark Hitchcock, a prominent pastor and author of today. Here below is a 10 minute video concerning the Mark of the Beast, Armageddon , and the Great Tribulation, and more. Those who regularly keep themselves updated on these things may already be familiar with what Mark Hitchcock has to say, but it is still beneficial to watch, especially for newcomers to Bible Prophecy and how what the Bible told us in times past is coming true today at a fast and furious rate ! Which proves we are now experiencing the last moments of the last days and that Jesus will return soon for His followers before the Tribulation begins.
Pastor Hitchcock has his own You Tube channel, which I discovered today. Check it out !
Also, for end times signs, please read Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21. We do not know the day or the hour, but Jesus told us we would recognize the "season" of His return. We are now in that season!
You may, as well, go to the search box on the top, right hand side of this page and enter such things as : "signs of last days, convergence of prophetic signs, Rapture, 7 year Tribulation, the Mark of the Beast" and so on. And there are articles on Forgiveness, Endurance, Peace, and the like. Some of these other articles also have videos.
[Torch Ginger]
"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as He is pure." - 1 John 3:2-3
In verse 3 above, let us consider what it means to "purify ourselves."
No way does it mean that we have the power on our own to purify or cleanse ourselves. We should put forth some effort to become more like Jesus, however; we do that when we read our Bibles and note the Savior's graces and attributes to learn how we also should behave as His true followers. When we are truly born again by sincere faith in Jesus as the Savior, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13). Also, remember what the Lord said at John 14:23, which follows:
"If a man love Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him."
You will have the Lord's spirit living within you, and that will enable you to be "pure" in the sense that He will be transforming you into His own image. We all realize that we will never be totally pure or perfect until we are in glory ! But we should make it our top priority to live for Christ and we should reflect His attributes as much as we possibly can. But it can only be done with His Spirit enabling us. And remember, the various trials and sufferings we endure, and (as one commentator says) :"by a thousand tests..... by infinitely varied images of mercy.....by the martyrs fortitude and the missionary's sacrifice....proved itself in many a patient and suffering life.... these are among its constituent arts..." As you endure trials, you will turn more and more to the good Lord in prayer for help and strength and guidance, and that in turn will draw you closer to Him as well as increase your faith and trust in Him; especially when He answers your prayers!
"I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing." - Jesus at John 15:5
The words of Jesus in the above verse says it all ! In order to bear fruit (and to become more Christ- like) we need Him to help us.
So do not be fearful when all these "strange new world" affairs occur; they were prophesied in the Bible to happen in these end times. Instead, realize that soon we true followers of Jesus will be in heaven with the Lord; before the evil 7 year Tribulation occurs. We are out of here soon, believers! Now that is something to look forward to with great joy !
"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
Where to begin? Perhaps I had best let the following videos speak concerning current events as they pertain to Bible Prophecy. First is Pastor J.D. Farag's recent video of May 31, 2020 in which he asks the question : "What on earth is happening?" It is an hour and 2 minutes long.
In the above video, Pastor Farag discusses the recent riots over the death of George Floyd; he discusses how America is currently divided as never before, as well as information on the Covid-19 vaccine and the technology that is now available for The Mark of the Beast and much more. Some of this information you may already be aware of, but Pastor Farag brings out new information and provides Scriptures, which some news sources do not. Some information on the coronavirus vaccine presented in the above video many of you might already know about,as stated above. You do NOT want anything that will alter your DNA, which this (Bill Gates) vaccine will do. Do some research on your own. It is alarming how evil it all is ! I urge you to watch the entire video. Pastor Farag gives the way to Salvation in his closing portion of his video.
Concerning the fires in New York City at the present time, pastor
David Wilkerson prophesied that several years ago. (He died in a tragic car accident in 2011). Here is a short 2 minute audio video clip on that prophesy:
Often on this blog, there have been sermons posted by Pastor Wilkerson. He was the founder of a non-denominational church in New York City, but is best known for his book " The Cross And The Switchblade."
On doing research today concerning Pastor Wilkerson, I found a website where one of his articles was posted on the very day he died (April 27,2011). I felt compelled to include it here now. The article is titled: "When all means fail."
"To believe when all means fail is exceedingly pleasing to God and is most acceptable. Jesus said to Thomas, "You have believed because you have seen, but blessed are those that do believe and have not seen." (John 20:29) Blessed are those who believe when there is no evidence of an answer to prayer - who trust beyond hope when all means have failed. Someone has come to the place of hopelessness - the end of hope - the end of all means.
"A loved one is facing death and doctors give no hope. Death seems inevitable. Hope is gone. The miracle prayed for is not happening. That is when satan's hordes come to attack your mind with fear, anger, overwhelming questions. ' Where is your God now? You prayed until you had no tears left. You fasted. You stood on promises. You trusted.' Blasphemous thoughts will be injected into your mind : ' Prayer failed. Faith failed. Don't quit on God - just do not trust Him anymore. It doesn't pay.' Even questioning God's existence will be injected into your mind.
"These have been the devices of satan for centuries. Some of the godliest men and women whoever lived were under such demonic attacks.
"To those going through the valley and shadow of death, hear this word:
"Weeping will last through some dark, awful nights - and in that darkness you will soon hear the Father whisper: "I am with you. I cannot tell you why now, but one day it will all make sense.You will see it was all part of My plan. It was no accident. It was no failure on your part. Hold fast. Let me embrace you in your hour of pain'.
"Beloved, God has never failed to act but in goodness and love. When all means fail - His love prevails. Hold fast to your faith. Stand fast in His Word. There is no other hope in this world."
End of Pastor Wilkerson's article. Not only were his sermons powerful and spirit filled, but so were his written words! It was felt that you might draw encouragement from his article during these turbulent end times we are experiencing right now.
The above article by Wilkerson is found
here I am not familiar with that site, but wanted to share that article by Pastor Wilkerson with you.
[Beach at Haleiwa, Oahu, Hawaii]
"Happy moments, praise God
Difficult moments, seek God
Quiet moments, worship God
Painful moments, trust God
Every moment, thank God."
(Comment above found on You Tube)
"Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ." - Titus 2:13
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 !!
