Category: end of days. prophecy

Posted in end of days. prophecy, last days, libya, nuclear weapons

Nuclear weapons found in Libya

Posted on by elizabethprata

We know that massive quantities of yellowcake were found in Libya during the revolution/ousting of Gaddafi. I reported that here on September 27.

Then 4 days ago, Ynet News from Israel reported chemical weapons were found.

‘Chemical weapons in Libya under guard‘
“NTC finds chemical weapons, secures them following death of ousted Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. ‘They are from Gaddafi’s era and are under guard, until they can be handed over,” says NTC official.”

Tonight, Ynet News reports that “banned weapons” have been found.
“Libya’s National Transitional Council chairman Mahmoud Jibril announced that banned weapons have been found in his country, reported Al Arabiya. (Roee Nahmias)”

The Jerusalem Post goes further and reveals that the banned weapons discovered were in fact nuclear weapons.
“The outgoing premier of Libya’s NTC, Mahmoud Jibril said Sunday that nuclear weapons were found in the country, according to the Al Arabiya TV network, Israel Radio reported. Jibril also said that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will provide further details on the weapons found in the next few days, according to the report.”

I really don’t see how the world will avoid what seems like the prophesied massive wars of the last days in the Middle East within 6 months. Or sooner. It seems to me to be like a Mack Truck bearing down on a stranded turtle in the middle of the highway. . I’m not looking for it. I’m not hoping for it. But if indeed this report is true that there are nukes in Libya; (and with all that yellowcake it was obvious that there likely would be) unstable, Sharia instituting, al-Qaeda flag planting, Libya- prophesied to be so much a part of the war and horror of the last days, then war seems more likely than ever to follow.
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Posted in end of days. prophecy, jesus, sun

Northern Lights come south for a visit

Posted on by elizabethprata

After completing the lowest minimum, the sun is entering one of the most active maximums in recent times. A burst on Monday hit the earth with a powerful blast and the resulting display was tremendous! The Auroras were seen all the way down to Texas and Alabama.

“A coronal mass ejection hit Earth’s magnetic field on Monday, October 24 at approximately 2pm ET. This enabled the northern lights to be seen as far south as Arkansas, Tennessee, northern Alabama, northern Mississippi and North Carolina. For most, the aurora appeared as a red glow in the northern sky.”

Below, photo by Jim Saueressig II,Burlington, KS, source here.

Below, Baileyton, AL, photo by Jonathan Stone, source here

Aren’t they gorgeous!? From spaceweather.com–

“Auroras were seen or photographed in more than half of all US states including Alabama, Wisconsin, New Mexico, Tennessee, Missouri, Illinois, Nebraska, Kentucky, North Carolina, Indiana, Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa, Maryland, New York, Montana, Ohio, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Washington, Minnesota, Maine, Michigan, Oregon, Arkansas and California. Many observers, especially in the deep south, commented on the pure red color of the lights they saw. These rare all-red auroras sometimes appear during intense geomagnetic storms. They occur some 300 to 500 km above Earth’s surface and are not yet fully understood.”

“People in the United States are still talking about the spooky red auroras ignited by a CME on Oct. 24th; Northern Lights were sighted as far south as Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Alabama. 48 hours later, the show was over in the USA, but not in Scandinaviia where residual auroras continued to flicker around the Arctic Circle. Norwegian photographer Ole C. Salomonsen took this picture on Oct. 26th:”

Wow, I love auroras. When God set His rainbow in the sky as a covenant, it is sort of like He is painting. (Genesis 9:13). And with the colorful northern lights, it is like He is painting, also.
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Posted in bible jesus, end of days. prophecy, end time

Some thoughts

Posted on by elizabethprata

I usually do a ‘Friday This and That’ of random or disconnected ideas in list and excerpt form, because I’m really tired on Friday nights and have little cognitive ‘get up and go’ by that time. But this Friday I’m going to be fine, because we’re off from school. And, I’m tired tonight so here are some this and that thoughts. And the news, you know? Even though it’s only Tuesday, it is pretty heavy already. Gaddafi and sharia and suddenly inflating volcanoes and Thailand inundated and a hurricane at the doorstep and Turkey quake and [drawing breath] I could go on but I won’t. So here are a few thoughts.

We know that New Jerusalem is transparent. “having the glory of God. Her brilliance was like a very costly stone, as a stone of crystal-clear jasper.” (Rev 21:11). “The material of the wall was jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass.” (Rev 21:18). Recently scientists learned that gold, when reduced to the nano level, becomes clear. Not opaque, but transparent. This scientific article explains: “If, however, you shrink gold down to a nanoparticle, its properties change dramatically. Its color changes, it becomes a very good catalyst, and is no longer a metal – instead it turns into a semiconductor.” I wrote more about it here.

I personally believe that the city is transparent so that the glory of God can be seen at all times.

But what about privacy? Max Lucado says of the transparent city, “Arguments will cease, for jealousy won’t exist. Suspicions won’t surface, for there will be no secrets. Every sin is gone. Every insecurity is forgotten.”

Remember, before the fall Adam and Eve were naked and they were not ashamed. We will not be naked. The Tribulation saints are given garments of white (Rev 6:11) and so are the elders, (Rev 4:4). I believe we will have white robes too. Even still, there will be no need for privacy because there will be no shame. We will see God’s glory everywhere, bright and sparkling.

I watched a very good half hour prophecy update from a very good pastor. Pastor JD Faraq in Hawaii made an interesting connection to something in his latest videocast. I’ve often said that making connections to things that exist is one thing, but making a connection to things that do not exist is another. But what isn’t seen, or what isn’t said is just as important as what is seen and what does exist. Pastor JD said that when Saddam Hussein was killed there were many effigies of President Bush that angry Muslims burned. However, there have not been any effigies burned of Obama after Bin Laden and Gaddafi were killed. Have you noticed that? I hadn’t but when Pastor JD said it I suddenly realized that he is right. No effigies.

Is it because the Muslims understood we were a strong nation with a strong alliance to Israel. Nowadays they understand we are weak and not a friend of Israel.

He also said that the Occupy Wall Street protest isn’t protesting the leader of America. They are protesting the blessings on America.

Why do we learn prophecy? What is it good for anyway? “And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe.” So you may believe! (John 14:29).

Do not lose heart. Many prophesies have been fulfilled. Many more will be. The church has been redeemed but we are waiting for full repossession. We will be claimed though. How do we know this? The sure word of God.

“Remember the former things of old,
For I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like Me,
Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things that are not yet done,
Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand,
And I will do all My pleasure,’
Calling a bird of prey from the east,
The man who executes My counsel, from a far country.
Indeed I have spoken it;
I will also bring it to pass.
I have purposed it;
I will also do it.” (Isaiah 46:9-11)
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Posted in end of days. prophecy, Gadhafi, gog magog, Qaddafi

Libya’s Moammar Gadhafi is dead- Updated

Posted on by elizabethprata

Update at bottom.

Gadhafi was a tyrannical and despotic dictator who oppressed his people in Libya for 42 years. After Fidel Castro who resigned in 2008, Qaddafi was the world’s longest ruling leader. And now he is dead. Does this have anything to do with bible prophecy? Yes.

Libya is one of the nations mentioned specifically as a major player in end time prophecy. A coalition of nations will attack Israel in the last days. It includes Iran, Russia, Turkey, Armenia, Sudan, Ethiopia, and Libya along with some in “the isles”. This listing of the nations who attack Israel is found in Ezekiel 38:1-6. What happens is, Israel is unsuspecting, living with confidence in a “land of unwalled villages” (Ez 38:11) when they are sudd. The attack is going well for the coalition and very badly for Israel. Israel is on the brink of losing, God saves them, and God says that everyone will know that it was Him who saved them. (Ex 39:6-7).

It is Libya along with the other nations along the northern tier of north Africa that joins with Russia and Iran and Turkey etc to attack Israel. It is believed that this battle takes place at the very end of the last days and at the very beginning of the Tribulation. This is because, as mentioned above, Israel returns to covenant with God through this battle, having seen Him save them. “From that day forward the house of Israel will know that I am the LORD their God.” (Ez 39:22).

“‘I will make known my holy name among my people Israel. I will no longer let my holy name be profaned, and the nations will know that I the LORD am the Holy One in Israel. It is coming! It will surely take place, declares the Sovereign LORD. This is the day I have spoken of.” (Ez 39:7-8). So if Israel is back in covenant with God it means the last 7 years of the Old Testament times that have been suspended all this time will resume. The church will be gone. And it is thought to be at the very beginning of the tribulation because the verse in Ez 39:9 says they will use the fuel from the downed planes and tanks and military things for 7 years. So there has to be 7 years remaining for them to use it.

Any time there is major news about any of the Gog-Magog nations listed in Ezekiel 38-39, and also the Psalm 83 list of nations, I take notice. World events in and among the nations listed as end time or tribulation nations which are the ones that propel prophecy further along are in the news headlines almost daily now. The LORD soon comes. Are you ready? I hope so. Do not put off your repentance, asking Him to forgive your sin. I hope to see you at the Marriage supper of the Lamb in heaven.

————–UPDATE————-

Christian writer Joel C. Rosenberg write this about Gaddafi today:

“Reuters is now confirming that Muammar Gaddafi is dead. Libya’s Prime Minister has also confirmed the news. The tyrant of Tripoli — a man whose hands were soaked with blood, a man who called himself the “King of kings” — has been brought to justice. Now, in death, he knows the truth: that Jesus Christ is the King of kings and Lord of lords. As an evangelical Christian, I will pray for his family and colleagues, that the Lord would comfort and console them and that they would repent of their sins and receive Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord.”

“Now there are new concerns: Will Libyan people — so badly oppressed for so many years — truly be set free, or enslaved by leaders as bad or worse than Gaddafi? Where is Libya headed next? Will the rebels ally themselves with the West, or with the Radical jihadists of Iran, Sudan and al Qaeda? The mullahs in Tehran have been seizing the initiative and moving strategically in recent months to exploit the chaos in Libya and build an alliance with the rebels. They are eager to build an anti-American, anti-Israeli coalition throughout the Middle East and North Africa to lay the groundwork for an Islamic caliphate. What’s more, the mullahs in Tehran believe the fall of leaders in Libya, Tunisia and Egypt are prophetic signs that the Twelfth Imam’s arrival is soon, as explained in the Iranian documentary film, “The Coming Is Upon Us,” released earlier this year.”

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Posted in american, end of days. prophecy, last days, US decline

"America must manage its decline"

Posted on by elizabethprata

This article was in the UK Financial Times today. Such discussions would likely never appear in US media. Article author Gideon Rachman wrote:

“Recently I met a retired British diplomat who claimed with some pride that he was the man who had invented the phrase, “the management of decline”, to describe the central task of British foreign policy after 1945. “I got criticised,” he said, “but I think it was an accurate description of our task and I think we did it pretty well.” No modern American diplomat – let alone politician – could ever risk making a similar statement. That is a shame. If America were able openly to acknowledge that its global power is in decline, it would be much easier to have a rational debate about what to do about it. Denial is not a strategy.”

No, but it seems to be working for most Americans nonetheless. The author continued:

“What is not permissible, in mainstream debate, is to suggest that there may be no “coming back” – and that the decline of American power is neither a fad nor a choice but a fact. Admittedly, America’s relative decline is likely to be much less abrupt than the falling-off experienced by Britain after 1945. The US is still the world’s largest economy and is easily its pre-eminent military and diplomatic power. However, the moment at which China becomes the world’s largest economy is coming into view – the end of the decade seems a likely passing point. Of course, it is true that China has its own grave political and economic problems. Yet the fact that there are roughly four times as many Chinese as Americans means that – even allowing for a sharp slowdown in Chinese growth – at some point, China will become “number one”. —end—

A few years ago, people asked me quite often, “Where is America in the end days?” “Is the US mentioned in prophecy?” The US had been a superpower for so long and seemed so solidly in charge that it was unthinkable that we would not be a major player in the last days events, and unthinkable that we’d be omitted even from mention as one of those players.

Some end time watchmen twist the plain meaning of the scriptures to include the US as part of the events. For example, a famous Tribulation dream that Daniel had in Daniel 7:4 talks about four beasts, or one beast with four heads, “The first was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle” and some say that because the lion is the emblem the UK uses, that the lion stands for the UK, and that since America came out of the UK and our emblem is an eagle, that America is the eagle. That’s a stretch.

The nations mentioned are Iran, Russia, Turkey, Lebanon, Israel, Syria…and others. These are all thousands of years old and the center of the beginning of hatred between Jacob and Esau, the location of the Garden of Eden, and the birthplace of Abraham. There is no reason the US should be mentioned any more than Canada or Mexico or Australia. The last days is not about us. We’ll be judged as a nation like all the others, but not have any prominent role.

As for America’s decline, the bible does have a strong reap-sow philosophy, remember. The Bible talks about reaping and sowing; blessing and cursing. Job 4:8 says, “As I have observed, those who plow evil and those who sow trouble reap it.” Psalm 126:5 says, “Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.” In each of these examples, as well as all the many other references to reaping and sowing,  (Proverbs 22:8; Hosea 8:7; Galatians 6:8…) the act of receiving the rewards of our actions takes place in this life.

In Genesis 12:3 God said to Abraham, “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

The US was blessed mightily in geography, in military, in wisdom, in generosity and in economic bounty and finances. Then we squandered it. Even that is not as gross an insult to the Creator of our nation (Isaiah 14:26) as removing Him from all spheres of life. We accept His gifts but reject the Giver. We will pay.

“He said, “Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?” declares the LORD. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel. If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it.” (Jeremiah 18:6-10)

I think it is pretty arrogant that the US even thinks it can control its decline. As He set up our nation, He can destroy it. There is only repentance, obedience, and submission (blessing), or apostasy and atheism, rebellion, and lawlessness (cursing).

That China is mentioned in the article as on the horizon for the new superpower is no surprise. We know the end before it happens. The Kings of the East mentioned in Revelation 12 will come with a huge army. Some tie the vision John had in verse in Revelation 12 with the one in Rev 9:

“And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.” (Revelation 9:13-16). That’s 2 hundred million. China has an army that large right now.

Suffice it to say that we are in decline, no it cannot be ‘managed’, and no we’re not part of prophecy other than being blessed or judged like everyone else. It took the UK about 30+ years to decline. Ours has come in 3. Rather than a carefully ‘managed’ decline the speed with which we are hurtling down seems to me to be more of an avalanche. Anthony Walton said of the US, “America’s greatest strength, and its greatest weakness, is our belief in second chances, our belief that we can always start over, that things can be made better.” I have a strong suspicion that like the author of the news opinion piece, there will be no ‘coming back.’
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Posted in bible jesus, end of days. prophecy, end time, tithing

Tithing is way down, entertainment expectations way up

Posted on by elizabethprata

Before I was saved, I used to think that churches were a racket. “All they want is your money,” I’d parrot, like so many other people say without thinking. LOL, I have no idea how I thought the church building electric bills got paid, or who paid for the gas in the church bus that takes meals to shut-ins.

On a less practical and a more spiritual level, tithing and making offerings should be a joy and a blessing to perform, just as any other service to the Lord. It is an act of offering to give something back to Him, who has given us and will continue to give us so much. GotQuestions.org has a good essay on tithing here, with scriptures.

When I ran my newspaper, it was paid for by advertising. The paper didn’t cost anything to buy, so the local businesses that placed ads in the paper paid for the printing, mailing, circulation, insurance, and salaries. When a business was feeling the pinch, they would look for ways to cut back. Of course, advertising was often the first to go. There was an intangible benefit to advertising that couldn’t be quantified and was rarely demonstrable. Frugal business owners would cut back anyway and their ads would stop. The benefit was there, it just couldn’t be seen.

Tithing is like that. Taking the spiritual obedience away, on the practical side, people who are iffy on tithing often don’t see an immediate benefit, so when their household budget gets pinched, they quit. It is like advertising in the paper: an activity containing an intangible reward that goes out the window when money gets tight. They want the tangible reward and they want the payoff now, not later.

But just as money gets tight, people want more for their money. In Christian churches these days, they want and expect entertainment. So churches spend more to hold on to their church-hopping congregants. It is a downward cycle.

This article from the Christian Post reports on that downward cycle we’re seeing so much of these days. “Tithing Hits Record Low; Churches Spend More to Make Congregants Happy“
“Are churches spending more on themselves than on the needs of those outside the church? According to a new report they are, with churches keeping a larger share of their tithe-generated income for their own in-house needs. In a report, titled “The State of Church Giving Through 2009,” released Friday by Empty Tomb inc., a Christian service and research organization, authors found that “benevolences” – or funds used for giving outside the church including giving to charities and seminary training – hit new lows compared to their first report in 1968. Understandably, with the tithing amount greatly reduced over the past few years because of a bad economy, a drop in benevolences was only normal. The report, which used data from evangelical and mainline churches including Lutheran, Presbyterians and Episcopalian churches, in fact revealed that tithing as a percentage of income was at its lowest level in 41 years, Religion News Service noted. Parishioners were only giving about 2.38 percent of their income to the church in 2009, down from 2.43 percent in 2008 – shockingly low percentages.” More at link.

One can only wonder what the levels are now, three years into the terrible depression we are living through. The article continues in the same sad vein:

“If Americans who identify with the historically Christian church had chosen to give 10 percent to their congregation in 2008, rather than the 2.43 percent given that year, there would have been an additional $172 billion available for work through the church,” the Empty Tomb website noted. Though the greatly reduced tithing rates garnered much attention, what remained more surprising to the authors was the church’s distribution of parishioner income. While only 0.34 percent went toward benevolences, over 2 percent was used on congregational finances. If the percentage of income for benevolences was at the level it was back in 1968 – 0.66 percent – there would have been an additional $3.1 billion in benevolence giving. “Churches on the whole are continuing to spend more on current members and less on the larger mission of the church and cutting back on missionaries,” Sylvia Ronsvalle, Empty Tomb’s executive vice president, told RNS.”

Wow. What is our prime directive from Jesus? What was the last thing He said to the people before he ascended to the right hand of the Father? “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:16-20)

Our job as humans is to submit to God’s will for us. That will includes first and foremost, repentance to the Lord leading to salvation and a deep love of Him. After that, we’re told that the next greatest commandment is to love one another, and finally to witness to the ends of the earth. For those who can’t go, they finance those who can and do go. Failing to support missions, failing to support benevolences fails the two most basic things He told us we are put on this earth to do: love one another and witness to His glorious Gospel.

Far from being an intangible reward, the rewards we receive are very real: only delayed. Though we do not give in benevolent fashion only to receive a reward, but to honor Jesus, we do receive them. Here are a few of the verses which state this, as a reminder:

“Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.” (Colossians 3:24)

“And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.” (Acts 20:32)

The reward is great:
“Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you” (Matthew 5:12)

It is so great we cannot even conceive of what it is:
“For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.” (Isaiah 64:4)

When we make offerings to Him, do we do it in like attitude as David?: “And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.” (Psalms 27:6)

Because after all, He sacrificed Himself, freely, for us:
“And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.” (Ephesians 5:2)

Please do not let your church be one of these that expects entertainment while at the same time you are withholding a tithe or an offering to the Lord Jesus. Give, give joyfully and plentifully in love to Him and on behalf of others. And sing gladly.

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Posted in bible jesus, dreams, end of days. prophecy, false, muslims

Are massive numbers of Muslims coming to Jesus through dreams?

Posted on by elizabethprata

Did you know that there are reports of massive amounts of Muslims coming to Christ without even having heard the Gospel? Yes. The reports say that they dream of Jesus and then they come to Christ. The website ‘More Than Dreams,’ which has recorded some of these testimonies says, “For decades, a phenomenon has been recurring in the Muslim world. Men and women – without any knowledge of the Gospel and without any contact with Christians – have been forever transformed after experiencing dreams and visions of Jesus Christ.” There are many websites saying this, not just one.

Let’s take a look at these claims.

First, as in any attempt to discern God’s truth from personal claim, we hold the Bible up as the absolute barometer. The Bible is truth and nothing outside the Bible can be said to be truth with the same certainty. Second, keep in mind that these are the end times, a time when the Bible says we would be exposed to tremendous amounts of deception (1 Timothy 4:1; Matthew 24:5; Acts 20:29 etc). Third, subjective human experience is always the worst judge of reality. Always.

So let’s take a look at Muslims and dreams. In general terms, do they discount them? Accept them? What’s the deal here? In his paper, “Dream Encounters in Christian and Islamic Societies and Its Implications for Christian Ministry and Mission,” John K., Th.M. wrote-

“In Islamic societies, the importance of dreams and visionary experience there has been continuous from the tradition of Muhammad up to the present (Hermansen 1997: 2) Islamic literature lists over five thousand references alone devoted to dream interpretation. No wonder dreams continue to be highly respected as a means of divine communication among folk Muslims. Among Muslims, dreams are thought to warn against impending danger, guide him to a saint, solve judicial problems or interfere with political decisions (Schimmel 1980:123). Many Hadiths also show Muhammads expertise at dream interpretation. Good dreams are attributed to Allah but bad ones to Satan (Parshall 1994:154).”

So from the earliest age, a Muslim adherent is taught to accept dreams.

He continues, “Jesus is always identified as a Muslim prophet and this must be constantly borne in mind, for he is after all, a figure molded in an Islamic environment. … among folk Muslims, Sufis and certain African societies where dreams are considered superior to reality.” Maybe that is why this ‘Jesus” is coming to Muslims and not Hindi or Buddhists or Mormons or atheists or Wiccans.

To the Muslim, Jesus is named Isa. But their Isa did not die for sins, was not resurrected, is not a deity, was taken to heaven alive by Allah, and is second in command to the 12th Imam, the final Mahdi who comes to take over the world to present it to Allah for his coming. In their end time eschatology found in the Koran, Isa recants his Christianity and forces all to become Muslim. If they do not, their heads are chopped off.

It is written in their book, “By Him in Whose Hands my soul is, the son of Maryam (Isa) will shortly descend among you as a just ruler, and will break the cross, kill the pig and abolish the Jizyah.” and also “And there is none of the People of the Scripture, but must believe in him, before his death. And on the Day of Resurrection, he will be a witness against them.” The Quran, An-Nisa, 4:159

So Isa will break the cross and kill the Christians (People of the Scripture.)

In many of these testimonies the Muslim who recounts his experience says that it was Isa who came to tell them to repent. Jesus is Jesus and Isa is a false god created within a satanic false system. Just because they share the name does not mean they are the same. Because Jesus cannot lie, He would never identify Himself in any dream as Isa, a false god who recants His own death on the cross, breaks the cross, and kills his children! So any and all of those testimonies can be rejected immediately.

As for the rest of these dream experiences, why would God use dream revelations when He has already made it clear that He exists through His work of creation, so much so, that all are without an excuse? (Romans 1:18-24). He would not.

Next, in the book of Hebrews it says that in these latter days God has spoken to us by His word, (Son).

“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.” (Hebrews 1:1-2).

Either you believe that or you do not. The Gospel of the holy Bible is the only reliable barometer of truth, and yet many of these testimonies say that the Muslims are converting to Jesus worship ‘without even having heard the Gospel.’

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? (Romans 10: 14)

Third, the Bible says the canon is closed. It closed with Revelation 22:18-19.

“I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.”

There’s nothing more to add, period. Personal visits, dreams, extra revelations are not going to happen, and further, if anyone adds to them by claiming to have had them, they will endure the fury of the Lord. With the close of Revelation, the canon is closed. The gift of prophecy in its new revelatory sense is ended, no more prophets will speak, no more apostles will write, no more words will come from from heaven, no more spiritual visions will be seen. Those who tamper with truth, falsify it, mitigate its message, to alter it or going to feel the vengeance of God. Claiming that ‘Isa’ came to them and spoke truths lands squarely here in this list with plagues risked being added to you.

Therefore we must ask, “This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11). The verse does not say, “and will come also to Muslims in dreams, and give a tour of heaven to Colton Burpo, and take Mary K. Baker to hell and back…” The canon is closed and personal revelations are ceased. One-on-one visits from Jesus are to be looked upon with skepticism.

Note also that the verse says ‘this SAME Jesus.” Why? Is there a different Jesus? Yes. We are told that there will be false Jesuses. “For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many.” (Mt 24:5). That verse seems tailor-made for the Muslim conversions.

A great many of the reporting agencies stating that the conversions are happening are in themselves false organizations. For example, one report is from Rick Love, formerly Director of the International Frontiers and now working with the Yale Reconciliation Project. The Yale project makes attempts to reconcile Muslims to Christians through their “common bond of their Abrahamic faiths.” As noted above, there is no common bond of Abrahamic faiths. Isa is not Jesus and Islam is a lie and a false religion.

The writer of the paper I mentioned above called  Dream Encounters in Christian and Islamic Societies and Its Implications for Christian Ministry and Mission is a ” Christian Missionary Leader for Muslims.” The paper appeared http://www.globalmissiology.org. He concluded his paper by proposing that evangelists are missing an opportunity by failing to connect through dreams with Wiccans, New Agers, Muslims, Native Americans etc who rely so heavily on dreams. He called for “anthropological studies combined with missiological strategies” to further investigate.  Just because “missionaries” are reporting this phenomenon does not mean that the missionaries themselves have a true grasp of the Gospel or are even Christians.

Why do so many people accept personal testimony and not the word of God, especially when the testimony flies in the face of God’s word? Why do we believe this method of conversion is true when the Bible tells us that deception is rampant? At the end of days many will be deceived. Many will say to Jesus, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name and drive out demons and perform miracles?’ And He will send them away because they never knew the real Jesus, this SAME Jesus.

All this personal revelation has the unfortunate effect of pointing people away from Scripture. It teaches them to seek truth through subjective ways like in private conversation with God, prophecies, dreams, and visions. It denigrates God’s eternal, inspired Word and causes people to look beyond the Bible for more intimate forms of revelation from God. New revelation, dreams, and visions are considered as binding on the believer’s, and the hearer’s, conscience as the book of Acts or the Gospel of Matthew.

These Muslim dream conversion stories are spurious and to be discounted.

Posted in bible, end of days. prophecy, end time, new jerusalem, temple

Pouring yourself out as a drink offering on the Chief Cornerstone

Posted on by elizabethprata

I wrote about the foundation stones of the city of New Jerusalem being inscribed with the names of the 12 Apostles, and Jesus being the chief cornerstone (Rev 21:14). I remarked on the verse from Ephesians 2:19-21:

“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord,”

Jesus is the chief cornerstone, the apostles are the foundation, the 12 tribes are the gates, and you and I are each a stone that fits together building the city walls surrounding the glory of the LORD Who dwells there. We are not only His church, His bride, but we are His temple.

Today I want to turn to the cornerstone and talk about the drink offering.

I was thinking about Paul’s wonderful final words: “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith;” (2 Timothy 4:6-7). Paul said four wonderful things here. In the second verse, the trio of things Paul says He did for the Lord are a model for us: fight the good fight, finish the course, and keep the faith. Good principles for all of us today. But curiously in the first part of the verse, Paul declares he has “poured himself out as a drink offering.” Hmmm. What is a drink offering, anyway?

The first time a drink offering is mentioned in the bible is in Genesis 35:14. It is only one of two offerings to be given before the Law was delivered, the other being the burnt offering. We hear a lot about the sacrificial offerings and the sin offerings and the trespass offerings, but not a lot about the drink offering.

In the Genesis verse, God descends and speaks to Jacob. It is in this verse that God changes Jacob’s name to Israel and promises certain blessings over him and his descendants. (Gen 35: 9-14). Then God ascends.

In verse 15, Jacob/Israel then sets up a pillar. The Hebrew word for pillar is “something stationary, i.e. A monumental stone.”

“Jacob set up a pillar in the place where He had spoken with him, a pillar of stone, and he poured out a drink offering on it; he also poured oil on it. So Jacob named the place where God had spoken with him, ‘Bethel’.”

Bethel means “house of God”. So not only the geographical location was named House of God, but Jacob laid the cornerstone of the house of God that is referred to in Revelation, which shows us the completed house, the City of God- New Jerusalem. The first stone was laid at this moment, actually and metaphorically, and so the cornerstone is our Savior.

Jacob next poured out wine as a drink offering. As mentioned, the drink offering was one sacrifice given prior to the Law. And except for this one time, the drink offering was not meant to be given alone, it always accompanied other offerings.

“In contrast to the Levitical offerings, which all speak of the work of Christ each in a different aspect, the drink offering speaks of the joy in the complement of that work. This explains why the drink offering is not mentioned in the opening up of the book of Leviticus which speaks of man’s approach to God. This approach can only be on the basis of the death of Christ, and so there we have detailed all the offerings except the drink offering, which speaks not of the work or the death of Christ, but the joy of God in the completed work.”

The Chief Cornerstone being laid is the beginning of that work, the Apostles who continued that work are the foundation stones, and each believer is a temple stone fitted together building up His New Jerusalem. When the full number of believers has been reached, (Romans 11:25) the City will be finished and we will be raptured to it.

There is much more to the drink offering of course, I am only scratching the surface. Paul’s reference to pouring himself out is a good reminder to us, that we need to pour ourselves out. Pouring indicates a steady stream. Not meted out in discrete chunks at a slow pace, with gaps. But a steady stream of continual offering of our life’s blood to Jesus. At your life’s end, or at the rapture, will you be able to say you are emptied, having fought the good fight, finished the course, and kept the faith? Have you flung yourself on the Chief Cornerstone? Are you pouring yourself out to the Lord daily in a steady stream?

We kiss the Blarney Stone, we touch the Temple stone, we step on Plymouth Rock, kings are crowned on the Stone of Scone, Muslims pray before the Black Stone of the Kaaba, but they are all pretender stones. In each of those stones only a part of the body and soul is given. The Chief Cornerstone is Jesus and the only way to approach Him is by pouring your entire self upon it. It is the least we can do, because He first poured Himself out for us.

Posted in end of days. prophecy, end time, faith, new jerusalem

The foundation stones of faith: 12 ordinary men

Posted on by elizabethprata

I think a lot about the 12 Apostles. I think of how amazing it must have been to have been so ordinary, living an ordinary life of fishing and raising families and going to Sabbath services, and then suddenly meet the Messiah. These men were raised in the Jewish faith. They certainly knew the prophesies and the scriptures. They were faithful and intelligent. Just like you or me.

Imagine if we were raised in a faith and learned the scriptures but suddenly a man came walking along who spoke like none other you have ever heard. The rumor going around, as he gathered followers, was that he is a prophet or an angel or a king. As you study and match the prophesies with the scriptures and look at the man, would you dare to apply them to this man? It is a big step. And yet each of the 12 took that step of faith.

It is all the more extraordinary that they did so without the Holy Spirit. In the Old Testament times, the Spirit came upon a person, and anointed them. It wasn’t until after Pentecost that the Spirit came inside them to illuminate truth to their minds and heart.

Acts 1:8: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Acts 2:4: “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”

So they were just men, unadorned with any indwelling Spirit, going about their workaday routines, when BLAM! They met up with eternity walking in their midst. That they recognized it and even better, hung in there, is amazing.

Here is a short .pdf titled Twelve Ordinary Men, that you might enjoy. A paragraph is devoted to each Apostle.

We tease the apostles in our minds, chucking at Peter’s impetuousness, or mourning over his denial of Jesus on that fateful day, thinking, “HOW could he have done that?” We shake our heads when the Apostles wondered where they were going to get dinner after Jesus had just fed the 5000, and we tut-tut when we see them panic in the stormy boat and ask Jesus to wake up and do something. Even the Lord called them slow learners and spiritually dense. (Luke 24:25). But they had walked so far with Jesus on faith alone, carnal faith, not in the Spirit. That is amazing. Even more, they had seen miracles and heard words and seen Jesus transfigured into glory itself. How did their minds compute it? What they were experiencing was an upside-down life so far from the realms of normalcy, and yet they hung in there.

When many followers left Jesus after he preached a hard thing, Jesus turned to the Apostles and asked them if they were going to leave too, Peter said,

“Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:68-69)

And again, Peter nailed it when Jesus asked the Apostles “Who do you say that I am?” and Peter said “You are Messiah.” (Luke 9:20)

Would you have done as well? A man coming into your workplace and saying ‘Follow me (John 1:43) and you do?

So here’s the thing. I like to focus on Jesus and His justice. He is the judge. He is Holy. “Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,”  (2 Thess 7b-9).

But here is another piece of justice to focus on. Thanks to these 12 ordinary men, they turned the world upside down (Acts 17:6). We owe them a heavy debt of gratitude they that indeed took up their crosses and followed Jesus every day, unto their own deaths. Our faith is founded upon their acts which is founded upon Jesus’ great act.

“for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, (Eph 2:18-21)

Therefore, the city New Jerusalem will also have a foundation of the apostles. Literally.

“And the wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.” (Rev 21:14)

For anyone who has gone to the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington DC and seen the wall, you know it is a simple design. It is highly emotional, though, to stand before it. Why? It is the names. The names of those who served and those who died in honor of that service evokes a tremendous flood of tears. It is the names that does it.

For all of eternity, as we walk the streets of New Jerusalem, we will see the Apostles’ names emblazoned on the foundation stones. Along with the chief cornerstone being Jesus, we will be reminded of His great sacrifice upon which our faith is built, and the Apostles faithful witness and service to Him, upon which our religion is built. How much more emotional will it be to see those names there? Highly, I’m sure. I’m grateful to such men who built up the faith by being witnesses to the great things Jesus had done. I’m very glad each of them has a named stone in the great City of God. It is just one more thing to look forward to when we get there.
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Posted in discernment, end of days. prophecy, end time

What discernment and prophecy blogs are for

Posted on by elizabethprata

Discernment ministries and end time prophetic ministries are like the Doppler effect. The Doppler effect is heard when, say, a vehicle sounding a siren or horn approaches you, passes, and goes away from you. The frequency is higher during the approach, it is correct at the instant of passing by, and it is lower during the going away.

When you hear a siren, your ears perk up, even when it is in the distance. As it approaches you might think “Gee, it’s getting closer, I hope everything is OK.’ You listen for a moment to determine of the siren is indicating a fire near you or a crime that you should be worried about in your immediate vicinity. As the siren recedes you breathe an unconscious sigh of relief. You know that there are first responders at the scene who are helping and attending to the afflicted. You go your way relaxing at each step, initially relieved that the siren is now out of earshot and secure in the knowledge that others are on the case.

We don’t partake of a steady diet of the siren. For example, if you get the siren from the police car and install it in your home, you will become irritated after a while, then aggravated, then angry. It will totally consume everything you hear, think about or talk about, rather than the other normal things you do in your home.

Discernment and Prophetic ministries are that siren. You’re not supposed to live on a steady diet of it. Discernment verses are in the bible and prophecy makes up one third of the bible, but even at that, there is OTHER meat we live upon. The first responders at the scene are other Christians, attending to neighbors, caring for them in the ways that they need. The siren alerts you, but only to let you know that there is an urgency somewhere in the world. You need to go along and join the people helping at the place where help is needed, not sit and listen to the siren all the time.

What I and others do is give you the tools you need to begin appealing to the Spirit for discernment. It isn’t to educate you on each and every false doctrine. It isn’t for you to ingest a steady diet of falsity apart from the truth of the bible and Jesus. It is to give you a grounding of what is true balanced against what is false, and to learn to begin regularly appealing to the Spirit for greater depth in distinguishing between the two. I’ll give you an example from my own life.

When I first came to the Lord, I was fascinated with fallen angels and the demonic realms. I studied the topic intensely. I bought books, I read web pages, I watched youtube videos. After about four or five months I realized that quite some time had gone by since I’d listened to a sermon on some good meat such as the Gospel, or the life of Jesus, or joy in ministry. I vowed then and there to quit cold turkey and only focus on Him.

As for End Time/Prophetic Ministries, the same thing goes. A steady diet of absorbing every nuance of each little jot and tittle of the news plus biblical references to prophecy may be instructive, but there is other meat in the bible that is important to be absorbed. For example, I don’t usually listen to sermons about prophetic things. The other day I listened to a sermon on The Humble Gospel. Right now I’m listening to a sermon on the joy Paul had in the Thessalonican church.

We need meat, but if you had hamburger every night you would get sick of it! A prophetic ministry is there to offer you enough meat so you understand the prophesies, and that you understand the times, SO THAT you allow the Spirit to then increase your urgency and fervor for Living for Him, knowing He may come back any second and the next second you will be facing Him.

Anonymous on my previous blog entry regarding wolves and gratitude made a great comment. The comment was actually the catalyst for this blog entry. That person had said, “I think I might take a step away from discernment blogs because they just make me angry. The latest thing I saw was a band at Perry Noble’s church singing AC/DC’s highway to hell on Easter Sunday!!!! It’s such an obvious move from the kingdom of evil and I was just blown away at how satan’s tares have infiltrated the church…it’s all getting too much. I think I know enough now to focus on praying for those that are deceiving and those that are getting deceived. I’ve also been studying bible prophecy and the headlines a wee too much for awhile now. It’s all SO interesting but I sometimes do it instead of spending time with God. I hope that’s ok to admit on here LOL…”

It is!

Feel free to come and go, to learn biblical standards and discernment and then go your way being salt and light. It actually makes me proud of Anonymous to read “I think I know enough now to focus on praying for those that are deceiving and those that are getting deceived.” Yes! That is how it should work. The information on Discernment blogs and Prophecy blogs should not be information in and of itself but only be a launching point to go into the world and worship, serve, and praise.

Selah!
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