end time. prophecy

australia, end of days, end time, end time. prophecy, inland tsunami, pre-tribulation rapture

The terrible flooding in Oz continues, PM calls it "an inland tsunami"

Posted on January 10, 2011 by elizabethprata

Goodness, the language in the usually staid news outlet BBC News is breathless and aghast!

“A massive deluge overwhelmed Toowoomba, a city west of the state capital Brisbane, without warning. Cars were swept away by the torrent of water. State Premier Anna Bligh called the flash floods Queensland’s “darkest hour” since the flood crisis began. “The event that started in Toowoomba can only be described as a complete freak of nature, an extraordinary deluge that almost came out of nowhere,” the Australian Broadcasting Corporation quoted her as saying. “What we have here in Queensland tonight is a very grim and desperate situation.”

The following video is from Australian Broadcasting:

Australia’s third-biggest city under threat from deadly flooding and inland tsunami.
“Australia’s third-largest city is under threat and the nation is bracing for a heartbreaking death toll after an unprecedented flood crisis delivered its most savage blow yet: an “inland instant tsunami” that swept away everything in its path, claiming at least four lives.”

Pray for Australia!

Tweet http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

end of days, end time, end time. prophecy, pre-tribulation rapture

Two of the animal kills sites had "a strange cloud" present

Posted on January 9, 2011May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

This last week I’ve been awestruck at the amount of spiritually spooky events happening. The dead birds falling from the sky and the fish washing up on beaches all over the world are definitely freaky. I mused long and hard over the plight of mothers in Beebe Arkansas who saw the birds littering their bushes, their streets, and their roads and then were terrified when hazmat vans rolled up and fully suited men walked up and down the street picking up the birds. What must have gone through their minds? Did they wonder, ‘Should I get my children and evacuate?’ ‘Are they a hazard to my health?’ ‘What is happening?’

Thailand bird-kill in orchard

I mused further on the description of the dead doves in Faenza Italy: “There are certainly many hundreds, probably thousands, the collared dove who are dying at this moment in Faenza. They are in heaps in the flower beds, crushed by machinery in the streets, horribly hung from trees like Christmas balls. Over all a mystery. Inside the beak, in some animals, the staining was of a strange blue,” and thought to myself, gracious sakes alive! That is heart-breaking! I’ve written before about the mental state of people in attempting to grapple with events that are completely outside the realm of our experience and outside our ability to understand. As faith wavers, as love grows cold, the brakes on our sinful nature will be unleashed and people will increasingly snap.

Thailand bird kill in Orchard

I drove to church this morning with these matters on my mind. I mused on Ezekiel and Revelation on the LORD’S warning of how sins pile up. I pondered the Hosea and Zephaniah scriptures that show the LORD’S work in judging and sweeping the land of birds and fish. And as I parked and walked to the side door, this greeted me:

I had actually passed it and when I went into the Sunday School room, my friend said “Did you see the dead bird by the door?” I rushed out and saw the little thing, toes up, and went “awww”. Then I went “Oh My Goodness!”

Now most likely this juvenile hawk simply flew into the glass breezeway and fell down dead. But in thinking of the events far away, they were brought home to me in vivid detail. If I was moved, then freaked, by one dead bird, how must have the people of Beebe Arkansas felt when upwards of 8000 fell on them?? How must the residents of Faenza have felt when thousands of dead doves fall stiffly to the ground? It IS freaky, moving, disconcerting, and upsetting to see dead animals, especially vulnerable ones like baby hawks or doves.

In researching these things today, there are two comments that pricked up my ears. One was my already-posted comment from the Russian Wildlife expert discussing the 12,000 antelope kill. He said that there had been an earlier saiga antelope kill in another district, and there, “a strange white cloud” had been seen.

In the Beebe Arkansas 5,000 bird kill, the one that burst this entire issue onto the national and global consciousness, it is now being reported that weather radar captured a “strange cloud” that was NOT precipitation nor was it hail. The “cloud” did not move, as normal clouds do. Weather radar experts simply do not know what the cloud was. Here is the news spot about it:

Radar spots strange cloud where birds died

In the bible, God comes in a cloud, and a cloud symbolizes the Spirit. Yahweh’s Presence and Glory: “The metaphoric and symbolic uses of clouds are many, and furnish some of the most powerful figures of Scripture. In the Old Testament, Yahweh’s presence is made manifest and His glory shown forth in a cloud. The cloud is usually spoken of as bright and shining, and it could not be fathomed by man: “Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, so that no prayer can pass through” (Lam 3:44). Yahweh Himself was present in the cloud (Ex 19:9; 24:16; 34:5) and His glory filled the places where the cloud was (Ex 16:10; 40:38; Nu 10:34); “The cloud filled the house of Yahweh” (1 Ki 8:10). In the New Testament we often have “the Son of man coming on” or “with clouds” (Mt 24:30; 26:64; Mk 13:26; 14:62; Lk 21:27) and received up by clouds (Acts 1:9). The glory of the second coming is indicated in Rev 1:7 for “he cometh with the clouds” and “we that are alive …. shall together with them be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord” and dwell with Him (1 Thess 4:17). 2. Pillar of Cloud: The pillar of cloud was a symbol of God’s guidance and presence to the children of Israel in their journeys to the promised land. The Lord appeared in a pillar of cloud and forsook them not (Neh 9:19). They followed the guidance of this cloud (Ex 40:36; Ps 78:14).” There are more definitions of how clouds are used actually and symbolically at the link above.

Just sayin’.

Pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ, and pray for our neighbors who do not know Christ as these events continue to unfold.

Tweet http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

end of days, end time. prophecy, pre-tribulation rapture

NY Daily News covers end of days story

Posted on January 7, 2011 by elizabethprata

This is interesting. It is the first Main Stream News outlet that covered the story of the bird and fish kills associated with the end of days promised in the bible, and the first of any media to cover it seriously, without mocking. The LORD is making an impression! Or is He? The article has a poll associated with it, asking if we believe these events mean the end of days is near. As of 6:30 am on Friday, January 7, 21% said “YES”, and 62% said “NO”. Here is the story:

Dead birds, fish around world spark flood of wild conspiracy theories from End of Days to HAARP
“Dead fish in the Chesapeake, birds dying in Arkansas and Kentucky, thousands of crab corpses littering beaches in England. These random incidents around the world have unleashed a flood of conspiracy theories, each proclaiming government cover-ups or apocalyptic proclamations about the end of the world. “Personally, I definitely do believe we’re in the End of Days, and I believe there is a lot of evidence of that,” Steve Wohlberg, an author and theologian who has written several books about the end of the world, told the Daily News. Although he believed experts needed time to perform tests to determine how and why these animals perished, the deaths are “mysteriously interesting,” and part of a larger picture that indicates the world is spiraling downward towards its end. “I’m an observer of the times,” said Wohlberg, who hosts a nationally syndicated radio show and has appeared on several television documentaries about the Bible and the Apocalypse. “The End of Days will have a parallel to the days of Noah,” he said. For example, Wohlberg explained, God used animals to signal the flood was approaching by having them gather two-by-two and enter the Ark. “On the Earth today, there’s a lot of violence, and a lot of corruption,” Wohlberg said. “Indicators are flashing that there’s a storm ahead of us.”

“Religious fears of the world’s collapse are not the only theories emerging from the recent slew of animal deaths. Government coverups are also being fed, including the theory that the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program known as HAARP is behind the death of the birds. The Alaska-based facility states it is used to conduct ionospheric research, but is often blamed for causing earthquakes and storms and is described by some as a super-secret weapon operated by the government. “That’s been a popular one for the last two decades,” said Dr. Michael Shermer, publisher of Skeptic magazine and a columnist for Scientific American. “It naturally generates paranoia, it’s like Area 51.” There are even reports claiming to link the suspected murder of one of the champions of the Vietnam War Memorial, John Wheeler, to the death of thousands of birds in Arkansas on New Year’s Day. The 66-year-old former special assistant to the secretary of the Air Force was, according to the conspiracy theory, going to expose a link between chemical weapons and the strange incident involving thousands of red-winged blackbirds.”

Tweet http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

dead birds, end time, end time. prophecy, rapture

Flock of dead birds found in TN; pole shift is happening

Posted on January 6, 2011 by elizabethprata

In addition to dead bird kills discovered in central Sweden and northern Italy (and in addition to Arkansas, Kentucky and Louisiana), today some were found in Tennessee.

Flock of dead birds found in TN
“Now, more that 100 dead birds were recently found in Wilson County, causing the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency to investigate. A resident notified the agency Tuesday afternoon after he spotted dozens of dead birds along Highway 70 north in Lebanon a few days ago.“It’s kind of a strange, odd thing. It plays into some of the things that have been happening in other places,” said Lt. Jim Hooper of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. TWRA officials found 120 dead blackbirds in the Spring Creek area when they investigated the situation on Wednesday.“We searched the adjoining fields and everywhere else, and there are no other birds except in this one very localized area,” said Hooper. “The birds have definitely been dead 5 or 6 days. “Over the past week, several hundred different black birds have turned up dead in at least four other states. But the question of exactly how these birds turned up dead in Lebanon could remain a mystery.”

It is well established now that something weird is happening. Not only birds are turning up dead, but fish, too. New Zealand had a fish kill this week, dead fish “as far as the eye could see” washed up. Also in Chesapeake MD, Volusia County FL, and Sarnia Ontario. So the question is, are there scientific or biblical explanations for these? First the scientific.

On Dec 24, 2010, Scientific American asked “Why is the north magnetic pole racing toward Siberia?”
“The North Magnetic Pole (NMP) drifts from year to year as geophysical processes within Earth change. For more than 150 years after Ross’s measurement its movement was gradual, generally less than 15 kilometers per year. But then, in the 1990s, it picked up speed in a big way, bolting north–northwest into the Arctic Ocean at more than 55 kilometers per year. If it keeps going it could pass the geographic north pole in a decade or so and carry on toward Siberia. But why?”

The article continues with scientific explanation as to why the MP drifts, but suffice to say, they are not really sure. And that the drift has picked up speed lately is of real perplexity to them. That the NMP is moving has real-world consequences. One is, that the “Shift of Earth’s magnetic north pole impacts Tampa airport.”

“Scientists say the magnetic north pole is moving toward Russia and the fallout has reached — of all places — Tampa International Airport. The airport has closed its primary runway until Jan. 13 to repaint the numeric designators at each end and change taxiway signage to account for the shift in location of the Earth’s magnetic north. The Federal Aviation Administration required the runway designation change to account for what a National Geographic News report described as a gradual shift of the Earth’s magnetic pole at nearly 40 miles a year toward Russia because of magnetic changes in the core of the planet.”

Did you know, “Birds can ‘see’ the Earth’s magnetic field“
“It has been debated for nearly four decades but no one has yet been able to prove it is chemically possible. Now good evidence suggests that birds can actually “see” the lines of the Earth’s magnetic field. Klaus Schulten of the University of Illinois, proposed forty years ago that some animals – including migratory birds – must have molecules in their eyes or brains which respond to magnetism. The problem has been that no one has been able to find a chemical sensitive enough to be influenced by Earth’s weak geomagnetic field.”

Birds use this magnetic field to migrate. From the same article:

“But how could this influence the direction taken by a migrating bird? Birds appear to orientate at dusk, and cryptochromes form their pair of free radicals when “activated” by the blue light typical of dusk.”

Birds use the magnetic field to navigate, the field is moving as evidenced by the NMP drift, and now birds are dying, Are the two items related? Seems like they could be.

A biblical response comes from Zephaniah and Hosea. In Hosea 4:3 in advance of a judgment the LORD would soon render, He promised that therefore the land mourns, And everyone who lives in it languishes Along with the beasts of the field and the birds of the sky, And also the fish of the sea disappear.” So there is precedent for God taking away what was previously for man’s benefit, including the birds and fish. In Zephaniah 1:2 He said, “I will completely remove all things From the face of the earth,” declares the LORD. “I will remove man and beast, I will remove the birds of the sky And the fish of the sea,”. Again we see His warning that He will remove fish and bird in advance of a judgment.

This is a strange time. It is almost judgment time. Perhaps Solomon said it best in Ecclesiastes 9:12

“Moreover, man does not know his time: like fish caught in a treacherous net and birds trapped in a snare, so the sons of men are ensnared at an evil time when it suddenly falls on them.”

Tweet http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

arkansas fish kill, dead birds fall to ground, end time. prophecy, rapture

Hundreds of snapper wash up on NZ beaches: "carpet of dead fish as far as the eye can see" UPDATED: fish kill in FL

Posted on January 5, 2011May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

UPDATE! Fish Kill in FL, thousands. More below.
UPDATE TO UPDATE: Millions of dead fish in MD. more below
UPDATE YET AGAIN, tons of fish die in Brazil. More below, where I’m running out of room!

It is being reported: “Hundreds of dead snapper have washed up on Coromandel beaches, leaving holidaymakers perplexed. People at Little Bay and Waikawau Bay, on the north-east of the peninsula, were stunned when children came out of the sea with armfuls of the fish and within minutes the shore was littered with them. Charlotte Pearsall, whose family have lived at Little Bay for the last 30 years, said she had never seen anything like it. ”It was so surreal,” she said. ”It’s such an incredible waste – it could’ve fed the whole northern tip of the Coromandel.” People with binoculars said the snapper stretched as far as they could see and boaties reported ”a carpet of floating fish further out to sea all along the coast”. ”We initially thought ‘woohoo a free feed’ but they had really cloudy eyes and you could see the birds had been at them. Some of them had no eyes,” Pearsall said. Her parents called the Department of Conservation and were told it was most likely the fish had starved due to weather conditions, but Pearsall did not think that was the case as many of the fish looked big and healthy. The Fisheries Ministry are currently investigating the situation and said they could not yet say what the cause was.

More dead birds falling to the ground in KY and LA

Posted on January 4, 2011 by elizabethprata

UPDATE January 8: a list of all the bird and fish deaths since Dec 27 (that I could find and confirm) is HERE, along with some MSM reports and bible verses explaining why these are end time signs.

I reported yesterday that thousands of blackbirds fell out of the sky all over Beebe, Arkansas. At the same time, black birds fell on beaches in Bio Bio Chile. And in another unexplained mystery, thousands of dead drumfish were washing up on shores of the Arkansas River near Ozark, Arkansas. Today we discover that the birds die-off is happening also in Kentucky and Louisiana. First, LA: MORE blackbirds are found dead on the ground, littering roads and ditches in Louisiana. The news spot is from WBRZ. The media is downplaying the incident, but they do make reference to the Arkansas die-off.

“Around 500 dead blackbirds and starlings have been found in Pointe Coupee Parish, according to state wildlife officials. The birds were spotted lying in roads and ditches near Labarre Elementary School. The community is between Morganza and New Roads on Highway 10. Scientists from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries have been sent out to collect samples, which will be sent for testing to the University of Georgia and National Wildlife Center in Wisconsin. This comes after about 5,000 blackbirds and swallows were found dead around Beebe, Ark. on New Year’s Eve. Dr. Jim LaCour with LDWF said he’s not sure the two incidents are connected. “It’s not common, (but) we do see a few die-offs for various reasons,” said LaCour. “Yes, we need to look into it, we need to be a little alarmed, but it’s not out of the scope of things to have a die-off.” LaCour said people who find such die-offs should not touch the animals, and instead contact their regional wildlife office.”

And…now the news of the birds that fell to the ground in Kentucky.

Some conspiracy theorists have postulated that since birds are sensitive to the earth’s magnetic field and use it for navigation, and since the magnetic north pole is racing toward Siberia, (a Scientific American article title), that the birds have been traumatized by this magnetic shift. Hey, it makes more sense than what Fish and Wildlife postulated, that New Year’s fireworks’ concussions traumatized the birds, or that gunfire did it. If that was true, millions of birds would fall to the ground every 4th of July, and Texas would be littered with birds wall to wall. Or this speculation of the Arkansas bird die-off, “Autopsies have since ruled out poisoning. One top biologist from Cornell University said the birds were “….probably asleep in a single tree when a washing machine-type thunderstorm sucked them up into the air, disoriented them, and even fatally soaked and chilled them.”‘

To sum up: in the last few days dead blackbirds fell to the ground by the thousands in Beebe Arkansas; Paducah, Kentucky; LaBarre, Louisiana, and Bio Bio Chile. Experts cannot explain it. Now raise your hand if you do not think THIS is a sign…

Tweet http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

end time, end time. prophecy, end times, sinkholes

Sinkholes as precursor to more massive earth changes

Posted on January 1, 2011May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

Milwaukee’s East Side:
“A massive sinkhole swallowed up a traffic light and SUV on Milwaukee’s east side Thursday night. The driver was able to get out safely. Police tell FOX6 that the SUV is still running in an effort to burn off the remaining gasoline in the tank. The sinkhole opened up on the corner of Oakland and North Avenues. Police say that the sinkhole could get bigger if the rain continues. Construction crews are working on getting the SUV out of the sinkhole.”

Google trends shows a large increase in interest in the topic of sinkholes. This spike represents the number of searches for that term:

What are sinkholes? USGS explains: “Sinkholes are common where the rock below the land surface is limestone, carbonate rock, salt beds, or rocks that can naturally be dissolved by ground water circulating through them. As the rock dissolves, spaces and caverns develop underground. Sinkholes are dramatic because the land usually stays intact for a while until the underground spaces just get too big. If there is not enough support for the land above the spaces then a sudden collapse of the land surface can occur. These collapses can be small, as this picture shows, or they can be huge and can occur where a house or road is on top. The most damage from sinkholes tends to occur in Florida, Texas, Alabama, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania.” Sinkholes occur especially where there has been groundwater depletion.

A sinkhole in San Diego left residents of the 8 apartments without a home two days ago, when was declared uninhabitable yesterday. The ground, being soaked with recent heavy rains, has been undermined in many areas of CA.

In this news story, the reporter explored the topic of just how common are sinkholes, anyway. “There’s quite a hole, a gaping sinkhole, in fact in somebody’s front yard. It is taped off, so nobody falls in. While constructions crews worked to repair the sinkhole in Bethlehem Township, Northampton County, 69News looked into how common of an occurrence sinkholes are in the region. Scientists said sinkholes like this could happen at anytime and anywhere in the Lehigh Valley. For Phillip Turnbach, it was a surprise when the ground opened up right in his front yard. “It’s real scary,” said Turnbach. “If a car was parked or if that street would have caved in the middle of the night somebody could have been hurt or even worse.” “

Acid in ground water eats away the limestone over time creating a crack under the soil and then at any time, that soil can collapse into the crack causing a sinkhole. At least, that is the hazard for Pennsylvanians. In California, the issue usually causing sinkholes are storms. In Florida, there’s ‘that disconcerting feeling’ when suddenly the ground opens up. Extracting ground water is usually the culprit. “All Ben Story can do now is wait. Wait for geologists to visit his property at 3401 Lampp Road, north of downtown Plant City, and tell him whether there’s any chance the large sinkhole in his backyard is going to grow any bigger. Wait for more information on how to fill the 30-foot wide cavity that gobbled four rolls of hay. “It’s kind of a touch-and-go situation,” Story said this morning, adding that he expects scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey to conduct tests in a few days. “I think it’s spreading too. I haven’t looked down there today, but it may be getting bigger.” The sinkhole on Story’s property is the second large cavity to open in eastern Hillsborough County this month.” Also within the last week, sinkholes in Fl opened up due to sewer line break, because of unstable landfill, or waterline breaks. In that last one, a fire truck was swallowed up as it responded to the break.

The issue is not restricted to the United States. South African authorities have begun the relocation of 3,000 families after huge sinkholes appeared close to their homes near Pretoria, according to BBC News. The Hungarian town of Ocna Mures is “in collapse” due to the results of excessive salt mining. A sinkhole there recently swallowed a supermarket and several businesses and homes. China has had their travails with sinkholes, too, in this case from 6 days ago, 800 people were evacuated as a 150′ wide hole opened up in Jiangxi Province. Last June, a UK Telegraph reporter asked if there was any reason for the spate of spectacular sinkholes appearing in China, and noted that the uneasiness of talk of the end of the world rounded out the comments online. The photos are spectacular, they show aerial pictures of really large sinkholes swallowing whole towns. By the way, the reporter never answered the question, only mocked end of the worlders.

The point here is two fold. First, several of the end time warnings indicate geo-physical changes will occur on the earth. (Luke 21:11; Luke 21:25; Mark 13:8). The judgments in Revelation and Isaiah certainly depict massive changes on the earth, and the judgments start right away in Revelation. (Rev 6:12-14; Isaiah 24:19 and etc.). “At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain. (Hebrews 12:25-29).

The second issue is that no matter how the sinkholes and other geo-physical changes are occurring, whether happening because of seemingly man-made excesses or through supernatural means, it shows us that nothing is solid – except the Kingdom of God, which is the Unshaken Kingdom. That is what the Lord is showing us. The very ground we walk on is His and through Jesus all things hold together. The corollary to that is through Him all things fall apart if and when He chooses. If you are not of His kingdom you will be shaken, emotionally, physically, mentally. Imagine as these sinkholes increase the unease with which people now look at their streets and cliffs and homes. It could give way at any time! Several of the news articles noted the psychological effects on the affected population of knowing you live on unstable ground.

Christians know the ground they walk on is the Rock that will never be moved. He is Jesus and no matter what is happening in the world, there is no safer place than in His light!
Tweet http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

end time. prophecy, water into wine, wedding at cana, wedding supper of the lamb

Wedding at Cana first miracle and Wedding supper of the Lamb as last miracle

Posted on December 29, 2010May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

Jesus’ first miracle was the Wedding at Cana. Here it is:

“On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there; and both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does that have to do with us? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” Now there were six stone waterpots set there for the Jewish custom of purification, containing twenty or thirty gallons each. Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” So they filled them up to the brim. And He said to them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.” So they took it to him. When the headwaiter tasted the water which had become wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom, 1and said to him, “Every man serves the good wine first, and when the people have drunk freely, then he serves the poorer wine; but you have kept the good wine until now.” This beginning of His signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.” (John 2:1-11)

It was the first public miracle, yet only a few people knew what had happened. Mary, the disciples, and the servants saw. Mary already knew He is the Messiah. The disciples already suspected He is the Messiah. The servants only knew that something miraculous had happened. So what was the point of the miracle?

I have heard one interpretation that since fermenting wine is a timed process and that there is nothing man can do to hurry it along, Jesus instantly changing the water into wine demonstrates His mastery of time and space. Other interpretations teach that it reveals His glory, that He is the best wine kept back until now, that He pours forth His blood freely, that Mary was showing her humility by leaving the initiative up to Him (“Do whatever he tells you”) or that ritual purification jars will no longer be needed because Jesus will wash us clean once for all, etc. They are all plausible and they are all lovely, especially the interpretation where Jesus demonstrates His mastery over time by fermenting wine instantly. But while plausible, none of these interpretations settled my puzzlement over its the inclusion in John.

Why this miracle, especially since John tells us in verse 21:25 that “there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written.” Why did the Holy Spirit impress this event onto the writer’s mind for inclusion in the bible, when there were so many other miracles and signs to choose from? Because, remember, John said it was a sign. A sign is given to authenticate. So what was being authenticated here?

I was thinking about that today and one possible interpretation came to me. In the bible, wine is used as a symbol of holy joy. Isaiah uses it frequently, alternately showing that wine’s absence is a symbol of desolation (Isaiah 24:11). If wine is a symbol of holy joy, and its absence is a symbol of desolation, then Mary’s words to Jesus at the beginning of the miracle: “They have no more wine” (John 2:3) takes on new meaning.

Taking focus off the wine itself for a moment, look at the event: a wedding. In Isaiah 25:6-7 we read,

“The LORD of hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain;
         A banquet of aged wine, choice pieces with marrow,
         And refined, aged wine.
And on this mountain He will swallow up the covering which is over all peoples,
         Even the veil which is stretched over all nations.”

The preparations made in the gospel for the reception of repentant sinners with God are often in the New Testament shown by the illustration of a feast, as seen above and in Mt. 22:1, “The parable of the Marriage Feast.” All peoples are invited to partake of His salvation upon His ‘mountain’, or, His church, to feast upon the glory to soon come in the form of the holy sacrifice of Jesus and the swallowing of the veil that separates us from God. And we will drink wine, not just any wine, but Isaiah carefully notes, aged wine. As John notes, ‘the best wine.’ As the bible closes out the last of known human history-yet-to-come, we are promised another wedding-

Marriage of the Lamb
“Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb ‘” (Rev 19:7-9).

The tribulation is a time when Jesus pours out the winepress of His wrath (Rev 14:9) because they have drunk wine of the passion of their immorality (Rev. 14:8). But for His children He promises the best wine. We have holy joy in this.

We’re promised a wedding in Isaiah, Jesus opens His ministry at a wedding in John, and we close out the bible with a wedding in Revelation. Wine is at all times understood to be a central component of the blessed event practically, spiritually, culturally, and symbolically. Compare the miracle at the wedding in Cana with the end times event of the Marriage supper of the Lamb and perhaps we can understand a glimpse of His purpose in this sign that John shares with us. Throughout the bible, the symbolism of weddings have prominence. He and the Apostles continually call the church His bride. Human history closes with a wedding banquet. It is fitting He opened His ministry and performed His first sign at a wedding. It is fitting that He showed His deity through changing water into wine. He IS the wine, and we are His bride. Thank you Jesus! You are saving the best for last!

Tweet http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

end time, end time. prophecy, gratitude

A grateful heart will remain unshaken

Posted on December 27, 2010 by elizabethprata

Where I stand as this year draws to its close: I stand on the Cornerstone of all creation, because the mercy of Jesus has saved me. Gratitude fills my heart and my life with the blessings He has delivered to me, first fruit of which is that precious salvation. He Who is the fount from which all beneficence flows, in His mercy accepted my piteous cries for forgiveness and smiled upon my soul, bringing light and peace.

He continued to bless me by installing the Holy Spirit within me to rely upon as my guide and teacher. He allows me to grow in His light and remain upon His paths by sending me wisdom as I read His Holy Word. He gives me earthly fulfillments- I am not hungry, I am in a warm home, I am clothed and I am employed. I learn from Paul who said to the Philippians, “Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” (Phil 4:11-13)

Contentment no matter the circumstance is truly a gift. Do you have a grateful heart as this year closes? The end time is a period when the Lord is shaking heaven and earth, and we see what remains. “At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.” (Hebrews 12:26-19). In the meanwhile, here on earth, He is shaking loose governments, mountains, economies, hearts…so what remains? Believers! The Kingdom is within us and we must not be shaken as the the end time warnings continue to deepen. Gratitude and contentment in the midst of terrible circumstances is key to remaining unshaken. Paul was unshaken, content in all that occurred. So was Abraham Lincoln. The basis of Lincoln’s Thanksgiving proclamation was gratitude to the LORD. Notice how his decree began, not with a listing of current troubles, and if any man had a right to complain it was Lincoln. But the proclamation began with gratitude toward the Lord for blessings. Lincoln begins:

“The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequalled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle, or the ship; the axe had enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years, with large increase of freedom.”

“No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.”

“It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and voice by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and Union.”

“In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed. Done at the city of Washington, this third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three…”

Friend, you are of the Kingdom – the Kingdom that will not be shaken! My prayer for you is that your heart is filled with gratitude for all things, no matter the circumstance. “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.” (Col 3:16)

Tweet http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

end time, end time. prophecy, holy spirit, salvation

The Spirit pursues you

Posted on December 25, 2010May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

Today is the day that our Savior was born and lived a life incarnate. How do I even think of the Immeasurable and Infinite God, pouring Himself into a human flesh with all its limitations, and living for three decades on this earth? I can’t, it defies the imagination. Even more so, His sacrifice of becoming flesh so He could die for our sins is for all time. He will never go back to being Spirit, but is the once for all sacrifice (Heb 10:10) and will remain glorified flesh forever. (Luke 24:36-43).

Epiphany, by Giotto, circa 1320

In His compassion, He seeks you, He draws you, He enlightens your depraved mind (Rom 10:20; John 6:44; Eph 1:18). We are too craven to seek Him on our own (Is 64:6), our hearts are too darkened (Jer 17:9) so instead He draws us to Him. This is another miracle. He seeks us fervently, and in His love, grace, and mercy, He sends the Holy Spirit to draw us to Him.

And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 2 Peter 1:19

I look back over my life and I clearly see the stepping stones of His drawing me to Him. The first time I really heard the Gospel was when my Aunt shared with me at age ten. She also told me that there would be a day when Jesus returned for His children and the dead will rise from their graves and the living would be caught away into the air, to be with Him always. I puzzled over the physics of that, spiritually drawn to its inherent truth but unable to understand it cognitively. I liked the story, though and I kept it in my heart.

All through my early adulthood, I attended church at times on Christmas Day, because that’s what you did. The Christmas season held opposing emotions for me, at one side I enjoyed the Christmas Carol “O Come All Ye Faithful”, singing it with gusto. At the other hand, I was insulted by things religious. My freshman Philosophy class at State University was held in a room containing a crucifix on the wall. I hated the crucifix. I stared at it and cursed it, wanting to alert the ACLU that there were state funds being spent in a place that had religion in it. Yet for Christmas break I’d happily drive home, go to church, and sing ‘O Come All Ye Faithful, Come let us adore Him’. Who did I think I was singing about?

I can see so well the work the Spirit did to keep my heart open to His truth, until the day when eventually my salvation met up with the destiny God had known about since the foundation of the world.

He pursues you, too. But here’s the thing: He doesn’t beg and He doesn’t pursue you forever. He stands at the door and knocks (Luke 12:36; Rev 3:20). He doesn’t burst in and He doesn’t capture you. He is polite. He knocks. But He will not strive with man’s spirit forever. (Genesis 6:3). At some point, the point at which He knows that you will not answer the knock, He graciously gives you your heart’s desire: to be left alone in your sin. (Rom 1:24; Rom 1:26; Rom 1:28; Acts 19:9; John 12:40). He withdraws His spirit and gives you over to your sin.

Gen 6:3 says “Then the LORD said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years” and the writer of the Geneva Study Bible explains: “Because man could not by won by God’s leniency and patience by which he tried to win him, he would no longer withhold his vengeance.” Do not be so vain as to think He will chase you forever, pleading with you and begging you to open the door. He won’t.

Do NOT be casual about your salvation! Do not attend church today while ignoring the knocking at your heart of hearts by the Holy Spirit. Do not lead a blessing at Christmas dinner without hearing the Spirit’s call to your salvation. Do not commune in love with family members without acknowledging it was Jesus who gave you the family and He asks you to become part of His. He will not strive with you forever. Today is a perfect day to settle your sin-debt to Him. All you have to do is acknowledge your sins and ask Him to forgive them, and in so doing you acknowledge that He is the Sinless Savior who alone has the power to answer your prayer.

What a merry Christmas it would be for you to allow the Spirit’s pursuit to catch up with you and to fold you into Glory with millions of others who opened the door to His offer of salvation.

Peace be with you.
Tweet http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js