Category: end time

Posted in end of days. prophecy, end time, pre-tribulation rapture, radiation

Expect the unexpected

Posted on by elizabethprata

Man has his own preconceived notions about Who Jesus is, what He should do, what heaven will be like. We are usually wrong. He does the unexpected! Consider His first coming:

–The man in Mark 2:1-12 expected healing but his sins were forgiven also.
–In Luke 5:1-11 the disciples went to sea and expected an ordinary day of fishing, but they met the Savior.
–A widow was expected to bury her own son, but Jesus restored her son to life. (Luke 7:11-17)
–The disciples thought the crowd should be sent home because there was no food, but Jesus used a small meal to serve thousands, and there were leftovers! (John 6:1-15)
–The people expected for a political leader to overthrow Rome’s control, but Jesus offered them a spiritual, eternal kingdom instead that overthrew sin’s control (Gospels)
–The disciples wanted to eat the Passover meal next to Jesus, their Master, but unexpectedly Jesus washed their feet instead- showing that He was also their servant (John 13:1-20)
–The religious leaders wanted Jesus killed and so got their wish, but no one expected the resurrection!! (*note: above synopsis from NIV Life Application Study Bible)
They wanted a lion, but got a lamb. No one expected that Jesus would pause for two thousand years and come to earth TWICE, the first time as a lamb for the slaughter and the second time as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. No one expected the Gentiles to be grafted into the Jewish family tree, and no one expected the rapture doctrine. That was something Paul revealed for the first time in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 and in 1 Corinthians 15:52.

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9).

In this end of the end time, end of the Church Age, end of the days before Judgment, we know some things that will happen. The Lord graciously revealed them to us in the Olivet Discourse, 2Timothy 3, Jude, 2 Peter, Revelation and many other places in the New and the Old testaments. But as His thoughts are above our thoughts, we cannot see around the corners that He sees, we cannot understand how one variable will impact another variable, with what results. Who could foretell the Japan situation? It began with a 9.0 earthquake but the nuke reactors were rated up to 7.2. The tsunami came and the reactors were protected against 2 km waves, but these were 4 km waves. Incredible aftershocks that are major quakes in their own right caused reactor cooling failure. The roof was blown off and this allowed radiation to escape into the atmosphere. The possibility of atmospheric radiation making its way across the Pacific, and if it reaches North American shores, would impact the growing soil and air in fertile fruit and wine producing regions of California. Who could predict that Revelation 6:8’s pestilence may be radiation poisoning? Skeptical? The Surgeon General of the United states says that buying iodide pills might not be such a bad idea.

We do know one thing though. And it is expected. The invitation to His cross is not going to be extended forever. There comes a point of no return in each person’s life when He hardens their hearts. This is not a vengeful act, it simply is an act that confirms the person’s choice. This has been true since the beginning of time. (Exodus 9:12; Romans 1:24-28; 2 Thessalonians 2: 8-12) After the Mark of the Beast is taken in Revelation 13, you have made a permanent choice. He is loving, but He is no fool and He will not be mocked. He wants you! He really does. But decide soon, it is in your own best interest. And you do not know when the moment will come that He chooses that it is time to give you over to your unbelief.

I hear all day every, day that non-believers want evidence. “Show me the proof!” they cry. But when Jesus first came, “But though He had performed so many signs before them, yet they were not believing in Him.” (John 12:37). Now is the time for faith, not sight.

What this means for you, non-believer, is to examine your beliefs about Jesus. Do you believe He is the risen Savior? Do you even believe in sins? Do you believe you commit them, and that they are crimes against God? Do you believe you qualify for heaven? If so, on what basis? Do you have faith that if you confess your sin-crimes, that Jesus will forgive them? These earthquakes and tsunamis and radiation poisonings and droughts and wars are happening for a reason. It is not normal, and in your heart of hearts you know this. You secretly wonder, what is happening? Could those Christians be right? We are right. Because Jesus is right.

For the believer, we need to rely on Him for strength. We cannot know what will happen next. His ways are so far above our ways. We know that there will be earthquakes, as He told us, and we think that is easily understood. On one level, it is. But on another level, it isn’t. Who could have understood the magnitudinal effects of a 9.0 on Japan and the continually unfolding effects on an fallen world? Not me. I am in awe. Friends, keep the faith, and expect the unexpected. Our God is The Ancient of Days, the Great I AM, and He who is so far above us in thought and ways, came down to us once, and He will come down to get us again. May His name be forever praised!

click on image to enlarge, and then click again to read the bottom.

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Posted in encouragement, end time, japan, nuclear, pre-tribulation rapture, prophecy

Christians, this is where the rubber meets the road

Posted on by elizabethprata

The immediate future looks very, very dim for all of us on planet earth. The Japan situation is one where we simply do not have words any more. The human toll, the infrastructure toll, the economic toll, the financial toll and the nuclear toll affects everyone on this planet, whether you are Japanese, American, or Finnish. As a matter of fact, the Finns are buying iodine pills like they are going out of style, which they are. Over at The Economic Collapse blog, Mike Snyder noted: “[Japan is the] 3rd largest economy in the world … Could this be the “tipping point” that pushes the Japanese economy over the edge and into oblivion? … The truth is that the economy of Japan was already deeply struggling before this disaster. The national debt of Japan is now well over 200% of GDP and there seems to be no doubt that they will need to borrow massive amounts of money to deal with the aftermath of this crisis. Up until now the Japanese government has been able to borrow money at ultra-low interest rates of around 1.30 percent for 10-year bonds, drawing on a huge pool of savings from its own citizens. But in light of what has just happened, will the citizens of Japan still have enough resources to continue to fund the rampant spending of the Japanese government? At this point, it is estimated that this gigantic mountain of debt breaks down to 7.5 million yen for every single citizen of Japan.”

Add to that the cost to rebuild, mainly from scratch in places, and you have a serious dent in Japan’s and the world’s economy.

The nuclear situation is dire. Here is a photo from satellite of nuke reactor #1 (left) and #3 which still had smoke rising from its most recent explosion. [Photo credit: Photo DigitalGlobe / Creative Commons License BY-NC-ND]

They are destroyed. The steel housings of the construction are hanging outside the building and have actually melted on the concrete, you can see them running parallel to each other from top to bottom. The core is clearly visible, the overhead protective structure is completely obliterated at the very least. They are talking about radiation, plutonium, cesium, chromium and/or MOX getting into the atmosphere. Reactor 3 was burning MOX (mixed oxide fuel) fuel which is a VERY radioactive fuel when used.  MOX is bad because it will burn hotter then regular uranium. This was warned to be a bad fuel IF the plant were to come close to meltdown. Here is a link to Japan’s MOX program.

People on conspiracy sites all over the place are putting up wind and jet stream maps to determine when and where the radioactivity will arrive in the US and in other places. All three reactors are in meltdown mode and today even the mainstream newspapers are discussing the radiation fallout and putting up maps. They are buying gas masks, getting treated for radiation poisoning, hospitals are filling up…it is truly a doomsday scenario. The spectre of radiation raises the spectre of a chilling thought: the Revelation 4th seal of death through pestilence could well be radiation. Maybe not, but it shows us how He could lift a finger there and over here something completely un-thought of comes forth.

What can we as Christians do? We know to pray. We know to donate. We also know to rely on the promises of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Rely on His promises! This time is where the rubber meets the road. I painted a realistic picture for you and it is truly a doomish one. But He is the same yesterday, today, and forever! (Hebrews 13:8) Lest you forget what is ahead for us, and perhaps SOON:

‘He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. (Revelation 3:5) What a comfort to be known and spoken of by the God of the Universe!

Ps 34:19, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.” Yes, we have afflictions, and more may be coming down the pike, but what a blessing to know that we will be delivered!

“I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” (John 14:18). Does this compute? The God of the Universe, will come to you. He will come right now if you need Him, pray if you need comfort. He is there, right beside you.

We are looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. (Titus 2:13). We are the generation that will see Him from life to eternal life without death! We are blessed to see Him soon, His glorious appearing! “Six days later Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light.” (Mt 17:1-2). We will see Him through glorified eyes, gaze upon His bright face!

Let not your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. – John 14:1-3

So though the near future looks dim on planet earth, this is not our home! It looks very bright for us in New Jerusalem.

He knows your name, He is readying a place for you, He is bright like the sun and so you shall be bright, and He is coming to gather you to His bosom. Do not quiver in fear, this is where the rubber meets the road in your faith! Stand strong and ready, “‘Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.‘”
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Posted in earthquake, end time, prophecy, repent

Holy Fear: The Great Earthquake, Part 3

Posted on by elizabethprata

Read Part 1 here
Read Part 2 here

“The earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because He was wroth.” (Psalm 18:7).

The USGS essay regarding the historical New England earthquake of 1727 and its aftermath continues:

“The people of New England were affected by this earthquake as they had never been before, being fearful of divine judgments for their sins and lax responsiveness to the call to religious duties. The clergy taught them that it was “a loud call to the whole land to repent and fear and give glory to God.” The next morning great numbers of the inhabitants of Boston gathered at the old North church for prayer and other religious services. The fear of further immediate danger was somewhat dispelled in the pleasant sunlight, but as soon as the sun had set their fright returned, and in greater numbers than in the morning the people crowded to the old Brick church, which could not hold them. The old South was then opened, and those who failed of admission to the Brick church flocked thither, and that was also filled. Rev. Thomas Paine of Weymouth, Mass., and some other ministers, tried to prove to their congregations that the earthquake had not a natural cause, but was a supernatural token of God’s anger to the sinful world.”

“The selectmen of Medford, Mass., appointed the next Wednesday as a day to be observed by fasting and prayer on account of the earthquake; and Lieutenant-governor Dummer recommended that Thursday should be kept in the same way for the same purpose throughout the province. Many sermons delivered on the latter and other days were printed and are still extant. In Salem, Mass., a meeting was held on Saturday at the upper meeting-house (then so called) which was attended by the largest congregation that was ever in that edifice.”

They repented, the fasted, they prayed, and they entreated. The people fell down before a mighty God and supplicated in proper Holy Fear.

In his sermon “A Holy Fear of God and His Judgments” John Cotton defined Holy Fear:

–Trembling for fear of God implies our solemn an awful apprehensions of the great God, who brings such judgments upon us

–Trembling for fear of God means that we are sensibly touched and affected with the consideration of the judgments that are or may yet be brought upon us.

–Trembling for fear of God means our humbling ourselves exceedingly before Him who is thus visiting and threatening us.

Do we tremble? Rarely. We strut, we dismiss, we forget the power He wields, and holds back. Holy Fear, repentance, and awe of His majesty are not popular topics today. Prosperity, ecstatic experiences, all paths leading to heaven are the topics of today, when the bible is even referred to at all.

After a 9.0 quake, tsunami, and four volcanoes exploding, what should we ALL be doing? Repenting. Falling down on our faces. As Rev Cotton said, “It suggests that we so abhor them [judgments] that they make deep impressions upon our hearts; that our spirits are so sorrowfully affected with the tokens of the divine anger visible therein that we weep bitterly in secret places in the consideration thereof. Indeed, they have the power to make us cry out, “Oh that my head were waters, and mines eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night” (Jeremiah 9:1).”

We do not weep day and night for our own sins, faults, and failures. We do not weep for neglecting to give glory to God. We do not react thus: “When I heard, my belly trembled; my lips quivered at the voice; rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself.” (Habakkuk 3:16).

We shake our heads at the poor folks way over in Japan, and we move on. We do not do the first and proper thing: repent. I am not talking to only non-believers. I am talking to believers who have forgotten what it means to be a sinner falling into the hands of an angry God.

Why are not the churches in America full today? Why are not people weeping at altars, seeking forgiveness? Do we evidence a Holy Fear? No, we talk of prosperity with a flashy smile. As the USGS essay concludes, “Seriousness was the expression on the faces of most of the people, and in some towns, large numbers were added to the church. In the parish of Chebacco in Ipswich, Mass., for instance seventy-six persons became church members. The earthquake had its effect upon some licentious characters, who became truly reformed, and afterward led honorable and moral lives.”

Rev Cotton finishes, “Oh, what need we have then to cry mightily unto God that He will make the impressions lasting on the souls of parents, children, young, old, rich, poor, bond and free! We have done it already. We will continue to do it, and we hope the Lord will not turn away our prayers nor His mercy from us.” Will the dreadful impressions of God after the Japan quake last in you? I hope so.
Give glory to God for His power. Give glory to Jesus by living an honorable and moral life in Him.
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Posted in end time, holy fear, john cotton, judgment, repent

Holy Fear: The Great Earthquake, Part 2

Posted on by elizabethprata

Read Part 1 here

The events of late summer-early Fall in New England, described in Part 1 of this three-part essay, were fear-inducing to a high degree. The strange events culminated in an earth-shaking display of mighty power, ripping into the consciousnesses of thousands of slumbering Colonials at a quiet moment in the middle of the autumn night. People ran shrieking out of their homes in their night-clothes, never having experienced such an earthquake before.

Then as now, people try to make sense of the events. Many a preacher was spiritually burdened to preach about it on the next Sunday, and one such was the New England preacher, John Cotton. (1693-1757). The old Puritan preachers were learned, well-versed in the bible, and devout. Most importantly, they preached the correct response to an earth-shattering event: Holy Fear.

We don’t evidence much Holy Fear these days, it is not a popular topic. But Rev Cotton did, and here are a few excerpts to his eminently readable and wonderful sermon. I encourage you to read it in its entirety. Part 3 of this essay will examine how the people of today respond to a similar earth-shaking event. In his sermon, Rev Cotton lays out the procession of thought throughout:

DOCTRINE. The condition and circumstances of a people may be such that their flesh may well tremble for fear of God, and they may wisely be afraid of His judgments. In the prosecution of this doctrine I will show:
1. What is meant by the judgments of God and what judgments we are exposed to that we ought to be afraid of.
2. What is meant by trembling for fear of God and being afraid of His judgments.
3. That our condition and circumstance are such that we have abundant reasons and occasions to tremble and be afraid.

A Holy Fear of God and His Judgments
by John Cotton (1693-1757); Preached November 3, 1727
“My flesh trembleth for fear of Thee; and I am afraid of Thy judgments”
Psalm 119:120

To fear God means that we adore His sovereignty and righteousness even in His awful dispensations and that we employ our serious, devout, and solemn thoughts on these an other glorious excellencies and perfections of Almighty God displayed in His judgments. They must be the subject of our frequent and solemn meditations so that we may always maintain in our hearts suitable apprehensions of the great God who sends His judgments upon us.

Surely the consideration thereof should fill us with the greatest fear and concern of spirit that God has been so provoked that He has had to come out against us in His anger and to threaten our utter ruin and desolation

Did we ever have more reason to stand trembling before God under fearful apprehensions of impending vengeance when we consider the many scandalous, provoking evils abounding among us including oppression, injustice, fraud, deceit, falsehood, evil speaking, pride contention, intemperance, drunkenness, unchastity, excessive and inordinate love of the world, and may I add, the rudeness and profaneness of young people? God Himself, and our duty to Him, is evidently neglected and forgotten by many, and a form of godliness is maintained and kept up without the life and power of it. The sacred and dreadful name of God is dishonored and blasphemed by profane cursing and swearing. His holy Sabbaths, instead of being strictly observed and sanctified, are very much profaned by idle, vain, trifling and unsuitable conduct. Some forsake the house of the Lord, frequently neglecting and needlessly staying away from the public worship of God. Has not manifold contempt been put upon the Lord’s holy ordinances and institutions? Are there not many who disregard coming to them in a serious and worthy manner? Must we not acknowledge that mutual Christian love and charity grow cold? Are not both the love of men to God and the love of men to their neighbors treated with a visible coldness and indifference that clearly mark the lack of the power of godliness? Alas, for this people!

Are not the iniquities I have just described, and many more, prevailing among us and testifying against us, loudly proclaiming our impiety and great degeneracy, declaring that we are an impenitent, incorrigible, and unreformed people still, ripening rapidly for a destruction without remedy? Surely then, if this is the case with us, we have reason to tremble for fear of God and to be greatly afraid of His judgments. We might wisely be afraid of temporal plagues and judgments of a far heavier and sorer nature than we have yet been visited with, for the transgressions of God’s covenant people are exceedingly provoking to Him and richly deserve to be severally punished. I beg of you, do not forget that our sins are the more offensive and provoking to God for we are a people in covenant with Him.

What awful symptoms there are of blindness and hardness of heart right in our midst. Ought we not to fear that men are dreadfully blinded and hardened in their sins when there is not so much as external reformation in connection with such an awful judgment of God as this earthquake?

We learn from this text that it is not cowardly to be afraid of God’s judgments but very agreeable to true Christian courage.

God is no fit match for us to contend with. No one has ever hardened himself against Him and prospered (Job 9:4). He is our Creator, we are His creatures. We are as clay in the hands of the potter. He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. God cannot err on His end, as the princes of this world may in the execution of their displeasure through impotency or want of knowledge, for He is infinite in knowledge, wisdom, and power, and there in no comparison between infinite and finite. It is not cowardly then to fear God. Our Saviour advises us,

“Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28)

Such wise fear is agreeable to true Christian courage. This should be expressed in our lives by maintaining a reverential fear of God upon our minds, in fighting against the enemies of our salvation; in mortifying our lusts; in steadfastly persevering in all the duties of our holy religion; in not disobeying His commands, despising His judgments, scorning His rod or setting ourselves in opposition to His threatening, which is the most daring and prodigious folly and madness and will be found so in the end.

How very surprising and amazing was the first sudden shock and convulsion we felt! Our houses and beds were shaking, and the earth was trembling and reeling under us like, I suppose, none ever felt in this part of the world before. And how many times has the awful noise been repeated, though not to such a fearful degree? Well may the people in this city and in the country round about be filled with the surprise and consternation of which we see and hear. Multitudes seem to be under great conviction, distress, and concern about their soul and eternity. Oh, that the impressions might abide until conversion to God is accomplished and the great work of their salvation is completed.
—————————————–
Rev Cotton was fearful that the initial impressions regarding a just, angry, and powerful God would diminish in the light of day and diminish even further as time passed. How well the Reverend knew the sinful nature of craven men. But the response Cotton preached is the ONLY proper response to a God who is wroth with us. He is the Creator, we are His creatures! We are clay in the hands of the potter. We should fall down before Him, seeking forgiveness as we entreat Him to forgive our sins. But do we? Part 3 coming up.
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Posted in end time, great earthquake, prophecy, repent

Holy Fear: The Great Earthquake, part 1

Posted on by elizabethprata

The greatest earthquake that New England has probably experienced since its settlement by the English occurred October 29, 1727. The people had suffered much in various ways through the summer and early autumn. A drought continued from the middle of June to the middle of September, the month of July and the first week of August being exceedingly hot. No rain fell in April after the first week, and but twice in May, only one of two slight showers occurring during the sultry, parching heat of the summer. The earth dried to a great depth, and many wells and springs, which had never failed before were now dry. There was much lightning and thunder, but very little rain. On the evening of August 1, at the close of a scorching day, the heavens burst out into a blaze of flame and a roar of thunder, the terrific display continuing for two or three hours. The flashes occurred so frequently that the sky was continually light with them and a writer of that time said it seemed “as if the heavens being on fire were dissolving and passing away with a great noise, and the earth also with its works was to be burned up.”

After the drought was broken a violent northeast storm came on, doing much damage among the vessels along the coast, and the trees on shore. This occurred September 16. It caused a high tide which carried away about two hundred loads of hay from the marshes at Newbury, Mass., and drove eight or nine vessels ashore at Salem and thirty-five at Marblehead.

After the lightning, thunder, and tempest the country was visited by a tremendous earthquake. October 24, 1727, the weather was very cold; three days later, snow fell, and on the 28th the temperature was still exceedingly low for the season. Sunday, the 29th, was fair and pleasant, and in the evening the moon shone brightly, the air was calm, and no noise disturbed the peacefulness of nature. People retired at their usual hour, and were fast asleep, when at twenty minutes before eleven o’clock a terrible noise followed by a roar and a rush suddenly woke them, and in about half a minute, before they had time to become conscious of what was taking place around them, there came a pounce as if gigantic cannons had rolled against each other from opposite directions. Latches leaped up and doors flew open, houses rocked and trembled as though they would collapse, timber worked in and out of mortises, hearth-stones grated against each other, windows rattled, tops of chimneys pitched and tumbled down, cellar walls fell in, beds shook, pewter fell off shelves, lids of warming pans jumped up and fell back with a clang, and all movable things, especially in the upper rooms, tossed about.

Most people got up in a moment, and many of them ran out of doors in their night clothes, being so frightened that they knew not what to do. The earth shook so much that they could not stand, and were compelled to sit or recline on the ground.

People that were awake when the earthquake came said that a flash of light preceded it. It was seen as it passed the windows, and a blaze seemed to run along the ground, dogs that saw it giving a sudden bark as if frightened. Before they had time to consider the source or cause of the light a sound like a gentle murmur floated to them on the still evening air, followed by a slight ruffling wind. Then came a rumbling as of distant thunder, which approached nearer and nearer and grew louder and louder till it sounded as if innumerable heavy carriages were being rapidly driven over pavements, or like the roaring of a great furnace, but incomparably fiercer and more terrible, having a hollow sound as if it came from under the earth. Then the shock came suddenly and severely and the houses were felt to totter and reel with the trembling and heaving of the ground.

The noise and shake came from the northwest, and went in a south-easterly direction. The whole disturbance occurred within the space of two minutes of time. The cattle ran bellowing about the fields, being thoroughly frightened at this sudden and fearful commotion in the still hours of night. They acted as though suffering from the greatest distress. “the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and the flame hath burned all the tress of the field. The beasts of the field cry also unto Thee;…” (Joel 1:19, 20).”

Source: USGS Historic Earthquakes. More at link

Stay tuned for part two, coming up momentarily
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Posted in end time, God, prophecy

He is powerful and loving

Posted on by elizabethprata

Who can understand a power so great the earth trembles at a mere glance, yet is also gentle enough to wipe our tears from our face? THAT is our God. Never forget that.

“He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth: he toucheth the hills, and they smoke.” Psalm 104:32

“He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken” Isaiah 25:8

“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” Revelation 21:4

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Posted in end time, repent

Beloved, shall we gather at the river?

Posted on by elizabethprata

Listening to “Shall we gather at the river”, and thinking about all my Christian friends I’ll see there. Let us gather at the river now, in our hearts, and worship Him, acknowledge His power and His love. His grace delivers us, we lay our burdens down. I praise Him today and all days. He is waiting for us there, arms outstretched and in perfect love He will envelop us. He is on His throne, and He reigns. Again, I praise Him today and all days.


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Posted in end time, japan earthquake, pre-tribulation rapture, prophecy

Earthquake: At what point do the warnings end and the Tribulation punishments begin?

Posted on by elizabethprata

Let’s discuss a bit more of the effects from this morning’s earthquake. I posted quickly after I awoke and turned on the laptop to discover that a devastating earthquake had occurred, followed by a tsunami of global proportions, damage, radiation leakage, fires, shell-shocked wandering thousands, and all the other attendant effects. Since then, scientists have discovered more about the quake and the effect it had on the earth. There are two effects of high significance. After we explore those, we’ll delve into what the bible says.

From the Italian newspaper Corriere, we learn “The impact of the earthquake that hit Japan this morning shifted the earth’s rotation axis is nearly 10 inches. It’s the preliminary result of studies carried out by INGV, National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology. According to Richard Gross, a geophysicist at NASA, the Earth’s rotation rate is increased causing a shortening of 1.6 microseconds duration of the day. A microsecond is one millionth of a second.” This quake was so powerful the entire island of Japan was moved 8 feet to the east.

TEN INCHES! That is one huge quake. I read earlier today that this quake was thirty times stronger than the famous in in 1906 at Frisco. God is powerful. No, it was not a “natural disaster”. It was God. Psalms 104:32- “He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth: he toucheth the hills, and they smoke.”

Speaking of smoking hills, in Russia, Kamchatka volcano exploded. Translated from Russian, “Almost simultaneously with the strong shock that hit Japan and triggered a giant tsunami in the Pacific, two Russian Kamchatka volcanoes erupted. Eruption was accompanied by earthquakes. In the Russian Far East, there has been a strong volcanic eruption. The air got a great cloud of volcanic dust, which can pose a threat to air traffic in the region. In both cases, the volcanoes that threatened the outbreak of several days or even months.” Mount Karangetang volcano in Indonesia erupted at the same time, as well. More here.

He toucheth the hills, and they smoke…

Another effect from the Japan quake was that the earth ruptured. “David Applegate, a senior science adviser for earthquake and geologic hazards for the U.S. Geological Survey, said the 8.9-magnitude quake ruptured a patch of the earth’s crust 150 miles long and 50 miles across.”

“The earth is broken up, the earth is split asunder, the earth is thoroughly shaken.” (Isiaiah 24:19).

God is in charge of the earth. He formed it, He created it, and He will renew it after destroying it in a fervent heat. (2 Peter 3:10). What we should be taking away from this day is the knowledge, certainty and power of an Almighty God. He is shaking us, warning us. Yes, these are still warnings. But this is really bad, you say. Yes, today is really bad. But they are still warnings.

Imagine how terrible the day will be when THIS happens: “I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. The sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.” (Rev 6:12-14)

I’ve often wondered about how bad things will get before we are called to meet Him in the air. (1 Thess 4:16-18). How bad will the birth pangs get and what will that look like? The church is not destined to be on earth for the Tribulation, that is a fact. The angel told Daniel in Daniel 9:24 the 6 reasons God will make a Tribulation, and one of them is to punish, and end the iniquity on earth. Church age believers are not destined for punishment, our sins are pardoned and we are free from accusation. (Col 1:22). But for the Christians in Japan, if there are any, it must certainly feel like punishment. So this is how I decided to think about it.

Today’s events were the first global event of the birth pangs. Remember, the prophesied birth pangs began at Jesus ascension and will end when He returns in Glory. The nature of pangs is that they begin almost unnoticed and increase to an unbearable pitch, accompanied by screaming. Today’s quake has affected every continent and all the oceans. It is a cataclysm that we as humans on one planet are all experiencing. In the past and even in the recent past, there have been cataclysms but they have been localized. Katrina. Indonesian earthquake, Australian drought. Pakistan floods. But today, we are all affected. I think that means that we are near the tipping point from His warnings during the Church Age, to punishment for the unbelieving masses in the upcoming Tribulation. I do not know the mind of God, only what He shared with us in the bible. But He has told us that He will call us, and call us, and call us to Him, but there is a limit to His patience and His calling. It will not go on forever. Christians the world over can feel that time nearing, when He will stop calling and begin punishing. You can just feel it.

Today’s events really make us see how easily a day like that one in Revelation 6, still future, can come about. It makes us see how powerful God is, and how loving. Yes, loving. I hope that the events of today caused some to re-think their faith or beliefs. What a blessing that would be. If those beliefs do not include Jesus as number one and ourselves as sinners whose destiny should be hell, then you need a radical re-think. Jesus is love and He is shaking us. He wants to see you, and you, and you in the place He is preparing for you in New Jerusalem. I hope the events of today caused Christians to witness like there’s no tomorrow. Because there might not be.
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Posted in earthquake, end time, japan, pre-tribulation rapture

EARTHQUAKE!

Posted on by elizabethprata

UPDATE: I posted more here. “Earthquake: At what point do the warnings end and the Tribulation punishments begin?” Bible verses, and my reasoning why I think the rapture is coming SOON.

A 8.9 quake occurred last night in Honshu Japan. In addition, more than fifteen quakes occurred in that region that were OVER 6.0, classified as major. Here is one snippet of the USGS page that shows some of them but not all of them:

A tsunami happened subsequent to the quake that reportedly had waves 3 feet high. This 8.9 quake was the fifth largest quake to occur since 1900. Now, the Onagawa Nuclear plant is reportedly on fire. Japan has called a nuclear emergency. Four million people are without power in Tokyo and the massive damage from the quake, tsunami and fires is devastating. Devastating isn’t even the word.

Carl Worline opened his latest essay by saying:

“The entire world is on edge because everyone senses that something big is about to happen. Christians know that either the Rapture of the Church or the battle described in Psalm 83 is about to occur. Many Muslims in the Islamic world think their Mahdi is about to return. Members of the New Age Movement look for the arrival of their Maitreya at any moment. The ancient Mayans, various tribes of American Indians, Nostradamus, the notorious 16th century soothsayer Mother Shipton, and Sir Isaac Newton have all predicted a series of cataclysmic worldwide disasters will occur around this time in history. Even the chief ju-ju bead counters who write for the supermarket tabloids are predicting the return of “The King” (Elvis). The Earth longs to be free of the curse it has suffered under ever since the original sin of Adam and Eve. Jesus told us in Matthew 24:7-8 that His return would be preceded by upheavals in nature which He likened to the birth pangs of a woman about to give birth, increasing in intensity and frequency as the moment of the arrival of the child draws ever closer.”

I want you, Christian, to think for a moment, that these events are not punishments. They are warnings. The heightened state of agitation, fear, and heartbreak from all these things are not the Tribulation, yet we wake up every morning with a dread to look at the news to see what has happened that was worse than the day before. A year ago things were bad but in the space of the last 365 days the world has experienced “historic” events one after the other than are monumentally worse to comprehend. Yet they are not the Tribulation events. These are warnings.

So…imagine how terrible the tribulation events will be! Please, please, thrown away your fear and WITNESS to people. The quake is a demand from God that He is present and working in the world to awaken the non-believer, threaten the apathetic, and to announce His soon return for us. Don’t waste even a precious day navel-gazing. The nature of birth pangs is such that a crescendo is reached suddenly.

Non-believer, these extreme events are not “natural.” Things will not get back to normal. They will only worsen. If you cannot believe that they will or even could get worse, listen up: they will. It is because of sin- your sin, my sin, the world’s sin. God will not be mocked and He will punish sin. Your acceptance of that fact and your repentance and appeal to Jesus to forgive them is your redemption. He died on the cross as the sacrifice so that YOU could not be punished when the Great Day of the Lord comes. Will you be able to stand when it does? I pray you will. He loves you, He is shaking you even now. Wake up!
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Posted in end of days. prophecy, end time, pre-tribulation rapture

"Humanity’s heightened state of agitation" worsened by increasing signs in sun, moon, & stars

Posted on by elizabethprata

I read a couple of articles today from other people who were talking about doom. They are not Christians as far as I could tell. But I liked some of their phraseology. This first one is Clif High of Half Past Human. It was in the part of his newsletter where he was urging people to get chickens and plant gardens, because,

“Our agricultural system is already showing failures as it continues under extreme stress.”

He has a point. US wheat stock exports projections have been lowered by 25 million bushels, and grains in general. The American Farm Bureau report for Mar 10, 2011 states, “USDA still sees very tight global grain stocks, and we are going to need to see big U.S. and world grain crops to make up the balance.” There is strong demand and tight supply, not a good combination. Add to that, unpredictable and extreme weather and possibly (probably) war, and what you have looming is Revelation 6:5.

Looking up from the earth toward the sun, moon, and stars, there is a lot of action in the celestial realms too. Jesus said during the tribulation there would be signs in the sun and the moon and the stars…(Luke 21:25) and we see that even now prior to the Tribulation. In this article from “The Week” the phrase “humanity’s heightened state of agitation” is well-stated and something that, you note, is observed by a non-believer but the question is also asked, can the earth take another blow, this time from above?

SUN AND MOON ADD TO EARTH’S WOES
“As if the problems being caused on planet Earth by ourselves are not enough to contend with, the sun and moon are seemingly conspiring against us to push our social environments to extremes. From a psychological perspective, some might make the case that humanity’s heightened state of agitation is simply a byproduct of increasing natural turbulence. Well, two such events are set to wash over the Earth in the very near future, one over the weekend and the other on 3.19.2011. The first is a gift from the sun; a huge solar flare erupted yesterday pointed directly at Earth. Aurora could be visible from as far south as New York City this weekend. The second gift is courtesy of the moon; a super-sized moon [caused by the moon passing as close to the Earth as it can, the first in 18 years] will be visible on March 19. In the past, ‘super moons’ have coincided with natural disasters such as earthquakes and hurricanes. Although scientists have not definitively linked the correlation, years when ‘super moons’ have appeared have coincided with extreme weather and other natural disaster events. With the global economy in such a precarious position as it is, and unrest as prevalent as it is today, one has to wonder if the Earth and its inhabitants can handle a double-whammy from the sun and moon.”

The above is an M-class flare that erupted earlier this week, not the X-flare that happened yesterday. But that is a huge one, isn’t it? Really big.

The Lord is amazing! He created the universe as a habitation place for us, and will create is anew to rid it of the piled-up sins after the Tribulation. Whole words will fall out of our vocabulary, never to be uttered again: famine, worry, war. “And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.” Rev 21:3-2. There will be no night there, another word that will fall into disuse. Come soon, Lord Jesus!
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