Category: end time

Posted in end time, pre-tribulation rapture, prophecy

"Children of the Light” – “Day of the Lord” by R Graham

Posted on by elizabethprata

This essay is 1800 words, but it’s really good. Skim it, read it in two parts, whatever you need to do, but I think Mr Graham did a fine job and I hope it blesses you.

“Children of the Light” – “Day of the Lord”
By Ron Graham

“But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.” 1 Thessalonians 5:1-5.

If you are a born again child of God, you are one of the children of light spoken of by the Apostle Paul in the last verse above, therefore you cannot, and will not, be overtaken as a thief would overtake the unsuspecting. Why won’t you be among the crowd that will be overcome with sudden destruction? The “Day of the Lord” mentioned in verse 2 above is referring to the day of God’s wrath. The title given us (Christ’s Church) is “children of light” if you are in the “Light” category you are “In Christ” therefore you will not be on earth when God pours out His wrath on this Christ rejecting world.

In the book of Isaiah, the prophet speaks numerous times of the “Day of the Lord”. One such verse that really catches the eye is “Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.” Isaiah 13:9. When the Lord comes back to earth this time He won’t come as a suffering servant, but as a conquering King. He will come with cruel wrath and fierce anger to destroy all who’ve rejected Him. Isaiah doesn’t mince words; the reader knows exactly what God’s actions will be when He once again sets physical foot on planet earth.

It is Paul’s intention to explain further to the Thessalonian Church that they are not part of those who dwell in darkness; therefore they will not experience the “Day of the Lord”. Paul starts off using words like “you” and “yourself” in verse 2 of 1 Thessalonians 5, speaking of the church. Then he changes to “they” and “them” referring to those who’ve spent their lives dwelling in darkness – those who’ve had no use for Jesus Christ their entire lives. For when “they” shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon “them”, as travail upon a woman with child; and “they” shall not escape.

Those who choose to remain in darkness will be left here on earth to contend with God’s fierce anger. We who are born again – although just as deserving of God’s punishment as those who dwell in darkness – will never face a moment of God’s wrath. How thankful are we that Jesus was willing to sacrifice Himself on that cross. He took all of our sins and nailed them to that cross. The sin of the world nailed and forgotten, but only those who are born again are forgiven.

“Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.” Isaiah 26:20-21. When the children of light are safely hidden and the door is shut, then the indignation will come. For the children of light, paradise will be our staging area whilst “the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth”.

“For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.” Isaiah 13:10-11. Those folks who will be left to deal with God’s wrath will first be plunged into darkness – darkness will be the norm around the world. Then God will punish them for their evil, wicked ways. Those arrogant enough to reject His free gift of salvation even going as far as to say there is no God – that we all evolved from pond scum – will immediately be reminded of their foolishness.

“Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.” Joel 3:14. This verse has been used by pastors as a draw to those who still need to make a decision for Christ. But, in all actuality, time has run out for the multitudes left standing in this valley. Since the valley of decision is the location of the battle of Armageddon it’s not some sort of safe haven or a place to finally make up your mind one way or the other concerning Jesus Christ. Joel is referring to this valley as a valley of judgment – by this time, if you haven’t made a decision to believe and accept God’s free gift of salvation, it’s too late. God’s judgment has come.

“The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:” Acts 2:20. Notice the word “before” in this verse, darkness will reign supreme even before “that great and notable Day of the Lord” comes barreling down on this wicked, perverse generation. Yes, this generation.

“The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness… And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung. Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD’S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.” Zephaniah 1:14-15, 17-18. Many times in the Old Testament we see prophecy with dual fulfillment. King Josiah inherited a corrupt nation from his father Amon and grandfather Manasseh, a nation almost wholly given over to idolatry (2 Kings 21:3-7). Here God announces judgment against the idol worshippers in Israel. Although Zephaniah speaks of how God will judge a rebellious Judah, a future fulfillment is also in view here. God will once again judge the wicked earth dwellers – neither their gold nor silver will do them any good in the “Day of the Lord”. This prophecy is about to be fulfilled, God’s wrath is about to be poured out on a Christ rejecting world. No one, in their right mind, should desire to see and be a part of the final fulfillment of Zephaniah’s prophecy.

“For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.” Malachi 4:1. All of these prophets are speaking of the same future event. It’s the “Day of the Lord”; it’s the wrath of God being poured out on a generation that has thoroughly rejected God and His Christ and turned to wickedness (as in the days of Noah), and to postpone His wrath God would only be allowing all humanity to destroy themselves. “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.” Matthew 24:21-22. The elect are those who have become followers of Jesus Christ during the Great Tribulation. We, the Church, will be watching from the mezzanine.

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9. Here we’re told of God’s patience – that He is longsuffering to us-ward. This means that God is slow to anger – slow to punish. But don’t forget that He is not slack concerning His promise. “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” 2 Peter 3:9-10.

Throughout His Word, God places so much emphasis on the approaching “Day of the Lord” that for us to merely relegate it to allegory, or shrug it off as a future event unimportant to us today is foolishness and completely misses His point. He’s made a promise that His wrath will be unleashed. Yes, God is longsuffering to us-ward but He’s trying to get the point across to everyone who has an ear to hear with that although He is slow to anger and slow to punish, His anger will eventually be poured out and soon, but only on those who’ve rejected His free gift of salvation.

At this point you might want to do some real soul searching to be absolutely sure just where you stand in relation to the Creator of the universe. Have you heard the Gospel of Christ? Have you believed? Have you placed Jesus Christ first in your life? Or is there an idol in that most important place in your heart?

The Children of the Light/Day, are all those who have placed their faith and trust in Jesus the Christ alone for salvation. We are those who will be caught up to be with the Lord prior to “Day of the Lord” (the wrath of God).

Many folks disagree when it comes to this mystery we refer to as the Rapture of the Church, but as seemingly old and tired as the cliché becomes it’s still just as appropriate today as we’re continually confronted by the naysayers. We simply tell them not to worry; we’ll explain it to them on the way up.

God bless you all,
Ron Grahamtwotug@embarqmail.com
96 County Road 5480-Salem, MO 65560
All scripture is from the KJV and God breathed
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Posted in end of days. prophecy, end time, revelation, x-class solar flare

X-class solar flare and the end time: there’s a link

Posted on by elizabethprata

I’ve written twice since late last night about the X-class solar flare that was ejected from the sun and hurled toward earth. The sun’s solar cycle is getting more active and expected to peak in 2013. With the recent activity, astronomers predicted that some kind of flare was likely to occur. Scientists were surprised when the flare eventually turned out to be an X-class, though.

Indeed, four C-class flares were ejected, and later, an M-class flare. C-class flares are small, and M-class are medium. X-class flares are big, and when they are directed toward the earth, they can cause damage. According to Spaceweather.com, “A solar flare is an explosion on the Sun that happens when energy stored in twisted magnetic fields (usually above sunspots) is suddenly released. Flares produce a burst of radiation across the electromagnetic spectrum, from radio waves to x-rays and gamma-rays.”

“Flares send a burst of X-rays and charged particles — mostly protons — out from the Sun’s surface into space. Occasionally one is pointed in the right direction so that it affects the Earth. They are classified according to how powerful they are, as A, B, C, M or X, with X being the most powerful.”

Solar flares and the end time…there is a link. In this article from the Salem Oregon news, “Magnetic Polar Shifts Causing Massive Global Superstorms,” continuing, “NASA has been warning about it…scientific papers have been written about it…geologists have seen its traces in rock strata and ice core samples…Now “it” is here: an unstoppable magnetic pole shift that has sped up and is causing life-threatening havoc with the world’s weather.” I’ve written before about the magnetic pole shift occurring, and we also know and understand that the magnetosphere which protects us from the sun’s harmful rays and flares is twisting, shrinking, and has a huge hole in it. NASA reported in 2009 that there is a giant breach in the earth’s magnetosphere. “It is ten times larger than anything previously thought to exist. Solar wind can flow in through the opening to “load up” the magnetosphere for powerful geomagnetic storms. But the breach itself is not the biggest surprise. Researchers are even more amazed at the strange and unexpected way it forms, overturning long-held ideas of space physics.”

“The Earth’s magnetosphere was discovered in 1958 by Explorer 1, which was the first U.S. artificial satellite launched to orbit earth. The Earth’s magnetosphere is shaped based on the extent of Earth’s internal magnetic field, the solar wind plasma, and the inter-planetary magnetic field. The magnetosphere prevents most particles from the sun, carried in the solar wind, from impacting earth. The Earth has the strongest Magnetosphere of all the rocky planets.” This is how the magnetosphere usually looks. At the left is the sun, at the right, in the center of the solar streams, is the earth.

Most importantly, the magnetosphere is protecting Earth from much harmful radiation from the solar wind ejected by the Sun. The magnetosphere is a very important source of protection, repelling the solar wind out and around the earth in loops formed by the magnetic field of the earth. The photo above shows the magnetosphere is its normal shape. The picture below shows the magnetosphere in its current shape: twisted in a way I’ve never seen before.

The magnetosphere protects us, and without it we would fry. Ultraviolet rays from the sun, if they were to drift upon us, would burn us terribly. Being fully exposed to a solar flare would range from harmful to deathly. Just such a thing may have happened in Louisiana. In a KATC-TV spot news report, “Around two-dozen high school students come home, in the middle of winter with what looks like… Get this— a sunburn. Now, parents and teachers want to know how this happened. It’s a mystery in the community of Hathaway and it has people burning to know the answers. “We don’t know what caused it,” parent, Donald Demary said. “We just kept trying to find answers,” Hathaway High Principal Mona Miller said. On Wednesday, about two dozen Hathaway High School students came back from a field trip with what appears to be a sunburn. The mystery is, students and teachers don’t know what caused it. “We have no idea,” Principal Miller said. “It’s very bizarre.” Demary says, “it’s something we need to be very concerned about. “It looked more like a flash burn.” Miller described, “or something someone would experience inside a tanning bed.”

A hole in the magnetosphere or strong sun shining through a weakened section of it would cause the burning. Not saying it did, but it could.

The pole shift, X-class solar flare, and the students getting flash-burned made me think of the breakdown of the celestial cycles prophesied to happen in Revelation and in Matthew 24:29. The sun goes dark, the moon goes dark, stars fall from the sky, the moon turns red, the skies roll back as a scroll, burning mountains crash into the oceans (asteroids?) it will all happen. And there is something else that will happen: “The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun was allowed to scorch people with fire. They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him.” (Revelation 16:8-9). Like the students in Louisiana, in the Revelation judgment, if you go outside for a few moments you’ll get burned. The Revelation judgment is NOT happening now, but as I said, the things happening this week with the sun and the flares and the magnetosphere made me think of the Revelation judgment. The magnetosphere could disappear and that may be how the judgment comes to pass. In any case, extreme weather and abnormal solar activity is the new normal.

But you do not have to worry about extremes or fluctuations in any cycle. Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega, and He is constant. He is the same today, yesterday and forever! You can be with Him to experience a constant level of joy and peace that you never knew on earth, X-class flares notwithstanding. Ask me how. Go on, I dare you to ask.
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Posted in end time, prophecy, x-class flare

Solar X-class flare, report

Posted on by elizabethprata

I reported last last night (here) that an X-class solar flare has occurred. At that post, I noted what an X-class flares is and what its possible effects on earth may be. Now we have a little more detail from Astronomy report about where the flare will be hitting–

From Astronomy Report:

“Sunspot 1158 has exploded again, this time producing a X2.2 Class Solar Flare. It also caused an R3 Radio Black Out on the on sunlit side of Earth. The storm should hit the Earth about the time the sun is coming up on the East coast of the united states, so a majority of the energy should be directed at the Atlantic Ocean. Solar storms like this usually only last for a few hours, so most of the energy should be absorbed before the sun reaches it zenith on the East Coast. If for some reason the storm slows down, as they sometimes do, more of the energy will be directed towards the East Coast.”

“This storm was pretty well tracked and was actually predicted by several solar weather agencies around the world, so most satellite operators should have ample warning to get their systems in safe mode. It may cause temporary disruption of services, but it shouldn’t permanently damage any satellites. Radio communications may be temporarily disrupted as well, though it may only reduce the range of radio transmissions rather than black them out.”

“During the initial blast wave that hits the Earth, it may cause some beautiful aurora in both the southern and northern hemispheres. North America, should have a beautiful view in the early morning hours as far south as Utah. During this early blast wave, our magnetosphere will quake and will also allow more radiation through than normal. It is possible that air traffic will be rerouted or even possibly canceled during the early part of the storm.”

I have some thoughts on this regarding the end time tribulation period, the magnetosphere, and some news out of Louisiana that may relate. I’ll post it later this afternoon, after work.
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Posted in end of days. prophecy, end time, x-class solar flare

X-class solar flare (major) has occurred

Posted on by elizabethprata

Major Flare (X2.2) / Full Halo CME
02/15/2011 by Kevin VE3EN at 02:20

“UPDATE – This was rated an “X2.2 Major Solar Flare” – The sun showed some love on Valentines Day. Massive Sunspot 1158 has produced a major X2.2 Class Solar Flare at 01:56 UTC Tuesday. This is the largest Solar Flare of Cycle 24 and a CME could be associated with this event. A strong R3 Radio Blackout has taken place as well. More to follow.”

X-class flares are described here:

“Scientists classify solar flares according to their x-ray brightness in the wavelength range 1 to 8 Angstroms. There are 3 categories: X-class flares are big; they are major events that can trigger planet-wide radio blackouts and long-lasting radiation storms. M-class flares are medium-sized; they can cause brief radio blackouts that affect Earth’s polar regions. Minor radiation storms sometimes follow an M-class flare. Compared to X- and M-class events, C-class flares are small with few noticeable consequences here on Earth.”

Australia is already experiencing some effects. There are reports of down internet and the radio disruptions as mentioned above. It generally takes 48 hours for flares to hit us so we will see what happened, if anything, over the next few days. The X-flare was earth-directed, however, so there will be some effects.

From WOOD-TV, Grand Rapids MI:

Thanks to Jay for pointing out that we now have an X-class solar flare. Check out this picture of any aurora from up by the Arctic Circle in Norway tonight.  Here’s more and more here.  X-class flares are big and are major events that can trigger planet-wide radio blackouts and long-lasting radiation storms.  According to NASA, this is the biggest solar flare so far from this solar cycle.   We’ve had reports that the flare produced a blast of radio emissions heard in shortwave receivers around the dayside of Earth.
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Posted in algeria, end of days. prophecy, end time, revelation, yemen

Customs official: Weapon of mass destruction found in US

Posted on by elizabethprata

From UK Daily Mail today:

“A port official has admitted that a ‘weapon of mass effect’ has been found by ‘partner agencies’ in the U.S., raising major questions over a possible government cover-up. The disturbing revelation came in an interview with San Diego’s assistant port director screened by a television channel in the city. The Customs and Border Protection Department tried to dampen speculation over his remarks, but doubts remained over whether he had inadvertently revealed a dirty bomb plot to attack the U.S. mainland. Concern over a secret WMD bust came after U.S. cables made public by the Wikileaks whistleblower website revealed terror groups were plotting a ‘nuclear 911.’ “

Partial transcription of the interview:
‘So, specifically, you’re looking for the dirty bomb? You’re looking for the nuclear device?’ asked Mr Blacher.
‘Correct. Weapons of mass effect,’ said Mr Hallor.
‘You ever found one?’ asked Mr Blacher.
‘Not at this location,’ Mr Hallor said.
‘But they have found them?’ asked Mr Blacher.
‘Yes,’ said Mr Hallor.

“Earlier, Mr Hallor told Mr Blacher: ‘Potentially every city in America is a target. Given the waterways and the access to the Navy fleet here, I’d say, absolutely, San Diego is a target.” Read more at the link…

It doesn’t take a genius to know that the world is a very, very dangerous place. Wars are asymmetrical now, and could be launched by anyone, anywhere, at any time, and in some cases, we’d never know what hit us. The book by William Forstchen in “One Second After” an apocalyptic book illustrating the effects of an electro-magnetic pulse over the US, is true-to life scenario where things go to pieces very quickly, but the enemy was never known.

Speaking of waterways and an unknown enemy perpetrator, in Joel C. Rosenberg‘s book “Dead Heat“, waterways were used to launch a shoulder-held scud missiles simultaneously from 4 strategic cities, Seattle (technological center), LA (entertainment center), Potomac (political Center) and NYC (financial center). Container ships anchored on rivers giving access to these cities, or anchored immediately offshore, allowed through the proximity for a terrorist crew to simply unclasp a tarp that had covered a disassembled missile on deck, assemble it within seconds, launch it, up anchor, and steam out while the crew repaints the ship’s name en route.

It is an entirely plausible and scary scenario. It is so plausible, that it has leapt from the pages of political fiction to near possibility, according to the Customs officer. It makes TSA patting down 5-year-olds look like the ridiculous government intrusion that it is, while waterways and borders go unprotected.

As far as the end time goes, if you are thinking that “it couldn’t happen in America”, think again. Revelation 6:3-4 depicts the first devastating judgments, and second in line is war. “When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword.” Peace will be taken from the earth. That means ALL the earth, including America. No section, place, plot, or nook will escape the effects of the second seal. War will be the order of the day.

We see it setting up, now, even before the Tribulation. Look at a map of the eastern Mid-East and northern Africa. The unrest has spread from Lebanon, to Egypt, to Saudi Arabia, to Bahrain, Algeria, Yemen, and now Italy. The “A” marks a tiny island owned by Italy, called Lampedusa, where the Tunisians are fleeing. More on that news, below. Click on the map to enlarge it.

Yemen: Hundreds of anti-government protesters marched toward a presidential palace in Yemen on Sunday, calling for regime change in the Middle Eastern country. Some of them chanted, “First Mubarak, now Ali,” referring to Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh and Hosni Mubarak, who recently resigned as president of Egypt after nearly 30 years in power. Security forces put up a barbed wire barricade and blocked the protesters’ path about two miles from the palace. At that point, the situation intensified as protesters turned away and attempted to reach the palace through side streets.”

Algeria: Unrest, protests and clashes. “Police reportedly used tear gas and batons to drive back crowds protesting over unemployment. About 30 people, most of them protesters, were hurt. In January Algeria was the first in a string of countries to see street protests, as people rallied against high food prices and unemployment. Several people were killed as unrest spread across the country. The sporadic protests have been continuing since early January.”

Bahrain: “Following Algeria over the weekend, the latest country to see an escalation in rioting following the revolutions of Tunisia and Egypt, is the tiny island of Bahrain, situated just off the coast of Saudi Arabia, which just happens to be home to the US Navy’s 5th fleet. From the Washington Post: “Bahrain’s security forces fired tear gas and rubber bullets Monday at thousands of anti-government protesters heeding calls to unite in a major rally and bring the Arab reform wave to the Gulf for the first time.” We are currently searching to bring readers a live feed, but don’t hold your breath. As noted above, this country is situated just off Saudi, and the last thing the oil exporting country needs to show is how volatile the region has suddenly become despite attempts by various emirates in the region to purchase the loyalty of their citizens.

Italy: “Due to political and economical instability in Tunisia, thousands of Tunisian migrants are fleeing to Lampedusa, a tiny Italian island located 70 miles from Tunisian ports. In less than a week’s time, between 4,000 and 5,000 migrants have arrived on Italian shores, almost doubling the population of Lampedusa. The situation is so urgent that Italy had to declare the state of emergency and called the EU for assistance.”

Italy: Thousands of Italians took to the streets in some 200 cities across the country Sunday in protest of Prime Minister’s Silvio Berlusconi’s alleged behavior toward women. The largest gathering was in Rome, where organizers said 100,000 people gathered, under the slogan, “If not now, when?” In Milan, organizers estimated that 60,000 people gathered. Protests also took place outside Italy, including marches in Tokyo and Geneva. Sunday’s demonstrations were the biggest anti-Berlusconi rallies since the most recent sex scandal broke in January, when Milan prosecutors said they were investigating whether the prime minister abused his power by helping an underaged woman, who he had allegedly paid for sex, get out of jail on a theft charge..”

Where will the unrest end? After Jesus comes and sets up His Millennium Kingdom on earth. From here on out, there is only more violence, revolution, and war. Lord, come soon!

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Posted in end time, quakes, supervolcano, usgs, yellowstone

4.6 earthquake at Yellowstone: USGS deleted it

Posted on by elizabethprata

There have been a series of quakes at Yellowstone that have been collected as data on the recent quakes page, but then deleted. I don’t know why. Quake swarms are common at Yellowstone because it is the site of seismic activity after all, and also the site of a supervolcano that has magma on the move. But with the recent mega-swarm that caused so much panic last year, it behooves us to watch the location closely. But why were the quakes deleted from USGS lists? They are still captured on Intellicast maps, and are properly sourced to USGS. One of the quakes was a 4.6, which is an unusually large quake for the area.

Here are the links to check it out for yourself:
Intellicast quake maps
USGS Recent Quakes
Look on the USGS list for Feb 11-12 quakes. USGS doesn’t have any, but Intellicast does- citing USGS. Look at the screen shot of the Lat-Long for Feb 12:

The red box indicates a 4.0+ sized quake on that date in that latitude and longitude. Now look at a screen shot of the same Lat-Long a day later. The 4.6 quake is gone, along with most of the others…

Also gone are most of the other quakes, and they are removed from the list on the Recent Quakes page, too. None for MT, UT or WY except for one 2.5 quake in Utah. File it under things that make me go “Hmmm.”

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Related posts:
Yellowstone Has Bulged as Magma Pocket Swells
Yellowstone has lava plume on the rise
The language of God: earthquakes

Posted in end of days. prophecy, end time, pre-tribulation rapture, salt and light, stocking up

To stock up or not to stock up?

Posted on by elizabethprata

Christian friends are wondering what to do about the current food scarcity. In many countries around the world, most of them actually, food is an issue. “Almost half the world — over 3 billion people — live on less than $2.50 a day.” (source) That is an amazing fact. If you are like me and live in America, and have been privileged to live in wealth all your life, that fact is hard to comprehend. “But I’m not rich!” you might protest. Maybe you have been out of work for 32 weeks and are on the verge of losing your house. Well, you HAVE a house. Maybe you have already lost your house. Well, unless you are living under the RR tracks and reading this at the library, you are rich. If you have some sort of shelter, occasional food, and clothes, you are rich- comparatively. (Image no. ww1646-79 courtesy Northwestern University, WWII rationing)

So, many people around here are wondering what to do about the hard times on us. No longer are our jobs secure. An entire generation grew up knowing that their company would be loyal to them and they would be loyal to their company, retiring after 40 years with a party, and a gold watch. Government workers were the most secure, teachers, cops, public works crews. But with recent budget crises, entire police forces are being laid off, teachers are not being hired and suddenly, parks don’t need to be leaf-blown every day. Layoffs in every sector abound and no new jobs are to be had. It’s not hard for people to see the writing on the wall. (Side note: that phrase came from the bible.)

It’s natural to want to stock up. Witness any store before a snowstorm- bread and milk are wiped out within hours. People who have families naturally want to gather supplies to take them through the storm. You want to provide for them in case there is scarcity and want. So what I am going to remind you of is counter intuitive. Don’t stock up for the coming storm. Share all you have. Give sacrificially. Be generous.

“WHAT?!” you say. ‘Even the bible shows Joseph stocking up for the famine to come upon Egypt! He knew what was coming and he prepared!” Well, not really. The Joseph story is not a good example of biblical giving. Read the chapters carefully.

In Genesis 41:46-57; Genesis 42:6; Genesis 47:13-22 Joseph went throughout all the land of Egypt and he took the one-fifth of the grain that the people had grown. (Gen 41:34). Joseph stored it in the cities (because cities are guarded and protected). When the famine came, he sold it back to them. When they ran out of money, he took their livestock, and when they ran out of livestock, he took their land as collateral. He turned all the people of Egypt and a good measure of those around Egypt into serfs.

Actually the bible is rife with stories about how we should give it all away. I am NOT talking about socialism. What I am talking about is that the Lord is counter-intuitive. Everything He asks us to do is counter to how we would act in the natural. Love our enemy. When we’re hit on the cheek, give the other cheek. When asked for a shirt, give the coat, too. Become poor to be rich. Die to live. He said He would take care of us. He said He would take care of us even if the way seems impossible. He said it over and over and over!

Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?” (Luke 12:24)

“Who provides food for the raven when its young cry out to God and wander about for lack of food?” (Job 38:41)

“These all look to you to give them their food at the proper time.” (Psalm 104:27)

“He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call.” (Psalm 147:9)

And Did He not denounce covetousness? “Then He said to them, “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.” And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive. “And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. ‘And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.”’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’ “So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:15-21)

“Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.” But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil. Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin. (James 4:13-17)

In my personal life, I’ve come to the conclusion that Christians are not to stock up but to give sacrificially. A year and a half ago the situation around here was hard but not dire. Recently it has become dire for many of our families in the county. Dozens per week are knocking at the door of the church at all hours asking for food. The County food bank is regularly depleted. The Feed the Kids program is always asking for food so that the little ones at home from school aren’t hungry over the weekend. Don’t save. GIVE! We really have a lot more than we think we do, and we need a lot less than we use.

When you hear people saying “prepare” take that to mean being prayed up, solid on your bible reading, and having walked arm in arm with the Lord. Don’t stray from a close walk with Him and His statutes. Be spiritually prepared. Why? He called us to be salt and light. THIS is what it means to be light to the people who are in the dark, lost and wandering. THIS is what it means to be salt, preserving the word by acting on it. So Christian, prepare! But prepare to be salt and light:

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:13-16)
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Posted in end of days. prophecy, end time, peace

Thoughts on a morning drive

Posted on by elizabethprata

I was driving to work this morning, amid an inch of powdery pure snow that had fallen overnight. The birds were chirping, and the mist was rising above the snow as the sun rose. The pastures were pure-looking, and the cows and calves and horses were kicking up snow puffs and cavorting around. I thought of how blessed I am to have a job to drive to, and how it is also a blessing that it is such a short distance away.

The rapture is coming soon, I thought, and it is a signless event. “It could happen right now” I thought. We can see from the nearness of the fulfillments of the first judgment in Revelation that the rapture is close. The rapture will precede the Tribulation, and since the Tribulation’s initial judgments are moving at such a rapid pace toward fulfillment, the rapture could literally be any day.

That God will even cause a rapture to happen is a miracle in itself. Seeing the gorgeous morning reminded me of God and His creation. That He allows us to be a part of it is another blessing I counted on the way in to work. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11). He includes us in His plans, and allows us to be used for His glory. How beautiful. He put us here on this earth, to work and play and experience pain and happiness and His presence. He draws us to salvation, and blesses us when we accept it. He gave us His all.

The beauty of the fields and farms this morning made me long for my true home, New Jerusalem. But while I am here on earth I am also blessed to be used of God for His kingdom, in whatever way He deems. When He calls, I say “Here I am Lord.” If He doesn’t call to me today, I say, “I will wait for you, Lord.” Either way, I am blessed. Those of us who know Christ know the feeling. It is called “Peace.”

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Posted in end of days. prophecy, end time, fish die-off

Millions of Man O’War wash up on FL Beaches

Posted on by elizabethprata

Another die-off:

Portuguese man-of-war invade Florida beaches
More than 450 beach-goers were treated for injuries after scores of Portuguese man-of-war washed ashore on South Florida beaches over the weekend. “It’s extreme. It is wall-to-wall man-of-war,” Delray Beach ocean rescue supervisor Heather Irurzun, a 14-year veteran, told the Palm Beach Post. “I’ve never seen it this bad.”

In an interview on Fox News, Irurzun said that though wash-ups in winter sometimes happen, “this one seems out of control. It’s just wall-to-wall blue.”

The following video was posted on Youtube by a local:

Meanwhile, 50 miles up the coast at Sebastian Inlet, FL, locals are stunned by a fish die-off of massive proportions. The lead sentence in the video-story is “We’re talking a lot of fish…biologists say up to a million.” There were so many dead fish that locals who have lived there for years were “stunned.” The biologists’ theory is that the fish are deliberately bunching up together in the shallow waters, but because there are so many of them, they use of all the available oxygen…and asphyxiate. They said that the species was menhaden, which makes it unusual behavior for that kind of creature.

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Posted in end of days. prophecy, end time, homosexuality

God gave them over…is America under judgment?

Posted on by elizabethprata

Our culture depicts the Holy God as a “loving God” which by extension means “He would never put us in hell. He will accept all peoples into heaven. He doesn’t discriminate…all paths lead to Him.” I have one word for that philosophy.

No.

God is loving, but He is also Holy. That means He is pure and untainted by sin. Because people refuse to accept His offer of forgiveness through the sacrifice of His son Jesus on the cross, God will judge them for those sins. People these days like to think that they can live free and unfettered by moral constraints, that whatever they do will have no consequence on earth or in heaven. I have one word for that philosophy.

No.

There are consequences. Individually, people who refuse the offer of salvation by Jesus’ substitution death on the cross are in effect, choosing hell, because they are choosing sin. We are all sinners, me, you, all. (Romans 3:23). But those who escape judgment of those sins are the ones who asked Jesus to forgive them, and repented. All others will be eternally separated from God in a place called the Lake of Fire. God doesn’t send you there…you chose it by rejecting the alternative.

That was individuals. God judges nations, also. He is judging America. This is a short commentary from John MacArthur today, about this verse from Romans: “Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, that their bodies might be dishonored among them.” (Romans 1:24-25; 28).

Introduction: “If we chart the spiritual course of America, a distinct pattern of sin emerges. Evolution has become the dominant world view.  People live as if God doesn’t even exist. And even the destructive sin of homosexuality has become commonplace. Sounds like Romans chapter 1 where God gave them over to impure lusts, degrading passions, and a depraved mind. Three times in that passage it says “God gave them over.” What does that phrase mean, and  what application is there for our nation today?”

MacArthur’s answer: “Giving someone over was actually a legal term that was used in the court to speak of a person who had been found guilty and who was handed over for judgment. And that is exactly its meaning in Romans 1. This is God’s judgment on nations. And what Romans 1 is describing happens over and over though all human history. Nations know the truth about God, they reject the truth about God, they create false gods, they live according to their lusts, and there’s a sequence. First, sexual immorality, second homosexuality, thirdly reprobate minds. When you look at a nation, or a civilization, and you see that nation honoring immorality, honoring homosexuality, and laughing and enjoying the reprobate mind, then you know that nation is under Divine judgment. That is the wrath of God at work in that nation. That’s where we are. We need to pray that God will be gracious to this nation and bring revival.”

A reprobate mind is mentioned three times in the New Testament: Romans 1:28, 2Timothy 3:8 and Titus 1:16. Other translations use the words depraved, disapproved, and worthless. A reprobate mind, no matter what the word used in which translation, adds up to the same thing: a mind rejected by God.

I think no one can argue that this nation is immoral. Licentiousness abounds, even in the simplest of commercials. Abortion doctors make millions. Some Grandmothers pose in short short hot pants in front of the world. Other grandmothers do the same. Homosexual marriage is legal in five states and recognized in three more. Homosexuality is promoted as normal on television, movies, ads, and in this startling report, half of boyfriends say that adultery from their girlfriend is OK as long as it was with another woman.

I think anyone with eyes can see that America is in a terrible moral decline, and not only is approving of it, accepting of homosexuality, but laughing at it with a reprobate mind. As MacArthur showed us in the verses from Romans, God gave us over. And we know what comes next: judgment.

If you are sorry for your sins though, you can ask Jesus to forgive them, and He will. He is loving and gracious that way, taking on all sinners. He died for every sin that was ever committed and will ever be committed. No sin is too big for our Jesus to handle. He loves you and does not want to reject you. But if you persist in choosing sin, He WILL give you over to it, just as He is giving America over to it.
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