Category: pre-tribulation rapture

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

Why I love prophecy

Posted on by elizabethprata

I love prophecy. People who are on the outside of Jesus’ love often wonder why us fundamentalists love the prophecies so much, in addition to wondering why we love the bible so much. “Why all that doom and gloom?” they wonder. We are often thought of as crazy and soundly derided because it looks to the unsaved like we’re gleeful over the demise of all the lost.

But nothing could be further from the truth. We do mourn the effects of sin on a fallen and dying world. We do mourn the lost, who, incidentally are our fathers, and sisters, and mothers, and friends. We do ache at the mocking against God, and chafe at what the scoffers say.

But fulfilled prophecy means to me so much more than doom and gloom. It is actually light and promise. Literally: promise. Prophecy is God’s utterances of what will happen. He doesn’t have to tell us, but He does. The Ancient of Days, the Great I Am, tells us what He will do. We have opportunity then, to decide if we want to be with Him, or against Him. He is all glory.

“I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.” Isaiah 42:8

Knowing Jesus like I do, I know without a doubt that what He says will come to pass, will come to pass. Is it not so?

“My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.” Psalm 89:34

That is one of the reasons I love prophecy. In a crazy world when nothing is certain, the words of Jesus and His promises are not only certain, they are set in stone. The Capstone!

I love prophecy because it illustrates His past and His future justice. Sinning is a crime against Him. Crimes have punishments. The main crime is against Himself. He will not be mocked. God never fails to see even the smallest injustice borne by a long-suffering saint. He will rectify it all, upholding His holiness by bringing justice onto those who have chosen to be criminals in God’s court. In this way, He brings glory unto Himself, by magnifying His holy name, and the believers will sing praises because finally justice is no longer perverted in the world, but is perfect.

“How long will you say such things? Your words are a blustering wind. Does God pervert justice? Does the Almighty pervert what is right? When your children sinned against him, he gave them over to the penalty of their sin.” Job 8:2-4

“The LORD is known by his acts of justice; the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands.” Psalm 9:16

“Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations.” Matthew 12:17-19

The feelings of wanting righteous men to rule, to want justice rendered in the world, of wanting promises to mean something, are feelings of passion for the Lord to express Himself through fulfillment of those long-uttered promises. And that’s a good thing.
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Posted in end time, pre-tribulation rapture, prophecy

A compare and contrast exercise

Posted on by elizabethprata

If you look at the world today it is dark, ugly, and bleak. Stay with me, it gets good.

There is a report of another oil spill in the Gulf. It is reported to be 100 miles long and 10 miles wide. The Coast Guard did go out and check, and confirmed some slicks. Their investigation continues.

Radiation from the Fukushima prefect in Japan is now high enough to have infected milk, spinach, and Tokyo tap water. All food sales from that district have been halted.

The radiation plume from Japan has made its way across the Pacific and USDA is now testing west coast milk for milk infection.

Dead baby dolphins are washing up along the Gulf shores and also along the coasts of SC. Ten times as many as usual. Imagine walking along with your kids and coming across a badly decomposed 6 foot mammal. Ugh. Scientists do not know why only dolphins are dying.

Wars, bombs, and death in the Middle East continues apace.

A huge swathe of land in Washington state is sliding down the hill, taking people’s homes with it. A huge section of Route One in California slid into the sea. 

To sum up, the air is toxic, the water is polluted, the land is poison, the animals are decaying, and the land is unstable. It’s gross everywhere, and more of it is coming.

This reminds me of an old Twilight Zone episode called The Masks, set in New Orleans during the Mardi Gras. A rich guy with a hateful family is dying. He calls them all to his house for his last breaths, and he knows they will come because they want the money. They are insufferable, one being a coward, one a self-absorbed brat, another a buffoon, and another a greedy miser. The rich guys says you can all have the money but you have to do one thing: wear these Mardi Gras masks until the stroke of midnight. They are grotesque masks, but the family accepts the condition because they want the guy to die so they can have the money.

The guy does die after making his final speech to them, and the clock strikes midnight. They gleefully cheer (over the guy’s dead body) and peel off the masks…except they won’t come off. Their faces have transformed into the characteristics of their awful inner selves. What was inside them, hidden, was made manifest on their exterior.

The world’s awful condition is manifesting its sin on its exterior.  Once charged to take care of the world (Genesis 1:27-30), in our sin, we corrupted it. In its pollution and toxicity and poison, the invisible qualities of the world’s sinful people are made manifest.

ALL TO HIS GLORY!

How so, you ask? Because He will lift us out of this place, from its poison and rot, its radiation and oil, and how much MORE glorious His face will seem! How much MORE pure! How much MORE holy! He shines like the sun! His throne is radiant with rainbows shining about it! He is like silver, refined seven times! Turning our face from our rotted planet, we will see how much more glory He deserves in His sinlessness!

If there is anything good about this world, it is that His shining visage will appear all the more bright when we SOON gaze upon it.

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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 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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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, 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, pre-tribulation rapture

The time draws ever closer

Posted on by elizabethprata

Hello and welcome to the end time world of Jesus Christ!

End time simply means the time since Jesus ascended into heaven with the promise He would come back, which is the Second Coming. He said that the times would be like birth pangs with certain events to look for as the time got close. Like any gestation, not much happens at first, and then as the time nears and the birth pangs begin, the frequency and intensity of the contractions makes it noticeable, then hurtful, then unbearable. Right now we are at the unbearable stage, as sin washes up against us, as everything we look at all day long in real life, on the computer tv and movies is polluted and decaying. It is unbearable because we can barely feed our families and millions of others really can’t feed their families. We hurt because we see the crumbling of our once glorious nation, we see the deterioration of economic, political, financial, and social systems all over the world. But like any good mother and father, we don’t STOP at focusing on the birth contractions, do we. At all times we look forward to what the birth brings, new life! Fresh, innocent, clean and new! The LORD is birthing the Millennium Kingdom, a time on earth for 1000 years when all will be refreshed, innocent, new.

Rev 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”  21:5 He who was seated on the throne said,  “I am making everything new!”

Birthing is painful, bloody, loud, and messy. But look what it brings! The revealed glory of the Lord! The fulfillment of the Kingdom for the Jews! Him on the throne! Now, that is something to look forward to. You know once the birth is over you do not remember each and every contraction, you don’t remember what you said to your husband or what your wife said to you. You don’t remember any of that the instant you lay eyes on your new little one. That is how it will be when the rapture comes. You know the pangs are necessary to the birth but they are over quickly and then you have the glorious new creation to be with.

Friends, no fooling, the time is close. Check your heart to be sure that you are sure you are saved. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.  Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’  And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” (Matthew 7:21-23). If you have ever been on the receiving end of a spouse saying, “honey, we have to talk,” or been on the other side of the doctor’s desk when he says “I have some news…” you know how your heart drops. Well, magnify that dropping feeling infinity times if you are on the receiving end of Jesus saying “Depart from me…”. So check your heart and be sure that you are not just in intellectual agreement with Jesus but really and truly are a believer in the heart and a follower in fact.

If you are not a believer but are simply curious about end time events for whatever reason, now is the time to focus your curiosity on one eternal truth: you are a sinner. Where is your invitation to heaven? Heaven is God’s house, and you need to be invited there. And you HAVE been, Jesus died on the cross for you, your invitation is laying on your doorstep. Jesus has knocked on the door. All you need to do is open the door and pick up your invitation! “‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.” (Revelation 3:20.) Opening the door to Jesus means you acknowledge your sins, and ask Him who is worthy to forgive them. I really, really want to sit next to you at that dinner 🙂

Love,
Elizabeth
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