prophecy – Page 79

Blessed, not oppressed, by the times

Posted on July 6, 2011May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

Iceland’s Most Feared Volcano Ready To Erupt
“An Icelandic stratovolcano, one the country’s most active, could erupt at any time according to a leading geophysicist. University of Iceland geophysicist Pall Einarsson said Wednesday that measurement instruments have shown “unusual” magma movements around the Hekla volcano in recent days. According to Ríkisútvarpið RUV – The Icelandic National Broadcasting Service – the GPS movements around Hekla in the past few days are real. Civil disaster authorities and local emergency authorities in the country also were notified Wednesday of the possibility of an eruption.” Irish Weather online has the story, plus more about Hekla.

Map source

You notice Eyja, Katla, and Hekla in the lower center of the country. The scale of miles shows the three volcanoes between 15 and 30 miles apart from each other, roughly.

You might remember Eyjafjallajökull, Iceland’s volcano that erupted between March-May 2010, disrupting the globe’s air commerce and causing travel chaos and revenue loss. At that time, all the airlines estimated their losses at $1.7billion. These natural disasters are costing the world billions and billions of dollars. It isn’t just the money loss, but time lost, transport of goods lost, employment lost. Time Magazine did a recent article on natural disaster sticker shock, “What extreme weather costs the US“. They wrote that “a study by the National Center for Atmospheric Research estimates that the bottom-line cost of all the meteorological craziness is a staggering $485 billion per year in the U.S. alone, as much as 3.4% of the country’s GDP.”

In May 2011, Bloomberg Business News wrote, “Lloyd’s of London, the world’s largest insurance market, has estimated net claims of $3.8 billion before tax from this year’s Japan and New Zealand earthquakes and Australian floods.” Two billion of that was the Japan quake and tsunami alone. Can the world keep paying for disaster cleanup and reconstruction? No. Especially since they will keep occurring and on consistently larger scales. Just as one day we hear of Mount Soputan in Indonesia erupting this week, with Chile’s Puyehue still erupting, Nabro in Eritrea which never erupted suddenly going off, and now a resumption of Iceland’s volcanoes showing magma on the move is too much to keep up with. And three US nuke plants in trouble simultaneously – check physicist Michio Kaku’s essay on that one. No, we cannot afford the continual shaking of the world from below, surface and above. But neither can we ignore the spiritual shaking.

That is what this is all about, shaking un-believers from their stance that this is all natural. It isn’t of course. They are birth pangs, getting ready to ramp up into labor, which will result in a bloody mess that will finally produce a clean and pure Kingdom.

I’m sad at the process that will mean death and hell for many people caught in these disasters, but I am also thrilled at His power. He put us here at this time for a reason. Every believer has a purpose and aside from the common purpose of making disciples that applies to all of us, we each have a unique purpose to accomplish His will. Is it to ring the warning bell as a watchman? It it to exude peace in uncertain times? Is it to go on mission to Muslim nations? Is it to be a steady church-goer and encourage the body? Pray for His will to be revealed in your life. He has one and after the Apostles founding the church, this age is unique in all the church age! Feel blessed by the times, not oppressed.

How thrilling to watch the pages of the bible rip open each day as His words become alive in the world. We are living in biblical times as surely as the Israelites who saw the Red Sea parting, or who saw the Walls of Jericho fall down or who helped construct Solomon’s temple, or who saw Lazarus emerge from the tomb or who went on mission with Peter Paul and witnessed miraculous healing. I am in awe of the promises that are written coming true before my eyes. Each day brings miracles in themselves and I glory in Him who has the entire world in His hands, and in which, someone, somewhere may finally turn from their sin and say, this is not all a coincidence. Jesus, I believe.”
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end time, gog magog, ottomans, prophecy, revelation

The Ottomans are back. Are they Revelation’s 7th kingdom?

Posted on July 6, 2011August 29, 2026 by elizabethprata

There is a difficult prophetic passage in Revelation, some say the most difficult. Revelation 17:9-11 says-

“Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time. The beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition.” (Revelation 17:9-11)

Oh, boy, where do you start? OK, in the first phrase, it says ‘here is wisdom.’ To me, that means that the interpretation won’t be easy or obvious. It will take deeper study, but that it will be revealed to the one who seeks wisdom. James 1:5 makes that promise.

Next, “Mountains”. In biblical symbolism, mountains represent kingdoms or strong, powerful governments. When it says THE mountain, like in Isaiah 2:2-4, it means Jesus’ government. “It shall come to pass in the last days that the mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains.”

“The seven” past kingdoms (empires) are generally accepted to be Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Greece, Media-Persia and Rome past and/or Rome to come, or perhaps someone else. “The eighth” seems to be the antichrist which is part of the seventh.

Remember that in Daniel’s interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s statue of the kingdoms (Dan 2:31-35), it was gold at the head, silver at the chest and arms, bronze torso and thighs, legs of iron and feet of a mixture of clay and iron. A side note, you notice two things of the statue’s metals: as they progress from head to toe, the metals become less expensive. Gold is the most precious metal, iron the least. Clay is worth nothing at all. But they also become stronger. Gold is the softest metal but iron is strongest.

The legs of iron are generally thought to be the split Roman empire. The Romans split their empire in 330AD when they allowed Constantinople to become a sister capital, and the kingdom was split east and west. (The feet of iron and clay are thought to the coming Tribulation kingdom.) So let’s look at Constantinople.

Now known as Istanbul, it is located in Turkey and is its largest city. Wikipedia says Istanbul has served as the capital of the Roman Empire (330–395), the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire (395–1204 and 1261–1453), the Latin Empire (1204–1261), and the Ottoman Empire (1453–1922). That’s a lot of empires! It was also chosen as a joint European Capital of Culture for 2010-2011, and as such organized cultural events with a strong European dimension. Yet…Istanbul is not European, and despite its long desire to align with the west, that desire has been thwarted.

Though Turkey was one of the first countries to become a member of the Council of Europe in 1949, a predecessor to the EU, and is now an associate member of the EU, it has been denied full membership ever since its application in 1987. It seems that the two legs of the Roman empire are still split, though it is part of the body of historically precedent empires and loosely connected to the west, is not the west.

The Turks figure into end time prophecy as the nation who aligns finally with the east. They come together with Armenia, Russia, Iran, and northern Africa and others to attack Israel. Their final status as an Israel-hater is certain. The journey from been a tumultuous one ever since Paul’s missionary days into Asia Minor, which Turkey is still known as (also Anatolia). The question is, how does Turkey get from here to there?

Ezekiel 38:6 says that Gomer and the house of beth-Togarmah join the Gog-Magog attack. I interpret Gomer to be Turkey and beth-Togarmah as Armenia. You can research the historical/biblical names here, and here, and directly from the bible here and here. Turkey reverts to her roots in the last days, no matter the Western overlay this generation has come to see Turkey outwardly present.

Now to the original verse in Revelation. The verse says that there were/are 7 kingdoms. Some say the 7th both are Rome, and some say that the 7th could be the Ottoman Empire. Note the last part of the Revelation verse, ‘the beast is the eighth AND is of the seven’ could be satisfied by a ruler from the eastern leg of the statue that was part of Roman empire but not Rome.

The Ottomans existed as an empire for 500 years, disappearing in 1922 with the cessation of the office of Caliph (Ruler of all Muslims). Jack Kelley explores the notion of the Ottomans as 7th Revelation Kingdom, here. He said in part, “There are already some who believe the 7th Kingdom of Rev. 17:10 is the Ottoman Empire, and point out that Constantinople is also a city on seven hills. If so, its loyalty to Islam would confirm the identity of the one world End Times religion, and could also support the idea of an Islamic anti-Christ, the one some call al-Mahdi. As details of Islamic eschatology become more widely known, prophecy students are discovering a striking similarity between descriptions of al Mahdi and the anti-Christ.”

John MacArthur said in his sermon “The Grim Reality of the Last Days“, “Now somebody might say, “Well, when you think about the future and what’s going to happen in the world, don’t we have a revived Roman Empire? Doesn’t that mean the west? You remember that the image in Daniel 2 of the final world empire had two legs and the Roman Empire had the west and the east? You know, of course, if you know history that the western part of the Roman Empire basically dissolved and the east survived for a thousand years or more so that at the time of the New Testament, sixty percent of the Roman Empire was land that is now under Muslim control…at least 60 percent. The vast majority of the Roman Empire in New Testament times is today under Muslim control and Islam is moving across the west rapidly in Europe, isn’t it? When you have a picture in Ezekiel 38, you have a picture of the Antichrist, Gog and you have the listing of eight nations, that will be a coalition for the Antichrist. All eight of those are Muslim nations, all eight of them. And they ring the Mediterranean to Libya. In Revelation 17:9 to 11 it says there were six kingdoms and then a seventh and finally an eighth. What is the seventh? Well there’s been a discussion about that, it well could be the Ottoman Turk Empire which lasted five hundred years and didn’t really fall until the modern era. The Turkish Empire was the last Caliphate which ended in 1923 and they’re waiting for the restoration when the Mahdi comes.”

What I’m saying is, the bible shows us that Turkey is a powerful and influential nation in the Gog-Magog battle. We saw Turkey’s influence come to the fore last year in the Gaza Flotilla attack, and we see it now in her continuing spokesmanship for Muslims in Asia Minor.

This article from a Turkish daily newspaper titled “Turkey is shaping the Arab Spring” states flatly, “the Ottomans are back”.

That the Ottomans could be the 7th kingdom mentioned in the Revelation verse is worth pondering, as we watch Turkey’s pre-eminence in the Middle East rise again.

israel, prophecy

Muslim Brotherhood demands of US: "Drop Israel"

Posted on July 5, 2011 by elizabethprata

I wrote on Monday that over the weekend the Obama Administration instructed Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to reach out to the Muslim Brotherhood. The Muslim Brotherhood was banned as an illegal organization in Egypt for decades but once Mubarek fell they popped up quickly and were almost instantly acknowledged as a legitimate political party in Egypt. In another act over the weekend, no coincidence I’m sure, Obama also listed Israel on the list of ‘Specially Designated Countries’ as a terror-sponsor. Now, the Brotherhood’s sworn aim is to obliterate the ‘cancer’ that they say is Israel (and also destroy the West, namely, the US). They would also love Egypt to return to a state of war with Israel. Currently the only Arab States that have have a peace treaty with Israel are Jordan and Egypt. And do not forget, it was the Muslim Brotherhood who assassinated Former Egyptian President Anwar Sadat for making peace with Israel.

Well, the response from the Muslim Brotherhood didn’t take long. Today we learn that in an email to Clinton, quoted by Bloomberg News, the Brotherhood wants the US to stop supporting Israel. Israel Magazine Today reports, “In an email response quoted by Bloomberg, Muslim Brotherhood spokesman Mahmoud Ghozlan stated that if America wants solid relations with the group, it should “stop supporting the corrupt and tyrannical regimes, backing the Zionist occupation and using double standards.” Israel National News also has the story.

The time of Zechariah 12:2 is rapidly advancing, when Israel will be alone in the world without one friend on earth. Praise the LORD that His promises are true, and He remains a friend to the People until the end. And in the end, His friendship is all that matters. Look at Ezekiel’s vision of the Millennium Kingdom, which is ushered in after the Tribulation and battle at Armageddon: (chapter 43:1-2)

“Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looketh toward the east: And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with his glory.”
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china, end of days, end time, japan, prophecy, rare earth

Stunning rare earth deposits found off Japan, crumbling China’s monopoly

Posted on July 5, 2011 by elizabethprata

A stunning discovery has been made. Reuters reported this week that “Vast deposits of rare earth minerals, crucial in making high-tech electronics products, have been found on the floor of the Pacific Ocean and can be readily extracted, Japanese scientists said on Monday.”

Here is a great article about it with graphics that clearly show the magnitude of this discovery!

I’m continually stunned at the rolling-out of the unexpected in these end of days. Just as political supremacy has been indicated in one country or another, it suddenly falls. Just as Russia eyed oil supremacy, Israel has become the world’s potentially richest nation in natural gas, oil shale, and oil in the last 18 months, going from an importer to a self-sufficient exporter. Israel is on the cusp of an energy revolution, causing jealousy in Russia. And now this: rare earths, tumbling China from its supreme position to a mere paltry contender.

Let me explain what has been going on in rare earths since the mid 1990s.

China rare earth mine: source

China’s rise in economic power allowed that nation to corner the market in rare earth metals. They literally have a monopoly. By now, the US relies almost completely on a supply of these obscure but critical minerals from China and this fact spooked us big time. This was by China’s design: they deliberately set out to corner the market on rare earth minerals. What happens when rare-earths become scarce? The Chinese have spent the last 25 years amassing them and then in the mid 2000’s they turned the spigot down, causing scarcity.

What are rare earth metals? Most people define them as including the following 17 metals: Cerium Dysprosium Erbium Europium Gadolinium Holmium Lanthanum Lutetium Neodymium Praseodymium Promethium Samarium Scandium Terbium Thulium Ytterbium Yttrium. These rare earth metals are in just about everything that makes current civilization function.

“Here’s why you should care about them: By the 21st century, rare earths had become essential to global commerce. Take a look around you. There are probably plenty of things that depend on them. Rare earths are used in permanent magnets, which are integral to modern electronics and green technologies. They’re in iPhones, earbuds, cell phones and hard drives. Their use is not exactly new: they were in cathode tube televisions, although they are now in flat screens too. They’re in electric automobile windows, MRI machines, and compact fluorescent bulbs. A Toyota Prius contains at least two pounds of them. Each advanced wind turbine has roughly 660 pounds of the soft silvery metal neodymium. They are also used in guided missiles and other weapons systems. As recently as the 1990s, the world had a geographically diversified supply of rare earth minerals. China produced a lot, but the United States, Brazil, India and Russia also had active mines. However, as getting rich became increasingly glorious, the Chinese smelled an opportunity. In 1992, paramount leader Deng Xiaoping reportedly pronounced China to be the Saudi Arabia of rare earths, reflecting the geologic fact that his country is unusually rich in them. Deng also noted that, given their importance, rare earths are wildly cheap. China began to close the spigot on its supply — adding tariffs and slowly tightening export quotas. As the world became increasingly dependent on rare earths, China had quietly cornered the market and created a shortage. Some analysts believe that 2010 will be the first year when global demand exceeds supply.” And China was sitting on that mountain, gloating.

Now they gloat no more.

The Reuters article about the new rare earths discoveries continues: “The deposits have a heavy concentration of rare earths. Just 0.4 square mile of deposits will be able to provide one-fifth of the current global annual consumption,” said Yasuhiro Kato, an associate professor of earth science at the University of Tokyo. [WOW!!!] The discovery was made by a team led by Kato and including researchers from the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology. They found the minerals in sea mud extracted from depths of 11,500-20,000 ft below the ocean surface at 78 locations. One-third of the sites yielded rich contents of rare earths and the metal yttrium, Kato said in a telephone interview. The deposits are in international waters in an area stretching east and west of Hawaii, as well as east of Tahiti in French Polynesia, he said. He estimated rare earths contained in the deposits amounted to 80 to 100 billion metric tons, compared to global reserves currently confirmed by the U.S. Geological Survey of just 110 million tonnes that have been found mainly in China…”

So suddenly China is out of luck, as this Japanese Business Magazine reports. The “Solution to the rare earth problem could come from the sea” “Huge quantities of rare earth elements exist on the Pacific Ocean floor, researchers say, a development that could end China’s virtual monopoly on the metals but may exacerbate legal wrangling on the high seas. In an encouraging sign for makers of high-tech products that require rare earths from the dwindling supply, the deposits appear to be in seabed conditions that will make it easy to collect and refine them, according to team, which included researchers from the University of Tokyo.”

Everything is increasingly unpredictable. Weather is going crazy. Political ups and downs are surprising. As fast as French Presidential contender Dominique Strauss-Kahn faced sexual assault charges in New York and seemed to lost his bid against Sarkozy, now he is up again. As deliberately as Russia has crafted solidity through pipelines and deals in the oil market within Russia, and in the Baltics and Asia Minor, that supremacy was toppled within 18 months as vast deposits and oil fields were discovered in Israel. Now China’s monopoly in rare earths was lost in one day as rare earth deposits were found near Japan, and easy to reach, too.

In the Tribulation, geo-political shifts and rises and falls of fortunes occur even more quickly and dramatically than they are occurring today. We know that Russia, Iran, Turkey, Armenia, and others attack Israel for “plunder and a spoil”. (Ezekiel 38:13). That great amount of riches they seek could be the treasures Israel has recently discovered under their sand and sea. The ‘Kings of the East‘ collectively march against Israel, and though the Kings are not named, logic deduces that they could be be a united Japan, China, and Korea… and let us not forget India is also east of the Euphrates.

The point is, that nothing is solid except heaven. As we get closer to the Tribulation that solidity will continue to wither. The earth that seems to strong, will crack asunder (Isaiah 24:19). The riches and supremacy one nation has, fall down in one day. (Rev 18:10). The Lord sets up Kings and he takes them down. (Daniel 2:21).

Sorry, China. It seems that Japan won this round. You won’t have long to wait, though, something else is sure to come along in these fast-changing times to change the fortunes of one over the next. As Mark Twain said, “If you don’t like the weather in New England, wait a few minutes,” and in these end of days we can safely modify that saying to: “If you don’t like the world situation, wait a few minutes.”
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end time, Obama, prophecy, un secretary general

Obama for UN Secretary General?

Posted on July 5, 2011 by elizabethprata

Throughout the 2008 Presidential campaign and after Obama was elected, there were many blogs, comments, and social media essays purporting that Obama may be the antichrist. I don’t believe he is, but that dramatic feeling swept the country among Christians and I firmly believe there was a reason so many people felt that way. Collectively, we are not often touched with a similarly strong feeling of spiritual evil- so there must be some basis for it. At the very least, he obviously has a front and center prophetic role to play in the eternal will of God at the close of this Church Age.

It is plain to see that Obama has no real interest in the job he occupies at the time – and he never occupies it for long. As community organizer he was accused of being distant and unfocused. As Law Professor (glorified adjunct, really) he was and still is accused of being distant and unfocused. As State Senator he was accused of being distant and unfocused (he voted ‘present’ 129 times.) As President he is accused of being distant and unfocused.He plays golf a lot. He vacations a lot.

The unsaved are usually restless- always seeking the next thing that will fill that hole in them (but never does). Obama seems to have a unique amount of restlessness and lust for power and adoration. Earlier this year and also last year I wrote about the signals that some thought Obama was emitting to be the Muslim Caliphate, that is, the Islamic leader of all the world’s Muslims. He might indeed be acceptable for that position. Ruling over 1.4 billion people is a nice job if you can get it, and Ayatollah Durrani seemed inclined to endow Obama with the credentials.

In 2007 when Obama was campaigning, the US was arguably still the world’s only super power, claiming hegemony in all arenas and using that clout to fulfill the vision George Bush had for promoting the Good. But what job does one seek after being the leader of the richest and most influential nation in the free world? Why, the World’s leader of course.

This is the story that won’t go away. It’s come up in several times over the years. In 2009, a blogger mused on it. In 2010, the UK Telegraph mused on it. This week in 2011, The American Thinker magazine mused on it. Will Obama’s next job be Secretary General of the United Nations?

It kind of makes sense in the deep spiritual portion of our brain, doesn’t it? The Secretary-General was envisioned by US President Franklin D. Roosevelt as a “world moderator.” The UN’s page about the position says that it is “Equal parts diplomat and advocate, civil servant and CEO, the Secretary-General is a symbol of United Nations ideals and a spokesman for the interests of the world’s peoples…”. ‘Obama: World Leader.’

We know that the Tribulation will be a time when the world’s political and geo-national boundaries will be reformed. After the Gog-Magog war prophesied in Ezekiel 37-28, Israel will wind up with four times as much land as they have now, including parts of Egypt, and Lebanon, Syria etc. We don’t know exactly how the world will be drawn together in the prophesied ten nations, (Rev 17:12-14). Some think there will be ten regions, some think the regions will be ten members of the European Union, but it is clear that global power is tightly controlled and rests with these ten kings under the evil direction of the antichrist.

The current UN Secretary Ban-Ki Moon was just re-appointed this week for another five-year term, which will begin Jan 2012 and end in 2017. Yes, he was re-appointed 6 months early to his next term. I don’t know why the rush. Obama hurriedly joined his side to echo the chorus crying out for more of Moon’s leadership and the deal was done. So the timing of an Obama UN position as Secretary General seems way off, because Obama won’t end his Presidency until 2012 or if he wins re-election, 2016. The timing doesn’t match up. But nothing is as it seems these days and anything can happen.

Obama showed his interest in world leadership early on. Remember Obama’s unprecedented and possibly unconstitutional (Section 9) taking of the Chairmanship of the UN Security Council in 2009?? Never in the history of the United Nations had a U.S. President taken the chairmanship of the powerful UN Security Council. When the rotating chairmanship of the council went to the U.S., in normal course of business U.S. Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice would take the gavel. But Obama pushed her aside, and put HIMSELF in the chairman’s seat, presiding over global nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament talks that began September 24, 2009. I was extremely discomfited by his move then, and I believed it signaled that the world will see a lot more of Obama in years to come, in whatever capacity is higher than US Presidency.

If Obama has designs on more power, being one of ten world leaders as prophecy indicates, is a lot better than being one of 192, the number of nations there are now. So it seems Obama’s future career path won’t be one that sinks gently back into retirement as President Bush did, or even one filled with humanitarian causes as Bill Clinton is revered for, but one that will likely enjoy MORE power and attention than he has now. We can all intuit we have not seen the last of Obama.
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bible, bible jesus, end of days, end time, prophecy, rapture, tribulation

How long, O Lord?

Posted on July 3, 2011 by elizabethprata

I had someone ask me recently about the duration of all this. My friend intimated that I’ve been talking about this stuff for almost three years now, when’s it gonna GET here? Sooo, could I be wrong in translating the news of the world in terms of an imminent prophetic event? Am I wrong? Am I promoting an imminence that is false? Let’s take a look at that notion, biblically.

Generally, time has no meaning. Our life is “but a vapor that appears for a little while then vanishes away.” (James 4:14). I ask, what’s 3 years in the face of eternity future? In the face of 6000 years past? In front of a God to whom a day is a thousand years and a thousand years is as a day? (2 Peter 3:8). He has the full measure of the timing He wants. He waits until the grapes of wrath are fully ripe, even a little overripe, (Rev 15:16). He waits until the entire measure of the iniquity is filled (Gen 15:16). He waits until the full number of Gentiles are come in. (Romans 11:25).

Now, more specifically, in 1948 Israel was born, and that was a huge end times sign. It was a direct Hand of God moment. And by most interpretations the generation who sees that will not pass away before seeing all these things come to pass.(Mt 24:34). No one who is alert and studious can fail to notice the signs. Over these last 3 years the US has fallen from prominence, half the work force is on food stamps, crime is up nationally 41%, homelessness and bankruptcies are a tidal wave upon the banks, which are failing at an exponential number since 2007. Even John MacArthur said this week that America’s judgment must truly be imminent.

Now even more specifically, I referenced the scripture about “peace and security” which is from 1 Thessalonians 5:3. Paul is talking about the period of judgment called The Day of the Lord, and the Second Coming. Here is the verse: “For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.” Now here is the rest of the verse:

“But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.” Though Paul is talking about the judgment period of the Tribulation, we can back-extrapolate the principle he is explaining, to us at the threshold of that time. Understanding the signs, understanding our position as the generation placed here at Divine will to accomplish His purposes in these last days, understanding that time means nothing, how does the bible say we are supposed to live? As a child of the light, alert and sober! Here is what that means:

Barnes Notes: “But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief – The allusion here is to the manner in which a thief or robber accomplishes his purpose. He comes in the night, when people are asleep. So, says the apostle, the Lord will come to the wicked. They are like those who are asleep when the thief comes upon them. But it is not so with Christians. They are, in relation to the coming of the day of the Lord, as people are who are awake when the robber comes. They could see his approach, and could prepare for it, so that it would not take them by surprise.”

We will not be surprised. Why? We are not asleep! We see His approach. We prepare for it! We who are soulfully injured by blasphemy, evil, iniquity, sin…should and do pray for His appearing. 2 Timothy 4:8 says, “Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” Not only is it right to expect Him to appear any day, any moment, and to live for Him completely as if this moment could be our last to serve him on earth forever, but we receive a crown as a reward for eager anticipation!

For those who may be flagging…may be tiring from expectancy and anticipation: Habakkuk, that wise old prophet, recorded what God had to say about that:

For the vision is yet for the appointed time;

It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail.

Though it tarries, wait for it;

For it will certainly come, it will not delay. (Hab 2:3)

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bible, bible jesus, end time, nehemiah, prophecy

The only proper response to the Word

Posted on June 29, 2011September 9, 2020 by elizabethprata

I read Nehemiah 8 this morning. It is a short book in the Old Testament, and it is good. Nehemiah was the fellow who supervised the rebuilding of Jerusalem and alongside Prophet Ezra help to purify the Jewish community that had re-gathered there. Nehemiah was governor and Ezra was the priest and the scribe.

The day came when Ezra called all the adults, and all children who could understand, to come and listen to the reading of the Law. They stood and listened. The Levites were there to help them understand what they were hearing. Soon there were tears, weeping, and crushed hearts. They fell on their faces. “For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law.” The Jews realized how far they were from God. But Ezra said not to weep, for it was a day of rejoicing. The Festival of Booths was born, and the people celebrated, giving gifts to those who had nothing, and went their way eating and drinking. It is a short chapter. I recommend reading it.

The response of the people was the only proper response but it is one from which we can gather strength and praise our Savior all the more. First, the people listened to the word. Any walk with the Lord should begin with listening, either by reading yourself and listening with your mind and heart, or listening to a pastor. The people were instructed, and that is a good start.

Then they wept. There are a lot of reasons people weep when they read or hear the Word. It is precise, beautiful, true, and convicting. It is a gift delivered once for all to the saints, and it is good for reproof, exhortation, and education. The Word also reminds us how far we are from Him, Him as savior and we as sinners forgiven by His blood and His grace. But the Word also reminds us of how close we can be to Him!

Then the people were glad. He restores us! He hears prayer, he regenerates us in His likeness, and we are glad, going forth in joy to know that we CAN know our Savior personally. They celebrated, and they gave gifts. We should do that as well, always being on the lookout for those who are in need to fill that need. Giving the gift of the Word, or our time, or our love or all three!

Finally, the people went away rejoicing but their response to hearing the Word did not stop there. They DID something. In this case it was to begin the Festival of Booths (Sukkot). The Israelites evidenced an emotional response but the instructors encouraged them to apply the words to a spiritual response, and they did so.

What is your response to hearing the word? Do you remain unaffected? Do you fall on your face? Do you weep? Do you rejoice….but remain inactive? Or does hearing the word motivate you to a response in the world that in turn affects others?

Our joy should be all the greater because not only do we have the word, we have the promise of the Word.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” (John 1:1-5)

May He shine brightly in your heart today. If it has been a few days,…weeks…months since you have really listened to the Word, do it today. In Him is life!

asteroid, bible jesus, birth pangs, end time, prophecy

Newly discovered asteroid to swing closer to earth than some satellites

Posted on June 25, 2011 by elizabethprata

You can read or watch video the entire summary of the world’s recent weather here, from Irish Weather Online. Below is one short video focusing on the North Dakota flood situation, but there is so much more going on in the world! The Irish Weather link gives a great overview.

The situation in Minot ND is dire. The is about to be wiped off the map. Flooding has been particularly swift and record-breaking there, and 800 National Guardsmen have taken over the town to try and keep it above water. This report from AL Jazeera English acknowledges “Mother Nature’s” participation in this terrible event. Sigh. The soldier talking about it is at the .53 mark and generously gives ‘Mother Nature’ a vote in the proceedings.

Asteroid to Pass Extremely Close By Earth On Monday
“Here’s something to dwell on as you head to work next week: A small asteroid the size of a tour bus will make an extremely close pass by the Earth on Monday, but it poses no threat to the planet. The asteroid will make its closest approach at 1:14 p.m. EDT on June 27 and will pass just over 7,500 miles above the Earth’s surface, NASA officials say. At that particular moment, the asteroid — which scientists have named 2011 MD — will be sailing high off the coast of Antarctica, almost 2,000 miles south-southwest of South Africa.”

Er, the asteroid was just discovered on Wednesday. Four days’ notice?? With all the fancy telescopes and all the billions in dollars they spend scanning for, well, asteroids? The astronomer in this next piece tries to explain the oops. The headline from Space.com made me laugh out loud. It is exactly the headline one would expect to see in an end of the world spoof, but the headline is real.

Incoming! Asteroid to narrowly miss earth on Monday!
Astronomer Mark Thompson reports on the large asteroid that will pass within 8,000 miles from Earth and why we were given such short notice.
“This may sound like late notice, but astronomers have just spotted a rather chunky asteroid heading our way, set to narrowly miss us on Monday. In fact, it will be such a narrow miss that astronomers in the Southern Hemisphere should be able to spot the flyby with fairly modest telescopes. Coincidentally, I was watching yet another re-run of Armageddon the other night when the heroic Bruce Willis and his motley crew of oil drillers-turned-astronauts saved Earth from certain asteroid doom. On arrival at the asteroid, and having sacrificed many of the team, Willis et al. succeeded in dropping a typical Hollywood-style uber-bomb into the depths of the incoming asteroid and blew it to bits, giving everyone on Earth a glitzy meteor shower.”

‘Coincidentally’ the near earth asteroid passage made him think of an end of the world movie?? Hmmm, to continue the article from Discovery News:

“This newly discovered interplanetary interloper is thought to measure no more than 20 meters wide, making it no real threat — but it’s a warning all the same.”

Yes, it’s a warning! Jesus said He would send warnings. “Men’s hearts failing them for fear and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth for the powers of heaven shall be shaken” (Luke 21:26). It is unfortunate that though Christians correctly see this as the warning that judgment cometh, astronomers and secular people see this as a warning that they need better telescopes or something.

“If 2011 MD did hit us, then it would more than likely break up in the atmosphere and give us an amazing display of fireballs and meteors. As it turns out, it will sail harmlessly by at a butt-clenchingly close distance of only 7,500 miles, 32 times closer than the moon, and closer than some geosynchronous satellites.”

‘Butt-clenchingly close?’ Descriptive language for an astronomer. However, he mirrors biblical language.

“Then the king’s countenance was changed and his thoughts troubled him so that the joints of his loins were loosed and his knees smote one against another.” (Daniel 5:6). In other words, the king didn’t clench his butt close enough, and he pooped his pants. That is a physiological reaction to seeing the power of the Lord unleashed and His imminent judgment against you. In Luke during the Tribulation, when they see these things they will faint dead away in perfect fright. There is nothing like the Power of a Holy God to remind us all that we are puny and He is mighty. And, that we are accountable.
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bible, end time, gay marriage, prophecy

New York State approves gay marriage law

Posted on June 25, 2011May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

NY legalizes gay marriage 42 years after Stonewall

“Champagne corks popped, rainbow flags flapped and crowds embraced and danced in the streets of Manhattan’s Greenwich Village as New York became the sixth and largest state in the U.S. to legalize same-sex marriage. Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the bill shortly before midnight Friday, almost 42 years to the day that the modern-day gay rights movement was born amid violent encounters between police and gay activists at the Stonewall Inn.”

According to secular experts,When New York became the sixth and by far the largest state to legalize same-sex marriage, following a grueling overtime session in the state Legislature on Friday, it immediately transformed the national debate over the issue, legal experts said. … “I think that having same-sex marriage in New York will have tremendous moral and political force for the rest of the country — in part because New York is a large state, and in part because it hasn’t come easily,” said Suzanne Goldberg, a professor at Columbia Law School. The New York Assembly passed same-sex marriage legislation twice before, in 2007 and 2009, but in both cases it stalled in the state Senate, as it nearly did again this week. The bill passed late on Friday after legislators agreed on language allowing religious organizations to refuse to perform services or lend space for same-sex weddings. The new law’s impact can be measured in part by the numbers at play: New York is home to more than 42,000 same-sex couples, according to an analysis of U.S. census data conducted by the Williams Institute. This means, among other things, that the number of same-sex couples living in states allowing same-sex marriage has more than doubled overnight.”

Wasn’t that nice of them, to provide a footnote acknowledging that at the moment at least, the law won’t force people who honor God to dishonor Him by performing unbiblical marriages.

The photo above of the “revelers” in the streets exulting in the passage of the gay marriage law reminds me of what it will look like during the Tribulation, when revelers do all sorts of ungodly celebrating. One of those ungodly celebrations will be when the Two Witnesses are killed and they dance in the streets and send gifts over their dead bodies. “And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.” (Revelation 11:10)

The bible regards homosexuality as immoral. Leviticus 18:22; Romans 1:26-27; and in 1 Corinthians 6:9 it is noted that the homosexual will not inherit the kingdom. Because of their unbelief, God gave them over to their degrading lusts. (Romans 1:24). The model for our marriages is the first marriage and that was between a man and a woman.

We can no longer think of the NY gay marriage law, which failed two times previously, as a Sisyphean effort. Sisyphus was the mythological man who was condemned by the ‘gods’ to eternally roll a rock up a mountain, only to have it roll back to the bottom again just as it reached the top. The rock has reached the top and has been loosed on the other side. It will gather steam as the forward progression of immorality continues ever faster in this labor pang world.

Our Jesus is a forgiving Savior and will open His arms to anyone who repents. God hates sin but He loves His children, and He wants to help them remove themselves from their degrading lusts with the aid of the Holy Spirit. He is gracious, and will send the Spirit to all who repent. He will regenerate that person into a new creation, one that is righteous and pure in His eyes.

For those who refuse to repent however, Jesus is the Rock.

As Daniel interprets Nebuchadnezzar ‘s dream: “You, O king, were looking and behold, there was a single great statue; that statue, which was large and of extraordinary splendor, was standing in front of you, and its appearance was awesome. “The head of that statue was made of fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. “You continued looking until a stone was cut out without hands, and it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and crushed them. “Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were crushed all at the same time and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away so that not a trace of them was found. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.” (Daniel 2:31-35).

It’s obvious the world is fallen and I believe the NY gay marriage law is indicative of that. Further, the passage of the law in that state means that we have pushed the rock to the pinnacle of the mountain and the next phase will be a fast downward slide that soon roars into a pell mell tumble into depravity. Revelers take note! Jesus is the rock who will crush the world’s fallen governments and establish His righteous Kingdom on earth!
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emergent church, false doctrine, prophecy

Tips on spotting Emergent church falsity in yourself or others

Posted on June 24, 2011 by elizabethprata

The false doctrines of emergent Christianity are permeating everywhere. I usually think of them as existing and infecting churches in Seattle or California, not in Georgia, not in the people I know. But those poisonous doctrines are everywhere, including right around me.

One of the typical doctrines of this false religious movement is incessant questioning under the guise of intellectual openness. They relentlessly cast doubt on the authority and reliability of Scripture. It is a lie from the first lie, from satan who said “Hath God indeed said…??” It is not intellectual openness to continually ask questions of biblical truth, it is a the chipping away of the absolute authority of God.

If you find yourself going in this direction you’re infected with it:

“I used to believe in the pretrib rapture, now I’m not so sure.” Substitute any word for pretrib and you have the same Emergent questioning tactic. “I used to believe in hell but now I’m not so sure.” “I used to know what ‘the wrath’ is but what is wrath, really?”

They say, “I’m being intellectually honest.” But they’re not, actually. They’re being spiritually dishonest.

Asking constant questions, and worse, always being available for the next or a different answer chips away at the absolute nature of Truth. That truth is found in the bible and once you let the Holy Spirit form the answer in you, to lead you to the verses where it is clear, then let it stay. It’s work to remain absolutely staunch but you have to do it. Here is the nut of the matter: as long as there is the possibility of a different answer, you don’t have to defend the one you’re temporarily clinging to.

Here is a tip: Any time you go from a stance of understanding to one of doubt you are going in the wrong direction. Now, I’m not saying questioning is bad. I do that all the time. I ask a million questions each day. I ask, why did Eve take the fruit? How did Satan convert a third of the angels to his way of thinking? Where is heaven? What are the physics behind the creation? How did Paul stay so positive in the faith throughout his trials? But here is the difference. God is the author and perfecter of our faith. (Hebrews 12:2). He is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33). When you ask questions on doctrinal things and you turn to the bible for answers, if you are coming away with more questions than answers, you’re infected. If you come away with clarity and peace, you’re not. The bible satisfies answers. Satan is the one with the questions.
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