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Strange booms and loud rumbling sounds

Posted on April 1, 2012 by elizabethprata

For some months now, people have been reporting that they hear strange rumbles in the sky. Variously called sky quakes, sky rumbles, or sounds of the apocalypse, they have a uniformity of sound that most people describe. The noises sound like booms, or rumbles. I still can’t get the fact of these weird rumbles and sky booms out of my mind. I think they are fascinating. Scientifically, their cause has been linked to minor earthquakes, construction noise, or military exercises (sonic booms) among other plausible causes. No doubt some of the places where people hear the noises are due to those reasons. But in other places, the officials test for just those things and come up empty, and shake their heads. They have not yet attributed some of these sounds to something earthly and verifiable.

I had explored the idea that they could be leak-through sounds of spiritual warfare, as we know is happening due to the verses in 2 Kings 6:17. But as I was reading Ezekiel yesterday, I was hit with the following verse:

“Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me a loud rumbling sound—May the glory of the Lord be praised in his dwelling place!— the sound of the wings of the living creatures brushing against each other and the sound of the wheels beside them, a loud rumbling sound.” (Ezekiel 3:12-13)

Just something that makes me go HMMMMM.

I love the Word and following its trails through each book and finding parallel verses, and thus weaving a beautiful tapestry together of understanding of Him. It’s a tapestry that will never be complete, because His words will never pass away (Matthew 24:35), but that means there will be an eternity to plumb its depths.

christianity, gog, israel

Putin promises to protect Christianity worldwide

Posted on April 1, 2012 by elizabethprata

From Russia Today: “Presidential candidate Vladimir Putin has promised to make the protection of repressed Christians in foreign countries one of his foreign policy priorities if he becomes president again. When Putin met with the representatives of Russia’s traditional confessions in Moscow’s main cathedral on Wednesday, the representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church told him that Christians are facing repressions all over the world. The head of External Church Relations, Metropolitan Illarion, said that every five minutes one Christian was dying for his or her faith in some part of the world, specifying that he was talking about such countries as Iraq, Egypt, Pakistan and India. The cleric asked Putin to make the protection of Christians one of the foreign policy directions in future. “This is how it will be, have no doubt,” Putin answered.”

I am reminded of another who is prophesied to come, boasting in flatteries and promises:

“And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.” (Daniel 11:21)

Not that Putin is the antichrist but perhaps a pale imitation of one. A forerunner. Seven months ago, Joel C. Rosenberg wrote “Putin Rising: but is he Gog?” regarding the March 4th election in Russia (which Putin won) and in that essay Rosenberg said,

“But should Putin come back, it will not bode well for Israel, the U.S., or Europe. Putin is a power-hungry, greedy, authoritarian, Czar wannabe. He is determined to expand Russian wealth, power and control over her neighbors. He has worked especially hard to build strategic alliances with Radical Islamic leaders and states in the Middle East. Over the years, people have asked me if Putin might be the Russian dictator referred to as “Gog” in the Biblical prophecies of “Gog and Magog” in Ezekiel 38-39. I suspect as Putin continues to re-emerge, those questions will begin to be asked again. Here’s my quick answer: It’s too soon to draw such a conclusion. There’s much more that would have to happen to indicate that Putin was the “Gog” of Bible prophecy. But there’s no question in my mind that Putin is Gog-esque.”

Putin is back and I think he is looking more ‘Gog-esque’ by the minute.

And a few days ago it was reported that Putin will visit Israel in June, shortly after he is installed as President of Russia. Why? Rosenberg asked the same thing, as many are. We’re all scratching our heads.

“Now comes a curious new development: Vladimir Putin will make a high-profile visit to Israel in June, not long after he is sworn in as Russia’s new president on May 7th. News reports indicate Mr. Putin’s first foreign trip upon reclaiming his power will be to the U.S. for the G8 summit on May 20. That makes sense. The U.S.-Russian relationship has widely been considered the most important bilateral geopolitical relationship on the planet since the end of World War II. But with all the other important countries and leaders in the world Mr. Putin could visit, why is he choosing to make meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu his first objective after his meeting with President Obama? What is the Russian leader’s motive? What does he want to accomplish, and why? Will Putin seek to pressure Israel not to launch a preemptive strike on Iran? Will he visit other countries in the epicenter on the same trip? Will he, for example, visit Iran, Syria, and Lebanon, as well? What about other countries mentioned in the prophecies of Ezekiel 38-39? It’s too early to say, but a development well worth watching closely.”

You betcha we’ll be watching.

This time we are living in now is a time of severe deception. We are told that we will all be clamoring for peace, peace, looking for one who will flatter and solve the world’s problems and accepting him when he arrives. But it is all a massive deception. Hitler was a deceptively gentle man who was well regarded by those with whom he met. And they believed him. Here are some of the reactions:

“William Manchester’s biography of Sir Winston Churchill confronts us with the unpleasant and haunting reminders of Hitler, a man who came extremely close to being the Antichrist, yet deceived the world with his promises of peace. Listen to what Manchester wrote, “Thomas Jones who had been in and out of Whitehall for a quarter century wrote in his diary, `All sorts of people who have met Hitler are convinced that he’s a factor for peace. He doesn’t seek war but friendship. Meeting the press after he had been closeted with Hitler for an hour, Lloyd George said he regarded him as the greatest living German. A year later he wrote, “I only wish we had a man of his supreme quality at the head of affairs in our country today.”” He’s talking about Hitler. Nazi goals were even applauded by Anglican clergymen, a group of whom expressed, quote: “Boundless admiration for the moral and ethical side of the Nazi program, its clear stand for religion and Christianity and its ethical principles,” end quote.

(source: The Coming of World Peace)

And Putin will make protection of Christians in the world a priority. Peace! Peace! It is right around the corner!

pope, vicar of Christ

Clintonville booms are back, and exploding tiles at Watertown. "It was like ‘Tremors’ "

Posted on March 31, 2012May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

Chris Rosebrough of Fighting for the Faith put on his blog, Letter of Marque, the following, and titled it “Satan the Deceitful Copycat“:

Pope Pius XII being carried to his throne in the Vatican.

Pharaoh being carried to his throne.

Amazing, isn’t it? Rosebrough’s blog entry is accompanied by excerpts from a 500 year old document titled “A Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the Pope, Treatise Compiled by the Theologians Assembled at Smalcald – 1537″ originally posted on the blog The Book of Concord. The treatise was compiled by Martin Luther as a rejection of the primacy of the Pope as vicar of Christ. Vicar means substitute, you know, defined as “anyone acting in the person of” as agent. The claims of the Pope were outlined at the beginning of the treatise and then the Lutheran confession was a biblical rejection of those claims and others dealt with in writing at Smalcald. See what the pope believes of himself:

“The Roman Pontiff claims for himself [in the first place] that
1] by divine right he is [supreme] above all bishops and pastors [in all Christendom].
2] Secondly, he adds also that by divine right he has both swords, i.e., the authority also of bestowing kingdoms [enthroning and deposing kings, regulating secular dominions etc.].
3] And thirdly, he says that to believe this is necessary for salvation. And for these reasons the Roman bishop calls himself [and boasts that he is] the vicar of Christ on earth.”

I hope you reject those notions, too. Satan IS such a deceitful copycat.

In other topics, on March 19 on the blog I’d posted an essay exploring the weird booms plaguing a Wisconsin town. Its title is a direct copy of the same title the news articles used, “Something’s rattling WI town”. Weird booms had been variously upsetting, intriguing, or aggravating the people living there. That article on March 19 was posted a week after I’d posted a previous essay exploring the weird booms that are being heard all over the world, and I’d discussed the biblical foundation for spiritual warfare. Ultimately, I’d related the noises to possible spiritual warfare and asked the question ‘Is spiritual warfare ramping up?’

After the mainstream media became entranced with the Wisconsin booms story the USGS intimated they were going to set seismometers around and see if it was an earthquake swarm that was causing the booms. They did research some and found one 1.5 quake. The mainstream media seemed satisfied with that explanation. I wasn’t. Is it logical to relate an ongoing series of noises heard constantly for over a week to one quake with such a low seismicity they had to work hard to exclude truck rumbles from the data because they both sound the same? No. One minor quake can’t explain ongoing noises. But they all packed up and left, the USGS and the news people and all the rubberneckers.

Then, two other things happened in or near Clintonville WI. First, the booms came back. Second, tiles from a kitchen restaurant started exploding in a town south of the boom town.

Mysterious Booms Return to Clintonville, Wisconsin?
“It was a bit more than a week and a half ago that residents of the town of 4,500 people west of Green Bay, Wis., said they were awakened from their sleep by loud booms that shook their houses. Night after night, there were more booms and more shaking. The United States Geological Survey finally said it recorded a 1.5-magnitude earthquake on the morning on March 20. It also recorded seismic activity the day before but could not pinpoint its location. The mystery brought reporters from across the country, including yours truly. … This week, residents have been complaining about the booms returning to their small town. USGS said it has not been able to record any new activity and added that it has been windy in the area, which can create ground vibrations making small quakes difficult to record. There is discussion, but no decision, on placing a seismograph in Clintonville.”

The short article goes on to say that thought the USGS has not been able to record a new quake they still say that the previous round of booms and the current round of booms are microquakes.

Clintonville residents shaken once again by booms
“Residents were shaken by booms again in a Wisconsin city where a small earthquake was recorded last week.Clintonville police say they received 65 calls Tuesday night between 10:35 and 11:40. City Administrator Lisa Kuss says residents reported some of the loudest booms yet. The reports had decreased since a flurry of calls early last week. The U.S. Geological Survey said a 1.5-magnitude earthquake struck March 20 in Clintonville. Geophysicist John Bellini says he looked at the nearby seismometers and was unable to detect anything Tuesday night. He says they are considering putting a seismometer in Clintonville to get a better reading of potential activity.”

So the USGS heaved a sigh and installed the seismometers after all.

Clintonville installs 4 seismometers to help find cause of future booms
“Four seismometers have been installed throughout Clintonville, to help pinpoint the causes of any future booms or house-shaking.Experts blamed a series of small earthquakes for the booms that happened on 4 straight nights last week, and on Tuesday night of this week.One of those booms produced a quake that measured 1.5.”

Then, in a town south of Clintonville, a local Catholic School had to close because the tiles on the floor started swelling, buckling, and then exploding. I am not making this up.

Watertown school, will reopen Monday
“A Watertown school will reopen Wednesday after some exploding tiles forced classes to be canceled Tuesday. Tiles in the cafeteria started to buckle and explode Monday at St. Henry’s Catholic School.”And I looked at the tiles on the floor. (They) were raising up and flying across the kitchen floor. So, we got out of the cafeteria and told the kids to go up to their classrooms. Eventually, they were evacuated,” St. Henry’s Cooking Manager Diane Dannenberg said. “It looked like the movie ‘Tremors’ where something was tunneling underneath the floor.”Some described exploding, but the floor definitely buckled.The city’s building inspector said the part of the building affected was built in 1952. Investigators are looking at all sorts of possibilities to explain why these tiles lifted off the ground. After 20 years as the city’s building inspector, Joe Heimsch said he was baffled after first looking at this basement.”

Here is a news spot on Youtube about the incident.

The inspector said that he “hopes” that its cause will be found to have been an improperly abandoned sanitary line. Or something.

You know, that weird booming and minor earthquake is only 90 miles from the Michigan town where a weird 600 foot, 4′ deep crack opened up in the earth and no one knows why. It was in 2010, I’d reported on it then. I don’t know if the two are linked, probably not. But the forums go crazy with this stuff. They say that the Clintonville incidents and the Watertown exploding tiles are linked. The newscaster even opened with mentioning both Clintonville and then turned tot he exploding tiles incident, mentioning them both in one sentence. They say on the forums of the exploding tiles on the kitchen floor in Watertown or Clintonville that it was: aliens, secret government tunneling, preppers making bunkers, aliens, the military shooting 50 caliber guns, and of course, aliens. LOL.

children, nephilim

Random thoughts: Nephilim, myths, comments, compassion, children, and Jesus the Christ

Posted on March 30, 2012 by elizabethprata

I am very intrigued by the Nephilim spoken of in Genesis 6. Many people are, and I always get a lot of views on any essay I publish about them. I might research some more about the days of Noah, soon. When I was in high school I was fascinated by Roman and Greek mythology. I studied it all. The Titans, the Olympians … Cronus was the leader and the youngest of the first generation of Titans, divine descendants of Gaia, the earth, and Uranus, the sky. He overthrew his father and ruled during the mythological Golden Age, until he was overthrown by his own son, Zeus and imprisoned in Tartarus. Tartarus in the bible as we know is the place where Peter described the fallen angels being chained up. (2 Peter 2:4)

I believe the ancient myths are a vestigial memory of the fallen angels, the “mighty men of old” (Genesis 6:4) coming to earth and having supernatural powers … and we know from the bible that they certainly did take the daughters of men, all that they chose. The myths reflect this lack of self-restraint too. That is practically all they did, always go after women who ended up bearing super-men half breeds like Hercules. Achilles, another demi-god, brings to mind the prophecy in Genesis 3, where God said to satan that satan will strike the heel, and in the myth the heel was the vulnerable spot (but just like all false religions, the truth is that the hero could not be overcome by striking His heel!!) It was just a temporary bruising, and Jesus crushed satan’s head through His death and resurrection on the cross.

So I think there is weighty cultural memory and man-made myths stemming from the influx of the original fallen angels and their first interaction with humans as described in Genesis 6. I think the pyramids and the South American ziggurats are results of their superior intellect in building them and using humans to make monuments of worship for them.

The bible doesn’t speak much of these events, just gives several tantalizing clues in a few verses. However we know that they and also man’s evil were the cause of the flood. So SOMETHING had to have been going on! It will be interesting if Jesus lets us know what really happened when we get to heaven…and we can resolve all these tantalizing glimpses into full knowledge.

On another topic, I want to explain what kind of comments I allow and what will prompt me to delete some. This is not a complete explanation but it is the basic benchmark.

Some people will write in and say “you’re crazy.” Or “you’re mental.” If that is all they write I delete it. If they conclude their own cogent argument with that I’ll usually allow it and respond.

Some people disagree with me by using a false and true misapplication of scripture to ‘prove’ their point. They’ll say, “Judge not!” or “Touch not God’s anointed!” or one of those oft-thrown around misunderstood and out of context verses. I will allow those and then explain the context of the verse and why they are using it incorrectly. I do both of the above so that others reading may learn an insight into the verse.

Some people write a long reply which shows me they are passionate about something, but say something in it that I just cannot allow to go forward. Yesterday someone wrote a long comment and there were many errors in their answer. That is OK, we’re all learning. We could have a discussion. But he concluded by saying “Jesus is not God.” I deleted it because arguing that would be a fulfillment of casting pearls before swine. (Matthew 7:6). If someone has an incomplete or incorrect understanding of a verse, that is OK and can be discussed. If someone has come to such a false conclusion about the basics of who Jesus is, there is no argument, he has already condemned himself. It is a case of the saved arguing with the unsaved, offering holiness to a person who has already rejected it. I will not participate in allowing such falsity to go out to the unsuspecting. Nope. And worse, usually people who say such things have a website attached to their comment, and so I won’t put that forward either.

Profanity never gets a pass. I delete those out of hand.

A new topic. This week was a really rough week. I work in a kindergarten section of an elementary school. We know that times are tight. Parents are stressed to the max to pay the bills to keep a home over their kids’ heads and to put food on the table. Kids sense this and more often not only sense it but know it because of the open discussions he parents have in front of them. Yet kids are powerless to change their circumstances. They feel tenuous because their family situation is tenuous. They worry. Sometimes that worry comes out physically and emotionally and it makes for an adventuresome day at school. Today was like that. Please have care and compassion for other people, and for kids. If you’re standing in line at a store or at a game or sitting in a restaurant, no one knows what the next person is going through, and everyone needs an extra dose of patience and for sure needs some love. Instead of mentally judging the parent or situation, pay their bill, or offer to help them with their groceries or simply smile.

In the middle of that tough week before our Spring Break, (which has started, yay!) here is a moment. Some of the kindergarten kids I work with had saved up their behavior rewards. If they save up for a short time they get ice cream or a pajama day. But if they save up for a long time they get the big prize, a pizza party. So they did, finally. They brought their beach towels and their sunglasses and we went outside on a 78 degree day with pizza and chips and soda. They spread their towels around and sat next to each other happily. They donned sunglasses and thought themselves so cool. They leaned back on elbows and looked at the clouds, saying “There’s a dog!” or “I see a turtle! The pizza was served and they ate all they wanted. Afterwards we were all just lounging on the grass, and suddenly they broke out in song. They sang under the sun, and when they finished they laughed delightedly. Children laughing under the sun in joy is a Godly gift for which I am always thankful.

Last, remember always that Jesus is sovereign, loving, and He is coming! He is my Light and My hope. He is someone I cling to, look toward, and reside in. He is my all in all. Without Him I am nothing but in Him I am made perfect because His power is in me and brushes aside my weakness and is His manifest glory. Everything I accomplish is made possible from Him. Thank you, Jesus.

faith, perseverance

Cultural decline and righteous perseverance

Posted on March 30, 2012 by elizabethprata

Prophecy says that as we near the very end days, the culture will worsen. (2 Timothy 3:1-5; Matthew 24:11-12,) and that the body of believers will grow less effective in the battle against satan, less of an example to a dark and dying world and less approved by God (1 Tim 4:1, Jude 1:8, Rev 2:4, Rev 3:16). We see this now.

Cash stolen from handicapped Cary boy collecting funds for wheelchair basketball
“Seated in his wheelchair, Nolan Turner, 12, staked out his neighborhood Thursday evening to sell water bottles and raise money to bring his wheelchair basketball team to his elementary school.“Everybody at school has been asking me what it’s like to (play basketball) in a wheelchair, and I want to show them,” the Briarcliff Elementary fifth-grader said.He had already collected more than $250 – kept in a bucket – of the $1,000 needed to bring the experience of playing wheelchair basketball to his schoolmates. But as he began to work the neighborhood near High Meadow Drive about 6:30 p.m., a man he didn’t recognize grabbed his money bucket and unhurriedly walked away, according to Cary Police Department Capt. Mike Williams. Nolan yelled and screamed at the man but was helpless to follow him.”

Saints alive, that is horrible.

Police: Students Caught In Sex Act On School Bus
Actions Of 13-Year-Old Boy, 8-Year-Old Girl In Question
“Fishers police said an 8-year-old girl and a 13-year-old boy were caught in a sexual act on a school bus. The girl’s parents are now trying to determine if the February incident was a rape or molestation.In a statement, police said a bus aid caught the girl and the boy “trying to have intercourse,” and that the “bus aid immediately separated the juveniles and informed the bus driver.”

Saints alive, that is worse than horrible!

Now this scene of unfettered greed and thievery:

Motorists scoop up armored car money, in scene witness calls ‘snow globe of cash’
“As many as 40 motorists stopped their cars and helped themselves to cash that fell out of an armored truck Friday morning along Interstate 270 in Montgomery County, according to authorities.A total of $5,795 fell out of an unsecured door of the truck, said Maryland State Police Sgt. Mark Cummings. As of 12:45 p.m., only $100 had been turned in to authorities, Cummings said. State police are offering amnesty for anyone who returns the money to the Rockville Barracks at 7915 Montrose Road in Rockville. “No questions will be asked,” Cummings said. One reason so many people may have scooped up cash is that the armored truck had continued down the road, and they may have considered it lost or abandoned money, Cummings said. The bills fell out in two plastic bags, which broke apart when they hit the road, he said. The Associated Press reported that attorney Heather Kelly, driving on Interstate 270 to her office in Frederick, saw two bags of currency and people frantically trying to collect the money. “It was in the traffic lanes and on the shoulders and just generally kind of like a snow globe of cash,” she told AP.”

Before the first judgment, the flood, demons were rampant in the world. The fallen angels had mated with human women, all that they chose, (Gen 6:1-2) and the resulting situation was chaos. All the people on the earth were thinking of only evil continually. (Gen 6:5-6).

Imagine being on earth in those days when every person was doing and thinking evil. They hadn’t finished one evil act before they were thinking of another. But Noah found favor with the LORD. (Gen 6:8). Despite all the temptations around him despite the daily pressures of remaining faithful Noah did it. He was the only blameless person, and he walked with God. (Gen 6:9). He was rewarded with His life, and with permanent righteousness and regard of the Lord. (Hebrews 11:7).

The time of Jesus’s fleshly incarnation was a time of rampant evil and demon-infestation. He spent up to 25% of His time dealing with demons and sicknesses caused by demons. He sent the twelve apostles into the world with demon-casting abilities. (Luke 9:1-3). He called out that generation:

“O unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” (Mt 17:17). Clarke’s Commentary explains His comment: “These and the following words may be considered as spoken–“

“1. To the disciples, because of their unbelief, Matthew 17:20.
2. To the father of the possessed, who should have brought his son to Christ.
3. To the whole multitude, who were slow of heart to believe in him as the Messiah, notwithstanding the miracles which he wrought.”

Demon infestation was everywhere and it was everywhere for the same reason as in Noah’s generation: faithlessness. Demons aren’t successful where there is great faith and a strong Holy Spirit presence of the Lord. (2 Thessalonians 2:6-7).

But in the midst of that entire unbelieving generation was a righteous man. Simeon. “And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him”. (Luke 2:26). There also was a man named Zacharias. He was the father of John the Baptist. He was a priest, having for generations been in the line of Aaron. He was not a Pharisee nor was he self-righteous. He was purely righteous, looking always for the Messiah and being with the Spirit.

It can’t have been easy, being holy in a perverse generation, where the Lord had been silent and the Messiah all but forgotten. But the LORD had not forgotten Zacharias, nor did He forget Simeon. I can imagine that Simeon’s life was kind of like Noah’s. He was it the midst of people who practiced a legalistic and perverted religion, if they practiced one at all. Paganism was rampant. Demons were running wild. The People had not heard from the prophets in 400 years. Can you imagine being of a people who had heard from God constantly since the beginning, and yet had not heard from Him in 400 years? We get tired of waiting after 4 minutes. Yet Simeon and Zacharias persevered in righteousness and holiness. They persevered, and were rewarded.

We find the same thing true now. Evil is rising and that is because of demon-infestation. We are also a wicked and perverse generation, the last one (I believe) in advance of the Lord’s Second Coming. It is hard to stay righteous in the face of all the temptations. It is hard to remain patient and loving in front of all the evil and hate. But we must. It is no excuse to faint and fail just because it is hard to remain faithful.

James 1:12 says “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.”

Perseverance is evidence of belonging to Christ. “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;” (John 8:31)

“But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.” (Hebrews 3:6).

If Noah could do it in his wicked and perverse generation, if Simeon and Zacharias could do it in their wicked and perverse generation, we can do it. We have to do it. The promise of Jesus is that He will reward us, He is noticing our perseverance under trial. He loves us and embraces us, and will deliver us.

Persevere!

northern lights

Aurora over Nebraska last night

Posted on March 28, 2012 by elizabethprata

This is the second time that I know of that the Northern Lights descended this far south. On October 25 2011 they descended as far south as Alabama!

This is from Spaceweather.com. I like the 30 second clip because of the contrast of the wind turbines and the time lapse stars.

“NORTHERN LIGHTS OVER NEBRASKA: A solar wind stream is buffeting Earth’s magnetic field, causing magnetic unrest and auroras at high latitudes. Last night faint Northern Lights descended all the way south to Nebraska. Click to view a movie of the display, photographed by Chris Allington of Crofton, NE:”

iran, last days, persia

Iran rising

Posted on March 28, 2012 by elizabethprata

Persia figures prominently in the last days. This segment below is from Joel C Rosenberg’s Q&A about the Gog Magog war (Ezekiel 38-39), in which Iran, Russia and Turkey with others attack Israel, and no one comes to her defense…except God Himself.

Will the War of Gog and Magog happen before or after the Rapture?
“The truth is we simply do not know the answer for certain, because Ezekiel does not say. Many of the theologians I have cited in this book believe the war will occur after the Rapture. In the novel Left Behind, Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins describe the War of Gog and Magog as having already happened before the Rapture takes place. In The Ezekiel Option, I also chose to portray the war occurring before the Rapture.”

“In Matthew 24:14, Jesus says, “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come” (NASB). We also know from Ezekiel that God will use the War of Gog and Magog to display his glory to all nations and to pour out his Holy Spirit, particularly on the nation of Israel. As a result of the entire world seeing God defend Israel from the onslaught of the Russian-Iranian coalition, a dramatic spiritual awakening will occur around the globe. It would certainly be consistent with God’s heart for humanity that he would cause this cataclysmic moment to occur before the Rapture in order to shake people out of their spiritual apathy and/or rebellion and give them at least one more chance to receive Christ as their Savior before the terrible events of the Tribulation occur.”

“But let me be clear: I believe that the Rapture could occur at any moment, and I would certainly not be surprised in any way if it occurred before the events of Ezekiel 38 and 39 come to pass. Christian theologians speak of the “doctrine of imminence.” This means that according to the Bible there is no prophetic event that has to happen before Jesus snatches his church from the earth. That is, the Bible teaches us that we should be ready for Jesus to come for us at any moment. I fully believe that. But it should be noted with regard to this doctrine that while no major prophetic event has to happen before the Rapture, that doesn’t mean no such event will happen first. Perhaps the clearest evidence of this truth is the rebirth of Israel. This major prophetic event was foretold in Ezekiel 36–37, yet its fulfillment happened before the Rapture. Thus, it is certainly possible that other events—such as the events of Ezekiel 38–39—could happen before the Rapture as well.”

Persia (Iran) has always been opposed to God’s people. The angel that came to Daniel was hindered by the prince of Persia (Daniel 10:4-21). Places in the world have fallen angels behind the leadership to spread evil amongst the people and to rule in oppression and fear, and in the invisible realms they hinder God’s angels and try to oppose God’s work. Iran has always been a place in the real earth and in the celestial realms that has been a stronghold of opposition against God’s people.

Report: Iran planned to bomb Israeli ship in Suez Canal
“Iran had planned to bomb an Israeli ship while it crossed the Suez Canal, the prosecution in Egypt’s state security court said, the Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram reported on Saturday.According to the report, two Egyptians were recently arrested and investigated for allegedly planning an attack on an Israeli ship in the Suez Canal.”

Iranian weapons half Syria’s Assad put down unrest
“Iran is providing a broad array of assistance to Syrian President Bashar Assad to help him suppress anti-government protests, from high-tech surveillance technology to guns and ammunition, U.S. and European security officials say.Tehran’s technical assistance to Assad’s security forces includes electronic surveillance systems, technology designed to disrupt efforts by protesters to communicate via social media, and Iranian-made drone aircraft for overhead surveillance, the officials said. They discussed intelligence matters on condition of anonymity. “Over the past year, Iran has provided security assistance to Damascus to help shore up Assad. Tehran during the last couple of months has been aiding the Syrian regime with lethal assistance – including rifles, ammunition, and other military equipment — to help it put down the opposition,” a U.S. official said.”

Despite Iran’s continual prayers that Islam prevail, despite the fact that Iran as repeatedly said that they want to wipe Israel from the map, despite the fact that Iran is inches away from obtaining a nuclear bomb and has said they have no hesitation to use it, despite myriad foiled plots against Israel AND the United States, some 1000 Israelis marched against the thought of striking Iran’s nuclear bomb-making facilities–

Hundreds of Israelis march in Tel Aviv to protest war with Iran
“Hundreds of Israelis marched in Tel Aviv on Saturday to protest against a possible Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities. The protest came amid a recent Facebook campaign linking Israeli and Iranian citizens in their opposition to war between the two nations. Campaign leaders, however, made it clear on their Facebook page that they had nothing to do with the Tel Aviv protest march.”

Iran is in the news just about as much as Israel. Just as the bible said the world would be focused on these matters in the last days, we are.

jesus, repent

Nebuchadnezzar understands the power of a holy God

Posted on March 28, 2012 by elizabethprata

“Nebuchadnezzar responded and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who put their trust in Him, violating the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies so as not to serve or worship any god except their own God. Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation or tongue that speaks anything offensive against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego shall be torn limb from limb and their houses reduced to a rubbish heap, inasmuch as there is no other god who is able to deliver in this way.” (Daniel 3:28-29)

THERE IS NO OTHER GOD. (He is holy and true).

There is no other God ABLE TO DELIVER. (Jesus saves)

There is no other God able to deliver IN THIS WAY. (His power is unsurpassed).

So what does all this mean?

“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” Mark 1:15

false teachers

One of God’s judgments on people are false teachers

Posted on March 28, 2012 by elizabethprata

“False teachers are God’s judgment on people who don’t want God, but in the name of religion plan on getting everything their carnal heart desires. That’s why a Joel Osteen is raised up. Those people who sit under him are not victims of him but he is the judgment of God upon them. And they want exactly what he wants, and it’s not God.” ~ Paul Washer

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires.” 2 Timothy 4:3

false gospel, jetblue, restrainer

What’s up with all the crazy rants?

Posted on March 28, 2012 by elizabethprata

Some people went berserk these last couple of weeks. Normally this is not newsworthy. People are always going berserk, everywhere. These particular incidents made big news though. And in addition to being newsworthy I note a pattern. First, here are the three excerpts:

March 9: American attendant disrupts flight to Chicago
“An American Airlines flight attendant disrupted a flight Friday morning as it was about to take off from Dallas-Fort Worth en route to Chicago, saying over the aircraft intercom system that the plane was going to crash, alluding to 9/11 terrorist attacks and ranting about the airline’s bankruptcy reorganization, passengers said. Passengers ended up restraining the female flight attendant in a forward seat of the cabin until the plane returned to the gate and airport police arrived. Two flight attendants were injured in the incident and were taken to a local hospital. No passengers were injured, and they were never in danger, an airline spokeswoman said. The flight attendant who caused the commotion shrieked as she was handcuffed by police and placed into a police car, passengers on the flight told the Tribune after they exited the plane at Chicago O’Hare. “I will never get that sound of her screaming out of my head,” said Bethany Christakos of Plano, Texas. “It took a good 10 minutes, it felt like, to get her off of the plane.”

March 11: US soldier arrives at Ft. Leavenworth
“The U.S. soldier accused of going on a rampage and killing 16 Afghan civilians in their homes, identified as Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, arrived today at a military prison in Fort Leavenworth, Kan.Bales, 38, a husband and father of two, was serving on his fourth combat deployment in 10 years, the first three in Iraq. He was on his first tour in Afghanistan, where he’d been since December. The combat veteran is accused of leaving his remote base Camp Belambay in the middle of the night Sunday and walking about a mile to an Afghan village where he broke into homes and killed 16 civilians, mostly women and children.”

March 27: Hero: JetBlue Passenger Put Unruly Pilot in Chokehold
“…Gonzalez, 50, was sitting in the second row of JetBlue Flight 191 when the he saw pilot storm out of the cockpit and rush toward an occupied bathroom. The co-pilot quickly locked him out of the cockpit. After being locked out of the cockpit, the pilot began banging on the door, demanding to be let back in. “We got to get this plane down,” Gonzalez remembered thinking. “This guy is nuts.” Flight attendants struggled to control him and Gonzalez said the pilot began moving in the direction of the plane’s emergency exit. “I just didn’t want him opening up that door,” Gonzalez said. “I knew if he got in there, we wouldn’t be sitting here now.” … The passenger said it was a “crazy scene” that ended when a group of male passengers restrained the disorderly pilot at the front of the plane until it was able to land.”

The pattern I notice in these and in precious incidents (remember another flight attendant who ranted then jumped down the emergency chute?) are that they are people who are are trained to protect civilians, and trained to endure stressful situations. Their job is to care for and protect the people in their charge. But they are cracking, and in very visible and unsettling ways. I mean, the UK Daily Mail put it this way-

“‘We’re all going down. Say your prayers’: Berserk JetBlue captain has to be restrained by PASSENGERS after being ejected from cockpit in mid-flight and and running up and down screaming.”

There is nothing more unsettling than to put your trust and care into someone else’s hands and to think that they subsequently have gone nuts. It is worst on a plane, because you cannot get away. There is no escaping the crazy person, and when that crazy person is the one who is supposed to be flying the plane, it’s a nightmare.

I have mentioned before that society’s fabric is ripping. The last days of the last days, and the Tribulation Days are times when God intervenes and takes down all man-made constructs. This culminates in Revelation 18 and 19. This and the upcoming time is a time to show that people cannot depend on their government, cannot depend on weather models, cannot rely on medical personnel to know the answers (pestilence). They cannot rely on the ground under their feet. (earthquakes). Man cannot rely on other men, they will be increasingly stressed and desperately brutal. The verses in 2 Timothy 3 are made as a warning to the church:

“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.”

If the people of God are only imitators of God and are in fact treacherous and brutal, how will people be acting who don’t know God at all? Worse.

In addition, people in positions of authority, especially ones who are supposed to protect civilians such as pilots, flight crews, soldiers, and also EMTs, police, and firemen, are at the front lines of a society that is cracking. We put on them the expectations to protect and serve in any or all circumstances, but the circumstances these days are increasingly unpredictable and brutal. The stress is incredible, and the cracks are showing.

The orderliness of civilization is only a veneer that covers man’s basic condition: sinner. See what happens to people when God gives them over to their base desires:

“being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful;” (Romans 1:29-31).

The unbeliever often says that man is basically good and if just given a chance, will be truly good and get better as time goes on. But that is not true. When God gives them over to what they want, what they want turns out to be treachery, insolence and evil.

2 Thessalonians 2:6-7 mentions a “restrainer” that is holding back sin and lawlessness. The Restrainer, who is the Holy Spirit, will be removed from the earth at the rapture, allowing sin to have jurisdiction over mankind. What we are seeing, I believe, is the slow lifting of the Restrainer’s hand. It will suddenly disappear at the rapture, and then people will really go berserk.

Any person who is not saved by repentance and submission to Jesus, can become saved if they accept that their original condition is one that includes all the above: treachery, evil, lawlessness…etc. That is what sin is, lawlessness in breaking God’s commands. Here is an explanation of the true Gospel from GotQuestions:
——–
“The true gospel is the good news that God saves sinners. Man is by nature sinful and separated from God with no hope of remedying that situation. But God, by His power, provided the means of man’s redemption in the death, burial and resurrection of the Savior, Jesus Christ.

The word “gospel” literally means “good news.” But to truly comprehend how good this news is, we must first understand the bad news. As a result of the fall of man in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:6), every part of man—his mind, will, emotions and flesh—have been corrupted by sin. Because of man’s sinful nature, he does not and cannot seek God. He has no desire to come to God and, in fact, his mind is hostile toward God (Romans 8:7). God has declared that man’s sin dooms him to an eternity in hell, separated from God. It is in hell that man pays the penalty of sin against a holy and righteous God. This would be bad news indeed if there were no remedy.

But in the gospel, God, in His mercy, has provided that remedy, a substitute for us—Jesus Christ—who came to pay the penalty for our sin by His sacrifice on the cross. This is the essence of the gospel which Paul preached to the Corinthians. In 1 Corinthians 15:2-4, he explains the three elements of the gospel—the death, burial and resurrection of Christ on our behalf. Our old nature died with Christ on the cross and was buried with Him. Then we were resurrected with Him to a new life (Romans 6:4-8). Paul tells us to “hold firmly” to this true gospel, the only one which saves. Believing in any other gospel is to believe in vain. In Romans 1:16-17, Paul also declares that the true gospel is the “power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes” by which he means that salvation is not achieved by man’s efforts, but by the grace of God through the gift of faith (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Because of the gospel, through the power of God, those who believe in Christ (Romans 10:9) are not just saved from hell. We are, in fact, given a completely new nature (2 Corinthians 5:17) with a changed heart and a new desire, will, and attitude that are manifested in good works. This is the fruit the Holy Spirit produces in us by His power. Works are never the means of salvation, but they are the proof of it (Ephesians 2:10). Those who are saved by the power of God will always show the evidence of salvation by a changed life.”