A LOOK AT END TIME PROPHECY THROUGH THE EYES OF AN UNWORTHY SERVANT

9-18-23 Rage Against Jesus And His People — The Ominous Trend Of 2022

2023-10-18T03:00:00.001-04:00

Rage Against Jesus And His People — The Ominous Trend Of 2022 – By Hal Lindsey - https://harbingersdaily.com/rage-against-jesus-and-his-people-the-ominous-trend-of-2022/ By the end of 2022, eight billion people lived on the earth. They were besieged by a series of plagues, droughts, false prophets, war, the threat of greater war, hatred, rage, theft, and violence. The eight billion were fragmented in a variety of ways — according to their nations, level of income, race, gender, various understandings of gender and human sexuality, along with religion or the lack thereof. Change became overwhelming to most of the eight billion. For those over 40, it was almost unfathomable that by the end of 2022, not even half the students at Cambridge University identified as heterosexual. In 2022, deception ruled the day. Trust in government, educational institutions, and the news media had been largely obliterated. Trust in health officials and doctors had become severely damaged. In such an environment, many found it increasingly difficult to maintain friendships. Even families had begun to crumble. When deception rules, relationships die, and loneliness begins to blanket lives. By the end of 2022, people were offended by almost everything. A public library in Massachusetts refused to put up a Christmas tree. It purportedly made some people “uncomfortable.” The library celebrated Hanukkah, Kwanza, and pride month, yet the powers-that-be deemed Christmas offensive. After a public outcry, they changed their position and put up the traditional tree. But it raises a huge question. Why would a Christmas tree be considered offensive? Such trees are ubiquitous during the month of December. So, what is the offense? The word Christmas begins with Christ, and an increasing number of people are offended by any reference to Him. A member of the town’s human rights commission wrote on Facebook, “You – who claim to believe in Christ and Christmas… are the least gracious, most hateful, most disgusting trash in the world…. Is this what you think your magic sky daddy wants?” She said a lot more than that, most of which I don’t care to quote. I’m sure her profanity-riddled rant against God and Christians came partly because of terrible things people were saying about the town and library. There are also reports of library employees being bullied. That should not happen, and it is certainly not Christian. Later, the woman resigned from the human rights commission. But she represents another ominous trend as we near the end of 2022. That trend is rage against Jesus and His people. For most Americans, it feels like we left Bedford Falls somewhere along the line, and we entered Pottersville. It feels unreal. Many dismiss it as society simply going through another phase. But these phases are leading to darker and darker places. Christians can look forward to 2023 with renewed hope, but not because the world is getting better. It is not. More than ever before, it should be obvious that our hope is not in the mechanisms and programs of this world. It is in Christ alone.

9-18-23 Extreme Weather in Prophecy: Part 3 of 3

2023-09-18T03:00:00.003-04:00

Extreme Weather in Prophecy: Part 3 of 3 :: By Nathan Jones Published on: December 27, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles In Part 1 of this teaching about the end times sign of nature as it relates to extreme weather, we learned from the Bible that God does indeed exhibit a pattern of using extreme weather to get a wayward people’s attention and call them back to a right relationship with Him. In Part 2, we scoured the past two years of weather data and confirmed that natural disasters are indeed increasing in frequency and intensity. In this last part, we will look to the book of Revelation to see how God will use natural disasters to judge the world during the coming Tribulation period. The World’s Response What’s interesting is how scientists are interpreting these extreme natural weather phenomena. In all of the reports, what has been the conclusion of every single article? These natural disasters are due to “man-made global warming.” The O’Driscoll article reports: “Scientists long warned that climate change would contribute to an increase in both the frequency and the severity of freak weather.” How interesting that the article notes an increase in “frequency” and “severity.” Those words sound very familiar. It all sounds rather biblical, doesn’t it? Germany’s former Chancellor Angela Merkel warned: “We have to get faster in the fight against climate change. Global leaders also have to come to the same conclusion after the UN delivered a code red for humanity.” So, the world is interpreting these natural disasters, which they agree are increasing in frequency and intensity, as the result of mankind’s pollution problems. But Christians know better, right? Christians know that God alone is in control of the weather. He controls the weather, not mankind. Remember that God doesn’t wish that any should perish but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). Therefore, God always warns before He executes His wrath. And, for thousands of years, God has chosen climactic and catastrophic weather to get our attention. Why? Because God controls the weather! The Bible contains at least 47 different verses that declare that God is in control of the weather. Here are some examples: “What kind of man is this that even the winds and the sea obey Him” (Matthew 8:26-27). When Jesus stood up in the boat and calmed the storm, He demonstrated that He controlled the weather. “Fire and hail, snow and clouds, stormy wind, fulfilling His word” (Psalm 148:8). “He did not leave Himself without witness, that He did good and gave you rains from heaven, and fruitful seasons” (Acts 14:17). “I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or in any tree” (Revelation 7:1). So, again and again and again, in at least 47 references, the Bible says that God is in control of the weather. God is sovereign, and nothing happens that He does not allow, either in His perfect will or His permissive will. That is the reason the Bible attributes all natural disasters to God. Let’s go back to how people are noticing that these freak storms have been increasing in frequency and intensity. Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 24:8 concerning the signs of the end times, which include natural disasters and extreme weather. He foretold that they would increase in frequency and intensity, just like birth pains, leading up to His return. God uses these end times signs, such as climactic weather, to wake us up, calling the world to come back to Him. God is warning us that He is upset with our sins. He is upset with all of the evil that’s going on here on the earth. And, He’s crying out: “I love you! Repent and come back to me!” Yes, freak weather might be contributed to by mankind’s pollutive tendencies, but again, it is God who controls the weather. We can take into account, of course, that certain natural disasters occur because the weather is off-kilter due to the curse on the world. But God still utilizes freak weather in an attempt to try and wake people up to their sins and need for a Savior. Tribulation Judgments The ultimate climax to all of these weather signs will be a judgment called the Tribulation. The Lord will rescue and rapture His Church out of this world before His true wrath comes upon it. But leading up to that time, God is going to increase the signs of natural disasters, just like we are seeing, along with the other end times signs such as social, political, war, economic, and so on. These disasters will all increase in frequency and intensity leading up to the Rapture of the Church, and then the world will plunge headlong into God’s wrath during the Tribulation. As bad as the weather has gotten today, nothing compares to the disasters foretold in the book of Revelation. These weather-related judgments will devastate the world, for God will be pouring out His wrath in the Tribulation era due to the corruption of its people. 1. Third Seal Judgment (Revelation 6:5-6) — food scarcity and famine. 2. Fourth Seal Judgment (Revelation 6:) — death by starvation and wild beasts. 3. Sixth Seal Judgment (Revelation 6:12-17) — great earthquake; the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood, the stars of heaven fell to the earth, sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. 4. Seventh Seal Judgment (Revelation 8:1-6) — noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake. 5. First Trumpet Judgment (Revelation 8:7) — hail and fire followed, mingled with blood, and they were thrown to the earth, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up. 6. Second Trumpet Judgment (Revelation 8:8-9) — a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood, and a third of the living creatures in the sea died. 7. Third Trumpet Judgment (Revelation 8:10-11) — a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch; it fell on a third of the rivers, and many men died from the water. 8. Fourth Trumpet (Revelation 8:12-13) — a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened. 9. Two Witnesses (Revelation 11:6) — “These have power to shut heaven so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire.” 10. Two Witnesses Killed (Revelation 11:13) — “In the same hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. In the earthquake seven thousand people were killed.” 11. Seventh Trumpet Judgment (Revelation 11:15-19) — there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail. 12. Second Bowl Judgment (Revelation 16:3) — “The sea became blood as of a dead man; and every living creature in the sea died.” 13. Third Bowl Judgment (Revelation 16:4-7) — rivers and springs of water; they became blood. 14. Fourth Bowl Judgment (Revelation 16:8-9) — the sun scorching men with fire, great heat. 15. Sixth Bowl Judgment (Revelation 16:12-16) — great river Euphrates water dried up. 16. Seventh Bowl Judgment (Revelation 16:17-21) — “…thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth, Now the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, every island fled away, and the mountains were not found, great hail from heaven fell upon men, each hailstone about the weight of a talent.” 17. Fall of Babylon the Great (Revelation 18:1-8) — plagues will come in one day, death and mourning and famine, utterly burned with fire. 18. Satanic Rebellion Crushed (Revelation 20:7-10) — fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. The Response for Which God is Looking God’s Word makes it crystal clear that when He sends discipline, the primary purpose is never to punish. Instead, the primary purpose is to call wayward mankind to repentance so that we might be saved. Here’s how the prophet Isaiah expressed it, “For when Your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness” (Isaiah 26:9b). Our God is so merciful. He is patiently sending us one natural disaster wake-up call after another because He never pours out His wrath without warning. And the greatest “coming wrath” already visible on the horizon is the seven-year Tribulation. Our Lord wants as many people to get saved as possible and become part of the Church before the Rapture happens. But that great day of wrath is coming one day soon, and when that happens, all of nature is going to break loose! How does God want us to respond to these end-times signs, particularly the sign of nature as it relates to extreme weather? First, we each need to repent individually for our own rebellion and selfishness. God is calling us to repent. He wants us to repent. And so, call on the Holy Spirit and read the Bible so that we can be discerning. Second, we need to repent as a nation for removing God from our society, for idolatrously worshiping ourselves, for our 63 million murders in the womb, for our obsession with sexual promiscuity, for our fascination with the occult, and for our lack of support for Israel’s right to exist, among other sins. We as a nation need to accept Jesus as our Savior, for that is the only way by which we will be rescued from the “coming wrath.” Once Jesus finally returns, the curse on this earth will be lifted, and these natural disasters will cease to persist. So, we have hope. We can live by this hope as Romans 13:12-14 proclaims: “The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.” https://christinprophecyblog.org

9-18-23 Power of God’s Control

2023-09-18T03:00:00.001-04:00

Power of God’s Control – Terry James - https://terryjamesprophecyline.com/2022/12/25/power-of-gods-control/ Going back just a way in my personal history, I’ll divulge my one-time wanting more than anything to be a cape-wearing, soaring superhero. In that regard, there’s a photograph somewhere in the family archive of myself, Pappy, and David all wearing capes (towels). All three of us were about 6, I think—the age when I was saved in the Seventh Street Tabernacle Church on the corner of Seventh and Derby in Pekin, Illinois. Superman was the rage in the “funny books” (my sons mock me now for using that term for comic books). We studied the Man of Steel and wanted more than anything to fly and perform super feats of strength. Sometimes it got us in trouble –like when we jumped from places higher than were safe for mere mortals with towels affixed around necks. So Pappy, David, and I proved that human beings’ desire for supernatural powers must begin early in life. But what we are witnessing today is not mere child’s play. The determination has now reached the Tower of Babel level. People are determined to do things that caused the Lord God of Heaven to say the following: And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. (Genesis 1:6) Following the Great Flood of Noah’s time, people began to multiply, and the populations grew while they moved onto the plains of Shinar. They built their cities and erected the ziggurat we call the Tower of Babel. According to the Lord’s observation, they were apparently doing things that exhibited Lucifer’s ambitions to be God-like. The Lord, likely because they were created in His image and could achieve their ignoble ambitions, thus said: “Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech” (Genesis 11:7). It was done, and the people, unable to communicate, scattered about the then-known earth, forming various languages, cultures, etc. God had to intervene, else rebellion would again reach antediluvian level, bringing about the Lord’s judgment and the death of most all upon the planet. Some biblical scholars believe these post-Flood generations had tapped into dark powers from the demonic dimension and were beginning to achieve breakthroughs that were evil, not productive toward human progression God wanted for mankind. We come up to the Lord Jesus’ words: “But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” (Matthew 24: 37). Ladies and gentlemen, the evidence indicates that we have arrived there. We must certainly be in times like when God had to scatter the tower-builders. Humanity’s lust for God-like power manifests each and every hour of the ongoing news cycles. It is neither childlike nor mere noble aspiration that confronts us with wicked enticement to be God-like. Demonic influence more and more becomes stark reality to those with spiritual discernment. Maybe the most egregious example of the neo-Babel tower-builders’ attempts at usurping God’s throne is found within the ambitious planning of Karl Schwab’s World Economic Forum (WEF). The following, I think, presents the indictment framing Jesus’ words “as it was in the days of Noah.” People’s desires to expand their human capabilities will give globalists an instrument of total control over our lives. Globalists have big dreams: to have godlike power over human beings, their reproduction, and their genetic code. Under their new buzzwords “human upgrade” or “body tuning,” they are selling their plans of providing people with chips for everyday use. With their desire to be able to rule over life, they don’t even stop at unborn children: You even want to tinker with babies’ genetic prerequisites in the womb… As Xiao Liu wrote on the World Economic Forum (WEF) website in June 2020, “We’re entering the era of the “Internet of Bodies”: collecting our physical data via a range of devices that can be implanted, swallowed or worn.” Apple is already boasting of a new implant in the clinical trial phase, which will grant users the ability to use their brains to control their iPhone or iPad with their thoughts. In addition, app stores are already being dreamed up for the future brain chips. Transhumanistic God Playing WEF advisor and transhumanism thought leader Yuval Noah Harari even goes one step further. He dreams of an “anti-virus program for the mind” to drive out negative – and probably also critical – thoughts from people. Then, in the future, Harari believes, “bioengineers will take the old Sapiens body, and intentionally rewrite its genetic code, rewire its brain circuits, alter its biochemical balance, and even grow entirely new limbs. They will thereby create new godlings, who might be as different from us Sapiens as we are different from Homo erectus.” So basically, in less than half a century, Cyborgs will replace humanity. In this world of machine-made elite gods, conventional, ordinary people without such “upgrades” only appear as a herd of cattle to be controlled and ruled over. Even human reproduction is to be controlled; the beautiful and rich can choose their desired children from the test tube. In any case, Harari doesn’t think much of humans. As he explains, there is no scientific evidence that sapiens, unlike pigs, have a soul. Transhumanists want to overcome humanity and cement their power. Sadly, people’s desires to expand their human capabilities will give globalists an instrument of total control over our lives. (“Transhumanism Horror: Elites Want to Genetically Alter Children in the Womb, High-Bred Globalist Kids,” Rapture Ready News, December 16, 2022) Getting back to Pappy, David, and my 6-year-old self, it seems our own desire for superpowers were something the globalist masters believe mankind can now achieve. WEF agenda contributor Kathleen Phillips, in a blog post titled, “Augmented tech can change the way we live,” writes: Superheroes have been dominating big and small screens for a while, but there’s a subtle change happening. Many children expect to develop superpowers themselves. These expectations may sound unattainable, but we’re already making the first strides towards an “augmented society.””, but only with the right support and vision. The support the globalist masters need is that which will be given by the Antichrist regime during the Tribulation. Let us be thankful that it is God, not the minions from the dark dimension, who has ultimate power and control over things to come. He tells us in His Holy Word the one and only way to be kept from that hour of absolute wickedness that is about to burst upon this rebellious earth –thus to be kept from His judgment and wrath. That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:9–10)

9-17-23 It's Coming

2023-09-17T03:00:00.006-04:00

It Is Coming - By Daymond Duck - https://www.raptureready.com/2022/12/24/it-is-coming-by-daymond-duck/ On Dec. 17, 2022, it was reported that Rep. David Cicilline, a Democrat from Rhode Island, has introduced legislation to permanently bar former Pres. Trump from running for president again, and 40 Democrats have signed on. Cicilline is accusing Trump of orchestrating an insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021. At the time of this writing, it is debatable as to whether Cicilline’s legislation will get voted on before the new Congress takes office in 2023, but some conservatives have said from the beginning that the main purpose of the Jan. 6 fake show-trial was to stop Trump from being elected again. Some, including this writer, have said there is no telling what the U.S. shadow government will do to prevent making America great again (MAGA) because they want to surrender the sovereignty of the U.S. to the New World Order (coming world government). It was easy to see this coming, and while there is some doubt about Cicilline’s legislation getting voted on, there is no doubt in the minds of some Bible prophecy teachers that the New World Order and the Reign of Antichrist are coming. That is what “Build Back Better” and “The Great Reset” are all about (making everyone on earth subject to a godless world government). Trump is seen as an impediment that must be permanently removed. Here are more signs that indicate that it is coming. One, concerning a peace treaty in the Middle East: on Dec. 14, 2022, potential Israeli Prime Min. Netanyahu repeated his belief that an Abraham Accords normalization agreement with Saudi Arabia would lead to an agreement with all the Arab nations and eventually to peace with the Palestinians. Netanyahu said, “I intend to pursue it.” Two, concerning a peace treaty in the Middle East: on Dec. 14, 2022, the European Union (EU) Parliament said, “The next Israeli government should make a clear commitment in favor of the Two-State Solution” (commit to the division of Israel, something that will trigger the Battle of Armageddon; Joel 3:2). The resolution called for a European (home of the Antichrist who will confirm a peace treaty; Dan. 9:26) to lead the peace process, and it says, “Two sovereign democratic states living side by side in peace and guaranteed security (peace and safety; I Thess. 5:3), with Jerusalem as the capital of both states and in full respect of internal law.” Three, concerning the global energy crisis: on Dec. 16, 2022, the International Energy Agency (IEA) reported that coal demand has hit an all-time high. With winter and blackouts looming, the deliberate shortage of natural gas has caused the demand for coal to soar. One would think climate change advocates would be upset about people freezing to death, but they seem more upset by the increased use of coal. Four, concerning the U.S. economy and deceit: on Dec. 13, 2022, the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia said the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics overstated the March through June 2022 employment numbers by more than one million people. Five, with the help of 39 Republicans in the House and 12 Republicans in the Senate, Pres. Biden got his so-called “Respect for Marriage” passed. (It is really a bill to legalize immorality or gay marriage). Texas Rep. Chip Roy asked for an amendment to prevent the government from discriminating against those that believe in traditional (Biblical) marriage, but that was blocked. (So immorality is legal, and criticizing it might bring the government down on you. What is happening to freedom of speech?) Six, concerning natural disasters: during the Tribulation Period, a star will fall from heaven burning as a lamp; it will pollute a third part of the rivers and streams on earth, and many that drink them will die (the third trumpet judgment; Rev. 8:10-11). In 2022, there has been at least a dozen verifiable reports of very bright fireballs in the sky around the world (Spain, China, U.S., UK, Brazil, Portugal, India, etc.). On Dec. 18, 2022, a very bright fireball exploded over China that caused a loud boom, damaged a cement road, broke streetlights, shook and broke windows, etc. Citizens in the area gathered several suspected fragments from the fireball for the Chinese government, and one suspected fragment was more than 3 inches long and weighed about 7 pounds. On Dec. 17, 2022, a large freak wave struck a beach in South Africa. 3 people were killed, and 17 others were injured. The National Weather Service is predicting that a prolonged much-below-normal, perhaps record-breaking and life-threatening, arctic front will cover a large portion of the U.S. just before Christmas, and officials are warning that power outages are a real possibility. On Dec. 20, 2022, a 6.4 earthquake shook northern California, causing power outages, gas leaks, and widespread damage of homes. At least two people were killed, and at least 11 were injured. Seven, concerning wars and rumors of wars: on Dec. 15, 2022, it was reported that Russia has loaded its second nuclear missile into a silo (the missile is reportedly capable of carrying 15 nuclear warheads) and threatened to fire it on London in the UK if Ukraine attacks Russian territory. On Dec. 19, 2022, it was reported that Henry Kissinger said a nuclear war caused by Ukraine is imminent. (My opinion: I do not believe Russia will use nuclear weapons against the UK, U.S., or any NATO nation. That would start a nuclear war that would do incredible damage to everyone, including Russia. According to the Bible, Russia’s military will be destroyed on the mountains of Israel, not in Ukraine or Russia.) Eight, concerning pestilences and the globalist desire to reduce the population of the earth: every day, there are reports of increased deaths around the world that are caused by mRNA Covid-19 jabs. Autopsies are finding inflammation of the heart arteries, blood clots that blocked and obstructed arteries, etc., to a greater degree in people that have been jabbed than in people that have not been jabbed. On Dec. 17, 2022, it was reported that a Rasmussen Poll of 1,000 U.S. citizens on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, 2022, found that 56% said they had no side effects, 34% said they had minor side effects, 7% said they had major side effects, and 4% said they were not sure if they had any side effects from taking the jab. (The numbers were rounded off and may explain why the total comes up to over 100%.) Other reports have found similar results, and the fact that 7% of the U.S. citizens that were surveyed reported major side effects is incredibly high. (Note: Some officials believe the situation is worse than reported because Rasmussen could not poll deceased citizens.) Nine, concerning the distress of nations: on Dec. 19, 2022, Israel’s Intelligence Ministry issued an assessment of world events that will be coming over the next 10 years. The Jerusalem Post obtained a copy of the report and said, “The world is at a transition point analogous to being on the verge of a cliff, after which a series of crises striking simultaneously will reorder the planet’s geopolitics, the place of technology, the economic order and a variety of other disciplines from health to energy.” (My opinion: I have been writing that globalists are transitioning the world into a world government by 2030 or sooner, and they are deliberately creating crises, food shortages, energy shortages, economic problems, etc., and the technology to bring it about. Some prophecy teachers also believe they will soon propose solutions that will give them more power and eventually enslave everyone on earth. This Israeli intelligence report confirms the opinion that a transition is taking place.) Ten, concerning the division of Israel: on Dec. 19, 2022, it was reported that the new government of Israel will be installed in the next 2-3 days. World leaders (including the UN, EU, and the Biden administration) are going out of their way to warn the new conservative Israeli government not to annex settlements or change the status quo on the Temple Mount, and more. They want to divide Israel and Jerusalem, and they are pressuring Israel to agree to it. The Bible clearly teaches that dividing Israel and Jerusalem will trigger the Battle of Armageddon (Joel 3:2). Eleven, concerning corruption and election fraud: on Dec. 20, 2022, it was reported that the FBI paid twitter $3.4 million to censor stories the government did not like. The FBI was illegally influencing the election by censoring and lying about posts such as Hunter Biden’s Laptop from Hell. They had Biden’s laptop and knew the information was true but made up the story and lied about it being Russian disinformation. The shadow government was using Twitter to determine who will hold office in the U.S. because world government is a goal of the U.S. America is being weakened and betrayed from within. (Note: They also lied about Pres. Trump and the Russian collusion story. I seem to remember that that lie cost the American taxpayers about $40 million. Congress should have already done something about it, but the Democrats have controlled all three branches of government, and some of them were colluding with the FBI. Trump got elected to “drain the swamp,” but he did not know how polluted it was, and he could not get it done.) Twelve, concerning famine and food shortages: this week, a reader sent me a link to a video of Glenn Beck interviewing Carol Roth (author, TV pundit, radio host, and more). Roth said the Netherlands is the second largest food producer in the world (second only to the U.S.). Roth reminded viewers that those that control the food can control the people. The government is deliberately putting farmers and ranchers out of business in the Netherlands, and Beck said he thinks this is “the biggest threat to all of us because it will lead to global starvation.” Beck added that this is coming to the U.S. and Canada and that the WEF said, “We will redesign how we produce and consume food from the seed to the fork.” Therefore, the government of Netherlands is cutting the use of fertilizer, limiting how many cows people can own, buying thousands of acres of farmland and taking it out of production, etc. Deliberate food control, mass starvation, and population control is coming. Canada is already reducing the amount of fertilizer farmers can use. The U.S. is buying land out west, paying farmers to not farmland, and stopping farmers from grazing cattle on some federal land. Here is a link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpuEfvzDZb8 Thirteen, concerning world government: on Dec. 20, 2022, The New American posted an excellent article by William F. Jasper about the 2022 UN Biodiversity Conference in Montreal, Canada, on Dec. 7-19, 2022. It was a regular meeting of climate change extremists who are determined to save Mother Earth (the planet) from natural disasters (rising sea levels, floods, droughts, wildfires, etc.) supposedly created by man’s pollution and excessive consumption. Jasper reported that they agreed to four goals called the 30-by-30 (or 30X30) Initiative: By 2030, they will protect (forbid people to use) 30% of the world’s land, water, and marine areas. By 2030, they will raise at least (perhaps more) $200 billion per year to fund biodiversity causes. By 2030, they will reduce subsidies by at least (perhaps more) $500 billion to entities that are harming nature. By 2030, developed countries will give developing countries at least (perhaps more) $30 billion per year for biodiversity causes. Jasper points out that the real objective is power for them to reset (transform) the world (and everyone on it) according to their agenda, morals, etc. (the agenda, morals, etc., of “Transforming our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”). He reminded readers that Pres. Biden signed an Executive Order on Jan. 27, 2021, that commits the U.S. to conserve (not allow mining, farming, drilling for oil, etc.) at least 30% (perhaps more) of U.S. lands and waters by 2030. Here is a link to Jasper’s extremely important report. https://thenewamerican.com/un-biodiversity-summit-concludes-with-agreement-to-save-mother-earth-by-taxing-and-shackling-humanity/ Finally, are you Rapture Ready? If you want to be rapture ready and go to heaven, you must be born again (John 3:3). God loves you, and if you have not done so, sincerely admit that you are a sinner; believe that Jesus is the virgin-born, sinless Son of God who died for the sins of the world, was buried, and raised from the dead; ask Him to forgive your sins, cleanse you, come into your heart and be your Saviour; then tell someone that you have done this. duck_daymond@yahoo.com

9-17-23 Now It Is Obvious Why

2023-09-17T03:00:00.005-04:00

Now It Is Obvious Why :: By Dennis Huebshman Published on: December 24, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles Once again, 2 Timothy 3:1-5, “But understand this, that in the last days, there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.” (ESV – all emphasis mine) Going from cover to cover in the Bible, we see many countries mentioned as being in the end-time activities. However, the once most powerful nation on earth, America, is not specifically mentioned. One would think that this country would be listed because of all it has accomplished up to now. The possibility here could be found in Genesis 12:3; “I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you, I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” When Israel once again declared itself as a sovereign nation after almost 2,000 years on May 14, 1948, the United States was the first country to recognize its sovereignty and right to exist. Through the years since then, we have been an ally with them until the past decade or so. Certain administrations came to believe that we somehow have control over how Israel should run its own country. By trying to force Israel to give up land that was promised to them by our Heavenly Father, this somehow seems as dishonoring their right to exist as an independent nation. It would be like Belgium telling the United States that we need to redo all our state lines to meet what they would like. Through multiple circumstances over the past couple of years, our country has gone from being respected as a powerful nation to being ridiculed by forces that really don’t like us. Any fear of our “power and might” has disappeared. It is becoming obvious that the prophecy of Israel standing alone against all forces that will come against them is about to be fulfilled (Zechariah 12:2-3, 9). The Ezekiel 38 coalition has formed for the first time ever and, in the not-too-distant future, will attack Israel for its plentiful resources. All the changes taking place, which are labeled as abominations by our Father, are here and out in the open. Going to 2 Timothy 3:12-13, “Indeed, all who desire to live a Godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.” One example of the deception is an event that took place in Tyler, Texas, on October 29 in the town square. The satanic temple of Dallas and Ft. Worth held a “pagan-pride” service that advertised it as an “unbaptism” event. Churches of Satan are opening up around the country and are not having any real issues in doing so. However, just about anything relating to Christianity is being challenged. Some are going all the way to the Supreme Court, and the rulings are disturbing and disappointing. All the alphabet groups and gender-identity folks are basically operating in the open and are unchallenged worldwide. In some places, not referring to a person by their “chosen gender” has been made a crime with the possibility of being incarcerated. There’s even a group that is now saying they’re not really humans but are describing themselves as animals, such as “trans-cats.” And people are surprised that our nation is steadily sinking; can it really get much more obvious? Many are declaring they do not believe in Jesus or God, and they describe the Bible as a compilation of myths. They don’t accept 2 Timothy 3:16-17 as truth. “All scripture is breathed out by God, and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” Going from Paul’s word on this to the Apostle Peter, we read in 2 Peter 1:20-21, “knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” In 1 John 2:15-17, we’re told, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world; the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life; is not from the Father, but from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abide forever.” Going further into verse 18, we have a picture of today in this world. “Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore, we know that it is the last hour.” False prophets and antichrists have been here for at least 2,000 years, but the increase in their activities has rapidly progressed in just the last few years. The ultimate evil antichrist has not yet appeared. However, false prophets and antichrists are increasing in number and influence. Our Savior knew that there would be more on the road to destruction than the straight and narrow path to eternal life (Matthew 7:13-14). We’re told in 2 Thessalonians 2:7 that the lawless one is restrained until the “Restrainer” is taken out of the way. Many that are tied to this world, which means they are tied to Satan, will receive a strong delusion so they will believe what is false (2 Thessalonians 2:11-12). The Father wants no one to fail and go into eternal punishment; however, He is aware that some have already fully accepted Satan’s world and will allow them to make this foolish choice. For all who have received and accepted Jesus, the times here are about to get more difficult for us. However, before the evil one and his false prophet appear to produce the worst 7-year period of time this world will ever see, we will be removed to be kept from that tribulation/wrath, as promised in 1 Thessalonians 1:10, 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10, and Revelation 3:10. It is our daily prayer that all our loved ones, friends, and even those who don’t really like us will seek out and call on Jesus for their Salvation before it’s too late. For those who already have, we ask the Father to give us the strength and courage to hold on until we hear the Trumpet of God and the call from the archangel. This is when we will rise up to meet our Savior in the air and be with Him forever. Romans 10:9-13 gives the steps. Titus 1:2 assures us our Heavenly Father cannot lie. The final guarantee is in Joel 2:32, Acts 2:21, and Romans 10:13 that all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved. No special rituals, no special works, nor any donations are required or are even accepted. Just admit you are a sinner, as we all are (Romans 3:23); have faith and believe that Jesus is a part of the Holy Trinity that came to earth as a human to provide a sacrifice no one here could ever do (John 14:6); and finally, call on Him to forgive you and be your Savior forever. That’s it. There are only two eternal addresses: Heaven or hell. False prophets will say there are many ways to heaven and that all religions worship the same god. Truthfully, God and His Son are all about establishing a relationship, not any religion. Today would not be too early to get your reservation for the Rapture, as we are not given the day or hour that our Savior will come for His flock. He will force no one to accept Him but will accept all who truly will. It is the most important decision you will ever make. Any delay could just put a person into the tribulation. Jesus is waiting for your call. Ahavah B’Shem Yeshua! (Love in the name of Jesus) huebshman46@gmail.com

9-17-23 Christians Using Science Badly: Part 2

2023-09-17T03:00:00.003-04:00

Christians Using Science Badly: Part 2 :: By Wilfred Hahn Published on: December 24, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles, Wilfred Hahn Christians Using Science Badly: Part 2 :: By Wilfred Hahn Reviewing the “facts” that we cited in Part 1, we noted the hyperbole and downright dishonesty in some instances to support global warming claims. Why is there such bias? Money Precedes Truth Global warming has become big business. Armies of global consultants are peddling false information because it is profitable to do so. Many claimed urgencies are exaggerated by factors of 10X … indeed, 200X in some instances and more. Governments are particularly susceptible to this hype, promising infrastructure programs estimated to cost upwards of trillions of dollars. According to a new report,1 an estimated $3.4 trillion will be invested in renewable energy during the next decade, including $2.72 trillion in wind and solar. By 2030, 54.1% of installed capacity will be renewable (including hydropower), and 37.9% will be a combination of solar and wind. This is big business. As such, the dog will not easily give up his bone. In recent decades, much corruption has come to the surface in the field of science. Scientists do work under many pressures. For example, they must continue to attract funding for their research projects. Moreover, the field of science is very competitive. We must give credit to the many scholars who do strive for valid and honest conclusions in their research. However, it must be admitted that people wearing white frocks are no more virtuous than anyone else. They are just as subject to the temptations of greed and ambition. Out of Doom: Is Good News Possible? To this point, our focus has been on alarmism and the predictions of certain doom for earth. To be balanced, however, we should at least briefly identify some offsetting positives. We list six such trends—out of many more that we could cite. (Again, page references to Dr. Koonin’s observations are shown in parenthesis.) Good News #1: “[…] Since 1961 […] the per capita supply of vegetable oils and meat has more than doubled, and the supply of food calories per capita has increased by about one-third” (p. 172). Good News #2: “[…] Deaths due to famine have averaged about two to four per 100,000 since 1980; the rate was ten to twenty times larger in the first half of the twentieth century” (p. 172). Good News #3: “[…] In the fifty years from 1961 to 2011, global yields of wheat, rice, and maize (corn) have each more than doubled, and US corn yields have more than tripled” (p. 173). Good News #4: “[…] The increasing concentration of carbon dioxide has been a significant factor in yield improvements, as it boosts the rate of photosynthesis and alters plant physiology to use water more efficiently” (p. 173). Good News #5: According to the Center for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED), “weather-related death rates fell dramatically during the past one hundred years as the globe warmed 1.2° C (2.2° F); they’re about 80 times less frequent today than they were a century ago” (p. 169). Good News #6: “Increasing CO2 [carbon dioxide] in the atmosphere had also fertilized the natural world […] during the past four decades; the Leaf Area Index (the fractional area [of earth] covered by leaves) observed by satellites has increased markedly (‘greened’) over 25-50 percent of the vegetated areas of [the] globe, while it has decreased (‘browned’) over less than 4 percent of the globe” (pp. 173-174). Reviewing the above-cited “good news,” readers will agree that conditions today are not as bad as they may seem. That’s not to say that the world is problem-free. Interpreting & Fitting Eschatological Facts In Part 1, we first castigated Christians for misappropriating prophetic “signs of the times” (occurrences mentioned in the Bible but misinterpreted or chronologically misplaced), though there is no biblical evidence at all. To illustrate, earthquakes are a biblically legitimate end-time trend but misplaced chronologically. Earthquakes are indeed mentioned in the Bible, with prophetic applications of several kinds. The most well-known reference is found in the Olivet Discourse. All three accounts of the Olivet Discourse or portions thereof (found in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21) confirm the future occurrence of earthquakes. The Olivet prophecies mention other end-time phenomena occurring besides earthquakes. When the disciples asked Christ, “When shall these things be?” He said the following: “And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:6-8, KJV). Definitely, the Bible states that an increase in the frequency of earthquakes yet lies ahead for the world. Actually, there are two distinct groups of earthquakes that are yet to occur. First, there is the heightened earthquake activity that unfolds in the first half of the Tribulation period … namely, the time before the “beginning of sorrows,” but after “the end” has started. This contrasts with the trends before “the end is not yet” … which, for example, applies to increasing rumors. The second period of earthquakes is comprised of five separate occurrences that are mentioned in the Book of Revelation. All of these follow the fifth seal, therefore falling into the Great Tribulation period (namely, the latter 42 months of the 7-year Tribulation). Among this latter group, the biggest earthquake of all time is mentioned (see Revelation 16:18). Despite this being very clear, some prophecy interpreters insist that an increase in earthquakes is already occurring today. This cannot be, as Christ’s statement places the surge in earthquakes in the first half of the Tribulation. (There are intense debates about this topic.) Many overlook Scripture on this point and make their case on evidence of rising earthquake activity today. However, the facts say no. The U.S. Geological Survey provides information on earthquake activity worldwide.2 As we had noted in earlier examinations of its data, the frequency of large earthquakes is not increasing today. No statistically valid case can be made to support the conclusion that the number of big earthquakes is rising … yet. Hot Winds? Returning to our examination of the “global warming” trend today, the penultimate question that begs an answer is this: Are human beings causing climate changes … and do any of these changes lead to “global warming” or other related manifestations? The honest answer from scientists must be this: Nobody knows for sure. Christians must be similarly careful in their debates with “climate change” advocates. For one, we should be sure of our facts and Scripture. An example is this statement by Dr. Koonin: “Without a doubt, carbon emissions are indeed rising [carbon dioxide and methane mainly] and continue to do so. This cannot be denied.” Many Christian opponents simply choose to deny this fact … unnecessarily losing credibility. Yet the great debate remains: Do these emissions, which are floating around in the earth’s atmosphere, actually contribute to “global warming”? As mentioned, no one has a sure answer. The facts are inconclusive. But these facts we can know: There indeed are trends that, if they should continue another 100 years or more, would be disconcerting. Yet, it is also obvious that global warming predictions have been shamelessly exaggerated. For the time being, there is no global warming crisis. The second fact we can know with certainty is this: The potential for the earth’s destruction due to climate changes was apparently not deemed important enough to merit a place in the body of Bible prophecy. Thus, is it logical for the entire world to be moribund with fear about a development that was not first told to the prophets? “Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7). Thoughts to Ponder Can it really be that the multiplicity of stakeholders in climate matters—scientists, scientific institutions, activists and NGOs, the media, politicians—are all contributing to misinformation in the matter of climate change? Yes, this is clearly possible. To say otherwise assumes that one can present a case that mankind caused “global warming.” As the case may be, secular scientists to date have not been able to prove that just such a relationship exists. Yes, emissions continue to rise (as already mentioned), and the earth has warmed a very modest amount over the last century. But no linkages to warming can be proven. What, then, does the Bible say about global warming? This writer believes the answer is “nothing,” simply for the reason that it is not mentioned in the Bible. Many prophecy teachers have mistakenly become caught up in “global warming” exaggerations and untruths. They attribute what they see as “climate change” to be an end-time development. This is wrong …. in fact, twice over. First, they, in effect, agree with the contrived allegations and conclusions of “extremist” global warming advocates. Second, they incorrectly identify “signs of the times” and force them into their own alarmist and prophetic timelines. And, practically, if it were not for the effects of higher emissions of CO2 over the past decades, just how many more people would have died from famines due to lower crop yields? — Wilfred J. Hahn is a global economist/strategist. Formerly a top-ranked global analyst, research director for a major Wall Street investment bank, and head of Canada’s largest global investment operation, his writings focus on the endtime roles of money, economics and globalization. He has been quoted around the world and his writings reproduced in numerous other publications and languages. His 2002 book The Endtime Money Snare: How to live free accurately anticipated and prepared its readers for the Global Financial Crisis. A following book, Global Financial Apocalypse Prophesied: Preserving true riches in an age of deception and trouble, looks further into the prophetic future. Contact Wilfred at: staff@eternalvalue.com 1 Frost & Sullivan, “Growth Opportunities from Decarbonization in the Global Power Market,” 2019—2030 2 https://www.usgs.gov/programs/earthquake-hazards/earthquakes

9-17-23 Not in a Billion Years

2023-09-17T03:00:00.001-04:00

Not In A Million Billion Years :: By Dave Hubley Published on: December 24, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles (There is a special message at the end of this article for those who might happen to read this and do not have Jesus in their life and are looking for peace and a way to better understand the present-day insanity and confusion.) Several years ago, I had a conversation with a guy in a waiting room while getting an oil change (in the car, not me). I don’t recall exactly how the conversation originated or how it progressed, but I have never forgotten it. As I recall, it had something to do with evolution and an article that was contained in a “waiting room magazine” that was available there. He made the observation that God was “something that man had made up.” I can’t recall the exact reason he used to justify his opinion, but it had something to do with the usual reasons people give: Weak-willed people needing a crutch, and blah, blah, blah. I engaged him in a “witness,” that there is no empirical evidence to support evolution, and there was more evidence for creation by God than there was to support Darwin’s claim. Rather than be confrontational, I pointed out the differences between man (love, writing, and speech) and animals and tried to get him thinking about those differences. As so often happens under those circumstances, there were distractions and interruptions; time ran out, and we parted ways. When I looked around, I noticed two ladies sitting there as well, and they were both smiling. Who knows what the Spirit may have done after that moment? I could only hope. And pray. I have often wondered about him and if the Spirit had been able to work with his spirit to bring about a change. I hope so, as he was so clearly deceived and lost. There are multitudes of reasons, excuses, and justifications people use when they make this claim. Many of us have heard them or their variants over the years if we are actively witnessing out “in the world.” Yesterday, the Spirit brought that conversation back to the front of my memory, coupled with the current state of the world and how the “leadership” of the WEF (World Economic Forum) has just recently announced that God is dead (where have we heard that before?) and that they are acquiring “divine” powers and the power to “create.” [ https://newspunch.com/klaus-schwab-god-is-dead-and-the-wef-is-acquiring-divine-powers/ ] I was reminded of the impossibility of man and the absurdity of him thinking he could “make up” God. It also occurs to me to wonder: What will be the source of these “divine” powers? God Himself declares in Isaiah, as well as numerous other places in His Word, that He will NOT share His Glory with another. That thought had occurred to me back when the conversation in the waiting room took place, but not with such clarity as it has now in this age of depravity, rampant humanism, and open and outright hatred of God and His Created Order. Man has, over the long (to us) history of humankind, indeed “made up” many “gods.” These “objects of worship/idols” share characteristics that many of us have heard of before, especially in recent years of increased “spirituality.” Here is an abbreviated list that might bring these false deities to mind: A “god” that instills fear, punishment, anxiety, and, most terrifying, vaguely defined requirements that are only presented in general terms with no clear path to the adherent or what they specifically are and how to achieve them. This common, man-made “god” rules by way of constant threats of a capricious and vicious anger when “displeased.” A “god” that promises the adherent that they can achieve some sort of godhood or continued existence (better – IF you’re good enough, or worse, if you are Not), if they meet some vaguely defined standards of earthly conduct. Who defines those standards is most often mysterious and somewhat vague (in other words, they are human standards). There are, as stated, many more conditions, commands, threats, and promises that are part of man-made “religions” that are too numerous to list here. In each case, there is a requirement for rituals and other outward actions in order to satisfy and satiate the capricious man-made “god”; however, there is no indication that this man-made “god” is, in fact, satisfied. So, the fear and uncertainty continue. Why all these similarities to humans? It is because they mirror the capricious requirements of and actions of godless human rulers when they assume power. Human rulers may indicate that you are forgiven; however, can you really be certain? Is every day not filled with a steady stream of lies and human deception? However: “God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?” (Numbers 23:19). Now to the crux of this article. It is the conspicuous absence of the characteristics of the True and Living God in these man-made mimicries that is the most convincing evidence of their falsehood. Let’s examine this short but unique list of characteristics of the One True God that no fraudulent, human-created “god” would or could ever possess. These are the characteristics that would never have occurred to man in a million billion years. Why? Because every single one is grounded in Love. Real, purposeful, and genuine Love. Not love as man has come to define it, but as God does. Substitutionary Death: How can one comprehend this? God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, the sinless Son of the Living God, who willingly submitted to an undeserved death to pay the penalty for sinful man. This was planned before the creation of the world and at the time of God’s choosing, and it was fulfilled at the appointed time. Forgiveness: The genuine promise, always kept, of forgiveness for penitent hearts who confess sins and willingly receive Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. Grace: Undeserved favor and Mercy given by the God of Love to sinful man. Mercy: Withholding punishment for sin until the Savior would appear and pay the cost for all who would receive Him as Lord. And continuing to withhold judgment until the “appointed time,” when God WILL execute it. Restoration: Forgiveness of sins confessed to God and reinstatement of that repentant soul to their former status as Justified in God’s sight. Trustworthy Promises: These, once made, are always kept and never broken. “As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12). God’s promise of forgiveness to penitent, confessing sinners whether they be saved or unsaved, is not subject to question despite human uncertainty or doubt. It is a promise of God and is, therefore, Truth. Righteous Anger: Not capricious or petulant but regulated and executed in a measured and sober manner and after much warning and patience. Prophecy; the Signature of the One True God that only He can assign. “Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure, Calling a bird of prey from the east, The man who executes My counsel, from a far country. Indeed, I have spoken it; I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed it; I will also do it (Isaiah 46:9-11). And indeed, He has done it! The Word of God is abundant with prophetic declarations from Genesis to Revelation. No man-created “holy writings” have ever even dared to “Declare the end from the beginning,” as has the Bible. Neither do these man-made “gods” possess the power to bring them about. What further proof would one need? Hundreds of them have been fulfilled up to this point in time, and every single one of them in minute detail. The mathematical odds of this would be outside the realms of possibility except for the sovereignty and power of the One True God. El Shaddai – God Almighty. “But as it is written: ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him'” (1 Cor 2:9). Emphasis added by me. The above verse applies to the wonders of God’s Eternal Kingdom, His plans for those who have received the blessing of eternal life through Jesus Christ’s redeeming sacrifice, and who have received Him as Savior and Lord. It is a promise made to all who will dwell with Him forever, as He has promised. At the same time, I believe that the same condition of the earth-bound human’s inability to comprehend the wonders of God in the eternal construct lends proof to the claim that it is completely beyond human capability to even begin to imagine a “god” that could approach the actual Sovereign and Only God that has made Himself known to His creation through His Written Word, His creation, and most wonderful of all, His virgin- born and sinless Son, Jesus Christ. So, if you should happen to be reading this and have not embraced the joy and peace of knowing the One True God through His Son – if you have placed your trust in a man-imagined “god” who is powerless to save or made yourself into your own “god” – if you have placed your eternal soul in any other place than Jesus Christ who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life as He promised – and if you still draw breath in this life, it is not too late. He does not turn anyone away who earnestly seeks Him. I think that you know in your inmost being that you need something but perhaps are not sure what that something is. That “something” is Someone, and that Someone is waiting for you to call to Him. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20). “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me'” (John 14:6). “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). The special message I promised you: For anyone who may read this article and has not trusted in Jesus Christ and therefore has no hope or peace in your life: You can have hope. You can have the peace that Jesus has promised to all who have made Him their Lord and Savior. The peace that passes understanding. It requires that you come before God on His terms. And, what are His terms according to His Word? Genuine repentance (turning to God instead of continuing to reject or ignore Him). Confession of sins (that you are a sinner and acknowledge that to God). That you understand that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). To acknowledge to God that you are unable to pay that debt. Belief that Jesus Christ paid your death sentence for you on the cross. To believe that Jesus is the Way, the only Way, that God has established by which humans may be saved from the consequences of their sin and rebellion. God has made it absolutely clear that there is no one who comes before Him, under His terms, that will be refused. No one: no race, no color, no country of origin, regardless of any previous belief system: no one. No matter what your past sins have been, God can and WILL forgive you because He says He will. Salvation is available to everyone without any exceptions. If you put all your trust for salvation in Jesus, and Him only, you can follow that prayer up by simply saying, “Thank you, Father God, for hearing my prayer and saving me,” because we can trust Him to keep His Word. He always has. He always will. “Truly, Truly, I say to you that he who hears My words and believes the One who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned. He has crossed from death to life (John 5:24). There are no answers and there is no hope in the world by governments, organizations, politics, or politicians. There are only lies and deception. But you can have the Truth and the peace you seek. The answers are in the Word of God—The Bible. If you ask God with all your heart, He will hear you. “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). Pro Salvator Vigilans To contact me: canoeman96@gmail.com

9-16-23 Santa Staleness

2023-09-16T03:00:00.007-04:00

Santa Staleness :: By Edwin Tan Published on: December 24, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles My one and only trip to Israel had more than a profound effect on my present-day psyche. It might have been three decades ago, but there is more than a lingering aftertaste. It happened smack in the last fortnight of the year. Surprisingly absent were the familiar sights and sounds of the Christmas most people are accustomed to. Hardly any Christmas decorations in downtown Tel Aviv, if not any of the shopping thoroughfares across the Holy Land. Hanukah was a breath of fresh air – not anything resembling a Christmas carol most people grew up with did surface. The Christmas Eve service in a small Protestant church not far away from Jerusalem’s Old City was awesome; songs that truly celebrated the virgin birth of our Lord, which though seemingly unheard of, were a welcome inspiration to many a soul. There was even one sung in Arabic! So it began, my overt disdain for the secular Christmas that rooted itself in outright commercialism – a festival that had nothing to do with Scriptural truth. What could cause me to frown most is none other than old Saint Nick, aka Santa Claus. Was this character ever mentioned in the Living Word? Through the years, this question would pop up around Thanksgiving. Then as I walked closer to the Lord, it became clear to me that this rather fictitious icon bore a lot of similarity where the abominable golden calf was concerned. “Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, ‘Come, make us gods that shall go before us; as for Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ “And Aaron said to them, ‘Break off the golden earrings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons and your daughters, and bring them to me.’ So all the people broke off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron. And he received the gold from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf. Then they said, ‘This is your god O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!'” (Exodus 32:1-4). There is undoubtedly a common thread when comparing the ancient image with the current-day icon. It was and still is pure fiction, emanating from the mind of the fallen nature. The masses would truly adore make-believe versus the way, the truth, and the life. Simply said, it was deemed an object that enabled almost instantaneous gratification. This being the very case in the high technology realm which is an unavoidable facet of twenty-first-century living. To the masses, the concept of a joyous eternity appears nebulous and boring when seen through misconstrued eyes. Everybody, including many Christians, wants their best moments on planet Earth – the afterlife could wait for quite a while! With this line of reasoning, the all-important significance of the season is literally pushed to the back burner. Living Scripture is relegated to the likes of a fairy tale, while the worldly aspect is reason to party. This amounts to flaunting material gain in excessive proportions. If some of the traditional secular elements are close to being barely bearable, there is a lot of recent stuff that reeks of lust. The godless can call this creativity, but in the eyes of those who walk with the Lord, it is wholesale depravity! When I hear incessant blaring of these disgusting pieces in shopping malls, it really sends my blood pressure soaring! Disgust is intertwined with occasional disbelief when there is blatant disregard for the truth in the Living Word. This disbelief has indeed tapered off quite a bit as a result of getting into the thick of Bible Prophecy. All this opposite-direction stuff is truly the basis of deception, which leads multitudes away from His blessings. So it is the same old thing year in and year out. All about what the constrained world can give versus what the Lord can provide through His infinite riches and Glory. When there is no focus on a glorious eternity, it is likened to something losing its savor. More like the staleness of leftovers way past the recommended expiration date. Perhaps enough to spin off a severe bout of salmonella! Conversely speaking, focus on the genuine nature of the season renews our hope where His grace and mercy matter. Most important of all, we need to be reminded where the love of God is concerned – the moment when He sent His only begotten Son into the world so as to save mankind from eternal damnation. Question is, how many Christians really take this to heart amidst the festive frenzy? “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice For the time forward, and even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this” (Isaiah 9:6-7). The top part of this reassuring piece of Scripture might appear in some greeting cards. But when you look at the entirety of the above-said passages, it is all about an eternal glory with our Lord. It would do a lot of good if there are pastors who touch on this aspect of the birth of Christ. It is not just a once-a-year showpiece, but it should be a focus that only ends when the Bride of Christ is eventually caught up to meet her Groom in the atmosphere. This emphasis on the Blessed Hope would be comforting in view of the tumultuous times which see no let-up. At the end of the day, everything has to be reversed and placed in the rightful positions. The feasting and whatever revelry cannot override the reverence due to our Heavenly Father for His unfailing love, this love which no flesh and blood is capable of giving. Let us rather be aiming for a reduction in our spots and blemishes this season. This we do by sincerely loving one another. “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35). We could have our gatherings with family and friends this season amidst a sumptuous spread. But let the spirit of love for one another dominate the get-together. We do this because He first loved us – this being the true reason for the season. Have a truly Blessed Christmas Edwin Contact me at edwinuk13@gmail.com

9-16-23 Little-Known Prophecies of Christmas: Pt 4, Genesis 49:10

2023-09-16T03:00:00.005-04:00

Little-Known Prophecies of Christmas: Pt 4, Genesis 49:10 :: By Paul J. Scharf Published on: December 24, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles We ended last time by thinking how the Messiah would be the son of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob—and Judah (see Matt. 1:2-3; Lk. 3:33; Heb. 7:14; Rev. 5:5). Jacob made an astounding and significant prophecy regarding his son Judah—and the greatest descendant who would come through his lineage—giving us one of the earliest glimpses into the Messiah’s future reign as king, “in the last days” (Gen. 49:1). As Jacob was blessing his sons in Gen. 49:10, he stated regarding Leah’s fourth son: “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people.” I cannot remember a time in my life when I had not memorized this verse. It was one of many that my classmates and I learned to say verbatim each year in Lutheran grade school in preparation for the annual Christmas Eve services. Often, as I have referenced this verse in teaching and preaching, I have described it as a promise that we regularly share during the Christmas season. What I found, however, was that I received a lot of blank stares in return, so I no longer speak about it that way. Sadly, I include it here as a “little-known” prophecy. As we proclaimed this verse together back in grade school, however, I really did not understand all that it meant. I had several questions about it—especially in the King James English in which we memorized it. Perhaps my greatest challenge was understanding why it seemed to refer to Christ as Shiloh. Shiloh was a village contained in the land of the tribe of Ephraim and the location of the tabernacle (see 1 Sam. 1:3). This name is used 32 times in the Old Testament, including the text under consideration. But is Gen. 49:10 teaching that such a village will move toward an appearance within history? No, but it wasn’t until seminary that I really came to understand this passage. Dr. John Whitcomb unlocked the puzzle for me when he explained—rather ingeniously, I thought—that Ezekiel supplied the answer to the conundrum centuries after Jacob prophesied, in Ezek. 21:26-27:[i] “Thus says the Lord God: ‘Remove the turban, and take off the crown; Nothing shall remain the same. Exalt the humble, and humble the exalted. Overthrown, overthrown, I will make it overthrown! It shall be no longer, Until He comes whose right it is, And I will give it to Him.’” Dr. Whitcomb taught us that those words, “whose right it is” (which, in part, sound similar to “Shiloh” in Hebrew) offer the key that unlocks the meaning of the cryptogram found in Gen. 49:10.[ii] Ezekiel, by way of predictive prophecy, was describing the forthcoming suspension of the theocracy of Israel, and the halting of the kingly line in Judah. It would not resume until its rightful owner—Shiloh—would appear and reestablish the kingdom.[iii] Here, then, we see two interwoven prophecies. The latter one builds on the former, which could not be fully understood without the progress of revelation. In the end, we recognize Jacob to be announcing Jesus’ future reign as king. Christmas is made richer by a right understanding of such hidden gems of prophetic truth, which rest just below our sight, all throughout the Hebrew Bible. It is my hope that the light reflecting off of these gems has served to illuminate your Christmas. We have unearthed just four of them—all in the book of Genesis. As God enables, I hope to write about more of them during Advent seasons to come. Unless “Shiloh comes” first. Merry Christmas! — Paul J. Scharf (M.A., M.Div., Faith Baptist Theological Seminary) is a church ministries representative for The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, based in Columbus, WI, and serving in the Midwest. For more information on his ministry, visit sermonaudio.com/pscharf or foi.org/scharf, or email pscharf@foi.org. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version. Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version). [i] Dr. Whitcomb discussed these issues on his Encounter God’s Truth radio program on Nov. 9, 2013. Listen to his teaching on SermonAudio.com/Whitcomb, under the title “The Coming King,” at https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=117131417116. John MacArthur describes the terminology used by Jacob as “Shiloh, the cryptogram for the Messiah.” See the note on Gen. 49:8-12 in The MacArthur Study Bible, 2nd Edition, ESV (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2021), p. 68. The ESV footnote on the same page states: “a slight emendation yields … until he comes to whom it belongs.” The ESV text does not contain the word “Shiloh,” but states in v. 10: “until tribute comes to him.” David Jeremiah writes, “Shiloh means ‘To Whom It Belongs.’” See the note on Gen. 49:8-12 in The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Franklin, TN: Worthy Publishing, 2013), p. 68. [ii] Eugene H. Merrill concurs, seeing “a direct allusion to Gen. 49:10” in Ezek. 21:27. See “Genesis 49:8-12: The Lion of Judah” (pp. 271-284). In Michael Rydelnik and Edwin Blum (Gen. Eds.), The Moody Handbook of Messianic Prophecy (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2019), p. 282. Merrill also states on p. 284, in footnote 46: “Ezekiel 21:27 uses the same phrase as Gn 49:10, however it is the full expression of the phrase, not the contracted word used in Genesis.” [iii] For more occurrences of that blessed word until (where it is used with dispensational significance, showing that God still has a future for Israel), see Matt. 26:29; Lk. 13:35; 21:24; 22:16, 18; and Acts 3:21.

9-16-23 Little-Known Prophecies of Christmas, Pt 3: Genesis 17:19

2023-09-16T03:00:00.003-04:00

Little-Known Prophecies of Christmas, Pt 3: Genesis 17:19 :: By Paul J. Scharf Published on: December 24, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles The Messiah was a descendant of Abraham. More than that, we considered last time how He was, in fact, promised within the covenant that God made with Abram (Gen. 12:1-3). According to the Apostle Paul in Gal. 3:16 and 19, He is the ultimate recipient of that covenant! Our Savior Jesus Christ is finally the One through whom “all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen. 12:3). Paul also quoted and discussed that portion of the covenant in Gal. 3:8-9. We ended last time with the realization that the promised Messiah would be the final Davidic king over Israel. As declared then, however, there are several intermediate steps, with accompanying prophecies, which are given between the times of Abraham and David and speak about His coming and the offices He would hold as the greatest prophet, priest, and king. And there are also more ancestors named, each playing their roles in this prophetic drama. One of the most pivotal individuals in the story is really quite an enigmatic character when you think about it. We don’t sing about him or even preach about him much—outside of the humility he showed to his father in one of the latter’s great acts of faith (see Gen. 22:1-19). He never took a long journey of faith like his father had and did not set out on any of the extreme adventures—for good or for bad—that his sons would experience. The story behind his birth still staggers hearers today—just as it did for his father and mother! (see Gen. 17:17; 18:12-15) The only other thing that stands out about him is his handling—mishandling?—of a major situation that occurred before his death (see Gen. 27:1-28:5). In between, his whole existence seems like it could be summed up in the words of the Apostle Paul in 1 Thess. 4:11: “That you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands.” His parents had a bride selected for him, but not until he was 40 years old (see Gen. 24; 25:20). Before that, Scripture focuses mostly on his distinction from his half-brother. After that, it places the spotlight mostly on his two sons. I am referring, of course, to Isaac, the man of laughter (see Gen. 21:6). I am sure he had a very affectionate relationship with his parents, and I am guessing that included many times of laughter—as he would later find joy in his wife and sons (see Gen. 24:67). He probably spent lots of time in his father’s fields also (see Gen. 24:63). In Gen. 26, it appears that God really tested and stretched Isaac’s faith personally (see especially vv. 1-5 and 23-33). Amazingly, he made the Hall of Faith, in Heb. 11:20! But even more astonishing is his place in the line of the Messiah and the promises the Lord gave in that regard. The assurances of the coming Messiah went directly through him! “Then God said: ‘No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him'” (Gen. 17:19). Just as we saw last time, the hope of Messiah is contained in that word “descendants.” Think of it—all those years, the future nation of Israel, the future of the kingdom of God on the Earth, rested on Isaac as he walked, worked, played, and prayed. There wasn’t even another brother in his family who could pick up the slack if something happened to him. And once his father died, it was only him and his two teenage sons (see Gen. 25:7-11, 26). He lived much of his life trusting in the promise which was made to his parents, until he heard it directly in Gen. 26. Yet God’s plan was clear: “In Isaac your seed shall be called” (Gen. 21:12; Rom. 9:7). “Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers” (Matt. 1:2). The Messiah would be the son of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—then Judah. And we’ll begin with him next time, in the final installment for this season of Advent. — Paul J. Scharf (M.A., M.Div., Faith Baptist Theological Seminary) is a church ministries representative for The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, based in Columbus, WI, and serving in the Midwest. For more information on his ministry, visit sermonaudio.com/pscharf or foi.org/scharf, or email pscharf@foi.org. Scripture taken from the New King James Version.

9-16-23 It Is Coming

2023-09-16T03:00:00.001-04:00

It Is Coming :: By Daymond Duck Published on: December 24, 2022 by RR10 Category:Daymond Duck, General Articles On Dec. 17, 2022, it was reported that Rep. David Cicilline, a Democrat from Rhode Island, has introduced legislation to permanently bar former Pres. Trump from running for president again, and 40 Democrats have signed on. Cicilline is accusing Trump of orchestrating an insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021. At the time of this writing, it is debatable as to whether Cicilline’s legislation will get voted on before the new Congress takes office in 2023, but some conservatives have said from the beginning that the main purpose of the Jan. 6 fake show-trial was to stop Trump from being elected again. Some, including this writer, have said there is no telling what the U.S. shadow government will do to prevent making America great again (MAGA) because they want to surrender the sovereignty of the U.S. to the New World Order (coming world government). It was easy to see this coming, and while there is some doubt about Cicilline’s legislation getting voted on, there is no doubt in the minds of some Bible prophecy teachers that the New World Order and the Reign of Antichrist are coming. That is what “Build Back Better” and “The Great Reset” are all about (making everyone on earth subject to a godless world government). Trump is seen as an impediment that must be permanently removed. Here are more signs that indicate that it is coming. One, concerning a peace treaty in the Middle East: on Dec. 14, 2022, potential Israeli Prime Min. Netanyahu repeated his belief that an Abraham Accords normalization agreement with Saudi Arabia would lead to an agreement with all the Arab nations and eventually to peace with the Palestinians. Netanyahu said, “I intend to pursue it.” Two, concerning a peace treaty in the Middle East: on Dec. 14, 2022, the European Union (EU) Parliament said, “The next Israeli government should make a clear commitment in favor of the Two-State Solution” (commit to the division of Israel, something that will trigger the Battle of Armageddon; Joel 3:2). The resolution called for a European (home of the Antichrist who will confirm a peace treaty; Dan. 9:26) to lead the peace process, and it says, “Two sovereign democratic states living side by side in peace and guaranteed security (peace and safety; I Thess. 5:3), with Jerusalem as the capital of both states and in full respect of internal law.” Three, concerning the global energy crisis: on Dec. 16, 2022, the International Energy Agency (IEA) reported that coal demand has hit an all-time high. With winter and blackouts looming, the deliberate shortage of natural gas has caused the demand for coal to soar. One would think climate change advocates would be upset about people freezing to death, but they seem more upset by the increased use of coal. Four, concerning the U.S. economy and deceit: on Dec. 13, 2022, the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia said the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics overstated the March through June 2022 employment numbers by more than one million people. Five, with the help of 39 Republicans in the House and 12 Republicans in the Senate, Pres. Biden got his so-called “Respect for Marriage” passed. (It is really a bill to legalize immorality or gay marriage). Texas Rep. Chip Roy asked for an amendment to prevent the government from discriminating against those that believe in traditional (Biblical) marriage, but that was blocked. (So immorality is legal, and criticizing it might bring the government down on you. What is happening to freedom of speech?) Six, concerning natural disasters: during the Tribulation Period, a star will fall from heaven burning as a lamp; it will pollute a third part of the rivers and streams on earth, and many that drink them will die (the third trumpet judgment; Rev. 8:10-11). In 2022, there has been at least a dozen verifiable reports of very bright fireballs in the sky around the world (Spain, China, U.S., UK, Brazil, Portugal, India, etc.). On Dec. 18, 2022, a very bright fireball exploded over China that caused a loud boom, damaged a cement road, broke streetlights, shook and broke windows, etc. Citizens in the area gathered several suspected fragments from the fireball for the Chinese government, and one suspected fragment was more than 3 inches long and weighed about 7 pounds. On Dec. 17, 2022, a large freak wave struck a beach in South Africa. 3 people were killed, and 17 others were injured. The National Weather Service is predicting that a prolonged much-below-normal, perhaps record-breaking and life-threatening, arctic front will cover a large portion of the U.S. just before Christmas, and officials are warning that power outages are a real possibility. On Dec. 20, 2022, a 6.4 earthquake shook northern California, causing power outages, gas leaks, and widespread damage of homes. At least two people were killed, and at least 11 were injured. Seven, concerning wars and rumors of wars: on Dec. 15, 2022, it was reported that Russia has loaded its second nuclear missile into a silo (the missile is reportedly capable of carrying 15 nuclear warheads) and threatened to fire it on London in the UK if Ukraine attacks Russian territory. On Dec. 19, 2022, it was reported that Henry Kissinger said a nuclear war caused by Ukraine is imminent. (My opinion: I do not believe Russia will use nuclear weapons against the UK, U.S., or any NATO nation. That would start a nuclear war that would do incredible damage to everyone, including Russia. According to the Bible, Russia’s military will be destroyed on the mountains of Israel, not in Ukraine or Russia.) Eight, concerning pestilences and the globalist desire to reduce the population of the earth: every day, there are reports of increased deaths around the world that are caused by mRNA Covid-19 jabs. Autopsies are finding inflammation of the heart arteries, blood clots that blocked and obstructed arteries, etc., to a greater degree in people that have been jabbed than in people that have not been jabbed. On Dec. 17, 2022, it was reported that a Rasmussen Poll of 1,000 U.S. citizens on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, 2022, found that 56% said they had no side effects, 34% said they had minor side effects, 7% said they had major side effects, and 4% said they were not sure if they had any side effects from taking the jab. (The numbers were rounded off and may explain why the total comes up to over 100%.) Other reports have found similar results, and the fact that 7% of the U.S. citizens that were surveyed reported major side effects is incredibly high. (Note: Some officials believe the situation is worse than reported because Rasmussen could not poll deceased citizens.) Nine, concerning the distress of nations: on Dec. 19, 2022, Israel’s Intelligence Ministry issued an assessment of world events that will be coming over the next 10 years. The Jerusalem Post obtained a copy of the report and said, “The world is at a transition point analogous to being on the verge of a cliff, after which a series of crises striking simultaneously will reorder the planet’s geopolitics, the place of technology, the economic order and a variety of other disciplines from health to energy.” (My opinion: I have been writing that globalists are transitioning the world into a world government by 2030 or sooner, and they are deliberately creating crises, food shortages, energy shortages, economic problems, etc., and the technology to bring it about. Some prophecy teachers also believe they will soon propose solutions that will give them more power and eventually enslave everyone on earth. This Israeli intelligence report confirms the opinion that a transition is taking place.) Ten, concerning the division of Israel: on Dec. 19, 2022, it was reported that the new government of Israel will be installed in the next 2-3 days. World leaders (including the UN, EU, and the Biden administration) are going out of their way to warn the new conservative Israeli government not to annex settlements or change the status quo on the Temple Mount, and more. They want to divide Israel and Jerusalem, and they are pressuring Israel to agree to it. The Bible clearly teaches that dividing Israel and Jerusalem will trigger the Battle of Armageddon (Joel 3:2). Eleven, concerning corruption and election fraud: on Dec. 20, 2022, it was reported that the FBI paid twitter $3.4 million to censor stories the government did not like. The FBI was illegally influencing the election by censoring and lying about posts such as Hunter Biden’s Laptop from Hell. They had Biden’s laptop and knew the information was true but made up the story and lied about it being Russian disinformation. The shadow government was using Twitter to determine who will hold office in the U.S. because world government is a goal of the U.S. America is being weakened and betrayed from within. (Note: They also lied about Pres. Trump and the Russian collusion story. I seem to remember that that lie cost the American taxpayers about $40 million. Congress should have already done something about it, but the Democrats have controlled all three branches of government, and some of them were colluding with the FBI. Trump got elected to “drain the swamp,” but he did not know how polluted it was, and he could not get it done.) Twelve, concerning famine and food shortages: this week, a reader sent me a link to a video of Glenn Beck interviewing Carol Roth (author, TV pundit, radio host, and more). Roth said the Netherlands is the second largest food producer in the world (second only to the U.S.). Roth reminded viewers that those that control the food can control the people. The government is deliberately putting farmers and ranchers out of business in the Netherlands, and Beck said he thinks this is “the biggest threat to all of us because it will lead to global starvation.” Beck added that this is coming to the U.S. and Canada and that the WEF said, “We will redesign how we produce and consume food from the seed to the fork.” Therefore, the government of Netherlands is cutting the use of fertilizer, limiting how many cows people can own, buying thousands of acres of farmland and taking it out of production, etc. Deliberate food control, mass starvation, and population control is coming. Canada is already reducing the amount of fertilizer farmers can use. The U.S. is buying land out west, paying farmers to not farmland, and stopping farmers from grazing cattle on some federal land. Here is a link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpuEfvzDZb8 Thirteen, concerning world government: on Dec. 20, 2022, The New American posted an excellent article by William F. Jasper about the 2022 UN Biodiversity Conference in Montreal, Canada, on Dec. 7-19, 2022. It was a regular meeting of climate change extremists who are determined to save Mother Earth (the planet) from natural disasters (rising sea levels, floods, droughts, wildfires, etc.) supposedly created by man’s pollution and excessive consumption. Jasper reported that they agreed to four goals called the 30-by-30 (or 30X30) Initiative: By 2030, they will protect (forbid people to use) 30% of the world’s land, water, and marine areas. By 2030, they will raise at least (perhaps more) $200 billion per year to fund biodiversity causes. By 2030, they will reduce subsidies by at least (perhaps more) $500 billion to entities that are harming nature. By 2030, developed countries will give developing countries at least (perhaps more) $30 billion per year for biodiversity causes. Jasper points out that the real objective is power for them to reset (transform) the world (and everyone on it) according to their agenda, morals, etc. (the agenda, morals, etc., of “Transforming our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”). He reminded readers that Pres. Biden signed an Executive Order on Jan. 27, 2021, that commits the U.S. to conserve (not allow mining, farming, drilling for oil, etc.) at least 30% (perhaps more) of U.S. lands and waters by 2030. Here is a link to Jasper’s extremely important report. https://thenewamerican.com/un-biodiversity-summit-concludes-with-agreement-to-save-mother-earth-by-taxing-and-shackling-humanity/ Finally, are you Rapture Ready? If you want to be rapture ready and go to heaven, you must be born again (John 3:3). God loves you, and if you have not done so, sincerely admit that you are a sinner; believe that Jesus is the virgin-born, sinless Son of God who died for the sins of the world, was buried, and raised from the dead; ask Him to forgive your sins, cleanse you, come into your heart and be your Saviour; then tell someone that you have done this. duck_daymond@yahoo.com

9-25-23 The Farm Chronicles: One Christmas

2023-09-15T03:00:00.007-04:00

The Farm Chronicles: One Christmas :: By Bill Wilson Published on: December 24, 2022 by RR10 Category:Bill Wilson, General Articles There are a lot of terrible things going on right now in the world. But we are at the time of the year when we, as Christians, celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. We can choose to be impacted by the world around us in its dimly lit arena, or we can choose to let our light so shine. I choose the latter. I want to tell you a little about the Christmas that I had growing up on our family farm in Ohio. I was blessed to be born into a horse and cattle farm that has been in our family for some 200 years. And Christmas, especially Christmas Eve, was a wonderful time for our family. December 24 was my Dad’s birthday. And my Dad was well-loved by his neighbors and friends, so we had a lot going on Christmas Eve. I remember one special Christmas Eve. I must have been about four years old. The night was falling, and the wind and snow were whipping across the barnyard, as we often were victims of the “lake effect” from Lake Erie in the southernmost tip of the snow belt. The barn was cold when we turned on the lights and started climbing into the loft and throwing bales of hay down, putting the hay in the mangers, grain in the feed boxes, and water in the buckets. Then the horses and cows were gathered in the barnyard; one by one, we let them through the door, and they automatically went to their stalls or stanchions. The barn warmed up, and the animals contently eating was a comforting sound. We had dinner and went to church. I remember my brother Chuck carried me out of church that night. He was 14 years older than me, and we were so very close. He was asking me whether I thought Santa had made it to the farm yet. And I was worried that it was so early on Christmas Eve that he had not –for we celebrated our family Christmas on Christmas Eve with my Dad’s birthday. Then he looked up at the moon and said, “See there… it’s Santa’s sleigh and his reindeer. Don’t you see them?” He was so convincing that I looked and looked but couldn’t find them. But Chuck insisted that he had seen Santa Claus. We got home, and sure enough, there were wonderful presents under the tree. We had a great family time that year, opening presents and enjoying one another. And afterward, neighbors and friends started dropping by to wish my Dad happy birthday. Their kids and I were playing with my new farm set, and there was a lot of laughter and fun. Chuck was killed by a drunk driver a few years later. Dad passed in 1989. But the spirit of those two wonderful men lives on here and especially in heaven, and I am reminded of them every Christmas Eve – in the best of times or worst of times, they were the best of men. We have a Savior, Jesus Christ, who is with us in all times. And no matter the condition of the world, we can draw comfort in His promise in Matthew 28:20, “I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” God Bless you and yours during this season. Posted in The Daily Jot

9-15-23 Miracles 2

2023-09-15T03:00:00.005-04:00

Miracles 2 :: By Jim Towers Published on: December 21, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles This story is a continuation of the exciting things God continues doing in my life. I was supposed to have died a while back, and sometimes I feel as though I may do so soon. But since I’m ready to meet my maker, I have no fear of death. In fact, my evangelistic zeal has only increased, especially as I see the fast approaching of the “Tribulation period” mentioned in the book of Revelation. Insofar as my acting career is concerned, I just finished filming a soliloquy featuring Melchior, one of the three Magi who followed the star to Christ lying in the manger, and am preparing to portray a Jewish Priest on stage. Like I said, God is working overtime in my life, and I will be appearing on stage singing Broadway show tunes sometime in March, so I have a lot of rehearsing to do. In the meantime, I will be signing Christmas carols acapella at a park here in Naples. Since it is a spontaneous thing, no one will know until it comes out on YouTube or Twitter. From that, I will stage another event the first of January. Until then, I hope to be sharing Christ whenever and wherever I can, like I did the other night. It was about midnight when I began to experience chest pains, so I had Caroline drive me to the emergency room. On the way, I had to plead with her to take me to the Waffle house first. She thought I should get to the hospital as soon as possible, but I insisted since I knew the hospital wouldn’t feed me until noon the next day. Besides, I hate saltless hospital food and their bitter sugarless coffee. We stopped at the Waffle House, and as we walked in the door, we couldn’t help but notice six young black teenagers between the ages of 16 and 18 sitting and standing around a booth with one young white girl between them about sixteen years old. The waitress seated us across from them and one booth down. The young men didn’t seem menacing and were well-groomed but sporting dreadlocks. I was facing them, and as we ate, I looked for overt signs of potential criminality, but they were just acting cocky – as most boys are apt to do. When we finished, I told Caroline to go to the car and wait for me; I had something I had to do, and she did as I asked. God had told me to talk to these young men, and I didn’t want to disappoint Him. This Divine appointment was so I could warn them of the imminent Rapture and of Christ’s return. I figured the biggest oldest boy was the leader and approached him. “Are you the leader?” I asked. The big, arrogant boy looked at me with craned neck and a sidelong glance, “What’s it to you?” I stepped closer and said, “The Lord wants me to warn you boys that we are living in the last days, and soon the rapture will take place.” “I don’t know about such things, but he does (pointing).” “I approached the other young man and asked, “Are you a Christian?” He looked up sheepishly, “Yes sir, I am,” The other boys quit jesting to see where this would end up. “Then you should know about the rapture and end times?” “Yes, I do, sir, but the other guys don’t believe me when I talk about those things.” “Well, I’m here to tell you that we are living in the last days and that we have to get our lives in order by receiving and following Christ.” Then I reached for my wallet and handed the young man a handful of my cards. “These websites will tell you what you need to know to prepare for Christ’s coming.” “Thanks, man,” they all said in unison. And I was on my way to the hospital, thinking God had set all of this up. The timing was too precise to have been a coincidence. Besides, as a Jewish sage once said, “With God, there are no coincidences.” MY MANUSCRIPT: I must press ahead with publishing this timely true story, encouraging other Christians to experience Miracles, Peace and Power like I have. I will let you know when it’s available. My latest venture is to go caroling ALONE at a park full of vendors and buyers (since I couldn’t get other Christians to go with me) over the weekend, singing only Christian songs, not “Frosty the Snowman” or “Rudolf, the Red-nosed Reindeer.” I intend to do the same until Christmas at other venues and post videos on Facebook and Twitter. Next, after Christmas, I want to rally patriots to parade and sing patriotic songs, such as “This is my Country,” “America the Beautiful,” and “God Bless America,” among others, on or before January 6 at their town square or wherever people gather in the United States of America. Book Report I am presently reading Dr. Malone’s book Lies My Government Told Me. What a book! Even the forward was well written, and I liked this man right away. He has formed a group of doctors and virologists that are trying to stop the government from demanding we take the dangerous shots that are killing and maiming millions. In Dr. Malone’s book, over 200 doctors write about their take on the jabs and the follow-up. Among them are: Roltgen, K., et al., Immune imprinting, breadth of variant recognition, and germinal center response in human SAR-CoV-2 infection and vaccination. Greene J., Wait what? FDA wants 55 years to process FOIA requests over vaccine data. So, L., & Smith, G. In four state prisons, nearly 3,300 inmates test positive for Corona Virus, 96% without symptoms. Zabian, F.M. Chloroquine – Definition, Properties, Uses, Mechanism of Action, side effects in the biology Nates,2022. Dr. Malone has compiled and summarized their take, along with 200 other experts in their field, on the Covid-19 phenomenon and the so-called vaccinations that shortly followed. YBIC Jim Towers Visit me at www.propheticsignsandwonders.com or www.dropzonedelta.com. And as always, Rapture Ready.

9-15-23 Manger, Cross, Grave, Throne

2023-09-15T03:00:00.003-04:00

Manger, Cross, Grave, Throne :: By Grant Phillips Published on: December 21, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles, Grant Phillips Christmas is only eight days away as I type these words. Most at this time of year are thinking of Christmas trees, decorations, lights, family gatherings, dinners, cookies … and, oh yes, presents! Many children are getting excited and can hardly wait. Christians enjoy these things too, but we are also enjoying special events at our local churches and thinking how blessed we all are that God sent His Son to us. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). MANGER All of us are sinners and need a Savior. Have you ever wondered why Jesus started out on His rescue mission in a manger as a helpless baby? We all inherited a sin nature from our original parents, Adam and Eve, and when that happened, all of us also inherited a debt we cannot pay. That sin debt could only be paid by the blood sacrifice of another like us that is without sin … but there’s a problem. Everyone born from Adam and Eve is corrupted with sin, so no one could ever be qualified. Only God is without sin, but God, as God, couldn’t be that sacrifice. Remember, the sacrifice must be of like kind, a human being, and they must be totally pure, without sin. This is why God said I will be that sacrifice by taking on human flesh and pay that debt for anyone who will accept it. “who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:6-11). So, at this time of the year, we celebrate God temporally laying aside His glory and becoming man, born of a virgin, and they called His name Jesus. Throughout Jesus’ earthly life, He was tempted as we are and experienced the ups and downs of being human. Yet throughout it all, He never once defiled Himself with sin. He remained pure and undefiled all the way to the cross. Even Pilate said, “I find no fault in Him” (John 19:4). Jesus is God and is called the Son of God, but He also apparently liked to be called the Son of Man. He loved identifying with us. If anyone could have had a snooty nature, it would have to be Jesus, but He wasn’t that way at all. I don’t think we’ll ever understand His pure love until we see Him face to face. No, there was no snobbery in Jesus. Read the Gospel accounts (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) about Him and see for yourself. CROSS Sad to say, I have met some folks who have their nose so uplifted, they would drown if it rained. They even call themselves Christians. A better name would be Pharisees. Whether they are or not a Christian is for God to decide, but concerning Jesus, His arms are always open to accept anyone who will come to Him. I will not rehash the horrible physical suffering Jesus endured for us, but I personally believe that when the Father had to turn away from Him at the cross, He experienced a suffering that you and I cannot comprehend. The Holy Spirit tells us through the apostle Paul, “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13). Jesus’ love for us took Him to the cross and kept Him on the cross until His work was done. His grace is what saves us, but if it hadn’t been for His love for us, we would not be celebrating His birth in that lowly manger. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). GRAVE In 1874, Robert Lowry wrote a hymn called “Christ Arose.” Below are the lyrics. 1. Low in the grave He lay, Jesus, my Savior, Waiting the coming day, Jesus, my Lord! Refrain: Up from the grave He arose, With a mighty triumph o’er His foes; He arose a Victor from the dark domain, And He lives forever, with His saints to reign. He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose! 2. Vainly they watch His bed, Jesus, my Savior; Vainly they seal the dead, Jesus, my Lord! 3. Death cannot keep his Prey, Jesus, my Savior; He tore the bars away, Jesus, my Lord! We should never speak of the cross and omit the grave that now stands empty. Jesus is not in the grave. Mohammad is. Confucius is. Any man-made god you want to mention is in the grave, but not the Son of God. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is alive and well in Heaven and will be returning. “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:3-6). THRONE “Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald” (Revelation 4:2-3). Also, please read Revelation 1:1-20. Jesus came to a manger for us. He walked to a Roman cross for us. He walked out of the grave for us. He sits now on His throne in Heaven, waiting for the Father to say something like, “Go get your bride.” His last words in the book of Revelation are, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Grant Phillips Email: Phillip5769@twc.com Pre-Rapture Commentary: http://grant-phillips.blogspot.com Rapture Ready: https://www.raptureready.com/featured/phillips/phillips.html

9-15-23 Rethinking the Lie

2023-09-15T03:00:00.001-04:00

Rethinking the Lie :: By Terry James Published on: December 21, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles, Terry James Rethinking the Lie :: By Terry James I will ask you to indulge me just a bit while I think on the great lie that is prophesied for the time of Tribulation. Perhaps it’s again the novelist within me struggling to burst forth, but I rather believe the impression to address the much-gone-over topic goes beyond any mere desire I have to create fiction. Nonetheless, this is a theory; it’s not based on exactly what’s entailed in that great “lie” scheduled to deceive most of the world’s population. One thing is sure: Just within the past few years, we’ve endured deception and lies of cataclysmic consequences for the future of our nation and the world. These lies are spawned by the father of lies, Satan, and are setting the stage for prophetic fulfillment that’s on the brink of engulfing all who will be left behind when the next great intervention into human history by God takes place. To begin considering all of this, here is the prophetic lie that will be the culmination, I believe, of all lies Lucifer has foisted upon humanity. “And then shall that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thessalonians 2:8-12). We pre-Tribbers believe this is saying Antichrist will be “revealed” after the disappearance of millions of believers. There should be no doubt by anyone—believer or not—that such a massive vanishing of people before the eyes of others would cause unprecedented panic. The world would, at least temporarily, go nearly insane. I believe when all children go to Christ at the Rapture, the magnitude of that panic will be beyond anything we can fully anticipate. Even children at conception will be missing. The sheer terror almost certainly produced by such an occurrence is almost unfathomable. So the powers that be—the human minions, backed by the demonic beings of Ephesians 6:12—will have to produce answers to quell the terror that will grow from that event. Here is a scenario-type supposition I believe might hold at least a degree of possibility. Actually, I base my thinking on two elements that are becoming more prevalent in the news at this very hour. The first is a proven compliance-assured matter, already validated as a winner for the globalists who want a one-world government. The second involves an answer to what that great lie of 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 might well be, long speculated by some. I’m pondering whether some combination of the two could be at the heart of the lie Satan will put forth to explain what happened to all those who suddenly vanished. The First Element I believe that most will agree that things changed perceptibly with the onslaught of the so-called pandemic near the beginning of 2020. There eventuated, and in short order, an almost complete worldwide lockdown. There had never been anything like it in history. No government, no dictator, had ever achieved such a global shutdown of human activity and redirection toward—demand for—compliance. We were to take the vaccine against COVID–or else…or else we would lose our right to travel and congregate, lose our jobs, and many other rights. At least, that was the threat. The Second Element There is a ramped-up interest in extraterrestrial activity. The UFO controversy isn’t so controversial these days. Now the governments—the US and others—have acknowledged that extraterrestrial evidence exists, and such information is continually forthcoming as governments release what much of the populace has thought about the probability of the presence of other life on other planets. This opens the door to helping foment the great delusion once the disappearance of millions happens. We have wondered whether the powers that be will say that those who have disappeared have been taken from the earth by the “space brothers.” I offer two items of interest in thinking on how the two elements mentioned above might play into Antichrist and his Ephesians 6:12 minions foisting the lie God’s Word predicts. The First Element The World Bank has created a global pandemic fund, the largest fund in its history. At the same time, preparations to implement the World Health Organization’s Pandemic Treaty march forward. We recently published an article about G-20 leaders calling for the establishment of global vaccine passports. In it, we included remarks by Indonesian Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin on 13 November, from Day 1 of B20 Indonesia 2022. “G20 country has agreed to have this digital certificate using WHO standard,” Sadikin said. Earlier in his remarks, he mentioned that the global pandemic fund is the largest fund the World Bank has ever created and it will increase in the next 5-10 years. (“Preparations to implement WHO’s Pandemic Treaty march forward as World Bank creates the largest fund ever for global pandemics,” Rhoda Wilson, December 4, 2022, Expose-News.com) The Second Element We’re unprepared for when E.T. reaches out to us. A team of experts is determined to change that with the first new alien “contact” protocol in 35 years. If extraterrestrial life sent us a message tomorrow, how would humanity respond? According to researchers, we don’t know yet — and that’s a problem. That’s why, for the first time in 35 years, a team of policy experts and scientists have united to establish a set of alien-contact protocols for the entire world to follow in the event of a sudden encounter with E.T. (“Scientists are working on an official ‘alien contact protocol’ for when ET phones Earth,” Isobel Whitcomb, Live Science, November 5, 2022) Everywhere we look, we see the stage being set for fulfillment of prophecy during the Tribulation. I’m just pondering whether the two items above might be combined to produce one of those stage-setting foreshadowings. People are already conditioned for being controlled by governmental masters in the matter of a future pandemic that might be promoted as one even deadlier than the one that produced worldwide panic and unprecedented compliance. Many have been preconditioned to believe we will one day be visited by other beings from somewhere out there. When millions vanish, might global leaders, under Antichrist, say it was a strange virus or microbe that caused the dissolving of flesh and bone? Will they say someone from “out there” is descending to help the people of planet Earth, who now must accept a “666” vaccination/remedy? Too fantastic, you say? Well, we believe Jesus will call us and we will vanish from Earth in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, don’t we? Can’t get more fantastic than that! But in the case of Rapture, it’s not a scenario; it’s an absolute promise from God Himself! Here’s how to make sure you go to Jesus when He calls in that fantastic instant. “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9-10).

9-14-23 Earthly-Minded and Evil-Hearted

2023-09-14T03:00:00.007-04:00

Earthly-Minded and Evil-Hearted :: By Edwin Tan Published on: December 17, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles “For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error. While they promise liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage. For if, after they escaped the pollution of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. “For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: ‘A dog returns to his own vomit,’ and, ‘a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire'” (2 Peter:18-22). It is not uncommon to hear stories about unpleasant experiences in church, be it from individuals who still cling on to the faith or those who drifted away from the truth. They probably had enough of barely bearable hypocrisy – from people who claim to be but are not the case! The razor-thin veneer of decency does not take very long to peel off. True colors become a chilling reality check. Are these people any better than those you come across in some seedy precinct? As a matter of interest, they could be far worse! In these final moments of the Age of Grace, worldliness permeates where the bulk of mainstream churches are concerned. This, indeed, is the fertile ground for breeding unrighteousness and blatant lawlessness. It is very easy to understand; once God is sidelined and the flesh takes the driver’s seat, it is dead easy for the wrong type of wisdom to creep in. “This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there” (James 3:15-16). People who are driven by self-interest will surely go all out to get what their hearts desire, even if this results in stepping on many toes and subsequently causing numerous train wrecks. Not just those who sit in the pews; these instances of selfish intent involve elders, deacons, and, sadly speaking, pastors! “For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things” (Philippians 3:18-19). Waste no time talking to these people about the truth in the counsel of God. They are truly against God because they love the world. Of course, there are guys and girls who listen to all that falsehood – choosing the path of perdition over the way of righteousness. At the end of the day, it is like any earthly institution – everything fashioned by the flesh and not the Lord! It then becomes very much like the dog-eat-dog environment in a rough part of town. Nothing good comes out of it when there is an ongoing clash of personal interests. Finding brotherly love will seem like a joke here! “But evil men and imposters will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2 Timothy 3:13). Expect to find loads of sugar-coating behind daggers in this sort of setting. Would a deacon, or for that matter, the pastor, be of help in a personal crisis? Sounds like playing Russian roulette! Godlessness begets heartlessness; these individuals will definitely capitalize on weaknesses, even to the point of destroying lives. Such is the trademark of pitiless workers of iniquity. They probably hold a Bible with many parts of it covered in correction fluid. They would quote passages of Scripture for their personal convenience; the workings of the Holy Spirit are pushed aside! Worse of all, they would deliberately misinterpret and distort the truth, thereby leading to phony doctrines of demons which, in turn, undermine the spiritual well-being of many. That is why it is better that they did not encounter the truth in the Living Word; they abuse and confuse rather than encourage with correct teachings. “These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage. But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. These are sensual person’s, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit” (Jude 16-19). Do not expect any peace of mind from this crowd. They are hell-bent on promoting strife more than anything else – it could be the ticket to that proverbial gravy train. Enough to cause many to lose heart. It is not uncommon to come across people who turn their backs on the Gospel because of gross mishandling by the above-said workers of iniquity. Paul, in his time, could see such a day come to fruition; this is the solid purpose of 2 Timothy 3:5: “having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” The Body of Christ should have nothing to do with these sensual types. They are much like a sore that can prove gangrenous in a short time. Sounds a bit like a tough call in these days. But the reality is impossible to throw out of the window. What is the point of having fellowship with scores of people that walk in darkness and put on Christ for ulterior motives? Better off to have a small group that is serious about the things of the Lord and able to focus on eternity versus the transient nature of the world. No harm done if the online option is resorted to. There are swathes of counterfeit followers of Jesus Christ all over the globe. They belong to the I, me, and myself category. Try talking to them about what’s in store for them by way of quoting Matthew 7:21-23. It probably would stir up some cynical laughter! Do truly reckon that these folks will laugh no more in the near future. The undeniable fact that these people are around shows that our moment of redemption is very close. Once we are gone, they will be around to face His fury. They never knew Him in the first place, so how can these folks expect Him to give them some space? Maranatha Edwin Contact me at edwinuk13@gmail.com

9-14-23 Prophecies Proving Jesus is the Messiah

2023-09-14T03:00:00.005-04:00

Prophecies Proving Jesus is the Messiah :: By Nathan Jones, Tim Moore Published on: December 17, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles In this week’s episode of our ministry’s television program, Christ in Prophecy, we reflect on the First Advent when Jesus Christ came to the earth. How amazing that there are 300 general prophecies and 109 specific prophecies in the Bible, which foretold of Christ’s First Coming! Jesus fulfilled them all, exactly and in detail. The fulfillment of all of these overwhelming number of prophecies proves that Jesus Christ is indeed the long-awaited Messiah, and so we can place our faith and trust in Him as our Savior and Lord. When it comes to the First Advent prophecies of Jesus Christ, there are 19 specific “Christmas prophecies” that we are now going to explore. Through these, along with many other evidences, we can know that Jesus Christ is truly the Messiah because He fulfilled prophecies that were given hundreds of years before He was even born. From the Shemite Branch of Humanity (Genesis 9:26) Nathan Jones: Let’s go all the way back to Genesis 9:26, which prophesied that the Messiah would come from the line of Shem, who was one of the three sons of Noah. “And he said: ‘Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem, and may Canaan be his servant.'” The line of Shem, meaning the Semitic peoples. Through Abraham (Genesis 12:3) Tim Moore: We can also travel down the Messiah’s line, starting with Abraham. When he was originally called, he was still known as Abram. God called him to leave the land where he had been raised and follow God to live in what would become the Promised Land. And, because Abram believed and obeyed God, God made a promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:3. “I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” That promise has tracked all the way forward through the generations to the Messiah’s birth and beyond to today. Through Abraham’s Son, Isaac (Genesis 17:21) Nathan Jones: The messianic line would not go through all of Abraham’s descendants, for it wouldn’t be Abraham’s son Ishmael from whom the Messiah would derive, but it would be through Abraham’s other son, Isaac. We can read about that ongoing promise in Genesis 17:21. “But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this set time next year.” It was a prophecy that Isaac would be born, and through him, the covenant would be carried. Through Isaac’s Son, Jacob (Genesis 28:14) Nathan Jones: We also learn that it wouldn’t be to Isaac’s son Esau that the messianic line would derive, just as it hadn’t been through his uncle Ishmael, but the covenant promise would go from Abraham to Isaac and then to his other son Jacob. Tim Moore: The Lord had said in Genesis 28:14 to Jacob that He would bless him. “Your descendants will also be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, and to the north and to the south; and in you and in your descendants shall all the families of the earth be blessed.” God’s promise points to the coming One who would bless both Jew and Gentile alike. It’s not the firstborn Ishmael or the firstborn Esau who was blessed, but rather God chooses according to His own will, and in this case, the younger sons became the sons of promise. Through the Tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:8) Nathan Jones: Yes, God should have technically chosen the oldest son of Jacob, Reuben. Based on the Old Testament’s account of ancient Middle Eastern customs, but no, God instead picked Judah as we read in Genesis 49:8. “Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s children shall bow down before you.” So, the royal line of the Messiah would come through the tribe of Judah out of the 12 tribes of Israel. Through the Family of Jesse (Isaiah 11:1) Tim Moore: The messianic line would travel down through Judah to David, who was the son of Jesse. God’s added promise that David and His lineage would continue and rule on a throne forever is called the Davidic Covenant. Even today, we speak of Jesus returning to reign from the throne of His forefather, David. Nathan Jones: And that’s where we get the sixth prophecy in Isaiah 11:1. “There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots.” This prophecy identifying the Messiah says the Messiah is not just a descendant of Jesse, but he’s also a forerunner of Jesse, which means the Messiah has to be divine. Through the House of David (Jeremiah 23:5) Nathan Jones: The Davidic Covenant is confirmed in Jeremiah 23:5. “‘Behold, the days are coming,’ says the Lord, ‘that I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; a King shall reign and prosper, and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.'” The Messiah would have to fulfill this exact family line; otherwise, He wouldn’t qualify. What’s interesting is that when the Jewish people were ejected from their land in 70 A.D., the messianic lineage was erased going forward because the Jewish people didn’t really follow their lineages after the dispersion of the Jews into the world. So, Jesus had to come at the time and place that He did to prove His genealogy was proper. We can read Matthew 1 and Luke 3 to get the full genealogy of Jesus, both through His earthly father, Joseph and then through Mary. Discover all 19 Christmas prophecies on The Christ in Prophecy Journal blog, or watch this week’s episode of Christ in Prophecy!

9-14-23 Little-Known Prophecies of Christmas, Pt 2: Genesis 12:7

2023-09-14T03:00:00.003-04:00

Little-Known Prophecies of Christmas, Pt 2: Genesis 12:7 :: By Paul J. Scharf Published on: December 17, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles Last time, we saw how the very first promise of the Messiah proclaimed Him to be the “Seed” of the woman (Gen. 3:15). But before we can go any further into understanding the characteristics of this coming Savior, we certainly must realize that He was also to be the “Seed” of “Abraham” (Gal. 3:16). During this time of Advent, we are looking at some of the lesser-known prophecies of Christmas, and we will continue going in chronological order—realizing that we could never exhaust this subject in one Christmas season. One often neglected Christmas truth is that the promise of the Messiah is actually contained within the Abrahamic Covenant. When God made His unconditional covenant with Abram in Gen. 12:1-3, He gave us a paradigm that would govern all of His work in history for the remainder of time—and through the remainder of Scripture. God promised Abram “a land” (v. 1), “a great nation” (v. 2) (which would descend from Sarai and him, although they had no children at all, even at an advanced age (see v. 4), and universal “blessing” (vv. 2-3). This covenant is so important that it is repeated, reiterated, and reemphasized throughout the life of Abram—who became Abraham (Gen. 17:5)—the book of Genesis, the Pentateuch, the entire Hebrew Bible, and, finally, the New Testament. It is so all-encompassing that the other unconditional covenants that God made with His chosen nation in the centuries that followed are really expansions—inspired commentaries, if you will—on the main provisions of the Abrahamic Covenant (see Deut. 29:1-30:10 for the Land Covenant, 2 Sam. 7:1-17 for the Davidic Covenant, and Jer. 31:31-34 for the New Covenant). From the very first time that the Abrahamic Covenant is referenced, however, just a few verses later, in Gen. 12:7, the inspired author, Moses, speaks of Abram’s “descendants” in the singular—although that is not reflected in this English translation. However, the Apostle Paul makes a major point of this fine distinction in Gal. 3:16 when he writes: “Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made.” He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ. The Hebrew text contains similar wording in the following verses: Gen. 13:15, 15:18, 22:18, 24:7, 26:4, 28:14, 48:4; Ex. 33:1; and Deut. 34:4. Ultimately, then, it was “the Seed … to whom the promise was made” (Gal. 3:19). Christ, the Messiah of Israel, is at the very center of the Abrahamic Covenant! This, of course, does not negate the continuing importance of the whole people, nation, and land of Israel. Christ does not replace national Israel in any sense, but He is ultimately the One who makes the literal fulfillment of all these covenant promises possible for the entirety of Abram’s “offspring” (Gen. 12:7, ESV). Otherwise, promises such as the one found in Gen. 48:4 would make no sense at all. The direct implication, then, in God’s covenant with Abram, is that the “nation” (Gen. 12:2) would serve as the caretakers over the land until such time as that perfect “Seed” (Gal. 3:16) would arrive to rule over it. Once He “should come” (Gal. 3:19) in His final return, the people of Israel will forever thrive under His righteous reign. Indeed, this One who was promised would be their king. When we open His New Testament, we learn that, looking back, He is “the Son of David, the Son of Abraham” (Matt. 1:1). But where do we find more early hints about His future kingship? There are yet more intermediate steps and accompanying prophecies between those associated with the names of Abraham and David. And we will develop them in the final two installments for this Advent season. — Paul J. Scharf (M.A., M.Div., Faith Baptist Theological Seminary) is a church ministries representative for The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, based in Columbus, WI, and serving in the Midwest. For more information on his ministry, visit sermonaudio.com/pscharf or foi.org/scharf, or email pscharf@foi.org. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version. Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version).

9-14-23 Why Mary?

2023-09-14T03:00:00.001-04:00

Why Mary? :: By Nathele Graham Published on: December 17, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles, Nathele Graham Do you ever wonder why God chooses certain people to do great things? For instance, why was Noah chosen to build an Ark to save mankind from God’s judgment? The best answer to that question is that he was obedient to God. “These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God” (Genesis 6:9). He wasn’t sinless, but he didn’t give into the evil world around him; his human genome was pure and not tainted by the fallen angels. His forefathers had been pure in their choices. In fact, his family throughout their generations honored God. Noah’s great-grandfather was Enoch, who is a picture of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture. “And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him” (Genesis 5:24). The way you serve God will affect generations to come; Noah’s line follows through King David to the birth of Christ. The key to being used by God for great things is following Him in the way He prescribes. Instead of telling God what you will do for Him, be willing to do what He asks of you. Another example is King David. David was a shepherd boy, the youngest son of Jesse. While he watched over the flocks, he learned skills that would prepare him to lead the nation of Israel to greatness. He learned to fight and defend what was his. He also had time to observe the things around him and was amazed at the creation of God. “[[To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.]] The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork” (Psalm 19:1). He saw God’s handiwork in the stars, sun, moon, and all of nature. He didn’t worship nature, but he worshipped the Creator. As a child, do you think he would grow up to be king? God saw the strength in him. Queen Esther was another person who had a heart for service to God. She was taken captive by King Ahasuerus when he was looking for a wife among the young women of his kingdom. Esther was Jewish and shouldn’t have been among those under consideration, but she was chosen to be queen. It’s amazing to see how God is able to make circumstances work for His glory. Many events took place, and the Jewish people were about to be wiped out by Satan’s evil servant Haman, but because Esther honored God, the plan was thwarted. “Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish” (Esther 4:16). She trusted God and courageously went before the king, and the annihilation of the Jewish people was averted. What do all of those people have in common? In spite of what the world thought, they were obedient to God. For centuries, God’s prophets had foretold of the coming Messiah, and through the ages, He was anticipated. As happens quite often, people became discouraged while they waited. Isaiah had foretold that a virgin would give birth. “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14). Over the years, the religious leaders began changing what God said to what seemed more logical. How could a virgin become pregnant? As the Pharisees became more powerful, they didn’t want to share their power with anyone. Not even with God. The Scribes should have been aware of the truth because they were skilled in the Law and prophets. They were the ones who “taught and developed the Law.” If they had been true to God in their interpretations of the Scriptures, they would have been much wiser leaders, but they put personal preferences and understanding into their interpretations. Sort of like what lawyers and politicians do today. God’s word should be pure and unaltered. Had God’s prophecy been taken as truth, they would have been looking for a virgin who was with child. Instead of believing mis-truths and looking for a mere man, they would have found God. Still, the question remains, “Why Mary?” It’s true that she was a virgin engaged to Joseph. Both Joseph and Mary were from the Tribe of Judah and the line of King David, but I’m sure she wasn’t the only one who fit that requirement. She was human, which was another requirement. That may seem odd to say, but some hold to the erroneous belief that she was not human but that she herself was of God and, therefore, able to be a fourth member of the Holy Trinity. That can’t be. Scripture describes Mary as a humble young woman, and she probably would have been mortified over the way some people have elevated her to an object of worship. If she had been anything other than a mere human, there would have been no way for Jesus to be our Kinsman (fully human) Redeemer (fully God). I can’t imagine what it would have been like for Mary. She lived in Nazareth, and a carpenter named Joseph had asked to marry her, and her future seemed certain. Like other engaged men, Joseph went away to build a home for the two of them to live in with any children that would come along after the wedding. Meanwhile, Mary was learning the responsibilities of being a wife. Nothing unusual about this arrangement. One day Joseph, her bridegroom, would surprise her and take her away to live with him. Sounds like the Rapture, doesn’t it? That was the traditional Jewish wedding and a “picture” of our Bridegroom, Jesus, gone to His Father’s house to build a place for His Bride… Christians. One day He will come for us, and we need to be ready. The Rapture will surprise us, but there are signs happening that tell us it will happen soon. Now, back to Mary. Mary seemed to have a very normal life, but one day she got a huge surprise. The angel Gabriel paid her a visit. “And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary” (Luke 1:26-27). Can you imagine how you would feel if an angel suddenly appeared to you? I think This was the angel Gabriel who always brought tidings regarding the Messiah. This visit was no different. “And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women” (Luke 1:28). That’s quite a greeting. Mary was favored, but not because she was anything other than a sweet young Jewish woman who loved God. The message Gabriel had for her was astonishing. God had chosen her to give birth to His Son. She could refuse to be part of the plan, but if she accepted, it would mean she could be stoned to death. Children are only to be conceived inside of a marriage. At the very least, it would mean Joseph would no longer be under any obligation to marry her, and her prospects for any marriage would be very dim. The message Gabriel delivered invited her to give birth to the Son of God. “And the angel said unto her, Fear Not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever: and of his kingdom there shall be no end” (Luke 1:31-33). Wow, what a message! How would you react? For centuries, all of Israel looked for their Messiah, and now Gabriel told Mary she had been chosen. Still, she had to agree to this offer. Mary wanted to understand. She knew that she was not married, so becoming pregnant was not possible. She asked questions. “Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?” (Luke 1:34). God can make anything happen. People might not understand how He works, and they may make up stories about how God should do things based on human understanding. If we would just believe God, we would be so much better off. Gabriel explained how it would happen. “And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren” (Luke 1:35-36). Elisabeth was having a baby? Elisabeth was past the age of child-bearing, and Gabriel had delivered the message to her husband, Zacharias, that Elisabeth would bear a son. That was surprising, but that son would be known to us as John the Baptist. We should never doubt God. “For with God nothing shall be impossible” (Luke 1:37). To answer the question, why Mary, we only have to look to Scripture. “And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her” (Luke 1:38). She didn’t spend a lot of time speculating or questioning; she just accepted the message from God and went forward in obedience and humility. Just like Noah accepted the task God put to him, though he didn’t fully understand. He was to build a huge ark because it was going to rain. It had never rained before, but by faith, he obeyed God. God was right. It did rain, and the entire world was flooded. What if Noah had refused? King David could have refused to be king of Israel, preferring to quietly tend his sheep, but in obedience to God, he became a wonderful king of Israel and the most respected king of all. David loved God and served Him with joy. What about Queen Esther? She was a woman, which meant she was totally subject to her husband’s whims. Because she also loved God and her fellow Jewish countrymen, she put her fear aside when she discovered a plot to kill them. Now it was up to Mary. She chose to be obedient to God’s plan for her. We all have the opportunity to humbly submit to God’s will. First, we have to believe God and His word. Then, we need to submit our will to His, even if we don’t understand all parts of the plan. We all need to step out in faith and trust God to work out the details. You can be sure that God will not ask you to give birth to the King of kings and Lord of lords. That was done once. Still, you could be the one that God uses to share the Gospel with someone who needs to come to salvation through Jesus. Do you know that there will be one last person who comes to salvation before the Rapture? “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in” (Romans 11:25). Can you imagine the joy of being the one to share the Gospel with the final person who needs to hear it before the Rapture? “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him who they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?” (Romans 10:14). Even if you’re not the one to share with the last one to accept Jesus before we are all taken Home, everyone needs to be given the offer of salvation. Then it’s up to them. They can accept or reject the offer, but you need to share. Why Mary? Because she was obedient. Why you? Hopefully, you will be obedient. God bless you all, Nathele Graham twotug@embarqmail.com ron@straitandnarrowministry.com Recommended prophecy sites: www.raptureready.com www.prophecyupdate.com www.raptureforums.com All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God-breathed. If you’d like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries, just drop me an email and let me know.

9-13-23 Time For Some Joyful Speculation

2023-09-13T03:00:00.007-04:00

Time For Some Joyful Speculation :: By Dave Hubley Published on: December 17, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles (There is a special message at the end of this article for those who might happen to read this and do not have Jesus in their life and are looking for peace and a way to better understand the present-day insanity and confusion.) There are so many somber and serious events in this world that we, as writers and “watchmen on the wall” (Ezekiel 33:6), must study, consider, and put out to our brothers and sisters in Christ. At the same time, we hope and pray that we will reach many unbelievers who are looking for answers or can’t understand what they see happening in the world. I know that Rapture Ready is reaching out over all the world (or at least a vast part of it), based on the emails I have been blessed to receive from such diverse places as New Zealand, Australia, and even South Africa. It follows then that it is a strong indicator of just how many people are reached each week by this much-blessed and beloved website. I can’t speak for any of my other sisters and brothers who author these articles and commentaries, but sometimes the study of current events and “news” stories almost overwhelms me with a terrible sadness. It is a burden/blessing we soberly accept in our service for the Lord Jesus as we help in growing and strengthening our forever family. I, for one, wouldn’t give it up for any reason, and I’m confident that none of the others would either. That said, I would like to depart from some of that in this commentary and just engage in some joyful speculation and consider some of the wonderful hints in scripture of the Glory and Wonder of God. “But as it is written: ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Cor 2:9). Singing Trees, Mountains, and Fields? Rivers and Trees that clap their hands? “Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; Let the sea roar, and all it contains; Let the field exult, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy Before the LORD, for He is coming, For He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness And the peoples in His faithfulness” (Psalms 96:11-13). “You will indeed go out with joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thornbush, a cypress will grow, and instead of the brier, a myrtle will spring up; they will make a name for the LORD, an everlasting sign, never to be destroyed” (Isaiah 55:12-13). “Let the trees of the forest sing, let them sing for joy before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth” (1 Chronicles 16:33). “Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy” (Psalm 98:8). Will all these things literally be fulfilled in some fashion that we cannot fathom? I don’t know, of course, but I certainly look forward to seeing it as God intends it to be. “Every word of God is flawless: He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him” (Proverbs 30:5). “Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible“ (Matthew 19:26). “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now“ (Romans 8:18-22). I have added emphasis in the above verses to link the common theme in them: that is, we have a promise from our God who created all these things — a condition that is incomprehensible to us in our present existence but is certainly going to come to pass as a revelation of His Glory and a permanent gift to those who love Him. “So when God wanted to make the unchanging nature of His purpose very clear to the heirs of the promise, He guaranteed it with an oath. Thus by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be strongly encouraged.” We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure” (Hebrews 6:17-18). And that, I might remind my sisters and brothers, is forever! I have always loved “fluffy” endings of movies and stories, even when they seemed a little “over the top,” to quote a phrase I often heard when being teased about it. Movies such as the wonderful Christian film, “Facing the Giants.” And, by the same brothers and sisters: “Flywheel” and “Fireproof.” Movies with merit, abounding in Hope and ending in joyful gratitude to a loving God. We, as Sons and Daughters of God, saved from the consequences of our sins by our Beloved Jesus, are in for the most incredible “fluffy” ending ever. And we have been told that we cannot fathom just how wonderful it is intended to be by the One and Only God – El Shaddai! God Almighty! “But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Cor 2:9). That is certainly a reason to “Selah,” is it not? Yes, this is a “fluffy” commentary. It has no sharp edges, and it is just what I needed this morning. I hope it is just what you needed as well. I’m going to take a break and go to my church and enjoy my sisters and brothers, the kids in their energy and noise, and my much beloved and appreciated Pastor. I hope you do as well, and if you don’t happen to have a church you can go to, then you’re welcome to come to ours. It is live-streamed and archived as well. Here is the link: https://westbuxtonbaptist.com/. Just click on the red bar and you’re in! My sisters, brothers, and anyone who may respond to the message below: “He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:24). “Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near” (Isaiah 55:6). If you have been watching the events of this world (and who hasn’t?) and feel the tug of the God who loves you to seek Him out, then here is the special message I promised you: For anyone who may read this article and has not trusted in Jesus Christ and therefore has no hope or peace in your life. You can have hope. You can have the peace that Jesus has promised to all who have made Him their Lord and Savior. The peace that passes understanding. It requires that you come before God on His terms. And, what are His terms according to His Word? Genuine repentance (turning to God instead of continuing to reject or ignore Him). Confession of sins (that you are a sinner and acknowledge that to God). That you understand that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). To acknowledge to God that you are unable to pay that debt. Belief that Jesus Christ paid your death sentence for you on the cross. To believe that Jesus is the Way, the only Way, that God has established by which humans may be saved from the consequences of their sin and rebellion. God has made it absolutely clear that there is no one who comes before Him, under His terms, that will be refused. No one: no race, no color, no country of origin, regardless of any previous belief system: no one. No matter what your past sins have been, God can and WILL forgive you because He says He will. Salvation is available to everyone without any exceptions. If you put all your trust for salvation in Jesus, and Him only, you can follow that prayer up by simply saying, “Thank you, Father God, for hearing my prayer and saving me,” because we can trust Him to keep His Word. He always has. He always will. “Truly, Truly, I say to you that he who hears My words and believes the One who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned. He has crossed from death to life” (John 5:24). There are no answers and there is no hope in the world by governments, organizations, politics or politicians. There are only lies and deception. But you can have the Truth and the peace you seek. The answers are in the Word of God—The Bible. If you ask God, with all your heart, He will hear you. “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). Pro Salvator Vigilans To contact me: canoeman96@gmail.com

9-13-23 Just a Matter of Time

2023-09-13T03:00:00.005-04:00

Just a Matter of Time :: By Daymond Duck Published on: December 17, 2022 by RR10 Category:Daymond Duck, General Articles Concerning peace in the Middle East: on Dec. 8, 2022, several high-level officials met at the First Annual Abraham Accords Global Leadership Summit in Rome. Danny Danon, Israel’s former ambassador to the UN, said: “I expect we’ll see an agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia this year (in 2023).” After Benjamin Netanyahu is sworn in as Israel’s new Prime Min., his government’s “first priority will be to increase signatories to the Abraham Accords.” “It’s just a matter of time before courageous leaders step out of the shadows and full peace is achieved between all the children of Abraham.” Imam Mohammad Tawhidi, vice-pres. of The Global Imams Council, told the Jerusalem Post he believes Danon’s assessment about Saudi Arabia is correct. Summit officials signed a document called the Abraham Values Pledge, which is an agreement to adhere to: tolerance, coexistence and diversity; religion and family; and economic peace. I am not saying the Abraham Accords will be the covenant of peace that will be confirmed by the Antichrist and mark the beginning of the Tribulation Period, but the Accords are a major step in that direction, and a worthless covenant of peace is just a matter of time. (Despite the Abraham Accords, there are many problems, and there are prophesied wars that still must be fulfilled.) Nevertheless, history is nearing: The end of 6,000 years (6 God-days) since the creation of Adam (II Pet. 3:8). The toes on the statue in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (Dan. 2). The end of a generation since Israel became a nation in 1948 (Matt. 24:34). The end of 2,000 years (2 God-days) since the beginning of the Church Age. And all of the signs are beginning to come to pass now (Luke 21:28). Here are more reasons to believe that a worthless covenant of peace is just a matter of time. One, concerning Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords: on Dec. 8, 2022, it was reported that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman has given the U.S. three conditions for normalizing ties with Israel: The U.S. must affirm its alliance with Saudi Arabia. The U.S. must supply weapons to Saudi Arabia as though it is a member of the NATO alliance. The U.S. must allow Saudi Arabia to use its uranium reserves to develop a restricted civil nuclear program. Concerning the Crown Prince’s requirements: in the past, Saudi Arabia has said it would not join the Abraham Accords until the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is settled. Some commentators say it looks like the Crown Prince has dropped that requirement. A Saudi official recently said Saudi Arabia is looking to normalize relations with Israel, “but it will take more time.” Two, concerning the Battle of Gog and Magog: in the latter years and latter days, Russia, Iran, and Turkey will join forces, move through Syria, and attack Israel. On Dec. 9, 2022, it was reported that the relationship between Russia and Iran has reached an “unprecedented level.” Russia needs weapons (especially drones) for its war in Ukraine, and Iran needs modern weapons (fighter jets, helicopters, air defense systems), technical support, and training to produce and use more advanced weapons. The two nations are growing closer together by the day, and the U.S. is saying Russia and Iran are becoming “a full-fledged defense partnership.” An interesting aspect about this is that God told Gog to be a guard unto her allies in the Battle of Gog and Magog (Ezek. 38:7). (More: Turkey’s Pres. Erdogan recently said he is determined to launch a land operation at Turkey’s convenience to take more territory from the Kurds in northern Syria.) (More: No weapon that is formed against Israel shall prosper; Isa. 54:17.) Three, concerning corruption in the White House, Dept. of Justice, and FBI: Bill Wilson (Senior Analyst for Koenig World Watch Daily) recently wrote, “FBI agent Elvis Chan, in deposition, revealed that the FBI ordered Twitter to censor the Hunter Biden laptop story, and [current] Twitter owner Elon Musk said Twitter was also ordered by the Biden presidential campaign to censor the story.” Let’s not forget that 51 intel agents (including at least two from the Obama administration, former CIA Directors James Clapper and John Brennan) signed a letter that said the Hunter Laptop information was wrong (Russian disinformation). These intel agents put their signatures on a false document, sent it out, and they are the ones that Twitter should have censored. (My opinion: The shadow government illegally ordered Twitter to censor free speech in the U.S. to cover for the Biden crime cartel because Joe supports the New World Order and is willing to surrender America’s sovereignty to a world government. With the shadow government working to destroy the sovereignty of America, it is not likely that America will ever be great again. The decline of America is a major fulfillment of Bible prophecy.) (More: On Dec. 12, 2022, it was reported that a high-ranking Twitter official has been meeting weekly for several months with members of the FBI, the Dept. of Homeland Security, and Office of the Director of National Intelligence.) Four, concerning corruption in Washington and all over the world: on Dec. 6, 2022, it was reported that Democrat megadonor, George Soros, has ties to more than 250 media organizations around the world. Soros uses these ties to support corrupt politicians, change the traditions, culture and values of nations, elect officials that refuse to prosecute crime, etc., and (because of his media contacts and large contributions to politicians) nothing is ever done to stop him. (More: On Dec. 11, 2022, it was reported that released internal Twitter documents show that Michelle Obama called for Pres. Trump to be permanently banned. George Soros was a major contributor to Barack Obama’s election campaigns.) Five, concerning election corruption: on Dec. 9, 2022, it was reported that Kari Lake has filed a 70-page lawsuit claiming hundreds of thousands of illegal votes were counted in the Arizona governor’s election and is asking the court to throw out the results. Lake is up against Kati Hobbs, who oversaw the election and declared herself the winner. (More: On Dec. 10, 2022, it was reported that released Twitter e-mails verify collusion between Hobbs and Twitter staffers to censor conservatives. One e-mail shows that an unidentified employee at the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security got Twitter to censor some anti-Hobbs tweets. It is my understanding that it is illegal for employees of the federal government to use their position to interfere in an election.) (More: On Dec. 12, 2022, it was reported that Elon Musk said Sam Bankman-Fried’s FTX empire funneled more than $1 billion to Democrats before FTX imploded; about $40 million in stolen investor money can be accounted for, but what happened to about $960 million is a mystery.) (Note: On Dec. 12, 2022, it was reported that Sam Bankman-Fried has been arrested. On Dec. 14, 2022, it was reported that he is facing wire fraud, securities fraud, money laundering, and campaign finance violations. Notice that this man who was funneling stolen money to Democrats is facing campaign finance violations. I may have missed it, but I have not seen one word about any Democrats returning any of the stolen money.) Six, concerning the fact that Biden calls himself a good Catholic (he makes himself willingly ignorant of Scripture or doesn’t believe it): on Dec. 13, 2022, he signed the falsely named “Respect for Marriage Act” into law (a bill that wipes out the “Defense of Marriage Act” that allowed states to define marriage as between a man and a woman). 39 House Republicans and 12 Senate Republicans joined the Democrats in a rejection of God’s definition of marriage and a vote to redefine it. Biden celebrated his rejection of God’s Word with an elaborate taxpayer-funded signing ceremony at the White House in the presence of more than 5,000 people, including drag queens (men dressed as women), musicians, and others. God will have the final say on this during the Tribulation Period. Seven, concerning an economic collapse: on Dec. 14, 2022, it was reported: That vegetable prices in the U.S. increased 38% in November. That 20 million households in the U.S. are behind on their utility bills. Eight, concerning world government: on Dec. 13, 2022, The Defender posted an article by Dr. Joseph Mercola which said (in my words for the sake of brevity)… The Great Reset will give people an electronic ID that will be connected to their bank account, health records, and social credit score. The reason for giving people an ID number that is connected to their bank account, health records, and social credit score is to track and control them. Every leader will be appointed, not elected (it will be the end of democracy, voting, etc.). Biden supports this plan. The New World Order, Great Reset, Fourth Industrial Revolution, and Build Back Better are terms that refer to the same thing (a plan to use artificial intelligence – computers – to track and control everyone). This plan is real; it is being implemented now; it is not a plan to return to the old normal; it is a plan to enslave everyone in the future, and people have already started working on ways to connect the body and mind of humans to computers (called transhumanism). Political, business, and cultural elites are using an international organization called the World Economic Forum (WEF) to push this plan for their gain. Those that think things are bad now will find that they are infinitely worse when this plan gets fully implemented (my comment: goal is 2030 or sooner). Here is a link to the article. https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/great-reset-power-grab-social-credit-cola/ Nine, concerning world government: on Dec. 5, 2022, it was announced that the next World Economic Forum meeting will be Jan. 16-20, 2023. It will be an invite-only meeting of about 2,500 globalists. Here are 5 topics they intend to discuss: A new system to deal with the energy and food crisis. A new system to deal with high inflation, low growth, and a bad economy. A new system based on the use of technology. A new system to deal with social issues. A new system to deal with dialogue and cooperation in a multipolar world. I remind everyone that prophecy teachers have long said globalists plan to create problems or crises (food shortages, energy shortages, economic problems, etc.) and then propose solutions to solve them that will destroy freedom and establish a world government. Here are some of the solutions (eat bugs and worms, drive electric vehicles, digital currency, government to own everything, etc.). Ten, concerning BlackRock and world government: BlackRock is the world’s largest investment firm. BlackRock manages about $10 trillion of assets. If BlackRock was a nation, it would be the third largest economy in the world (larger than every nation on earth except the U.S. and China). BlackRock is a major supporter of the World Economic Forum (WEF). It supports a cashless society, a digital currency, a transition to green energy, ESG scores (Environmental, Social, Governance scores), and more. Tom Donilon, chairman of BlackRock’s Investment Institute, said, “We’re in a New World Order of geopolitical fragmentation.” Donilon said, “the world is fragmenting into power blocks” (the U.S., Russia, China, etc.). This is the point: The world will eventually be divided into ten power blocks, and this is beginning to shape up now. Finally, are you Rapture Ready? If you want to be rapture ready and go to heaven, you must be born again (John 3:3). God loves you, and if you have not done so, sincerely admit that you are a sinner; believe that Jesus is the virgin-born, sinless Son of God who died for the sins of the world, was buried, and raised from the dead; ask Him to forgive your sins, cleanse you, come into your heart and be your Saviour; then tell someone that you have done this. duck_daymond@yahoo.com

9-13-23 Jesus Remembered Me

2023-09-13T03:00:00.003-04:00

Jesus Remembered Me :: By Dennis Huebshman Published on: December 20, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles Jeremiah 31:33-34; “For this is the covenant that I will make with the House of Israel after those days, declares the Lord; I will put My law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be My people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor, and each his brother saying, ‘Know the Lord’; for they shall all know Me from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” (ESV – all emphasis mine) It is interesting to note that the writer of Hebrews included the above verses in Hebrews 8:10-12, exactly as Jeremiah had written them. For anyone who believes that any church or some other religion has replaced God’s covenant with the Jewish people, they need to take note of these verses. God will never break a covenant. Paul explains this in Romans 11:25-29; “Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brethren; a partial hardening has come upon Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way, all Israel will be saved, as it is written, ‘the Deliverer will come from Zion; He will banish ungodliness from Jacob; and this will be My covenant with them when I take away their sins.’ As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” This follows Zechariah 13:8-9; “In the whole land, declares the Lord, two-thirds shall be cut off and perish, and one-third shall be left alive. And I will put this third into the fire and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call upon My name, and I will answer them. I will say they are My people; and they will say the Lord is my God.” As would be said in Texas, “What’s fixin’ to take place won’t be purdy at all!” The time we’re told about as being the end of this era is drawing very near, and it could commence just about any day now. First, God has not rejected Israel; much of Israel has turned its back on His Son. The absolute free gift that Jesus bought and paid for with His precious sinless shed blood was for all mankind everywhere. As with any gift, to enjoy the total benefits of what has been offered, it must first be received and then accepted. Sadly, more of this earth’s population has left the gift on the table unopened. Of the over 15 million Jews worldwide, it’s estimated only 1% to possibly 3% of their total population are Messianic — believe Jesus is their true Messiah. Those who believe and who will be alive at the Rapture of all true believers will be taken up to be with Jesus to be kept from the coming wrath/tribulation (1 Thessalonians 1:10, 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10, and Revelation 3:10). All who have not accepted Jesus will go into the 7-year wrath, as told by Daniel and by John in Revelation. People will still be able to call on Jesus and be saved, but it will be much more difficult than right now. Yes, there are places today where if someone accepts Jesus, they are subject to persecution and martyrdom. During the reign of Satan’s ultimate antichrist, this action will be worldwide. Sometimes we get the feeling that this evil will only get worse and we won’t see any change for the good. However, our Savior hasn’t forgotten us, nor has He forsaken us. We may still see terrible things before He calls, but the eternity for all who have called on Him will be absolutely miraculous. A song written by Hank Williams (9/17/23 – 1/1/53) and his wife Audrey Williams (2/28/23 – 11/4/75) called “Jesus Remembered Me” is a joyful hymn that is full of hope for us all. 1.) I was all alone and drifting on a lonely sea of sin; nothing but darkness, no sunshine within. I lifted my eyes to the Lord in the sky, and Jesus remembered me. Ref.) Jesus remembered me, and so He set me free. Once I was blinded, but now I can see; Glory to God, He remembered me. 2.) Now the sun is shining, I’m happy and free; no more sorrow, no more troubles to see. I’m going Home to Glory, my Savior to see; Glory to God, He remembered me. (ref) 3.) When He talked to His disciples at the Sea of Galilee, He said He’d remember a mortal like me. I asked for His blessing, down on my knees; and Glory to God, He remembered me! No one can say when the Trumpet of God will sound and the shout will come from an archangel (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 and 1 Corinthians 15:51-53). However, for anyone to believe they’ll have time to call on Jesus at that moment, they are terribly mistaken. The time to consider your eternity is right now. The hardest part is believing it’s possible and that there must be more to it than is being told. Our Heavenly Father is a God of pure Love, and He wants no one to fail and end up in hell (2 Peter 3:9). He also knows that all of those who do call on Jesus to be their Savior will sin right up to the time they go Home. That’s why we have 1 John 1:8-10 to assure us we will be forgiven when we confess and ask Him for that forgiveness. Romans 3:10, Romans 3:23, and Romans 6:23 all tell us that no one is free from sin. There was only one “human” that ever lived a sinless life here, and that was God’s own Son. The good news, or gospel, is that even while we were still in our sin, Jesus came and died for us (Romans 5:8). As I stated earlier, for this wonderful gift of grace and mercy to apply, we must receive the gift and accept it. Each person must do this for themselves, as no one can do this for anyone else. One more issue; no one has sinned so badly that they cannot be forgiven. This does not mean a person won’t be disciplined, just as any parent would do for their child to help them learn. However, for anyone to truly call out for Jesus to forgive and save them, they will be saved (Romans 10:9-13). The unforgivable sin is to take your last breath here without Jesus as your Savior. During the tribulation, there is one more unforgivable sin, and that will be to take the mark of the beast. It doesn’t matter what false pastors, prophets, or antichrists might tell you; John 3:18 and 1 John 1:10-12 plainly state that without Jesus, no one has the Father. My life verse is John 14:6, as given by Jesus Himself; “Jesus said to him, I am the Way, the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.” Just look at all the changes that have happened in the past couple of years and know all the end-of-this-age signs are here right now. The signs by themselves have always been here but not all together as they are in this day and age. Just remember Jesus, and He Will Remember you! Shalom! huebshman46@gmail.com

9-13-23 The Lesser Hypocrite

2023-09-13T03:00:00.001-04:00

The Lesser Hypocrite :: By Candy Austin Published on: December 20, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles Matthew 23:27 “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.” No one likes to be called a hypocrite, but let’s be real for a moment, shall we? The plain fact of the matter is that everyone can be a hypocrite at times and in one way or another! Now that it can be said that we can all be hypocrites sometimes, let’s delve into the attitudes and behaviors of both the lost and saved people we come in contact with throughout our lives. Oftentimes, the mindset is that lost people are the rude, unfriendly, inconsiderate and unkind ones, while the saved people are the nicer, friendlier, more thoughtful and considerate ones. From a biblical standpoint, this aspect should ring true, but when it comes to many of our real-life interactions and experiences, the truth, more often than not, seems to be somewhat of the opposite! Why did Jesus call the Pharisees whitewashed tombs in Matthew 23:27? | GotQuestions.org As of this writing, I have 2 unsaved friends/acquaintances, one of whom I have known for a long time and another who I have just met in recent months. Then, there are several ‘Christian’ families, friends, and acquaintances who we have known for longer than that and who should be relied on for not being more hypocritical but… (Insert mind-blown emoticon face). Therefore, you wanna know who are the ones that reach out on their own, who reciprocate emails, gifts, and cards, who let us know that they’re thinking of us too, who invite us to places, and the list of considerations goes on…. It sure isn’t the latter group; I’ll tell ya that! You wanna guess who are the ones that give unsolicited opinions, advice, and condemnations concerning tough life situations, who show lack of support and instead start online arguments and fights, who go around doing ‘smear campaigns’ to try and make one feel bad about things they cannot help or control, and who don’t reciprocate in sending cards, letters, gifts, and the list of inconsiderateness goes on…. It, more often than not, hasn’t been the former group; I’ll tell ya that too! Just recently, we were at a car lot trying to purchase a new vehicle, and the dealer there was so open, honest, friendly, and upfront and really tried to help us with everything, so I assumed him to be a Christian. To that, he went on to tell us that he did not believe in ‘hellfire and brimstone but that he believed it is all about being good to people.’ My heart sank…. Once again, the idea that ‘it’s all about being a good person’ is the mindset that seems to prevail in this modern-day culture! (((Sigh))) There’s a saying that ‘there will be a lot of bad people in heaven and a lot of good people in hell.’ I think what that could mean from one perspective is that the ‘nicer people’ to us in this life will end up in hell because they, unfortunately, trusted in their own good works, and the ‘not so nice people’ to us in this life will end up in heaven because they, fortunately, trusted in Jesus instead! I don’t want either group to end up in hell, but unless they get this one thing straight, they will! We cannot ever be a ‘good enough person’ by what we do or don’t do to enter into heaven! It is by God’s grace through faith that we are saved and that not of ourselves, so no one can boast! Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” We can’t do enough good stuff, be nice to enough people, give enough money, and the list of good works can go on and on! It is only by what Jesus did on the cross to save us; only His blood can wash away our sins, only by His righteousness and holiness, not ours! Please wake up… especially those who think otherwise! What is the meaning of Ephesians 2:8–9? | GotQuestions.org Speaking of ‘whitewashed tombs,’ ever since we moved down to this part of the state, we’ve noticed it being ‘spiritually darker’ around here than from where we moved. From seeing young people at the supermarket with Baphomet and pentagram tattoos on their necks, arms and legs, to a young man walking down the street with a jacket that reads on the back, ‘You keep on praying and I’ll keep on evolving,’ to witchcraft/taxidermy/apothecary antique shops downtown, to churches that we’ve visited once or twice and subsequently decided not to go back, which held ‘Ecumenical bible studies,’ and another with a current sign by the highway which blasts, ‘Global Christmas’ (one that will be held there next weekend, by the way)! Umm… talk about being ‘full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness’! Mortifying, isn’t it?! (Paraphrasing one late comedian, “We can’t do Jack Squat!”) Seriously, we can’t or don’t even amount to a ‘hill of beans or jack squat’ in and of ourselves or through our own merit; we all need Jesus and His righteousness! For even Jesus said, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5). Now, not all the lost are ‘particularly nicer’ than the saved…. Just in recent weeks, during an online meeting for families dealing with estrangement, one person quoted in the comment section that ‘religion shouldn’t be allowed to come in the way of relationships.’ To that, I’d like to say that for a true believer, it is ‘not about religion but about relationship’! (Anonymous Quote: ‘Religion’ is a man in church thinking about going fishing, and ‘Relationship’ is a man going fishing thinking about God.) Therefore, being a Christian becomes who you are, and you can’t just stop being who you are! If family members choose to reject you because of that, then it is not your fault, for even Jesus said that “You will be hated by all men for my name’s sake” (Matthew 10:22). He also said, “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword” (Matthew 10:34). What did Jesus mean by coming to bring a sword in Matthew 10:34-36? | GotQuestions.org Just recently, an example of a ‘toxic hypocrite’ came to me in a dream. In this dream were some people who had a house on a septic system but, for some reason, did not have their tank cleaned out for many years! Along came a visitor to their house for a few days, and, subsequently, one thing led to another. Somehow, this visitor was blamed for the whole septic tank stinking! The moral of the story/dream is that these people were ‘toxic hypocrites’ because they refused to acknowledge or own up to their long-term accumulation to the septic system’s contents but instead chose to blame the many years’ worth of sludge, goo, grime, filth, and fumes on the visitor’s measly few days of contributions! Umm… talk about ‘major toxic hypocrites’! Matthew 7:3-5 “Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.” This is why Jesus did not hold back when it came to admonishing the ‘hypocritical Pharisees,’ and He will not hold back on Judgment Day at the Great White Throne Judgment either! Even for us at the Bema Seat Judgment, may we not be found wanting, but instead, may we be found ‘faithful and true’ just as Jesus is faithful and true! May we also be graced with hearing these words from our Savior’s lips, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord” (Matthew 25:21). May we always strive to be the ‘lesser hypocrite’ in all aspects of our lives by asking God to help us in all that we say and do every single day in Jesus Christ’s Name! Because, remember, without Jesus, we can do nothing! Until next time… Maranatha! Sincerely & In Christ, Candy Austin (I have no Accolades…. I am just a Nobody trying to tell Everybody about Somebody who can save Anybody!) https://youtu.be/_wCTQdmXkUg My Mission is to be ‘Salt and Light’ to a lost and dying world. To be an Ambassador for Jesus Christ. All for Him and His Glory!

9-12-23 Reasoning in Righteousness

2023-09-12T03:00:00.003-04:00

Reasoning in Righteousness :: By Donald Whitchard Published on: December 20, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles Isaiah 1:18, Romans 1:18-20, 1 Peter 3:15, Acts 1:8-11, Proverbs 3:5, Acts 17:11 Summary: The Lord Jesus told His followers to go out and preach the Gospel to every living creature (Mark 16:15). That means using Scripture, thought, reason, and logic under the guidance of the Holy Spirit to show people the need to turn to Christ for salvation. In today’s butchery of the English language, where emojis are used more than words to share information and ideas, I think that it is time for all of us to get off the machines for a few moments and learn something from the great men of God whose counsel and wisdom have been forgotten. We have allowed the “old paths” (Jeremiah 6:16) of trusted teachings on the deep things of God to be neglected in favor of nonsense that fills most pulpits today and starves the people of the meat of the Word. One of the signs on the old path that directs us, if we are willing to go down that route, is toward the seriousness of eternity and the destiny of those who are lost in sin, walking around in the dark when it comes to peace with God and the assurance of salvation. Those “old paths” include learning about how the Sovereign LORD expects us to use the gifts and talents He gave us to warn people about the state of their eternal souls. One of the tools which He has given us is the use of reasoning to direct the lost away from the cliff leading to death and instead toward the Savior who offers true rest and peace (Isaiah 1:18; Matthew 11:28-30; John 10:28-30). I want to use a forgotten word that describes the use of reason as a method of winning souls for the glory of God. The word is “expostulation,” and even I had to consult an online dictionary to see what it meant. This word was used for the title of a collection of evangelistic sermon outlines from days past when the church was actually serious about the Great Commission. Expostulation is defined as “reasoning with someone in opposition to their conduct. It is pressing upon a person the reason or arguments against the impropriety of their conduct, calling for, in some cases, information that will bring about a change in conduct” (Webster’s 1828 Online Dictionary). Take a good look at this definition. It flies in the face of modern society’s attitude of “true for you but not for me,” or “Don’t judge,” or to “not have your religion shoved down our throats,” desiring instead to be left alone and contented with their idea of how the world works. We are not to be intimidated by people and their objections when we try to present the Gospel. We are not fighting them but the powers of spiritual darkness that cover them (Ephesians 6:12). Expostulation starts with fervent prayer that the Spirit of God will rebuke and cast away all wicked spiritual blocks before we reason with people about the condition of their souls. This fancy term is not the exclusive property of pastors, scholars, or anyone with a list of degrees behind their name. We all have the ability to reason with someone. We just need to get out of our respective comfort zones or away from any feelings of inadequacy and stop allowing our fears to be our counselors. What I want to do is to show you how to use biblically based reasoning and the development of our minds (Romans 12:1-2) for the kingdom of heaven. The Old Testament prophet Isaiah used “expostulation” (750 B.C) when he warned the nation of Israel that their “worship” of the LORD had become fraudulent, empty, ritualistic, and spiritually dead, going through the motions, and God was sick of it (Isaiah 1:11-15). Isaiah referred to Israel’s attitude towards God as being no better than the perversions of Sodom (Genesis 19:24-25). His preaching hit them hard, with the goal of drawing them back to the gracious mercy of God. Isaiah’s preaching, like all true biblical preaching, dealt with the condition of the people’s sins and the need to repent before the LORD. He called on Israel to talk with the LORD in a rational manner about where they stood with Him: “Come, and let us reason together,” says the LORD. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (1:18). Scripture tells us to exercise our minds, develop logical and rational thinking, and discipline ourselves to learn the word of God and have the mind of Christ (Romans 8:5; 1 Corinthians 2:16; Philippians 2:5; 1 Peter 4:1), which means that we develop an attitude of compassion towards the state of the lost as He did (Matthew 9:35-36) and that you trust in God to see that compassion turned into action. That also means you surrender to His Sovereign will. You cannot and should not do anything for the LORD without being willing to crucify your flesh and leave your ego out of the picture (Romans 6:6). Authentic reasoning goes hand in hand with faith in God (Proverbs 3:5; Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11). We trust God in spite of the circumstances and difficulties that face us, whatever the situation. This is not what skeptics call “blind faith,” which the Bible never condones or approves. The Bible says that faith is “the substance of things hoped for; the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). It is believing in something unseen for which we have good reason. When Paul explained the Gospel to the Bereans, they afterward searched the Scriptures to see if what he was teaching lined up with what had been written, using the power of reason and thought along with their faith in the LORD and His word to be further enriched and educated in the things of God and in the Lord Jesus’ work of salvation. The fact that He has risen has renewed my mind and empowered my faith. His promises of redemption for my soul, body, and mind were made real through His death, burial, and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-19). The mind of God conceived the plan of salvation before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4). The heart of God brought forth the Person who would carry out that plan. His Divine and only Begotten Son gave His life to save our wicked, foolish souls (John 3:16). Such a plan goes against the sinful and worldly reasoning of the world (1 Corinthians 1:18-25), but it is the only plan God has chosen and implemented, and He has not changed His mind to suit our fickle and finite opinions. The cross of Christ is God’s weapon that destroys worldly thought and shows the way to the promise of salvation and the joy of eternity with Him. donaldwhitchard@gmail.com www.realitycityreverend.com www.youtube.com/@realitycityreview

9-12-23The Disinformation Age

2023-09-12T03:00:00.001-04:00

The Disinformation Age :: By Bill Wilson Published on: December 20, 2022 by RR10 Category:Bill Wilson, General Articles One thing that historians may well document is the roaring 20s of disinformation—that is, the 2020s. The public was fed a steady diet that information was disinformation and disinformation was information. There was information that mail-in ballots were used to defraud elections. There was information that a presidential candidate was involved in illegal activities with his son. There was information that the FBI and other government agencies were collaborating with a political party. There was information on better science to prevent and treat what became a worldwide pandemic. All this was characterized as disinformation by government, media, and big business. Now the truth is coming out. The Twitter files are clearly demonstrating a pattern of deceit and disinformation that can be readily applied to several of the big-time lies that government, media, and big business have perpetrated on the public to forward their agendas. That pattern is to overwhelm truth with a very loud and consistent media and public relations campaign that establishes agendas as the prevailing thought. It is so insidious that it suppresses truth, censors those bringing the truth, and labels truth-bearers with derogatory terms, like racist, bigot, denier, homophobe, misogynist, hatemonger, religious fanatic, white supremacist, whatever. As Americans, we have witnessed this brainwashing repeatedly during this decade. This is what happens when institutionalized unelected government agencies align with a political party to protect and grow their influence and power. It is the result of weaponizing issues and enlisting businesses that benefit from those issues. It is the outcome of media that has been trained to measure all events against a certain political ideal rather than reporting truth. These alignments have caused the world to go mad. Ideas that would have been confirmed as insane just years ago are now flipped on end to characterize anyone who points out their folly as the insane ones. From doctors assigning sex at birth to the CDC dictating protocols that are known to kill people to denying clear evidence of corruption, all these and more are part of the post-truth era where disinformation has become information. Christ said in Matthew 24:4, “Take heed that no man deceive you.” Ephesians 5:6 says, “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.” It means that if people deceive you into acting against the precepts of God, bad things are going to happen. And they are. The collective results of these lies to society are bringing not only our nation down but also the rest of the world. When the corrupt and immoral are in control, corrupt and immoral things will happen. These evildoers will use all their efforts to convince you that their good is not evil, but good for you. It is, at least in this world, good for them. But it is bad for a moral people. In this age, when the majority says disinformation, your discernment antennae should activate. Otherwise, it may have dire consequences. Posted in The Daily Jot