Category: bible prophecy

The “Day of the Lord” is approaching; What is your Role? (Part 1)

This topic (“the day of the Lord”- search those words in a digital bible for understanding) came to mind after I woke up remembering a vision from a dream. I was in the middle of the woods, trees had no leaves, like on a trail, but there were no trails. I saw gentle, loving cute puppies and dogs that were infested with fleas. The puppies and dogs acted completely normal, greeting with wagging their tails, one was injured, without an eye, and shied away a little, but the fleas didn’t seem to make a difference regarding how they responded. I saw a person off in the distance, she was right in the middle of all the flea covered dogs, still loving them as they were, petting them, letting them sit on her lap, as if nothing needed to be done about their condition. It was a strange scene, but most dreams are strange, after praying then reflecting on this dream, I see some biblical applications.

The dogs are symbolic of people, there are many gentle, loving, attractive people who don’t realize they are “infested.” They don’t know what is in the bible, they are unaware of their condition in God’s eyes and their future according to what scripture tells us. People are injured (the dog without an eye and all with fleas), struggling, damaged from life experiences, (still acting normal, doing what we do every day, the same, with no change) yet completely unaware that something can be done to change the condition. The fleas are symbolic of what separates us from God (our actions which are contrary to God’s commands- aka “sin.”) The person in the vision is a loving person who accepts all people as they are (which is a good thing) HOWEVER that person is not doing anything to help the dogs get rid of the fleas and improve their condition, so that person could be doing something more than comforting the dogs.

So the question for all of us is: what part of the scene are you? The dog covered in fleas? The dog without an eye (injured)? The person comforting infested dogs (people)? The person observing all of this? Whatever role we see as ourselves, this shows us there is an action ahead for each of us.

If you are the dog, are you covered in fleas? Do you know what separates you from God? Are you reading, studying the Bible (scripture), asking questions to find out?

If you are the person comforting others or if you are the person observing this, there is more for you to do. Help the dogs (people) get rid of the fleas (sin that separates us from God). Lead people to Jesus through the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in the bible, through becoming an active participant in a Bible Study, keep doing good things for others, but “step up your game,” there is more to be done. Get active in preparing people for God’s kingdom. That is the kindest, most loving, most comforting thing we can share with others.

Preparation for God’s kingdom is this:

First: knowing Jesus, not knowing of him (as in a “fact”), but knowing him personally (his character, the meaning of the stories he told, the wisdom of God’s kingdom that he shared). Jesus said he was the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father, except through him.

Second: knowing what separates us from God (as described by Jesus and every author of the books found in the Bible).

Third: Commit to changing whatever separates you (personally) from God. Surrender your life to Jesus, (when you decide you want to change and live life better, live life as God wants us to.) This is what is meant by “Repent.” As a symbol of this decision, get baptized. Luke 3:3- verse study link From the time Jesus began preaching he said to repent for the kingdom of God is near. (Matthew 4:17) Jesus showed us what surrender means. Jesus did this when he prayed “Not my will but yours be done.” This surrender to God’s will is also found in the one prayer that Jesus taught his followers:

6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.7And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

9 “This, then, is how you should pray:

“ ‘Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

10 your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

11 Give us today our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from the evil one. ’

14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Matthew 6: 6-14

Fouth: Ask Jesus for the Advocate (the Holy Spirit) after you decide to repent, change because you want to be with God in eternity. The Holy Spirit will work with you, help you, begin to change you into a more godly person. We won’t be perfect, not until Jesus returns when we are given new immortal supernatural bodies, but we will begin to change into better people and will then be prepared for when Jesus returns. On our own this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible. (Matthew 19:26)

Fifth: Stay connected to God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit through daily prayer, reading scripture. John 15

Then help others do the same. This is the most loving thing we can do for others: sharing God’s kingdom, eternity with others so they can prepare themselves with the help of the Holy Spirt, then REST and ENJOY all that God has planned for us. Revelation 21 and Revelation 22.

This article is Part 1 of a multipart series focusing on “the Day of the Lord” and advance preparation. Follow this podcast or website to continue in the series.

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Obedience Struggles

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

John 10:27

This is a follow up to my prior post yesterday, titled “Trust and Obey.” I think many of us struggle with obedience at different times in life, just think back to the days of being a toddler, a teenager and it continues into adulthood!

CHOOSING OBEDIENCE

The “obedience” subject I’m referring to is a situation of CHOOSING to be obedient, NOT being FORCED to be obedient. Forced obedience is NOT God’s way; God gives us freewill; obedience is our choice. But even if we choose to be obedient, there will be times when our selfish desires or selfish gain are “at war” with the choice of “obedience”: we know what the right thing to do is, but we are tempted when there is something beneficial for us in not choosing what we know is right. This is where scriptural wisdom is clear: we “can’t serve two Masters” as Jesus stated. He was referring to God or Money being the “Masters,” but Jesus also said a house divided will not stand – this is applicable, because we (as a symbolic house) will make a choice at some point, it’s impossible to choose “both,” we can’t be divided. If we are divided, we “will not stand” or in other words “fall.” So what does “fall” mean? In scripture, to “fall” is negative and often indicates a separation from God. Ultimately “the fall” involves having a Master over our lifes; someone or something other than God.

THE POWER OF EVIL AND SIN OVER US

There is something else to consider here, and this will not be well received to say it, but it is truth. Until we choose God, we are under the influence of the evil spiritual realm. Think about it, someone is our Master, people may say, “I’m my own Master”- well that’s a comforting thought to tell ourselves, but it’s not true unfortunately, Jesus states this to Saul/Paul. (Read Acts 26:15-18)

to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

Acts 26:18

Don’t be misled, as Deuteromy 29:19-20 indicates, people are not “safe” or “saved” when they persist in going their own way and not God’s way.

In choosing to become obedient to God, we will be under attack by our own internal desires and by evil spiritual forces in the heavenly realms.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Ephesians 6:12

WHY DO THIS?

So why would I want to go through all this? If life was easier before I choose to become obedient to God, why would I want to bring on trouble or attacks of the spiritual realm?

Because God has greater plans for those who choose Him as our Master. Yes, we have to become humble, we are not our own Master, we have a Creator- God made us and we must choose Him as our Master, if we want what God offers us. As God often revealed in scripture, He is the Potter, we are the clay that was formed by His own hands. It’s insightful reading the references to “potter” in scripture, just search that key word in a digital bible.

GOD’S PLAN AND PROMISE

Getting back to what God has planned for us, in His physical presence ON EARTH: immortality, peace, joy, abundance, healing, no more tears, pure love and gentleness, a physical place to live forever, more beautiful than we can envision, music, celebration, comfort, strength, and more. We will “soar on wings” like eagles, we “will run and not grow weary”, “walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:31) Read Revelation 21 and Revelation 22 for a glimpse of what God has planned for those who choose Him. Who doesn’t want to live in this future Kingdom of God? Is it worth going through the “trouble or attacks”? When we are in those times it is challenging, but if we keep our mind focused on the end result, we can endure and persevere because the end result in God’s future Kingdom on earth WILL BE WORTH IT!

OBTAINING THE REWARD OF GOD’S KINGDOM

To be in God’s Kingdom, we turn to God (repent) ask for forgiveness of the things we do wrong then commit to become obedient to God going forward, knowing we won’t be perfect, so we ASK Jesus for the Holy Spirit to HELP us follow through with obedience and to give us wisdom. When God sees our heart is set on doing this, He gives us this help, when we ask. The point is many people don’t know to ask for this but it is available to ALL who’s heart is turned towards God. Jesus said, No one can enter the Kingdom of God unless they are “born again”: born of the water (repentance/ie. baptism) and of the Spirit (receiving God’s Spirit- becoming a new creation as a result of receiving God’s spirit). (John 3) After this, we stay connected to God for strength, protection and wisdom through reading scripture and prayers. Obedience does matter because God gives the Spirit to those who are intent on being obedient and having the Spirit indwelling is necessary to be changed into the perfected immortal person who God originally intended for us to be when Jesus returns. Having the Spirit indwelling (being prepared) is what is talked about in parable of the 10 Virgins in Matthew 25.

STAY CONNECTED TO GOD EVEN WHEN WE MESS UP

Here is another “unpopular” truth: Revelation 3:5 says names can be blotted out from the book of Life by God, to be blotted out means the names were once written in the Book of Life! And God’s spirit can depart (1 Samuel 16:14) if we continually choose “sin” when given a choice to choose “obedience” or “sin” as Saul did when he kept choosing his own way/sin not God’s commands. (Search Spirit of the Lord in scripture) for more understanding of this. Why do you think it says “the Fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom?” Fear of the Lord is referenced 453 times in scripture! This isn’t to put us in constant fear, but it is there to tell us the importance of REMAINING focused on God, in a good relationship with God, (sin separates us from God) we can’t be casual about our ongoing relationship with God. Scripture tells us this is true. If we remain focused on God, we have NOTHING to fear! Remember that too!

GRACE ISN’T A “FREE LICENSE” TO CONTINUE IN SIN

Don’t let people give you false information about the concept of Grace we have been given for our salvation (read Jude Chapter 1):

For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.

Jude 1:4

ONLY THROUGH JESUS IS THIS POSSIBLE

Jesus also said: “No one can come to the Father, except through me.” Jesus is the only one who made it possible for us to have the opportunity to be in God’s Kingdom. There is no way we could be “good enough” or do enough “good things” through out life to get into God’s Kingdom (it is far more holy than that), even if we are obedient, if we don’t accept, acknowledge or understand what Jesus did on the cross to literally save us- it is meaningless. Jesus, who was sinless, was the only one who could be the acceptable sacrifice according to God’s Law that could be the substitute death for all mankind. Jesus essentially “purchased us” back from death by his action on the cross and resurrection thereafter. Think about this: a scroll was the form of a contract long ago. In Revelation 5, Jesus (the lamb) is the only one worthy to open the scroll (contract) and Jesus break the seals (Revelation 6) securing the contract- this is the “re-purchasing of us” from death. Yes there are some awful things that happen when the seals break but they are necessary according to God’s law as revealed in scripture. Those events have to happen and will happen in accordance with scripture, to refine some, to have some turn towards God, and to ultimately separate those who choose evil from those who choose God. When “the fall of mankind” happened in the Garden of Eden, when humanity (through Adam and Eve) chose to listen/and obey the serpent (Satan)- that’s where mankind came under the influence and power of evil. Jesus’ action broke this evil hold on mankind, but if we don’t understand this and accept what Jesus said, we remain in the dark. And if we deny Jesus, he will deny us before the Father and we will be subject to the Laws we have broken when it’s time for our judgement. Jesus’ action is a gift to those who accept the gift.

SUMMARY

So considering all these things, this is why I want/choose to become obedient to God. Speaking the truth is not easy because it makes us uncomfortable knowing these things, but the way I look at it, I would rather know the truth in advance, so that I can prepare and take this seriously, than be caught by surprise at an untimely point (my physical death) when there is no turning back possible. Remember, God gave us this warning because He LOVES us and does not want us to perish!

REMEMBER GOD’S LOVE!

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

2 Peter 3:9
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Discernment vs. Deception: Good vs. Evil

We are in a deception transition period from what I see happening in the world where good and evil are mixed up, creating confusion about right and wrong. Our warning about this came almost 2,000 years ago, if we don’t express and support the truth, soon the younger generations will have a difficult time identifying good from evil. This is what we were told:

Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

Romans 1:32 (Paul)

Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.

Romans 1:28 (Paul)

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God–having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people….They are men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected.

2 Timothy 3:1-9

We are seeing truth distorted on a continuous basis and anyone speaking against the lies is called “the enemy” and is publicly “shamed”. There is a tremendous pressure for all to “comply” with this new “untruth/lie” deceivingly packaged as “compassion and love” – a strong deception, but “marketed” as something opposite, completely confusing many. There are many opinions, but there will only be Truth remaining in the end.

HOW TO AVOID DECEPTION- WHAT TO LOOK FOR

Know the messenger! Don’t trust anyone you don’t know very well. Find out who they truly are. They may be charming, convincing, appealing, etc. BUT:

Though their speech is charming, do not believe them, for seven abominations fill their hearts.

Proverbs 26:25

So what are 7 abominations? Possibly the 7 things God hates:

There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty (proud) eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood (murder), a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.

Proverbs 6:16-19

If the following surrounds their life, do NOT trust them:

The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery (intoxication), idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Galations 5:19-21

WHO TO TRUST – WHAT TO LOOK FOR

For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Galations 5:14

God is love. When a person has God’s spirit (Love) residing within them, you will notice the following surrounding their life:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Galatians 5:22-23

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails…

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Knowing this information, we can “test” the messenger and know if this is a trustworthy or untrustworthy source of information, despite the delivery of the message.

If we want to be known as “good” we should remember that Jesus said there is no one “good” but God, however, God is kind and compassionate and with our “surrender” to Him, Jesus said if we ask, he will send the Advocate (the Holy Spirit) who, once we are open to receiving the Holy Spirit, will begin to work within us. The Holy Spirit provides wisdom, guidance, protection, understanding of truth, peace, gifts (Romans 12:6-8) (1 Corinthians 12:7-11), power, love, discipline, and God’s eternal seal placed on us for our resurrection, redemption at the time of Jesus’ return.

11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of[a] his Spirit who lives in you.

Romans 8:11

USE IT OR LOSE IT!

So remember these verses and use them to evaluate people better knowing who is trustworthy, use it to make future critical decisions in life, and most importantly, get to know Jesus through scripture (read the Gospel of John) If you believe what John writes about Jesus, what Jesus said, pray and ask Jesus for the Holy Spirit to come to you; we all need the Holy Spirit for all the reasons mentioned above.

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Why Don’t We Care More About God?

It’s easy to not deeply care about someone we only know by name (a stranger), but not someone we truly know (an important person to us).

Think about this for a minute: think of someone you know: that person you see occasionally (it could be someone from work, or someone living in the neighborhood, this person should be someone you see occasionally but don’t interact with much), you know their name, but you might not know many details about them such as their life story, stories of their struggles, or stories of their favorite memories in life. You know them primarily by name only, the depth of your knowledge about this person is limited. Let’s refer back to this person as “stranger” going forward.

Now think about someone you love (it could be presently or in the past) but pick someone that you believe you truly love, someone whose “well-being” you truly care about, someone you take time to be with regularly, you know their struggles, you know their life story, you know what makes them happy. Let’s refer to this person as “important” going forward.

Take a minute to think about both these people, you “know” both of them, but one you know primarily know by name, the “stranger.” and the other you know many more details about them and they are the “important” person to you. This is how most of us are with God (until we seek Him), we know OF Him, but we don’t truly KNOW Him. If we don’t truly know a person, we can’t genuinely love that person- the same holds true about God. How can we love God or make Him a priority in our life, if we don’t genuinely know Him? We can’t.

The best way for us to get to genuinely know God is by reading scripture (the bible) daily, here’s what I’ve learned about God and us over the past three years of doing this. Let’s start at the beginning: Creation. God’s creativity is so much more impressive than anything mankind can create. Think about our bodies, the intricacy of our unique DNA coding, the systems of the body, how they work together, the ability of our body to “heal”, the intricacy of our eyes, the complexity of vision, all the tiny blood vessels, nerves, and muscles, throughout that provide what’s needed for various components of our bodies to function as designed. Think about our minds, the capacity to think, ponder, analyze, feel, etc. This didn’t just happen by “accident”- there is a complex, well- designed system that even the doctors today don’t have full understanding, often treatments are still trial and error when doctors try to fix something. God made us. He intentionally made everyone of us (we are here because He wanted us here): each of us is unique and has special gifts, created by God. We were created to relate with Him and with others in this world. God wants to be known and sometimes uses supernatural means to be discovered by us. Think, for a minute , about that “important” person brought to your thoughts earlier. You love that person, now imagine this: what if that person didn’t know you? You knew them, you love them, yet they don’t react to you, they ignore you, they don’t respond to you. Wouldn’t that be frustrating? Now think about how God feels when we ignore Him. God has feelings and emotions. We were created in His image and similar to Him, we also have feelings and emotions. How would you feel if the person you love responded to you as a “stranger”?

Creating us is what God did, but there is more about who God is. There is a mystery about God, revealed through scripture. There is one God, but a triune God: God the Father, the Son of God (Jesus) and the Holy Spirit. All three were present during the creation. This is a detail that can be supported by the original Hebrew scripture with the word: Elohim This is very interesting because the word is “plural” and the singular form is Eloah and both are used in scripture, but the creation as well as other pats of scripture use the plural version. Explore this if you doubt. Why would God be referred to with a plural reference if He is not triune? Genesis further describes God’s Spirit hovering over the waters during creation and the bible also says “let us make make mankind in our image” (Genesis 1:26) It is not until Jesus arrives that we fully understand this “triune”, when Jesus is baptized by John the Baptist all are present: the spirit descends visibly when Jesus comes up out of the water during baptism and God speaks audibly telling those present that Jesus is His Son (Matthew 3:17). But even further back in scripture, about how Jesus came became man, we learn from God’s messenger angel, who visited Mary (Jesus’ mother). The angel explained that it is God’s spirit who makes this pregnancy occur, not by man, the angel also visited Joseph who was engaged to be married to Mary and was thinking about secretly departing from her due to the pregnancy, but the angel explains what happened to Joseph and Joseph follows through with Mary. (Matthew 1:18) The three (triune God) are present at the very beginning of Jesus’ human life. Something else to think about: throughout scripture, no one technically sees God, Moses gets the closest to seeing Him, but then hides his face. When Moses returns to the people he is described as “radiant” (Exodus 34). Scripture often tells us God is Spirit, so it’s hard to comprehend His presence, is He pure light or does He have bodily form? Scripture mentions the throne of God and Jesus is seated at the right hand, so it does seem like there is a form of some type and if mankind was created in God’s image, then it would also seem likely. If we look back in scripture again, in Genesis (Genesis 3:8), God is walking in the garden (all three are present: Elohim) it is written about God’s voice being heard, and then the singular version Yehova (Jehova) is also used and so is Ruah (which means spirit or wind in the Old Testament, in Hebrew; ruah is used used 378 times) and is interesting to discover. Could it have been Jesus who was walking in the garden? (I don’t know the answer to this question but it crossed my mind after reading this verse.) Jumping forward, in the book of Revelation, Jesus reveals that he is the beginning and the end (Revelation 21:6), he also reveals this in the gospel of John when Jesus tells the Pharisees that he existed before Abraham who was born around 20 BC (John 8:58). It is believed that Jesus was born sometime between 6 BC and 2 BC. In the New Testament, pneuma is the name for Spirit, it refers to either God’s spirit or other spirits and is referred to 385 times in the New Testament. When we explore the original words of scripture like these: Elohim, ruah, pneuma, and the words of Jesus documented in the New Testament Gospels, our eyes begin to open and the Bible gets interesting by exploring and discovering “who” God is through scripture we begin to learn.

But there is more to learn about God than “who” He is. There is the personality and character of God that we discover through the Bible. This is best discovered gradually throughout the entire bible, so this following summary will not be complete, but is an attempt to summarize some of what I’ve learned about God’s character through studying scripture. Since God made us in His image, I think we can comprehend a little bit of His character is because God is the only one who is good; we are not, so we can’t fully relate to a perfect God. (Jesus said this documented in the Gospel of Mark 10:18 – also explore the word Jesus used for God “theos” in Greek found here) So we are imperfect beings trying to understand a perfect Being, therefore we are limited in our comprehension of God and in what has been revealed to us through scripture. Here are some characteristics of God found through scripture:

LOVE: God loves us greater than we currently have the capacity to love. Our love is often conditional. God’s love is unconditional. He loves us even while we are broken, separated from Him by sin. He created us to experience a loving relationship with Him. When any human relationship fails, it is different from our relationship with God who’s love remains, unfailing. We can’t comprehend God in exactly the same way as we experience human relationships: God is perfect, humans are not.

FORGIVENESS: God sets the standard so high on forgiveness. When we comprehend His capacity to forgive we are amazed, especially when we think about betrayal. How hard is it for us when someone betrays us, then comes back? Some of us may be forgiving yet others struggle with it, but not God and He wants us to be like Him in forgiveness to others. He wants us to understand how often He forgive us (which is whenever we truly mean it and ask Him for forgiveness, He forgives). Aren’t we grateful that He is like this? How many times do we mess up and then regret it? What if He wasn’t forgiving? Do you realize what that would mean? We would never have a relationship with Him again. Think about that for a minute: what if you hurt that “important” person you love and you never had the opportunity to be back in a relationship with them because they didn’t forgive you for what you did against them. How much greater would that hurt us when we know what God has planned (Revelation 21 and 22) for those who love Him back and those who have a relationship with Him?

MERCY: God see us as His little children, He lets us make decisions (even ones that aren’t good and ones that go against Him, the Commandments He gave us Exodus 20)- He is not controlling (He let us have free will), but then He will discipline His children, the ones He loves Revelation 3:19 (for our benefit to learn from our mistakes and turn back to Him) He cares for us and wants the best for us. Jeremiah 29:11

JEALOUS: Yes, God gets jealous. There are different types of jealousy: one type is “coveting” something someone else has; wanting something that is not ours, being envious of someone else. This is not the jealousy of God. God made us, God loves us and God is jealous when our love is shown to someone or anything else more than Him. In fact it is in the beginning of the commandment He gave us (Exodus 20). Whatever we love more than God is our idol: it could be money, it could be a false god, it could be ourselves through self-centeredness, fame or pride, it could be things we may obtain, it could be any person we hold on a pedestal, it could be our “important” person. We should know that God is meant to be our priority, He gave us everything we have and He can take away whatever we prioritize over Him to teach us this lesson. It’s much better to make God the priority now so we don’t have to learn the lesson the hard way.

ANGER: Yes, God gets angry. The anger that God shows is against evil. This is righteous anger. He is not “hot-tempered” and scripture tells us to avoid “hot-tempered” people– that is not God’s character. God is slow to anger, scripture tells us that too. God actually hates 7 specific things Proverbs 6:16 (link here): included are pride, lying, harming innocent people and those who contemplate and choose evil.

JUSTICE: God is just, God is perfect, therefore when he subjects anyone to wrath or to death, it is justified. God is patient (2 Peter 3:9), he gives people opportunities and time to repent, but if God sees there is no repentance, at a certain point (only God knows that timing) He takes action and destroys evil. Yes, God destroys evil. Sometimes He does it now, but He will also do it later to the evil that remains during the Judgement of all Evil (sin) separates us from God, so God destroys it according to His timing, but we can trust that He will do this, even when we don’t see it happen immediately when bad things happen in our world. It will come. Scripture tells us, God says “it is mine to avenge” Unless a person repents, they will perish. Scripture tells us this.

POWERFUL: God is powerful and can make supernatural things happen. With God all things are possible. Scripture gives us insight to God’s power through God’s response to Job about who He is: Job Chapter 38, 39, 40, 41 Jesus foretold that he has overcome the evil within the world through his death and resurrection. (John 16:33) We overcome evil when we choose to be “born again“, become the spiritual children of God, when God’s spirit resides within us. (John 5:4).

God will be respected; all people will end up bowing to Him when Jesus returns and Jesus will rule from that point on through eternity. Those who make fun of God or mock Him have a horrific future ahead- the irony of this is that the ones who are doing the mocking right now are the ones who are currently deceived and will be the ones in the future who will be known as fools in the end. But those who turn to God, get to genuinely know Him and remain in relationship with Him through prayer have nothing to fear because God loves and protects His children. He has an incredible amazing future planned; it’s only a matter of time before we experience it. Take this to heart and take action now: make God your “important” person, your priority, don’t leave Him in the “stranger” category, get to know Him and experience His goodness, His blessings in your life. Click here to see who is blessed by God, there are multiple pages so scroll to the end to see the various pages in scripture that mention “blessed”.

When we think about “success/advancing” in the world, so many of us do well getting to know those at the top who can make a difference in our future, but at the same time many of the same don’t know the ultimate God who WILL make a more substantial difference in our future (eternity). This is called blindness until people are made aware and short-sightedness if they don’t take action that matters for eternity, people don’t understand, but desperately need to understand and need to know God. Not for selfish gain in this world, but for our future, for Life. Once we truly comprehend the truth about Life and Death, we can break from what enslaves us by calling out to God, helping others do the same (we’re not to be selfish), then rest in the grace and eternal blessings from God. Remember it all started with God’s LOVE for us. Jesus made the WAY for us (John 14:6). We simply need to seek God, repent and place our faith in Jesus to save us and help others know this Truth.

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3, 2, 1…Watching the Countdown (NOW)

Here is the introduction and reason for this post: (click link here)

Time is getting close, some are running out of time and are not aware of what is ahead for ALL of us! Look into this now, “you’ll thank me, many others and most importantly: GOD later” for sharing this information with you!

Here are the links I promised in the introduction:

Revealing Revelation by Amir Tsarfati, you can also find the book on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other places.

I’m not promoting this book to increase their sales; I have no affiliation, in fact you can hear and see much of this information via YouTube (at no cost), but some prefer to read and other prefer to listen, so either way, don’t delay! The most important is that you comprehend this information.

As I mentioned in the introduction, there are many others (some who have studied bible prophecy for 40 years!) I will provide YouTube links to the main account, you will need to search their videos to to listen to their opinions, and there are many different opinions, but there are also points that all agree, namely:

  1. There will be a final 7 years until the return of Jesus (for judgement this time: both good and bad)
  2. There is an Eternity ahead, nothing to fear, a beautiful future ahead: an abundance of laughter, happiness, beauty, adventure, music, no more tears, immortality, peace and love for those who take action now (Read Revelation 21 and Revelation 22)
  3. There are warnings for ALL of us in the Book of Revelation
  4. We appear to be in the End Times right now: either in the beginning of the final 7 years or just slightly before the 7 years start (there are mixed opinions about where we currently are in this timeline)
  5. There will be a major battle involving Israel forthcoming.
  6. There will be a global governance. It will be both political and religious.
  7. The leader of both will be inspired by evil and will deceive the majority of the population sending them into eternal torment through deception. The deception will involve miracles.
  8. The only way to “save” ourselves is to accept Jesus as our Savior, put all our trust in Jesus, ask God for forgiveness of our sins, change our sinful ways, get baptized, then watch and wait for all this to happen, staying in close contact through prayer and reading the bible so that we do not fall for the forthcoming deception and that we have endurance through trials and testing. Technically we are NOT “saving ourselves”- Jesus did that by his death on the cross and resurrection from the dead. This is how it is possible for us to be “saved” only through Jesus, we can’t do it on our own. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, no one can come to the Father (be in eternity/God’s Kingdom) except through him.
  9. There will be a time when Jesus calls his followers (those who have prepared in advance- see #8) to meet him in the clouds (some will raise from the dead and others will ascend alive and will be changed due to God’s spirit residing in us). This happens before Jesus’ return for judgement of all. Jesus will protect us from God’s wrath. (There are many opinions about when this happens: before, during and towards the end of the 7 year period. I honestly don’t know who is correct. I think the towards the end, but it’s better to prepare now so when it comes we are ready)
  10. The leaders of this political and religious governance will eventually force people to “take a mark” in their right hand or forehead and this will be the only way we will be able to buy or sell anything. They will be all about controlling the population.
  11. The leaders of this political and religious governance will be revealed soon and rule for 3 years and 6 months.
  12. Jesus will conquer them (evil) after this period and he will be recognized as the only authority, the King of All when he returns on the clouds in Jerusalem, Israel, visible by all (made possible perhaps because of the Internet/technology?)
  13. Jesus will rule (here on earth) for 1,000 years. Mortal and Immortal people will be present during this time, the immortal reigning under Jesus, as appointed by Jesus.
  14. There will be a final battle with evil after the 1,000 years are over. God wins, He destroys evil supernaturally forever and Judgement Day occurs (Jesus will be the judge of all of us). People will be raised from the dead for judgement day, then sentenced to eternal life or eternal torture based on the choices they made during their life on earth.
  15. For those who receive Eternal Life, Immortal, new bodies will be given to us. God has prepared a New Heaven and New Earth that will come down and replace what we have today (the present earth will be completely destroyed) and God will LIVE in eternity WITH us!!!

As I mentioned, if you want to see, hear, listen to the various opinions on End Times through a variety of personalities, here are some YouTube accounts to check out- but as always, let the Bible be the “truth checker,” people are not perfect, everyone makes some mistakes and there are “opinions” discussed in each that are open to interpretation, but they have been typically forthright in telling us when it is “an opinion” vs “fact from the bible”:

AOC Network

Behold Israel

El Shaddai Ministries

Endtime Inc.

J.D. Farag

Nelson Walters

Ken Raggio

In addition to those listed above, here are some YouTube accounts that will help you grow in faith:

Answers in Genesis

Got Questions

The Bible Project

One for Israel

Maranatha Bible Church- Chicago

I pray that you don’t take this lightly; that you do something today if you haven’t already. There is much to be hopeful about in the future, and to look forward to, but it all depends on the actions we take today! There will be trials ahead, but don’t loose faith- keep your eyes on Jesus and what he preached. (Read the gospel of John to know more about Jesus- John was one of the original followers of Jesus and he was also the one who received the vision from Jesus that is documented in Revelation)

My prayer for you right now: Dear Jesus, Please open the eyes and minds of those who read this and reveal your truth. Amen.

May God bless you today in some way!

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Dates. Dates. Just Wait.

I was inspired to write this after watching this recent video (click link to watch): Amir Tsarfati: Breaking News: Who Controls the Temple Mount? In this video he references Luke 21:24 with a emphasis on the Temple Mount being trampled by the Gentiles. Amir lives in Israel, therefore he is actively aware of what is happening and he provides information and insight that we won’t get in our local news. As he spoke these words, another verse from the bible came to mind: Revelation 11:2 (which provides a time frame of the Gentiles trampling: 42 months).

Wow, as I was just linking that verse, I made a typo and searched for Revelation 11:12 (the Rapture!) This is ironic, because I’m aware Amir has a different belief than I do about the timing of the Rapture. I think it happens later than he does and that Believers will go through Tribulation, but not God’s Wrath. I would certainly welcome an earlier Rapture if it happens that way and will be thankful if it does, it may come as a surprise to me. I just don’t currently see the scripture supporting the earlier timing. But that is okay, the Rapture (believers rising to meet Jesus in the sky) will happen when God chooses it to happen, we just need to be prepared, as in right now, don’t delay. If Amir’s timing is correct, this rapture could happen at any moment. If what I believe happens, it could be 2026 (yes, I’m putting a guesstimate date out there). I’m not saying I know this date, but I’ll tell you why I’m leaning towards that date at this moment.

If anyone puts a date or timing out there right now, it is purely speculation and an opinion, not fact because there are some obscure timing of events and no one will know until it actually happens, but we may get the “season” right. So how did I end up with this date? It’s a combination of of events foretold in Bible prophecy. Biblical scholars have interpreted a final 7 years, before Jesus takes over and reigns as King. This is from the book of Daniel (Daniel 9: 24-27). Many people who study “end times prophecy” focus on a 7 year covenant and many people think this is a peace treaty that is signed. But scripture isn’t clear about what type of covenant is confirmed and there are many covenants within the Bible, so I can’t state with certainty that it is or isn’t a peace treaty. The start of the 7 years is something I think we will only realize in hindsight. Midway through (about 3.5 years into this final 7 years) it is understood that sacrifices will be stopped (Daniel 9:27) and an abomination (something detestable to God) will be set up in the holy place (most likely the Temple Mount in Jerusalem). When we are midway through the 7 year period, we will have more certainty. Jesus even referenced the Daniel prophecy in Matthew 24:15. Getting back to possible “covenants” there are those who believe the Abraham Accords, signed in 2020 is the “covenant”, there are also those who believe that the Pope’s Laudato si (which ironically became known as a 7 year action plan and was launched in 2021) is the “covenant” and there are still more people waiting for the confirmation of the covenant in the future between the Palestinians and the Israeli’s, and there are probably even more thoughts, so as you can see there are a few different opinions out there about the covenant. Perhaps we might be close if other foretold signs in bible prophecy are also present (and there certainly are current events which appear to be unfolding, leading to future bible prophecy right now). We won’t know until this abomination is set up in the holy place, but when we do see this, there will be trouble like was never known before in all of time and will never be again, according to Jesus in (Matthew 24:21), so we might want to get our life in order with God (as in acknowledging our sin, asking for forgiveness of sins, showing true regret by changing our future actions- discontinuing what we know is “sin”- and trusting in Jesus, keeping in communication with him through prayer) NOW before this happens, because it seems like after the abomination is set up, the times will be pure chaos and people may not be thinking clearly at that time…just a thought: prepare now!

So getting back to what if 2020 initiated the final 7 years? If that turns out to be the year, then 3.5 years into it would be between 2023-2024 (that’s when I will be watching for “the abomination”). If “the abomination” doesn’t happen, then I will know that the final 7 years didn’t start in 2020 and there are more years to wait. But, if it does happen, then we know 42 months after that is when Jesus returns- the second coming (according to Bible prophecy). If we add 3.5 years to the midpoint, following the abomination appearance (if this appearance does happen in 2023-2024), then we arrive at 2026-2027. This is why my guess is that Jesus 2nd coming could be possible in 2026-2027. I believe that would be approximately when the rapture occurs: 2026 – given this timeline. The opening of the sixth seal (Revelation 6: 12-17) matches the description Jesus gave in (Matthew 24: 29-31).

There is a theory on Jesus returning at the 6th Seal (seated on the clouds) to gather his elect (Believers: both Messianic Jews and Gentiles) but this is not the same event as the 2nd coming (where Jesus arrives seated on a horse with armies of heaven following him: Revelation 19:11 -16). This theory is supported by quite a bit of scripture. The following video makes the timing very clear, you can watch it here: LOOK UP Your Redemption Draws Near – When Are We to Look up? Now or Later? and another video about when God’s wrath begins: WHEN Does God’s Wrath Begin | 5 Eye Witnesses from Revelation and for a summary of timing of events: Revelation Timeline Discovered and What is the Order of Seals Trumpets and Bowls?

As I mentioned earlier, we truly don’t know the dates (yet), but there has been a significant amount of “strange” things happening in these past two years (2020 -2022), unlike any years I’ve experienced. There have also been some unusual “spiritual/biblically related” dreams that I personally had recently and they started the night I was baptized (September 2021). I shared them with a skeptical family member who thought maybe this was because I had been reading/studying the Bible so often. But then I questioned: why didn’t it happen when I first read the bible in 2019? Or when I first thought what was happening in 2020 could be a warning from God (that was when I started looking into end times bible prophecy, because it “felt” to me like there was something more happening in 2020)? And why have I never had a “spiritual” dream before this? 2020 was the time that it was most on my mind, it concerned me enough to start “warning” other people (and many got angry with me for doing this; my “warning” wasn’t well received). I feel like I’ve done what I needed to do and now it’s up to the individual to respond to God directly.

Without going into all the detail of the dreams I’ve had (I wrote them down and dated them for future reference) but the second dream I had occurred about a week after my baptism (leaving out the details) it was about a “surprise” engagement/wedding party (I was very confused in my dream as to what was happening and why all the people I saw were there) and on a bar/counter in this dream there was this plaque with the date: 12/__/2026 (but the day was blank). That’s all I will share about this dream.

Then about 2 weeks later I had an non-biblical dream where the internet was taken away so we couldn’t communicate. That next day I was traveling for work, driving most of the day and at the end of the day, I heard from friend who said to me: “Wasn’t that weird today how everything went down unexpectedly: Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp and banking?” I was unaware of this happening because I was driving all day, but that surprised me a little because I remembered the “insignificant dream” I just had the night before. What a weird “coincidence” I thought!

Then 4 months later (February 2022), I had another very detailed dream with a scene where someone I know told me their daughter was telling them “the end” was coming soon, as in the next 7-9 years. In another scene of the same dream I saw people gathering like they were going to an outdoor celebration, similar to a 4th of July celebration.

Then about 2 weeks after that dream, I had a dream that it was night time, dark outside, and I was in a passenger in a vehicle driving somewhere and suddenly, almost instantaneously we arrived at a place that appeared like a Florida vacation home and people were gathering for another “surprise” party. The night went from dark to instant daylight, but the time was 1am in my dream! Because of the instant change from dark to light I looked at the clock (in my dream) to see what time it was when it became so bright instantaneously.

Then 5 weeks later I had another dream, very detailed again but I will only share this part: it was at dusk in my dream, then instantly everything went solid black where I could not see my hand in front of my face and it scared me, but then a light behind a low billowing cloud above a lake started to shine and in my dream, I became aware it was “the Rapture” and I began to ascend, then I woke up.

Then about 2 weeks after that dream I had another dream, completely different setting than the prior, but a storm was approaching, then everything went completely black again, and in my dream, I spoke to the others with me and told them, don’t worry, I know what is happening, this happened in a prior dream: it’s “the Rapture”, then I woke up.

There was much more detail in these dreams that I haven’t shared here (it would be too long), but after I’ve had so many dreams over the past 8 months with a repeating theme: a “surprise” party, instant darkness turning to light, and that one dream with a month and year, it makes me wonder if these are just dreams or if there is more to them? I don’t know but I will wait and see. It’s been about 3 weeks since my last dream.

I’m sure prior generations thought similarly, when events in normal life seemed to line up with bible prophecy. Today, it seems like many concurrent events are happening and I’m also seeing many different religions (Jewish, Christian, Muslim) all saying we are in the last days, but this brings me back to the Title of this article: “Dates. Dates. Wait.” We need to wait to see how this truly occurs; the important part, as always, is that we prepare ourselves now, so we are ready whenever it happens and are not caught by surprise, unprepared.

When I mentioned “being prepared”, this is what I was referring to, click the link: “Listen Earth!”

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