Category: RELATIONSHIPS

You’re Invited!

The most valuable conversation I will have with you is to let you know: “You’re Invited!” Maybe we didn’t have that conversation because of lack of time, not being in a conducive environment, or simply my hesitation? No matter what the reason is, I’m glad you’re here reading this now. Reflecting on the past 9 years of my life, I realize now, God employs willing people to reach others and “coincidences” are not truly coincidences, but rather moments God allows at times in our life, when we need it most, to draw us to Him and to “wake us up” out of our sleep. I’m thankful for Andy, Michelle and Chris who impacted my life and “woke me up.” And if you are reading this now, I believe: it’s no coincidence!

YOUR INVITATION TO BELIEVE

I became aware of this, so this applies to me as well, but I chose to write “you” because this is written for you: “Your Invitation.” God wants you to know He is real. He witnesses everything happening in your life (the good and the bad) and both rewards and justice will prevail before you enter this Kingdom Jesus has been preparing for you. God created you to live eternally in His Kingdom, but unfortunately God’s enemy introduced evil to separate you from God and keep you out of His eternal kingdom. Most importantly know this: God is defined as Love and God truly loves you and wants you to live in His Kingdom. He loves you so much that He sent His only Son: Jesus/Yeshua to make it possible for you to be in God’s Kingdom. Jesus accomplished this task and this is how you have the opportunity to live within God’s future coming Kingdom on earth. God is well aware of His enemy’s deception, manipulation and trickery affecting you to convince you this is not reality. The enemy does that to everyone, so God sends people as messengers to reach others before it is too late. (Understand, there are no coincidences when you meet someone who shares this with you.)

GOD’S KINGDOM

Let me tell you about God’s future Kingdom; this is where “You’re Invited!” It will be here, on earth, not “up there somewhere,” and not the current earth as we know it. Before His Kingdom comes down to earth, there will be a separation of those who received this invitation and prepared and those who refused or ignored the invitation and will not be admitted into God’s Kingdom. It is an invitation available to ALL (thank God!), but what we do after receiving the invitation determines if we are admitted or turned away from entering the Kingdom.

EVERYTHING will be new! We will physically (in new eternal bodies) be living with God. Death will no longer be something we experience, nor crying, nor sadness. We will “inherit” this Kingdom and be considered a child of God. The physical attributes of God’s Kingdom are beyond what our imagination can comprehend, but one of the original followers of Jesus/Yeshua, John, saw a glimpse of it when Jesus visited him (after Jesus had died and risen from the dead). John was told by Jesus to make this known to others. The city itself (the New Jerusalem) will be like a cube: The city is 1,400 miles (2,200 km) in width, length and height! Not anything like what we see today on the earth today: Jerusalem will be as tall as it is wide! The brilliance of the materials God builds this Kingdom with are described by John like various precious stones and jewels, with 12 gates, each made of an enormous pearl, each having a name of one of the 12 tribes of Israel. The wall surrounding the city is 200 feet (65 meters thick) made of jasper (if you click on the link and read about jasper, notice that in ancient days it had a translucency- can you imagine that?) The city is made of pure gold (God makes everything so beautiful!). Each foundation of the city has a name of one of the 12 disciples. I’m not sure if my understanding is accurate, but if the city is approximately 1400 miles tall, then each level will be approximately 117 miles tall! The 12 foundations are described as follows:

“19 The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.[a] 21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.” Revelation 21:19-21

There will be true peace and safety in God’s Kingdom because nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in Jesus’ Book of Life.’

A river is described flowing down the center of the “great street” from God’s throne. On each side of the crystal clear river water is “the tree of life,” scripture says, there are 12 crops of fruit that come from this tree every month and the leaves of the tree are for “healing the nations.”

HOW TO ENTER GOD’S KINGDOM

Many people are confused (I believe it’s due to the enemy’s influence) about how to KNOW that you will be accepted for entry into God’s Kingdom. Jesus told us very clearly:

17 From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 4:17 (one of Jesus’ followers documented Jesus saying this in the gospel)

14 After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” Mark 1:14-15 (a friend of Peter, one of Jesus’ followers documented Jesus saying this in the gospel)

“I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” Luke 13:3 (a Doctor who interiewed hundeds of witnesses documented Jesus saying this in the gospel)

“Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3 (one of Jesus’ followers documented Jesus saying this in the gospel)

“Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” John 3:5

UNDERSTAND WHAT KEEPS A PERSON FROM ENTERING GOD’S KINGDOM

This section will be tough to accept for most people (this is the humbling part, where we see things listed here that apply to our own lives)! But this is SO IMPORTANT because if we don’t deal with this, it will have eternal consequences and keep us from enjoying what others will: the Kingdom of God. It is possible for every person reading this to overcome ANY of these things (with the help of the Holy Spirit). Jesus acknowledges this is like carrying a cross for us, but said:

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. Matthew 16:24

But Jesus also offers help in overcoming these things that affect or have affected many of us at some point in our lives: “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another (advocate, intercessor, comforter) (aka the Holy Spirit) to help you and be with you forever”—John 14:16

Warning: here’s the tough part to hear, but better to know the truth now than to suffer the outcome on Judgement Day!

9 “Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men[a] 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”  (Paul warns the Corinthians of this: 1 Corinthians 6:9-10)

19 “The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 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.” (Paul warns the Galatians of this: Galatians 5:19-21)

“But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” (Jesus said this to John to warn “the churches” of this in Revelation 21:8)

“Outside are the dogs (this was a word used for a man of impure mind, an impudent man, a male prostitute) those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.” (Jesus said this to John to warn “the churches” of this in Revelation 22:15)

RESPONDING TO YOUR INVITATION

(Again, this applies to me to also, but because this is “your invitation” I will write this stating “you” in place of “me” or “us.”) Fully accepting this requires you to humble yourself and admit: You are not perfect and even when you try, you still mess up but that doesn’t mean you can’t enter God’s Kingdom because God made a way for you. The way is through Jesus, the sacrifice he made for you on the cross when he defeated death and rose from the dead and then appeared to hundreds of people; scripture tells of a crowd of 500 that saw him after death. There were many witnesses to this. To understand how the death of Jesus makes it possible for you to be in God’s kingdom, it’s important to understand the meaning behind the animal sacrifices that the Israelites made. There is a law of death as a result of sin, but God allowed a “substitute” life taken to preserve another, and He allowed animals to be used for that, but God didn’t like these “sacrifices” and they were only a temporary solution, until Jesus arrived and became the final living sacrifice for ALL mankind so that animal sacrifices are no longer required. It’s helpful to understand Passover and how that event symbolically represented what Jesus would do for all mankind: the protection by his blood from his death on the cross and resurrection thereafter. You need the understanding of how truly important what Jesus did is for you. If Jesus hadn’t done that, you could never live in God’s presence (because of sin) and would be eternally outside God’s Kingdom. Understanding that your natural inclination is towards sin, and if you keep choosing sin, you will not be allowed to enter God’s Kingdom, but there’s help available. Sometimes a person gets so deep into a sinful life that it seems impossible to get out of it, and that is true, if you only rely on your own abilities. This is where your “surrender” comes in: by talking to God acknowledging that you need His help. When you are sincere: asking for forgiveness for what you’ve done and seeking God’s help to avoid it in the future (true repentance) Jesus will send the Holy Spirit to you to help you each day.

All this information is important, but sometimes the details clutter up the steps: What do I need to do? Hopefully this is simple enough:

  1. Believe what is written in the Bible about God the Father, His only Son (Jesus/Yeshua), the Holy Spirit (that God loves you so much that He sent His son, Jesus, who made it possible for you to be in God’s Kingdom by his death on the cross and resurrection afterwards and in receiving the Holy Spirit you are “born again,” evidence of the Holy Spirit is a changed life when you can see these qualities in the way you live and interact with others: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control) –This is found in Galatians, Chapter 5.
  2. Repent – ask God for forgiveness of past sins, willfully deciding to give them up in the future (Baptism is a public action indicating a personal commitment to God- a turning towards God and away from a sinful life, putting sin to death)
  3. Receive the Holy Spirit, become “born again,”a “new creation,” “a changed life”- in addition to these qualities of someone truly born again: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control; the Holy Spirit will also give special gifts to people (IMPORTANT: not for their own benefit, but for the benefit of others), the possible gifts are: wisdom, knowledge, faith, ability to heal others, to do miracles, prophecy, discernment of spirits, speaking in tongues (a spiritual language), and interpretation of tongues. The Holy Spirit determines what gifts are given and gives them as he chooses. Not everyone receives the same gifts. (This is found in 1 Corinthians, Chapter 12 ) But despite having one or more “gifts” of the Spirit, if we don’t show LOVE with that gift, it looses its effectiveness and doesn’t benefit others and that is the reason a person is given the gift!

God is Love and Love is the greatest of all, it’s important to know the truth about what love is (again, God’s enemy has caused confusion and deception for us and made us equate or confuse “lust” with “love”) They are different. To identify “Love” look for these qualities or characteristics in a person: patience, kindness, not envious of others, nor boastful, nor proud, nor rude, not demanding their own way, not irritable, not keeping records of being wronged, rejoicing when truth wins over injustice, never giving up, never loosing faith, always remaining hopeful, and enduring through every circumstance. (That is the true definition of Love.) (This is found in 1 Corinthians, Chapter 13)

RSVP

Now that you’ve been invited, please respond to God. Then share this invitation with others if you’ve RSVP’d to be in God’s Kingdom!

by Categories: bible prophecy, bible study, FAITH, FAMILY, FRIENDSHIP, God, HAPPINESS, Healing, Improvement, Letting Go, Love, Make It Count, priorities, RELATIONSHIPS, Sex, spiritual warfare, WellnessTags: , , , , , , , 2 Comments

The “Mark” – Prophecy

I’m seeing some speculation among those who study Eschatology (the end times) about something big possibly happening in 2024, which prompted me to write this. Even if something “big” doesn’t happen in 2024, it is beneficial for all of us to be mentally prepared ahead of time for whenever it does happen.

The warning in this writing is DO NOT TAKE THE MARK- whenever it is rolled out because this is UNFORGIVEABLE and will absolutely separate us ETERNALLY from God. Here is the scriptural proof of this statement:

9 A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand, 10 they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.” 12 This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus.

13 Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.”

“Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.”

Revelation 14:9-13

I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

Revelation 20:4

THE MARK DESCRIPTIONS

So what is this “Mark”? It’s best to NOT SPECULATE, but simply know what scripture tells us and then apply this criteria to anything you may question in the future! Here’s the criteria:

15 The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. 16 It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, 17 so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.

18 This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man.[e] That number is 666.

Revelation 13:15-18

Here is another thing that will happen to the people who take the mark:

The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land, and ugly, festering sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.

Revelation 16:2

THE SECOND BEAST DESCRIPTIONS

This second beast is symbolic in description as “the beast” but scripture clarifies who this second beast is here:

But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.

Revelation 19:20

The second beast is a “false prophet” who will be working in tandem with the “first beast.” 

It exercised all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed.

Revelation 13:12

And it performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of the people.

Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived.

Revelation 13:13

The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed.

Revelation 13:15

It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads,

Revelation 13:16

so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.

Revelation 13:17

THE FIRST BEAST DESCRIPTIONS

Who is the first Beast? Scripture gives us criteria to look for on that as well! Here it is:

The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings.

Daniel 7:24

Notice that there are 10 kings but that 1 of them subdues (3) kings. 10 – 3 = 7 remain…now look at what Revelation describes:

The dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name.

Revelation 13:1

Coming out of the “sea” in Greek is: ”thalassa” and the biblical use of this word is:

  1. the sea
    1. used of the sea in general
    2. used specifically of the Mediterranean Sea or the Red Sea

This Beast was seen by Daniel as the last entity to rule the earth, and it will have control over the entire earth. Does this make anyone think about “global governance”? Here is the scriptural support:

“He gave me this explanation: ‘The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it.

Daniel 7:23

It was given power to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation.

Revelation 13:7

One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast.

Revelation 13:3

People worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, “Who is like the beast? Who can wage war against it?”

Revelation 13:4

All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.

Revelation 13:8

Jesus (Yeshua) is the “Lamb” who was slain and from this scripture above, we see that it it HIS “book of life”- Does this make more sense of why Jesus said:

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

John 14:6

THE ANTI-CHRIST DESCRIPTIONS

My understanding is the Anti-Christ is a member of the first beast.

This king that subdues (3) kings is what has been described as “the AntiChrist.” Again don’t speculate on WHO this is, but know what scripture tells us about this one. Here are the scriptural references:

“While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little one, which came up among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a human being and a mouth that spoke boastfully.

Daniel 7:8

The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months.

Revelation 13:5

Note: 42 months is 3 1/2 years!

It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven.

Revelation 13:6

But this one will eventually be destroyed. We know this from scripture:

“Then I continued to watch because of the boastful words the horn was speaking. I kept looking until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire.

Daniel 7:11

As I watched, this horn was waging war against the holy people and defeating them,

Daniel 7:21

He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.

2 Thessalonians 2:4

9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, 10 and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.

2 Thessalonians 2:9-10

15 “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’[a] spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. 18 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. 19 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 20 Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.

22 “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. 23 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you ahead of time.

26 “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

Matthew 24:15-27 (the words of Jesus)

14 “When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’ standing where it does not belong—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 15 Let no one on the housetop go down or enter the house to take anything out. 16 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. 17 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 18 Pray that this will not take place in winter, 19 because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now—and never to be equaled again.

20 “If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them. 21 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. 22 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 23 So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time.

Mark: 13:14-23 (words of Jesus)

20 “When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city. 22 For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written. 23 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. 24 They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

25 “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. 26 People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. 27 At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

Luke 21:20-28 (words of Jesus)

He will speak against the Most High and oppress his holy people and try to change the set times and the laws. The holy people will be delivered into his hands for a time, times and half a time.

Daniel 7:25

This time, times and half a time has become understood through Bible scholars as 3 1/2 years, it’s confirmed by scripture too. Here is the confirming scripture:

The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach.

Revelation 12:14

The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.

Revelation 12:6

And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.”

Revelation 11:13

1260 days divided by 360 days in a year from biblical times = 3.5 years

The use of the 360-day year for accounting and administration lasted until the Old Babylonian period. The same number was used in cuneiform literature for astronomical calculations even later, throughout the first millennium BCE.

Cambridge University

THE DRAGON DESCRIPTION

He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.

Revelation 20:2

From this scripture, we know that the dragon is Satan, the devil. Satan is the spiritual force empowering the First and Second Beast. (Good to understand if you’re wondering why are world is becoming so corrupt in every way: Is the first Beast forming now?)

The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.

Revelation 12:9

THE FINAL OUTCOME

But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.

Revelation 19:20

And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

Revelation 20:10

As I was preparing to write about “the mark” I noticed the prophet Ezekiel wrote about similar events. After studying the bible for the past 5 years, I learned that some earlier events in history are sometimes the “foreshadowing” of future events. I definitely see a connection between Ezekiel’s visions and John’s visions (found in the book of Revelation). 

In Summary, someday in the future, there will be a global governing authority who will rule the world and there will be a false prophet who will deceive many people into taking “the mark” – be aware of this. It is in Bible Prophecy, it will happen someday. Know what scripture says so you are not deceived because you will loose your inheritance in God’s kingdom, if you accept and take this mark. Please share this with others to warn them too.

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2024- What’s Your Word Heading into this Year?

This “Tradition” started a couple years ago (in 2022) with a group of friends from a Bible Study group I unexpectedly joined in October 2021. I say “unexpectedly” because I wasn’t looking for a group to join, I only went to be supportive of a friend who wanted to check it out, at the last minute one evening. So I went and ended up joining the group. Reflecting on this and knowing who God is, this wasn’t a coincidence; I needed this in my life.

2019 Words: ”Being Called” (Making God my Priority)

2019 was the year I decided to make God my priority (my last summary post for 2019) after reading the Bible for the first time. I didn’t have “a word” for that year but looking back, it would have been: “Being Called” – this was my 3rd “faith” related post on this website: see “Being Called” link in August 2019. 

2020 Words: ”Wake Up”

2020 was a year of isolation for most of us in the world, and as a result, I had more time to explore the Bible. I had so many questions about life, I was seeking TRUTH, in January 2020, I wrote about Love, but abruptly by March 2020, I felt we were experiencing a “Wake Up Call” from God, collectively as the world, but also personally in my life, I reflected on many aspects of life this year (Posts #10-21) but what impacted me most was Bible Prophecy: facing judgement and end times/the last days prophecies.

2021 Word: Death

Even though I didn’t have a word for this year, in hindsight, this reflected reality: my 14 month old nephew suddenly died, the mother of my son’s best friend died suddenly, and my dog suddenly died within a span of 4 months. Not only that, but the closest person to me unexpectedly rejected me in a humiliating public way at the time when I needed support the most. (When it rains, it pours!) But only days later, I was asked to go with a friend to this Bible Study group (See what I mean? No coincidences, God provides.) It was a tough year. All the death made me question, what happens after death, for real? I realized I didn’t have a clear biblically based understanding- only what I had been told throughout life. I plan to write about this later because I think others might have this question too. Ironically- in hindsight, after all this “death” surrounded me, late summer when I was on my phone an email came through with something to the effect of “last notice to sign up for baptism”- I felt like it was time I committed and did this, so I signed up and was Baptized on September 12, 2021. Baptism is symbolic of the death of our sinful past and rebirth, a new life, “born again”- it was both symbolic and literal for me. I wrote (posts 22 – 38) during this year. I didn’t post about the dreams I started having the night of my Baptism, I was confused by them at the beginning, but the “name of Jesus” was featured heavily and sometimes verses from scripture and the dreams involved various people in my life: friends, family and former business colleagues. I know there is significance to these specific dreams because I would see something specific from my dream, that day, weeks or months later as I was going about the day- completely unexpected when it would occur, but I would immediately recall: I dreamt that! It still continues but I often don’t have the understanding of the symbolism until I see it happen. It’s hard to explain this to anyone, unless you experience this, you won’t understand, but it heavily contributed to the faith and belief I have in Jesus. Even though my word for 2021 would have been Death, it was changed to Life. Death is no longer permanent becauses of Jesus’ death and resurrection, death is a transition, a going to sleep because those who believe and turn away from sin will be changed and become immortal when Jesus returns. Jesus said that unless we are “born again” we will not see the kingdom of God. (John Chapter 3)

2022 Word: Joy

After the experiences of the prior years, I wanted Joy! I chose the word: ”Joy.” Looking back, God brought joy into my life through a supportive, Christ focused group of friends from this new Bible Study group that I unexpectedly joined in October of 2021. I think God may have had something to do with that too. I continued exploring God’s word through scripture and how it relates to living life (posts 39- 66). I often was inspired to write in the morning just as I wake up from a thought that didn’t seem to leave or from a prior conversation I had with someone. As much as I wanted “joy” to be my entire focus, I couldn’t ignore what I found through Bible Prophecy and it, weighed heavily on me. Too many world events were/are lining up with Bible Prophecy and many people (just like me) didn’t even have this “on the radar.” I didn’t come from a religion that focused on this, so this was all new to me, I only discovered it after reading the Bible. This is why it is so important to know what’s in the Bible: so we’re not blindsided by reality when it happens. There is nothing to fear (if we are “spiritually” prepared in advance- meaning “born again”).

2023 Words: Trust and Obey

Many things in life “don’t make sense” to us, so this is when I need to “Trust and Obey” God. Ironically this was the first faith post I made: Trust and Obey –  I struggled/still struggle with this sometimes, but it’s getting easier! I guess God is making sure I comprehend this, because those words came back to me from 2017- 6 years later! Now, I trust God always, despite the circumstances, I know how it all will ultimately end, so I have peace in knowing what life holds in the future. We just need to get through the “tests and trials” until then. Often when I choose to obey (especially when I don’t want to), some “reward” seems to happen afterwards. I thank God for that when it happens because it is encouraging.

2024 Word: Love

What gets thrown at us in life and happens in this world can make “doing everything out of love” challenging, but this is important for those who claim to be Christians. I’ll be honest, I feel like 2024 may be a rough year ahead. It would be wonderful if I’m wrong, and I hope I am! But if these bible prophecy events keep moving forward like they have been, that’s going to be the reality; we’re not going to stop what God has foretold. I also know that what we focus on becomes our reality so my focus this year is love. I wish I could fast forward and get to the end of this year right now, honestly if I could fast forward to 2026 that would be even better!

2023 New Year’s Eve (12/31/23)

As I often do, even though I knew I wanted my word for 2024 to be “love” (because I need to be more loving) I wanted guidance from God. I prayed and asked God to show me something in scripture, pertinent to 2024, so I thought I would open the bible to scripture in the front, middle and back part of the bible for a more comprehensive understanding, possibly a common theme, so I could understand better. These are the pages I opened to:

Front Part of the Bible: 1 Samuel 4:4 through 1 Samuel 6:4 (1 Samuel 4, 1 Samuel 5, 1 Samuel 6)

This seemed significant to me because of what’s happening in the middle east land right now. This scripture references: Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath and Ekron. A battle is going on between the Israelites and the Philistines (the land of Gaza). While this is historic, not prophetic, we can learn from history: when God is with someone, they will not be defeated. God is just and will punish (in this scripture, tumors broke out on the Philistines because they stole the Ark of the Covenant and Eli died because his sons blasphemed God and no one restrained the sons). God is to be respected. He is not to be mocked. 

None of us know what will happen as a result of this current war happening, but we know from scripture that Israel will not cease to exist. I’m praying for all in the Middle East, that spiritual blindness is removed, that people turn away from sin and that many come to faith in Jesus Christ so they may truly have eternal life.

Middle Part of the Bible: Isaiah 59:5 through Isaiah 60:4 (Isaiah 59, Isaiah 60)

Isaiah 59’s summary is: Sin, Confession and Redemption- isn’t that interesting?! This is about the return of Jesus! (By the way, I do not believe Jesus is returning in 2024, but this is where our focus should be- getting prepared before he does return!)

Truth is nowhere to be found,
    and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey.

The Lord looked and was displeased
    that there was no justice.
16 He saw that there was no one,
    he was appalled that there was no one to intervene;
so his own arm achieved salvation for him,
    and his own righteousness sustained him.
17 He put on righteousness as his breastplate,
    and the helmet of salvation on his head;
he put on the garments of vengeance
    and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak.
18 According to what they have done,
    so will he repay
wrath to his enemies
    and retribution to his foes;
    he will repay the islands their due.
19 From the west, people will fear the name of the Lord,
    and from the rising of the sun, they will revere his glory.
For he will come like a pent-up flood
    that the breath of the Lord drives along.[a]

20 “The Redeemer will come to Zion,
    to those in Jacob who repent of their sins,”
declares the Lord.

21 “As for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the Lord. “My Spirit, who is on you, will not depart from you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will always be on your lips, on the lips of your children and on the lips of their descendants—from this time on and forever,” says the Lord.

Isaiah 59:15-21

Then Isaiah 60 talks about the Millennium Reign of Jesus Christ and what it will be like, this is only an excerpt, but the link above is the entire chapter. Isaiah the prophet foretold this to the Israelites. Does this not inspire all of us to prepare spiritually?

No longer will violence be heard in your land,
    nor ruin or destruction within your borders,
but you will call your walls Salvation
    and your gates Praise.
19 The sun will no more be your light by day,
    nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you,
for the Lord will be your everlasting light,
    and your God will be your glory.
20 Your sun will never set again,
    and your moon will wane no more;
the Lord will be your everlasting light,
    and your days of sorrow will end.
21 Then all your people will be righteous
    and they will possess the land forever.
They are the shoot I have planted,
    the work of my hands,
    for the display of my splendor.
22 The least of you will become a thousand,
    the smallest a mighty nation.
I am the Lord;
    in its time I will do this swiftly.”

Isaiah 60: 18-22

Back part of the Bible: Galatians 5:17 through Galatians 6:18 (Galatians 5 and Galatians 6)

Galatians 5 is summarized as “freedom in Christ” – does that not also suggest getting prepared?! Then it talks about living by the Spirit (this is how “born again” people live life) and to me personally, the word I chose for 2024 was “love” look at verse 22- and this is the page I opened to after prayer! I don’t believe in “coincidences” – God is in action always, sometimes we don’t understand, but later we will. God is doing something, we just need to be receptive to His plans for us, His communication with us!

16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever[c] you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 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.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

Galatians 5:16-26

And Galatians 6 ties all this together from the front part of the Bible verses (God is not mocked) to the middle verses (eternal life, new creation) and back verses (How we should prepare spiritually- becoming the new creation, born of the spirit!)

Doing Good to All

6 Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. 4 Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, 5 for each one should carry their own load. 6 Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor.

7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

Not Circumcision but the New Creation

11 See what large letters I use as I write to you with my own hand!

12 Those who want to impress people by means of the flesh are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13 Not even those who are circumcised keep the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your circumcision in the flesh. 14 May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which[a] the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation. 16 Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule—to[b] the Israel of God.

17 From now on, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.

18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.

Galatians 6

This prayer to God and the resulting verses made an impact on me, that is why I shared this. If you haven’t already been “born again” (turning from sin and receiving the Holy Spirit)- what is keeping you from this? You can do this right now. If you believe that Jesus is the Son of God, was born sinless because it was through the Holy Spirit that he was conceived, he died on the cross for our sins (to break the curse of death and give us life- the one and only, final sacrifice needed to make it possible for us to be in God’s future kingdom- here on earth, not up in the sky) then resurrected, ascended to Heaven where he lives until he returns to deliver justice, wrath and then reign as our king from Jerusalem in Israel. If we believe this and turn away from sin, Jesus will give us the Holy Spirit. Jesus was baptized and told his followers to baptize in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, however the man next to him on the cross did not get baptized but Jesus told him he would be with him in paradise. Baptism is important because Jesus told his followers to do this: it’s an outward sign of belief and turning away from a sinful life, but God is mostly concerned about what’s happening inside us: Repentance (turning away from sin) and Receiving the Holy Spirit are necessary. I was baptized as an infant, but I wasn’t sure if that “counted” because that wasn’t my choice, that was my parents’ choice. So I was baptized as an adult in 2021 and I think I made the right choice because after that is when I started having spiritual dreams and seeing visions of things in the future- I have no other explanation, than this baptism must have been what made this happen. Our relationship with God is personal, our parents or no one else can force this or make it happen. It is a personal choice, and a very important one. Is 2024 your year to be “born again”?

I pray for all who read or share this with someone they care about: May God’s love for you be known! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

by Categories: bible prophecy, bible study, FAITH, FAMILY, Following Passions, FRIENDSHIP, God, HAPPINESS, Healing, Improvement, Love, Make It Count, Parents, prayer, priorities, RELATIONSHIPS, WellnessTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

Are we Predestined by God to Eternal Life or Damnation before we are born?

Predestined and Election Doctrine: (A Refreshing Understanding)

If you’ve been following my posts, you’ll know that I first read the Bible in 2019 from cover to cover and have been studying it since then (for 4 years now). I continue learning from scripture, I’m not an expert, and what I learned was from reading scripture first, then seeking other’s explanations of aspects that weren’t immediately clear to me. I am seeking truth. I stopped trusting “religious” doctrines and churches after I read the bible and discovered contradictions to what I learned. I wanted to know: what does the Bible tell us?

It was just this past year in a Bible Study when this subject came up: Predestination and Election. When I heard the explanation, my initial reaction was: this doesn’t sound right or seem to reflect the God whom I came to know through scripture! The explanation was based on Calvinism, which states:

The principle, in Calvin’s words, is that “All are not created on equal terms, but some are preordained to eternal life, others to eternal damnation; and, accordingly, as each has been created for one or other of these ends, we say that he has been predestinated to life or to death.”

John Calvin

The reaction from the Bible Study group was: this is in the bible, you can’t force what’s in the bible to conform to your beliefs! I agree with that statement, but wondered, Why did I not comprehend this while reading scripture? So I went back to read what Paul wrote and see that scripture says what it does. But still, it didn’t seem consistent with what I learned about God’s character. A member of the group shared a paper with me supporting this theory with scripture, but of course, I had to do my own research.

So I researched this topic and found (thankfully) there are various viewpoints regarding this subject, not solely the explanation I heard. This subject is one of those debated doctrines, which made me realize, people clearly don’t understand it, if this remains debated after hundreds of years. Most people initially have a negative reaction to it, but then they say God is sovereign and we don’t understand everything. Some will question, then why share the gospel, if God has predestined? The response is often: because the Bible told us to! All valid points, but to me, this is a horrible doctrine, contradicts scripture and does not the character of the God I’ve read about: God is love (1 John 4:8), He is patient, wants everyone to come to repentance and live in His future Kingdom. (2 Peter 3:9) God does not show favoritism. (Romans 2:11) God is just (2 Thessalonians1:6) and God is merciful. (Deuteronomy 4 and Daniel 9) None of these attributes align with John Calvin’s doctrine in my opinion, so there must be a viewpoint that doesn’t contradict God’s character. Additionally, this theory was arrived from reading Paul’s letters, but I know that scripture often has multiple “witnesses” attesting to truth. Clarification is found in scripture.

I also realized that many PhDs arrive at this theory because that is what they were taught in the seminary. But the fact is there are different beliefs, however, it seems the most often taught one appears to be based on the doctrine of John Calvin. The fact that there is debate on this topic is good because it shows people are using critical thinking, questioning the understanding of a doctrine that is more of a theory or interpretation rather than absolute truth. Humans are fallible; we don’t get everything right and it takes humility to accept this. It’s very likely that what I understand today (especially end times scripture) may change based on new information or revelation found in scripture later. In fact, people were so set in their preconceived ideas of who the Messiah would be that many missed that Jesus/Yeshua was/is the Messiah! I have a feeling that what we believe about end times events will also be that way; if it doesn’t happen the way our thoughts think it might, we’ll see it clearly in hindsight.

Getting back to other opinions on this topic, this is what I found in scripture after researching the topic:

Clarification of Predestined and Election (My notes based on scripture):

Foreknow/Foreknew:  defined:  be aware of (an event) before it happens. 

For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. Romans 9:29 God foreknew ALL/EVERYONE– therefore God predestined ALL OF US TO CONFORM  TO THE IMAGE OF HIS SON- but not all mankind ACCEPTS this conformation!

And Jesus said: And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” John 12:32

And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. Romans 8:30 – God does the work after someone accepts His calling, sanctification is by God, not us.

He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— Ephesians 1:5 God is adopting us (all who accept Jesus as Messiah)

In him (Jesus) we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, Ephesians 1:11– God’s will is for ALL to accept.  First it was offered to the Jews, but then it was offered to the Gentiles- yes, God first chose the Jews, his chosen ones, but then expanded it to ALL. Again God does the work to conform people who accept Him – through the work of the Holy Spirit.

PREDESTINED

Predestined:  God uses certain people for special purposes, not everyone is used for special purposes, some are for common purposes- “predestined” isn’t about salvation:

Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use? Romans 9:21

For God does not show favoritism. Romans 2:11 – Opinion: to predestine one for salvation and one for destruction is contrary to what is stated here, we need to understand scripture.  Scripture interprets scripture but does not contradict, if it contradicts, it is something we haven’t comprehended yet.

Special purpose: we see this stated in Jeremiah 1:5: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

Special purpose:  The LORD said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.” Genesis 25:23

Special purpose: You will become pregnant and have a son whose head is never to be touched by a razor because the boy is to be a Nazirite, dedicated to God from the womb. He will take the lead in delivering Israel from the hands of the Philistines.” Judges 13:5

Special purpose:  (John the Baptist) Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. Luke 1:36

Special purpose:  But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. Acts 9:15

Special purpose:  “Then he said: ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you (referring to Paul/Saul) to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. Acts 22:14

Special purpose:  Ezekiel:  And he said to me, “Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the people of Israel.” Ezekiel 3:1 (Ezekiel’s vision’s purpose was to speak to ISRAEL)

Special purpose:  John: I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour.Then I was told, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.” Rev 10:10-11 (John’s vision’s purpose was for Gentiles or many peoples, nations, etc)

Contrary to special purposes, God also uses people to accomplish His will.  They have free will but He uses their free will and evil choices to accomplish His sovereign will. What is God’s will? 

“For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.” John 6:40 (notice Jesus doesn’t say “for the predestined”- he says for “everyone”!)

“Hardened Heart” – search “hardened” in an electronic bible, and you will see that there are times when God hardens someone’s heart, but notice this is AFTER the person has repeatedly “hardened their own heart”- as I understand, we have multiple opportunities, but at some point God may say “enough” and then harden a person’s heart. 

How is a heart “hardened” what does that mean? We find this in scripture:

But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. Hebrews 3:13 –It is the deceitfulness of sin that causes a person’s heart to be hardened.

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 (This appears to be consistent with other scripture, God give opportunities for repentance, reconciliation, belief but some people reject this and sometimes God turns them over to their sin- this is God’s decision, we don’t know when or if our “time is up” either while living or when our death occurs.)

ELECT- salvation isn’t imminent!

Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. 1Peter 1:1

An additional resource and explanation is found in this video by Dr. Doug Hamp:

And here is the article in written form: www.douglashamp.com

Commonwealth of Israel Theology Summary by Dr. Doug Hamp is referenced in his video above and helpful in comprehending scripture about “the elect” which describes Israel and those grafted into Israel after becoming “born again”- born in the spirit as Jesus told Nicodemus in John Chapter 3; once this is “revealed” in scripture, it is clear regarding “the elect.”

This is important because understanding this truly gives us “hope” for all mankind having the opportunity to be in God’s kingdom because of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Comprehending this reflects the loving, merciful and just God we find throughout scripture. God also said: if you seek Him; He will be found. (Scriptural References).

by Categories: bible prophecy, bible study, Face Fear, FAITH, FAMILY, FRIENDSHIP, God, Healing, Improvement, Love, Make It Count, parenting, prayer, priorities, RELATIONSHIPSTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Alcohol, Drugs, Addictions & Demons

I don’t write or post for the “art of writing,” I write with one purpose: to inform, after reading you can decide what you do with the information. Recently, someone wisely said: “Knowledge is NOT power” – it’s what you do after you receive the knowledge that can be powerful!

Most of us are aware that using any drug or consuming alcohol usually starts out casual and for some it remains that way, but for others, it escalates to abuse, then to addiction. By the time addiction sets in, people believe they have lost the power to change, but they haven’t. The mind is powerful, because if we believe we can’t, we don’t fight it any longer. This picture of the elephant controlled by a rope is good image to remember. At a young age the elephant is tied by this rope and unable to break free, so by the time the elephant is large enough to break free, the elephant no longer believes the rope can be broken and the elephant can be set free.

Power comes from our belief and belief is a result of what we feed our mind.

There are many reasons people turn to drugs or alcohol, but unfortunately what starts out as a “helper” for something affecting our life turns into not helping any longer, so more is needed, then this can progress into full destruction of self, if we doesn’t break free. A feeling of helplessness and hopelessness can occur and anxiety, depression and even suicide can enter our mind. This is where the brakes need to be applied before the full accident and destruction occurs because this CAN be reversed, a good life CAN return!

I believe there is more to this and a significant reason why this downfall happens to people, I learned about it after reading the Bible. What affects us can be spiritual, of course we can’t blame everything on a spiritual force, and need to be accountable for taking that first step in the wrong direction- out of ignorance- more than likely. “People are destroyed from lack of knowledge” as the prophet Hosea said in scripture. If we don’t know about the spiritual realm and influence, we can be destroyed from this lack of knowledge. Scripture says:

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 (Paul wrote this)

I won’t get too much more into this because this topic is covered in depth in several articles and podcast episodes: Spiritual Warfare article and podcast , Suicide: the Biblical Response and podcast, Spiritual Warfare: How to Defeat it and podcast.

This demonic stronghold on us will take over our life, if we let it. But we can break it. The bible tells a story of Jesus encountering a man with many demons. He became isolated from people due to his condition but Jesus broke the stronghold and the man was fully restored. Strongholds can be broken in the name of Jesus today too! This encounter with Jesus was told by three different people in the Bible: Matthew (one of Jesus’ original disciples- Chapter 8), Mark (a friend of Peter who was one of Jesus’ original disciples- Chapter 5) and Luke (who was a doctor and investigated the stories to determine if they were valid).

Once the stronghold is broken, it is extremely important for us to remain “in Christ”- meaning surrendering our will to God’s will so that we remain protected: here’s an article on Surrendering and in podcast format because of this verse found in the Bible:

“When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.”

Jesus (Matthew 12:43-45)

Luke, who was a doctor, documented this in Luke 11:24-26 also.

It doesn’t take much effort today to find stories of people struggling with these battles. Matthew Perry was one of those who fought that battle:

When I heard about the October 7th 2023 massacre in Israel, there was no other way to comprehend what happened other than demonic influence. But did you hear what was discovered? The terrorists were under the influence of a drug. (see video below)

Drugs appear to be a “open gate” “invitation” to the demonic realm where they can then influence us and many of us are completely unaware of this sadly. Here’s another article about this: click link.

What to remember despite all of this: God loves us and wants us with Him in eternity; Satan (and his evil spiritual forces) come only to steal and kill and destroy; Jesus came that we may have life, and have it to the full. Jesus said this, documented in John 10:10

Paul tells us that it all starts in our mind, redirecting our mind, just like that elephant example in the beginning, belief causes something very significant in the physical reality of our life.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Paul (Romans 12:2)

Jesus told us this about the will of God:

For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

Jesus (John 6:40)

If there are intrusive negative thoughts, we need to be reminded of God’s love for us: “Don’t give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table” by Louie Giglio is a good book to read, here’s a link to the book on Amazon.

God is waiting for each of us to turn to Him. He loves us more than anyone because He created us with a purpose in mind. Each of us has a purpose, has a reason why we are here, when we seek God, we realize our purpose.

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

God (written by Jeremiah the prophet, Jeremiah 29:11)
by Categories: bible study, Face Fear, FAITH, FAMILY, God, Healing, Improvement, Letting Go, Make It Count, prayer, priorities, RELATIONSHIPS, spiritual warfare, suicide, WellnessTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Tribulation vs. Wrath? (Pre-Trib, Mid-TriB, Post-Trib)

After hearing about the future return of Jesus for the first time, just four years ago, following the reading the Bible, I wanted to understand “when” this happens and “what” the signs would be because I heard different opinions from people: Pre-Tribulation, Mid-Tribulation and Post-Tribulation and wondered: which one is correct?

After researching this in scripture and looking deeper into the actual Greek words used in the New Testament, I came away with a better understanding. To some degree, I think “all” are correct – if you misunderstand what Tribulation means. An understanding of Tribulation vs. Wrath is essential; these are two different events. The only way to prove this is to identify the words and let you read scripture for yourself. (This will follow)

This is not something to argue about though, as long as people are prepared to endure: The ONLY reason this matters is a concern for the people counting on the “pre-tribulation” rapture theory because that theory prepares people for “an escape,” it doesn’t build them up to withstand, persevere when trials come and therefore may lead to a “falling away” of faith in desperation and a lacking in trust of God when tribulation comes. Believers need to persevere, maintain faith, because God is trustworthy, faithful and has a proven track record throughout History. There is life after the Tribulation and our relationship with God and love towards others is more critical than the escape! As scripture says:

my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. “Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children.

Hosea 4:6

Scripture indicates a “pre-wrath” protection of God’s children, not a “pre-tribulation” protection of God’s children. So it’s important to recognize the different words used. I see many people using “Tribulation” and “Wrath” interchangeably, but the words have different contextual meanings in scripture.

I may be wrong about all the simulataneous happening of all these following events, but my current understanding is that there will be 3.5 years of God’s wrath unfolding at the same time as the AntiChrist’s 3.5 years of great persecution of Jews and Christians with the appointed “Two Witnesses” who will be sharing the gospel during this 3.5 years also. The Two Witnesses I see as counterbalancing the persecution in an effort to save more people, until the two witnesses are finally killed by the AntiChrist’s Government. God provides protection for His children during this time. (Revelation 12:6) I believe the Woman is symbolically “Israel” (which includes those grafted in– both Jews -the 144,000 sealed by God with the Holy Spirit/the Remnant Revelation 7:2 and Gentiles- a great multitude from every nation Revelation 7:9– Believers in Jesus). After the war breaks out in Heaven, Satan and his fallen angels are cast to earth- this begins the 3.5 year period when the AntiChrist is revealed and “rules” for a short period. (Revelation 12:9 and Revelation 12:14 and Daniel 12:7) First, the AntiChrist is revealed (as Jesus told his followers– Matthew 24:15), and sometime after this Jesus gathers God’s Children to protect them during wrath (as Jesus told his followers Matthew 24:31). Jesus also said if those days of persecution hadn’t been “cut short” no one would survive, but for the “sake of the elect” (Matthew 24:22) those days will be shortened. I believe Jesus gathers God’s children during the breaking of the 6th seal in Revelation because the description found in Matthew 24:29 matches the one found in Revelation 6:12-13 and Jesus says “immediately after the distress of those days” people will see the “Son of Man” (Jesus) right before he gives the description of the sun, moon and stars. (For more detail on this see The Revelation Timeline Chart).

Will the gathering by Jesus occur before the “Mark of the Beast”? The Mark of the Beast is something that is forced on all people to receive the mark on their forehead or their right hand whereby ALL people are not be be able to buy or sell without the Mark. I’m not certain if people are gathered by Jesus before this mark; possibly. Some think that this Mark of the Beast is the “hour of trial/the time of testing” and those prepared in advance may not need to be tested and therefore are gathered. But it’s clear in scripture that there will be some Believers that refuse this “mark” – maybe they become Believers after they see Jesus and realize that wrath is immenient? (That’s another reason not to put this decision/commitment to God off!) John sees a great multitude in the presence of God and is told “the multitude” are the ones who came OUT of the TRIBULATION (Revelation 7:14) but it doesn’t mention here if they also REFUSED to take the Mark of the Beast, or they if they were simply removed/gathered by Jesus before this? This brings to mind the parable of the 10 Virgins (the prepared vs. the unprepared- Matthew 25) But then in Revelation 14:9-12, there is a warning given to people: anyone who takes the mark will suffer eternally. (There is no forgiveness remaining for those who take the Mark, an angel warns people before they take it.) But BEFORE THIS MARK HAPPENS, something else happens: “Babylon” is destroyed (which I understand is a symbolic representation of a spiritual influence. I don’t know who Babylon is- but it will be people under the control of that evil Spirit- definitely a possibility for anyone who does not have the Holy Spirit.) “Babylon” is also represents a major trading/merchant “city” and some people will see Babylon get destroyed from a far, in the water or seas and the people will be shocked when it happens. Since we don’t know for certain where this “city” is, it would be wise to take precautions now and get prepared because this appears to happen BEFORE (Revelation 14:8) the Mark of the Beast (The destruction could be a bomb perhaps and that means sudden destruction). Regarding the Mark of the Beast enforcement, scripture also says:

This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus.

Revelation 14:12

Therefore, it seems to indicate there will be Believers present when the enforcement of the Mark occurs. Maybe this happens to those who are not affected by the destruction of “Babylon”? Remember the False Prophet (Religious Figure) is the one who forces all to receive the Mark, on behalf of the “Beast “( the Governing Leadership at the time, led by the AntiChrist). Revelation 14:16

Back to current events: The presence of persecution/tribulation seems to have escalated signficantly in October 2023 first with the Jews, next will be the Christians, however the AntiChrist hasn’t been revealed yet, just the spirit of the AntiChrist, which is already making itself known throughout the world. There is no other way to comprehend the terror, attrocities and the following reaction by people regarding the October 7, 2023 massacre in Israel, except that this is brought on by a deceptive spiritual demonic influence enabled by a godless deceived society (sadly). A people who will ultimately be destroyed from a lack of knowledge: the terrorists and people who don’t believe Jesus is the Messiah. By Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection thereafter, he made it possible for ALL mankind to have the opportunity (click the link for getting prepared) to be in God’s future kingdom (also known as eternity).

Israel is actively fighting a war today. Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, as proxies to Iran and including Iran all want the same thing: death to Israel and death to America. This is a spiritual war; it’s time for people to wake up, get prepared spiritually with the Holy Spirit!

Getting back to Tribulation vs. Wrath, please read these entries and maybe this will clarify the difference between wrath and tribulation contextually?

Tribulation: Greek word: thlipsis – verses found in scripture with this word: Click Link Here.

Wrath: Greek word: orgē – Verses found in scripture with this word: Click Link Here.

The difference between those words should be clear after reading those verses: Believers will go through Tribulation, but will be protected by God from Wrath. This requires perseverence, faith, endurance of Believers – which ironically are the characteristics of people after receiving the Holy Spirit! (Galations 5:22-23)

So again, this requires all of us to prepare now: Here’s a link to the “preparation” if you haven’t done so already. Please share this with all the people you care about!

Please pray for ALL people to turn to God for salvation in the name of Jesus!

by Categories: bible prophecy, bible study, Face Fear, FAITH, FAMILY, God, Healing, Improvement, priorities, RELATIONSHIPS, spiritual warfare, WellnessTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment