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Archive for April, 2010

End Times Prophecy – Jerusalem “A Burdensome Stone”

30 Apr

Zechariah 12:3 – 3 On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves. – NIV version

Zechariah 12:3 –  3And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it. – King James Version

I usually put the NIV version down in my posts.  In this case I think the King James Version might bring it a little more to life.

This is Jerusalem in the last days.  How do we know?  One, because all the nations have not all came against Jerusalem in the past.  They sure are all lining up against Israel now.  Who’s their ally?  The United States?  I don’t know if you have been paying attention, but this administration has abandoned Israel now.
Turkey?  For the last 10 years they have been getting more Muslim and the people are not for peace with Israel.  Also the European Union has shunned them to the point their going in a new direction.
France?  All right quit laughing. 🙂  

Second, in verse 9- 10 of this chapter it has the Lord coming back stating he is going to destroy all the nations that are trying to come against Jerusalem.  That’s prophetic and is in the last days.

There is a lot to write on here in this chapter and I am chomping at the bit to wander off into those areas, but I’m not….yet.  Those will be coming up in future days.

Jerusalem “a burdensome stone.”  Israel has been a burdensome stone to the world since it became a nation in May 14, 1948.  Ah, then in 1967 the Jews captured Jerusalem in the Six Days War and it has become the focal point of the Middle East controversy.  Ever since then every president has had the task or at least tried to deal with the situation.

Today a little tiny nation just a little bigger than the state of New Jersey is the world’s focal point. 

Now the world is saying, well it’s because the Arabs have the oil and they are mostly Islamic and they hate the Jews and now they’re getting close to nukes. 

?????? Uh, Yeah.  And the Bible predicted through Zachariah about 2500 years ago that Israel was going to be “a burdensome stone.”  When?  In the last days.

 
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Posted in Bible Prophecy, End Time Prophecies

 

Does The Idea Of It Being The End Times Scare You

29 Apr

If we are living in the end times, does the idea of that scare you?

I’m not going to lie to you, if you don’t have Jesus as your Lord and Savior it should.  I have studied Revelation, Daniel, and the end times in the bible and for those left on earth it’s ugly.

The seven year tribulation is God’s wrath for those who have rejected him.  The Last 3 and half years of the tribulation is the devils hell on earth tour, after getting kicked out of heaven. 

In short, you don’t want to be here.

If you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, I believe you will be saved from the wrath that is to come.

1 Thessolonians 1:10 – 10and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.

1 Thessolonians 5:9 – 9For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

There are other scriptures also that I believe indicate Christians will be spared from the seven year tribulation.  I’m refered to as a pre-trib rapture guy.  I will be going over those scriptures more in future posts when I do write on the rapture.  However we still can go through trials and tribulation on this earth as it states in the Bible, just like many of our brothers and sisters in the Lord all over the world are experiencing today. 

What’s the difference?  The Bible says the seven year tribulation is God’s wrath.

Another personal thought I’d like to share is I believe Jesus wants us to be excited about his coming again for the Church.  In all honesty I trust the Lord completely and whatever plans he has for me in these last days I will do it and do it lovingly.  But if the Church is supposed to be slaughtered in the last days as tribulation saints, my excitement wouldn’t be there like it is right now.  I believe the scriptures give us a reason to be excited.    

As I stated I plan to do many posts on the rapture in the future, but right now if you don’t know Jesus as your personal Savior I want to encourage you to do so now.  There are tribulation saints that do have to reject the mark of the beast and will die for their faith in Jesus, but I believe those are new Christians that missed the rapture.  Don’t miss it.  Go over to the “How To Accept Jesus Page” on the upper right column of this blog.  It will show you the simple step of how to accept the Lord and how to get started in your new walk.    

 
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Posted in Bible Prophecy, Encouragement, Motivation, Salvation

 

God Can’t Be Two Or More Completely Different Characters

28 Apr

There is a big generic belief that God is something different to every individual depending on what that individual believes.

This is impossible.  Let me explain.

God can’t be the God of the Jewish people, promise them that they will eventually live in the land he promised them, while at the same time be the God that wants all of his followers to kill the Jews and drive them into the Red Sea. 

Now it is possible theoretically that they could both be wrong, but since they both have a major, major contradiction, they both can’t be right.   

If both were true, God would be fickle.  There would be no absolutes.  If there are no absolutes, then you would absolutely have to worry about your destiny.  You would have to wonder who God is going to be today. 

God, however, is not fickle.

Hebrews 13:8 – 8Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Psalm 102:27 – 27 But you remain the same, and your years will never end.

We’re fickle, not God.  God is an absolute.  You can absolutely count on him to love you.  You can count on him to do what he says he is going to do.  God and Jesus are Truth.

What does the god of blow yourself up and kill others and the God of love your neighbor have in common?

What does the god of reincarnation and the God of spend eternity in Heaven with Me have in common?

Nothing.

All roads don’t lead to Rome.  Only one road and path leads to God and Heaven.  That road is narrow and not because God made it difficult, but because most humans have chosen not to take it.

The road starts with receiving Jesus Christ as Lord.  He died on the cross and shed his blood to cover your sins.  All you have to do is allow him to have taken your place of death.  Then you need to make him Lord. 

Trust me, whatever roller coaster life you’re living, it’s not complete.  By accepting Jesus you are not losing your life, you’re going to find it.

If you say I don’t want to find it.  I don’t want to find God or need him.  I say to you, that is what hell was created for.  It was created for the proud creation that didn’t want to come back to the Creator.  Hell won’t be a party.  Hell is a place of torment and isn’t ran by the Devil, he’ll be in more torment than anyone.

If you would like to accept Jesus as your Savior, please see the right upper column and click on page “How To Accept Jesus As Savior.

 
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Posted in Apologetics, Motivation

 

The Rapture – What Is It?

27 Apr

I’m going to write multiple posts on the rapture.  However, you will see a lot of the same scriptures being used in the posts.  I can’t really nurse them out to make multiple posts and still be able to explain what it is I am trying to get across.

The first post on the rapture I want to do is simply, what is the rapture?

If you’re like me in the beginning, I didn’t have a clue.  My wife was giving me a rundown on it about 19 years ago and I looked and stared at her thinking what planet are you from?  She was laughing as she was staring at the look on my face. 

Guess what?  I had been saved for 12 years at that time and never heard one person point out the rapture to me before she did.  Yet it was there in black and white, along with everything I hadn’t studied.

The rapture is the snatching away of the believers that are still on earth when Jesus comes to call those up to heaven and those bodies from the grave.

I know, I know, do do do do do do do do – that’s my best Twilight Zone.

I plan to do this post – What is it?

Another on rather I believe the timing is before the tribulation, during, or after?

Why the Rapture?  And I’m sure there will be others as I go.

What are the scriptures that best describe the rapture of the church?

1 Corinthians 15:51-53 –  51Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 – 16For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

The word rapture is a description of the snatching away you read in the scriptures above.  The word rapture itself is not used in the bible.

Well I can’t tell you everything about the rapture in one post.  One it would be too long a read for most.  Two I would be getting away from my short daily inspiration theme.   Three, “Hey I can’t be writing about something every day and use all the material in one post.”  🙂

So keep checking in for more inspiration and Bible prophecy. 

 
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Posted in Bible Prophecy, Rapture

 

Story of Joseph – Trust in the Lord Part II

26 Apr

Continued from yesterday…….

It says that when Joseph was in prison the Lord was kind to him.  In prison he found favor with the warden and the warden put him charge of all the other prisoners.

The two most notable prisoners were the cup bearer and baker of Pharaoh, which he had thrown into prison.  Both had a dream and Joseph let them know that God can interpret dreams. 

If you have never read Genesis, it is one of the best reads of the bible.  Genesis covers many important things that you will always come back to in your studies.  If you have not read it please do so sometime soon.

To paraphrase the dreams, he told the cup bearer that he would be restored and fill Pharaoh’s cup for him again in three days.  He interpreted the baker’s dream and let him know that he would be hung in three days.  It happened just as Joseph had said, since it came from God, and he told the cup bearer not to forget about him when he was restored back to his job.

Of course, he was forgotten for two more years.  Once again, in prison, doing well, helping others in high places, and it’s still not looking like roses.

Does he get discouraged?  No.  He trusts in the Lord.

Two years later, Pharaoh has a dream.  Nobody can interpret the dream.  Then the cup bearer remembers Joseph. 

Mighty nice of him, huh?  Actually I’m joking here, because it’s important to understand God is in control.  When you serve the Lord wholeheartedly, he provides the timeline and the path.  But that’s another post.  Back to this one.    

The cup bearer says to Pharaoh that he is reminded of a young Hebrew in prison that interpreted his dream along with the baker’s dream correctly.

So Pharaoh asks for Joseph and Joseph interprets his dream.  It is a dream that states seven good years of crops are coming followed by seven years of famine.  Pharaoh like everyone else that came into contact with Joseph, puts him in charge of everything underneath him.  That’s the whole country besides respect to the throne.

You see, Joseph never lost trust in the Lord.  He could have easily have done so with the path he was on.  He could have become discouraged, could have rebelled, decided that if evil is rewarded for good what’s the point?

But he didn’t.  As a result the whole region was spared from starvation.

We need to trust in the Lord.  We need to get our lives focused of the Him, live the way He wants us to, study His word regularly, and be ready for the plan He has for each and every one of us.

Your steps might not make sense to you now.  You might think God is not looking after you.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  But we need to trust and meditate on the Lord and prepare ourselves, so He has an obedient person to use.

 
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Posted in Encouragement, Inspiration

 

Story of Joseph – Trust in the Lord Part I

25 Apr

The Last major story of Genesis involves Joseph, the oldest son born to Rachel and the eleventh of twelve, which belonged to Jacob.

Joseph had a heart for the Lord that never quit.  As a result of the prosperity and favor the Lord showed him, he had jealous people around him, which caused him some undesirable mishaps.

His own brothers contemplated to kill him.  Reuben, his oldest brother talked the rest of them out of it, and instead threw him into a cistern that had no water.  Before he could come back and rescue Joseph, his brothers had sold him to some Midianite merchants traveling by in a caravan.

Why did the brothers want to kill Joseph?

One, because God gave him a dream, which signified he would rule over his brothers, father and mother.

Two, because he found so much favor in his father’s eyes that he gave him a beautiful robe.  This brought jealousy on from the other brothers.

He was sold by the Midianites to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officers in Egypt.  It says the Lord was with Joseph and Potiphar put him in charge of his whole household. 

Things were going well for Joseph again.  Then Potiphar’s wife gets a wild hair that she wants to seduce Joseph and when he doesn’t cave in, she tells her husband that he was trying to make sport of her.  As a result Potiphar had him thrown into prison.

Once again, here is a man, who is earnestly seeking God and trying to do what is right in the Lord’s eyes. 

He goes from being his father’s most cherished son, to being a slave.  He goes from being the keeper of his Master’s whole household, to getting thrown into prison.

Why is he in prison?  For being a righteous man and not doing an evil thing, like sleeping with Potiphar’s wife.

It’s easy to understand that most people would start getting discouraged.  Most people would think, what’s the point?  The more I try to seek God and do what’s right, the more I get punished.

Joseph, however, continued to Trust in the Lord.

Continued to tomorrow…..

 
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Posted in Encouragement, Inspiration

 

Come As You Are

24 Apr

Many people will think to themselves the Lord couldn’t possibly take me the way I am.  There’s nothing loveable about me. 

Apart from God there is nothing loveable about anyone.  What you need to know is this:

Romans 3:23 – 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

He doesn’t care about your past.  Jesus is waiting and excited to have it forgiven. 

Don’t wait another minute if you haven’t made Jesus Lord.  You never know what the next minute brings.  But I can tell you from experience, that when you have Jesus as Lord, whatever it brings, you’ll be alright.  If you haven’t given your life to the Lord and found your way back to your loving Creator, I encourage you to visit the “How to Accept Jesus As Savior” page to the right of your screen.

 
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Posted in Salvation

 

Israel Becomes A Nation -End Times Bible Prophecy

23 Apr

One of the most important end time prophecies is Israel becoming a nation again.

There are a lot of other end time prophecies to stem from that, but I will be doing only one end time prophecy at a time.  But since this is my first end time prophecy I’m writing about, I will mention that there must be another Jewish temple in Jerusalem, sacrifices will begin again at the temple, the antichrist will desecrate the temple and stop the sacrifices, etc. 

All these things indicate that Israel has to be in their land at the time.  To some that might not be a big deal on the surface.  So Israel has to become a nation, whatever.  But when you breakdown the history of the Jews, this is a miracle in itself.  They have been persecuted for over 2500 years.  They haven’t been a sovereign nation since 586 BC when they were conquered by Babylon.  They just went through a massacre from Hitler before settling again into their homeland back on May 14, 1948. 

A study of that, will show you that they were promised a lot from the British Government and received very little of the land by the time they declared their independence.  Once they did, the surrounding nations came to attack them right away and God helped them with their victory.  In 1967 in the six days war they had a miraculous victory while being outnumbered.  In 1973 the Yom Kippur happened and once again they were attacked, but God has made it clear that Israel is there to stay.  They will have a rough 3 and half years in the last half of the Tribulation, but then again so will everyone still on Earth.

The book of Daniel in the Old Testament has some of the most helpful end time prophecies in the Bible.  Many of them will be end time posts.  He mentions the abomination that causes desolation in Daniel 12:11.  That is one of the scriptures of the antichrist stopping the sacrifices and defiles the temple during the end times.      

The Fig Tree is mentioned many times in the Old and New Testament.  In many passages it is a symbol of Israel.

Matthew 24 is one of the chapters in the New Testament when Jesus talks about his second coming and the end of the age.  Jesus goes through many of these signs, of which will be future posts, which describe the End Times and His return.  Please note End Times does not in any way refer to the end of the world.  The End Times and His soon return refer to the days leading up to the Tribulation, the 7 year tribulation, and after the Tribulation the time leading up to his 1,000 year reign of Earth.

Jesus in Matthew 24:32-34 states:  32“Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. 34I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.

My favorite teachers all feel this verse states that the generation that saw Israel become a nation in 1948 will not pass.  I have looked over other arguments for and against and have no reason to believe it doesn’t.  Those who state they don’t believe this verse says that, think it’s too vague.  Maybe.  But they do recognize that Israel is considered the Fig Tree throughout the Bible.  Why is the placement of this verse stating this generation shall certainly not pass, so close to the Fig Tree verse?

There is much to learn on this subject and the goal of my blog is to mainly get your feet wet so you will want to study more on it.  For more details visit the websites to the right of this blog.   

There is one thing I can tell you.  I’m seeing most of the end time prophecies coming together and Israel is now in the land.  If you ask my opinion, this generation will not pass.

UPDATE:  Since the search engine is hitting this page a lot lately I wanted to give it a quick update.  First I have started a new blog to serve as a daily inspirational to remind us that we need to get back to our first love which is Jesus and two, realize the time period we are living in.  When I did this page it was one small story of many I hope to write on end time prophecies.  Just in the last few weeks I have added more end time prophecies that you can view over in the Category section.  Just click on “End Times Prophecy” and all the ones I have to date will be in there.  Many of those I have done to date are Israel being back in the land in the last days.

I want to encourage you to bookmark my sight and visit it occasionally.  You can see if you like it or if it can help you in your search or walk with Jesus.

 
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Posted in Bible Prophecy, End Time Prophecies

 

It Matters To God

22 Apr

Many of my friends around the office get this one from me in different forms, but it’s a fact.

It matters.  It matters to God!

What matters?  Everything Matters! 

Are you saying that if I decide to watch a baseball game or if I want to go shopping it matters?  Yes.  It matters.  If your watching baseball everyday and giving no time to your family and especially no time to God and Jesus.  It matters!  If you’re out spending money you don’t have, if it takes your time away from your family all the time, or your spending your tithe on shopping.  It matters!

Now on the flip side.  If you like to shop and you’re being responsible, it just happens to be what you like to do in your special down time, you’re being a good steward of what God has entrusted you with.  It matters.  God wants you to enjoy yourself.  Same with sports.  As long as it doesn’t become you’re God and take your time away from him or your responsiblities, it matters.

God made you to have relationship and worship him.  He also made you to enjoy activities.  He made you to enjoy fellowship with each other.  The fact you like to golf, horses, or something else doesn’t mean it comes from the devil.  He made you to enjoy those things.  However, when they become your number one or first love, it matters.

God allows you to think on your own.  We want our children to think on their own.  What happens when they think on their own and it isn’t good thinking.  Well one example could be this.

Don’t fill up the bathtub full of water and jump in it with an electrical appliance plugged in.
Why?  It’s just a matter of choice, isn’t it?  We all do things differently, right?
Wrong!  We don’t want them to do this obviously because it will kill them.

God is warning us throughout his Word that we can’t do certain things or they are either going to physically kill us, like many of the scriptures in the Old Testament he gave to the Jews.  He has given us many times more of those things that will keep us from dying spiritually.  He doesn’t want us to die spiritually.  It matters!

It mattered enough, that after Adam and Eve decided to turn away from Him, He chose to have His Son come down and die in our place.

He didn’t have to do that.  But, YOU matter!  And what you do matters.

The next time you choose to lie to someone, it matters.  The next time you help someone, it matters.  The next time you tell someone about Jesus, who He is, and what He has done for all of us, it really matters.

If you choose not to accept the Lord before you die, I’m afraid it’s going to be the only thing that matters.  Don’t miss the most important decision you need to make in your life. 

If you haven’t accepted Jesus as your Savior, please do so now.  If you are wondering why I need a Savior, I have wrote an outline the best I could and condensed it  down for you.  You need another reason?  You’re not in control of your life on earth.  Someone can drive over the center line and in one second your dead.  Someone can be walking down the street and bang, your dead. 

If you want to say a prayer and accept the Lord, I have put a page in the right hand upper column to help you start a new relationship with your Loving Creator.

 
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Posted in Encouragement, Motivation, Opinion

 

You Don’t Have To Have Blind Faith

21 Apr

I have heard it said that we just have to believe in God or Jesus.  That’s all we need to do.

That on its own doesn’t fair well.  I’m not sure when it was being said that the people meant it to come out that way.

You see the Devil believes in God.  He isn’t saved by this belief.  The Devil believes in Jesus.  He isn’t saved by this belief either. 

So if you are one of those people who believe God exists, that’s an encouraging step.  However, until you accept Jesus as Lord and accept His sacrifice to cover your sins, you are a still not redeemed.

One of my favorite analogies is the guy handing out one hundred dollar bills.  You can look at him, watch him offer them to you, but until you accept them, they’re not yours. 

It’s free.  It’s what your loving Creator wants. 

Revelation 3:20 –   20Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.

He’s waiting.  Here I am!  We have loving Savior that not only died for us, but is also persistent in reaching us.  If you haven’t accepted the Lord I have written some pages in the upper right column of this website. 

Now after I wrote that, I realized that I wandered from my main idea of this post.  When I looked back on it though, I really didn’t want to get rid of it because it still connected to the first four or five sentences.  So now back to my original thought.

We don’t have to have blind faith.  There are more resources at our fingertips than ever before.  I Read the rest of this entry »

 
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Posted in Motivation, Salvation

 
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