God's Plan from the Beginning

God's Plan from the Beginning - Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org

 

All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. -Revelation 13:8

 

Some think the crucifixion of Jesus was a rude interruption of what appeared to be the ministry of a great humanitarian and moral teacher. But the Bible tells us something different: the cross was the goal of Jesus from the very beginning.

 

The wise men brought Him unusual gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. They brought Him gold because He was to be a king, frankincense because He would stand as a high priest between us and the Father, and myrrh, an embalming element, because He would go to the cross.

 

Even before His birth in Bethlehem, a decision was made in heaven that God would have to come to this earth and take drastic measures because of the dilemma humanity had gotten themselves into in the Garden of Eden. The decision was made that Jesus would come to earth and go to a cross. Revelation 13:8 says He is "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world."

 

And in the gripping Old Testament account of Abraham and his beloved son, Isaac, we have a classic picture of what took place at the cross from God's perspective. Isaac's name actually means "laughter," and that is what he brought into the home of the aged Abraham and Sarah. So imagine what a shock it must have been when God came to Abraham one day and told him to take his beloved son and go offer him as a sacrifice.

 

There was nothing greater God could have asked from Abraham. And as Abraham took Isaac to that place of sacrifice, he prophetically said, "My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb" (Genesis 22:8).

 

That is exactly what happened at the cross. God provided for Himself the Lamb when He gave His Son-His only Son, whom He loved-for us.

 

 

Trust God's Timing - Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org

 

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. -2 Peter 3:9

 

Conversion can happen instantaneously. Some have a hard time believing that, especially when they hear of someone coming to faith who has committed a terrible crime.

 

They may say, "Well, isn't that convenient? I doubt that person really has become a Christian." Maybe not. But then again, maybe so. Conversion can take place instantaneously in any life.

 

It's worth noting that both criminals who were crucified with Jesus heard Him say, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do" (Luke 23:34). Yet one believed and one did not. That is the mystery of the gospel. One can hear the gospel proclaimed and say, "Yes, I believe that" and give his or her life to Christ. Another, hearing the same message, can be absolutely unmoved and continue in his or her sin.

 

Interestingly, one criminal started correcting the other, who had said to Jesus, "If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us" (verse 39). The Bible says he "rebuked him, saying, 'Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong'" (verses 40-41).

 

Then he turned to Jesus and said, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom" (verse 42). Talk about being in the right place at the right time. Here was this man facing eternal separation from God, and he was crucified next to God incarnate, who pardoned him on the spot, absolved him of all sin, and was ready to take him into paradise with Him.

 

God desires for people to come to faith, but He also has His timing. I don't know when that time is. But we have to leave it in the hands of God.

 

Are We Almost There? - By Daymond Duck - http://www.raptureready.com/2017/03/12/are-we-almost-there/

 

The Bible uses terms (last days; latter times; latter years; time of the end; etc.) that mean different things when put in context, but some people take them out of context and use them like they mean the same thing. They don't always mean the same thing.

 

Put another way: When someone is talking about the last days it is important to ask "last days of what" (last days of the week, the month, the year, the Church Age, the Tribulation period, the Millennium, last days of what, etc.).

 

One passage about the last days may refer to Israel during the Millennium (Isa. 2:1-5) and another passage may refer to the Church Age just prior to the Millennium (Heb. 1:2; II Tim. 3:1; James 5:3; II Pet. 3:3).

 

The idea that the last days refers to the Church Age comes from Barnabus, Irenaeus, Justin Martyr, the Jewish Talmud and, according to some, the Bible.

 

Some Christians believe that history will be divided into one week of God-days or seven 1,000 year periods (seven God-days; Psa. 90:4; II Pet. 3:8; Heb. 4:4-6; Rev. 20:7). They believe 4,000 years (4 God-days) passed from Adam to Jesus.

 

They believe the last 3,000 years (the last 3 God-days) started with Jesus (Heb. 1:2). These would include 2,000 years (2 God-days or days 5 and 6) of the Church Age and 1,000 years of rest (1 God-day; day 7; also called the Millennium; Heb. 4:4-10).

 

The point to notice is that the Church Age covers 2 of the last 3 days of a 7,000 (7 God-day) year period of history.

 

Through the prophet Joel God said, "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come" (Joel 2:28-31).

 

This prophecy can be briefly divided into two promises: One promise to pour out the Holy Spirit (it shall come to pass, but no time set) and another promise to show wonders in the sky and on the earth before the Tribulation period.

 

The first promise was fulfilled after the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.

 

When the day of Pentecost was fully come 120 believers were gathered in an upper room in Jerusalem. The sound of a rushing mighty wind filled the room, cloven tongues like as of fire sat upon everyone, they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and they began to speak with other tongues (Acts 2:1-4).

 

Word of this great miracle quickly spread. A large crowd gathered. The 120 were accused of being drunk. Peter stood and preached.

 

Peter said, "these are not drunken, as ye suppose" (Acts 2:15). "This is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel."

 

Peter tied the sound of wind, tongues of fire and speaking in tongues to the last days and the first promise in Joel's prophecy. God had fulfilled the first promise in Joel's prophecy by pouring out the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:17-18).

 

The Church had begun. Half of the prophecy (the first promise) was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost and it is now history.

 

The other half of the prophecy (the second promise) wasn't fulfilled on the day of Pentecost, but it will be fulfilled before the Tribulation period.

 

In a sense, Peter was saying only part of Joel's prophecy has been fulfilled, but that does not mean that the other part won't be fulfilled. The rest of it (the wonders in the sky and the signs on earth; every jot and tittle of what Joel said) will be fulfilled before the Tribulation period.

 

We should not overlook this because the Rapture and the end of the Church Age will take place before the Tribulation period.

 

This is not a prediction, but the first part of Joel's prophecy marked the beginning of the Church Age and it is very possible that the last part of Joel's prophecy marked the end of the Church Age.

 

And all of it could happen as the world is nearing the end of 6,000 (6 God-days) years of history and before the seventh God-day (Millennium) begins.

 

Concerning the wonder in the sky, the Revelation 12 sign will be in place on Sept. 23, 2017.

 

Concerning blood, fire and smoke on earth, the sun being darkened and the moon turning into blood the Middle East is bathed in war, there is an unusual high number of volcanoes erupting with fire and smoke, there was a tetrad of blood moons in 2014 and 2015, there will be a total eclipse of the sun on Aug. 21, 2017 and if one of the super volcanoes should erupt we are told that darkness could cover part of the earth for 6 months.

 

Are we almost there? No one knows the day or the hour of the Rapture, but it is easy for some to believe that we could be on the brink of something big.

 

Prophecy Plus Ministries, Inc.

Daymond & Rachel Duck