Search This Blog

Friday, January 29, 2016

The Last Generation


 
You know what the funny thing about Bible Prophecy is?  It's that irrespective of our doctrinal positions and eschatological 'leanings', the reality is that it's coming to pass regardless of what we think or believe.  Nations are aligning just as they were foretold, regardless of what Rick Warren or Hank "the Bible Answer Man" Hanegraaff teaches.  Collectively, we have become a people bent only on wickedness, with our hearts filled with violence...just like the Bible said we would, in the Last Days.
 
But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. 2 Tim. 3:1-5 NKJV
 
Now hold on Pete the skeptic says....the world has always been wicked.  According to you, God even flooded the earth in back in Noah's day because of it.  God even rained down fire and brimstone on Sodom and Gomorrah during Lot's day.  God allowed Israel to be conquered twice.  We've had wars, rumors of wars, pandemics, earthquakes, poverty, starvation, famines, murders, etc. et al since the beginning...and you are saying NOW we are in the last days?
 
No, what I am saying, is that we are in the last moments, of the last days.  And I can prove it.
 
Normalcy Bias
 
While it is true, we have had all the above mentioned happening since time began, Christ (who we believe to be God in the flesh) stated;
 
 
Then He said to the disciples, "The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. And they will say to you, 'Look here!' or 'Look there!' Do not go after them or follow them. For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day. (22-24)
 
Speaking toward the time when the Son of Man (Christ Himself) would return, Jesus states that there will be a time when men would look back, wishing, they could be where they (the disciples) were...that is, walking and talking with Jesus.  That denotes the passage of time.  But He told them, you will not see it...but many false messiahs will come claiming to be the Son of Man Jesus warned, but when He does return, you will know it.
 
But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed. Luke 17:25-30
 
Christ then reiterates their immediate future, by stating that this generation (i.e...their generation in context with the subject at hand) would reject Him (they did), and Christ would be crucified as prophesied by the OT Prophets.  Then, in no specified amount of time, Christ stated that the world would move on.  People would go about their lives as if nothing happened.  What this introduces is, as in the days of Noah and Lot, a form of normalcy bias.
 
Life today, will be like life tomorrow.  Life tomorrow will be like life 10 years from tomorrow.  This satanic doctrine is known as the 'normalcy bias', and it promotes the idea that nothing changes and the way the world is, is the way the world will always be.
 
Here is the rub; more change has happened in our generation, than all the previous put together.
 
Our world, in just the past hundred years, has gone from the speed of a horse, past the speed of sound.  From the Wright Brothers to NASA.  From the musket rifle to the M-4 semi-automatic rifle with laser scopes.  From Phrenology to Neurology.  From arithmetic to Quantum Physics.  We went from Copernicus's telescope to CERN.  Two World Wars involving hundreds of nations.  Two consortia of nations attempting global unification; the League of Nations and now the United Nations.  We went from a divided and fractious and highly nationalized Europe to the European Union.  To a world without Israel, to one with her back as a nation after 1,946 years.  More advancements in technology, communications, medicine, military industrialization, travel, geo-political development, commerce, educations, and information have been made in our day, (in our generation), than in all of recorded history combined.
 
How anyone can still buy into the normalcy bias, is beyond me.
 
Tower of Babel Moment
 
But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. And the Lord said, "Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them.  Gen. 11:5-6
 
Information and technological advancements are doubling around every 24 months.  We as a race are dangerously close to cracking the code on mixing humans with other species.  (See Gen. 6:1-5)  We are dangerously close to cracking the code on Super Artificial Intelligence.  We are dangerously close to figuring out how to re-introduce the expansion and extension of human life beyond man's 70-80 years.  (See Psalm 90:10)  We don't know exactly what happened at the Tower of Babel, other than what the text tells us, but whatever it was, it wasn't simply because they were building a tower. For one, God's not afraid of sky scrapers.  They were dangerously close to opening something that mankind shouldn't mess with, and God physically put a halt to their work by scattering them around the world and confusing their languages.
 
Mystery of Lawlessness
 
Today, the world has become a haunt and a host for the rulers of darkness of this age and spiritual hosts of wickedness. (Eph. 6:11-12)  The lie that Satan is ruling in hell is just that, a lie.  That's the last place Satan wants to spend his time at.  He is roaming to and fro, seeking whom he may devour. (1 Peter 5:8)  He is walking up and down over the face of the earth. (Job 1:7, 2:2)  He has thrones established, (Rev. 2:13) and is actively and aggressively pushing his agenda so that he in some kind of vain and ridiculously insane way, might thwart God's plan of redemption.
 
This author believes, that as we draw closer to the end, we are witnessing a 'thinning' of the veil between the natural and supernatural, as God readies His plan to set aside the restraining power of God the Holy Spirit through the Rapture of the Church.  (2 Thess. 2:7-9)
 
We have seen a rapid increase in the interest into the occult and supernatural over the last 115 years.  What began with the fringe few (Order of the Golden Dawn, Theosophical Society. etc.), now has morphed into huge billion dollar industries primarily in entertainment (movies, books, television), but also in religious movements (Jedi Church, Scientology, Satanism, Wicca, Paganism), and to a lesser (but growing) political movements, claiming religious equality with major religions.
 
Departing the Faith
 
"And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write,
 
'These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'-and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked- Revelation 3:14-17
 
Apostasy in and from the Christian faith has been ever-present since even during the Apostle's days (2 Peter 2-3, Jude, 2 Tim. 3, etc.) back in the 1st century.  We have seen apostate movements in every century since the time of Christ.  While the presence of apostasy isn't a sure-fire sign of the last days, the embracement of apostasy by Evangelical Christianity is.
 
Yet today, we have bonafide Evangelical Christians embracing apostate teachers and movements in an effort to promote ecumenism within all the supposed Christian denominations, regardless of doctrinal fallacies and heretical teachings.  There is even a growing push to accept those who are clearly not Christian, into Christianity by merging them together such as;
 
*Chrislam which merges Christianity and Islam
*Emergent Church, which merges Eastern Mysticism with Christianity.
*Hebrew Roots, which merges Judaism into Christianity
 
And these efforts are being swept aside as if irrelevant to the greater calling of religious unity.
 
There is a growing movement within Evangelical Christianity that delays, denies, or dismisses the importance of Biblical prophecy and the purpose it serves as a warning of what is coming upon the earth.  Most hearers, particularly in the West, ignore the prophetic message and buy into the normalcy bias that things will stay the way they are now, forever.
 
Like frogs in a pot of increasingly hot water, people don't realize the dire situation they're really in until it's too late.  But some do turn and realize their own precarious positions in light of what is just ahead, and turn to the saving faith of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and it warrants us continuing our message to them because of the few who do turn toward Christ.  While others that do know, or should know better, refuse to teach and preach that there is coming soon a day of reckoning, in which God will pour out upon this earth, judgment in the form of divine wrath.
 
Conclusion
 
The coming day of wrath is actually a week of years, known as Daniel's 70th Week. (Dan. 9:24-27) We know that this was not already fulfilled by some event in the past because it will be so terrible, that if God doesn't stop it Himself, no flesh would survive.  When speaking this, Jesus was looking forward into time, and He stated it will be the very worst time in human history, trumping everything, even the great Noahic Flood. (Gen. 6, Matt. 24:21-22) According to Jeremiah 30:7-11, Daniel's 70th Week will serve two purposes, they are;
 
1.To punish and correct a rebellious nation of Israel.
2.To make an end of the nations of the world and bring an end to man's rule on the earth.
 
It begins with Christ's removal of His Church (1 Thess. 4:13-18, 1 Cor. 15:51-56), and proceeds as Christ triggers by opening, a series of judgments on the earth.  It will conclude with His coming at Armageddon as He singularly destroys all the armies of the earth in one swift, terrible moment while simultaneously casting the Antichrist and the False Prophet straight into the Lake of Fire.  (Rev. 19:11-21)
 
The world, for the most part, sees Christ's sacrifice on Calvary's Cross as a failure and defeat.  But as everyone will soon find out, that Christ is the Stone cut without human hands, that will destroy all the kingdoms of the world all at once (Dan. 2:44-45).  And then Christ's kingdom will fill the earth and He will rule and reign on the same planet He had been previously rejected, accused, beaten, and crucified in.
 
Christ must physically rule in the same place He was seemingly defeated in, and it is why this writer adamantly rejects the notion that Christ can only rule and reign in the unseen, spiritual realm as many of the major Eschatological positions claim. (Amillennialism, Preterism, Post-Millennialism)  If Christ doesn't physically rule on the throne of David as was foretold by the Angel Gabriel (Luke 1:32-33), then Scripture has lied since David's throne is not in Heaven, but on the earthly city of Jerusalem, Israel.
 
But we know Scripture has not lied, but will in fact, be fulfilled at the culmination of time when Christ reenters human history to establish what the Father has already given Him from eternity past.  (Psalm 2, Isaiah 2; 11, Zech. 12; 14)  While the Church that Christ Himself is building (Matt. 16:20) will not be on the earth when God's judgments are being carried out, we will see and know because we will be with Christ when it happens.  (Zech. 14:5, Jude 1:14, Rev. 19:14) His coming kingdom will absolutely come.
 
 
Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!"   Revelation 11:15
 
Even So, Maranatha!
BE SURE TO CHECK OUT MY ALL NEW PROPHECY AND CREATION DESIGN WEBSITES. THERE IS A LOT TO SEE AND DO..........
 

The Jerusalem Prophecies: What Is the Future of This Holy City?


The Jerusalem Prophecies: What Is the Future of This Holy City? - By Gary Boyd - http://www.raptureready.com/soap2/boyd1.html
 
The Bible has a lot to say about the apple of God's eye, Jerusalem. The mere fact the Holy City is mentioned over 800 times in Scripture should tell what the Lord thinks of Jerusalem. There is no way to understand the current unfolding events around us or the prophecies foretold by the Word of God without understanding what God has to say about his favorite city, Jerusalem.
 
Jerusalem is the center of the world in Scripture. It was David's capital city; the site of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. It will be the place where Jesus rules the whole world with a rod of iron for a thousand years upon his return.
 
God has made eternal promises regarding the future of Jerusalem. His Word tells us no efforts or schemes of mankind or the devil will ever be able to undermine what he has purposed and planned for his capital city, Jerusalem. 
 
The Lord tells us this in Isaiah 62:1-7:
 
"For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness go forth as brightness and the salvations thereof as a lamp that burneth. And the gentiles shall see thy righteousness and all kings thy glory and thou shalt be called by a new name which the mouth of the Lord shall name. 
 
Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God. Thou shalt no longer be termed Forsaken; neither shalt thy land any more be termed Desolate, but thou shalt be called Hephzibah and thy land Beulah; for the Lord delighteth in thee and thy land shall be married a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.
 
I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold thy peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence, and give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth."
 
The Future of the Holy City
 
Today, my friends, Jerusalem is one of the major centers of world conflict. When the UN divided the land to give Israel a homeland once again, it placed much of the Holy City under the control of the Arabs rather than the Jews. During the 6 days war in 1967, Israeli forces captured the city. 
 
The late Prime Minister Menachem Begin said many times that Jerusalem is "the eternal capital of Jewish state" just as the Scriptures states. Though Israel's capital city is Jerusalem today, the government of America, like most other nations, refuse to recognize it. Today Jerusalem is a city living under threat, one day it will be a peaceful city, ruled by the Son of God Himself. 
 
"So the angel communed with me said unto me, Cry thou, saying, thus saith the Lord of hosts; I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy. 
 
Therefore thus saith the Lord, I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: shall be built in it, saith the Lord of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem.
 
Cry yet, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad; and the Lord shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem" (Zechariah 1;14, 16-17).
 
City of Truth
 
"Thus saith the Lord; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the Lord of hosts, the holy mountain.
 
Thus saith the Lord of hosts; There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for the very aged.
 
And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and righteousness" (Zechariah 8:3-4, 8). 
 
No More Evil Hearts
 
"At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the Lord; and all nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk anymore after the imagination of their evil hearts" (Jeremiah 3:17). 
 
Battle of Armageddon
 
Just before the Lord's return, there will one final battle centered on the Holy City. The enemies of the world will once again form in the valley of Meggido. The word "Armageddon" comes from a Hebrew word Har-Magedone, which means "Mount Megiddo" and has become synonymous with the future battle in which God will intervene and destroy the armies of the Antichrist as predicted in biblical prophecy (Revelation 16:16; 20:1-3, 7-10). 
 
There will be a millions of people engaged in the battle of Armageddon, as all the nations gather together to fight against Christ. 
 
The exact location of the valley of Armageddon is unclear because there is no mountain called Meggido. However, since "Har" can also mean hill, the most likely location is the hill country surrounding the plain of Meggido, some sixty miles north of Jerusalem. More than two hundred battles have been fought in that region.
 
The plain of Megiddo and the nearby plain of Esdraelon will be the focal point for the battle of Armageddon, which will rage the entire length of Israel as far south as the Edomite city of Bozrah (Isaiah 63:1). 
 
The valley of Armageddon was famous for two great victories in Israel's history: 1) Barak's victory over the Canaanites (Judges 4:15) and 2) Gideon's victory over the Midianites (Judges 7). Armageddon was also the site for two great tragedies: 1) the death of Saul and his sons (1 Samuel 31:8) and 2) the death of King Josiah (2 Kings 23:29-30; 2 Chronicles 35:22).
 
Because of this history, the valley of Armageddon became a symbol of the final conflict between God and the forces of evil. The word "Armageddon" only occurs in Revelation 16:16, "Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon." 
 
This speaks of the kings who are loyal to the Antichrist gathering together for a final assault on Israel. At Armageddon "the cup filled with the wine of the fury of [God's] wrath" (Revelation 16:19) will be delivered, and the Antichrist and his followers will be overthrown and defeated. God will strengthen the hands of the defenders of Zion, and the enemies will be completely and utterly destroyed upon his return with just one look from the face of God. 
 
Febble; as Strong as David
 
"In that day shall the Lord defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the Lord before them.
 
And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
 
And I will pour upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and supplications and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn" (Zechariah 12:8-10).
 
The Utter Destruction
 
"And men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more destruction; but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.
 
And this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord shall smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth"  (Zechariah 14:11-12). 
 
Jesus Sets Up His Kingdom
 
As promised the kingdom of the son of God on earth will be a time of perfect peace, justice and rest. Jerusalem will be the center of the World; the place to which everyone looks for leadership and guidance and joy.
 
"Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the Lord has comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem" (Isaiah 52:9).
 
Pilgrimage to Jerusalem
 
"And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the Lord out of all nations upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the Lord, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the Lord" (Isaiah 66:20). 
 
Believers and Jerusalem
 
So we who know the truth and have trusted Jesus Christ have then a responsibility toward God's Chosen People and the Holy City, Jerusalem. 
 
"Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee" (Psalm 122:6).
 
Beyond praying, though, we should be constant and steadfast supporters of the Jewish people.
 
Here then, are ten answers to one question answered by Scripture in the Bible. 
 
Why should we support Israel? 
 
Simply because God does. (Read Genesis 12:1-3.)
 
Because we are preparing for His return. (Psalm 102:16)
 
Because God's Word is true. (Isaiah 2:3)
 
Because it brings God's blessing. (Psalm 128:5)
 
Because God hates anti-Semitism. Zechariah 2: 8
 
Because God says we are to comfort Israel. (Isaiah 40:1-2)
 
Because God's gift to Israel has not been revoked. (Isaiah 49:15)
 
Because God has preserved Israel. (Psalm 121: 4-8)
 
Because God said he would raise up intercessors. Isaiah 62:6-7
 
Because God has written his name in Jerusalem. (2 Chronicles 6:6)
 
garyboyd2244@aol.com
 
BE SURE TO CHECK OUT MY ALL NEW PROPHECY AND CREATION DESIGN WEBSITES. THERE IS A LOT TO SEE AND DO..........
 

The Doctrine of the "Catching Away of the Church"


The Doctrine of the "Catching Away of the Church" - by Pastor Mike Taylor - http://www.churchofgod-usa.org/1/post/2016/01/the-doctrine-of-the-catching-away-of-the-church.html
 
"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
 
4:17  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."
1st Thessalonians 4:16 -17
 
Very familiar verses for all prophecy writers and readers alike, has been the subject of much debate and confusion over the last 150 years. Many critics believe that this verse is talking about the church being taken up in the air at the seventh trump that the seventh angel blows to signal the bowl judgments spoken of in Revelation chapter 16. That would be a Post-Tribulation model. But are they right?
 
I had a brother in Christ, who at the very mention of the word "rapture", became very irate and bellowed, loudly, quote "there is no scripture in the bible that speaks of a rapture." end-quote. But is he right, or just ignorant of the fact that Paul and many writers pointed to a "catching away" of the church and there are found many instances in the bible that support that doctrine? You can find examples of this teaching in both New and Old Testaments. Let's take a journey through biblical chapters and see what we find, shall we?
 
Noting the above verse quoted in the start of this message, note the underlined words to "be caught up". Are there any other verses in the bible with the same words that mean the same thing as this verse does? The Greek word for this phrase is "harpazo" #726 in Strong's Concordance that was translated into the Latin Vulgate as "rapiemur" and came from the derivative of the Greek word #138 in Strong's Concordance "haireomai" which literally means "to seize, catch away up, pluck, pull, or take by force", hence the modern English word "rapture", that often maligned word, that many in the conservative church movements equate with some type of emotional display or escape hatch for those who disbelieve the church goes through the Tribulation. Getting back, are there any other verses that use the exact same word used here of "harpazo"? Turn with me now to 2nd Corinthians 12:2,
 
 "I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.
 
12:3  And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)
 
12:4  How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter."
 
Paul is speaking of himself being caught into paradise and heard things, that I believe he shared with the church during his days when he wrote his epistles. He calls it a mystery...what is the word he used....? Correct, it was harpazo. Paul was snatched in the spirit into heaven. Paul uses the word twice. The Old Testament is full of the prophecies concerning the second coming of the Lord God at the end of the age, but in Paul's epistle, especially in letter to the Corinthians and the Thessalonians, Paul speaks of a mystery that would not have been a mystery to those who studied the Torah or the major/minor prophets, but here refers to this mystery, or something that previously had not been known. And further, Paul equated it with the known Feast of Trumpets, referring the last trump that is blown at it's conclusion and not referring to John's description in Revelation, as John had not even wrote the last book of the Bible when Paul wrote these letters to the churches. So even in that respect, they are not the same trumpet and should not be confused with each other.
 
Now let's turn to another verse that speaks of this same snatching away, but in a different context.
 
Matthew 11:12 , "And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence , and the violent take it by force ."
 
Matthew 13:19 "When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. "
 
Different context, but same meaning...to be snatched away, by force. Now another, found in Gospel of John it is used four different times.
 
6:15 "When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force , to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone."
 
John 10:12
 
12 "But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming , and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth : and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep."
 
John 10:28-29
 
28 "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish , neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand."
 
Again, in Acts 23:10, Jude 1:23, Revelation 12:5 "And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne."
 
Let's not forget Phillip the apostle when he had baptized the Ethiopian eunuch, Acts, 8:39 
 
 "And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing."
 
If you've been keeping count, that is 13 times in the New Testament including the ones I didn't quote , but gave reference to, that the word "Harpazo" is used and it means in every instance to be removed by force, without warning being snatched away...not each mention of the Greek word "Harpazo" has to do with with the mystery that Paul speaks of, but it shows that the word was used repeatedly to speak of with the same definition and example.
 
WHAT ABOUT THE OLD TESTAMENT?
 
Good question. Is there anything that can point to a parallel word that has the same meaning used in Greek in these passages found in also in the Old Testament.? Matter of fact, there is. There a examples of men being "snatched up" and removed from this earth. Let's start with the earliest known example...Genesis 5:23,
 
Altogether, Enoch lived 365 years. v.24, "Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away."
 
Here the word for the underlined phrase "took him away" is the Hebrew word #3947 in Strong's, "leqach" which means to "receive, reserve, seize, send for, take away, or fetch".
 
Paul speaks of Enoch this way, Hebrews 11:5 of the NIV,
 
"By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away (translated him). For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God."
 
 The word used for "translated, or taken him away" is the Greek word, metatithemi, Strongs #3346, which means "transport, exchange, change sides, carry over, change, remove". Scoffers will use the passage in verse 13 of that same chapter,
 
 v:13  "These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth."
 
But to use that verse contradicts verse 5, and the bible cannot contradict itself. So Enoch was "snatched away, removed" from this earth alive and did NOT see death, but verse 13 applies to all others who lived by faith.
 
Another example is the prophet Elijah and we will turn to 2nd Kings chapter 2,
 
2:1 " And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal."
 
Reading down:
 
2:11  "And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven."
 
What is the Hebrew word for the phrase "would take up" in verse1. It's the word and the equivalent word as used in the example of Enoch, as this word is "Leqach" used to describe the snatching away of Enoch. Some will make a convoluted argument that both men are dead and died in faith, but they use logic that is beyond their grasp of the infinite, not believing that God is Sovereign and He can do whatever He wishes to do, apart from their finite analogies. They will use "did not see death" and try to explain the second death. That's stretching the meaning of the text and we have no clue to do so. It's best to take what the Word says literally and not add your own meaning, by adding or subtracting from God's message. They will say that he lived 365 years and no longer, but you can't count eternity, because it's without time. So again, they try to rationalize their preconceived ideas to support their doctrine of "believers in Jesus Christ" not being removed bodily from this earth in an instant....or the bible says, in the "twinkling of an eye."
 
Note that we have covered Enoch, Elijah, Phillip, Paul, our Lord and Savior, and finally the Church itself, the bride of Christ being described with the words "snatched up, or plucked by force" from the earth.
 
 
But still the critics will not believe. I point them to some passages that mirror each other and tell us why these examples were given to us. First is Isaiah 26:19,
 
"Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.
 
26:20  Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.
 
26:21  For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain."
 
And her companion verse, spoken of by my Lord, John chapter 14,
 
14:2  "In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
 
14:3  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
 
14:4  And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know."
 
What do these companion verses say to you? They tell me that Jesus will bring us unto Himself and we will be rewarded a mansion in the New Jerusalem, as He promised. There we will wait for the indignation, or His wrath to be over-past or to subside. These verses speak of resurrection, changing from mortal to immortal, and not being present when His wrath comes upon this earth, both the resurrected dead in Christ, and the living who are both changed as Paul spoke of in the very first verses of this message.
 
 
THE DOCTRINE OF THE RAPTURE IS A MODERN ONE?
 
In recent years, many opponents of the pre-tribulation rapture view have made dogmatic assertions that this view was never taught before 1820 A.D. There have been attempts to attribute the origin of this view to John N. Darby.... but this is false and misleading. Ephraem the Syrian wrote, in 373 AD, "For all the saints and Elect of God are gathered, prior to the tribulation that is to come, and are taken to the Lord lest they see the confusion that is to overwhelm the world because of our sins." ... revealing that the early church fathers themselves were indeed teaching this.
 
This text was originally a sermon called "On the Last Times, the Anti-Christ, and the End of the World." There are four existing Latin manuscripts (the Parisinus, the Augiensis, the Barberini, and the St. Gallen) ascribed to St. Ephraem or to St. Isidore . Some scholars believe this text was written by some unknown writer in the sixth century and was derived from the original Ephraem manuscript.
 
The sermon describes the events of the last days, beginning with the rapture, the Great Tribulation of 3 1/2 years' duration under the Antichrist's rule, followed by the Second Coming of Christ. In Ephraem's book "The Book of the Cave of Treasures", written about 370 A.D., he expressed his belief that the 69th week of Daniel ended with the rejection and crucifixion of Jesus the Messiah. Although this does not prove that the doctrine of the Rapture is correct, it does show that even early Church Theologians were teaching this and it is NOT a modern device of an immature girl and John Darby, as some claim, but a doctrine of the early church.
 
The glorified Jesus, the Great I AM, that I AM spoke of this in the His precious Word, as Ephraem the Syrian did, when our Lord spoke in Revelation 3:10,
 
"Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth."
 
Paul echoes what Jesus spoke to John years later, when he penned these verses,
 
  But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
 
5:9  For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
 
5:10  Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him."
 
POINT AND COUNTERPOINT!!
 
The Church is a specific group of believers in Jesus Christ.   It is not a building ... nor is it any particular denomination or religion.   It is also known as the Body of Christ. The Living Church of God is a living organism that began at Pentecost -- see Acts 2:1-4 and culminates at the rapture -- see 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18.   It does not include anyone who was a believer prior to or after the two above-mentioned events.   The terms saints or elect refer to another specific group of believers.   This group includes all the Old Testament saints, as well as those who become believers in Christ after the rapture. I've made many references in past messages that the Tribulation is designed for two things, and two things only and that is:
 
-Pouring out of God's wrath on an unrepentant, and rebellious world,
 
-refining Israel as silver is refined in the fire....and we are NOT included in that refining. Why? Because there is no need, as Jesus paid it all at the cross, and to think otherwise smacks of "catholic purgatory" that Jesus blood and sacrifice just was not sufficient to fully save the sinner. A serious mistake by a past ruling Theocracy.
 
There is a marked difference in the Bible when you look at references to the Church compared with references to the saints or the elect.   The Church is always referred to in very narrow and distinct terms, whereas the saints or the elect are always referred to in very broad terms.   More pointed, however, is the fact that the word Church never appears again after Revelation 3:22 -- you'll only see the words "saints or the elect" mentioned throughout the rest of the book -- and this is directly after a very significant reference to this "catching away by force" , in Revelation 3:10
 
 ASSESSMENT and CONCLUSIONS
 
What is the tribulation? It is the wrath of God. When does it start? When the first seal is broken in chapter 6 of Revelation by our Lord, Jesus Christ. What are not appointed to? We are not appointed to wrath, but salvation through Him. How will the tribulation begin to commence? When the Church of God is removed out of the way. Isaiah 26:19, and 2nd Thessalonians
 
  "For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let ( the Holy Spirit), until he be taken out of the way.
 
2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
 
2:9  Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
 
2:10  And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved."
 
 But forewarning to those who belong to a "church"...these bible verses who speak of the removal of the CHURCH will not be everyone who sits in pew, or says some "hail marys" in some repetitive fashion, or think their priest of their pastor can usher them into God's Kingdom. It's not about being Catholic, or Protestant or something somewhere in between. It is solely dependent on the application of the blood of Jesus Christ to your life and clothing your spirit with His righteousness. There are many verses that point solely to Jesus Christ being the "Way, the Truth and the Life". No man can come to the Father in Heaven except through Him. All roads do not lead to eternal life, but believing in your heart of hearts and accepting His free pardon for your sins through Grace and faith in the only Begotten Son of God. 
 
 "For God so loved the world, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" John 3:16
 
God has given us example after example. He has given us story after story to show the TRUE children of God being removed out of the way. He has given us words to show that HE WILL remove the TRUE, blood washed church before His wrath is poured out on this earth. How much more clear does He need to be? When someone remarks, "the rapture is not found in the bible", then my reader, you can direct them to passages that show they misunderstand. And if they still don't get it, then that's Ok...you can explain it to them on your way up to meet the Lord in the air. 
 
 "Believe on the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved" Don't be left behind when all hell breaks loose on this earth in the coming Tribulation, which may be sooner than anyone cares to think of....maybe even this year???
 
This is Pastor Mike Taylor, praying God's salvation in your life and to ready for the soon return of our King of kings, and Lord of lords, Jesus Christ, our Savior. If there is anything I can help you with, pray with you about, or just listen, email me at realteam1999@sbcglobal.net . Or visit me online at www.churchofgod-usa , for more messages based on the Word of God. God bless you all,
 
                                                                  Till we meet at Jesus Feet.
BE SURE TO CHECK OUT MY ALL NEW PROPHECY AND CREATION DESIGN WEBSITES. THERE IS A LOT TO SEE AND DO..........
 

The Antichrist and President Obama


The Antichrist and President Obama - By Daymond Duck -  
http://www.raptureready.com/featured/duck/dd211.html
 
The end of the age will be marked by a one-world government ruled by an evil man that Christians call the Antichrist (Dan. 7:23; Rev. 13:7-8). Some think Pres. Obama is the Antichrist. Others think he is a type (a picture or a forerunner) of the Antichrist.
 
This writer has long believed that Pres. Obama might seek to become one of the 10 kings (the first head of the North American Union), but he appears to want more than that. He appears to want to rule the world.
 
There was a report on Jan. 8, 2016 that Pres. Obama wants to head up the UN when Sec. Gen. Ban Ki-moon ends his term on Dec. 31, 2016. The belief by some that Pres. Obama is the Antichrist coupled with his desire to take the top spot in the UN wannabe world government has prompted some speculation.
 
So here is a partial list of the characteristics of the Antichrist:
 
First, the Antichrist will start out in a small or insignificant way, steadily move into a position of limited power (prince) and quickly move on to the most powerful position on earth:
 
"There came up among them another little horn." (Dan. 7:8).
 
"The people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary" (Dan. 9:26).
 
"They worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?" (Rev. 13:4).
 
Second,  the Antichrist will say arrogant, pompous or condescending things; He will have "a mouth speaking great things" (Dan. 7:8).
 
Third, the Antichrist will slander God; persecute believers; and try to change calendars, holidays and laws: He "shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws" (Dan. 7:25; also see Rev. 13:7).
 
Fourth, the Antichrist will ignore the truth and tell lies. He will "cast down the truth to the ground" (Dan. 8:12; also see 2 Thess. 2:9).
 
Fifth, the Antichrist will be given great power and he will succeed as a destroyer of powerful people and believers
 
"His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practice, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people" (Dan. 8:24).
 
Sixth, the Antichrist will cause false or evil worship to prosper; boast and think highly of himself; he will use peace as a tool to destroy many and he will oppose Jesus:
 
"And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes" (Dan. 8:25).
 
Also see Dan. 11:36; Rev. 6:1-2; 13:6).
 
Seventh, the Antichrist will do what he wants to do regardless of what the law says or what others think. He will "do according to his will" (Dan. 11:36).
 
Eighth, the Antichrist will not heed the wishes of his father's god or women or anyone's god. This is unclear, but some think he will be godless and gay: 
 
"Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all" (Dan. 11:37; also see II Thess. 2:4).
 
Ninth, the Antichrist will divide the Land of Israel. He "shall divide the land for gain" (Dan. 11:39).
 
Tenth, the Antichrist will come from the group of nations that destroyed Jerusalem and the temple in AD 70:
 
"The people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary" (Dan. 9:26).
 
Concerning the list of characteristics prophesied by Daniel cited above, few can honestly deny that Pres. Obama started out small (relatively unknown before becoming Pres. of the U.S.), that he is arrogant (has a pen and a phone), that he is condescending (lectures Christians about criticizing Muslims), and that he wants to change laws (disarm America's citizens).
 
Pres. Obama lies: "Obamacare will lower your annual insurance premiums by $2500." He has destroyed powerful people (brought great harm to the U.S.). He does everything according to his own will (with executive actions and executive orders). And he wants to divide the Land of Israel (Two-State solution), etc.
 
The only problem this writer has with the belief that Pres. Obama is the Antichrist is this: The Roman Empire, the group of nations that destroyed Jerusalem and the temple (as far as this writer knows), Pres. Obama is not from that group of nations. (I know his father was from Kenya; Pres. Obama's birth certificate was probably forged.)
 
Pres. Obama is probably using a stolen social security number; his school records, medical records, passport. All of that important information is hidden. We know that there are 6 letters in his first name, 6 in his second name and 6 in his third name; etc.). But this writer is not convinced that Pres. Obama is from the old Roman Empire.
 
It is now being reported that Pres. Obama has given up on securing a peace treaty in the Middle East by the end of his administration. One must wonder if he has given up because the new target date for confirming a treaty is 2030.
 
People wonder why Pres. Obama constantly defends Muslims when it is clear that Islamic terrorists are responsible for most of the terrorism in the world. One must wonder if he defends Islam because he wants the support of 53 Muslim nations to become the next Sec. Gen. of the UN.
 
Also, if he is trying to become the head of the UN, would he declare martial law in the U.S.?
 
God is not bound by UN goals, but if there is going to be a world government in 2030, the world will soon start seeing the rise of the 10 kings, perhaps other regional currencies, a greater push for world religion, etc.
 
If there is going to be a world government in 2030 and the Pre-Trib Rapture is right, the Rapture is less than 14 years away (and as always, it could happen at any time).
 
Finally, if there is going to be a world government in 2030, the Antichrist and the False Prophet are alive now; we are the terminal generation and billions of people need to get saved immediately. Billions will not survive the Tribulation period.
 
Prophecy Plus Ministries
Daymond & Rachel Duck
BE SURE TO CHECK OUT MY ALL NEW PROPHECY AND CREATION DESIGN WEBSITES. THERE IS A LOT TO SEE AND DO..........
 

DEBATE VIDEOS and more......