God's Message to Us

God's Message to Us - By Grant Phillips - https://www.raptureready.com/2020/07/30/gods-message-to-us-by-grant-phillips/ I certainly do not know the statistics, but I wonder if people read very much today? I'm talking about books now, not newspapers, comic books, etc. Many books today canbe read on electronic devices. I suppose that counts, but it just doesn't seem the same as holding a real book in your hand. The greatest book ever written, and I guess the least read, would have to be the Bible. As the title above says, it is God's message to us. Have you ever wondered what Godhas to say? Have you ever wondered what He is like? Maybe you have personal questions or would like to know what is going to happen to us when this earthly life is over. Adrian Rogers once said, "Someone said, 'The Bible is such a wonderful book. It is shallow enough that a little child can come and get a drink without fear of drowning,and so deep that the scholars can swim in it and never touch bottom.'" Sometimes my wife and I like to read 'legal thriller' books written by a secular author that are very well written. The author has the ability to pull you into the storysimply by using words, and has written many books. Several have even been made into movies which have also been successful. You just can't beat the Bible, though. Casual Bible readers will start nodding off to sleep about now, but those who are serious about really getting into God's Word justcan't get enough. The book of Revelation is without doubt the least read book in the Bible, but it is the only one that promises a blessing by doing so. "Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near" (Revelation 1:3). If you want to know what the future holds, there it is. It's all packed into that one book ... Revelation. But that's not all; there are several books within the Bible thattells us future things, and the more we read them, the better we understand Revelation. People often get discouraged when reading the Bible, saying they just can't understand it. Hey, no one, and I mean NO ONE understands it all. Think about it. God, specificallyJesus Christ, wrote it (John 1:1-5), so no one is going to completely understand God. He is the Creator. We are the created. That would be like me trying to explain how a computer works to a grasshopper. BUT ... God wants us to understand it. Otherwise, therewould be no need for Him to write it. The only way to really understand the Bible as a Christian is to allow the Spirit of God, who we call the Holy Spirit, to teach us as we read. He is the best and only teacherwe need. If we are a Christian, we have the Spirit of God living within us. He is the pledge with which God has sealed us as a guarantee, promising we always belong to Him. "Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge" (2 Corinthians 1:21-22). Many Christians are missing so many blessings by not being faithful readers of the Bible. Many try to get their spiritual 'kicks' from emotional genuflecting, instead ofthe real thing. To me, that is like eating the white of an egg instead of the yellow or eating cottage cheese instead of gravy and biscuits. Once you've had the best, the heck with all the rest. I'm sorry, but anyone who can eat just the white of an egg orcottage cheese is tougher than I am. That reminds me of sermons. (Don't ask me why.) Who knows, but this is another great example. Comparing the Bible to anything else is like comparing today's sermonetteswith sermons from men like Charles Haddon Spurgeon. Surely you must admit there has been at least once in your life that you wondered what God says about something. Don't go ask someone. Read His book. I've never known ofa question that cannot be addressed from God's Word. When you rely on someone else to tell you what God says, you're getting their opinion. Don't settle for an old used rattletrap; get a brand spanking new car. Get it from the horse's mouth, in other words.Get the original, not a copy. God has a message for each of us. It is in His book. Read the Bible. Enjoy! You'll be blessed! Grant Phillips

God's Revelation of Judgment: The Great White Throne

God's Revelation of Judgment: The Great White Throne - By Ron Ferguson - https://www.raptureready.com/2020/07/29/gods-revelation-of-judgment-the-great-white-throne-by-ron-ferguson/ [A]. THE PERSON AND THE BOOKS - Rev 20:11-12 "I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away; and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, thegreat and the small, standing before the throne; and books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds." THE VISION - The vision came of a great white throne occupied by a figure,so awesome and so terrifying that it can only spell an awful judgment from the King of the Universe, and the ruling is against the unsaved of all ages, from Cain to the end of the Millennium. The reason for the throne is because the King sits in judgment likethe eastern potentates did on rulings that they would deliver for their subjects who came before the throne. Here we have the Judge, which the Apostles' Creed would identify as the Lord Jesus Christ who "comes to judge the living and the dead." Let us justsay that God the Son as the eternal Judge will occupy this throne. John 5:22-23 "For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son in order that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He whodoes not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him." It is God the Father who directs all judgment in that day into the hand of the Son of God. John 5:27-29 "And He gave Him authority to execute judgment because He is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming in which all who are in the tombsshall hear His voice, and shall come forth - those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, and those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment." (This is not contemporaneous - not at the same time. "God created the universe and created in me a new life." Not contemporaneous.) THE DESCRIPTION OF THE THRONE - The resurrection of the ones to life has already happened at the Rapture that will end this Church age. That would have been over 1,007 years earlier. The throneis considered great, and that is because of the greatness of the event it presides over, and also because of the greatness of the One who sits upon it. The throne is white, and the types speak to us here. White is purity and cleanness, which is applicableto the One there. It can also speak of the absence of blood for redemption, for there is none, sadly, at that judgment. The altar was the place of judgment in the Old Testament, and it was associated with the red of sacrifice. Here the judgment will be in association with white because thereis no red of sacrifice to atone for the ones who are going to be judged here. This is serious business when the whole of the unsaved earth from the beginning of creation till the entry of this throne will stand in condemnation. THE GREAT WHITE THRONE IS NOT FOR CHRISTIANS - Then John sees the dead standingbefore God, a whole multitude of all ages and cultures, all in dread fear, for there is no solid standing for them because their sins are condemning them. We cannot ever imagine what this will be like, for God has ordained that His children will never be broughtinto judgment, or undergo the wrath of God, which is why the Church could never be in the Tribulation. Condemnation judgment will never touch us. Jesus was the one who stood in the place where sin was condemning Him, stood as it were before Jehovah's awful throne with the sentence of death because He was the guiltyOne, and condemnation was His to encounter and to be forsaken by God. He would encounter the wrath of God, and His face would be so contorted that He was unrecognizable as a son of man. All this was done for you and for me. We should have been before the greatwhite throne, each of us, but our Lord took our place, and therefore suffered what we will never suffer. For that reason, our Substitute made sure we would never be before the great white throne. CHRIST'S BRIDE IS WITH HIM - We may be behind the throne as His Bride, forwe will be with our Lord and sharing the judgment He makes. The following verses could indicate that - 1 Cor 6:2-3 "Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? If the world is judged by you, are you not competent to constitute the smallest lawcourts? Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, matters of this life?" Christ comes for the judgment of the nations at the Second Coming of the Lord as explained here, and His Church comes with Him, for His Bride will be with Him forever. Matt. 25:31-33 "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. And all the nations will be gathered beforeHim, and He will separate them from one another as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left." THE THRONES - There are three thrones that will operate after the Raptureof the Church. The first of these is the judgment seat of Christ. Technically, a seat is not a throne, but I think we can say Christ's seat is a throne, for the King occupies it. It is the Bema I will do later. The second throne is the one on which the Lordsits to judge the nations (above) after the Second Coming at the end of the Great Tribulation, which is the end of the age. And the third is the great white throne of Rev 20. I think it is probable the Church will have association with all three thrones. THOSE WHO STAND BEFORE THE THRONE - An interesting expression used in verse12 is "the dead, the great and the small." In the use of language, we normally say "the small and the great," working upwards. God chooses the other way, "the great and the small." Why, I wonder? Well, in this world, the "great" are often those with powerand influence who have risen over others and dictate what they want for themselves. We have judges, presidents, prime ministers, rulers, dictators, professors, CEOs, world sports heroes, celebrities, politicians, etc. They live privileged lives and glory oftenin their high and proud position. Now they all stand at the great white throne along with the peasants, the poor, the criminals, the bikers, the underprivileged, Mr. and Mrs. Ordinary Person, and those they lorded it over. Here they will have no position ofprivilege, but rather, will have the greater judgment. This throne is so fearful and awesome and so dreadful that human discriminations, class, position, and power will be leveled under the immense weight of sin and the fearthat hangs over the heads of the billions who are there. We cannot describe the misery, the horror and the hopelessness of that situation, and all there will have no affinity with each other, for all will be isolated because of their open sins and detachedfrom "friends" of common destiny. The notion of the evil ones in hell having companions there and living it up in sin with the devil in control is totally erroneous and has been developed through the distortion and excesses of the Middle Ages. And so theystood before the throne, lost and despairing. THE BOOKS - The books were opened, we are told. What are these books? Frankly,we do not know, but they have to do with the judgment, so I believe them to be a record of every individual life of every individual who is unsaved. It would seem that the deeds of every one is on account, and all the sins will be on record, all sins greatand small. This will be awful, for the whole life of open and hidden sins will be openly declared to each one, one by one. They will stand condemned, for there is no remedy, no possibility of forgiveness; they will be as guilty as Adam, who hid himself fromthe presence of God, only that these people will not be able to hide from the presence of God. Just one sin will condemn them, for the sin stands in stark contrast to the righteousness of God, who is the Judge on this throne. These books will contain it all. There is a television show called "This Is Your Life," which is positive highlighting of good things in someone's life. The great white throne will highlight everything,and all will stand fearful and undone and ashamed. However, here there is no hope for any of the multitude assembled. That is the part so sad. THE JUDGEMENT DEEDS - When I was in Prep 3 or something like that at school(in those days we had the Preparatory years before the Grades), I can clearly remember one teacher telling us at school a story that for every good thing we did, a nail would be hit into a board (God's doing), and for every bad thing, a nail was removed. Atthe end, God would put us in heaven if there were nails in the board. In other words, if the account was on the good side. I went home that day as a 5 or 6- year-old and tried to do good things! What this teacher was ascribing to were good works and the goodoutweighing the bad. This is not God's way. There is no other way of salvation except through the shed blood of Christ, through repentance and acceptance of His personal redeeming sacrifice. The dead, those not in Christ, will stand before the throne, and they will be judged according to the things written in the books. It is interesting that the expression"books" (plural) is used, and there must be lots of them. I do not know what is on record, except the account of sins will be the Prosecutor's brief and will form the evidence of condemnation. They will be judged from what is written in the books. THE BOOK OF LIFE - We are told another book was opened, the Book of Life,and this will be used also in the judgment of these lost souls. But what is the Book of Life? And why might this book be used for this group, which is already condemned? To answer these questions, we must first try to determine what is the Book of Life, andI think it is fair to say that we cannot be sure of this one. As far as I can ascertain, there are two main views on this book, which are these: (1). It is a book kept in the heavens where the names of all the redeemedare entered when they come into faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, or when declared righteous through faith and obedience as with the Old Testament saints. This would then make the book, a book of redemption or eternal life, and I think this has been the morecommon view. (2). The Book of Life contains the names (or identities) of all ever bornon the face of the earth, which makes it a book of the living, or even a book of the conceived, even though the problem arises with the stillborn and even the aborted ones after conception; but this is a whole new and ethically complex subject, raising thequestion of when conception might lead to the soul and spirit making up a triune person. In this second view, it is thought that, for the unsaved, upon death or rejection of eternal life through unrepentance or disbelief, a person's name is removed from thatbook, leaving only the redeemed on the pages. This book is used as a final proof for these unsaved and condemned, in that they have no claim to God's presence and that The Lord upon the throne is just and righteous. DEGREES OF PUNISHMENT - I now want to touch on a subject that has been occupyingmy mind for some time, and I hasten to say this is totally my idea. I have no evidence for it, but I shall present my thoughts on it. Before I do so, I will list a number of passages; and as we read them, I want you to see in them degrees of punishment. Luke 12:46-48 "The master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him, and at an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces, and assign him a placewith the unbelievers. And that slave who knew his master's will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will shall receive many lashes, but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few. From everyone whohas been given much, shall much be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more." Matt 10:14-15 "Whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake off the dust of your feet. Truly I say to you, it willbe more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city." Matt 11:20-24 "Then He began to reproach the cities in which most of His miracles were done because they did not repent. 'Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! forif the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. Nevertheless I say to you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum,will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You shall descend to Hades; for if the miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day. Nevertheless I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in theday of judgment than for you." Matt 12:36-37 "I say to you, that every careless word that men shall speak, they shall render account for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you shall be justified,and by your words you shall be condemned." Matt 12:41 "The men of Nineveh shall stand up with this generation at the judgment, and shall condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, somethinggreater than Jonah is here." Rom 2:4-8 "Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? But becauseof your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to every man according to his deeds: to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for gloryand honor and immortality, eternal life; but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath, and indignation." [B]. GOD IS JUST AND RIGHTEOUS - Throughout the Old Testament, God is seenas merciful, and His judgments dispensed according to the crimes and faithlessness of His people. Once they gained the promised land, when they sinned, He brought against them the Philistines. But when their sin became gross and so severe, He brought theminto captivity by Assyria and Babylon with judgments so severe. In my current understanding, God's penalty is commensurate with the crime. Do you see that in the passages above? I think it is important to recognize in God, a just penalty in judgment where sins are dealt with accordingly. The question is sometimes asked, "What about the heathen whohave never heard of salvation in Jesus Christ and who died in the millennia past - are they in hell or what, and is this fair?" Then again, "What about the good person, the really lovely good person who has spent a life in going good for people?" These questionsare very valid, but we must also mention that the following considerations apply: "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). "As it is written,'There is none righteous, not even one. All have turned aside. Together they have become useless. There is none who does good. There is not even one'" (Rom 3:10-12). Now we must try to balance all this against the great white throne judgment. It is not easy, and I don't have a perfect, satisfying solution. God is just and does it correctly. NONE WILL HAVE AN EXCUSE - The Bible tells us in Romans 1 that the heathenworld is without excuse, having the ability to see and claim God in creation. Romans also tells us that no one is really good, and goodness is measured by the standard of God Himself. No one reaches that standard; therefore, no one is good. That being said, we know God is a just God and that He punishes according to the crime and the responsibility and accountability. For that reason, I believe the books thatare opened at the great white throne will expose all the sins of those present, and they are judged according to their sins. And God, being fair, will take into account the sinfulness of each sin to pronounce a penalty worthy of that sin. Therefore, I believethat the horrendous crimes will suffer a greater punishment than the less horrendous sins. We know all unsaved end in the lake of fire, but in that place, I expect there to be degrees of punishment. Hitler and Stalin and various popes, and especially the greatest murderer of all in history, Mao Zedong, will have the severest of penalties. Those of Tyre and Sidon andSodom will be less penalized than the people who saw and heard Jesus' ministry, yet rejected it. It will all lie in God's hands; He is the Judge, and Abraham's prayer for Sodom and Gomorrah sets it out correctly - Gen. 18:25 "Far be it from You to do sucha thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?" We must leave this matter there for now, leave it in the hands of the Lord. We then have a verse which explains this scene in a little more detail, and it is this one: DEATH AND HELL EMPTIED - Rev 20:13 "The sea gave up the dead which werein it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them, and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds." The people standing before the great white throne have come from the sea and death and hades. This is not difficult, for it includes all who have died through the ages,and all these had their abode in death, having died on the land or in the sea, even in space in our generation. They all were in hell, which is "sheol" in Hebrew or "hades" in Greek. Same place. The grave, death, hell, sheol, and hades are all the same. Hellused to be in two sections, hell and paradise, but no longer. The unsaved dead of all generations will be resurrected for the great white throne; therefore, we assume they will have some type of body (though maybe not necessary) asthey stand there en masse waiting their turn. For it says, "every one of them." The resurrection of verse 13 is the resurrection of the unsaved because all those in Christ Jesus are resurrected at the Rapture, and the murdered saints of the Tribulation areraised before the 1,000 years begins. Rev 20:4-6, the First Resurrection. This same verse in Rev 20:13 says all these will be judged according to their deeds. God has a record of them, and only one sin is enough to condemn a man, as seen withAdam who was banished from the garden through one act of disobedience, and who died that day according to the promise of God; but it also began the path of physical death. These evil deeds that belong to the condemned at the judgment throne will be under consideration,and they will suffer the penalty, but the very fact that deeds are mentioned again makes me think there are degrees of punishment resulting from this judgment. [C]. THE FINAL JUDGEMENT - Rev. 20:13-15 "The sea gave up the dead whichwere in it; and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them: and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. And death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name wasnot found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." The judgment is concluded; the sentences have been passed; the condemned stand forlornly because nothing remains for them except for an eternal separation from all thatis good, yea, from God Himself. Then we progress to the ultimate act of eternal death, the verdict of punishment when all those standing there, and death itself, along with Hades (the grave/hell), are cast into the lake of fire. This is eternal, but can wecomprehend eternity? Can we grasp eternal death? Or, for that matter, can mortal human beings even grasp the concept of eternal life? We are mortals in time, and heirs of eternity, but our destiny is concluded in time. WHAT IS THE LAKE OF FIRE? - But what is the lake of fire, and what is its purpose? We shall answer the second part first. This place and term are only containedin Revelation, though the idea is known to Isaiah. The first usage is Rev 19:20, where the world leader/Antichrist (beast) and the false prophet were seized and thrown alive into the lake of fire. The next, in Rev 20:10, is where Satan is thrown in there tojoin the duo of evil already there. Maybe these three are the only ones at that stage in this lake. The other references to the lake of fire are in the remainder of chapter 20, applying to the great white throne judgment. When you think into it, the Antichristand False Prophet will be the only sentient human beings ever not to appear before either the Judgment Seat of Christ or the Great White Throne. We have many shortened references to the lake of fire in the gospels and even in the Old Testament, such as "eternal punishment" (Matt 25:46), "forever and forever" (Rev14:11), "the eternal fire" Matt 18:8), "the furnace of fire" (Matt 13:42), "unquenchable fire" (Mark 9:43). Mark speaks of it in a statement - "where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched" (Mark 9:48). Isaiah used this term - Isa 66:24 "Then they shall go forthand look on the corpses of the men who have transgressed against Me, for their worm shall not die, and their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an abhorrence to all mankind." The purpose of the lake of fire is clear from this verse - Matt. 25:41 "Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal firewhich has been prepared for the devil and his angels.'" It was God's eternal intention that the lake of fire was to be the abode of Satan and the fallen angels, and that is why it was created. The outcome of that is that those who follow Satan will share thatplace also. God is not willing that any should perish but that all should repent, but failure to do so means eternity will be spent in the same abode as Satan. To answer the next thought, "What is the lake of fire?" is more difficult. The lake is not hell; it's not Hades. We know it is literal and horrible, has a purpose, and iseternal. The biblical descriptions of it are all similar and use words such as these - "burning, fire and brimstone, eternal, smoke, furnace." I would leave it at that and would not get entangled about that most somber matter. "Depart from Me." It is not pleasingto write on this subject because of the seriousness of it. It is so sad.

Jews Allowed Access to Running Water on Temple Mt Bringing them Closer to Temple Service

Jews Allowed Access to Running Water on Temple Mt Bringing them Closer to Temple Service - by Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz - www.breakingisraelnews.com "He led me back to the entrance of the Temple, and I found that water was issuing from below the platform of the Temple Ezekiel 48:1 (The Israel BibleTM) While the US is rocked by anti-racism protests, a situation exists in Jerusalem that is even more racist than the US before the civil rights movement. The water fountainson the Temple Mount were reserved for the exclusive use of Muslims while Jews were not permitted to drink at all. But thanks to a group of determined Jews, that situation is slowly changing. Following Israel's capture of the Temple Mount in the 1967 Six-Day War, the Israeli government handed day-to-day control of the area to the Muslim Waqf religious authorities,overseen by the Jordanian government. Israel retains security control of the area. The conditions established at the time gave the exclusive right to pray at the site to the Muslims.. Jews were prohibited from bringing any religious items or books onto theTemple Mount. In addition to prayer, Jews were prohibited from drinking at the site and, as a result, prohibited from using the water fountain in the Temple Mount Compound. For many,this prohibition was disturbingly reminiscent of the racist policy of 'separate but equal' in the pre-Jim Crow days in the southern US. But the situation on the Temple Mount was even more egregious as Jim Crow allowed for separate water fountains for blackswhereas on the Temple Mount, there were no fountains designated for use by Jews. Michael Miller, a tour guide at the site and an activist of the "Students for the Temple Mount" movement, was detained by police on Monday after videoing a young Jewishman drinking from the fountain. "Even up to one year ago, Jews were not even permitted to touch the faucets and the police physically prevented Jews from approaching the fountain," Miller said. "Jews whoattempted to do so were arrested and detained." "There was a concern that this would provoke Muslim violence. Christians were allowed to drink from the fountain because there was also a concern because before a Jew drinkswater, he has to say a blessing, thanking God, and this was strictly forbidden. This was too much like prayer, which the Muslims find offensive. Even mumbling, moving your lips, closing your eyes, or holding your hands in a prayer-like manner would get a Jewarrested and ejected, sometimes even banned." Miller explained that the current policy is that the police must either allow Jews to use the water fountain or they must provide them with bottled water. The situationis currently at an ambiguous in-between state. "There is nothing illegal or any official policy prohibiting Jews from using the fountain. That would be absurd and indefensible. But at the same time, the police are tryingto prevent the Muslims from rioting so they keep it low-key. Jews are now being permitted to drink and even eat on the Temple Mount but not in sight of the Muslims. If it becomes too obvious, the police will take people aside but they can't kick us off orarrest us." A case concerning this injustice was brought in 2017 to the Israeli High Court by the Friends of the Temple organization, headed by Yaakov Hayman. Iris Edri, the lawyerrepresenting Jewish rights, emphasized that during the American Civil Rights movement, the police protected black children on their way to learn at white schools because of the principle of equality. "If there is violence, the police should relate to the source of the violence, and not the victim," Edri told Breaking Israel News. "On the Temple Mount, the police arerelating to the Jews as an enemy, as a security threat." "Jews are by inclination sheeplike but we have the Biblical requirement not to be," Hayman said, citing the Book of Numbers. They crouch, they lie down like a lion, Like the king of beasts; who dare rouse them? Blessed are they who bless you, Accursed they who curse you! Numbers 24:9 " When Jews stop act like the Bible tells us too, things begin to change in a Biblically positive direction," Hayman said. "More Jews are going up to the Temple Mount allthe time. The barriers are going to fall. It is inevitable and it is prophesied." Rabbi Mordechai Makover, the former director of the Temple Institute and head of the Mikdash (Temple) Educational Center, sees the recent developments as a mixed blessing. "It is undeniable that recently we have seen many positive and necessary developments on the Temple Mount," Rabbi Makover said. "In order to perform the Temple service,Jews must eat and drink on the Temple Mount. It has deep spiritual significance connected to bringing sustenance and peace to the world." But Rabbi Makover also warned that these developments might represent a harmful precedent and the beginning of a path that can only end in disaster for the entire world. "It is destructive and demeaning that we are only 'permitted' these basic things by the Muslims," Rabbi Makover said. "It is as if they are the masters when we are forbiddenfrom having any master besides Hashem, especially in His house. This is the wrong path. The main message here has to be that no other nation or religion can establish the rules in God's House of Prayer." "Are the Muslims the masters that permit the slaves to drink? God brought us out of Egypt and we serve him. He provided water in the desert, He provides water for the entireworld. Hashem is the master of all the water." The Israeli High Court established equal rights for Jews to pray at their holiest site in a 2015 case decided in favor of Rabbi Yehudah Glick, a former member of Knesset,stating that it was the duty of the police to protect the right of Jews to pray on the Temple Mount. It is only recently that this right is being upheld in practice, though in a semi-clandestine manner with the grudging acceptance of the police. Miller reported that Jews are now permitted to pray quietly in a quorum in areas that are out of sight from the Muslims. This is done in accordance with the Health Ministryguidelines. If Muslims appear or complain, the prayer is stopped and the Jews are removed from the site. Anti-Jewish inequality is still very much the status quo on the Temple Mount despite the law mandating against it. Jews are required to undergo rigorous security and backgroundchecks before entering whereas Muslims refuse to pass through metal detectors of the type found outside every public building in Israel. Jews must be accompanied by police as they perform a strictly limited circuit of the site. Jews are also limited in thetimes they visit and their time on the site is also strictly limited.

End Times Birth Pains - What's Coming Next?

End Times Birth Pains - What's Coming Next? With all the restrictions and societal changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, I found myself longing for the "carefree" days of 2019 when everything was "normal." Perhaps you've felt the same way. Of course, 2019 was far from perfect. It had itsown problems and stresses, but only in comparison to 2020 do we think of 2019 as "the good old days." And that got me thinking... This seems to be happening a lot lately. We've had no less than three of these events in the past 20 years. If you're old enough to remember, it was a different world before September 11, 2001. After September 11th, collective fear increased. All sorts of restrictions and protective measureswere put in place. Where would the next terrorist threat come from? Many longed for the relatively simple days of life before that terrible day. Then in 2008, the Great Recession hit. Many people lost their jobs, and among those who didn't, fear of an impending layoff increased. Many longed for the "simpler" times of the post-September 11th years. Now, here we are in 2020. We're in the middle ofa global pandemic, and many long for a return to their pre-pandemic lives. None of this should surprise us. Jesus said the days before His return will follow this exact pattern. He likened them to birth pains (Matthew 24:3-8). This means, as with labor contractions, we'll see these types of events increase in frequency and strength as we approach the end ofthis age. What we're seeing today are the birth pains Jesus warned about. Jesus Is Coming The frequency of these events testify that Jesus is coming. Our generation will witness His return (Matthew 24:34). All the signs Jesus and the prophets said to look for are present. They include, but aren't limited to: • The restoration of Israel (Jeremiah 23:7-8; Isaiah 11:11-12) • The Jewish people in possession of Jerusalem (Luke 21:24-28) • The global spread of the Gospel (Matthew 24:14) • A marked increase in travel and knowledge (Daniel 12:4) • Israel surrounded by enemies (Psalm 83:4-12; Ezekiel 11:14-17; Ezekiel 35:10) • Israel fielding a great army (Ezekiel 37:10; Zechariah 12:6,8) • The rise of a United Europe (Daniel 2; Daniel 7; Revelation 17) • The rise of the Gog of Magog alliance (Ezekiel 38:8; Ezekiel 39:27) • Increased calls for global government (Revelation 13:7) • People acting in the way Paul said they would act (2 Timothy 3:1-5) • Widespread ridicule of the Second Coming (2 Peter 3:3-4) All these signs and more point to the soon return of Jesus. He told us to "look up" when we see these signs converge (Luke 21:28), and we're seeing them converge now. That means the rapture, the Tribulation, and the Second Coming are close at hand. And since Jesus told us to expect birth pains leading up to His arrival, look for major events similar to September 11th, the Great Recession, and the COVID-19 pandemic to appear with greater frequency and cause greater trauma. In other words, expect thingsto get worse before they get better. So what will come next? While we can't know for sure, here's a few events on the horizon. What's Coming Next? With conditions set to be worse in the coming months and years, what are the most likely events to occur in the near future? The possibilities are endless. We could see large magnitude earthquakes, a nuclear terrorist attack, or even a global pandemicworse than COVID-19. But rather than speculate, let's focus on what we know is coming. The three events outlined below are either already happening or certain to happen in the near future. 1) A Global Depression - For the moment, many people seem to think the current economic slowdown is a brief pause - that once the coronavirus disappears, the economy will spring back to life and resume an upward growth trajectory. The S&P 500 reflectsthis belief. After crashing for most of February and March, it's now just a few percentage points from its all-time high. But the "V-shaped" economic recovery touted in the media is nothing more than a mirage. You can't shutdown entire countries in an interconnectedglobal economy and expect the impact to be temporary. Many individuals and small business owners have watched their savings dwindle as their businesses are forced to close or their customers disappear. In some industries, it will take years for sales to reach pre-pandemic levels. Governments have tried totake measures to help - offering loans, providing direct cash payments, and even outlawing evictions. But these measures are only temporary. Eventually, they have to end. For instance, in the United States, unemployed workers receive an extra $600 per week on top of their regular unemployment benefits. This has helped mask the true impact of the coronavirus shutdowns, but unless they're extended, those payments will endon July 31. Then what happens? With more than 20 million people collecting unemployment, that adds up to over $12 billion per week. That's $624 billion on an annual basis. Prior to the shutdowns, this would have been around 3% of the nation's Gross Domestic Product. Today, with the hit the economy's taken, it adds up to even more. When those payments end, consumer spending will dry up even further, lines will once againform outside of food banks, and a new round of layoffs will hit America's workforce. Making matters worse is the crippling impact on small business. Not only did governments force many businesses to shut down, but in a number of cases, it only allowed them to reopen with limited capacity. Foot traffic is down, and as new coronavirus casescrop up, these businesses may be forced to shut down again. This creates great uncertainty, and uncertainty is terrible for economic growth. Both businesses and individuals take less risk and cut expenses during times of uncertainty, and that means fewer sales, less revenue, and a contracting economy. To have the entire world economy suddenly come to a screeching halt is absolutely unprecedented.The result will be a terrible global depression on par with, or maybe even worse than, the Great Depression. 2) Widespread Famine - According to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, more than 820 million people worldwide regularly suffer from hunger. And these statistics pre-date the coronavirus pandemic. That means events are only going to getworse because the state of the global economy has a direct impact on world hunger. Global hunger significantly increased during the Great Recession, and the current economic slowdown will be no exception. The World Bank's most recent projection for 2020 global GDP is a 6.2% contraction - two times worse than the Great Recession. This alone increases the odds of famine and will leave millions more hungry. According to Paul Winters of the International Fund for Agricultural Development, "Even before we got the COVID pandemic we were already seeing an increase in hunger around theworld due to climate, conflict and economic slowdowns, and now we have this extra economic slowdown." By itself, the coming global depression will plunge millions into a state of poverty and hunger. But as terrible as all this is, it's set to get far worse. Why? Because this year also saw the emergence of one of the worst locust plagues in decades. Swarms of locusts measuring miles in length have ravaged countries in East Africa, the Middle East, and Southwest Asia. These swarms could continue to thrive and spreadwell into 2021. As they destroy crops, millions more face the prospect of famine - one of the signs Jesus said to look for (Matthew 24:7). 3) War in the Middle East - According to multiple news reports, Israel is currently contemplating the annexation of large parts of the West Bank. A coalition deal between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz, of the Blue and White party,put forward a plan to do so as early as July 1. But so far, nothing has happened. That said, Netanyahu knows his window of opportunity to act is small - especially if it looks like Donald Trump may lose his re-election bid. If that happens, Netanyahu will almost certainly move forward with annexationwhile he still has a reliable ally in the White House. However, such a move is likely to set off a firestorm of international condemnation and declarations of war from many of Israel's enemies. For decades, world leaders have feared an explosive war in the Middle East. We may be closer to such a war now thanwe've ever been before. While Israel's next war doesn't have to be one outlined in bible prophecy, several prophesied conflicts have yet to take place. These include conflicts that result in the destruction of Damascus (Isaiah 17), an attack from Israel's immediate neighbors(Psalm 83), and an invasion by a coalition that includes Russia, Iran, Turkey, and several other nations (Ezekiel 38-39). Could we be on the verge of one of these wars? We could. And Jesus pointed to "rumors of war" as a sign of His coming (Matthew 24:6). What You Should Do So with all that's taking place, what should you do? The answer is clear - make the most of the time you have left. If you're not a Christian, turn to Jesus now. He paid for your sins through His blood as shed on the cross. There is no other name by whichwe are saved (Acts 4:12). Jesus alone is the way to heaven (John 14:6), so turn to Him while you still can. If you're already Christian, don't fear the events of the Tribulation. Jesus promised to protect His followers from "the great time of testing that will come upon the whole world" (Revelation 3:10). But don't think that because you'll avoid the Tribulation,you won't face trials in this life. Jesus says you will. He says you'll face many trials and tribulations in this world, but don't let them bring you down, because He has overcome the world (John 16:33). Realize the rapture itself could be the next traumatic event to hit the world. Think of those left behind, the fear they'll have, and the world they'll be living in. Use that as motivation to spread the Gospel. Right now, more people than ever are seekingHim. God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose for them (Romans 8:28). World-shaking events like the COVID-19 pandemic are no exception. People have been shaken from their sense of security. It's in these moments when people seek God the most, because He can never be shaken. He's the rock you should build your life on (Psalm18:2). So take advantage of this moment and share your testimony, because Jesus is coming soon! Britt Gillette is author of the free ebook Coming to Jesus as well as the books Signs of the Second Coming & Racing Toward Armageddon.

Does God Care?

Does God Care? - Nathele Graham - twotug@embarqmail.com We live in very trying times. I admit that sometimes I get overwhelmed by what I see and hear on the news. Everything is bad and nothing is good. Doom and gloom. The heartsof men have grown cold, violence is everywhere, and evil is made to seem good. Many people blame God for all of this and question if He even cares. Does He care? The answer is in Scripture. Yes. God cares more than we can even imagine. Christians just mightsee God's love clearly if we stop focusing on the mega-media, left-wing lies and start looking at Scripture. How did people like Noah cope? He lived at a time when pure evil was all around, but instead of focusing on that evil he obeyed God and built the Ark.Because he was obedient to God, he and his family were protected through God's judgment. We can also look to the many prophets who lived in violent times but obediently served God and spoke His truth even if it caused them to suffer. Those brave and God-fearingmen didn't have CNN or MS-NBC to tell them what to think, so it was easier to hear God's voice. Sometimes we need to remind ourselves of some facts. God saw the future and gave prophecy so we can understand what's happening. Man's sin and Satan's lies causethe evil, but God's love brings forgiveness. If we look to Him, we will find peace. God created everything, and all of creation is evidence of His love. "[[To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.]] The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shewethhis handywork." Psalm 19:1. King David is an example of a man who saw God's glory and praised Him instead of seeing the troubles around and becoming discouraged. When David was young, he spent many hours tending sheep. This gave him time to observe God's creation. David was overwhelmed that God created such magnificent beauty. Tryto imagine looking up into the night sky and seeing the stars twinkling. There was no light pollution nor air pollution to hide their brilliance as David looked into the heavens. The fresh light of dawn was glorious without chem-trails covering the glow andthe setting sun had its own beauty. He praised God for His creation. David had a gift of song and he wrote of the beauty he saw. "[[To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of David.]] O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! Who hastset thy glory above the heavens." Psalm 8:1. English translations of Hebrew words don't always make the meaning clear. The word LORD is from the Hebrew word "Yehovah" and means "the existing One". It's considered the proper name of God Almighty. The secondword translated Lord, is 'adown and can mean a strong master or king, but we know refers to God because it follows Yehovah. Essentially, David is saying "Yehovah our Master, how great and majestic is Your name everywhere!". If we would be mindful of His glorywhich can be seen everywhere, we would understand how much He cares. David recognized that it isn't always the big, mighty people who make grand declarations of God, but even a child can bring us strength in the face of adversity. "Out ofthe mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger." Psalm 8:2. Babies are the epitome of innocence and weakness. We are like those "babes and sucklings" when it comes tothe spiritual battle against our adversary...Satan. With Christ we are able to stand against that evil with no fear. We need to understand that. When fear threatens to take our joy away, if we just take time to see God's glory in everything, our spirit willbe strengthened, and joy of the Lord will be restored. God cares enough to be our strength and shield. With all the evidence of God's might and majesty to be seen in the heavens and the earth, it's a bit intimidating to think that He also created man. Adam was created inGod's own image. "When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; what is man, that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than theangels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour." Psalm 8:3-5. We read the creation account in Genesis, and it seems as if it took very little effort to create the splendor we see today. "And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day,and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also." Genesis 1:16. Almost as an afterthought it's mentioned that He made the stars! Scientists are just recently discovering how many stars and galaxies there are. Although David couldn't see as faras the Hubble Telescope can, he was overwhelmed by the beauty he could see. No wonder David felt insignificant and wondered how God could even be mindful of sinners such as we humans. Even more amazing is that God did visit us in the form of Jesus Christ."And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." John 1:14. If God didn't care He would have left us to our sin, but He chose to humbly dwell among us and showus the way to salvation. He chose to sacrifice His life to purchase our salvation. He is the only way to eternal life. Not only does God care about mankind, but He has entrusted us with the care of His creation. "Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast putall things under his feet: all sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; the fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas." Psalm 8:6-8. We are to care for the environment and the animals, but we aren'tto worship the creation. We are only to worship God Almighty. The troubles in this world happen because people have stopped worshipping and honoring the Creator and worship the creation instead. That leads to unbounded sin. We see that sin unfolding today.Brothers and sisters, don't be led astray by what you see on the news. Every life matters to God and He gave His life for every person who has ever lived. Bow before Him only. "For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and everytongue shall confess to God." Romans 14:11. Paul quoted that from Isaiah 45:23 and it's still true today. Humbly bow before the Lord God Almighty, the Creator and Saviour. He cares about you and me and is worthy of all our praise. David ends this Psalm of wonder and praise by once again focusing upon God and who He is. "O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!" Psalm 8:9. "Yehovahour Master, how great and majestic is Your name everywhere!". We need to have reverence for Jesus and marvel at the wonders He made. More than that, we need to marvel at the salvation He offers. He humbled Himself and left the Heavenly realm to enter thisfallen world. Why? To save mankind from certain eternal death. Faith in Him is the only way to gain eternal life. "And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hathhighly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in the earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, tothe glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:8-11. God cares about you. He cares more than any human can fully understand. God Himself humbled Himself to become human and He sacrificed His life on the cross. That's more than caring, that's pure and perfectlove. Yes, God does care. When Adam sinned, there was a vast gulf created between God and humans. God had a plan to bridge that gulf. "For God so loved the world, that he gavehis only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16. Do you believe in Him? If not, why? He loves you and gave His life to purchase your salvation. Without faith in Him now, there will be no eternallife for you when you die. Prophecy tells us that life as we know it is about to come to an end. Christians will soon be Raptured and after that there will be hatred and violence on earth like never seen before. Only faith in the death, burial, and resurrectionof Jesus Christ will allow you to escape that final seven-year time period. If you haven't accepted His free gift of salvation, then you need to do that today. If you have, then you need to care enough about Him to live your life to honor Him. Instead of letting fear guide you and cause you to be angry with God because you think He doesn't care, think again. God cares....do you? God bless you all, Nathele Graham

Satan's World Government

Satan's World Government - By Daymond Duck - https://www.raptureready.com/2020/07/26/satans-world-government-by-daymond-duck/ I recently watched a Prophecy Watchers video of Gary Stearman interviewing Dr. Ken Johnson, author of The Ancient Dead Sea Scroll Calendar: And The Prophecies It Reveals. During the interview, Johnson said one scroll that is believed to be written by the Essenes says, "It's a serious sin to ignore Bible prophecy." There are at least 10 different verses in the Bible that tell everyone to watch for the return of Jesus. To know to do something and not do it is a sin (Matt. 7:26; James 4:17). I believe Satan's world government is shaping up, and here are several reasons why I believe that: One, persecution of believers is a major sign of the return of Jesus (Matt.24:9). Persecution is worse in Africa and Asia than it is in the U.S., but America has abandoned God, the world will soon be ruled by a Satan-worshipper (the Antichrist), he andhis False Prophet will try to enforce the UN global ethic (satanic one-world religion), and many pulpits are silent on these issues. In early July 2020, California Gov. Newsome temporarily banned singing and chanting in churches, and he limited indoor worship attendance to 25% of building capacity ora maximum of 100 attendees, whichever is the smallest amount. On July 13, 2020, Newsome ordered an immediate lockdown of all churches, restaurants, bars, fitness centers, barber shops and hair salons in the 30 hardest hit countiesuntil the State Public Health Officer decides to let them reopen. All worship services in these 30 counties, including in-home Church meetings, singing, Bible studies, etc., have been suspended, the number of California counties may beincreased, and there is no ending date for his order. Several politicians (mostly Democrats, but some Republicans) have refused to stop rioting, looting, and the destruction of property and statues in their area, and Newsomeis one of them. It has also been reported that Newsome's order to ban meetings in churches and homes does not ban protests, but specifically allows them. Who would have thought that some leaders in the U.S. would declare Church and in-home Church Bible Studies and prayer meetings illegal while, at the same time, they areallowing meetings of rioters, looters, and arsonists in the streets? Liberty Council is preparing to fight this on behalf of some pastors and churches, but they could use prayer and support; every person should know that this anti-Christattack upon God and His Church will not stop with 30 counties in California, and every person should remember it when election time rolls around. Two, Andy Stanley, son of Dr. Charles Stanley, pastor of North Point Ministriesin Atlanta, and host to about 30,000 people every Sunday, has suspended in-person worship for the remainder of 2020. Three, in its July/August 2020 issue, Chick Publications reported that PopeFrancis said, "Let us welcome this time of trial (this Coronavirus pandemic) as an opportunity to prepare for our collective (one-world government and religion) future. Because without an all-embracing vision there will be no future for anyone." Pope Francis is clearly doing the work of Satan by pushing for a world government and religion that will be led by Satan worshippers. Four, concerning lawlessness, on July 13, 2020, it was reported that GeorgeSoros will immediately funnel another $70 million through his foundations to the militant groups and activist groups that are demonstrating to transform the U.S., and he will funnel an additional $150 million to them over the next 5 years. There is no need to ask when will the rioting stop or what will it take to appease the rioters. Soros sees this transformation of the U.S. as something that will last for years, not something that will end anytime soon. According to the Bible, it will come to a sudden end at the Second Coming of Jesus. Five, on July 17, 2020, it was reported that protestor violence had beengoing on in Portland, Ore., for about 50 days and that Pres. Trump sent in federal agents to protect federal buildings and to detain people that damaged or defaced federal buildings, etc. Federal agents were using unmarked vehicles to find, detain and question people that were suspected of committing a crime. The mayor, a Democrat, addressed Pres. Trump this way, "Keep your troops (they are federal agents, not troops) in your own buildings, or have them leave our city." The Gov., also a Democrat, accused Trump of trying to win political points, and the Atty. Gen., another Democrat, threatened legal action. The demonstrators have been on a lawless rampage for weeks; and the politicians in charge, all Democrats, do not want it stopped. Six, concerning world government, on July 13, 2020, Sen. Chuck Grassleyexpressed concern that the Deep State in the U.S. has become so powerful that some people can commit political crimes and get away with it. He was referring to the fact that powerful politicians (Obama, Biden, Comey, Strzok, etc.) have come very close to toppling the President of the U.S., and nothing may bedone about it. Seven, it was recently (mid-July 2020) reported that Bill Gates will soonstart testing the first version of his program to identify (face scan, hand-scan, etc.), number, vaccinate and create a digital vaccination record on everyone on earth. Gates plans to start in remote, low-income areas in West Africa and move on to Europe, Asia and then the U.S. Gates' biggest concern is not creating a vaccine, not the technology, or anything like that. His biggest concern is people refusing to be vaccinated and using the government to deny them the right to hold a job, leave their house, buy, sell, etc. Some stores (Walmart for example), restaurants, etc., are now denying people the right to enter if they are not wearing a mask. Some doctor's offices and hospitals will not let people enter without a temperature check. Some cities are passing laws to prevent people from moving around if they are not wearing a mask. This is the beginning of not letting people buy and sell if they have not taken the Mark of the Beast. Eight, concerning famine: on July 15, 2020, it was reported that the UNFood and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said war, the economic impact of the Coronavirus (lost jobs, workers can't get in the fields, factories shut down, etc.), and natural disasters are causing a decline in food supplies and a rise in hunger and starvation. Severe undernourishment has increased everywhere except in Europe and North America (Matt. 24:7; Rev. 6:7-8). Nine, on July 14, 2020, it was reported that there is a shortage of aluminumcans in the U.S. because more people are prepping, and more people are eating at home due to the Coronavirus. Soups, sodas, and a few other products may be scarce for a while due to this lack of cans. Ten, concerning wars and rumors of wars: on July 16, 2020, U.S. Atty. Gen.Barr accused China of trying to bring down the U.S. and establish herself as the world's preeminent superpower. According to the Bible, the Kings of the East (China and her allies) will invade the Middle East during the Tribulation Period (Rev. 9:16, 16:12). Eleven, two weeks ago, I mentioned that the World Economic Forum (WEF) announced(on June 19, 2020) that it will hold its annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, in Jan. 2021, and the theme of the meeting will be the "Great Reset." This week, I read that Founder and Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab said, "Every country from China to the United States must participate, and every industry, from oil andgas to tech, must be transformed. In short, we need a 'Great Reset' of capitalism." We are less than 6 months away from a demand by powerful globalists that the life of everyone on earth be changed forever. Every nation, including China and the U.S., must (not should, must) submit to the New World Order (Satan's world government). I close by saying those that are truly trusting in Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins do not have anything to worry about, but time is running out, and those that arenot trusting Him could be in trouble. Bow your head; admit that you are a sinner; believe what the Bible says about the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus; ask for forgiveness; tell others that you havedone this. Prophecy Plus Ministries, Inc. Daymond & Rachel Duck

Where Sin Begins

Where Sin Begins - by Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds. -2 Corinthians 10:4 If my son were to sin against me, he wouldn't stop being my son. And when we sin against God, we don't cease being His sons and daughters. We are, however, prodigal sons and daughters. Of course, we like to blame everyone for our sin except ourselves. But we play a role in it. And if you think about the last time you gave in to any sin, you'll realize that it started inyour imagination. Then it led to an action. Paul wrote to the believers in Corinth, "But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ" (2 Corinthians11:3 NKJV). He also explained how to win this spiritual battle: "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thingthat exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:4-5 NKJV). Sin has ramifications. First, we feel the guilt-if our consciences are working, that is. Then we experience a dead feeling, which means that sin has done its work and has produced death. Wehaven't experienced separation from God in our relationship, but we have experienced separation from Him in our fellowship. So, when we sin, we need to restore that communication. We need to admit our sin, turn from it, and ask God to forgive us. 1 John 1:9 tells us, "But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithfuland just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness" (NLT). Whatever season we're in, we never can take a vacation from the spiritual battle. The devil doesn't take the day off from it, and we can't either.

Is There An Actual Hellfire?

Is There An Actual Hellfire? - By Pastor Mike Taylor - https://pastormiketaylor.blogspot.com/2020/07/is-there-actual-hellfire.html 13 "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in there at: 14Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." (Matthew 7:13-14) 14"Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descendinto it. 15And the mean man shall be brought down, and the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled: 16But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness." (Isaiah 5:14-16) There seems to be a great division on beliefs in the presence of what is called in the Bible, 'Hell" and if it actually exist. Just as Satan has propagated the supreme liethat he doesn't exist in the minds of those who are in rebellion against a Holy God, so does the same arch enemy of what is holy, tries to convince these same people that there is no such thing as "hell". Logically, they fool themselves thinking if there isno Satan, and no hell...what do I need with God anyways? Even some denominations and religious leaders diminish the horror of what hell really is! First, let me quote a minister that doesn't believe in an eternal hell and that God is a God of Love, "For centuries, many ministers have been preaching "hellfire and brimstone" sermons and promoting a religion of fear by teaching that the unsaved face an eternity of torture.The common teaching is that incorrigibly wicked people will be tormented forever in some fiery, macabre manner in a terrifying place called hell. This horrible fate usually conjures up in people's minds visions of an ever-burning hellfire where sinners arecontinually roasted on spits, and a devil with horns and a tail runs around sticking his captives with a pitchfork." Sadly, even this minister can't wrap his mind around a place the bible calls "HELL". They just can't believe that a God of love would banish anybody to such a place. It is hard to convince some folks that God is not only a God of love, but also the God of judgment. He is a God of justice, a God of consuming fire, and a God who will notallow sin into His presence. Are we talking about the same God who passed judgment on ancient people who rebelled against Him?. Do you mean the same God that told the Israelites when they entered Canaan to not spare man, woman, or child from the sword, butto slay them all? Do you mean that God? 2 "Ye shall utterly destroy all the places, wherein the nations which ye shall possess served their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every greentree: 3 And ye shall overthrow their altars, and break their pillars, and burn their groves with fire; and ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods, and destroy the namesof them out of that place."(Deuteronomy 12:2-3) God gave the Canaanites 400 years to repent of their evil, but when it came time, judgment fell upon them, and Israel was commanded to destroy them all. God is patient,but when judgment in finally arrives, no one wants to be in the way of God's wrath. STRANGE BELIEFS ABOUT HELL Some denomination and well meaning Christians believe that hell is a synonym of the grave. They go to great lengths to prove that Hades, the grave, and hell are all thesame thing. Then why does so many Old Testament and New Testament writers under the guidance of the Holy Spirit make so much about the wages of sin and the eternal destruction of the soul in hell? Let's take a journey to look at some of the scriptures thatpoint to the fallacy of not believing that the penalty for not having Jesus Christ cover your sins with His own shed blood is an eternal home in hell's unquenchable fire. EXACTLY WHAT IS HELL? The word "hell" appears 54 times in the Holy Bible. Hell is clearly defined in your Bible as a place of torment and burning. Only a fool who rejects what he reads wouldsay hell is the grave or only separation from God. But there are denominations that dismiss the concept of an eternal living hell, and those who try to make it a biblical metaphor and a loving God would not send anyone to such a place. But is that true? True,God is a loving God and He desires that all come to repentance and be saved. God does not send anyone to hell, YOU do and God gives them what they wanted, (separation from God for all eternity) " The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should cometo repentance." (2nd Peter 3:9) But God has a limit to His patience, as noted in many passages found in your Bible. But what does some of the leading religious leaders in our modern times believe about the concept of hell? What some have said about hell: Billy Graham - The fire is symbolic when Jesus talks about hell fire. He does not believe it is literal fire, but rather he believes the fire could possibly mean a burningthirst for God that is never quenched. Pope Benedict - Believes in literal hell fire that is eternal. Pope John Paul II - Heaven is not a physical place nor an abstraction, but that fullness with the communion with God. Hell is the ultimate consequence of sin itself. Hesays hell is not a place, but rather the state of those who freely and definitively separate themselves from God. Hell is symbolic. People that aren't "recognized" say it is separation from God, no fire. And then you have those troublemakers that agree withJesus and the rest of the testimony contained in the book. *Purgatory - An intermediate state between heaven and hell. You burn there until you are pure and then enter into heaven. (Studies in the book.com)(not found in the pages of your bible) "The people that are always trying to air condition hell are the ones that are going there." - Ruckman As mentioned, God does not send us to this place that Jesus spoke of where the worm dieth not, nor fire quenched. YOU DO, out of your own self will to reject a free offerof salvation found only in Jesus Christ you choose to live eternally in hell's torment. ' 43 "And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: 44Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 45And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: 46Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 47And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: 48Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." (Mark 9:43-48) Jesus was obviously not advocated to cut off a member of your body and a person that takes these verses literally, but making a point that if you live like the devil, youwill make your home with him in the end of time. He speaks of fire unquenchable and where the worm that eats your flesh, dies not. Jesus is quite literal here. Jesus speaks of a very descriptive place that our Lord does not wish to send anyone to, as that is not His will, but it is our will, our choice to reject the only provisionof escaping such a place. See, God hates sin and cannot be in its presence. God is love, and He extends that love when He sent His only Begotten Son to die in our place. So God's love is conditional in that He will only allow us into His presence on one condition, that our sins be forgiven. More on that in a minute. But let us explore. Isthere a penalty, a torment and a real place called hell? Jesus told His disciples concerning speaking the truth of God: 27 "What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops. 28And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 29Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. 30But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. 32Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. 33But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 10:27-33) So here I am speaking from the housetops using the internet to warn all who will listen about a place so horrible that I wouldn't want my worst enemy to endure. I am nothere to scare you, but to warn those of you who are listening with your spiritual ears......Realize that you are a flawed individual with a sin filled past, and born to sin as a nature of humanity...the only way to escape what I speak of is found in this message. Let us give you more biblical support for the truth God warned us about. WHERE IS HELL LOCATED? It is below your feet right now, in the heart of the earth !!! 9 Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thronesall the kings of the nations. 10 All they shall speak and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak as we? art thou become like unto us?"(Isaiah 14:9-10), " The way of life is above to the wise, that he may depart from hell beneath." (Proverbs 15:24) Jesus spoke of this very fact in the lesson of the Rich man and Lazarus. When Jesus spoke of the parable of the rich man and Lazarus being separated by a huge gulf and the rich man being in torment, was He just telling a story? Was He stretchingthe truth, just to make a point? Let's look at the passage. This is Jesus speaking. 16:19 "There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: 16:20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 16:21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 16:22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; 16:23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 16:24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented inthis flame."(Luke 1:19-24) Notice that those in Paradise have names, such as Abraham and Lazarus..but the "rich man" is nameless, faceless and is anybody who rejects the free gift of salvation foundin Jesus Christ could be this person. (could this be you?) Our Lord was sinless and only told what is true, it would make sense that He would not tell a falsehood, just to make a point. Jesus spoke of things spiritual that werebeing played out in the natural realm. Do we think that He was just joking and He didn't mean it as He spoke it, and exactly as we take it? This place of the abode of the dead, encompassed hell and paradise, as the above verses speak of, but Jesus emptiedParadise when He was raised from the dead. 8 "Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 9(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 10He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things)." (Ephesians 4:8-10) Where Jesus took those whose abode was Paradise, is for God to know, but we know that since Jesus was crucified and descended into the lower parts of the earth, to revealHimself as the Messiah, to those who entered into this temporary place of rest, were removed somewhere in the third heaven. But hell and it's torment is still there, as it has not been emptied as of yet. Did you know that below your feet are millions and millions and millions of souls crying, screaming, weeping, wailing, and gnashing on their teeth, and begging for a dropof water for their tongue because they are tormented without rest with fire and brimstone and they know they are not getting out? Did you know the only consolation one can find in hell is to think about (which I assume is hard to do because of the torture)one's life on earth (Luke 16:24-25)? It's not like it is here on the surface, but those who died without Jesus Christ as Savior, or looked for Him coming in the future, ended up here in a spiritual realm of separation from God and are in torment... WHAT HELL IS LIKE The Party in Hell has been canceled due to fire ..... 11 "And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.(Matthew 8:12), Jesus speaks of this awful place further in Matthew 22:13, 24:51, 25:30, 13:28). IN fact, Jesus spoke more of the dangers of hellfire than He did about the coming Kingdomof God. Some impudent people speak of joining their friends for a party in hell, but there will be no joy, no happiness, no light, no love, no friendships, and no party in hell........only torment! Scripture gives us details about hell. There is darkness, weeping and gashing of teeth (2 Samuel 22:6, Psalm 18:5) There are sorrows in hell (Job 11:8 ) Hell is deep (Psalm 86:13) Lowest hell (Psalm 116:3 ) There is pain in hell (James 3:6) Your tongue is set on fire in hell (Isaiah 33:10-17 ) There is a devouring fire, and everlasting burnings (Matthew 25:41 ) Everlasting Fire (Revelation 14:9-12, 20:10) You are tormented with fire and brimstone in God's presence (Revelation 21:8) It is a lake of fire and that is the second death Who goes to hell? (Psalm 9:17, Psalm 55:15) All the wicked and all the nations that forget God (Proverbs 27:20) Hell is never full (Isaiah 5:14) Hell has enlarged herselfto make room (Isaiah 14:15 )The Devil will go there - he is not there yet, but he will be. (Revelation 20:10 Ezekiel 31:16-17) Cast into hell (2 Peter 2:4) The angels that sinned have been cast down to hell, and are chained there until the day of judgment (Revelation 20:11-15, Isaiah 24:17-23 ) The angels that have yet to sin and rebel will be shut up in hell (Revelation 11:7, 17:8) The Antichrist is right now in the bottomless pit and will descend out of the bottomlesspit, but will be thrown into the Lake of Fire when Jesus comes to put down all rebellion and sets up His Kingdom. The Anti-Christ will be possessed by Satan, but for now, the AC is not revealed until the timing is right in God's plan for mankind. AND finally........ Whoever is not found in the book of life, 14 "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." (Revelation 20:14-15) That's just a quick glimpse of the huge amount of scriptural support and I encourage you to take a bible in hand and look at each verse, the surrounding context and proveto yourself the concept of a devil's hell waiting for those who reject the only provision of escaping this eternal doom and everlasting destruction. THE MAJORITY OF MANKIND WILL GO TO HELL But with all these biblical verses to support the truth of the concept of hell spoken in your Bibles, a majority of mankind will end up going to this awful place. Why? Freewill and being deceived by Satan the devil. Men revel in their wickedness and the lust of the flesh. Those who reject God's provision will have to face the consequence of their own choice. We can accept His offer of salvation, or reject it. Unfortunately,most human beings will reject Jesus the Messiah. They will not obey Him. In this generation, more than 90 per cent of the worlds population are outright idol worshipers, godless, secular or atheists. Remember when God destroyed the world by a devastating flood in the Antediluvian age of Noah? He only saved 8 souls and some animals (2 by 2 of unclean and 7 each of cleananimals) to repopulate the earth. So when God judges this earth again by fire, sadly only a remnant of all the people who have ever lived will find their way to heaven and the goal of salvation. SOME BELIEVE THE SOUL OF MAN WILL BE ANNIHILATED? There are some Christian fundamental churches that believe that when God sends those who have not accepted His free pardon and offer of His grace and mercy, found in Hisonly Son, they will cease to exist and be destroyed. They don't believe that men will be tormented for all eternity in a devil's hell. They believe they will be annihilated and will be no more, either in body or in spirit. But what is the truth found in yourBible? Does the spirit of man live on even after death? Some believe that they do not...they point to what Solomon said: " For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten." (Ecclesiastes 9:5) They call this soul sleep, meaning the mortal man is forgotten and knows nothing, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. True, the mortal body dies and goes to dust,but does that mean that the spirit is not still alive and fully conscious? Let me refer you to these websites that supports what I have believed and gives many more scriptures that prove that man at his creation, each of us, are created in the image of Godand at that moment will live forever, either in a glorious state, or a eternally damned state of separation from God. https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Fire-Of-Hell https://www.compellingtruth.org/human-soul-mortal-immortal.html https://www.compellingtruth.org/annihilationism.html https://www.openbible.info/topics/hellfire "Without a doubt the human soul is immortal. This is clearly seen in many Scriptures in both the Old and New Testaments: Psalm 22:26; 23:6; 49:7-9; Ecclesiastes 12:7; Daniel12:2-3; Matthew 25:46; and 1 Corinthians 15:12-19. Daniel 12:2 says, "Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt." Similarly, Jesus Himself said referring to the sheep and goatjudgment: 41 "Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 For I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: 43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. 44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? 45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. 46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.(Matthew 25:46). With the same Greek word used to refer to both "punishment" and "life," it is clear that both the wicked and the righteous have an eternal/immortal soul. The unmistakable teaching of the Bible is that all people, whether they are saved or lost, will exist eternally, in either heaven or hell. True life or spiritual life doesnot cease when our fleshly bodies pass away in death. Our souls will live forever, either in the presence of God in heaven if we are saved, or in punishment in hell if we reject God's gift of salvation. In fact, the promise of the Bible is that not only willour souls live forever, but also that our bodies will be resurrected. This hope of a bodily resurrection is at the very heart of the Christian faith. 12 "Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: 14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. 15 Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. 16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: 17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. 18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable."(1 Corinthians 15:12-19). "While all souls are immortal, it is important to remember that we are not eternal in the same way that God is. God is the only truly eternal being in that He alone is withouta beginning or end. God has always existed and will always continue to exist. All other sentient creatures, whether they are human or angelic, are finite in that they had a beginning. While our souls will live forever once we come into being, the Bible doesnot support the concept that our souls have always existed. Our souls are immortal, as that is how God created them, but they did have a beginning; there was a time they did not exist." (Gotquestions.org) So taking that thought further, if we are to always live after creation in some form, whether physical or spirit, then each man and woman must decide where they wish tospend eternity. Remember, the reason any of us were born is to make a decision of what we will do concerning the Man/God Jesus Christ...will we accept His gift of salvation bought in His own blood, or by our own free will and rebellion, refuse that gift andexclude our sins being forgiven? 6 "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him." (Romans 5:6-9) BOOK OF REVELATION DESCRIBES MANKIND'S ETERNAL HOME Prophecy in your bible consist of 26-27% of fulfilled and unfilled prophecy. Many of the Old Testament prophecies have been fulfilled, some are waiting to be fulfilled.But Revelation past the 3rd chapter is prophecy of the future. But the end result of the whole of the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ is where men choose to spend eternity...either in glory with God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, or banishedto outer darkness and cast alive into what the Bible calls the "Lake of Fire". 4 "And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the wordof God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection." (Revelation 20:4-5) A glorious picture of those who have overcome this world by the blood of the Lamb. It speaks of the first resurrection that began with Jesus resurrection and will end whenHe comes to set up His Kingdom for a 1000 years. Fast forward from Revelation chapter 4 of the 24 elders sitting on thrones, a clear picture of the Church rewarded and sitting on thrones, now we sit in judgment of men and angels as Paul spoke of in 1st Corinthians: 2 "Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 3, Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?" (1st Corinthians 6:2-3) The book speaks of a glorious future for those who have accepted Jesus as personal Savior, but it also gives a damning description of those who reject Him. GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT OF GOD This is found at the Great White Throne judgment that brings all the lost of all the generations of mankind, from the beginning of creation till the last person born humanon earth. 12 "And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged outof those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." (Revelation 20:12-15) What are these books that are opened that God will judge all of mankind that have rejected His free offer of mercy and grace? My discernment on that is they are the booksof your Bible...God's Word. It was designed and written as a love letter telling about God's love for mankind, sending His only Begotten Son to die in our place and to save them from their sins. But now, they are opened as their judge. They have committedthe "unpardonable sin" that cannot be forgiven. They have rejected the only way to enter into the presence of God Almighty, Jesus Christ and refused the call of God's Holy Spirit that was drawing them to a knowledge of their condition and need for a Savior. 16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." (John 3:16-19) If anything is certain about the future, there is a judgment according to whether they accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior or reject that message, for all who ever livedand died. How can anyone who reads the words of his bible and ask God to give him discernment of what those words mean, take their own "immortal" soul and risk spending eternity away from all source of goodness, love, joy, peace and happiness and spend ina devil's hell? I've often wondered when I read these words, when God talks about the "Lake of Fire", what could be the source or synonymous of that everlasting punishment?.Obviously, itis very hot and causing excruciating torment for those who are so unfortunate to receive this for their banishment from the presence of a Holy God. The Bible is clear of its eternal destruction of the soul's of men. I don't know, but theorize it would be somethingalong the lines of our own sun. It is thermo-nuclear and we don't know what the interior of that ball of exploding gases are comprised of....but think of it, how would a person endure being at the center of something like our sun? Would you even want to know? JESUS SHOWED US THE WAY But take heart, my reader. You don't have to spend eternity in a devil's hell and be cast into a "lake of Fire" to endure torment and separation from God for all eternity.For at the end of the Book of your bible, there is an invitation to all who will listen to the call of the Holy Spirit: 16 "I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. 17And the Spirit and the bride (the redeemed church) say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take thewater of life freely." (Revelation 22:16-17) How can we know the way? 6Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 7If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him." (John 14:6-7) I beseech all who read this message, to open your heart and your mind, and let the Holy Spirit who is calling all who will listen to repent of their sins, and change theirmind about the life they have been living, to embrace Jesus, the Son of the Living God who died for your sins and mine. 8 "But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10:8-13) 2 "(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)"(2nd Corinthians 6:2) Make no mistake, to do otherwise will bring you to the edge of hell, as the mouth of hell has opened it's mouth wide to receive you. This is Pastor Mike Taylor, praying for your redemption through the only way to enter heaven's glory, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. If you need counseling, prayer, orjust a listening ear, email me at pastormiketaylor@yahoo.com, God bless you all until hopefully, WE MEET AT JESUS FEET

Who Can You Trust?

Who Can You Trust? - By Grant Phillips - https://www.raptureready.com/2020/07/25/who-can-you-trust-by-grant-phillips/ I have read for years, from several reputable Bible scholars, that there are over 7,000 promises in the Bible. Think about that number for a while. That's a lot of promises!More so, God actually keeps His promises, unlike you and me! From our youth through our adulthood, how many times has someone promised us something but failed to deliver? How many times have we done the same? Some folks are betterat keeping their promises than others, but none of us can say we have kept them all. God says what He means and means what He says. Maybe some find that hard to believe since we live in a world that is far from perfect. However, we can't, or at least shouldn't,judge God based upon the failures of mankind. Every promise and/or prophecy that God has made has either been fulfilled or will be. His success rate is 100%. He does not lie and He always keeps His promises. "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me'" (John 14:6). Jesus emphatically declares that He is the only way to the Father. In other words, He is the only way to be saved and go to Heaven. He also emphatically declares that Heis the truth. Thirdly, in this passage, Jesus emphatically declares that He is life. Only in Jesus can we be assured that we can be saved, by hearing and accepting the truth, and have eternal life. Now some will say, "Just because He said it doesn't meanit's true." However, those who have put their faith in Jesus alone know they can depend on Him because He lives within them. "Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep,as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no manis able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one" (John 10:25-30). God has made many promises, as previously stated. For example, He has informed us that: We are all sinners (Romans 3:23), and sin will be judged (Romans 6:23). He gives us eternal life if we accept Jesus (John 3:16; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9). Those who believe are heirs with Jesus (Romans 8:17). Heaven is our home (John 14:1-4). The world is going to be judged (Revelation 4-20). In Heaven we will have no more tears, death, sorrow, crying or pain (Revelation 21:4). God states in His Word that He is God. Following are a few examples. "To you it was shown, that you might know that the LORD Himself is God; there is none other besides Him" (Deuteronomy 4:35). "'Now see that I, even I, am He, And there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; Nor is there any who can deliver from My hand" (Deuteronomy32:39). "I am the LORD, and there is no other; There is no God besides Me. I will gird you, though you have not known Me, That they may know from the rising of the sun to its settingThat there is none besides Me. I am the LORD, and there is no other" (Isaiah 45:5-6). "Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other" (Isaiah 45:22). "Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me" (Isaiah 46:9). Some will shy away from God in the Old Testament because they think He is too stringent. They want the loving God in the New Testament, but He is the same God. Apparently,they have never read His book called Revelation. "For I am the LORD, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob" (Malachi 3:6). "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever" (Hebrews 13:8). In the Old Testament, God tells Moses to tell the children of Israel that His name is "I AM." "Then Moses said to God, 'Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they say to me, 'What is His name?'what shall I say to them?'" And God said to Moses, 'I AM WHO I AM.' And He said, 'Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you'" (Exodus 3:13-14). Now in the New Testament, Jesus tells the children of Israel that His name is "I AM." "Jesus said to them, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM'" (John 8:58). Well now, must be the same God in both Old and New Testaments. Jesus Christ is either God or the biggest charlatan who has ever walked the earth. You don't have to believe it, but what if you're wrong? Personally, I and millions ofothers know He is God because His Spirit lives within us. We know He is coming for us, and we wait with great anticipation. Turn to Him today. You can trust HIM! Grant Phillips

Peace and Safety in Perspective

Peace and Safety in Perspective - By Terry James - https://www.raptureready.com/2020/07/29/peace-and-safety-in-perspective-by-terry-james/ The prophetic cry for peace and safety is almost always seen as involving fear generated by the threat of the breakout of war. Particularly, the prophecy is thought to bescheduled to emerge to the forefront of end-times conditions as Christ's return nears. Further, that almost universal cry is believed by many to be centered around the fear of war breaking out because of Israel confronting its immediately surrounding, hostileneighbors. The following prophecy by the apostle Paul frames the matter: But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. (1 Thessalonians 5:1-3) The apostle's use of pronouns makes it clear that he delineates between the people he is addressing (fellow believers) and "them"-those upon whom sudden judgment is scheduledto fall. And, incidentally, this is exactly the same pronouncement Jesus makes upon the rebellious generation when He next catastrophically intervenes. (Read Luke 17:26-30.) This means that the judgment of God is meant for those who don't know Christ for salvation and who will be crying for "peace and safety" when the "day of the Lord" is introducedby a "thief in the night" intervention. The question then arises: Why does Paul say that "of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you"? He then goes on to tell us that we know perfectly well that the 'thief in the night" experience will introduce the day of the Lord. He says further that this time will bemarked by "they" who will be crying for "peace and safety." This being a heads-up to us-Paul's "brethren"; that is, Christians-it is essential to understand the matter of "peace and safety." This is how we can know the general timeframe of the "thief in the night" event. Folks, that's the time of the Rapture! We should, Paul tells us, "know perfectly well" that when they are crying "peace and safety," the Rapture is at hand. Judgment will then fall on those who aren't our "brethren,"the lost who will be left behind when Jesus calls to the Church. We've been hearing for decades the "cry for peace and safety." The efforts to bring about peace in the world, particularly, in the Middle East, are legendary. The efforthas been never ending, yet there are wars and rumors of war, and the quest goes on. I want us to consider this matter from a different perspective for a moment. There is a cry for peace and safety by the world's populations at this very time in history. As a matter of fact, the fear of war being waged by the tiny entity called COVID-19is so great that it shut down the entire movement of earth's peoples for the most part. It has more than 90 percent of people in America believing they must wear masks to survive the battle against the coronavirus. Media and governments tell us we must stay sheltered and apart from each other until a vaccine is developed and vaccinations are mandated and injected. The world is crying"peace and safety" in a way never witnessed. They want freedom of fear from an enemy they can't even see. Christians are also crying for "peace and safety." It is, however, for a much more profound sort. Almost every email I receive from those who look at the world through the lens of Bible prophecy are expressing their wishes for Christ to Rapture His own. They want toescape the things they see about to overwhelm this judgment-bound planet. They want the peace and safety offered by the glory of Heaven. It is a righteous cry for help. Let's take heart with great anticipation as we see that day approaching. Let's look with thoughts of the "blessed hope" of Titus 2:13 at the balance of the prophecy Paulleft believers with before he departed for Heaven through the Romans' sword of beheading. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night,nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faithand love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Wherefore comfort yourselves together,and edify one another, even as also ye do. (1 Thessalonians 5:4-11)