Philippians 4:4-4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
Paul says it again. When something is stated twice in a row, we need to pay close attention. REJOICE! There is nothing that matters more than our God! Whatever your circumstance REJOICE! I don’t care if it is good or bad, because the fact is you’re a child of God and nothing else combined compares to that. Reflect and Rejoice!
Do not let the cares of this world keep you from our God.
Most recently Kirk Cameron was on Piers Morgan. He stated that he believed that gay marriage is unnatural. He also stood by his conviction that abortion is wrong under any circumstance.
As a result he has taken a lot of heat. What did he say that was wrong? He’s accused of hate.
The only thing Kirk Cameron did was tell his moral convictions on his beliefs. This is what labeled Kirk Cameron a person of hate in America today. Speaking of being an American, Fran Drescher said Kirk needs to rethink what it is to be an American. Obviously we know that Fran believes that it’s not okay to speak your moral conviction in public, unless of course it’s her own.
Kirk explains that he doesn’t hate, but his mission is to love all people.
There are a couple of verses that stick out to me on this matter.
John 15:18 – 18 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.
Isaiah 5:20-21 – 20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. 21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes
and clever in their own sight.
Proverbs 14:12 – 12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.
Proverbs 16:25 – 25 There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.
When God uses a name twice it’s to really get attention. What about when the wisest man uses the exact same verse twice?
Romans 1:21-27- 21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.
26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.
The world gnashes its teeth at God. The worldly don’t want God but to be the god’s of their own lives. Kirk Cameron is being attacked in his obedience to the Word and he was being very nice about it. However, Satan doesn’t like nice and he is in a battle with our Lord.
Will your heart come to Jesus and do what’s right and be attacked by the world or will you follow the world and accept its path.
Luke 12:8-9- 8 “I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God. 9 But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God.
We need to stick up for what’s right. God Bless you Kirk and as believers we’ll keep you in our prayers.
Psalm 36:1-2 – 1 An oracle is within my heart
concerning the sinfulness of the wicked:
There is no fear of God
before his eyes.
2 For in his own eyes he flatters himself
too much to detect or hate his sin.
In these last days we have been able to see before our very eyes over the last 5 or 6 decades the erosion of respect for our Lord.
As people get further away and are not taught about God they lose the reverence for the Creator. They have no fear.
Should you fear the Creator who made you that can ultimately decide everything of your eternal future in your life?
Yes. A reverent fear is biblical and would be wise. It keeps us on the right track.
Arrogance has overwhelmed the United States and its people as a whole. We are entitled to everything. We’re told were the best and have no basis for any type of reality. History is nothing that bold arrogant people ever want to hear about unless were just speaking about 80-90 years ago. Then you hear about how they pulled out of the depression and everything goes on in cycles.
What about the ultimate cycle. Countries, governments, royalty, all come and go. Nobody wants to ponder on that because we are a positive thinking culture. Reality is we’re broke and it can’t be paid back. The only thing that helps America is the whole world is broke and now is tied together.
It’s not hard to see how the antichrist is going have access to the whole world as it is going to have to come together just to survive mass anarchy. He will have the temporary answers and those without God will love him.
America has lost its reverence and fear of the Lord and therefore has lost its wisdom.
Proverbs 1:7 – 7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
The arrogance I read in people commenting after reading articles is amazing. The television and it’s mocking of anything good and biblical is atrocious.
They are listening to their pioneer leader. He despised wisdom and discipline. Satan had no fear of God.
It’s been awhile since I wrote on this topic. I have a lot of posts on support for the pre-trib rapture. There is a lot that I ended up writing on, because there is so much in God’s Word. If you are curious to know what those are, just go over to the categories and select on Rapture. You will need to go quite a ways back as I wrote on them in the first six months of my blog. Also if you put a search for pre-trib most of them will come up that way too.
Today I want to talk on some of Paul’s verses to the Thessalonians.
2 Thessalonians 2:1-2 – 1 Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, 2 not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come.
If the Thessalonians were worried they missed the rapture and it was supposed to be at the end when Christ comes back during the second coming, does that make sense? These guys studied and believed Jesus was the Messiah and that he is coming back to rule and reign like it says in Daniel, Zechariah and Isaiah as well as other prophets. If they missed it, they were still over in the vicinity of where Jesus is coming to rule and reign, not on the other side of the earth.
So why were they worried that they missed it if none of the other signs of the second coming had happened yet. Those are the things that Paul was reminding them about.
It appears to me that they had the idea that the Lord’s return was imminent. They believed nothing had to proceed before the Lord could come back and take his own to be with Him.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18-16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage each other with these words.
One of the most important parts of these verses that get overlooked is the last verse. Therefore encourage each other with these words.
I supposed lots of people can get encouraged about many different things. If you told me I had to try to endure to the very end of the Tribulation before the rapture, I don’t know how encouraging that would be.
I find it more encouraging to hear these words.
1Thessalonians 5:9 – 9 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.
I’m encouraged by those words.
I’m not encouraged by these words though.
Revelations 13:5-8 –5 The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two months. 6 He opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. 7 He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. 8 All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.
9 He who has an ear, let him hear.
10 If anyone is to go into captivity,
into captivity he will go.
If anyone is to be killed with the sword,
with the sword he will be killed.
This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints.
Now I believe the Tribulation saints are the ones who accept Jesus after the rapture, not the church.
I would not be encouraged if the Beast was given power to make war with the saints and conquer them (us). I don’t know how 1 Thessalonians 5:9 works into this either. Also we’re told the gates of hell would not prevail against the Church.
Matthew 16: – 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.
If the Beast is allowed to prevail over the church, does this not cause some problems with words of Jesus above. However, if the Church is gone and these are the saints after the rapture, that’s not the case.
There’s a lot of other things that support the pre-trib rapture as stated before. I just was motivated to write on this today.
1 John 1:5 – 5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.
God has given us, like He always does, a great parallel to understand darkness. We have light on this earth that is produced by the sun or light generated by sources. We have all been in very dark rooms or outside where we are literally blinded.
God and Jesus are light. There is no darkness in them. Satan on the other hand is the prince of darkness. Does that mean we can’t see him? No. The further you get away from the light, the darker it becomes.
Darkness is a form of not understanding God or His ways. That is when you hear the term spiritual darkness.
When we try to reach others who don’t have the Lord, we’re trying to reach a place with no light. We are trying to shine God’s light so they may see or understand. We’re trying to light a wick and hope that if it ignites and starts to burn and hope it won’t blow out too quickly. We want it to become a constant burning flame fueled by the Word.
John 1:1-5 – 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning.
3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
As Christians who have come to know the Truth, it can be hard to fathom how the devil can be around so long and yet not understand that He’s lost the war. He’s seen prophecy after prophecy happen and yet refuses to accept it. That’s because he is in darkness. How can people today have a book explaining the end times and those who don’t believe in it still follow it? Because they are in darkness. They are far away from God and the further they get away, the darker their understanding becomes. It’s like spiritual amnesia.
God is Light, Jesus is Light, and the Holy Spirit is Light. There is no darkness in Them. Without them we are all in darkness. They are the Ones who bring us back. That is why it says there is a way that seems right unto man but in the end it leads to death. Everyone needs the Lord.
Deuteronomy 3:6 – 6 We completely destroyed them, as we had done with Sihon king of Heshbon, destroying every city—men, women and children. 7 But all the livestock and the plunder from their cities we carried off for ourselves.
The Jews were told to destroy all women, men, and children. Why? Because the corruption against God and how they were supposed to live had gotten to that point where it was detestable. If the Israelites went in after just killing the men and soldiers, the women and children would have worked their detestable beliefs and ways into the Israelites. God didn’t want bad apples spoiling the bunch.
Man struggles with this idea. People who don’t know or love the Lord don’t believe they should have to live any one particular way anyways. So when they read this they think it’s terrible.
The reason they think it is terrible is because they sympathize with the enemies of God instead of sympathizing with God.
God didn’t allow the Israelites to destroy nations until they got to be evil enough in His Eyes.
Genesis 15:16- 16 In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.”
So what happens further down the road to the Israelites? They eventually let some of those live who the Lord said to get rid of and sure enough, they corrupted the Israelites and led them astray from God’s law and Word. What was the result of that? They also got temporarily removed themselves after things got bad enough.
Today, stronger than ever we become more corrupt as a nation. Sin shows up at the door and no one does anything about it. Thirty years later that sin becomes accepted. In democracy people seem to prefer voting on rather they think something is right or wrong, instead of looking at God’s Word.
The one thing man has learned from history is man never learns from history.
3 John 1:11 – 11 Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.
So now becomes; what is good?
Luke 18:19 – 19 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone.
God is good! Jesus is good as He is God in the flesh.
So we need to do what God and Jesus want to be good. Not good works that a man considers good, but what God thinks is good.
On the other hand, he who does evil has not seen God.
Let’s focus on God and what he wants. After all when we’re dead here and standing in front of Him that is all that’s going to matter.
I know that I sound like a broken record at times, but it’s amazing how much of the New Testament is about the redundant things I keep writing about. I believe as humans we try to ignore the obvious, so the obvious gets mentioned a hundred times throughout the New Testament.
I just wanted for you all to read Psalm 22 and once again reflect on David’s prophecy concerning the betrayal and crucifixion of Jesus. It really became obvious in hindsight. I’m sure in the past it read like David was making a poem about hard times and adversity, finishing with the Lord’s final rule. Once Jesus lived the accounts, it became obvious that it was a fulfilled prophecy. We serve an awesome God.
Psalm 22:1-31 –
1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?
2 O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent.
3 Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the praise of Israel.
4 In you our fathers put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them.
5 They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed.
6 But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people.
7 All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads:
8 “He trusts in the LORD; let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.”
9 Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you even at my mother’s breast.
10 From birth I was cast upon you; from my mother’s womb you have been my God.
11 Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help.
12 Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.
13 Roaring lions tearing their prey open their mouths wide against me.
14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax;
it has melted away within me.
15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death.
16 Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet.
17 I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me.
18 They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.
19 But you, O LORD, be not far off; O my Strength, come quickly to help me.
20 Deliver my life from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dogs.
21 Rescue me from the mouth of the lions; save me from the horns of the wild oxen.
22 I will declare your name to my brothers; in the congregation I will praise you.
23 You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!
24 For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.
25 From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly; before those who fear you will I fulfill my vows.
26 The poor will eat and be satisfied; they who seek the LORD will praise him— may your hearts live forever!
27 All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him,
28 for dominion belongs to the LORD and he rules over the nations.
29 All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before him—
those who cannot keep themselves alive.
30 Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord.
31 They will proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn— for he has done it.
I’m posting a link to a recent Seattle Times article – Just click on the colored text to view.
After reading it I felt a need to email my thoughts and they are below in todays post so please read the article first.
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Just read the article and had to comment.
First Shalom. I pray for the peace of Israel. I am not the majority and it’s getting worse that believe the Jews are done with God like many so called replacement theology Christians. God made a promise and that
promise will be kept. We can count on that just like all of His literal promises in the Bible.
Your article says the Old Testament (ours) only mentions it twice. You fail to mention the following:
Genesis 19:4-7 – 4 Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom—both young and old—surrounded the house. 5 They called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them.”
6 Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him 7 and said, “No, my friends. Don’t do this
wicked thing.
The angels were heading down because the wickedness was crying out and then this is the account before they leave and it is destroyed. I understand that man will do or say whatever he wants and the Bible isn’t going to stop them. However, those who choose to believe parts and ignore others are not seeking God’s Truth, but what fits best for them.
These scriptures are in your Torah (which some Jews only wish to acknowledge), let alone the Old Testament. I believe if a Jew believes in the whole Old Testament and seeks the scriptures literally the only conclusion is Jesus as the Messiah.
Because I see the scriptures as literal, Jesus will rule and reign on David’s Throne just like it says in Zechariah. They will look onto Me the one they have pierced and I will forever be their Lord.
Zechariah 12:7-10 – 7 “The LORD will save the dwellings of Judah first, so that the honor of the house of David and of Jerusalem’s inhabitants may not be greater than that of Judah. 8 On that day the
LORD will shield those who live in Jerusalem, so that the feeblest among them will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the Angel of the LORD going before them. 9 On that day I will
set out to destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem.
10 “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns
for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.
This is at the end of Armageddon and Jesus returns. That time is getting closer as Israel is finding itself once again with no allies.
The New Testament has other scriptures outlining that Homosexuality is wrong.
My only purpose for writing this is not to have you believe my way, but to closely seek what the scriptures say is God’s way. That’s the only way that will matter once we’re done with life here.
1 Corinthians 6:1-2 – 1 If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the saints? 2 Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases?
In the sue happy world we live in we need to remember this; the world is bent on greed and injustice. It’s never their fault but always that of someone else. We can’t as believers be taking other believers to have disputes being decided by the unbelievers. We need to work together for resolution and find other believers to help hash it out. The only time it doesn’t usually work out is when a believer doesn’t want to act like one.
The Lord indicates that overcomers will sit with Him at His throne. He also indicates at least some will help judge and rule the nations.
Revelation 2:26-29 – 26 To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations— 27 ‘He will rule them with an iron scepter; he will dash them to pieces like pottery’-just as I have received authority from my Father. 28 I will also give him the morning star. 29 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
Revelation 3:21- 21 To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.
Matthew 19:28 – 28 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Luke 22:28-30 – 28 You are those who have stood by me in my trials. 29 And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, 30 so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
The Lord has indicated many times that there are those who will share on His throne. We are heirs and have to remember that and seek our Lord whole-heartedly.