The Power of Fasting

 This message was delivered in New Zealand by Derek Prince, who had the interesting life of being born in India with an English citizenship, and yet died in Israel—and taught the Bible everywhere in between.  The subject, “Spiritual Secret that few people practice today,” caught my eye.  It opened a key in my heart, maybe it will in yours.  His words, not mine, are briefly shortened here. He begins:

Though this key to answered prayer is clearly presented often in the Bible, the majority of Christians are unaware that it exists.  The failure to use this key is one major source of ineffectiveness in the Body of Christ (i.e., the “Body” is the universal Church, bought by His Blood, sold out in faith to Him).  Let’s turn to the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus is giving instruction in how to pray, etc.  Note two parallel passages in Matthew 6:5-6 and 6:16-17:

“And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues…. ⁶ But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door,..

“Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they…. ¹⁷ But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face…

Both passages begin with a negative, then give the proper way to do it.  He asserts that the close parallel suggests that the two acts should be done together to increase the power of prayer.  Jesus definitely taught fasting (He said “when you fast.”) Fasting is associated many times with prayer in Scripture, as we shall see.

He mentions two predecessors who arrived at a similar conclusion: Martin Luther and John Wesley. Wesley’s journal said “I am persuaded that if a Christian understood the need to fast, and does not fast, he will backslide just as surely as if he were convicted about prayer, and does not pray.”  Wesley would not ordain to the ministry any man who does not commit himself to fast twice a week, not to eat breakfast or lunch on those days.  That was a basic requirement to gain close access to the Lord.

You may say, What’s the use of fasting?  To deny me pleasure?  To give me pain?  There are doubtless many purposes, but Mr. Prince will only deal with one: It is a God-appointed way to humble ourselves.  The greatest single barrier to the Lord is pride; and anything that will get that barrier out of the way will facilitate getting closer to God’s heart.  Andrew Murray’s book Humility spoke to him on the subject of pride. A verse from Scripture echoes that.  See Luke 14:11:

For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

The best example of that verse is Jesus and Satan.  Jesus had a humble birth and childhood; He did not demand services from His followers.  He died as a lowly criminal. And God highly exalted Him (Philippians 2:9). Satan, on the other hand, though a created being, wanted equality with God.  He also wanted to be victor over Jesus. But he fell (Luke 10:18).

Realize that God never says that He will humble us, so we should not pray that.  God always tells us to humble ourselves.  John Bunyan said “He that is down need fear no fall.  He that is low, no pride. He that is humble ever shall have God be at his side.”

Anything that enables us to humble ourselves is a priceless blessing—even if it isn’t always enjoyable at the time.  And one of the biblically appointed ways to humble ourselves is by fasting. We’ll prove that starting with Psalm 35:13:

I humbled my soul with fasting

Your soul is the arrogant part of you, the egoistic part.  It has three functions:  the will, the intellect, and the emotions.  You say, or think often: “I want…I think...I feel.”  God reacts to this selfness by saying, in Scripture, “What you want, think, or feel, aren’t important.  What’s important is My will; and if you’re going to willingly align yourself with less of my will, then you’ve got to deal with your soul; and one way to do that is by fasting.

Prince said “I heard from a lawyer who decided to fast.  The day was a miserable day of pleasant smells that he couldn’t indulge himself.  So at the end of the day, he gave his stomach a lecture: “Now, stomach, you’ve made a lot of trouble for me today, so for that I’m going to punish you; I’m going to fast tomorrow as well.”” A good example of endurance.  Humbling your soul is bringing it into subjection.  Fasting gives you control over the stomach.  The stomach is a wonderful servant—but a terrible master.  Broadening that, who is the master in your life; you or your fleshly cravings?  When you choose right, you eventually come under the blessing of God.  And you don’t do hard choices once; it needs to repeat and become a habit.  If you become arrogant, God puts some distance from you—and you will feel it.  God will tell you that “I can see that you want your way.”

A relevant verse is Leviticus 16:29-31, which was written by Moses.  For background, this chapter provides the ordinances of the Day of Atonement, or Yom Kippur—the most sacred day in the Jewish calendar. It’s their sacrifice to make atonement for their national sins (not to be confused with Passover).  The future of their nation depended on their participation in that sacrifice—but that does not mean they do a sacrifice individually—the priest does it on behalf of the nation.  God requires their response to be that they shall “afflict their souls,” or, really, “humble their souls.”

“This shall be a statute forever for you: In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls…. ³⁰ For on that day the priest shall make atonement for you, to cleanse you, that you may be clean from all your sins before the Lord. ³¹ It is a sabbath of solemn rest for you, and you shall afflict your souls. It is a statute forever.

Note that the priest does the sacrifice; they did not arrange it, and, what’s even more important for today, it was outside their power to provide.  It came from God’s grace.  BUT—they could not benefit from the sacrifice unless they met God’s condition, and humbled their souls.

That is true for us as Christians.  The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross is complete.  We could never add anything to it; but again, if we are to benefit from it, we must meet God’s condition of humility.  Note how the Jews have always defined the phrase “afflict your souls:” In Acts 27:9, this same sacred day of humbling and repentance is called The Fast.  This proves that God’s requirement for humility involves fasting. God wants us to present, or submit, our body.

Generally, fasting means no food, but water is OK.  How you fast is up to you to decide.

To continue, later, after the disobedient Jews were forced into exile by their enemies, they obtained permission to bring a remnant from Babylon to the land of Israel.  Ezra led a group on a four-month journey back to the Promised Land.  They had to travel, unarmed, through robbers and brigand territory.  Keep in mind, Ezra had women and children along—and the precious vessels of the temple, crafted of fine burnished metal.  How to get safe passage?  He proclaimed a fast in Babylon before he began, as Ezra 8:21 says:

Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions.

So their trip was without incident.  We find another insight if we read on to verse 22-23:

For I was ashamed to request of the king an escort of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy on the road, because we had spoken to the king, saying, “The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him.” So we fasted and entreated our God for this, and He answered our prayer.

Ezra is backing his spoken testimony that their fasting provoked God to act on their behalf, so he didn’t request any help from the king for safety.  God will put you in a position to see if you really believe in your testimony, too, on occasion. They did indeed go through the trip safely. Mr. Prince accounted his own experience, moving with a large family through war and famine and surviving--after he fasted and prayed, regularly.

He speculated, then, of the possibility of the judgment of God on his host country, New Zealand.  What should they do if that is prophesied to come down?  They should fast and humble themselves before their God. He then got back to Scripture and spoke of the wicked Ahab and Jezebel leading Israel to idolatry and wickedness. The prophet Elijah confronted him and pronounced God’s judgment on him. In I Kings 21, he told him that every male in his family would be destroyed.  So there would be no heir to the throne from his family, an important thing; so Ahab did some real thinking.  Read what Ahab did in I Kings 21:27-29.  It shows Ahab doing the right thing, finally, and it shows God’s mercy: The key was his fear of God made him humble himself before Him:

So it was, when Ahab heard those words, that he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his body, and fasted and lay in sackcloth, and went about mourning. ²⁸ And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, ²⁹ “See how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the calamity in his days. In the days of his son I will bring the calamity on his house.”

If fasting (we assume that from “mourning”) and humbling himself could do that for wicked Ahab, what could it do for us?  We should never consider ourselves as too ashamed of our sin to still appeal to Him for help—if we fear Him enough to humble ourselves.

Yet another example is in the book of Jonah.  God told him to just walk around in Ninevah and proclaim judgment on the wicked city in only 40 days.  It was another story of how he finally got around to doing that, but in any event, Ninevah—after listening to only one sermon repeatedly preached by a stranger, truly fasted and humbled themselves, and God once again offered grace and relief from that judgment.  The Word of God is so powerful on them in Jonah 3:6-10:

⁶ Then word came to the king of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes. ⁷ And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying,

Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; do not let them eat, or drink water. ⁸ But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. ⁹ Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish? ¹⁰ Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it.

Can you imagine such a thing happening today with presidents or prime ministers?  Earnest prayer and fasting could make that happen, too.  The Holy Spirit can shake off our complacency. Praise God for His mercy side, as well as for His judgment side.  I have to warn you, there are bad endings to stories, too, in Scripture, where people ignored God’s judgment—and paid the price.

Yet another great story (you should tell your children these wonderful stories) is in Esther.  Haman had persuaded the king, Xerxes I, to issue a decree, that was unalterable, to kill all Jews in all 127 provinces in his vast Persian kingdom (modern day Iran+)—which stretched from India to Ethiopia.  This would wipe out just about all Jews there were, since most everything civilized in the earth was in his kingdom, except the Far East.  Esther, the queen, was a Jewess, though the king did not know it.  When Mordecai told her of this upcoming tragedy, she did the right thing:  read Esther 4:16:

¹⁶ “Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!”

We can expect that it was because of their fasting and humbling themselves before the Lord, that she concocted a brilliant plan.  Together with God giving the king a sleepless night and just happening to read the “Daily Events” Journal on the right past date (that would ordinarily put me to sleep), God turned the whole thing around—and their enemies were the ones killed.  This story, with the Hitchcockian twists and turns, is exciting reading.  Without the Jews, there would be no Redeemer, Jesus the Christ.  And what was the turning point?  Their fast.  It would be impossible to exaggerate fasting as a changer of the course of history—even now.

The New Testament likewise speaks of the power of fasting.  In II Corinthians 6:4-5, Paul is forced to defend himself before a skeptical people, offering his proofs of apostleship.  He cites many things to offer proof.  Note one of them:

⁴ But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much ^[a]patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, ⁵ in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings;

He believed in its importance. He does the same thing in II Corinthians 11:23ff.  This still has power in ministry today, Mr. Prince spoke of his own inner conviction that God laid strongly on his heart, right after he was saved, that he should fast.  This was before he read Wesley’s journals, before he was aware of that theme in the Scriptures. above.  He testified that it was only through that, that he made great spiritual progress.

The experiences related in Acts 13 have been called the beginning of a missionary program. It is the first sending forth of apostles in Acts.  Notice the prelude: what did they do to plead God for success in opening hearts to the Gospel?  Fasting and prayer, of course.  As recorded in vv1-4:

Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon…and Saul. ² As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” ³ Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away. ⁴ So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit…

So, did they think out a plan for something attractive to draw the heathen?  Maybe decided on a “seeker-friendly” church?  No, they fasted. They took their own hands and their own plans off, and waited for Him to give the next move.  God responded to them, picked His right guys, and sent the Holy Spirit out and convicted many hearts to turn to Him.  Acts 13 is a turning point in the church.

Very seldom does the church today seek God’s strategy.  We take Plans for Church Growth class in seminary, rather than seeking His plan.  So church growth has stopped in almost all developed nations.  The early church knew they had to take time off, even from eating, and beg to hear God.  What He desires to initiate, if we let Him, He finishes. His results are always good.  Note how, after fasting to obtain God’s will, they fasted a second time, this time to commit those two men to carry out God’s will.  Then they laid on hands before sending them forth.  Note how the Holy Spirit accompanies (the Greek meaning of “sent out”) them.  How much sweeter can you get than that you pursue your ministry accompanied by the Holy Spirit?  At that time, they were called prophets and teachers.  But in Acts 14:14, they were called apostles.  They were able to perform miracles, they were an effective proxy for Christ.  That’s what we could do, change lives.  If we would only begin at their beginning. Mr. Prince believes we could have an apostolic ministry too.

They brought disciples to the Lord where they visited cities, Later those churches were ready to appoint elders in each local body for government.  The proper procedure is elucidated in Acts 14:21-23.  Note the necessary key:

And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, ²² strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.” ²³ So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

So elders are fasted and prayed for, too. Thus, the two most critical offices in the early church, apostles and elders, were arrived at through fasting and prayer.  We pray, but do not fast and humble ourselves.  Why not use this effective plan of the fastest growing church in world history, today?  Can you beat what they did?  They turned the violent (and vast) Roman Empire into a Christian empire in under 300 years. Why not use such a successful plan again?  It’s clearly God’s plan, since it seeks His face.  Do we assume that a “modern” way is better?  Do you think God has changed, and become more “modern”?  A note here; appointing elders seems to be preferred to electing them. Hmm.

Let’s end by quoting II Chronicles 7:14, which gets back to that parallel word, humble:

if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

May God help us to turn away from compliance to the world, believe in hell for the unsaved, and in no other way than Christ, seek deliverance, and may He teach us to humble ourselves before Him and fast whenever there is a decision to be made—and to do His word to us when we look for it often.  Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

Vaccines, Chips, and the Mark of the Beast

  

I’ve been listening to a great series of messages by Dalton Thomas, from Frontier Alliance International, on the subject of end times. Since End-Times Scripture is focused on the Middle East, he is well-positioned to speak, being an American citizen spreading the Gospel in Golan Heights-along with a mentor, Joel Richardson, who has written several popular books such as The Islamic Antichrist.  So I would like to give you his take on end times, with my explanations, a Cliff’s Notes, as it were, of his lecture title, “The Mark of the Beast, Pandemic of Coronavirus, and the New World Order.”

 

Mr. Thomas, first, is responding to the fear expressed in Facebook, in emails, on whether the world-wide pandemic, and the vaccine, are a "mark of the beast," or will bring about a global restructuring, a New World Order. People are also worried about taking a “chip” to bring about a cashless society.  Some people are anxiety-prone, responding to hyper-sensationalism and news of conspiracies. But Scripture backs up a high level of concern for those days. 

 

Let's clarify a couple of things on this term "the mark of the beast."  The "beast," first of all, is another name for the antichrist, the man (I Think he's a man) who would rule the world in the End Times.  Just to give you a picture of him, see Revelation 13:4-6:

So they (a large number of people in the world) worshiped the dragon (another name for Satan) who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?” ⁵ And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. ⁶ Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven.

The beast will be victorious in war, and he hates God, since he is basically a son of Satan.  He kills Christians and Jews, and he commits the terrible sin of blasphemy against God. 

The "mark" of the beast is found in Revelation 13:16-18:

He (the beast) causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, ¹⁷ and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. ¹⁸ Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.

This anticipates the beast will have control of the monetary exchange system throughout the world.  While that doesn't seem possible, here's a related fact:  the Federal Reserve just announced (Sep 2022) that they will build a "Fed Now" system starting in July of 2023.  This system happens to also be the infrastructure of the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) system.  Under that CBDC system, all "checkbook" and credit card transactions will be run through the Federal Reserve, a government central bank--higher than all other banks.  The government could throw a thousand dollars into your account a day after the President announces a stimulus, unlike the stimulus checks they sent out or placed into your bank during the pandemic--which took several months to get done, and was a huge burden on the IRS.  While that idea seems great, here's the downside:  They would know your income, when you receive it; they would know what your expenses are, and how much you are in debt.  They could take money away from your account and give to some group that is poorer, discriminated against in the past, or just because they don't like your conservative views.  Or just because they need the other groups' votes.  It's interesting that China is the only larger country that has this system in place.  And it's also true, though, that with facial-recognition cameras everywhere, they can track your every move there.  Monitoring is the name of the game.  Dissenters are put away in China.  So what I'm saying, is, that the "beast" will lay hands on that system in the U.S. too--and everywhere else in the world.  As computers are continually speeded up, it's probably not a large step to gather information in the world vs one country only.

Here's another eye-opener on the "mark:"  God's reaction to those who go along with the mark is contained in Revelation 14:9-10:

Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb

It is clear that God considers it an act of worshipping the beast if you take his mark. And you would go to hell.  Well, for Christians, what is the alternative?  What if we don't take the mark?  That would be a terrible inconvenience.  One possibility would be a barter system.  If you have a talent for a certain good or service, you would exchange it for another person with a talent for another good or service that you need.  But for services, that would have to be a search done locally to find your person.  In some cases, you would have to pay gas money to travel farther away to find your person.  That's expensive--even worse if you don't have gas cars! Goods bartering can mostly be mailed, but at extra expense.  That would take trust for the opposite person to come through with their half of the deal. Here's hoping you wouldn't get scammed by not getting a return mailing.  IF the internet is allowed, you get on a barter system and offer up such an exchange.  If you don't find someone, you might have to learn how to fix it on You Tube, or a facetime helper. Or you live without it.

If the internet is banned, structures radically change.  With no easy correspondence, you have to phone several people, or write to get what you need.  For frequent needs, such as food, you would have to have a food grower locally.  You might have a lot of people moving to rural areas.

With all of this, I would imagine your standard of living would drop like a stone, since you would only be able, given the time-consumption and high costs, to pursue searching for only absolute necessities--food, shelter, or clothing--and maybe using, and repairing, only absolutely necessary appliances.  Paying stuff, if not services of your own, might involve gold or silver. I have no idea where students have anything to offer for an advanced education, or how medical services can possibly be paid for--especially by seniors, who some cold-hearted person may say, have "nothing to offer--they're just eaters."  Since God's Word says that those days are lacking love, you might see Christians as the only ones who have empathy; they would all draw closer, banding together for these things.  Hopefully they can thus reduce the scams, the spy games, the betrayal, the unreliable, and the lazy who don't do a good job. Note Bible verses like Matthew 24:10-12, which say that people would "betray one another...kill one another, and...the love of many will grow cold."

So what I'm saying is, to stay off the beast's bandwagon, you have to "get off the grid," or get off money.  It's a lot of inconvenience and a lot of work, but it can be done. I'd strongly suggest reducing living standards now, to pay off debt.  This increases free cash, and the increased costs would be less of an obstacle.

A big question that might arise in your mind is, "why does God consider that if I take the mark--an economic event--I'm necessarily committing an act of worship?"  What if I hate the beast, just take the mark, and yet I continue praying to God?  Isn't that all right? The answer is, first of all, Whatever God says, we do it, on faith that He knows best because He loves us.  If He says "here is my command, if you break it I will send you to hell," He doesn't lie; He will do it.  He is sovereign; He is the Judge of all the earth, and we have to pay attention to His standards.  I know that doesn't satisfy many people; we like to ask God "why?"  I don't advise that--it's mistrusting Him, it's judging Him.  He never did answer Job's complaint over why He allowed terrible things to happen to that godly man.  (But He led all of us to think about it, which is good).  Perhaps I could offer a humble answer for the rational mind:  Look at the definition of idolatry, according to Dr. Steven R. Cook:

Idolatry is the selfish sin of substitution in which we devote ourselves to something or someone in the place of God.  It is foremost a sin of a covetous heart that leads us to desire more than what God provides us, and to trust something or someone other than God to satisfy our wants and needs.

The "beast," remember, blasphemes God.  He will speak clearly that taking the mark is his way, and not taking it is God's "ridiculous idea."  Looking at that last sentence above, clearly acceding to the mark, given the angel warning, is definitely against God and preferring your life over God's sacrificial life for Him. We are thus bowing to the beast, liking his solution for our needs better than God's difficult or "partial" solution for our needs.  (We need to redefine "needs," though.)  God's idea, "no mark," the sacrifice in our standard of living is great.  But sacrifice is a way of life for those who love Christ.  Idolatry is a great sin; look at Revelation 21:8:

But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

Taking a vaccine or merely choosing an economic convenience like a chip, with no discriminatory comments or anti-God boasting, or totalitarianism involved, do not meet up to the "mark's" idolatrous worship.  God will not allow you to get sneaked into something where Satan says "Ha!  Now I got you."  No, God expects you to make a free choice against Him before you deserve hell.

Mr. Thomas adds that with the rise of Islam and their goal of making a 10-nation caliphate (another blog upcoming), and the responses of each government to the pandemic, we are indeed restructuring society. He makes it clear, though, that the vaccine or “chip” to go cashless are NOT the mark of the beast, then begins Scripture proof of this.

 

First, the Scripture is about the Middle East; so when we’re focusing on end-time events, we should be focusing on changes there, not in the Western Hemisphere, or in one country. Scripture clearly indicates the "mark" thing is a worldwide thing. Fact is, no political leader or techno CEO or health department from the USA or Germany, for instance, will implement the mark of the beast. The idea of having everyone take the “mark,” or the number 666, will come after a worldwide military buildup of power by this probably Islamic ruler, as Thomas believes--and his rulership of the world will affect every nation, every person, on the globe for at least 3-1/2 years.  Thus, as far as what is important in end times, the world no longer revolves around the United States or the EU.  We’re not saying the U.S. is irrelevant—but the point is, the U.S., in end times, is not in the Bible anywhere, so we conclude that it is not a worldwide military power anymore.  The focus is on Jerusalem, the city of the Great King, which the antichrist loves to do his damage in, using surrounding Islamic nations. 

 

We need a “baptism of study" in the Bible to know what to expect in our earthly future, and turn away from pop culture or people that just want to sell books to people they hope are Scripturally ignorant. We don’t have to fear as the world fears if we know His Word—therein is His truth.  It is our ignorance that breeds fear; our anxiety is way too great, comparing it to the truly horrible events of the future.  We Christians should not moan about how we are persecuted now, considering how we might someday be persecuted to death, to martyrdom. We desperately need to get regularly into the Word, get a daily relationship with God, to prepare ourselves for what’s coming.  Let’s continue our study with Revelation 13:4-10:

 

So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”...⁷ It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. ⁸ All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world...Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

 

A big question is: Why do so many people love the beast?  Since Revelation 6 and Matthew 24 speak of continual war, “nation against nation,” there are people who get stressed out of all the war and seeing death and knowing that their friends and family have lost a loved one.  They just want peace and order, and will allow violating their privacy. to obtain it They fear the beast so much that they learn to submit and let him set the rules. At the same time, hey will be happy that he could be successful militarily that he could restore order to us.  He will deceive us, and make us think that he is benevolent.  Only when he attacks Jerusalem is his satanic nature exposed.  Even then, most people don’t know (or don’t care) that he is the Scriptural beast, since most won't believe the Bible.  I suspect this is shockingly true. People will still revere him even if he blasphemed God and proceeded to make war with the saints. These  will pay dearly for this compliance to evil.  For most of them, their names “have not been written in the Book of Life.”  They will be in hell when they die.  They wanted a calmer life in the present, not thinking about eternity. Don’t let this be you. 

 

A second aspect of the verses above:  God will actually give the devil (the dragon) worldwide authority, even to kill the people of God, which Satan passes along to his 'son,' the beast. How could God do that? Is God not loving? But I ask you, who opens the seals in Revelation 6 for the horrible things to come?  Jesus, the Lamb of God. So the truth is, God does this to test our faithfulness to Him.

Consider Deuteronomy 13:1-3:

 

“If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, ² and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods’—which you have not known—‘and let us serve them,’ ³ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

 

This life-or-death testing by God is a heavy reality, but very true nonetheless.  This testing by God messes with our theology, but that’s because we’ve had it so good that we’ve developed “easy believism” in our “cotton candy Christian culture,” and don’t know of the two sides of God. As Paul says it in Romans 11, “consider the goodness and severity of God.”  Difficult times are coming; this will be the most severe possible test by God.  We must hold onto our faith, knowing by faith that He will win in the end, that He has ultimate sovereignty.  But remember, this testing at its worst will last for only 42 months. If we want heaven, we should not take up a sword as resistance to evil; that’s the way of the world. Note Jesus, who did not resist the Cross. We can flee to a remote place, but if confronted, we give all allegiance to God and none to the beast, whatever it costs. Be willing to be a captive; be willing to be slain.  Just endure in faith—even to the end of your life, if need be. Such brave and noble behavior could be an astounding testimony as well. The greatest harvest of new saints to heaven in the past came upon the martyrdom of His children.  God may call upon us to suffer—but is the servant greater than his master?  If Jesus suffered, shall we not also expect to suffer?

 

About the “mark,” Mr. Thomas adds (assuming the beast is Islam):  In the past, when Islam took over rule, those that wouldn’t bow to Allah were subjugated to second class—it was difficult to get a good job, hard to travel, especially internationally. They had to pay what they called the “jizya tax,” an extra tax, and had the letter “N” on their house (infidel worshippers of the Nazarene, Jesus).  Islamic governments rewarded their neighbors for spying on them.  Their rights as to freedom of speech would go away, their lawyers would have to learn Islamic law in court.  They became part of the house of the 'unfaithful.' It was simply a test of what God they would worship, and were they faithful enough to suffer for their God?  Perhaps when the antichrist, who might also be Islamic, takes over, Satan, or the beast, wants worship the same way.  So the “mark,” besides the ban on buying or selling, really asks: Can you live low in society, refusing to worship the antichrist, enduring for Christ, or do you bow to the beast and the dragon (Satan), and take the mark?    

 

So, do you do whatever you can to hang onto life and your worldly possessions, on an admittedly deranged earth, followed by an eternity in hell—or do you decide for suffering, perhaps dying, for a short period, for God, who will reward you with heaven? Who do you worship?  God cannot have any mercy on you if you have chosen to depend on the beast rather than God for your needs. Joining a group that is different, that is fanatical for a God that is letting His people die by the thousands, a group that is hated by most, would require a lot of faith.  Maybe God could send an angel giving food to you as a miracle of prayer—but probably that won't happen often. Sticking together with other Christians is probably what He wants.  Since it might be tempting to avoid all that life-endangering risk and take the mark, we must resist the urge, we must endure and have radical faith that God means every word He says. 

 

Another proof that you’re not going to hell by currently taking a vaccine, or a chip for a cashless society:  The last 7 years of life on earth is detailed in Scripture, and the real "mark" is explicitly mentioned as being in the second half of those 7. So the real question is, how can I tell when the 7 years begins?  Then I can count forward 3-1/2 years, and then start looking for the mark. 

 

For proof, Scripture explicitly divides the 7 years in two. See Daniel 9:27:

 

Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one seven; But in the middle of the seven He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate,..

 

Here’s what happens in the first 3-1/2 years (another trio of blogs I have here explains this in detail).  It begins with a covenant of peace that the antichrist makes with the Jews.  He adheres to that for the first 3-1/2 years, also those years are called “the beginning of sorrows.” There will be many wars (but not the War to End All Wars, or Armageddon); there will be a huge increase in three other things: deception, famine, and earthquakes.  True, we have those 4 things sporadically even now—just not so many at once. Unfortunately, because these events happen off and on now, they cannot be signs for when the 7 years begin.  Only the covenant is an effective time test as to when the 7 years begin.  Start counting ahead for 3-1/2 years there.  You cannot be fearful of anybody calling something "the mark” during the first 3-1/2. Ignore their "prophecies."  Remember, again, even in the first 3-1/2 years of the 7, the antichrist is deceptively appearing as a friend to Jews and Christians, so he will not lower the "boom" on Christians during "peacetime."

 

The real hurt happens in the second 3-1/2 year, the tribulation.  Look what Daniel 7:25 says about it:

 

He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, And shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time.

 

Get ready to hide, if you can.  The saints, all those who believe and follow the Lord (and the Jews), are hunted down and killed for 3-1/2 years.  This period is so important that from Revelation 6 to almost the end of the book, all the events take place in that second 3-1/2 years.  We know the 3-1/2 years is true because in Revelation 11:2, 12:6 and 12:14 all refer to periods called, variously, “time, times, and half a time”--and “1260 days,” which is 3-1/2 years, and of course, “42 months,” which is also 3-1/2 years.  This is how it will go. Right after the first 3-1/2 years is over, right after the increases in wars, famine, and earthquakes, then the deadly last 3-1/2 years is going to begin. What is the big event that starts it?  The answer is, in Revelation 11, in the city of Jerusalem.  It is attacked and trampled down, and the Jews flee—then you can start counting the last 3-1/2 years.  Measure it. The rapture, the Coming of Our Lord immediately follows that.  He is worth the suffering for 3-1/2 years, believe me. An eternity in heaven we get in exchange.

 

For a little more detail at the midpoint, the antichrist blasphemes on the altar of the restored temple in Jerusalem, see Matthew 24:15:

 

“Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), ¹⁶ “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

 

What is this “abomination?”  Maybe he sacrifices a pig on the altar in the holy of holies, perhaps he erects an altar to himself. In any event, many Jews in Jerusalem are able to figure it out—they take flight, knowing he will go on a killing spree.  Consider Zechariah 14:1-2: 

 

Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, and your spoil will be divided in your midst.² For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; the city shall be taken, the houses rifled, And the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, but the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

 

Half (those who stay) will go into captivity.  The other half? Slain, fled, or hidden.  Only a small “remnant” is left there.  His saints, see Daniel 7:25, should also flee urban areas, since he is gunning for them too, and it is easier to kill those who are dense in number.  He is worse than Hitler, worse than Nero, worse than the Inquisition, all rolled together.  At the beginning of the second 3-1/2, the beginning of tribulation, upon blaspheming the Jews’ holy site, his true self is unmasked; he is an enemy of Jews, and Christians. 

Now you look for the mark he demands. 

 

Looking back for context, Revelation 12 has a broader storyline—it tells of the birth of Jesus, in metaphors. It reminds you of Genesis 3:15, of the conflict of Jesus and the devil.  Satan has tried throughout history to oppose God, but in this last 3-1/2 years, there is unprecedented war that Satan brings on Christ’s followers and on the Jews. See Revelation 12:12:

 

Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”

   

You need to know that even now, with Kurdish groups under the oppression of Turkish proxy groups, or with Shia groups occupying Sunni populations in Syria, in those places you cannot buy or sell unless you take a knee to their Islamic religion and Shiite law.  But this one country problem is not the end time.  Isis did much damage, despite being a small band of rogue jihadists.  Imagine the damage that could be done by a 10-nation confederacy of jihadists with their scripture leading them to bloodlust, bent on one thing—killing and destroying. 

 

If we are living in this time of the invasion of Jerusalem, we know that this second 42 months, despite its horrors, is just before the edge of Eternity, the final countdown.  Those living then are on the brink of the glorious age to come, months away from heaven, to be (with those who loved Christ who died earlier) with our just and victorious and loving Lord forever.  A time of excitement, not fear. That rapture event happens on the Day of the Lord.

 

To quote Mr. Thomas, “the Day of the Lord is very great and very terrible. It’s going to be the most glorious hour of human history, but also the most difficult, terrible and challenging hour of human history.” It’s the great clash of the extremes. This is not about vaccines, which are minor; we’re talking about mass bloodshed, mass jihad, mass subjugation of the people of God. 

 

Mr. Thomas also makes a shocking statement:  He mentions the pre-tribulation rapture theory; he calls it “so destructive.”  If you have plans for being raptured while those on earth are clueless for a solution, during this horrible time, then think again.  You are wrong. You should start thinking about how to spiritually survive if you have to endure the tribulation. If your pre-trib wishes are wrong and you have not prepared, how can you educate your spouse or your kids correctly, or speak prophetically to the church, and how you can best mentally prepare those around you for the terror that could happen (followed by the best that could happen)?  Are you assuming this won’t be your concern—it’s irrelevant? “That’s what's destructive,”  Mr. Thomas says. The Book of Revelation repeats many times a call to endurance for the saints.  How can you line this up with the doctrine that God intends to rescue us painlessly beforehand?

 

Keep one thing in mind:  Yes, “it was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them.”  (Rev. 13:7).  But who is the ultimate overcomer?  We His children are:  As Rev. 12:11 says:

 

And they (saints) overcame him (the antichrist) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.

 

This is how we obtain victory.  We simply set our mind to follow a crucified Messiah.  We shall be victors with Him.

 

Even better than this, thanks to Jesus, He raises our bodies as new bodies in His rapture to be with Him forever.  So we are the ultimate overcomers. So we must know this:  Self-defense by gathering guns and vigilante troops will kill, and God commands against that. Scripture only allows fleeing your enemy.  Your primary job is not self-defense, it is spiritual endurance and preparing your family as well. Keep in mind your revenge is this:  you will be in heaven, if you act righteously, but they will be in hell.  Unless they repent.  If you kill them, they will not have a chance to repent.  Vengeance is God’s.  Do not worry about giving up your life.  You will live again, in a much better body.  

 

Heaven

 Do you believe in heaven?  The Bible, God’s Word, attests to the reality of it, over 600 times; and it gives us some details about its location and who is there, and of course, which persons go there (and who doesn’t, and goes to hell—that’s also a real place.)  Grace Bible Church and Ministries do an excellent job of laying out Scriptural proof about heaven.  It doesn’t answer questions the Bible doesn’t answer, such as “will my dog go to heaven?”  We leave that for those who speculate, hoping they can sell more books.  The Bible doesn’t give much detail on things that we really want to know.  If it did, I suspect more people would go to fortune-tellers or attend seances, which are expressly forbidden by God in His Word. We should focus on what are the requirements for US to get there, since Scripture indicates clearly about that—and that a minority of people get there (Matthew 7:13-14), This lecture by one of their senior pastors does a great job of explaining, first of all, what’s between us and God’s heaven.  Let’s get into the details.

II Corinthians 12:2-4 says:

 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I donot know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven. ³ And I know such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— ⁴ how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. 

This passage indicates that there are three heavens in total, one immediately above the other.  The highest, the third heaven, is the place of the personal dwelling of God—the most sacred place in the universe. The words uttered there are so sacred that they cannot be repeated outside that sphere.  We get a view of it from Nehemiah 9:6:

You alone are the Lord; You have made heaven,
The heaven of heavens, with all their host, The earth and everything on it,
The seas and all that is in them, And You preserve them all.
The host of heaven worships You.

There are strange creatures there, worshiping God; see Revelation 4:6-8:

Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. ⁷ The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. ⁸ The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying:

“Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!”

By the way, God did not create these creatures to dispense flattery.  Flattery is, after all, telling lies to make someone feel better about themselves.  These creatures are speaking the truth, in an attitude of pure worship.

And let’s not forget the seraphim and cherubim. These angels are definitely different, and are also noted for worship, and are mentioned in Isaiah 6:1-3 and Ezekiel 10:3:

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. ² Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. ³ And one cried to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!”

 

Now the cherubim were standing on the south side of the temple when the man went in, and the cloud filled the inner court. ⁴ Then the glory of the Lord went up from the cherub, and paused over the threshold of the temple; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the Lord’s glory. ⁵ And the sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard even in the outer court, like the voice of Almighty God when He speaks.

Just a word of note, cherubim are also a decoration on the Ark of the Covenant (Exodus 25:17ff).  Cherubim, holding flaming swords, prevented Adam and Eve from re-entering Eden after they sinned (Genesis 3:24).

Revelation also introduces us to an area called “mid-heaven” called the “midst of heaven.”  This describes some sort of area in which different types of beings come and go, The following verses describe various powerful beings who proclaim themselves from the mid-heaven.  Such as Revelation 8:13, 14:6, and 19:17:

And I looked, and I heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven (literally mid-heaven), saying with a loud voice, “Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!”

Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven (literally mid-heaven), having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people—

Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven (literally mid-heaven), “Come and gather together for the supper of the great God,

The Greek word used for mid-heaven is “mesauranema.” It is not vague in location; it really means “mid-heaven.” It seems reasonable to conclude that this is the second heaven.  We might assume finally that the visible heaven, including what we can see of space, all that is visible to our natural eyesight, is the first heaven.

Looking again at our three verses above, one thing they have in common, they are all sent by God for His purposes. This makes sense, since hat word is derived from the Greek “angelos,” which is the standard word for messenger.  Therefore angels are considered messengers sent from heaven.  A good example is the angel Gabriel, who in Daniel 8 and 9 explains future events to Daniel.  But that’s not the only purpose of angels.

Scripture lets us know that there are also evil angels sent forth by Satan for his purposes.  Sometimes there are conflicts among these two groups of angels.  These are described in the book of Daniel.  The angel bringing Daniel a message in the 10th chapter is unnamed, (could be Gabriel again), but when the evil angels against him are stronger, he gets help from Michael, a warrior angel.  The evil angel is called the “prince” of Persia (modern day Iran).  It’s possible that a stronger evil angel, a “king,’ was asked to help fight the angel Michael, who has greater power than the messenger angel.  The verses are in Daniel 10:11-13:

And he (a messenger angel) said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you.” While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling. ¹² Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. ¹³ But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia.

The term "archangel," a higher good angel, is used in I Thessalonians 4 and Jude 9.  Michael here is called a "chief prince."  So it’s possible that there is a hierarchy of warrior angels, both good and evil (since the evil ones are called "prince" and "king"), classified by their power on both sides.  It’s also possible that smarter evil individual angels are in charge of countries, and they are responsible for enticing men in that city or country to greater evil.

The inescapable fact confronts us that our world lies beneath a scene of conflict.  God, according to other Scriptures, sometimes restrains Satan—sometimes using His angels to do that.  And sometimes He does not--if he sees the wickedness of men to be too great (see Romans 1 for the phrase "gave them up"). Satan has evil desires for our lives, to ruin it by enticing us to sin, to even to kill us.  It is also true, however, that all angels, evil and good, are immortal, and the evil angels can persuade people to commit such sin and such blindness to Christ that they effectively take our soul.  While our lives run to their end, we have the ability to choose which side of each moral decision we are confronted with, to make; so that determines which side, God or Satan, gain more control over our behavior.  Little by little, we thus choose our ultimate destination, heaven or hell.

The angels sent forth by God have three main tasks:  As already stated, some are His messengers, and some are warriors.  Thirdly, there are God’s agents, sent forth to protect those who may be in danger--these are normally described as guardian angels.  Matthew 18:10 says:

“Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.

In this verse, we see that the Father’s watchful eye directs those angels on behalf of potentially vulnerable children.

I have to say, at this point, that when tragedy happens to children, or to anybody, it does not mean that “God does not exist” or “God messed up.” We do not know all we should about sorrow and suffering that happen in our lives. If it is a child, it could be a comfort to know that God will always accept the innocent to heaven; they pass from death to a wonderful life; their end is finer there than anywhere here.  And if we are in heaven, Scripture does show that we will recognize relatives and loved ones (Luke 16:19ff).  Perhaps even miscarried or aborted children will be recognized if we are in heaven too. We could have more children there than we think!

Many Christians believe that heaven is a place of unbroken peace and harmony.  This may be true of the third heaven; but as we have seen, it does not apply to the second heaven.  It is also likely that Satan pours out a stream of slanderous accusations against the Christians on earth from the mid-heaven.  Revelation 12:10 attests to that:

Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God, day and night, has been cast down.

This verse in Revelation speaks of the future. Satan is not cast down to hell at this time, as you might think.  It is speaking on him as being cast down from mid-heaven to earth.  Satan’s role as the accuser of our brethren (and us, possibly) will end in the End Times, according to this verse.  Likewise he will be kicked out of his place of accusation, currently in mid-heaven.  But on the earth, he will be devastating in his effects.  The verses following are a warning to the inhabitants of the earth about what to expect when the devil is cast down from his mid-heaven place. Revelation 12:12:

Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”

That “short time” reference, according to this writer, begins the Tribulation, a seven-year period where Satan “struts his stuff,” causing wars, famine, death and misery. Christians will need to have a good relationship with God to persevere and keep our allegiance on our Lord to survive this terrible time.  Scripture is clear for those living in those times; we will only win heaven if we persevere for Him. We cannot take the mark, or give ourselves over to selfishness and greed in a day where love is lacking.  Love cannot be lacking in Christians—real Christians.  This event will be in the future; but we don’t know exactly when.  Scripture gives signs, but it does not precisely say.  (More on this in upcoming blogs).

Many Christians believe that Satan is confined to hell.  But that is not true.  There are two satanic princes, named Death and Hades, who rule in hell; but Satan roams freely throughout the universe.  See Revelation 20:13:

The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.

Job 1:6&7 adds more:

Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. ⁷ And the Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” So Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”

Your writer would like you to notice Satan is included in the phrase “sons of God.”  The Hebrew words for that suggest these are of the original creations of God.  Adam was a son of God in that sense.  And all the angels were.  But then some went bad.  But be careful.  This does NOT mean that Jesus, God’s Son, was in the same order as these evil angels.  Nor does it mean that Satan is Jesus’ brother; such nonsense is in the Mormon doctrine.   Also keep in mind that Jesus, despite His name as “Son of God,” was NOT created by God.  The phrase has a different meaning.  All Scripture indicates that Jesus was eternal, and is 100% God (but He was also human on earth).

When Adam and Eve were created, the earth was “perfect,” God said.  We only get a glimpse of its beauty.  It was created for Adam and Eve to enjoy.  But they rebelled.  Eve wanted “to be as gods,” Satan’s Lie that is most seductive to us. This was sin; they decided not to obey God’s simple instructions about avoiding one tree. This appearance of sin was not tolerable to a holy God.  So they were deprived of His fellowship.  Sin, like a plague, invaded mankind, and was transmitted through the generations, so we all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory and acceptance as we are.  Sin has caused corruption in men and the earth. Romans 5:19a states it bluntly:

For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners

The continual leaning towards sin, this rebellion against God is spoken clearly in Genesis 6:12:

So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.

The earth groans because it has been marred by sin. We are the cause. But there will be a new heaven and a new earth; those who love God will experience resurrection and see the deliverance of earth, per Romans 8:21-22:

….the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. ²² For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.

Like a crippling disease, sin distorts and devastates everything it touches.  But the  heavens express the opposite. As Psalm 19:1 says:

The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament (the visible sky) shows His handiwork

God cannot look upon sin without judgment.  Habakkuk 1:13 says:

You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, And cannot look on wickedness.

But God’s love is so great that He has provided a way for the curse of sin to be removed. God crucified sin on the cross by the blood of Christ, Who redeemed us. He died in our place, so He could present us faultless to His Father in heaven. He is the only one who can bridge the gap between heaven and earth.  It is difficult, but necessary, for us to be humble and admit that we are sinners by choice and practice, and never deserve heaven.  God’s grace for salvation and entrance to heaven can only be applied for those who admit that there is no way that we can be reconciled to God by our efforts.  We must place our trust in Christ for that.

(Editor) But not only that, we cannot maintain our salvation without an actual continual relationship with God.  We must learn to obey His commandments, and bear fruit for Him (Galatians 5:22-23 for a list).  We’re not just talking about the 10 Commandments, though they are a start.  Jesus gave many examples of God’s standards at the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7).  See the Sower parable for how some seed starts out good, then loses its life, being bogged down by continued attachment to the ”world;” i.e., lusts of spending or sex while single, or other condemned things.  By not persevering to make God’s right decisions, by not really living any differently than before we dedicated our life to Him.  Or read my “Vineyard” blog.  Christ talked more about hell than you could imagine.  You need to meditate on the Gospels, on those particular verses, thoroughly, to learn how easy it is to deceive yourselves.  Many will be shocked when denied heaven, in that Judgment Day, as Matthew 7:21-23 points out:

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. ²² Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not...done many wonders in Your name?’ ²³ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

We only have this life to prepare, intelligently, for our eternal future.  Heaven or hell? The differences are so stark and radical that several days of Biblical study are worth it, don’t you think? Read the Gospels with an open mind.  Every word that Christ says helps to form the right doctrine for salvation.  I assure you, most pastors do not get this right.  Do not assume anything; be a good investigator and find proof of obtaining and keeping salvation.  Do not be many of the ignorant ones who were complacent and presumptuous, assuming God was a nice guy that will let their behavior pass.  God knows who loves Him enough to make hard decisions for Him when they come. You may believe in “once saved, always saved.”  I have upcoming blogs to prove that’s a lie.  You may believe if End Times come, Christ will rapture us before things get messy.  How convenient.  Well, that’s a lie too, as I’ve already shown in my three End Times blogs. As it says, in II Timothy 2:15:

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

How can you resist verses like these, in Revelation 21:3-4?

And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴ And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

God loves us, but must be a God of Justice too. Get on the right side of this.  Have some faith, enough for action for Him. Find your gift that the Lord gives His people.  Work it. Not having or doing any is a ticket to hell.

May you come to some changes in your life, if need be, and stick to them. God bless your quest.