OPEN HEARTS, OPEN EARS.

If our hearts are open, our ears will be open and attentive to hear what the Spirit of the Lord is saying to His people; it stands to reason then, if our ears are closed our hearts will be closed and we will not hear. Never in the time of history do we need to hear clearly as we do now. Many occasions have come and gone where people have been forewarned in various manners, that have been their salvation from death and disaster.

There have been many scare tactics used by the enemy of our souls, yet, at the same time, many genuine warnings that have been dismissed and unheeded that have caused great distress and untold suffering. To be labelled an alarmist always has negative connotations, yet God appoints men and women to be watchmen who are to sound the alarm and warn His people of impending danger.

The uncertainty of the Korean crisis has many on edge. The potential for war is very real, which may involve other nations backing the various North and South countries. The consequences of which can proliferate into a plausible third world war with nuclear weaponry, the result of which leaves little to the imagination.  

Will there be such a war of nuclear proportions before the end of this age? It is very possible. Keep paying attention, watch and see. Also keep an eye on the Middle East, things will escalate there too. Grace be with you all.

YOU SHALL HEAR OF WARS ....

Yeshua said. "you shall hear of wars and rumours of wars .... " Matthew 24:6 The truth is, wars have been going on for as long as man has been in rebellion against God. They will continue to go on until, the Messiah comes again. A more literal rendering of the words of Yeshua would be, in hearing of wars, you shall hear of wars, i.e. you will see wars taking place.

Some wars can be a war of words and that is all. Some take up arms and have physical conflict and lives are lost. Others have devastating consequences and involve more than two nations directly. Then, you have world wars, when multiple nations take sides against each other and go on for years with great loss of life. History proves this so.

The potential for a next world war is very real. Threats are made, next steps are taken and stupid men make stupid decisions. The result, untold misery and suffering that affects most all nations. Are we prepared for what may be a devastating war, a third world war that may result in the use of nuclear warfare? God have mercy.

UNITY IN THE END TIMES..

Ones perceptions of the events on the end times influence and dictate the type of lifestyle they will live. For those who believe in the false teaching of pre tribulation rapture, preparation for the time of great tribulation is not needed; they await a rapture that could take place at any moment. This is the next big event that they are waiting for.

There are key factors that need to be considered that relate to end time events, one of which is the issue of unity. The church current is a church of disunity and has been for generations. There is the matter of the unity of the Spirit and the unity of the faith. We cannot walk in the one without walking in the other, they are inextricably linked. Paul speaks of both in Ephesians 4. The unity of the Spirit is the unity the Spirit produces in and amongst the body of Messiah. This unity is already given, it is already there. We don't strive for or work to get it. We do however, strive to keep it. Keep that which is given in the peace that binds us together.

The unity of the faith is the sum total of all we believe. It is all the teaching past on by Yeshua and the apostles, either audibly or written. We are all expected to believe the same thing, think the same thing, speak the same thing, when it comes to the faith. Jude, in his letter to the saints, admonishes them to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered. Clearly, the church today, is, in such a divided state regarding both the unity of the Spirit and the unity of the faith.

Satan has had a field day with his lies and false teachings that have been believed rather than the faith. God therefore, calls all the church to repent from our divisions and believe the truth which sets us free. What has this all to do with the end times? The time of tribulation will be the time when this unity comes about in practise, in reality. God affords us now, the opportunity to repent and turn from our pride. It appears that this will not be the case; therefore, God will use this last period of time to bring about this unity of the Spirit and the faith. Because of the difficult times, hardships, mark of the beast etc.  believers are going to need each other. Denominational barriers will crumble and fall away, believers will be together not under any name or banner other than the headship of Messiah. May the grace of God be with you.

KNOW THIS WELL...

Know this... in the last days perilous times will set in. 2 Timothy 3:1 Paul wanted Timothy to understand, to perceive, to get to grips with, to have an intimate knowledge of, the fact that in the last days perilous times, that is, harsh, fierce, savage, furious times, a fixed and definite time, the time when things are brought to crisis, the decisive epoch waited for, will set in. Make no mistake saints, whatever difficult times have been will be eclipsed by what is to come upon all those who dwell on the entire earth.

Yeshua says of this time, " for then there will be great tribulation such as has never been before the beginning of the world no, nor ever will be again. And unless those days should be shortened or brought to an end, no flesh would be saved, but for the sake of the elect, those days have been shortened or brought to an end". Matthew 24:21-22. Do we comprehend the magnitude of these last days as here described by Yeshua and Paul? It will be a time for the faith and patience of the saints, that is, those of us who believe. Do not be mislead here, that the elect mentioned above only refers to the Jews and those gentiles who are saved after the church is raptured away. Yeshua says, " he that endures or holds out to the end,(of this time period i.e.  the great tribulation) that same one will be saved, delivered". Matthew 24:13.

Now is the time we should prepare, now is the time for us to wake up, now is the time to strengthen the feeble knees. The grace of the Lord Yeshua be with you all.

 

PITN: Watching the Middle East

     

THE MAN OR MYSTERY OF LAWLESSNESS.

 The apostle Paul wrote, "Do you not recollect that when I was still with you, I told you these things? And now you know what is restraining him [from being revealed at this time]; it is so that he may be manifested (revealed) in his own [appointed] time. For the mystery of lawlessness (that hidden principle of rebellion against constituted authority) is already at work in the world, [but it is] restrained only until he who restrains is taken out of the way." 2 Thessalonians 2:5-7

The Lord Jesus said, "While I was with them, I kept and preserved them in Your Name in the knowledge and worship of You]. Those You have given Me I guarded and protected, and not one of them has perished or is lost except the son of perdition [Judas Iscariot—the one who is now doomed to destruction, destined to be lost], that the Scripture might be fulfilled." John 17:12 

The apostle John wrote, "Boys (lads), it is the last time (hour, the end of this age). And as you have heard that the antichrist [he who will oppose Christ in the guise of Christ] is coming, even now many antichrists have arisen, which confirms our belief that it is the final (the end) time." 1 John 2:18

There are many types and foreshadows in scripture, this is most certainly one of them. The man of lawlessness does not necessarily only mean an individual man but also refers to the plural sense, hence Paul's reference also to the mystery or secret of lawlessness. There is always that element of darkness disguised as light, wolves in sheep clothing, satan masquerading as an angel of light. Oh, to learn these lessons now while we can.... the Lord be with you all.

UNFOLDING EVENTS.

As each day comes and goes, we see and hear of events taking place world wide that are pieces of the larger puzzle that are fitting together that will bring us finally to the end of days. Yeshua told us "see to it that we are not troubled or frightened for these things must take place". Matthew 24:6, Mark 13:7, Luke 21:9 Floods, earthquakes, droughts, wars, race against race, nation warring other nations, all these things must be so.

Israel is a key nation in these last days, events taking place there currently are potentially a boiling pot. Certain pressures are being brought to bear on nations that are supportive of Israel, to the point that Israel will become a burden to all peoples round about. See Zechariah 12. Events we may think that are unfolding in the middle east as being just another headache, are in fact details playing out that will bring on some of the final actions before the Messiah returns.

There is an onus upon each of us to be prepared and ready for the days that lie ahead. Yeshua has told us before hand, there is no excuse, we are children of the light. Paul to the Thessalonians tells us the same. 1Thessalonians 5:1-8. If we are being lead by the Spirit, we will not walk in darkness or ignorance, for to be led by the Spirit is to walk in the light and we will then be ready and prepared and not be caught off guard.

Have you considered my closing thoughts from the last post about Judas Iscariot foreshadowing the man of sin? John 6:70-71. Judas, was one of the twelve, he did the things the other apostles did. Perhaps he cast out demons, healed the sick, maybe even raised the dead, yet he was of the evil one. Learn the lesson from this in relation to the man of sin, the falling away, i.e. the apostasy. It is no coincidence then that before the Lord comes and the revealing or manifestation of the man of sin who is also the man of lawlessness takes place, this falling away or apostasy takes place. The one is a part of the other, they are linked together. The falling away, then the revealing of the man of sin and then the Lord comes. Thinks about this.... until next time, the grace of the Lord be with you all.

WHAT DO WE CONSIDER IMPORTANT?

What do we consider important? A good question indeed. Many believers consider that the fundamentals are what are important, things like, Is Jesus the Son of God? Can you be saved by any other, other than Jesus? The list goes on. What about other matters that seemingly are not salvation issues? We will agree to disagree we say. It is true, that certain aspects of our faith ARE NOT NEGOTIABLE. But, does that mean we are free to believe anything else about the faith we want? Our respective denominational groupings mostly tell us what to believe and we hold the teachings we are taught as gospel.

What a sad picture of the true condition of the church. And we love to have it so. I have said in a couple of previous posts that, the time of tribulation will be a time also for sifting of the church. The unity of the Spirit and the unity of the faith are fundamental matters that affect ALL of the church. We are not where we think we are as far as these matters of unity go. The true condition of the church is one of great division with the resulting effect of dysfunction. If you hold to a view that tells you, you will be raptured out before this final time of tribulation, you have failed to see what God requires of the church in these last days, in particular, the matters aforementioned and the most weighty matter of Jew and gentile as believers together in the Messiah of God.

Not only will Israel be sifted, but so will the body of believers in the one Messiah. They will be a demonstration of the wisdom of God to principalities and powers. Yeshua is the pattern Son, as the Head of a body that will follow in His steps. Oh dear saints of God, read the scriptures, discern the Spirit and heart of God, cast aside man made doctrines that lead you astray from Him. There is a very difficult time ahead and I am persuaded to believe that the time of the falling away, i.e the apostasy will take place during this time, then the man of sin, the lawless one will be revealed. On this matter of the lawless one, this man of sin, I will leave this thought with you, Judas Iscariot is the foreshadowing of this man of sin, read the scriptures... May the grace of our Lord Yeshua be with you all.