Paws-4-thought: on the ‘snatching up’ of believers

Posted on Friday, 18 October, 2013 by Richard Barker

More nourishing morsels to munch in this repost from T.E. Hanna, which is apposite in view of my previous post’s reference to apostasy. If you’re unsure of that connection, check the insights Holy Spirit gave to Apostle Paul on the return of Jesus, as outlined in his two, brief letters to the Thessalonian church (here).

I like his following title’s pun as it refers to the popular Left Behind stories by Tim La Haye. The premise for the whole series was based upon the Pre-Tribulation Rapture, the concept of which, in my opinion, seems to be a particularly American fad. So I greatly appreciate T.E.’s unwrapping of the subject and helpful answers to good questions raised by readers, especially the inclusion of the parable of wheat and tares in the whole scenario.

So enjoy and be mightily blessed…

WHAT THE DOCTRINE OF THE RAPTURE HAS REALLY LEFT BEHIND

This month marks the two year anniversary of Harold Camping’s prediction of when the rapture was to take place. In preparation for that great ascension into the sky, countless numbers of people quit their jobs, sold everything they had, and took to the streets to proclaim the coming day of Christ. The date was set for October 21, 2011, and they wanted to sound the trumpet so that nobody was “left behind”.

On October 22, they woke up to find themselves and their families left destitute, without any savings or means of income, with their shoes still treading the soil of our world. The rapture had not taken place.

Harold Camping was not the first to predict the date of the rapture. In fact, October 21 was not even his first prediction. He had predicted it to happen earlier that same year, on May 21, and before that he had declared September 6, 1994 to be the correct date. Before Camping, there were multiple predictions for 1993, allowing for a seven year tribulation before the glorious appearing in the year 2000. Prior to this, Edgar Whisenant had issued predictions for 1988, 1989, 1992 and 1995. Chuck Smith had predicted 1981, while the Jehovah’s Witnesses predicted 1914, 1918, and 1925.

Perhaps the most impactful prediction, however, was issued by the Baptist preacher William Miller and further popularized by the preaching of Samuel Snow. While Miller asserted 1844 as the year in which Christ would return to rapture His church, Snow narrowed the date to October 22. Much like Camping, the result of this popular prophecy led to a movement whereby his ever-growing following yielded all of their earthly possessions and sat waiting with joyous expectation for the heavens to rend and the Messiah to summon His beloved. So great was the cry that arose on the day to follow that October 22, 1844 became lodged within the annals of Christian history known only as the Great Disappointment.

As best as I can tell, the Great Disappointment was the first prediction of the rapture in Christian history, which is (on the surface at least) a strange event for a faith previously spanning a full 1800 years of history. Even more strange is how common subsequent predictions became. One would expect that, given the mystical history of Christianity, we would see proclamations of the impending rapture long before the nineteenth century. One would expect this, to be sure, until one began to study the doctrine itself. Then, the strange lack of prophetic utterance suddenly makes sense.

Before the nineteenth century, the doctrine of the rapture simply did not exist.

What Lies Behind The Rapture

The church has always looked forward with eager anticipation towards the return of Christ. Christian eschatology has long held that the world would come to be judged, the old things would pass away, the Kingdom of God would manifest in its fullness, and we would celebrate our eternal presence in the midst of the new heavens and the new earth. Heaven would come down as the New Jerusalem, and all things would be made right once more. This has always been a singular event.

Not until the 19th century did we see the return of the King split into two events. At this point, a theologian by the name of John Darby theorized that there were actually two occurrences foretold in scripture: the day of Christ, and the day of the Lord. The former consisted of Christ’s return to gather up His faithful; the latter referred to Christ’s return to judge the world. For the first time in Christian history, Jesus was taught to return not once, but twice.

Another theologian by the name of C. I. Scofield grabbed hold of this idea and ran with it. Around this time, Scofield published the first publicly available “study bible” in history. This consisted of a bible translation with explanatory notes in the bottom half of the printed book, and it became immensely popular. The resulting “Scofield’s Bible” quickly spread throughout the Christian culture, and with it came the rise of Dispensationalism. Dispensationalism not only gave us the doctrine of the rapture, it gave us a new view on our world as well.

What The Rapture Has Left Behind

The appearance of the rapture, within Dispensationalist theology, is foreshadowed by the continuing collapse of our world into sin and destruction. The closer we come to that glorious summoning, the darker and more corrupt our world will get. It is within this understanding that we often refer to “the signs of the times”, usually followed by pointing to some great ethical violation that our culture lauds as virtue. Dispensationalism places the human experience in the midst of a worldly trajectory towards oblivion, identifying ourselves as a remnant of God’s people who are clinging fast to the cross in the hope of persisting until the reinforcements arrive.

In contrast to this, the overarching narrative of scripture does not speak of God abandoning His creation to ever-deepening destruction. The trajectory of scripture is a positive one, one that speaks of a God who is intimately involved with His children, whose Spirit still broods over the waters as He did in the opening pages of Genesis. This is a God who enters into the fullness of the human experience in the incarnation, who proclaims a Kingdom of God that is at hand, who sends forth His children to be emissaries that bring restoration and healing to a world that is suffering and broken. This is about a world that is continuing to get better, not worse.

This is what the rapture ultimately leaves behind: that we are active participants in God’s manifesting Kingdom, agents of mercy who are called into His work and through whom the world is being transformed. This is the image we see in John’s Revelation; not that our world is swallowed up in darkness so that God creates it anew, but that the New Jerusalem descends into our midst, that the Kingdom of God is overthrowing the enemy’s earthly rule, that the glorious creation which He so lovingly fashioned in the opening pages of scripture is one that He is at work restoring.

Yes, there will come the day when the trumpet shall sound and Christ shall judge the living and the dead, separating us into our chosen kingdoms. Yes, we will still face trial and strife and tribulation as we live out our lives in the brokenness of our world. Yes, the King will return for His citizens.

But the glorious hope to which we cling is not a distant one, it is immediate. It impacts our lives in this moment. We are not simply holding fast to the anchor of our soul and waiting for our lives to run out or for Christ to return. The Kingdom is coming, even now, even here. Our hope is for this world, and it leaps from here into eternity.

Many thanks TE for such an excellent, succinct summary which puts the unorthodox pre-trib rapture into its proper perspective.

I strongly recommend the ensuing interesting discussion on Of Dust and Kings – click on link and scroll to foot of TE’s original post.

More in-depth consideration may be found on Your True Christian Journey in::

Pick your own parable

Posted on Tuesday, 13 August, 2013 by Richard Barker

It is the glory of God to conceal a matter;

to search out a matter is the glory of kings.

Just after the morning rush hour along the A3 we arrived at a ‘PYO’, or pick-your-own garden and horticultural centre, to harvest some bags of strawberries and raspberries. We’d come here only the previous week with our 4 year-old grandson, but it was a Monday and there were few pickings after the weekend’s visitors had ‘grazed’ and left the fields bare but for unripe berries. But it was a useful time to teach Luca how to pick them.

So this time we went mid-week and arrived as the centre opened at the start of another very warm summer’s day – wonderful, at long last! The berries had basked but not baked in at least three hours warm, early morning sunshine. Nina headed for the strawbs and I went to the raspberries, only to find not so many ready for me!

And yet, in what I discovered I also found a parable from the Lord.

Ripening raspberries around the top and sides of the long rows of bushes need only a slight squeeze and tug off their stalks. Ripe ones come off very easily. Now, I always look within the bushes and at a lower level to search out any hidden from view under all the broad leaves.

Inserting my hand at waist height, and down to my knees, I slowly waved my hand inside the bush – ripe berries dropped into my palm! The motion had nudged them off their stalks. Completely effortless! The best, lush ones had been missed by previous visitors and were so ripe they were about to fall to the ground.

I was blessed in this sign of the abundance that comes when we draw close and reach into our heavenly Father.

What He has for us is so readily accessible – it is at hand. All we have to do is hold out our hands, rather than pick and choose from what’s in front of our nose but not yet ready. If we take that, it may be ok but not as good as what is already available deeper in His Presence. So why be satisfied with less?

I recalled Proverbs 25:2 about the glory of God and that of a king, as above. Also, this occasion spoke of a recent debate about the Bible and nature of God between a blogger friend and a disbeliever. Today’s parable speaks of her gazing at this bush only to focus upon the many unripe berries. Even in selecting a reddening berry she’d squash it with a hard grip. Luscious, ripe fruit is out of sight. It is hidden because mental blinkers prevent lateral looking. Its existence dare not be considered or sought for. Such an attitude stops oneself, and would prevent others, getting closer to the bush.

Thank you Lord that you’re closer than we can conceive, and readier to speak than we are to seek…

Observations on the 3 anointings for End-times believers

Posted on Monday, 5 August, 2013 by Richard Barker

Some regular readers will have dug into the previous piece of exceptionally illuminating instruction from Paul Keith Davis. My hard copy of the original is underlined in several places.

So maybe these musings may bring more morsels for you to munch upon, along with your meditation on its scriptures:

1. Paul Keith’s opening reference to his study of Numbers chapter 10 mentioned the importance of blowing silver trumpets. In addition to Nathan Morris’ reference to his Christian inheritance (re. PK on Zebulun anointing here), this very subject was the first connection between both men’s teaching.

At the start of The Open the Heavens Conference Nathan was of the opinion that it should be renamed Open the Heavens Clarion Call. Furthermore, all speakers had a common theme in their teaching. Not prearranged in advance, they all came ready to teach upon the Presence of Almighty God!! This led to the Lord blessing their meetings with the wonderful, tangible atmosphere of His Glory.

All that is directly relevant to Paul Keith’s concluding remarks, “Then will come the Ark of the Covenant”, which was where God would be seated. The vision and scripture he was given all revolves around ‘the cloud (of God’s presence) is moving’

2. My New Life Study Bible’s note for Numbers 10:11, where ‘the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle of the Testimony’ (NKJV), states,

This is the major turning point in the book, and one of the primary turning points of the entire Pentateuch (RB: the first five books of the Bible). Israel now departs from Sinai and moves toward the Promised Land.

The Israelites were the people out of the world God had picked to be especially dedicated to Him and His purposes. With the Advent of His Son Jesus Christ, the whole world of Gentile peoples is able to become His children because all believers in Jesus have the right to become Sons of God (John 1:12). Therefore, we can regard this passage as being applicable to the Church and indicating how it can move toward the End-times in Holy Spirit-led power. (Several posts on this blog have covered this ‘new season’.)

3. The first tribe to move out with the moving cloud was that of Judah, of which the lion is emblematic, as PK explains. A few months ago this lion was spiritually perceived as being in our congregation. Unbeknown to each other, a male visitor and one whose integrity I can vouch for personally, both witnessed the huge Lion of Judah striding through the meeting!

4. As a writer too, I empathised with James Bailey’s comment in the meaning of the Zebulun anointing.

Paul Keith’s instruction along with Holy Spirit’s inspiration will bring immense insights into the Lord’s purposes and strategies. Although the holy scriptures convey an outline of these, their outworking in these times is being done in a way that will outwit satan. Scripture gives the ‘what’ and ‘why’, yet the Lord keeps the ‘how’ and ‘when’ of practical application close to His chest.

The Days of Noah

I’m pleased to learn that Paul Keith his received further insight into what he and his wife experienced in 2007-08. Having understood the nature of the fallen ones and the fuller reasons for the Deluge, in The Days of Noah he tells what the Lord instructed him:

“I’ve dealt with the fallen ones, you’re going to have to deal with their offspring!”

His understanding of spiritual conflict went up a level. In an open vision he looked into the bowels of hell as a ‘manhole lid’ slid off and hideous evil spirits emerged to release realms of darkness through many people.

He was told the Sons of Light must respond in like fashion of receiving in-depth teaching and practical training in Kingdom realms, which involves not only people but also angelic interaction!

[Years later, Paul Keith saw similar images to that event when underwater footage was released of the source of the Deepwater Horizon oil-leak of April 2010 on the floor of the (nearby) Gulf of Mexico.]

Within a couple of days Paul Keith received confirmation of the truth of the vision. He was able to tell his wife what he was seeing as it happened, and on the CD he relates,

That was the Friday. On the Monday morning the Lord told me to type it up and send it to Neville Johnson, so I did that…(he’s in Australia so) normally if I send him an email he’s 3 or 4 days getting back to me.

Anyway I send him the email – and before the end of the day I get one back from Neville (he’s) somewhere around 12 hrs ahead. I send it Monday morning to me but it was Monday evening to him, his time – he sends me an email directly back.

He says, “‘You’re not going to believe this – this morning I had exactly the same experience – verbatim. I even saw the same (evil) ones you saw! So and so (a couple we both know) are here visiting me in Australia and I shared it with them at breakfast…now, (this evening) they are sitting with me when your email came through. I downloaded it and I told them, “You’re not going to believe this!”

Paul Keith then stresses; as scripture says, out of the mouths of two or three witnesses let a thing be established.

I know there are things being released from hell, but what we’re interested in is what’s coming down from heaven!

In closing, let me share a thought that dropped into mind yesterday as our minster taught about the authority and dominion God gave Adam and Eve. The same was given to Noah and his clan upon emerging from the Ark (Gen 9). Although I think we’ve now entered the final ‘Days of Noah’ and things will become darker and perilous, believers will mature into Sons of God and emerge from the Tribulation in the rightful, Godly dominion that God intended humanity to have and display.

[See prophetic word from Neville Johnson for the UK and Ireland next.]

Tighten your seat belts!

Paws-4-thought: Christian inheritance and the End-times church

Posted on Thursday, 1 August, 2013 by Richard Barker

Upon closing the ‘conversation’ on Parliament’s rebellion against God’s creation of covenantal marriage, this thought dropped into mind: I’d now gone FULL cycle in writing about Biblical prophecy for today. That is, in 2009 I’d noted where we were heading as indicated by holy scripture. Now, worldwide changes have brought humanity to the prophesied repetition of ‘The Days of Noah’.

So let’s pause to consider where the Body of Jesus Christ, His Church, is heading. (At our school cafe assembly the elders are pondering what the End-times Church will look like. We’re far from persuaded about theories of pre-Tribulation rapture on the grounds of all the scripture.) My purpose is purely to flag this topic for thought.

A personal peek at ‘the wood and not the trees’ will suffice to recap briefly.:

> visions in 1992 and 2004 of momentous changes to the Islamic World (see All Hail The Lamb) and within the UK (see Comments Upon Collapse of Society). The latter was checked and verified by Revd Dr Stone and revealed that, although the fabric of British society is so rotten it will tear, out of that will rise the Rock upon which Christians will take a stand and repair our nation.

> an insight upon the importance of keeping our focus upon the future marriage of the Bride to the Lamb/Lion of God, Jesus Christ, as in Revelation 21-22.

> recent reminder of a quotation in book I’d read as a new believer. This had arisen out of comments from a non-believer on Godandpolitics blog, and for which confirmation was soon to come – twice! – as follows:

The last point arose at the start of the WordPress problems for UK bloggers, and which prevented my replying. I recalled what John Widdas and Peter Mockford wrote in 1993 about learning how to deal with demonic attacks against church congregations (see left). One of the hardest comments they heard whilst writing their book was made by,

‘…someone coming out of satanism: “The Church is powerless, because they do not live in their inheritance”!‘ (at page 170)

Immediately I recognised its truth from decades spent in the enemy’s camp of the New Age/occult (as here).

From my experience, this situation has arisen because Christians had neglected doing what Jesus commanded; for example, to love one another as He loves them (John 13 & 15), failing to do greater works than He’d done, as stated in John 14:

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.

No. 1 – The next week we saw Nathan Morris preaching at the first session of Open the Heavens Conference in Mobile. He spoke about the full inheritance in Christ every believer has but doesn’t receive and keep up, or else compromises and thereby loses. In his full-throttle passion and fire Nathan staked his claim to that inheritance on four principles – he even had large T-shaped stakes painted white with signs at the top, as follows:

+ SALVATION + WORD + HOLY SPIRIT + RIGHTEOUSNESS

The next morning at the Well Church, the young worship leader opened by saying he wanted to, “Stake my claim to our inheritance”!! Nina and I just couldn’t help but chuckle. Worship took straight off >> heaven bound. What followed was personal for practically everyone – which is as it should always be.

No. 2 – Early this week came a link to Paul Keith Davis’ teaching with revelation on Three Anointings Coming to End-time Believers

The notes which come with it by James Bailey are helpful. (He too blogs on how current events relate to scripture at Z3news (ie. ‘zee’ as Americans say, not ‘zed’ as Brits say). It would be hard for me to do justice to this profound paper.

Paul Keith tells of having a vision about chapter 10 of the Old Testament book of Numbers and the meaning for the church of the three tribes of Israel – Judah, Issachar and Zebulun – as it moves into the ‘new season’. That scripture, writes James, ‘shows four lessons the End-time church can learn from what God did for the ancient Israelites’.

In connection with my musings I notice this pertinent remark by Paul Keith about the anointing of Zebulun:

These are those who have received revelation on how to access their inheritance, which has been stored up in heaven throughout the ages but not released to the earth until now due to a lack of revelation.

Additionally, the Lord explained to Paul Keith those anointings will be the antidote against three very dangerous spirits (per Jude 1) that will seek to strongly hinder the last days’ church. From the descriptions given, that they are obviously at work already is yet another sign we have entered the End-times.

Their aim is to ‘undermine the foundations of faith and direct God’s people away from the source of their salvation’ > NB: Nathan’s first ‘stake’.

The whole message is an exciting and very rich treasure for those who seek to move deeper into our Lord Jesus Christ. To read it click here >

Something good in UK’s ‘marriage’ Act for Christians?

Posted on Tuesday, 30 July, 2013 by Richard Barker

The coffee-time conversation with Steve continues. Nina and Simone catch up with us on our way to the cafe’s bar for fresh, full mugs and hear Steve exclaim,

“What! What on earth’s good for believers about the ssm Bill?” The startled looks our wives dart at each other convey; “What on earth have our men been talking about?”

Back in our secluded corner, Steve summarises our conversation and he’s ‘champing at the bit’ to take charge. I want to steer it another way but Simone beats us to ‘the off’. As a solicitor she brings a fresh view.:

Legal eagles’ views

“How the Bill was rushed through and given royal assent clearly smacks of censorship in a totalitarian state. A barrister and senior lecturer at the University of London wrote a splendid professional paper quite relevant to this issue. David McIlroy explains why a democracy’s legal system can’t have a morally neutral playing field. I noted his opinion that,

A public square from which religious influences are excluded is not a neutral public square. It is a public square in which all influences bar the secularist ones have been censored. That is not a public square in which everyone’s voice is heard and everyone’s views are respected, it is a public square in which religious voices are silenced and anti-religious views are imposed. This is not a tolerant society, it is a tyrannous society.

“What he also says about the double-importance in a Christian society of how the Last Judgement affects the law is especially interesting…I recall bits like:

…It means today’s rulers are understood, and (should) understand themselves, to be answerable to a higher authority in their actions. They know they will be judged for how they exercised their power and this accountability is the foundation of accountability to the people.

…citizens know the ultimate judge isn’t the government but almighty God, and this contributes hugely to human freedom.

“It’s an exciting summary of how Christianity has provided a sound basis for secular law..”

“I know, Simone, I’ve got a copy thanks to a fellow blogger – an excellent document! And I wrote about examples of creeping tyranny back in 2009!” [See 1 & 14 below]

“Also Richard, contrary to what you said about Archbishop Welby and bishops being overwhelmed in the House of Lords, the barrister who founded Christian Legal Centre issued them a written challenge over his version of events and concluded:

I am surprised that the Church of England appears to be vacating the public square when it comes to the issue of marriage. Given the rich teaching of Scripture and strong tradition of marriage, this is something that the CofE should be able to comment on clearly, intelligently and winsomely. Marriage is something to be celebrated, promoted and, at this time, preserved. At a time when the nation needs to hear a prophetic voice on marriage, the CofE’s message is sadly mixed and, as a result, unclear.

“The account of her corresponding with him and CoE’s response laments their inability to copy the politicians’ action in ensuring full attendance for voting.” [2]

Raising my finger, “I like her bit on ‘prophetic voice’ as I was struck by the sharp contrast between the Telegraph’s report on Welby’s ‘cop-out’ and what Sharon Stone taught and did [3] – the first started my morning and the second closed it in a much Godlier way!

“Also, in one of many debates on that other blog I pointed out that wise leaders would wait and watch what happens to other countries before foisting it on the British public. It’s opening Pandora’s Box – next will come legal recognition of bigamy, bestiality and paedophilia, as in the customs that defiled ancient Canaan which God spoke against when Hebrews took it over as the land ‘vomited out its inhabitants’.”

“I’ve read John McTernan’s excellent teaching on those socially sanctioned practices,” . adds Simone. “I said to Stan to read too” nodding at her husband. [4]

Nina expresses her deep concern over Her Majesty giving assent to the Bill in view of her Coronation oath “to maintain the laws of God and profession of the Gospel”.

My long spoon lances a hole in the cappuccino’s thick froth as I respond, “Being a constitutional monarch, there was absolutely nothing she could have done about its passing into Law as the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act.

“But from my perspective as lookout on the walls – as it were – our national leader became much more motivated to introduce the Act – come hell or high water – by President Obama during his state visit. So it’s possibly a result of that influence…”

“I’ve read,” reports Simone, “Obama is a long-standing ‘gay pride evangelist’, as can be seen in his recent call to African nations to be ‘converted’. Their righteous leaders have repudiated his overtures…on fact they’re sparked a real backlash!” [5]

“That’s so,” I add. “I’ve followed it all closely through Bill Koenig, a Christian White House journalist. Cameron’s now copying Obama as an ‘evangelist’, which His Grace Cranmer scathingly lampoons [6]. He notes Cameron’s clearly stated intention [7]:

Only other thing I wanted to say is that I know that the job isn’t yet fully done. It is something to celebrate that Britain is now – and it’s official – the best place to be gay, lesbian or transgender anywhere in Europe. That is a great achievement. That’s not my measure; that is an inter-nationally recognised measure. But there’s still a lot more work to be done.

“God is not and will not be mocked and these national leaders are treating Him with the utmost of contempt. Unless they humble themselves, repent deeply and renounce their ways there is very little hope for their future – but God may have mercy.”

“But at least they’ve not committed the unpardonable sin,” interjects Nina, to which Steve asks, “What’s that?”

She replies, “That’s saying a work of the Holy Spirit is of Satan. In my opinion, many believers have unwittingly done that when attributing God’s presence and His work to the demonic! Some think so about a Canadian whom we know. Whilst at a church in Bath, he sensed God wanted to heal and that evening I was able to walk and dance again – I went from permanent disability to normal ability in an instant! As we all love Jesus, then that could not have been of the devil.” [8]

“Now,” I ask, “Do you want the good or the not-so-good news first? Let’s keep the best for last – after some opinions encountered in fellow believers.”

Not-so-good points

“I’ll try to be brief on what’s very unsettling to my spirit. As I don’t want to have a closed mind on this issue I’d monitored Gillan Scott’s several well-balanced posts on the topic, to which some readers gave a window upon the state of their souls.

“Whatever gay folk say and do they’re no different to any believer for we’ve fallen short of the glory of God and are deeply loved by Him, otherwise Jesus wouldn’t have died for them too. So we love them too as individuals but, as with all sin, we don’t like their sin but hate it for what it is and does in preventing their accessing the fullness of life in Christ.

“Some who claimed to be Christians, however, were not only very supportive of this anti-Biblical Bill but also muddled and confused about what scripture says – even twisting its meaning – as well as being ignorant of sin! One pastor to the gay community even tried to explain why I’m mistaken!

“One regular pundit couldn’t understand what’s wrong with redefining marriage! We got the measure of one another when I commented: if that were correct there was no need for me to have repented of having been in the occult.”

“Just an aside and reminder,” whispered Simone, “I’d like to check the dangers of yoga as its spirit may be messing around with me.”

I continued, “My remark met a haughty, incredulous retort, ‘Upon what basis do you equate same-sex relationships with occultism, Richard? Your logic is seriously skewed, to put it mildly…!’ It was both sad and amusing because the answer was simple…so very simple.

“I parried it by alluding to the oft-quoted legal totem of ‘equality’, as well as its proper mathematical meaning, and took precise aim: ‘Your own logic has missed the point, to put it bluntly…The basis of my equation is straightforward, namely ‘equality of sin’ (ie. ‘missing the mark’).’ We ended up agreeing to disagree.

“But there were lamentable tales of some dear folk engaged in unions they think the Lord has ok’d and then wonder why things went wrong. For example, the miscarriage of a child being carried by one of a female partnership – a terribly sad state brought about by sin to their detriment. It reminded me of sin crouching ‘by the door’ to take Cain and make him murder his brother Abel. (Genesis 4:6-7)

“The accounts and opinions come with a sense of despoiling. I recalled Nathan Morris’ strong preaching on Jesus’ admonition to the early churches infected by sexual sin of their needing to be cleansed from wearing defiled robes. No wonder many wise and anointed preachers sound the alarm bells.” [9] & [10]

THE GOOD POINTS

“From a Christian standpoint, the good things of this Act are not so much the adverse ones but more the scriptural ones. We can, for instance, be most positive about these facts.:

This Bill and Act were never in the Conservative Party’s election manifesto. Thus, in my opinion, the electorate as a whole can’t be held responsible for the revolt against God and traditional values and the consequences.
In requiring and enforcing the Queen’s compromising of her Coronation oath her Prime Minister actually took upon himself the full personal responsibility before God for having broken and contravened it – I wouldn’t like to be in his shoes for deliberately being ignorant in such a gravely foolish action.
David Cameron and everyone voting for the Bill is personal accountability to their Maker for going against His revealed and express will for all mankind – no matter whether they believe in God or not. I pray they’ll have personal revelation on this and take the opportunity to repent before they take up their post-mortem existence – as happened to me when I stood on the trapdoor down to hell [11 In Your wrath remember mercy, Lord.
The sweeping international attempts to redefine the meaning of marriage are so intensely orchestrated that even conspiracy theorists would be left dumbfounded. Therefore, it is and can only be a dark spiritual phenomenon – not one of God but from the one who’s always wanted to usurp His place. But its time on earth is now very short so it wants to take as many humans it can and prevent their salvation.
This so-called cultural change was announced well in advance, in fact 2,000 years ago by no less a person than Jesus Christ himself!”

“How do you make that out?” thrusts Steve with one of his bespectacled glares that reminds me of a hen pecking seed. I hear ‘tap-tap-tap’ and turn to see a solitary man at the next table tapping on his tablet. His face and sound mirrors my friend’s and I gently smile. But then I grin in self-deprecation over my natural tonsure as I reply:

“Off the top of my head…a couple of Jesus’ sayings spring to mind.:

“First of all, His teaching about persistent prayer (Luke 18:8) refers to a time like today; one lacking in not only personal but also corporate faith – as widely shown in ditching Christian values for purely hedonistic aims. This is what Jesus foresaw:

Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”

“Secondly, He instructed His disciples about the coming of the Kingdom of God and to expect exceptional consequences for socially sanctioned wickedness (Matt 24):

But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. ³⁷But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. ³⁸For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, ³⁹and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

“Dr Luke’s carefully collected account of Jesus’ life from witnesses adds (Luke 17):

Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; ²⁹but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. ³⁰Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.

“Also, His apostle Paul confirmed that Jesus told him the same about a future ‘Last Days’ great apostasy or falling away from faith in God. One of his letters to the early Greek church in Salonika (2 Thessalonians 2) refers to it this way:

Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, ²not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. ³Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, ⁴who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. [Emphasis RB]

“Paul carries on with extra details to the gospels, which you can check yourself.

“Moreover, rabbinical teaching is said to confirm the connection between Noah’s time and today’s. Five years ago two separate people on a radio show spoke about the ancient Babylonian Talmud’s interpretation of Genesis and the cause of the Flood. ‘America’s Rabbi’, Aryeh Spero, said the Talmud’s writings show, “before the Flood people started to write marriage contracts between men…which is more than homo-sexual activity…in other words, giving an official state stamp of approval, a sanctifica-tion of homosexual partnership.”

“Rabbi Spero went on to say, “Even in ancient Greece they did not write marriage contracts between men. There was homosexuality, and it was wrong, but there was not an official ‘blessed’ policy. … Marriage is ‘sanctification’ (not simply a partnership).” He said to confer the title of sanctification and holiness upon this behaviour is “probably one of the greatest sins of all that one does against God’s plan for this world.”

“Another source quotes from the Midrash Rabbah Genesis, a specific commentary upon the Torah, and from the Second Book of Enoch, both of which support the claim about the real events of the ‘days of Noah’, from which we may infer they’re the festivities of which Jesus knew and was referring to. I’ve not yet completely cross-checked those sources, but I can let you have them for checking. [12&13]

“Also the widespread persecution of Christians in Africa and Middle East connects into the Daniel 7 end-times prophecy!” [14] On top of that, the status of Jerusalem is being discussed in Washington. With three major aspects of prophecy now at the fore we’re definitely entering the End-Times, as stated at the outset of my writing four years ago – The End-Time Is Now In Play – maybe you’d like to check it out?” [15]

Nina adds, “What’s going on proves the Bible is absolutely true and correct!”

“We’re definitely entering into times foreseen by the Lord Jesus and His first apostles as well as Old Testament prophets. What’s happening across the world has been written about and we know the outcome – the return of King Jesus for His Bride. It can’t be much longer now…As Jesus said when teaching about signs of the end of the Age.:”

“Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” (Luke 21:28)

Sources:

Theos website article, Is Secular Law Possible?
Challenge issued to Archbishop of Canterbury.
Revd Dr Sharon Stone: Britain is at a crossroads.
Homosexuality vs Holiness – Ordinances of the Amorites.
US and British promotion of LGBT rights sparks backlash
Exporting gay marriage – the ‘gospel’ of St Dave.
Prime Minister thanks campaigners and workers .
From Disabled to Enabled – how Jesus healed Nina’ spine.
Are ‘Christians’ leading homosexuals to hell?
Steve Hill: Warning for this hour – stop spiritual avalanche.
Part 2 of From Death to Life.
WND Janet Porter: How SSM Points to the End of the World.
End-Times Prophecy Watch: Days of Noah:
Muslim Persecution of Christians.
The End Time is Now In Play.

Is Britain taking a totalitarian route?

Posted on Tuesday, 23 July, 2013 by Richard Barker

“Your blog about new decrees for the UK was a tad off-beam,” remarks Steve as we take our coffees into a quiet corner – our wives chat about the new baby prince with some friends seen sitting by the bay window. Revealing what’s bugging him, our friend of long-standing continues…

“The Coalition For Marriage [C4M] had already circulated its grave concern at how the voting had been hijacked! They emailed me about leaders of all three main political parties using their muscle to force through the same-sex marriage Bill without any proper debate whatsoever – totalitarianism, is what it is…copied from Hitler and Stalin!”

Sitting down stems Steve’s flow as he adds reflectively, “Seems the lady preacher you quoted may have been mistaken. Maybe we are at a crossroads, but what she said was supposed to happen didn’t – quite the opposite!!” [Ref 1 below]

I’m taken aback, not knowing Steve to be a secret reader of my blog! When we four lunch together, all talk about ‘glory stories’, ministry or scripture goes straight over his head. Being a keen golfer and do-it-yourself guy, his skills prove useful in the local parish church. Maybe having a newly licensed vicar who’s passionate on prophetic preaching has inspired Steven to dip into my musings?

“I received the same mailing”, I replied. “In debate on other blogs I’ve pointed out there’s no real electoral mandate whatsoever for this Bill to have been introduced. It’s a mockery of parliamentary democracy. I agree – it is a totalitarian procedure. They ignored over half a million protest signatures in preference for a sham so-called consultation. Not even the gay lobbyists were wanting this Bill.”

Steve nods, “That Bill’s not had unanimous support. According to C4M, it has not been plain sailing for the Government with over 300 MPs and Peers voting against it. C4M effectively highlighted many problems with this legislation. Many Peers tabled amendments to protect civil liberties but none of the Bill’s backers – leaders in all parties – saw to it that they were voted into the Bill.

“Moderate and reasonable changes were wanted, according to C4M, yet both Government and Opposition objected – even hysterically! – and made sure none were added to the Bill. A shameful travesty – tyranny, if the truth be known!”

Taking the email out of a pocket he points out its second page’s points on legal protections required for

> Teachers > Workers > Chaplains > Councils > Free Speech > Siblings.

I read the details and what C4M’s Colin Hart writes:

We wanted Clauses on the face of the Bill to protect civil liberties. Instead Government ministers only agreed to a couple of amendments and gave verbal assurances that people should not be victimised, saying that people would be protected by equality laws.

Evidence from the very recent past proves the brazen falsity of that empty promise. No wonder my friend is so annoyed.

Re. Prophetic Decrees

I ask Steve, “When you read my piece did you think what Sharon Stone and her team did would change the course of events?”

“Your blog implies she said what God had given her would affect Parliament’s votes on redefining marriage…”

“Hold on Steve, not quite so. The news I read in that morning’s paper on the overwhelming opposition the Archbishops and Lords Spiritual encountered was a clear sign of difficulties [2]. Archbishop Welby is reported as saying,

Anyone who listened to much of the Same Sex Marriage Bill Second Reading Debate in the House of Lords could not fail to be struck by the overwhelming change of cultural hinterland. Predictable attitudes were no longer there. The opposition to the Bill – which included me and many other bishops – was utterly overwhelmed, with amongst the largest attendance and participation and majority since 1945. There was noticeable hostility to the view of the churches.

“To my mind his words contrasted strongly with Sharon’s solid teaching from a completely different stance – one to be taken by the Anglicans, if they knew how!”

“What do you mean Richard?”

“Rather than being browbeaten by sinners within the worldly, unclean House of Lords it is much better to speak from where they are in spirit – seated with Christ in heavenly realms above. That is, to take real spiritual authority from over and above the darkness. Now that you’re into my blog I’d suggest checking out Sharon’s ideas on ‘perspective’ in her words for 2013 [3].

“Parliament’s approval was already a foregone conclusion when I wrote about her mentoring day’s profound declarations. Even so, I went ahead and published and thought readers may question it. So, I doubt you’re alone Stan.

“Yes, an immediate turnaround would have been fantastic – and proof of answered prayers. My understanding is; what we declared vocally and from our spirits was released into higher realms. The same way Jesus spoke ‘woe’, that is, cursed a barren fig tree, we were breaking and overwriting thoughts and attitudes seeded and concreted into people’s minds by pronouncements from the unrighteous who are in power and authority over them. Therefore, it will take time to change but it will – and so the near future will be most interesting, even if things get even more difficult as the darkness increases.

“I’ve only to think of a couple of profound changes the Lord showed me many years ago and are now taking place here and in the Middle East.

“The good thing about this SSM Bill from a Christian viewpoint is…”

Our wives head toward us and so we head to the bar for a top up.

To hear what’s good, and not so good, click to continue the discussion >

References:

Watch the Rain

Posted on Wednesday, 26 June, 2013 by Richard Barker

So simply stunning and brilliant. Thank you anon. brother/sister, and Kenny.

Morning Story and Dilbert

Note for the MS&D Side Bar: If you enjoy Morning Story and Dilbert
 you will like "Suspended Coffee".  It is full of uplifting stories.... 
  Kenny  T

One rainy afternoon I was driving along one of the main streets of town, taking those extra precautions necessary when the roads are wet and slick.

Suddenly, my daughter, Aspen, spoke up from her relaxed position in her seat. “Dad, I’m thinking of something.”

This announcement usually meant she had been pondering some fact for a while, and was now ready to expound all that her six-year-old mind had discovered. I was eager to hear.

“What are you thinking?” I asked.

“The rain! ;” she began, “is like sin, and the windshield wipers are like God wiping our sins away.”

After the chill bumps raced up my arms I was able to respond. “That’s really good, Aspen.”
Then my curiosity broke in. How…

View original post 70 more words

Does extraterrestrial intelligence exist? Part 2

Posted on Thursday, 20 June, 2013 by Richard Barker

Science is catching up with scripture, I speculated in Part 1 and readers may have thereby realised I’m not into any normal notion of aliens in outer space. A hint is also provided by this image > (courtesy of Victor Habbick at Free Digital Photos, click image for info).

Last year I concluded that science is catching up with what God is doing. I read scientists had found electrical stimulation of paralyzed rats’ spines had brought spectacular recovery of mobility (see New Scientist). Their description, “It was incredible to look at”, and explanation reminded me of how a lady paralysed for 22 years was healed the previous year. A powerful surge of invisible energy was tangibly felt in a worship-charged atmosphere. For details read under ‘Delia Knox’ in God heals today – video clip testimonies.

A bit more background – personal and scientific

Allow a little nostalgia…this scientific topic reminds me of sitting on tall stools alongside a solid oak workbench bedecked with Bunsen burners, equipment and sink. This main lab was a square room with tall Georgian-style windows filling two adjacent walls that cornered the upper storey of my grammar school. Our chemistry master, donned in his constant robe of long white coat, was wont to make this amusing aside when teaching about atomic and molecular structure:

We can talk and talk about electrons and ionisation, and theorise about their orbits, but the fact remains we never actually know where they are – it’s very possible some in this room have just returned from a trip around the North Pole!

[‘Traditional’ orbital notions are now thought incorrect as sub-atomic matter is in a state of frenzied flux.] The main physics lab at the opposite front corner of the building was where we studied heat, matter, electricity, light and mechanics of classical Newtonian science. 17th Century physicist and mathematician Sir Isaac Newton is widely regarded as one of the most influential scientists of all time and as a key figure in the scientific revolution.

Newton formulated the laws of motion and universal gravitation, and made seminal contributions in optics. He thought of light as a stream of extremely fine corpuscles, or particles (also known as photons). About a century later, however, physicists were finding light could behave like ripples or waves in water (see Young’s Interference Experiment and Wave Propagation).

Yet, any attempt to pin down light as being definitely a wave or a particle failed. This dual nature of light became known as the ‘wave-particle duality’. Phil Mason explains on page 63 of Quantum Glory,

The best that could be said was that light acts like a wave when one type of experiment is performed, but it acts like a stream of particles when a different type of experiment is being performed. Light travels as a wave, but departs and arrives like a particle. (…but) how can something be simultaneously a wave or a particle?

In ordinary scientific investigation, even in the small-scale microscopic world, we accept something as one of the other – but not both at the same time! And at the much smaller atomic level of matter that’s what was discovered to be happening for streams of electrons. It was a huge shock to the scientific world

In early 20th Century Max Planck investigated heated bodies and found energy was radiating in discrete measures or packets, which he called ‘quanta’. Soon, Loius de Broglie postulated there’s no fundamental difference between energy and matter at, or below, the atomic level because both behave as though they’re composed of either particles or waves. Then a father and son, Joseph and George Thomson, received Nobel Prizes 30 years apart for their experiments proving electrons are particles (father) as well as waves (son)! The evidence for wave-particle duality has since become overwhelming.

Over lunch

Wanting something a bit lighter to read over lunch after writing thus far, I opened up one of the 3 Favourites tabs on my PC taskbar. Each list is the depth of my monitor screen and I spotted an unfamiliar link of an item I thought worth reading sometime and clicked on it. S-p-o-o-k-y, it happens to be on quantum mechanics and had sat unread as just a link since New Year – and one of that blogger’s latest posts refers to Newton! Therefore, for anyone whose taste buds have been tickled and fancy some more fascinating food, dip into Dr Ruth Bancewicz’s Science and Belief posts:

In part 3 I’d like to consider how these fundamental discoveries may reveal a deeper understanding of God and possibly about extraterrestrial communication.

Does extraterrestrial intelligence exist? Part 1

Posted on Wednesday, 19 June, 2013 by Richard Barker

The answer may lie in the answer to a question raised in a recent musing – a question that got answered within the hour. I was dumbfounded!

Some will ask what’s this doing on a Christian blog? My interest in the ‘cutting edge’ of Christian teaching and ministry keeps me open-minded on a number of things, yet they are always checked against the ‘plumb-line’ of holy scripture. So I invite fellow believers to bear with me for I’ve not jumped on a wacky bus to nowhere.

Definitions

First, let’s clarify terminology. The Oxford Dictionary definition of ‘extraterrestrial’ gives:

adjective – of or from outside the earth or its atmosphere: (eg. searches for extraterrestrial intelligence)
noun – a hypothetical or fictional being from outer space.

It has two definitions for ‘intelligence’ as nouns, of which one refers to information of military or political value, but the prime definition is:

a person or being with the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills: extraterrestrial intelligences

It’s noteworthy that this famous dictionary combines both words to use as an example in two completely separate definitions!

The question

In Where were you when? I mused about what the Biblical characters Job and king David had learned and perceived through divine revelation about the formation of the heavens. I’d spotted that the ancient Aramaic had used an intriguing and revealing term to describe an inherent function of the heavens. So I penned my own thoughts on this, as below. Logically, they led into the sentence shown in bold, but of which I’d had no fore-thought whatsoever::

‘This revelation of the Lord to David clearly ascribes not only a poetic description (as in sound/voice/language – NB. not light) but also a knowledge, or rather, an operational intelligence or ‘business’! That is, a supra-natural function. Furthermore, this sets the rationale, or tenor, for all subsequent verses. These first verses clearly state a case for ‘intelligent design’ of the universe. But more than that – they imply a distinct intelligence implanted within that design’s tangible manifestation, do they not? Or maybe not so?’

After proof-reading the draft, I took literary licence and inserted, ‘IS THERE ANYONE OUT THERE? ANYONE WHO KNOWS THE ANSWER?’ as though calling out to the heavens for information.

A book

I’d run off a hardcopy of the draft for checking over lunch and then carried on where I’d left off reading in Quantum Glory. This book explores the intersection between the two realities of quantum mechanics and the glory of God. In his highly recommended book Phil Mason opens by briefly considering the hype over quantum physics and how it’s been hijacked by New Age metaphysics. This is because this post-Einstein science of investigating the dynamics of the energy of light and of sub-atomic particles has boggled the best brains! Mathematicians as well as scientists had to think ‘outside’ the box’ in order to comprehend how it could all work – the maths was solid and got confirmed experimentally, BUT it was all so weird. By ordinary, ‘classical’ scientific laws and principles it was just illogical!

Phil Mason explains some scientists presumed the concepts of Eastern mysticism were relevant to quantum dynamics, and New Agers were quite ready to presume that it was indeed so. His discussion quotes many scientists and he draws this conclusion:

The presence of trained quantum physicists who have not embraced any elements of quantum mysticism is itself a clear indicator that the real issue is a predetermined worldview.

His second chapter is an easy-to-read introduction to the world of quantum science. It takes me back to my schooldays of maths, physics and chemistry ‘A’ levels – and to the hippy hey-day of the late 1960s. In those days I was searching for any common thread between science, philosophy and religions and thus this conjunction of quantum theory and New Age beliefs and ideas seemed to hold a key.

An answer

Upon continuing from where I’d read to, Phil’s commentary astounded me because it matches the logical conclusion I’d drawn only an hour beforehand. On page 66 he refers to experiments that make electrons change their behaviour depending on how they will be detected (!!) and explains :

It is a unique property of the quantum world that sub-atomic particles have the capacity of being in two places at the same time. In our macroscopic world of classical physics the last thing we would expect is to see someone bilocate right before our eyes so that suddenly they can be in two places at the same time. Yet in the counter intuitive world of the quantum universe this is exactly what is going on all the time…(emphases added)

Now, here’s what smacked me right between the eyes:

The question is: How does the electron intuitively know it is being observed? Does it have its own internal intelligence? How does it know when a detector is hidden behind the double-slot? How does it know when the detector is not switched on so that it can pass through both slits without being observed?

Scientist have devised all sorts of interesting experiments to try and figure out what is going on, but it seems the mystery of the quantum world is still largely impenetrable to rational explanation.

Hmmm…baffling, but methinks science is catching up with scripture!

An instance of that in connection with divine healing is given in Part 2 along with a brief, high-level introduction to the theory of quantum mechanics based upon this book.

[ALSO see Richard’s Watch: On Engaging Time]

“Where were you when…

Posted on Wednesday, 12 June, 2013 by Richard Barker

I laid the foundations of the earth?
Tell Me, if you have understanding.
⁵Who determined its measurements?
Surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
⁶To what were its foundations fastened?
Or who laid its cornerstone,
⁷When the morning stars sang together,
And all the sons of God shouted for joy?…”

Morning_Stars_Sang_Together_Book_of_Job Thus spoke the Lord God to his servant Job, as recorded in one of the oldest books of the Bible. Job didn’t know why severe strokes of ill-fortune (loss of all children, property and health) had beset him. When struck all over his body with painful boils, his wife chided him for holding fast to his integrity, and advised, “Curse God and die!” Then along came three ‘friends’. Overwhelmed by his dire condition they ‘comforted’ him with their conclusions about the cause of his suffering: it’s all the result of his sinfulness. Together with a solid commentary, this instructive book helps us to grasp why bad things happen to good people.

A fourth ‘comforter’ explains it’s a matter of faith and attitude towards God. Then God addresses Job from a whirlwind and in great depth (as above; see Job 38-41). From this, Job wasn’t meant to know the cause of his condition (being Satanic strategy) and we learn God is involved in our lives and deeply moved by our grief and wants us all to come to an end of self-reliance so God becomes ‘all-in-all’. Then God blessed Job even more than previously!

This brief, incomplete overview of the story is for information only because my purpose is to refer to the creation of the stars (as splendidly illustrated by William Blake, courtesy Wikipedia).:

Psalm 19 – the perfect revelation of the Lord

The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork.
²Day unto day utters speech,
And night unto night reveals knowledge.
³There is no speech nor language
Where their voice is not heard.
⁴Their line^[a] has gone out through all the earth,
And their words to the end of the world.

After breakfast Sunday morning before last I quickly dipped into the above Psalm in my NKJV Study Bible (entitled as shown above). I noted the marginalia cross-reference on translation differences in other texts. But AHA! There’s something profound in the last one, as here with my emphasis.:

[a] Psalm 19:4 Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate read sound; Targum reads business.

REVELATION – wow! Thank you Lord ! The Targum, or ancient Aramaic, for the usual Hebrew term ‘qu-m’ (measuring tape of them) renders it not as ‘line’ but as ‘business’. This seems a far more fitting and effective description of the function of the firmament and its stars, as described in the psalmist’s ecstatic praise.

This revelation of the Lord to David clearly ascribes not only a poetic description (as in sound/voice/language – NB. not light) but also a knowledge; or rather, an operational intelligence or ‘business’! That is, a supra-natural function. Furthermore, this sets the rationale, or tenor, for all subsequent verses. These first verses clearly state a case for ‘intelligent design’ of the universe. But more than that – they imply a distinct intelligence implanted within that design’s tangible manifestation, do they not? Or maybe not so?

IS THERE ANYONE OUT THERE ? ANYONE WHO KNOWS THE ANSWER ?

Moreover, could a deep knowledge of this wisdom have been possessed by the ancient prophet Daniel, whose book is written in Aramaic as well as Hebrew? Could it possibly have been handed down from his personal school to a group of ‘magi’ who, therefore, were watching for an especially significant star ‘saying’ they should set off to Judea for the birth of a particular person from God? I wonder…

Worship in a school cafe

Later that morning, I ‘sensed’ several golden angels come through the entrance doors of the hall where we attend church. As we all focussed upon the Lord in worship our band’s vocalist-guitarist, Daniel McDermott, broke into a chorus he’d penned.:

Steal me away to where the morning stars first sang,

and the angels cry with joy, “Worthy is He, Worthy is He!”

Consequently, I later read aloud those opening verses of David’s psalm, and referred to the margin’s note. At house group later in the week, our pastor recommended a video on this subject!

SO, here’s Louie Gigglio’s demonstration of a ‘song’ from what’s in the heavens and on earth. May this bless you and leave you awestruck…

An answer to my above questions came rapidly and unexpectedly, as revealed in the next post on this main theme.

A break from blogging and a few points to ponder

Posted on Tuesday, 30 April, 2013 by Richard Barker

A brief word to thank every subscriber and visitor for dropping by and to inform you I’ve started refurbishing a sizable chunk of our ground floor (including relocating the weird phone wiring). I expect to be offline, therefore, for a couple of weeks but would like to offer some points you may wish to ponder, as am I…

First, after having posted Invisible Jigsaw I was struck by the exceptional suitability of that image because I’d written the piece and then thought a diagram would be useful – if I could find one! In fact, my first wording had referred to the difficulty in finding such a ‘logo’, and that it was delaying launch of the blog. I didn’t have a specific date in mind, only knew I needed to get a move on as I’d sat on it for too long. (My testimony explains the relevance of launching the blog by December 2011.)

Again I didn’t expect to find anything like a glass jigsaw but dipped into Free Digital Photos’ website. Amazingly, I soon espied an exact match for the concept I’d just written about! Also, the image’s open but blank book reminded me about an insight that God has an as yet unknown book to follow the Book of Revelation, as though it’s beyond the Bible’s rear cover (as told herein). It describes the world when His Kingdom has been established in its awesome fullness with mankind’s saviour, Jesus Christ, reigning as King of Kings.

Also, it’s intriguing that I’d intended writing about Tony’s two dream/visions but didn’t get around to it until last week – which is when another reader, Sally, had already received a download of insights whilst completing an actual puzzle! I appreciate the details Sally.

Upon return I’d like to comment about Paul Keith Davis and Bobby Conner ‘webinar’. What’s remarkable about those two friends is they are scripturally scrupulous as well as having supra-natural sight and sensitivity. Have you watched that video yet?

May the Lord be with you and keep you and your loved ones…

[Credit for the jigsaw image goes to Thanunkorn at Freedigitalphotos.net]

Is the ‘Petrus Romanus’ prophecy of God? – continued

Posted on Tuesday, 26 March, 2013 by Richard Barker

John 17 records that, after praying for His first disciples, Jesus asked His Father,

“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me…”

It’s fitting for us to bear that prayer request in mind as we continue our conversation on the new Pope Francis and the alleged Malachy prophecies of the Popes.:

As we get a fresh Cuppa I introduce a friend who’d joined us at the start of our chat. Bill’s an itinerant preacher, teacher and author (of Feasting on The Father). We met years ago at a weekend’s worship and fellowship in Portsmouth for those blessed by the Toronto Refreshing, or associated with the Toronto Airport fellowship. ln turn, I introduce Kenny, who convened our chat, as well as a regular contributor to my blog, Tony from Tucson.

Bill and I have kept in touch and he admits to not being a great ‘end times’ follower. He tells us his priority is to,

“…follow the desire of my heart to go into all the world and disciple the nations. To see the church of which Jesus is the Head, grow in the reality of righteousness and holy, joyful separation from the spirit of this age and world. To see us become more blatantly passionate pursuers of King Jesus, passionate lovers and servants of one another and healers of a broken, fear-filled world. From this, I believe, will come the unfolding of the end times, however that unpacks.”

“Yes agreed,” I reply, “Along with many others I believe the worldwide Church is moving fully into doing the greater works Jesus indicated; and in our becoming ‘Sons of God’ at the same time persecutions intensify. We can’t be too literal and precise in dating end-times but simply watch for the signs, as Jesus said. [Luke 21:36]

“We both know many within the Roman church who are truly born-again, faithful lovers and followers of Jesus. Unlike a number of non-Catholics I’m not against Rome, the Papacy or its new …”

“My spirit,” interjects Bill, “Registers that despite all the man-made stuff, this beautiful, compassionate man is of God for this time, and I pray he grows in demonstrating the reality of the Gospel before the eyes of the world”.

“Amen!” we all say…

Kenny adds, “In your first mention of Pope Francis, Richard, you blogged about having read of this Roman Catholic prophecy in your ‘old life’. Tell us more!”

“Well I must admit,” I reply, “That and some other things have put me in a bit of a spot – an unusual one. And it could prove God wastes nothing in our lives, even our days as unbelievers. Everything gets redeemed. So here goes…

“In 1970s I read a book on the possibility of getting outside time. One chapter covered the Prophecies of the Popes, or visions that came to the Archbishop of Armagh, later canonised as St Malachy. If it were an accurate prophecy, I guessed it would place the reign of the pope sitting at the end of his list as being about 60 years in the future. So, I probably wouldn’t be alive at that time. BUT the future has arrived – much sooner than anticipated. Hence, my personal interest. Also, my experience brings some insights for you.

“For those who’ve just brought their first Cuppa, let’s briefly…

“Recap…

“The whole thread of posts about the new Pope was triggered by a friend’s email which gave the 12th alert about God doing a new thing. I had a mental image of God putting a piece of an invisible jigsaw into place. ‘Invisible Jigsaw’ was my blog’s original name! But that didn’t happen ’cause I couldn’t find, or create, a suitable graphic design.

“Having been ‘redirected’ from what I’d intended writing, I had a distinct sense this ‘new thing’ may be related to the change in popes. Furthermore, I wondered how it might apply to St Malachy’s mottos. Then whilst writing, an insight suggested the Roman catholic church is to be returned to Jesus’ original purpose – back to the blueprint! I had a sense, therefore, of a huge cycle but not returning to exactly what it was 1,980 years ago – more like a progressive spiral turn…

“So, what I was getting is radically different to anything sensationalist conspiracy or the doomsday merchants presume the Malachy prophecies mean. After writing that blog, I was amazed to immediately come across an analysis that lent some credence to my notion…and more stuff came to open up a broader perspective…”

Bill leans forward, “Nevertheless, the first thing that struck me about Shane Schaetzel’s piece was the ‘error of isolation’. His emphasis on it being a catholic word for catholics alone flies in the face of us being one body, one people, one building, one bride…”

“Yes, that’s so, but maybe the fire in a Catholic in the Ozarks is that of a relatively new, fervent convert, as well as being brassed off with the sensationalist hype displayed in the video that opens his piece. I didn’t bother watching it ’cause I wanted Shane’s own ideas and not be distracted.”

“I don’t want to cover Shane Schaetzel’s detailed examination of the prophecies in great depth, but here’s my ‘take’ on several points..:

Review

1. Shane is reasonably well-informed and tries to be objective. Some of his argument, however, is confused and biased by Roman Catholic exclusivity. He fails to understand non-Catholics’ interest in an ‘obscure’, ‘alleged’ and unverified prophecy. But in fairness, his claim of their inconsistency in rejecting the more legitimate aspects of Catholicism is quite reasonable.

2. I agree in his stressing context – ‘You simply can’t pluck out one particular prophecy, isolate it in a vacuum, and then come up with your own interpretation that has no connection to the overall narrative of all Catholic prophecies’.

There must be not only a witness in our own spirit of what is from Holy Spirit but also a confirmation, or thread, of similar from other prophets and fits the tenor of scripture. [For example, see review prophetic words on new move of God.]

3. To put the Malachy prophecies into proper context, therefore, Shane provides an example from 14th Century’s remarkable ‘Worthy Shepherd Prophecy’.

This speaks of an unexpected, major restoration for the papacy “by about twelve years after the millennium have passed”, and closes with reference to a renewal in faith and restoration of the Church. Shane also notes, “As coincidence would have it….They both coincide perfectly with the time period we have just entered”.

This priest displays unfamiliarity with God-incidence in a prophetical perspective! He does not grasp its importance and brushes it aside as simple ‘coincidence’. ‘By the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established’ [Deut 19:15 NKJV] may also be applied to prophecy. This must have been in Paul’s mind when directing believers in prophesying, per 1 Cor 14:29-33.

4. After this consideration, Shane proceeds to discuss the attributes, character and work of ‘Peter The Roman’. I’m especially interested in his perceiving a return of that church to its first purity, as surmised in my 4th point on Pope Francis – and which took me by surprise. And this harmonises with prophecies about new, historical moves of God in Europe. [See prophecy #11 herein.]

5. I’ve commented on Shane’s blog about the Petrus Romanus prophecy’s reference to judgement, and he kindly replied. [Comments at the foot of his analysis refer.]

I disagree on two counts with his conclusion that an archbishop such as Malachy would have plainly stated the ‘dreadful judge’ is ‘Jesus Christ’, if that’s who he meant. First, the description ties in with and thus may allude to the scripture about all believers standing before the ‘bema’ judgement seat of Christ in 2 Cor 5:9-11, namely:

⁹Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. ¹⁰For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. ¹¹Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences. (NKJV emphases added)

Secondly, the reference reminds me of the Orthodox concept of Christ Pantocrator, or almighty judge. The typically Roman concept of a Christian secular leader rescuing the church is inappropriate, as may be surmised from Europe’s current state. Furthermore, the Malachy motto is about persecution, which accords with OT prophet Daniel’s ‘little horn’ waging war against, not judging, the saints. [Daniel 7]

6. Shane draws to a close by taking issue with ‘Fundamentalists’ and mainline media’s translation of ‘persecutione extrema’ as ‘final persecution’. He claims they’re wrong to do so:

It’s supposed to be translated as “extreme persecution,” but for some reason people are mistranslating it as “final persecution,” which changes the entire meaning of the text, giving the reader the impression that Saint Malachy was talking about the end times, when the Church is supposed to go under the “final persecution” of the Antichrist. But that isn’t what this text says!

He implies they’re using Malachy’s prophetic motto to support their own particular brand of Biblical prophecy. Let’s look at the text again, courtesy of Wikipedia:

In perſecutione extrema S.R.E. ſedebit – Petrus Romanus, qui paſcet oues in multis tribulationibus: quibus tranſactis ciuitas ſepticollis diruetur, & Iudex tremẽdus iudicabit populum ſuum. Finis. This translates as follows:

In the final persecution of the Holy Roman Church, there will sit – Peter the Roman, who will pasture his sheep in many tribulations, and when these things are finished, the city of seven hills [i.e. Rome] will be destroyed, and the dreadful judge will judge his people. The End.

Shane also provides a photocopy of this part of the original for scrutiny purposes, and to make his point. [I note this copy’s omission of ‘er’ from ‘pfecutione’, and correct printing of letter ‘s’ in its regular, medieval typeface.]

Now here’s where I part company with Shane. As a child I hated Latin – got it at church and in class at grammar school. But I can now appreciate it and show Shane’s ‘coup de grace’ translation is, at best, not iron-clad and, at worst, incorrect. He attempts to use Latin to demolish end-times proponents’ claims that the Malachy revelations fit in with their eschatological opinion.

However, Shane mistakenly confuses the meaning of Latin ‘extrema’ by translating it from English, instead of from Latin. That is, he states ‘extrema’ means ‘extreme’ and, thus, is not the same as ‘final’, as supposed by Protestant eschatologists.

Now, Online Etymological Dictionary defines ‘Extreme’ as early 15c, from Old French extreme (13c), from Latin extremus “outermost, utmost, farthest, last”. Oxford English Dictionary also has the origin of ‘extreme’ in Middle English, via Old French from Latin extremus outermost, utmost. [My pocket-size Collins Gem Latin Dictionary has the very same definitions.] Can’t these translations of ‘extrema’ (feminine ‘extremus’) of ‘utmost’ and ‘last’ also be taken as meaning ‘final’? Shane Schaetzel thinks not!

Therefore, ‘final persecution’ is a correct translation of ‘persecutione extrema’.

This does not change the entire meaning of the text, as he thinks, but gives legitimacy to an ‘end-times’ description. That is, the St Malachy prophetic mottos may well refer to the closing days of this era in history. [See comments on Shane’s blog about this point.]

Conclusion

“In my opinion, Shane Schaetzel’s analysis is worth perusal by students of eschatology. There is a seventh aspect over which he makes much ado that I want to address – ie. Catholic prophecies. In view of my earlier connections, I’d like to offer an insight or two over a Cuppa sometime soon.

“It seems we’re reaching a conclusion that the ‘Petrus Romanus’ prophecy could be of God…How say you?

“Perhaps we could discuss the other indicators on a later date?”

Is the ‘Petrus Romanus’ prophecy of God?

Posted on Thursday, 21 March, 2013 by Richard Barker

“I really, really didn’t mean to do that!” confess I to Kenny, just after meeting him for morning coffee at the cyber-cafe.

“What do you mean? The PS?” he asked, referring to the reason for his invitation.

“No! I mean the whole thing…I’d already started something else the day before. So Iast Thursday I was going to finish and publish it. There was a sense of unease…I couldn’t put my finger on it…but it was to do with my last blog, What’s God up to?”

“I’m all ears! Give me your take on the situation, especially that bit you recommended – I’ve read it”, prompts Kenny.

We carry the coffee and yummies I’d ordered to our table by the window. It just so happens, Tony turns up, as do you too, my reader. So bring your Cuppas over and join us for a chat – we may be some time…

(Excellent timing, my wife has just called out, “Coffee’s ready!”.)

“Now Richard, tell us about last Thursday.”

I begin by saying I observe ‘cyber-silence’ over our 3-day weekend, and evenings too.

“So, on Thursdays I try to finish what’s on-hand from the week. I start as soon as I can after 9.30 am, but last Thursday it was sunny and warm for once and a bit of shopping needed to be done first.

“I’d got a newspaper but didn’t dig into it as I was quite late getting online, and a couple of unusually long calls interrupted this. So I was a couple of hours behind and had run out of steam. Now this is quite unusual, I’ve not yet had writer’s block! I’d planned to follow up my last post with more on God’s ‘tsunami’. But I was completely blank. It had dropped into my brain’s ‘pending’ tray!

“How do you guys start your day online? I glance at headlines on World Watch Daily and Debka headlines, as well as three other blogs that don’t drop posts into my in-tray, as well as scan and ditch 20 or more emails.

“There was one email sharing a download a friend had received from the Lord. Now that really plugged me in! We’d met Bob and Lyn a year ago, found not only were we on the same wavelength but also that they knew of my friend John’s mission in Ghana as well as Paul, who directs HOTS in Bath.

“At that time, Lyn shared bits she’d sensed about naval preparations for war and I gave her details of serious activities in the Med and Gulf. I know her sensitivity to Holy Spirit and have high regard for the new items on grave international matters. An inexplicable 2 hour difference in her alarm clocks confirms, to my mind, the great urgency stirring in her spirit. Part of what Lyn received is, “Behold I do a new thing”.

“In an instant, lack of drive disappeared. I was galvanised into action!

“Next, upon scanning just a few headlines I knew what to blog. Like in this image, it was as though the Lord had put His finger on a headline to draw my attention to the alleged Malachy prophecies. I honestly didn’t want to go there! As well as what I’d already started (Is God baring His arm?), a number of ideas have been lodged too long in my ‘pipeline’.

“Also, I didn’t want to do anything that was connected with my pre-Christian life or stray away from Biblical matters.

“I asked the Lord, if it’s not out of order to cover this, please bless what I write. I typed out new thoughts as they sprang to mind, which is not my usual way at all. Later in the day, when all’s done and dusted, I hit ‘publish’.

“Next – again for no particular reason – I dug into Google for anything else on this news. It seems the Lord directed me to yet another about Malachy’s visions, but by a Catholic priest. Upon reading his sound report, I was pleasantly surprised to find he, too, viewed the motto for Pope Francis positively – unlike evangelical commentators! Hence my adding a postscript to the post.” (See Is Pope Francis ‘Petrus Romanus’?)

“What do you think?”

We kick this around between us. I add there was a clear sense of satisfaction, which is quite rare, and which also left me with a distinct sense of peace. Despite initial setbacks everything just flowed. Thus, that impetus did come from God.

“So this all arose out of a word from the Lord about ‘a new thing’?”

“Yes. And on Saturday I saw Gillan had picked on this from a very different aspect and I commented about this on his blog. But then I questioned myself, checked through my blog for prophetic words on this matter and wrote about them.”

“Everything since last Thursday’s item on Pope Francis has been unscheduled, never on my ‘to do’ list!”

Kenny kindly reminds me, “What’s your take on ‘Catholic in the Ozarks’ or Shane Schaetzel’s, The Pope, the Antichrist and Peter The Roman?”

“Let’s top up our Cuppas and I’ll tell you. Then we may figure out if Malachy’s visions came from God”.

Click to continue > >

Abiding in God’s Word: continued

Posted on Thursday, 7 March, 2013 by Richard Barker

“ALL ABOARD!”

Let’s return to our seats in the third carriage of our ‘time-travel’ train. New passengers wanting to board should first get their ticket by clicking here. All new passengers will need to go back in time and walk through the carriages, as explained in the ‘ticket’ so they may fully appreciate what’s next on our journey together. (A brief summary appears below.)

Doubtless this seems an unusual, even novel, way of time travelling? Each ‘carriage’ represents one day within a week when I discovered some new things about the Word of God (ie. the Holy Bible). Here, in the 3rd carriage I dig out my notes and we consider what’s being taught and how we can abide in God’s Word.

First , let’s recap with Jesus Christ’s rebuke to the Jewish teachers. They’d recognised the authority of his cousin John the Baptist but were slow, if not blind, to comprehend who Jesus is. And so he told them God’s own testimony about himself was being shown though the work he was doing for them! His closest disciple recorded this as follows.:

“But I have a greater witness than John’s; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish—the very works that I do—bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me. ³⁷And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. ³⁸But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. ³⁹You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. ⁴⁰But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life…” [John 5 NKJV emphases added]

The meaning of verse 38 can be otherwise summarised:

“The abiding word that is written has to become real so that it becomes the manifest Word – and then you believe and see miracles!

Sometimes we pray for revival or change and when it comes we don’t recognise it. Or, we even reject it because it doesn’t fit into our (Biblical) box…

“The abiding word is what positions us for the next thing that God is going to do!”

NOTES

That was where we’d got to in this 3rd carriage on the journey. Now we’re back onboard lets continue with my notes as our train ‘rocks on’…!

In Jesus’ day the Jews were praying for and expecting their Messiah or Anointed One who would lead them out of subjugation to ungodly Roman rule. The parties of scribes and pharisees were experts in interpreting and understanding their ancient scriptures. These included words inspired by God and received by their prophets about His plans for this special people and their forthcoming ‘Son of David’. But Jesus was forthright in denouncing those ‘authorities’ for not recognising who he is and that God had indeed sent him, as in the above quotation.

The very same applies to us, does it not? That is, we cannot recognise who Jesus truly is unless God’s Word abides within; which means, it lives deep inside our whole being.

What is The Abiding Word? The private instruction Jesus gave to his close circle of disciples on the eve of his trial and crucifixion included this explanation:

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. ²Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away;^[a] and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. ³You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. ⁴Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

⁵“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. ⁶If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. ⁷If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will^[b] ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. ⁸By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. [John 15 NKJV emphases added]

Herein, Jesus is making a connection between access to the unlimited AND what is abiding IN our heart.

Meditation is key

Not worldly/Eastern meditation, however, because that is ’emptying’ the mind.
Biblical meditation is filling the mind and does not make one vulnerable to outside influences.
This meditation is taking what God has said and pondering it in our heart, or ‘chewing’ and contemplating (also known as Lectio Divina – not the theological analysis of scripture but regarding Christ as key to its meaning).
Abiding puts us in a position for I N C R E A S E.
Access to unlimited increase is directly related to how we abide in what He’s already said.
Revelation from scripture must lead to a God encounter.
The Canon of scripture is designed to lead us into an encounter with The Holy One.

Continuing the first above quotation from John 5:

⁴¹“I do not receive honor from men. ⁴²But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. ⁴³I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. ⁴⁴How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God? ⁴⁵Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you—Moses, in whom you trust. ⁴⁶For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. ⁴⁷But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?” [John 5 NKJV emphases added]

Faith and fear of man cannot co-exist. So, do I want God’s approval or man’s?

God waits to pour honour on His people. Therefore, the life of extraordinary faith usually has a lot of favour following within it.

[All railway photos were taken on the Mid-Hants Watercress Line’s World War II day in 2012, a fun day and opportunity for re-enactment groups to dress appropriately.]

Paws-4-thought: more encouragement

Posted on Monday, 25 February, 2013 by Richard Barker

After publishing three morsels of Lion Bites last Thursday I thought it may have been rather a rushed job, for my mind was on my next tasks. Upon reflection, I thought I’d been too hasty, especially as that was what it had been like all week. Even so, I was reminded to focus upon those encouraging words. And the Lord was to surprise me with yet more morsels…!

After bashing through a tedious task for an hour I went to buy a rare ‘treat’ – fish and chips! (It makes a pleasant change from a cooked evening meal.) Although it’s less than 3 minutes walk to the ‘chippy’ it usually entails a 10 minute wait at such a busy time.

So I took what I’m reading – Healing Unplugged. Billed as ‘Up close and personal: behind the scenes with Bill Johnson and Randy Clark’, this is a transcript of a teaching video where they interviewed one another on how their healing ministries started and developed. It is minimal on historical details yet the book provides lots of insights and advice. A fascinating read!

Nina and I have often heard both leaders’ exceptional teaching, and Randy is one of the most humble servants of Christ. So, waiting in the chippy I was thoroughly engrossed in reading about the confession of his shortcomings in faith for healing. He proceeds to tell Bill of a breakthrough in his understanding of the vital importance of corporate faith.

Randy spoke about his first visit to Bill’s church in Bethel, Redding California, when God impressed upon him to ask for healings the way that Abraham had asked for the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah to be spared, but Randy should count the other way round! That is, he was to ask for an increasing number of people to be healed as a number that he had faith for God to heal. (Genesis 18 refers.)

At first 25 were healed. Randy said to the congregation, “I just felt as though God spoke to me”. He asked them, “Do you think God is tired?”. “No!” they replied. “Do you think He’s run out of power?” he continued. “No!” they said. Again, he received the same impression from God and as the number was incrementally raised they ended up with 135 healings.

So someone asked why he hadn’t said one hundred at first. The answer was simple – he didn’t have the faith for that number. But his faith grew gradually by increasing the size of his request of God.

As his faith increased Randy would often use that strategy. On one occasion in a large church in Brazil a translator who’d seen him do that many times told him, “You need to ask for more”. “Oh yeah, how many do you think?” he replied. Randy told Bill she announced a huge number in the region of 150-200, “And she said it right out loud in front of everybody!”

How did Randy react and what happened? Continue below and discover an important principle about the miraculous that Randy was about to learn.:

WOW, what words of wonder to ponder with our fish and chips – a spiritual feast as well as bodily feast. Makes me wonder what else the multitude received from Jesus whilst His disciples handed round a few loaves and fish from a boy’s ‘butty-box’! (See John 6.)

Abiding in God’s Word

Posted on Monday, 18 February, 2013 by Richard Barker

Jesus told the Jews who believed Him, , “IF you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32 emphasis added)

COME, take a train ride with me and consider the relevance of Jesus’ claim for today.

Why on a train? Another intriguing ‘train’ of thoughts and insights is about to pass by, like one of those old-time steam locomotives. They amble along, which allows time for passengers to chat as well as to explore carriages. I can rummage around looking for any interesting ‘cargo’ and such ‘trunks’ often hold hidden gems. Also, conversation with passengers may bring a confirmation, an affirmation or even a revelatory word from the Lord. So won’t you go back three weeks and share my latest ‘trip’ with me?

It’s a free ride, so no need to buy a ticket as we dash through to the platform where its entrance acts as a ‘portal’ and we jump back three weeks in time. On board this short, now moving train we’re welcomed by a kaleidoscopic collection of inter-linked thoughts and insights. Let’s check what’s in this first carriage before we move further along the train…

1st ‘carriage’

Here I sit to dig out of my briefcase some prophetic words I’d been given in 1996 (see Why I’m writing). This sheet of paper opens by stating how the day started with a call from someone who’d heard the Lord instruct them to call me with verses 3, 5 and 9 in the Book of Joshua. Re-reading that first chapter now, however, my gaze fixes upon verses 6 to 8 leading into verse 9 and some words seem to have an added emphasis, as below.:

[¹After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: ²“Moses my servant is dead. Now then…]⁷…Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. ⁸Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. ⁹Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

My study Bible says this account of the Israelite tribes’ journey into the land that the God of Abraham had promised him and his descendants was written about 3,400 years ago! I note the fact that Moses’ closest assistant was told to keep entirely focused upon what Moses wrote and upon nothing else. Only by so doing would Joshua and all his people prosper, and God would be with them where they were about to go!

[What Moses wrote is known as the Pentateuch, a Greek term meaning ‘five-volumed book’ and derived from its Jewish designation, ‘five-fifths of the law’. The Israelites knew it as ‘Torah’, meaning ‘instruction’. It is the first five books of the Old Testament: namely Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.[

Then came an insight: the Torah was the only Standing Instruction this national leader had for his guidance. Furthermore, it was and is the word of God – Holy Scripture. That five-fold book was all they had to believe and follow as holy writ – unlike today with 61 more books comprising later history, poetry and prophetical writings inspired by God’s Holy Spirit. The first 5 books were all Joshua had to go on! Even so, God promised to be with him.

So, about 3,400 years ago Joshua had his instructions but must have gained so much more under the oversight of the Living God. Over the next 1,400 years the descendants of those ancient Hebrews received many more writings inspired by God. And then about 2,000 years ago, God once again drew alongside them as ‘Immanuel’. [A Hebrew word meaning ‘With us is God’ and a title for Jesus Christ, as used by the OT prophet Isaiah when he prophesied Jesus’ virgin birth 700 years earlier – Isaiah 7:14 refers.]

By the time this later Joshua (which means ‘saviour’) lived amongst the Jews as Jesus of Nazareth, their scripture had grown from 5 to 39 authoritative books, and which are known to Christians as the Old Testament. [Some traditional Christian denominations recognise a few more books: see How many books are in the Bible?]

Jesus taught the people with an authority greater than that of their priests because His words came direct from God. [See John 8: 25-39 for His declaration on this issue and which leads into the opening verse of this blog. The last part of v 32 is often quoted but ignores the specific condition for achieving freedom – ie. abiding in God’s word.]

Within a few decades of Jesus’ life another 27 books written by apostles and disciples were recognised as being inspired by God and collated into the New Testament as a complete Bible. So we Christians have a huge Standing Instruction.

Another insight comes: As in Joshua’s time, Jesus’ first followers had God’s promise to go with them, only this time they wouldn’t be going into just the small area of land at the eastern end of the Mediterranean. This time Jesus, the Son of God, commissioned His followers to ‘go to the ends of the world’ after the Holy Spirit would visit and stay upon them.

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. [Matthew 28:18-20]

Like Joshua, those Apostles’ and disciples’ Standing Instructions were based upon an existing body of authoritative scripture that was augmented not only by Jesus’ teachings but also by continuing personal direction from Jesus and the Father. That is, this time God’s promise to always be with them was not just for one person only but for many, and His Holy Spirit would be present within them as an endowment of power! Thus, they then lived and moved with God’s Spirit upon them.

2nd ‘carriage’

The week I’m re-visiting personal prophecies I also come across Bobby Conner’s word for 2013, Calling All Warriors. It stirs me deeply and seems so appropriate for today. (It also connects into the ‘warrior’ word from the UK Prophetic Council, as published here.)

Awaken Your Might - credit; James Nesbit www.jamesnart.com

Awaken Your Might by James Nesbit – purchase from http://www.jamesnart.net

On the Saturday, a mentoring day, I see an inspirational picture matching Bobby’s word. Also that morning, Dr Stone states that the 1st chapter of Joshua is important for these days. So I open my old NIV at that very place and grin. What do you know! As I do so Sharon emphasises her message by quoting the verses I’d just seen and which I’d highlighted many years ago (as in above image).:

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” [Joshua 1:9]

I’m astounded, as you may have realised from my published account of that day (here). Sharon prophesies that the Church will be moving into what it was always meant to be like, but it will not be easy – as when Joshua led the Israelites into their Promised Land.

3rd ‘carriage’

The next day at church our minister teaches about ‘Abiding in His Word’ – and for me this directly connects into Joshua again! As we considered in the 1st carriage, ‘Abiding’ was God’s Standing Instruction to Joshua, and repeated by Jesus to His followers! The minister then opens this topic by stating:

“The Bible is not a fence that contains God, that is used to restrict Him and His works – it reveals Him! It is guide-lines to indicate who He is and what He can/will do. The Bible is a platform from which He operates!”

Next, she quotes Bill Johnson of Bethel Church, California. (It so happens I’m reading Healing Unplugged, which is a deep discussion between him and Randy Clark about their personal healing ministries. We’ve listened enthralled to Bill several times for he greatly loves teaching from the Word, thereby giving listeners fresh insights.) Now, our minister quotes him as follows:

“It’s hard to have the same fruit as the early Church when you value a book they didn’t have more than the Holy Spirit, whom they did have.”

That reflects in part my earlier thoughts. Next, she goes on to refer to what Jesus told the Jews about God’s own testimony about Jesus being shown though the work He was doing for them:

“But I have a greater witness than John’s; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish—the very works that I do—bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me. ³⁷And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. ³⁸But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. ³⁹You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. ⁴⁰But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life…” [John 5 NKJV]

Our South African minister Lindi summarises the meaning of verse 38:

“The abiding word that is written has to become real so that it becomes the manifest Word – and then you believe and see miracles!

Sometimes we pray for revival or change and when it comes we don’t recognise it. Or, we even reject it because it doesn’t fit into our (Biblical) box…

“The abiding word is what positions us for the next thing that God is going to do!”

Wow, all this is amplifying and enhancing my meditations during the week.

4th ‘carriage’

The very next day I’m prompted – and I don’t know why I should do so – to check that a link on an old posting is working. This is the source’s homepage for The Bridegroom Cometh, but I find it’s dead! So I check again a few hours later, but this time I’m so utterly astounded to see there the picture I’d bought only two days ago and hangs in the study! (As above under ‘2nd carriage’.) Moments later Nina enters the study, sees the picture on-screen and her jaw drops!

IS IT ANY WONDER I was absolutely stunned? (As first reported here)

What is our Lord and God saying and indicating?

Can you hear Him?

May I summarise?…

God gives plenty of instructions for us to meditate upon, to follow and live by so that we will always remain, or abide, in them. In addition to that He gives us Himself – so what more could we possibly ask or want?

Here’s one of my favorites on abiding from that very special, private teaching time in the upper room on the eve of Jesus’ trial and crucifixion.:

“He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”

²²Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?”

²³Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. ²⁴He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me…”

Then, when talking about His being the True Vine, Jesus again stresses the great importance of abiding in God’s holy word.:

“If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. ⁷If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. ⁸By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.⁹“As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. ¹⁰If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love…”

These are from John 14 and John 15 respectively in NKJV, but it’s much better to read the whole event and thereby gain its full context. So why not invite the Lord to be with you as you read and meditate upon chapters 13-17 of the Gospel according to John?

May He be with you in Spirit…

Our train halts in a station for a quite a while and we take a break to walk around the station. Here we find a number of civilians and military personnel dressed as though they’re in the 1940s! We recognise one distinguished figure boarding as we’re called back on board and enter the 3rd carriage to continue on our journey (click to proceed).

Colours of God

Posted on Wednesday, 31 October, 2012 by Richard Barker

Reblogged from The Lady Journal – superb shot with poem by Samantha Hardcastle, who describes herself as “A lady keeping it classy, while crazy for Christ”. Psalm 19.1:

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”

In a moment’s breath, I taste the color of life

I taste it in beauty, I taste it in strife

In the blink of an eye, I feel the color of sorrow

I feel it in my chest, I’ll feel it tomorrow

In the swiftness of a run, I hear the color of victory

I hear it in the wind, I hear it in His story

In the sweetness of grace, I smell the color of love

I smell it in the air, I smell it from above

In a gaze toward the universe, I see the colors of God

I see it in the stars, I see it in Heaven’s applaud

Samantha Hardcastle

Colors of God

October 28, 2012

Some insights into God’s action plan

Posted on Thursday, 4 October, 2012 by Richard Barker

Soon after my birthday trip to Trafalgar Square with Healing On The Streets, as here, I was blessed with a greater under-standing of God’s action plan: getting the full Gospel message in all its power into the public space. So I want to encourage fellow believers as well as stir those who are not yet Christians to discover more about our faith.

Insight 1

Knowing about God’s action plan gives impetus to our realisation of the spiritual contest going on within society to manipulate people’s thoughts and beliefs away from God.

This has been observed not only in the HOTS v ASA saga but also other spheres of UK government action. Thinking they’d curtail prayers in public for physical healing, the ASA banned HOTS leaflets but this blew up in their faces when the public’s attention and that of Parliament turned towards the issue (as here and here). Also, a substantial flaw was found in the ASA ruling. So, we can perceive the Lord’s hand in these events. However, the issue with the Equalities & Human Rights Commission about keeping religious beliefs well behind church doors, as summed up here by Gillan Scott, still bubbles away.

That struggle is also why Christians are in the European Court, Strasbourg, standing against governmental rulings (see here, here and here). We can understand that the spiritual enemy does not want anything Jesus did in public to be done in public today. Thus, he will attempt in every possible way to thwart God’s plans for returning Christian beliefs and activity to the public sphere.

On this issue political blogger Cranmer has rounded upon confused comments coming from Baroness Warsi, minister of State for Faith and Communities and Senior Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, that the British Government is proud to do ‘God’. His Grace writes:

It is ironic that this ‘Senior’ Minister of State…should boast that the UK Government ‘does God’ while their lawyers at the European Court of Human Rights have made it clear that the position of HM Government is that Christians should ‘leave their beliefs at home or get another job’.

David Cameron – like Tony Blair before him – appears to mistake freedom of worship for freedom of religion. The Baroness apparently grasps the difference, and yet she is part of that government which is arguing in Strasbourg that there is a ‘difference between the professional and private sphere’.

Whatever the Baroness may spout at the UN, the UK has seen a gradual shift from ‘freedom of religion’ to ‘freedom of worship’. The whole narrative surrounding religious faith has gone from being ‘in the world’ to the physical confines of a church, temple, synagogue or mosque.

Insight 2

Sunday morning’s service at Church of His Presence had a late change in its schedule. Pastor John had to be away and Jan Painter spoke on what the Lord’s saying about His plans for revival and taking His presence outside church walls. (Jan prophesied a fresh but return of the glory of God after that of the Brownsville revival.)

For well over an hour Jan conveyed her grasp of the Lord’s words and amongst several gems was this one:

“In God’s presence we become aware of Him, but He wants you to be aware that He is aware of you“.

Wow, how this adds another deeper dimension for our ministering healing! It seems, in my opinion, a lot of what she says about God’s work through The Bay Revival may well apply to HOTS because that team is also part of God’s worldwide action plan to get the full Gospel outside church walls.

Indeed, the Lord’s rebuke that Jan conveyed about believers letting a spiritual weapon fall into disuse also applies to all on-fire churches. (Ephesians 6:10-18 refers.) This is extremely relevant teaching and as the service closed most of the large congregation, no doubt plus online members, started practising this holy gifting.

Join this exceptional service by playing the above video. There are testimonies from deaf and blind folk being healed before Jan starts speaking at 1hr30min. [Takes few seconds to start but play can be advanced along the loading gray buffer bar.]

Insight 3

How can I convey what followed the previous two within days? At the first home group we attended of our new church the preacher brought a powerful text for discussion – the third chapter of Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus.

I received a ‘download’! It was almost visible! My New King James Study Bible heads this chapter as The Mystery Revealed, with sub-headings Purpose of the Mystery and Appreciation of the Mystery. I n t r i g u i n g !

As the chapter was read aloud and certain Greek words in verses 16 to 20 discussed, I grasped its direct relevance to all I’ve written above and in the preceding posts about HOTS.

All I can suggest for the earnest Christian is to meditate upon and ‘chew well’ the extra-ordinary depths of this whole chapter and ask for revelation. This Bible Gateway link to Ephesians 3 gives the Amplified Bible’s translation, thereby offering a good glimpse into the meaning of Paul’s apostolic teaching.

Just savour these verses then, along with the rest, chew and swallow the whole chapter and then the rest of this short letter:

¹⁰[The purpose is] that through the church the complicated, many-sided wisdom of God in all its infinite variety and innumerable aspects might now be made known to the angelic rulers and authorities (principalities and powers) in the heavenly sphere.

¹¹This is in accordance with the terms of the eternal and timeless purpose which He has realized and carried into effect in [the person of] Christ Jesus our Lord,

¹²In Whom, because of our faith in Him, we dare to have the boldness (courage and confidence) of free access (an unreserved approach to God with freedom and without fear). – – – – –

¹⁶May He grant you out of the rich treasury of His glory to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in the inner man by the [Holy] Spirit [Himself indwelling your innermost being and personality].

¹⁷May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love,

¹⁸That you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God’s devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it];

¹⁹[That you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]!

AMEN!

Paws-4-thought: weather, quakes and cycles – part 2

Posted on Wednesday, 29 August, 2012 by Richard Barker

Continued from Part 1: “And then what? You were saying Richard, …”

Normally I’m offline Friday to Sunday, and longer over a Bank Holiday. But in between showers and odd tasks I planned to snatch 15 mins ever so quickly to re-blog an ace post. But I found WordPress playing up terribly and dipped into emails, spotted the ones from William K and John McT, and so I tried using them for a couple of direct email postings. I saw another from Tony P on his latest post Winds of Change, which fits the News Alert on the tropical storm/hurricane in Florida.

Bank Holiday Monday evening we planned to catch up with the second night of The Bay Revival team’s visit to Southern California but found the website unavailable, as was that of their church in Mobile. Perhaps this was down in preparation for the arrival of Isaac. Also, I was puzzled over the claims about its location and path – Tampa, Florida or central northern Gulf…which? We saw Weather Channel’s hurricane specialist show how he’d found tropical storm Isaac’s approach from mid-Caribbean had been split by a wedge of dry air and this made the main part head west nor-west towards New Orleans. The eastern leading edge was already over Florida. It seemed as though the massive storm was not going directly towards the Florida panhandle and neck of Alabama but veering off to once again join the ‘Southern Decadence’ – on yet another 29 August!

Question: was this accident, fluke or directed by a mind far superior to ours? Or could it be to allow some respite to the Pensacola-Mobile area because that’s been blessed by two Holy Spirit visitations? (Perhaps my dream recounted here has relevance?)

With regard to my previous reference to extremes of weather, the agricultural economy of both nations is already being affected, as in today’s Telegraph article The farmer’s hell after the heavens opened where Christopher Middleton notes:

Yes, while drought-stricken American farmers have been praying for rain, with 35 states declaring themselves disaster areas, we Brits have found the heavens to be open all hours of the day, in what is set to be one of the wettest summers on record. The combination is expected to send food prices soaring for the average shopper in the coming months.

The political price for this upon our government is not missed by His Grace Cranmer’s post, Cameron’s downfall will be the price of bread.

Too Coincidental?

The detailed information and conclusions William Koenig gives in his Eye-to-Eye alert arise from years of monitoring events that occur simultaneously with, or following closely, important matters to do with Israel. Thus, likely connections with Biblical teaching and prophecy can be demonstrated from the linkage and deduced by open-minded investigators.

In Koenig’s current examples the repeated four instances of related occasions should be of interest to those of a mathematical and scientific bent. Their repetitive nature almost makes the events worthy of scientific investigation, does it not?

And there’s more! Lots…

For example, his detailed analysis of record heat and drought in both 2011 and 2012, during June to August in both years, suggests a connection with President Obama’s LGBT and gay marriage agenda (Eye-View 3rd August). Earlier in July 2010, he’d observed that most of the states supporting this in the US northeast had experienced record-breaking temperatures during Jan-July. A thinking person would don his/her thinking cap!

Cycles

Earlier this year my Points to ponder 2011-12 introduced Koenig’s investigation of the work of internationally renowned financial analyst Erick Hadik. Hadik has recognised the affects of natural cycles not only upon our environment but also upon our spheres of political and economical activity. One in particular corresponds closely with the 11-year sunspot cycle’s peak this year 2012, that of Middle-Eastern conflict! For example, look at these dates:

end of WWII – 1945, adding 11 years:

Suez War – 1956, another 11 years:

Six Days War – 1967, plus 11 years:

Camp David Accords – 1978-1979 (also Iran’s Islamic Revolution):

Persian Gulf War / Desert Storm (Part I) – 1990-91, another 11 years:

Sept 11th 2001 terror events and subsequent Afghan and Iraq wars (Part II).

2012 – may introduce Persian Gulf Wars Part III? – Sunni/Shiite conflict? Israel v. Iran? Update > See blog 11-year cycle proves itself again! (posted 14 Sept: attacks upon US embassy in Cairo and consulate in Libya with ambassador’s murder) and News and Stories for 2012 for the year’s main events.

Hadik claims the above dates are, in fact, preceded by those for the Palestine mandate (1922) and Hitler’s ascension (1933). Furthermore, there is a 50/100 year cycle of major wars. He cites the Napoleonic war of 1812, US Civil War (1861-65), the Balkan Wars of 1912 as the real start of WWI, 1961-2 Cuban missile crisis and SE Asian wars. 2012 next! (Source: page 5 of Hadik’s Earth in Transition 3+3 II.)

Anyone wishing to dig below the surface will find fascinating facts! Be blessed…

Paws-4-thought: weather, quakes and cycles – part 1

Posted on Tuesday, 28 August, 2012 by Richard Barker

“What’s going on there? I spy with my little eye…”

The year’s last non-winter Bank Holiday weekend was yet another washout – but today’s fine and sunny, with cool breeze, now most have returned to regular work! Well why not? We fill our weekends without thought of our Maker and Saviour by shopping, sports and leisure activities, so whyever should our holidays be blessed with warm weather? A fortnight ago we had just three or four consecutive warm days (around 80F) at long (June), long (July), long (August) last here in southern England. This year the number of real Summer days, where we could dine outdoors on the patio, must have been about half a dozen only! BUT, thank the Lord that drought conditions arising from two dry winters have completely disappeared.

I was musing over the different extremes manifesting on opposite sides of ‘the pond’, as though the UK is being blessed and the United States isn’t, and came across a rather apposite psalm. (Drought conditions in the States had deteriorated since July’s posting on the matter: wells running dry, even the mighty Mississippi hitting ‘uncharted territory, also more wildfires in Idaho and Oregon – thanks to John McTernan’s Daily Digest 18th August, and there’s many more elsewhere!) I wondered about scriptural links between a possible revival here and our record-breaking rains and my concordance took me to Psalm 68:

⁷O God, when You went out before Your people, When You marched through the wilderness, Selah ⁸The earth shook; The heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God; Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel. ⁹You, O God, sent a plentiful rain, Whereby You confirmed Your inheritance, When it was weary…

And then I noticed the preceding verse 6: But the rebellious dwell in a dry land.

Isn’t this a positive statement about the consequences of un-Godly and anti-Christian policies that federal and various state governments have introduced in the USA? Even weeks beforehand I’d surmised the extreme heat may be a toned-down taster of the fire that consumed Sodom and Gomorrah, where flagrant rebellion ran wild in the streets.

My musings on events will continue in part 2, meanwhile:

Earthquakes

During the heightened earthquake activity along the Pacific rim and in central USA in 2010 I read that ‘seismic swarms’ are a relatively new occurrence. Occurring off the coast of British Columbia since 2008, they’re regarded as quite different to the usual large quake with its follow-ons. According to the United States Geological Survey, swarms are defined as an episode of high earthquake activity in which the largest does not occur at the beginning of an episode and is not substantially larger than anyother quake within the episode. Some have surmised that they would suggest there may be a much larger area of tectonic sensitivity than that of a normal fault-line.

Further to yesterday’s news the latest USGS graphical report for California may be seen here. Notice how very active this region is compared to the global data map.

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Tag Archives: #Musings

Paws-4-thought: on the ‘snatching up’ of believers

What Lies Behind The Rapture

What The Rapture Has Left Behind

Pick your own parable

Observations on the 3 anointings for End-times believers

Paws-4-thought: Christian inheritance and the End-times church

Something good in UK’s ‘marriage’ Act for Christians?

Sources:

Is Britain taking a totalitarian route?

References:

Watch the Rain

Does extraterrestrial intelligence exist? Part 2

Does extraterrestrial intelligence exist? Part 1

“Where were you when…

A break from blogging and a few points to ponder

Is the ‘Petrus Romanus’ prophecy of God? – continued

Is the ‘Petrus Romanus’ prophecy of God?

Abiding in God’s Word: continued

Paws-4-thought: more encouragement

Abiding in God’s Word

Colours of God

Samantha Hardcastle

Colors of God

October 28, 2012

Some insights into God’s action plan

Paws-4-thought: weather, quakes and cycles – part 2

Paws-4-thought: weather, quakes and cycles – part 1

What Lies Behind The Rapture

What The Rapture Has Left Behind

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Samantha Hardcastle

October 28, 2012

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