Tag Archives: #The_Apocalypse

Greek for ‘revelation’ and title of the Bible’s closing book. It is the revelation Father God gave to Jesus Christ and conveyed as visions to Jesus’ disciple John of the future, or ‘end days’, and of Jesus’ return to earth for His Bride (the Church) and the end of Satan. It also includes 7 letters Jesus dictated to John for 1st Century churches which He had visited and inspected!

Paws-4-thought: devilish plot to avoid the Lake of Fire

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“…for we are not unaware of Satan’s schemes”.  (Apostle Paul’s second letter to the early church in Corinth, Greece)

Paws4thort6It isn’t a popular topic and is one I’d rather overlook, but this has to be said in view of recent and current events. The notions behind my musings may not be new to some of my readers.

The enemy of our souls, that ancient dragon and deceiver, will eventually be thrown into a fiery lake along with his false prophet, the beast, death and Hades, plus anyone whose name isn’t recorded in the Book of Life, as is foretold in the twentieth chapter of The Apocalypse.

Afterwards, a new earth will appear and the new Jerusalem will descend from a new heaven, because the old ones have passed away. But before all that, those evil ones will have been defeated upon the return to earth of “The Word of God”, as described in part of an end-time vision Jesus gave Apostle John:

11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. 15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:

KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. (Rev 19:11 NKJV)

Satan’s Strategy?

It may be presumptuous of me, but it seems there’s a verse in each of the Old and New Testaments that Satan could be using to thwart God’s plan for his eventual demise.

Could his strategy be to prevent Jesus’ prophesied return? If he were to achieve that, then what’s foretold in scripture just wouldn’t be able to happen!

However, in view of the facts that Jesus defeated him at Calvary and then ascended to sit at God’s side as His only begotten Son, how could Satan achieve such a goal?

Answer: by ensuring the reasons for Jesus Christ’s promised return have been nullified; that is, no longer exist.

OT Aspect

When Jesus ascended to heaven from the Mount of Olives the gathered disciples were told by two men in white linen that He’d return in the same fashion (Acts 1:9-12). This would comply with the prophecy of the Day of the Lord given to Zechariah, which states in part…

For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem… 3 Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. 4 And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east….Thus the Lord my God will come, and all the saints with You. (Zech 14:2-5 NKJV courtesy BibleGateway.com)

Therefore, which people will be there?  The descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – the Jews, with whom God has an everlasting Covenant. So, to prevent that Satan could cause people to eradicate them by genocide; that is, by wars, massacres, pogroms, holocaust, politico-religious ethnic cleansing. Hence, Islamist regimes’ goal of wiping the Jewish state of Israel from the map. (Some mullahs want all Jews to be gathered there so they can be more easily destroyed!)

Thus, once all Jews are removed from the land there’d be no point at all in Jesus returning for a people that don’t live there!

NT Aspect

But Jesus could return to snatch away, or ‘rapture’, the Christians into heaven anyway, as Paul foresaw, for that above OT verse says He will return with all His saints. But if all the followers of Jesus are no longer fit to be His bride then they’d be useless and He wouldn’t be able to use them. Hence, the snake insinuated itself into Christendom, got churches to unwittingly promulgate false teachings and lose the Holy Spirit’s anointing and powerful inheritance of the first disciples.

Better still, the devil could scheme to destroy and wipe them out too! Then there’d be neither Jew nor Christian left for Jesus to return to earth. He might as well stay up in heaven and let Satan continue to rule the roost on earth

So, as stated in Revelation 12:17, Satan immediately began “to make war on those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus”.

Perhaps the easiest and most subtly unseen way of doing that is the Machiavellian strategy of ‘divide and rule’; that is, disunity. Get these ‘little anointed ones’ to fall out and dispute doctrine, let them build and rule over man-made institutions instead of being filled by the Holy Spirit and led by Him.

But even better, get them to hate and turn on one another, then wage war upon and kill fellow believers and thus disobey not only Jesus’ own command to them to love one another (John 13:34-35), but also His prayer to Father that they be one in them both (John 17:20-26) so the world would believe God had sent Him. And so Satan’s tactic is to render these foundational points of Christian discipleship null and void.

And on top of that, if Satan can get Christians to despise and turn against the Jews then he’s laughing, he’s ‘home and dry’ – we will have done his job for him!!  And better still, why not make everyone else in the world hate Jews too?  Even better, create a religious scripture that justifies, commands and honours killing them.

Doubtless, the Devil thinks prevention of the fulfilment of holy writ is practically guaranteed! Let’s consider some evidence for these claims:

Historical Evidence

1. The opening quotation refers to a matter on which Paul was advising church leaders. About 20 year after Jesus’ ascension a rebellious conflict grieved leaders and believers of that early assembly in Greece. They reacted severely but Paul cautioned forgiveness and comfort. Otherwise it would allow Satan to take advantage of the discord within the church (New Spirit-filled Life Bible notes). NKJV has Paul’s guidance; “…I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ, lest Satan should take advantage of us, for we are not ignorant of his devices“.  (2 Cor 2:11)

2. Another devilish tactic that has persisted is mentioned by the author of the Book to the Hebrews: “Exercise foresight and be on the watch to look [after one another], to see that no one falls back from and fails to secure God’s grace (His unmerited favor and spiritual blessing), in order that no root of resentment (rancor, bitterness, or hatred) shoots forth and causes trouble and bitter torment, and the many become contaminated and defiled by it (Heb 12:15 Amplified Bible).

3. 300 years later, in post-conversion zeal, Emperor Constantine turned against Jewish opposition to Christianity. Being empowered as the official religion it dominated that empire’s territory and Sylvester, the bishop of the Catholic church in Rome, withdrew its long-standing brotherly support of churches led by the ‘desposyni’ (“the Lord’s blood-kindred”). Thus began centuries of official anti-Semitic indoctrination and persecution, the fruit of which appalled me when a child upon hearing my devout Catholic mother referring to Jews as “Christ killers”. So we can understand how the strong undercurrent of anti-Semitism in Europe enabled Satan to complete one phase of his strategy: the infamous Holocaust.

4. Yet the Bible calls Christians to live as peacemakers (Matthew 5:9), and we are to pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6).

5. 1,500 years ago along comes a new religion that invades other lands, tramples upon their culture and persecutes and kills anyone who thinks differently; including Jews and Christians. (Other than refer you to website The Religion of ‘Peace’, I’m not citing any details because those familiar with the subject will already be well informed.)

6. Britain has a mixed history of treating Jewish residents, including persecution during 12th-13th Centuries. After returning in 16th Century they integrated well into one of the most tolerant countries in Europe (Virtual Jewish Library). However, during the last century there’s been noticeable anti-Semitism in diplomatic circles, and in the military during the British mandate to govern the Palestinian territories. However, of the latter, honourable mention must be given to two distinguished British officers:

  • patterson[1]Lt. Colonel John Henry Patterson, commander of the British Army’s Zion Mule Corps at Gallipoli in 1915 and in 1918, after becoming 38th Kings Fusiliers, they served under Gen. Allenby in driving the Turks out of Palestine (source). Israeli PM Netanyahu personally presided at the re-interment of his ashes last year.  Patterson had been a very close friend of his late father, as well as of Israel’s first two Prime Ministers Ben-Gurion and Eshkol. (Click image for more)
  • wingateMajor General Orde Charles Wingate DSO, creator of special behind-the-lines WW2 units (later became the SAS) operating in Abyssinia, North Africa and Burma, where he formed the famed ‘Chindits’. His template for this had been in training the Haganah during 1936-39, which later became the IDF (source).

7. Anti-Semitism in todays’ media and traditional churches in Britain, as in Archbishop Welby’s speech against it and silencing of anti-Zionist Stephen Sizer.

These musings soon developed further as An Insight into a Global Satanic Strategy  and then into a 3-part mini-series on the biblical ‘End-game’ (click for Part 1).

 “…the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.” (Rev 12:12)

[All Bible quotations courtesy of Bible Gateway.com]

Further Reading:

  1. The real reason for the Israel-Palestine issue and anti-Semitism.
  2. What did Jesus foretell about the First World War?
  3. Arabs & Jews unite to agree only solution to conflict is Jesus Christ.
  4. A call for clarity on Israel and Gaza.
  5. PM Cameron’s 1st state visit to Israel warns about Iran’s “despotic regime”.

Four ‘Signposts’ of the Books of Daniel and The Apocalypse

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The prime purpose of this blog is to inform the public and students of Bible prophecy about its relevance to contemporary world events. Recent research prompts a fresh look at long-cherished scholarly assumptions on scripture and history.

daniel-revisited-cover-smallThus, Mark Davidson’s analysis of the Book of Daniel enables us to keep an even more informed watch upon changes taking place in the Middle-East, especially those on the Gog-Magog alliance foretold in the Book of Ezekiel.

On holiday last year I was enthralled to read his latest book, Daniel Revisited, and want to give an overview of its fascinating thesis. Mark’s following summary of his findings will enhance readers’ understanding of the previous post on Roman history and Daniel’s ‘sealed visions’:

The Four Signposts: A Summary

“The Four Signposts are four sets of events which will occur, one after the other, prior to the Tribulation or Rapture. These events are derived from the Biblical prophecies of the four beasts in Daniel 7:1-27, the ram and goat in Daniel 8:1-26, and the four horsemen in Revelation 6:1-8. The fulfillment of these events identified in prophecy, have been, and will continue to be, reported as news stories in the Middle East.

“In my book, Daniel Revisited, I go into detail of why these three prophecies qualify as identifying the Four Signposts. These three prophecies all share three things in common:

  1. They are all applicable to, and will be fulfilled in, modern-day end times just prior to the Tribulation (passages in Daniel 7 and 8 indicate this is so);
  2. They all describe the nations involved in, the actions of these nations, and the societal conditions of the geographical areas involved, during the times just immediately prior to the appearance of Antichrist;
  3. They all describe the same set of events, just from different perspectives.

colorlion“The First Signpost includes the lion with wings that is forced to stand upright and its heart replaced, and the first horseman that rides a white horse. The democratizing of the nation of Iraq and the career of its former leader Saddam Hussein, are the news events that fulfilled these prophecies.

colorbear“The Second Signpost includes the bear that is higher on one side, the ram with two long horns, and the second horseman that rides the red horse. The supreme leader of Iran is the first long horn on the ram; the leadership of Iran’s IRGC is the second horn coming up last and longer.  Iran will invade many countries and cause chaos across much of the Middle East.  They will most likely interrupt the Gulf oil supply and end America’s petrodollar causing economic chaos.

colorleopard“The Third Signpost includes the four-headed leopard, the goat with the one great horn, and the third horseman who rides the black horse. The news events to fulfill this signpost are still completely in our future. It will include a four-nation Sunni confederacy taking back the conquests of Iran, and ending Iran in the form that it currently exists. Due to the probable cut-off of oil, food will be available but will be very expensive. We do see today some events setting up the Third Signpost. In addition to food price hikes we have seen in the last few years, the governments of Turkey, Egypt and Syria are becoming Islamist. This situation is required for fulfillment of the Third Signpost.

colorbeast“Finally, the Fourth Signpost includes the terrible ten-horned beast, the little horn on one of the four horns of the goat, and the fourth horseman who rides the green horse. The news events to fulfill this signpost are even further in our future. It starts at the end of the Third Signpost where the great new nation that covers much of the Middle East fragments into four pieces. The man who is to be Antichrist will arise out of one of these four new nations, take it over, conquer two others, and have the fourth submit to him. The remainder of the Islamic realm then will also submit to him. At this point, a pre-Trib Rapture and the seven-year Tribulation are imminent.

“These Four Signposts are warnings to God’s Church. By watching these Signposts, we may know – as our world goes through each week, month, and year – what season of God’s plan we are in during these end times prior to the Tribulation. These news events will be truly terrible due to their causing economic and mental anguish among the populations of the world due to the cutoff of oil. Islam may be seen as gaining the upper hand and western civilization as being on the decline. But these events, instead of being continual bad news, can be seen instead as fulfillment of detailed and absolute prophecy that must be fulfilled in order for God’s promises to come to fruition.

“Those of us who are His must prepare.  Those on the fence in the churches will have their last chance to repent and follow Christ wholeheartedly.  The unbelievers can be witnessed to and shown that the Bible is the living and breathing word of God and is telling all of us what is playing out right before our eyes.”

[Illustrations courtesy of Mark Davidson.]

Further Reading:

  1. These considerations continue in On unsealing Daniel’s prophetic visions.
  2. Account of God’s hand upon item 1: Incredible timing of ‘unsealing’ and ‘keys’.
  3. For a summary of how the four beasts relate to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse read The ‘Winds of Heaven’ Connect the Horsemen to Daniel 7.
  4. For further material and associated discussions, dig into The Four Signposts.
  5. Nelson Walters blogs on The Gospel in the End-Times for pastors and leaders; see The Purpose of Prophecy – it’s all about the Gospel and saving souls!

The Babylonian aspect of the Church’s ‘New Era’

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This title is ‘puzzle’ theme number ‘8’, which I challenged readers to ascertain from an ‘invisible jigsaw’.

It refers to the dichotomy between the old and new elements within the full spectrum of the Church’s traditional, evangelical and charismatic styles. This ‘Babylonian aspect’ also means many churches and believers may not desire to move into the new era, or new season, prophesied in recent years – which is already happening. Note that ‘new’ is not what many secularists may surmise!

I trust all will become plain as I explain.

Also, we’ll find that a weekday conjecture was to become weekend confirmation!

‘Theme 8’ is inherent in the data, or stylised ‘jigsaw pieces’, of detailed prophetic words that were separately brought on opposite ‘sides of the pond’ by Dr Sharon Stone and Revd John Kilpatrick. Although I’d sensed it whilst musing upon An Invitation to the Threshing Floor it’s fitting for this theme to be logged with Paws 4 Thought because that’s when it opened up.  Also, as stated, those were very brief first thoughts for I was getting a sense of timing, a ‘kairos’ moment, from what Sharon brought. And that’s only to be expected with the gift of prophecy.

The ‘pause for thought’ gave some background about the priest Ezra because Sharon had opened by referring to the 4th chapter of his Old Testament book. On that Tuesday I’d read about Ezra in a primer on Hebrew and decided to share some information. In fact, upon reflecting upon the Threshing Floor Invitation, I had a sense of how what had happened in those days, over 2,500 years ago, is also applicable today!

It’s as though a gigantic cycle has gone around, not in a repetitive way but like a spiral. This allows for advancement through lessons learned and what’s to be achieved as well as the differences between the ancient Hebrews and modern Christians. I’m of the opinion time proceeds not in a linear fashion but like a slowly turning corkscrew that opens and closes events.

It all needed mulling over with the Lord. So I wrote a brief bit, intending to write more fully later. I nearly did so a couple of days later, the Thursday, but instead drafted thoughts on the perceived threads linking several topics I’d just blogged about.

Double Aspect to Ezra

Writing about Ezra’s major contribution in producing the early Bible, I was struck by his double relevance to today’s ‘new era’ for the Church. It seems directly related to the historic return of the people of God from captivity in Babylon to Jerusalem. Here’s Sharon’s opening words:

“In Ezra 4 we see a resistance to the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem.  We have been in that “season of hindrance”. Thank God we are now coming out!

“There is a New Generation that is now leaving captivity into ruling with the manifestation of the power of God (signs and wonders).  Abraham, Issac and Jacob are the generations leaving captivity.  This is not just one age group…”

These words cover both aspects of ‘hindrance’ connected with the Exile. That of being deported and held in captivity, and that of being prevented from building when released home. Let’s take a brief historical detour.:

Towards the close of the Jews’ 70 years exile the Persian king Cyrus, conqueror of the Babylonian empire, was directly inspired by God to issue an edict. This permitted the exiles to return in 538 BC and rebuild the destroyed city and temple of Jerusalem.

The first returning group under Zerubbabel began work but, although started, rebuilding the Temple was delayed because of local opposition. It got under way when God raised up the prophetic ministries of Zecharia and Haggai to inspire and direct the work. NB: Ezra 5 clearly indicates the importance the Lord attaches to the prophetic office, and thus implies its fundamental necessity in this new era of the Church.

Almost 60 years after the first group, Ezra himself returned with the next lot to bring more funds and valuables from King Artaxerxes to enhance the Temple worship. Commissioned by the king, Ezra appointed leaders and he began a reforming spiritual leadership to re-establish the place of the Books and the Law, now written in a new alphabet.

So, Sharon opens our Invitation to the Threshing Floor for the anticipated harvest of souls by referring to believers having come out of a ‘season of hindrance’. This is corroborated by John Kilpatrick’s ‘video word’ on Redefinement, the first part of which is about believers being released from bondage! [This word came to him upon waking in mid-February and was published the Friday after my own musings.]

The Invitation continues, not with reference to the rebuilt Temple, but to its foundation over 400 years earlier!  This is to connect spiritually with the original site of the location of the altar for the first Temple built by David and Solomon.

Therefore, I submit there are two significant and gigantic spiritual ‘opposites’ in our invitation, both of which relate to Ezra’s foundational activity.

JERUSALEM: Ezra’s compiling existing books and writing them in a new alphabet signifies today’s necessity of a better appreciation of and deeper revelations into the canon of both Testaments (and perhaps even the Apocrypha?).

That is, we may expect a revelatory empowerment of Spirit and Word to manifest and not only re-invigorate the Church but also empower us to do what Jesus did, especially the ‘greater works’ He promised (John 14:12). This will be obvious to the ‘New Generation’ of believers, and necessarily so,

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.   [Hebrews 4:12]

This is clearly implicit to The Invitation because it doesn’t just dwell upon the rebuilding and renewing our belief at a much higher level.  It brings our focus right back to when the Lord instructed where the ‘Holy of Holies’ should be located – the threshing floor of the Jebusite Ornan on Mount Moriah, reputed to be where Abraham offered up Isaac. This is where king David was required to establish a house for His Presence.

Therefore, as the Jews went back to the centre of their belief and life, so too are Christians now required to go back to the very centre of ours – to Jesus and His Words. But more than that, in re-turning to Him in person it needs be devoid of Churchianity!  It also means we will have access to heavenly realms and see our Father as Jesus did.

It is a getting back to base: scripture and Saviour. Also, to preparing for when the Bride will be full of the Holy Spirit so the New Jerusalem will manifest on earth (Rev 21 and 22).

BABYLON: Many Jews remained in Babylonian territory because of their accustomed prosperity and the uncertain prospects in a poorer land, of which they probably had only dim memories. They weren’t slaves but had favour with the king and influence in the land. Is that not like too many modern church institutions and ministries?

They’re not fully focused upon the author and perfector of our faith, much less open to Holy Spirit’s presence. Some are even in bed with false doctrine and reprobate worldly values!

Consequently, I disagree with Bible scholars who interpret ‘Babylon the Great’ as meaning the Roman Catholic Church alone.

‘Babylon’ is synonymous with ‘confusion’ especially of a spiritual nature. Jane Hamon in The Cyrus Decree writes,

Every idolatrous system of this earth, every spirit of false religion, every occult form of power had its beginnings in Babylon. The city of Babylon was built upon the foundations of rebellion against God: pride, independence and humanism (the belief that man is God).

Therefore, the Babylonian aspect of the ‘new era’ in the Church’s history represents the world’s influence upon those parts of the wider church that have deserted their ‘first love’, Jesus Christ, and taken on board the non-values of a decadent and immoral society.

Consequently, the prophetic invitation to God’s Threshing Floor indicates a distinct winnowing, a sifting, a separating out of the ‘Babylonian’ church married as a spiritual adulteress to the world, and the Bridal ‘remnant’ who’s focussed upon Jesus.

Previous Prophecies

As recounted in 5 years Ago Today: the End-game is Now in Play, my first writing upon End-times referred to,

“my previous remarks about a sifting of the Church – in preparation for a rapid ‘sHifting’?”

So I had that in mind during my first reflections upon the Threshing Floor Invitation, as well as chapters 18 and 19 of The Apocalypse of John (Book of Revelation) foretelling the downfall of ‘Babylon the Great’, which is described as a ‘harlot’.

Also, I recalled that after launching the Prophecies hub of this blog I found a prophetic word from 1992 about that entity’s existence within the Church, as recounted by Colin Winfield in The Separation of the Bride and the Harlot.

Concluding Confirmation

The above musings were confirmed within days on the Sunday with what John Kilpatrick brought under a strong anointing. Teaching upon ‘Season of suddenlies’, he prophesied that God’s redefining of churches involves “a shifting“. This will result in a radical difference between the two kinds of believers and churches – in my terms, those in worldly ‘Babylon’ and the ‘New Era’ Spirit-led ‘remnant’.

That separation and shifting is happening NOW!

Theme 9

Details of this theme will follow soon. The blog listing shows it in parenthesis because it’s a very personal connection. Together with its proceeding blogs, I was amazed that it’s even more astonishing than the weird mix-up over the blog’s second anniversary.

Reading that Nov ’13 post and it’s follow up will prepare you for theme 9, but let me tease you to just wait a while…

There’s much to ponder deeply my friends.

Postscript:

Revisiting Colin Winfield’s website I noticed the latest; 2014 Consecration with an accompanying file Thoughts at the Beginning of 2014. The last is supportive of my contention above, as in the following which bear my emphases, but please read the whole piece for yourself:

‘As we look at that which goes by the name of ʻChurchʼ we cannot see many who are hearing the Lord, or if they are, they so often wrongly interpret what is being said, or apply to others what really is Godʼs word to themselves. Most are still following their traditions and what they have known in the past. Men still consider men to be their leaders when Jesus said that only Christ was to be their Leader. Man is following ʻmanʼ and not the Lord. The true sons, those who are led by the Spirit, are hard to find….

‘What is necessary is to move to higher ground and gain the life of Christ. It is not only that direct relationship with Jesus we need but also that close fellowship with our Heavenly Father….

‘The call is to come unto the Lord Jesus Christ and be separated unto Him, and Him alone. Let us flee to the mountain, that secure place of being hid in the very life and nature of the Lord Jesus Christ. The time has come for judgement to begin with the household of God. We are the temple of God (1Cor.3:16 and 2Cor. 6:16) and the Lord is already cleansing His temple…

‘The warnings have been sounding for many years as Pentecost was coming to its end. But let us recognise the door has closed on that period of church history and let us look towards the soon coming Feast of Tabernacles, that place of fulness the whole Church must enter…’

PPS: If references to Jewish Feasts surprise you then I recommend learning about their relevance to the Church on Colin’s website or in John Kilpatrick’s four in-depth sessions on The Feasts of The Lord – Recognising God’s Appointed Times.

[Puzzle in Sky by Idea Go is by courtesy of Freedigitalphotos.net]

Postscript to ‘Note on Christian prophecy and the Apocalypse’

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For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him… (2 Chronicles 16:9)

For a little amusement but, more importantly, to show how God enables believers to encourage one another, let me share with you what happened in writing the above-titled post (here).

Let me stress this > I never intended writing anything about the Book of Revelation, or Apocalypse! It’s far too large a subject – and there’s lots and lots of other material to cover. But I didn’t know or suspect that the Lord had a surprise ‘up His sleeve’!

Fridays to Sunday are ‘long weekends’, so I go online on Saturdays to scan only pre-media news and run off a weekly report. A fortnight ago, I spotted a media interview with Joel Rosenberg about Syria.  As it was timely and it’s very quick to repost in WordPress, I quickly ‘re-blogged’ it (here).

Only afterwards did I think the difference in opinions conveyed in the media piece may not be understood by readers unfamiliar with scholarly views on the Bible. So, some explanation was in order.

It needed a bit of quick homework, so I dived into trusty David Pawson’s book. This wasn’t an easy post to write, and longer than usual. After some revisions I wanted to acknowledge his work – and when doing so I recalled a friend’s excellent sessions a few years ago on the Book of Revelation.  So, at the very last minute I included Neil too – and after hitting the ‘publish’ button I wondered what he’d make of it.

He responded the next day:

Hi Richard – A note of encouragement to you (for I have been greatly encouraged by God through you)…

My friend goes on to say that, as a result of being “apprehended” (Phil 3:12) to write some more about Biblical prophecy, he slowly started doing so a couple of weeks ago…

…then your recent Blogs came in as absolute confirmation – I show a few paragraphs below to give you a flavour of why I was excited by the “Coincidence” (on Damascus).  Not only that, but I see I was “Mentioned in Dispatches”, which was like confirmation on confirmation!!…

I agree with this concluding opinion,

I will describe how the prophecies about Jesus’ first coming, written hundreds of years before the event, must have seemed gobbledygook to the people of the time when they were written.  It is only after the event that we can see what the prophecies mean.

Thank you Neil and praise the Lord for this practical demonstration of just one of the ways He watches over and works in and through His people – it is for His glory, not ours.

Note on Christian prophecy and The Apocalypse

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Digging into the difference of opinion noted in the re-post from Joel Rosenberg unearthed an interesting find – one connecting into what I wrote ten weeks ago today about the origin of this blog. I’ll say more about that later.

Some readers may have queried my covering comment to Joel’s post; (it) “includes opinions of a Bible teacher who thinks its prophecies have happened“.  This merely reflects the actual content of The Blaze interviews.

As Hank Hanegraaff’s online radio show is called ‘Bible Answer Man’, my remark may seem to question that title. Those reading the linked article would note journalist Billy Holloway’s statement that Hanegraaff has “a wildly different take on the matter” to that of Rosenberg for he, “rejected the notion that Revelation and other alleged prophecies apply to today’s world”.

How come? Aren’t both men Christians? A little elucidation is called for…

Doubtless both men meet the basic criterion for a born-again believer, as in the Spirit-inspired instruction of the apostles Paul and John:

…9 if you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord”, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. (Chapter 10 of Paul’s letter to the Romans; New International Version)

16 For God so loved the world (that’s you, my reader) that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (Chpt 3 of the Gospel according to John; NIV)

So, to have faith in Christ it isn’t absolutely necessary to believe everything in the Bible. In fact, some believers disregard prophecy and scholars have various opinions upon this topic and when, if at all, predicted events will occur. Also, are such things to be taken figuratively?  The widest divergence in opinion is over the Bible’s closing book – ‘The Apocalypse’, or ‘Book of Revelation’. In the original Greek this Book opens as follows.:

‘Apocalupsis iEsou christou…’

‘The unveiling of Jesus Christ (anointed one)’, per the Greek Interlinear Bible, or as the New King James Version translates it:

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John,  2 who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. 3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near. (Revelation 1)

John is thought to have been the closest disciple of Jesus, and could thereby personally attest to Jesus’ awesome origin, as in the first of three short letters to believers:

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life—2 the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us…(1 John 1)

The Apocalypse opens by stating its purpose: an unveiling of God’s plans that He gave to Jesus Christ, for sharing through his surviving first disciple several decades after he witnessed Jesus’ resurrection from death. This account tells how John acquired this information. He became Jesus’ amanuensis in writing exactly what Jesus dictated as personal letters to seven churches in Asia as a result of His having visited them.

White Door in SkyNext, John was caught up to God’s Throne Room in heaven where he heard and saw visions about what was going to happen shortly and in the distant future when the Age will be drawn to a close with the bodily return of Jesus Christ to rule and reign upon earth. John had to be reminded to write it all down!

NB: It is the only Book in the Bible to open with a blessing for all who read it and ‘keep’, or observe, what’s written therein, and closes with a curse (of loss of inheritance in the Kingdom) for anyone who tampers with its text and changes its message. The Book of Revelation is primarily for believers, not unbelievers.

In Unlocking The Bible, David Pawson defines this genre of literature as follows:

Unlocking The Bible‘Apocalyptic’ is history written from God’s point of view.  It gives the total picture.  It enlarges our understanding of world events by seeing them in the light of what is above and beyond our limited perception.  This gives us both insight and foresight…far beyond that of the normal historian.

He also gives this snippet:

God is working out his plans and purposes within time…He is the Lord of History.  But it is his pattern, which can only be discerned when he has revealed the missing pieces of the jigsaw. (Emphasis added)

(Now where did we come across that notion before?  See Invisible Jigsaw.)

He points out that the first characteristic of the ‘apocalyptic’ genre is that it’s basically moral. Secondly, that it’s often symbolical so the unknown can be communicated in terms of what is familiar, as in analogy or parable, because it involves not only information but also imagination. 

Interpretation of The Revelation

Thus, this complex ‘end-times’ revelation can only be understood with God’s overall purpose for humanity in mind. So, it’s not surprising that scholars are divided over the Book’s meaning and predictions for the end of 1st Century and any later events it may forecast for the world and the Church.

There are four main ‘schools’ of exposition based upon interpretations of when these predictions would be fulfilled, as below:

  1. Preterist  – during the first centuries AD with the decline/fall of Roman Empire
  2. Historicist – all centuries between the First and Second Advent of Jesus Christ
  3. Futurist – end of final century AD (held by early Church and evangelicals today)
  4. Idealist – any century AD, none in particular (treats the Book as spiritual ‘myth’).

We can now appreciate Hank Hanegraaff’s ‘preterist’ position that Revelation refers only to John’s days 1900 years ago and the persecutions that took place. But he fails to take the whole account into consideration because its closing chapters clearly refer to things that have not happened yet. For example, unprecedented global catastrophes, return of millions of deceased Christians alongside Jesus to overthrow Satan and rule upon earth, Satan’s final rebellion with many nations and demise in the lake of fire, the arrival of the ‘holy city’ and ‘wedding of the Lamb’!

So how are we to understand The Apocalypse? David Pawson suggests using the four ‘schools’  in conjunction for each of the three main time periods, the present, the near future and the far future (not ignoring the switching between earth and heaven).  Yet,

..the fundamental question is not ‘when?’ but WHY?

Pawson’s answer:

Not just to tell us what is going to happen but to get us ready for what is going to happen…Revelation is a ‘manual for martyrdom’…which is why this book becomes so meaningful to Christians under persecution. Maybe this is also why Western Christians in comfortable churches fail to find it relevant.

Structure of The Revelation

 “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.  18 I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death. 19 Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.  (Rev 1:17-19 NKJV)

  • The Present:
  • chpt 1. Vision of the Son of Man, the one ascended Lord
  • chpt 2-3. Letters to seven churches (and for all churches)
  • chpt 4-5. Vision of heaven, the Lion of Judah and the Lamb
  • The Near Future:
  • chpt 6-11. Judgements, great tribulation, martyrs and two witnesses
  • chpt 12-16. Woman, child, dragon, beast 666, antichrist, false prophet
  • chpt 17-19. Fall of Babylon, Messianic judgement of Armageddon
  • THE RETURN OF ‘THE KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS’ 
  • The Far Future:
  • chpt 20. The Millennium, Satan rebels/defeated, Judgement, lake of fire
  • chpt 21. New heaven and new earth, the Bride, the New Jerusalem
  • chpt 22. River of Life from God’s throne, Tree of Life for healing the nations.

David Pawson explains that each future period has bad news and things get much worse, but the good news is that things will get very much better afterwards. Through it all Jesus encourages his people to ‘endure’ and ‘overcome’ until He returns.

First, Jesus tells the churches they must deal with internal problems if they are to face external pressures. Compromise in belief of behaviour, tolerance of idolatry or immorality, weaken the Church from within. (LESSON FOR TODAY!)

For the 2nd period He shows the worst that can happen but believers will not have to go through anything worse! “And the very worst time ahead will be at most a few years”.

Then, Jesus reveals the wonders that will follow in the 3rd period when all believers will be with Him.

Conclusion

On a personal note, what impresses me is the comparison of this closing book with the Bible’s first book, Genesis.  Revelation promises a full restoration not only for those who believe in God, to life with Him, but also and because of that for the earth too. The Tree of Life is a main feature in the garden of Eden, in the beginning, but through it Satan perverted Adam and Eve’s relationship with their fatherly Creator and so they lost and fell from their glory. In the end that usurper gets his just desserts, the saved return to living in the glory of God in the New Jerusalem and the Tree’s leaves bring healing to all people, as it is written.:

But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. 24 And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honour into it. 25 Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there). 26 And they shall bring the glory and the honour of the nations into it. 27 But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. (Revelation 21 NKJV)

This short blog can never hope to do justice to the Book of Revelation. It is an awesome subject but you may wish to meditate upon it yourself along with suitable aids such as in the links below.

Acknowledgements – thank you to:

  • David Pawson, for Unlocking the Bible and books & audio series here and here.
  • Neil MacKereth, for several in-depth courses at Winchester Vineyard church using Chuck Missler’s and David Pawson’s extensive teachings.

PS – click to read about what happened after writing the above post!

Thrown out of heaven, he knows his time is now short…

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17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. [12th chapter of the Apocalypse, or Revelation, given to Jesus Christ by God to show his servants the future, as observed and transcribed by John the Evangelist.]

An email received yesterday brought an item for Investigative Project on Terrorism by Raymond Ibrahim entitled, Islam’s Collective Punishment Against Christians. He opens this disturbing piece,

As many of Israel’s critics portray it as collectively  punishing the Palestinians, overlooked and unsaid is the greater frequency with which Muslims collectively punish the religious minorities living under their authority, often in atrocious ways.

Consider Egypt alone. The most recent attacks on Egypt’s Copts, culminating in  the unprecedented besiegement of the St. Mark Cathedral, the holiest site of Coptic Orthodoxy, is the latest large-scale collective punishment of the nation’s indigenous Christian minority. Indeed, almost all of the major attacks on Copts are carried out in the context of “collective punishment”, based on the idea that, if just one Christian upsets  Muslims, all Christians—and their churches and their women and heir children—become fair game.

Ray-ibrahimRaymond proceeds to itemise this month’s latest attack upon a family in a long line of grossly intolerant, religious punishments in that ancient but spiritually and financially bankrupt nation. He had recently written  that’s tantamount to an Islamic Declaration of War on Christianity! In this latest alert to Western civilisation, he concludes (emphasis mine),

…while other societies…may collectively punish their enemies, Islam is the only ‘religion’ that actually mandates it — that unjustly punishes large numbers of innocent people for the purported crimes of the individual, as the aforementioned clerics from one end of the Arab world to the other maintain. This alone should raise questions about the very nature of Islam.

And this is all without any reference to last week’s terrorist attacks in Massachusetts and thwarted plot to derail a train in Toronto area, as reported yesterday. Renowned Robert Spencer notes, these ‘would-be mass murderers are “religious men”!’  (See    Jihad Watch for his well-informed examination of the issues; as well as my previous.)

The ordinary, rational person has only to compare the character, lives and full teachings of the founders of Christianity and Islam, as well as of their disciples in the subsequent period to their religion’s birth, to realise the opposing nature of both faiths.

How to Test These Faiths

In my humble opinion, keys may be found in disciple John’s first letter to believers. This opens with John’s description of how he knows the truth about his teacher and saviour of his people, Jesus Christ, and of his awesome, divine origin from before the creation of the world (my emphases).:

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life—  2 the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.

John goes on to tell about how to discern who are living truthfully in obedience to God or are liars – even imputing God to be a liar! John also warns about antichrist spirits, or ‘instead-anointed’, that introduce opposing beliefs with the aim of deceiving believers:

18 Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the[c] Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.

20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things.[d] 21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.

22 Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. 23 Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.  [1 John 2 NKJV]

John’s fourth chapter opens with practical instruction on discerning and testing for such spirits, and is still valid today, and practised in deliverance ministry:

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.  2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess that[a] Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.

4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. 6 We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.  [1 John 4 NKJV]

I could cover a great deal more concerning spirits that masquerade as angels as light, even those named ‘Jesus’.  However, the foregoing living words in-breathed from God’s Holy Spirit in John’s letters, Gospel and Revelatory accounts will suffice for our careful, meditative reading as well as help us love and minister to our Muslim brethren in their current recognition of Jesus as a prophet of God.

UK Government’s Position

A recent post on God and Politics in the UK covers a Parliamentary discussion on the increased persecution of Christians around the world. This succinct posting reports:

Importantly, the (Foreign Office) Minister emphasised that “The Government’s position is to condemn laws against so-called apostasy and any government policies anywhere in the world that punish people for changing their religion or belief voluntarily and freely.”

My thanks go to Gillan Scott and his source at Open Doors for this timely, informative article with links to full transcript and video of the debate.

Related Articles:

Counting the cost of the S-S Marriage vote

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Courtesy of James Mark Long ; propheticartists.comGillan, a commendable commentary in view of the controversial circumstances.
In all this, three facts point to the ignored core issue and to the truth of scripture. These are: 1. people deny their sin, thereby making God a liar and repudiating what Jesus did for them on the Cross (1John 1:8-10)  2. many believers are unclear, confused and even deceived (2Tim 3, Matt 24) 3. the underlying role of the EU in this confirms its link with the ‘end of days’ messianic vision in Daniel 7 (see Cranmer).
Behind those facts (not to mention hatred of righteous expression and twisting of many definitions!) one can discern the source and strategy outlined in Revelation 13. Oh by the way, the technology for implementing the Mark of the Beast (666) is ready and waiting! (John McTernan 666 Surveillance System, updated with more items including Britain’s superdrone.)

The key to foretelling the future

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https://richards-watch.org/2011/11/24/key-to-foretelling-the-future/

Now, dear reader, let’s turn the dials in our imaginary time machine again. Set your watch back yet another 700-odd years – and discover how we can go forward from there!

This takes us to the time ancient Rome was founded and the first Olympic Games got under way in ancient Greece. Also, Assyria was poised to conquer the Middle East and become a mighty regional power.

A Hebrew prophet and student of geopolitics, Isaiah, could see conflict approaching and, sure enough, the northern kingdom of Israel, Samaria, fell to Assyria in 721BC. A couple of decades earlier, Isaiah had a profound vision of the glory of The Holy Lord of Heavenly Hosts within His temple (see 6th chapter of The Book of Isaiah).

Not only did Isaiah thus come to hear the Lord and learn of His heart and mind for his own time, but he was also given a revelation into the far distant future of the life and personality of Jesus Christ. This is recorded in the 53rd chapter of the Book of Isaiah within the Bible’s Old Testament. Prior to that, the Lord Most High had told him:

“For I am God and there is no other, I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand and I shall do all My pleasure’…” (Isaiah 46:9-10 NKJV)

Therein lies the key to foretelling the future. We’re privileged to learn what The Almighty has determined is to happen because He shared his plans with a select number of ancient sages or prophets over several centuries.

In fact about 50 years earlier, the first of the ‘writing prophets’ had recorded a distinct word about just this at what we know as verse 7 of the third chapter of Amos’ book:

“Surely the Lord God does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.” (NKJV)

Now, allow me to divulge the inspiration behind this posting:
During our online visit this Sunday afternoon to a live service at Church of His Presence in Mobile, Alabama (mid-morning there), we were thrilled by Reverend John Kilpatrick’s sermon. (To listen, let the video play and as the gray buffer bar progresses click at 52 minutes for the commencement of this pastor’s revelatory teaching.)
John Kilpatrick spoke in a novel way of the parable of the good Samaritan, saying it’s only one of several passages for which the Lord’s given him fresh insights. He said all these can be regarded as ‘foreshadowing the future’ and quoted his scriptural authority for coming to that conclusion lies in Isaiah 46 verses 9-10, as above. What amazed me, however, was that upon opening my old, well-annotated paperback NIV Insight Bible, I saw those very verses had already been highlighted by me in bright yellow!
W O W !!
I just had to conclude, therefore, those verses are especially appropriate for this blog.
Now, let’s return to the future and set or watches forward well over 2600 years to 14th September 1989 at Reading in Berkshire, England for a personal date with destiny.

[Image credit: Hand-giving-key by Chaiwat, courtesy of Freedigitalphotos.net]

Revival: 1 – glory stories

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COPY of pre-blog email (as in ‘About’):

“Holy, Holy, Holy are you Lord,
Heaven and earth are filled with Your glory,
Holy Holy, Holy is Your Name,
Exalted upon the praise of Your people.”

So runs the chorus of Lydia Stanley’s song Holy Are You Lord – listen here – it’s one of several inspired by Holy Spirit since last July (2010) for her to lead hours of fire-filled worship at The Bay Revival, Alabama.

Psalm 22 v 3 proclaims, ‘You are holy, enthroned upon the praises of Israel…’ and thus, the Lord’s Presence can be sensed, even becomes tangible, and people hear Him more easily, are saved, healed and delivered – in such a sacred atmosphere, with anointed leading and prophetic preaching, miracles often occur.

You may recall my reference to evangelist Nathan Morris having a word from Alabama for revival in the UK? So a few ‘glory stories’ may inspire and encourage you:

First, on a personal note, I’ve been in a fascinating flow from the Lord since an ‘inter-stream’ conference in Winchester in March. During opening worship I sensed the Lord wanted me to focus upon the eventual new earth and new heavens, especially the appearance from heaven of The New Jerusalem and I had a flash picture of a lion’s head.

Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband…(Rev 21:2 NKJV)

Then one of the seven angels…talked with me, saying, “Come I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife”. And he carried me away to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone…(Rev 21:9-11 NKJV)

Over the last year or so a couple of scriptures had come whilst in Bath, but now the context became clear. Also, the Lord’s saying He’s let me see a couple of childhood desires He implanted have been fulfilled: to see miracles of healing and receive Jesus close teaching, and to be in and understand the times of His return – but now focus upon His ultimate aim (Revelation 21-22), and beyond the Bible’s cover!

Then in the first session Stuart of Catch The Fire, Wembley mentioned,

“There is so much happening in the Kingdom of God at the moment…we’re seeing Him move again and again and again…We’ve just seen a massive increase in the supernatural – not because of ministry but because God is moving – ‘Aslan’ is on the move!”

He went on to describe seeing the breath of God blow away demons that had attached themselves to someone they were praying for. This one didn’t need in-depth ministry sessions, valid as that is, but God simply blew – like the mighty protective and possessive roar of a lion over its young! Stuart said, “It’s like the Lion of Judah puts His paw on you and says, ‘Mine, Mine – you are Mine!’ and roars at anything that would threaten you.” With Chloe, his wife, teaching followed upon their theme: full meaning of Sonship in the Kingdom

Also that month, Bill of Blandford wrote me as follows:

God is awesome! Only last evening I was testifying to standing in awe as again Abba God brought deliverance to His beloved children. I was sharing ministry to bring freedom to some people with ancestral masonry. We saw His mighty deliverance set them free from chains of deception. What He desires and delivers to the one or two, He will do for the many. I stand in awe right now as day after day we see and hear prophecy unfolding… (Thank you Bill)

Here’s another – Over dinner in Zizzi’s, Russ of Farnham said he was at The Potter’s House, Stoke-on-Trent and heard intriguing accounts of unbelieving youngsters turning up because God had come to them in the night and told them to get there!

Winchester flowed into Bath >

There, the first thing I put my hands on at a partners’ day was a book featuring chapters on the new earth and new heaven! >>

Then Liz, leader of prophetic ministry, followed straight on from and augmented what Stuart and Chloe had taught >>>

Also, Richard mentioned about a recent Secret Place conference in Dudley and I knew to get the downloads quickly >>>>

So, in those recordings I heard Paul Keith Davies delve deeply into teaching upon the Sonship-Bridal paradigm….(more here)

>>>>>>>>>>> keep flowing Holy Spirit…in and through ……More please Lord.

The Great Royal Wedding is yet to come!

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COPY of pre-blog email (as in ‘About’).:

Dear Friends – pls see this excellent impression from overseas of yesterday’s events. 
.
It was terrific to hear these holy declarations broadcast not only to everyone attending and watching but also into our atmosphere and over our land – and all round the world!
As we know of the Holy Spirit’s action through satellite coverage of the Bay of the Holy Spirit Revival, I was praying that those present would be able to hear, understand and desire revelation of the truth of Jesus.
.
Only last week came a very thorough teaching note by Derek Prince about his wife’s experience of living amongst Palestinian Arabs.  He stressed,
.
“…there is a tremendous lesson that we need to learn as Christians…very simply…the basis of the spiritual power of Islam…is summed up in one word: proclamation.
(They) have understood the tremendous spiritual power of persistent proclamation….As Christians, that really confronts us with a challenge,
because I believe the answer is (our) counter proclamations…of the victory of Jesus, the power of his name and blood…etc. ”
.
As the UK has been inundated with constant atheistic doctrine plus muslim prayers 5 times daily, such deeply welcome refreshment came through yesterday’s media coverage.
.
Let’s pray that everyone now becomes desperately thirsty for the Lord…

Richard
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Sent: Friday, April 29, 2011 12:21 PM
Subject: [New post] A GREAT ROYAL WEDDING TO COME

A GREAT ROYAL WEDDING TO COME

joelcrosenberg | April 29, 2011 at 12:20 pm | Categories: Uncategorized | URL: http://wp.me/piWZ7-1fW

What struck me most as Lynn and I got up at 5am and watched the royal wedding as it unfolded at Westminster Abbey in London was that the Word of God went forth — and the name of Jesus Christ was repeatedly proclaimed — to an estimated one billion people around the world watching the live TV coverage. It was a gorgeous ceremony, with all its pomp and circumstance, and it reminded me that there is a Great Royal Wedding to come to which we are all invited. We need only say “yes.”

  • The Rev. Richard Chartres, the Bishop of London, began the ceremony noting that, “In a sense, every wedding is a royal wedding,” then spoke of followers of Jesus Christ being children of the King who will one day have a wedding of His own.
  • James Middleton, Kate’s brother, read from the New Testament, Romans chapter 12, beginning with, “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” — that is, we must prepare our hearts for the Royal Wedding to come.
  • Dr. Rowen Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, in his sermontold the newlyweds, “William and Catherine, you have chosen to be married in the sight of a generous God who so loved the world that he gave himself to us in the person of Jesus Christ. And in the Spirit of this generous God, husband and wife are to give themselves to each another….As we move towards our partner in love, following the example of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit is quickened within us and can increasingly fill our lives with light.”
  • The Archbishop concludedhis sermon with this prayer, “God our Father, we thank you for our families; for the love that we share and for the joy of our marriage. In the busyness of each day keep our eyes fixed on what is real and important in life and help us to be generous with our time and love and energy. Strengthened by our union help us to serve and comfort those who suffer. We ask this in the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Amen.”

The Scriptures teach us that we are all invited to the wedding of our Lord Jesus Christ in the world to come. But while all are invited, not all will attend. We must individually accept the Lord’s invitation by personally receiving Jesus as Messiah and our Lord. Sadly, the Bible says that not all will do so.

  • In Revelation chapter 19, we read, “Then I heard the sound of massed choirs, the sound of a mighty cataract, the sound of strong thunder: Hallelujah! The Master reigns, our God, the Sovereign-Strong! Let us celebrate, let us rejoice, let us give him the glory! The Marriage of the Lamb has come; his Wife has made herself ready. She was given a bridal gown of bright and shining linen. The linen is the righteousness of the saints.”
  • Speaking of the Great Royal Wedding to come, Jesus saidin Matthew 22, “The Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a king who prepared a great wedding feast for his son. When the banquet was ready, he sent his servants to notify those who were invited. But they all refused to come!”
  • Speaking of His return to Earth to get His bride, Jesus said in Luke 12, “Be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks.”

With the signs of the Last Days all around us, may each one of us choose today to say “yes” to the Lord Jesus’ invitation to the Great Royal Wedding to come.

Not many people know – 2

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COPY of pre-blog email (as in ‘About’) – to read it better click upon and enlarge image. The main points covered therein are.:

> EU Recommendation 666 (Herb Peters’ book) and explanation of Revelation 13:18

> UN Human Rights Council’s agenda to introduce Shria law globally

> final para refers to the Herb Peters’ full, historical summary at EU ‘Overview’ , which includes a very useful explanation of the 10-nation West European Union relating to the terrifying, 10-horned fourth beast in Daniel chapter 7.

Note: Holly Peters has maintained her father’s site at ‘Fullfilled Prophecy‘, (no longer available) and lawyer-researcher Constance Cumbrey investigated and reported upon the new world order’s ‘Global Governance’ in My Perspective – What Constance Thinks [ Sadly now deceased, but see 2009 posts – 10/12/25].

The Endgame is now in play! – cont’d

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COPY of pre-blog email (as in ‘About’) which continues email of same date (here)

For better clarity click upon and enlarge image. The main points covered therein are.:

> click to read noted verses in Revelation, chapters 1-3; Rev 21:7 and Luke 12.

> take a stand per Ephesians 6:10-20, shocking open vision of Britain torn apart!

> 2009 UK Prophetic Council – prepare to rule and reign – Luke 12 warnings

> ICEJ meeting Southampton – overcomers, the Lion of Judah and His lions!