Light is sown like seed for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. Psalm 97:11
Monday, August 31, 2015
Sunday, August 30, 2015
Will We Inherit The Earth? Q´s and A´s
Q.
Can you tell me what it means when it says “we shall inherit the earth”
like in the beatitudes – I know that we will rule with Jesus during the
Millennium but could you help me understand this better?
A. You’re referring to Matt. 5:5, “Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the Earth.” Here’s how that works.
In Psalm 2:8 the Father said to the Son, “Ask of me and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the Earth your possession.” In Romans 8:17 and Galatians 4:7 Paul said that since God has made us His children He has also made us His heirs. In Romans 8: 17 he expanded on this calling us “co-heirs with Christ”. Put it all together and you can conclude that if Jesus was given the Earth as His inheritance and if we have been made co-heirs with Him then we also will inherit the Earth, just like He said.
In Psalm 2:8 the Father said to the Son, “Ask of me and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the Earth your possession.” In Romans 8:17 and Galatians 4:7 Paul said that since God has made us His children He has also made us His heirs. In Romans 8: 17 he expanded on this calling us “co-heirs with Christ”. Put it all together and you can conclude that if Jesus was given the Earth as His inheritance and if we have been made co-heirs with Him then we also will inherit the Earth, just like He said.
Where’s Their Kingdom?
Q.
I find it interesting that everything I read in your responses has the
church living in a different location than God’s chosen people for
eternity. I’m confused about the kingdom of God. It seems to be offered
to the disciples who became part of the church. It says they would be
rulers in the kingdom of God. Are the Jews not part of that kingdom?
A.
The reason I stress the fact that the Church will not be on Earth
during the Millennium, is because it will be the time of Israel’s
Kingdom Age. Most people don’t understand that after the rapture, Israel
will once again become the center of the Lord’s attention. Having the
Church on Earth at the same time would present a theological conflict.
Therefore, during the Millennium Israel will be the preeminent nation of God’s Kingdom on Earth and the Church will be in the New Jerusalem, which is not on Earth. According to Zechariah 14:9 Jesus will be King of the whole Earth. The New Jerusalem will be something like His palace, where He’ll “live” with His bride, the Church.
According to Matt. 19:28, the disciples will sit on 12 thrones during the Kingdom Age, judging the 12 tribes of Israel. One of the meanings of the Greek word for “judging” is “governing”.
Therefore, during the Millennium Israel will be the preeminent nation of God’s Kingdom on Earth and the Church will be in the New Jerusalem, which is not on Earth. According to Zechariah 14:9 Jesus will be King of the whole Earth. The New Jerusalem will be something like His palace, where He’ll “live” with His bride, the Church.
According to Matt. 19:28, the disciples will sit on 12 thrones during the Kingdom Age, judging the 12 tribes of Israel. One of the meanings of the Greek word for “judging” is “governing”.
History of Unmistakable Divine Wrath Serves as Warning for Nuclear Deal
“And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse, and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you.” (Genesis 12:3)
image: http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/twister-tornado-nature-weather-.jpg
(Photo: Breaking Israel News)
Unmistakable divine messages can be tracked through history accompanying major world events. As US lawmakers deliberate the future of the nuclear agreement with Iran, American leaders should take a hint from history and understand the divine implications of their decisions.
We have already seen that natural phenomenon can often be seen as divinely guided. Is it a coincidence that after announcing the nuclear deal Iran was hit with an apocalyptic-like heat wave and, in a separate incident, a meteor?
While the heavenly warning are clearer to some than others, a quick look at the timeline of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and the accompanying natural disasters makes claims of coincidence lose their credibility.
October 30, 1991: US President George Bush, Sr. opened the Madrid Conference with an expectation that Israel would trade “Land for Peace”. As the conference progressed, what was later called the “Perfect Storm” develops in the North Atlantic, creating the largest waves ever recorded in that region. The storm traveled 1,000 miles from east to west, defying the more natural west to east pattern. One day later, on October 31, the storm struck the New England coast with 35 foot waves crashing into the Walker’s Point home of President Bush in Kennebunkport, South Maine. His home was extensively damaged.
August 23, 1992: The Madrid Conference moved to Washington DC and the peace talks resumed. One day later, Hurricane Andrew, the worst natural disaster recorded in American history, hit Florida, causing an estimated $30 billion in damage and leaving 180,000 homeless across the state.
January 21, 1998: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with US President Bill Clinton at the White House and was greeted in an unwelcoming manner. Clinton and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright refused to have lunch with him. It was later that same day that the Monica Lewinsky scandal broke out.
January 16, 1994: President Clinton met with Syria’s President Hafez el-Assad in Geneva . They discussed a peace agreement with Israel that included giving up the Golan Heights. Within 24 hours, the powerful Northridge earthquake, which registered a 6.9 on the Richter scale, hit Southern California. The earthquake caused an estimated $20 billion in damage, leaving 57 people killed and over 5,000 injured. The earthquake became the second most destructive natural disaster to hit the United States.
October 15-22, 1998: Arafat and Netanyahu met at the Wye River Plantation in Maryland for five days of intensive talks as part of a continuation of Albright’s plan that would force Israel to give up major areas of Judea and Samaria . On October 17, Hurricane Madeline boiled over. Though it never made landfall, the resulting rains and tornados that hit southern Texas caused over $750 million in damage and killed 31 people, affecting a quarter of the state. The storm dissipated as the meeting ended in Maryland. On October 21, Clinton declared the hard-hit areas of Texas a major disaster area.
November 30, 1998: Arafat arrived in Washington again to meet with Clinton. He proposed a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as the capital and began efforts to raise money. A total of 42 nations agreed to give Arafat $3 billion, with Clinton pledging $400 million and European nations pledging $1.7 billion. On the same day, the Dow Jones average plunged 216 points, and on December 1, the European Market had its worst day in history. Hundreds of billions of dollars of market capitalization were wiped out in the US and Europe.
December 12, 1998: Clinton landed in the Palestinian-controlled section of Israel to discuss the “land for peace” process. The House of Representatives votes four articles of impeachment against him.
October 11, 1999: Jewish settlers in 15 West Bank settlements are evicted from their homes. The Dow Jones financial averages loses 5.7 percent, in the worst week since October 1989. On October 15, the Dow lost 266 points. A hurricane hits North Carolina. The next morning, October 16, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake rocks the southwest US in the fifth most powerful earthquake in the 20th century. The earthquake was centered in the California desert and did little damage but was felt in three states.
August 13, 2005: The day before the 9th of Av, commemorating the day on which both Jewish Temples in Jerusalem were destroyed, over 10,000 Jews were evicted from their homes in Gush Katif as part of the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s “Disengagement” plan. This disengagement was due to US pressure. Less than two weeks later, Hurricane Katrina destroyed New Orleans and other parts of Louisiana, leaving thousands of Americans homeless and killing at least 1,833. Damage was estimated at over $108 billion.
Read more at http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/47736/history-unmistakable-divine-wrath-warning-nuclear-deal-middle-east/#zIxWcpTPQOmSgU7c.99
Friday, August 28, 2015
Generals, Admirals Warn: Iran Deal Will Lead to War
Reblogged from breibart.com
H/T Sandee Lloyd servehiminthewaiting.com
US Navy
Nearly 200 retired U.S. generals and admirals have signed an open letter opposing the Iran deal and urging Congress to reject the “defective” agreement.
They warn: “In our professional opinion, far from being an
alternative to war, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action makes it
likely that the war the Iranian regime has waged against us since 1979
will continue, with far higher risks to our national security
interests.”The generals and admirals, who have served under both Democrats and Republicans, warn that the Iran deal “will enable Iran to become far more dangerous, render the Mideast still more unstable and introduce new threats to American interests as well as our allies.” The deal does not “cut off every path” to a nuclear weapon, they say, but “actually provides Iran with a legitimate path to doing that simply by abiding by the deal.”
The open letter, sent to leaders of both parties in Congress, notes that the agreement is “unverifiable” because of a weak inspections system and a secret side deal with the International Atomic Energy Agency that could allow Iran to control testing of military sites. It also warns that Iran will use $150 billion in sanctions relief to further terrorism against American allies around the world.
Read the full text of the open letter here.
Panic of 2015?
Reblogged from hallindsey.com
By Hal Lindsey
By Hal Lindsey
On last week’s Hal Lindsey Report, I talked about some of the
underlying problems facing the Chinese economy and how that affects
other nations. After taping that program, I watched financial markets
all over the world go on one of the wildest rides in history. The
immediate cause of all that turmoil was China.
Uncertainty has become the word of the hour. On Monday, the Dow Jones Industrial average went down almost 1,100 points, then rose back up to within 115 points of where it all started, before falling back down to a loss of 588 points by the end of the day. They called it “Manic Monday.”
It was followed by what some were calling “Turnaround Tuesday.” And it did turn around — several times. The Dow rose 440 points early on. By noon it was at 333. With a half hour left to go, it remained in positive territory — 120 points to the good. But in the final 30 minutes, it lost all the gains and ended at negative 204 points. On the day, the Dow traveled up and down a total of more than 1,600 points. Now that’s a ride!It was only about a month ago that the Administration was telling us not to worry about China. Secretary of the Treasury, Jack Lew, told a gathering at the Brookings Institute that Chinese markets would have little affect in the United States. “I will say that China’s markets still are pretty much separated from world markets. They’re, obviously, moving towards being more integrated, but right now they’re not. . . . So you’re not going to, I don’t think, see the direct linkage there.”
U.S. exports to China are third behind only Canada and Mexico. Imports from China exceed that of all other nations. It’s concerning that the man who is, in effect, the Chief Financial Officer of the United States of America, can’t see the linkage between the American and Chinese economies.All over the world, nations have been printing cash and keeping interest rates low. They’ve been doing the kind of things nations do when they’re desperately trying to avert a collapse. Such measures are usually only temporary, but they’ve been going on now for several years in a row.
In the U.S., investors worry that, after 6 ½ years at near zero, the Fed will finally increase interest rates. Dennis Lockhart, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta calls raising the interest rates, “the normalization of monetary policy.” And he’s right, it has not been normal to keep the rates so low for so long.It’s unsettling that governments all over the world seem to already be pulling out all the stops trying to keep the world economy afloat. That’s one reason Stephen King from HSBC Bank, said, “The world economy is sailing across the ocean without any lifeboats to use in case of emergency.”
Before they were called recessions or even depressions, financial crises were known as “panics.” There was the “Panic of 1819,” the “Panic of 1837,” the “Panic of 1857,” the “Panic of 1873,” the “Panic of 1893,” and the “Panic of 1907" among others. While they were sometimes called “depressions,” people named them with the word “Panic.”When dealing with large crowds, panic is an ever present possibility, and exceedingly dangerous.
In 1856, Charles Haddon
Spurgeon, sometimes known as the “Prince of Preachers,” held a mass
meeting at the Surrey Gardens Music Hall. Someone yelled “Fire!” in that
venue holding 10,000 people. In those days, aisles and doors were
exceedingly narrow. In the panic that followed, seven died and dozens
were hospitalized with serious injuries.An economic panic works in much the same way. Economic fears are
visceral with us because we fear a disruption in the flow of money.
We
know that money buys our food and clothes. It buys shelter and
transportation. We use money to purchase the basic necessities of life
for ourselves and our loved ones. Economic panic is extremely powerful.
Along with fear of war, economic panic will one day enable the
Antichrist’s rise to power.Because money buys the necessities of life, it’s easy to understand
why people begin to see money as their provider. They begin to treat
money as an idol to be served. But we should never confuse the Provider
with the thing provided.
Jesus gave us this profound warning. “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” [Matthew 6:24 NIV]
Money does not provide. Money is a provision from God — one of many. We like cash because it gives us freedom to choose, but sometimes God meets our needs more directly. Sometimes He gives us shelter or food directly from His own hand. He sent Elijah to the brook Cherith where God commanded ravens to feed him.
God doesn’t promise money. He promises provision. Later, the Lord allowed brook Cherith to dry up. He wanted Elijah to move on to another place where He would bless both Elijah and those who would care for him. In neither case did God answer with money, but in both cases He met Elijah’s need.
Jesus spoke of God providing for “the fowls of the air” and “lilies of the field.” He said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” [Matthew6:33 NKJV]
Even as we recognize that we buy things with money, including the basic necessities of life, remember that money does not feed or clothe us. It buys shelter, but it does not provide shelter. We work for it, but we do not serve it. We who follow Christ serve our Lord; and He feeds, clothes, and shelters us. He alone is Jehovah-jireh — our Provider.Thursday, August 27, 2015
Shemitah the Lord in the Air?
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Prophecy - Signs
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Wendy Wippel
Reblogged from omegaletter.com
via servehiminthewaiting.com
September marks the next completion of the seven-year cycle (known as the Shemitah) established by God as a Sabbath for the land. God instructed the Children of Israel to work the land (and profit from the proceeds from selling what their families didn’t require) for six years, but in the seventh year (the Shemitah year) they were to let the land lay fallow. They were instructed, in that Shemitah year, to also allow the poor to glean whatever the fields produced (grain, grapes and olives) for their own consumption.
No doubt this had agricultural benefit—experience in the US confirms that “fallowing” the land in dry climates allows water reserves in the soil to replenish, producing larger crop yields going forward.
But the Shemitah cycle was about more than just agricultural yields. The end of the Shemitah cycle also required Jewish individuals to release any Jewish slaves and forgive any debts owed them by other Jews.
In other words, the end of the Shemitah cycle served as an economic reset.
Which means the next month should be interesting. Because if you’re paying attention, although the Shemitah has only again been an issue for Israel since 1948, it would seem that God has repeatedly marked the end of the Shemitah cycles by His own economic resets.
At least as long as Wall Street has been Wall Street.
In the 1901-1902 Shemita Year - Value of US Stock Market fell 46%
In the 1916-1917 Shemita Year - Value of US Stock Market fell 40%
In the 1930-1931 Shemitah Year - Value of US Stock Market fell 86%
In the 1937-1938 Shemitah Year - Value of US Stock Market fell 50%
In the 1965-1966 Shemitah Year - Value of US Stock Market fell 23%
In the 1972-1973 Shemitah Year - Value of US Stock Market f fell 48%
In the 1986-1987 Shemitah Year - Value of US Stock Market fell 33%
In the 000-2001 Shemita Year - Value of US Stock Market fell 37%
In the 2007-2008 Shemita Year-Value of U.S. Stock market value fell 50%
2014-2015 Shemita Year?? Don’t know yet, but there are 16 days left. And, given the end of last week, we would seem to be seeing the birth pangs, potentially, of a major financial earthquake in the making. The Dow Jones average closed at the highest level ever in May of this year (18,312) and we could well be looking at the biggest crash yet.
To make it just a little more interesting, the crash of 2011 occurred on the very last day of the Shemitah year, the 29th of Elul . Shortly after the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center. That crash was, in fact, the largest one-day crash in all of history..
Up till then.
Because in the next Shemitah year, 2008, the Dow dropped 777 points. Also on the 29th of Elul, and 7 years to the day from the 9/11 attacks.
And now the next 29 Elul of a Shemitah year—September 13 on the current calendar-- looms on the horizon.
One word of comfort, we do know for sure, at least, that the Stock Market will not crash on the 29th of Elul but only because that’s a Sunday. And the pattern implies a crash in the Shemitah year. So the next couple weeks will be crucial.
And nerve-racking. What really worries me is that a global financial collapse would ultimately set the stage for events that could have profound ramifications for Israel. Events which, curiously, seem to be piling up right behind the economic crisis developing.
Rosh Hashanah, for example, a festival that always kicks off the first day of a new Shemitah cycle begins on September 13.
It’s a festival set aside for repentance. Interestingly, the Hebrew word translated “festival” is actually a word meaning rehearsal. In other words, Rosh Hashanah is a rehearsal for a real period of repentance to come before Israel’s redemption.
That would be what’s more commonly known as the tribulation. Which, in view of the fact that this improbable synchronicity of multiple events with potentially devastating impact on Israel seems to be taking shape at the same time as the beginning of the new Shemitah cycle, would seem to indicate that the world’s introduction to the Antichrist may be right around the corner.
Namely:
- September 15: The UN General Assembly Convenes in NY, with France, as widely reported, planning to propose U.N. recognition of a Palestinian State. Up until now the US has been pretty much the only dissenter, but it would seem that the current administration is ready to support Israel’s division.
- September 15: The Jade Helm exercises conducted by the US military (directed primarily at states considered definitely or putatively hostile to the current administration, confirmed by the Washington Post) ostensibly to judge how difficult government takeover of such states would be.
- September 20: The World Council of Churches begins The “World Week for Peace in Palestine Israel.” Which kind of sounds all warm and fuzzy until you check out their website, which tells you what the week is intended to accomplish:
“The Palestine Israel Ecumenical Forum (PIEF) of
the World Council of Churches invites member churches, faith-based
communities, and civil society organizations around the world to join
together in 2015 for a week of advocacy and action in support of an end
to the illegal occupation of Palestine and a just peace for all in
Palestine and Israel. Congregations and individuals around the globe who
share the hope of justice shall unite during the week to take peaceful
actions, together, to create a common international public witness.”
- September 21: The official UN International Day of peace, (speculated to be the day that the UN will make the announcement that the UN resolution for a Palestinian State has passed).
- September 23: The Pope meets with Obama at the White House. Maybe to decide which one gets to be the antichrist and which one has to be the false prophet? It would appear that they are going to have to decide pretty quickly, because …last but not least…
- September 23: The UN (kicked off by the, Pope himself) intends to unveil their update to UN Agenda 21. Now known as Agenda 20/30.
AKA, a “new, universal agenda for humanity”’
And universal it is, calling for global management of
the economy, education, health care, land management, energy
conversation, and pretty much everything else. Apparently an extension
of the pope’s call for global government in order to institute climate
control and land management measures. Which, according to the Huffington
Post, Obama intends to augment by an Executive Order commiting the U.S.
to align itself with the Vatican/UN Agenda.
- Also September 23 (or September 25, it just gets more and more bizarre) Cern, (owner of the Large Hadron Collider) a research facility doing physics research aimed at unraveling the very basic fabric and origin of our universe, intends to unveil some sort of significant research results, results that have the internet scientists all riled up.
Probably for good reason.
The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is the world’s premier particle collider,
buried miles below the surface near Geneva, Switzerland and completed
in 2008 in collaboration with over 10,000 scientists from hundreds of
universities and laboratories in more than 100 countries. The collider,
which generates energy by colliding subatomic particles, has increased
the energy achieved rapidly, from less than 2 TeV per beam in 2010 to
6.5 TeV in May of this year.At full capacity, the Large Hadron Collider can smash protons together at an incredible rate of a billion per second—an exercise which other physicists fear has the potential to alter the very foundations of our existence. What possible consequences could this have for humanity? Apparently they don’t really know. According to Sergio Bertlucci, the director of the Swiss Laboratory, the large hadron collider “may possibly create or discover previously unimagined scientific phenomena, or for instance an extra dimension". It may open a door to other dimensions, and according to Bertulucci,
"Out of this door might come something”.
Finally, September 28:
The Feast of Tabernacles begins, in perfect unison with
the last of the four blood moons that have accompanied the Jewish Holy
Days during the Shemitah year just ending. Four blood moons on High
Holy Days being a portent of events that will impact the nation of
Israel.
If Obama and the Pope manage to put in place a
centralized world government, you can bet your sweet bootie it will
impact Israel. And it’s not too hard to imagine a scenario in which
Israel is forced to make a treaty with this new world government in
order to stay alive.
And we all know what that means. It’s the starting point for tribulation.
Sure, it’s speculation. But an awful lot of events significant to the
future of Israel occurring all at the same time begs an explanation.
And if a world government is established in NY in September, it would
seem that events in Daniel and Revelation are about to unfold. And if I read my Bible right, that means we’ll be meeting our Lord in the air.
Fortunately, I am completely convinced that if so, we’ll be watching the new world leaders orchestrate the events revealed in Revelation from the mezzanine. Because the seven year periods known as Shemitah are also grouped in seven, and the 50th year is the year of Jubilee.
Curiously, the Hebrew word translated Jubilee is from the root word yabal, which means: “to bear along, to bring, to carry away, lead away to be brought, be led, be conducted." That’s also pretty much the definition of the rapture. To be “snatched up".
Curiously, Cern and the UN’s “Anno lucis, “year of Light?
It also means “Year of Lucifer”. Coincidence?
I guess we’ll see..
Question: "When / How do we receive the Holy Spirit?"
Reblogged from gotquestions.org
Answer: The apostle Paul clearly taught that we receive the Holy Spirit the moment we receive Jesus Christ as our Savior. First Corinthians 12:13 declares, “For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.” Romans 8:9 tells us that if a person does not possess the Holy Spirit, he or she does not belong to Christ: “You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.” Ephesians 1:13-14 teaches us that the Holy Spirit is the seal of salvation for all those who believe: “Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory.”
These three passages make it clear that the Holy Spirit is received at the moment of salvation. Paul could not say that we all were baptized by one Spirit and all given one Spirit to drink if not all of the Corinthian believers possessed the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:9 is even stronger, stating that if a person does not have the Spirit, he does not belong to Christ. Therefore, the possession of the Spirit is an identifying factor of the possession of salvation. Further, the Holy Spirit could not be the “seal of salvation” (Ephesians 1:13-14) if He is not received at the moment of salvation. Many scriptures make it abundantly clear that our salvation is secured the moment we receive Christ as Savior.
This discussion is controversial because the ministries of the Holy Spirit are often confused. The receiving/indwelling of the Spirit occurs at the moment of salvation. The filling of the Spirit is an ongoing process in the Christian life. While we hold that the baptism of the Spirit also occurs at the moment of salvation, some Christians do not. This sometimes results in the baptism of the Spirit being confused with “receiving the Spirit” as an act subsequent to salvation.
In conclusion, how do we receive the Holy Spirit? We receive the Holy Spirit by simply receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior (John 3:5-16). When do we receive the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit becomes our permanent possession the moment we believe.
Answer: The apostle Paul clearly taught that we receive the Holy Spirit the moment we receive Jesus Christ as our Savior. First Corinthians 12:13 declares, “For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.” Romans 8:9 tells us that if a person does not possess the Holy Spirit, he or she does not belong to Christ: “You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.” Ephesians 1:13-14 teaches us that the Holy Spirit is the seal of salvation for all those who believe: “Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory.”
These three passages make it clear that the Holy Spirit is received at the moment of salvation. Paul could not say that we all were baptized by one Spirit and all given one Spirit to drink if not all of the Corinthian believers possessed the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:9 is even stronger, stating that if a person does not have the Spirit, he does not belong to Christ. Therefore, the possession of the Spirit is an identifying factor of the possession of salvation. Further, the Holy Spirit could not be the “seal of salvation” (Ephesians 1:13-14) if He is not received at the moment of salvation. Many scriptures make it abundantly clear that our salvation is secured the moment we receive Christ as Savior.
This discussion is controversial because the ministries of the Holy Spirit are often confused. The receiving/indwelling of the Spirit occurs at the moment of salvation. The filling of the Spirit is an ongoing process in the Christian life. While we hold that the baptism of the Spirit also occurs at the moment of salvation, some Christians do not. This sometimes results in the baptism of the Spirit being confused with “receiving the Spirit” as an act subsequent to salvation.
In conclusion, how do we receive the Holy Spirit? We receive the Holy Spirit by simply receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior (John 3:5-16). When do we receive the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit becomes our permanent possession the moment we believe.
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Televangelists (HBO)
What a shame to invoke the name of Jesus to fleece the sheep and for the spirit of greed in the sheep that motivates them to become as rich and corrupt as their leaders. There certainly are some despairing people with real needs and hopes for a healing who cannot afford medical care and that makes it all the more outrageous. This video would be funny if it were not tragically sad and revolting.
Of course the pagans and heathens are not stupid. Maybe it will take the government to do away with the tax exemption to see who is really serving the Lord and who is in it for the money.
CAUTION: Some beeped out foul language.
Of course the pagans and heathens are not stupid. Maybe it will take the government to do away with the tax exemption to see who is really serving the Lord and who is in it for the money.
So you will again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him. Malachi 3:18
CAUTION: Some beeped out foul language.
Monday, August 24, 2015
BLACK MONDAY: Stocks Sink At Opening Bell As Full-Blown Panic Grips Wall Street
Reblogged from nowtheendbegins.com
Many traders had hoped that such support measures, which could
include an interest rate cut, would have come from Beijing over the
weekend after its main stocks markets slumped 11 percent last week. With
serious doubts also now emerging about the likelihood of a U.S.
interest rate rise this year, the dollar slid against other major
currencies.
As commodity markets took a fresh battering, Brent and U.S. crude oil
futures hit 6-1/2-year lows as concerns about a global supply glut
added to worries over potentially weaker demand from the normally
resource-hungry China.
U.S. crude was last down 3.6 percent at just below $39 a barrel while Brent dropped to $43.74 a barrel to take it under January’s lows for the first time.
With the latest slide rooted in disappointment that Beijing did not announce expected policy support over the weekend, all index futures contracts slumped by their 10 percent daily limit, pointing to more bad days ahead.
MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan fell 5.1 percent to a three-year low. Tokyo’s Nikkei ended down 4.6 percent and Australian and Indonesian shares hit two-year troughs.
“China could be forced to devalue the yuan even more, should its economy falter, and the equity markets are dealing with the prospect of a weaker yuan amplifying the negative impact from a sluggish Chinese economy,” said Eiji Kinouchi, chief technical analyst at Daiwa Securities in Tokyo.
Just as worrying was evidence that developed markets were becoming synchronized with the troubles. London’s FTSE with its large number of global miners and oil firms, was down for its 10th straight day, its worst run since 2003.
The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 was last down 5 percent at 1,355 points, wiping around 400 billion euros ($460.16 billion) off the index and taking its losses for the month to more than 1 trillion euros.
U.S. stock futures also pointed to big losses for Wall Street’s main markets, with the S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial and Nasdaq expected to open down 3.6, 4.0 and 4.9 percent respectively. It is likely to tip the S&P 500 and Nasdaq formally into ‘correction’ territory – meaning stocks, at their lows, are 10 percent off their 52-week highs.
“We are in the midst of a full-blown growth scare,” strategists at JP Morgan Cazenove said in a note.
LONDON – Alarm bells rang across world markets on Monday as a near 9 percent dive in China shares and a sharp drop in the dollar and major commodities panicked investors.
European stocks were more than 5
percent in the red and Wall Street was braced for similar losses after
Asian shares slumped to 3-year lows as a three month-long rout in
Chinese equities threatened to get out of hand.
Down, down, down…..
Oil plunged another 4 percent,
while safe-haven government U.S. an German bonds and the yen and the
euro rallied as widespread fears of a China-led global economic slowdown
and currency war kicked in.
“It is a China driven macro
panic,” said Didier Duret, chief investment officer at ABN Amro.
“Volatility will persist until we see better data there or strong policy
action through forceful monetary easing.”
The Australian dollar fell to six-year lows and many emerging market currencies also plunged, whilst the frantic dash to safety pushed the euro to a 6-1/2-month high above $1.15.
“Things are starting look like the Asian financial crisis in the late 1990s. Speculators are selling assets that seem the most vulnerable,” said Takako Masai, head of research at Shinsei Bank in Tokyo.
12 EVENTS THAT WILL OCCUR IN SEPTEMBER THAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT
U.S. crude was last down 3.6 percent at just below $39 a barrel while Brent dropped to $43.74 a barrel to take it under January’s lows for the first time.
Copper, seen as a barometer of
global industrial demand, tumbled 2.5 percent, with three-month copper
on the London Metal Exchange also hitting a six-year low of $4,920 a
tonne. Nickel slid 6 percent to its lowest since 2009 too at $9,570 a
tonne.
GREAT FALL OF CHINA
The near 9 percent slump in Chinese stocks was their worst performance since the depths of the global financial crisis in 2007 and wiped out what was left of the 2015 gains, which in June has been more than 50 percent.With the latest slide rooted in disappointment that Beijing did not announce expected policy support over the weekend, all index futures contracts slumped by their 10 percent daily limit, pointing to more bad days ahead.
MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan fell 5.1 percent to a three-year low. Tokyo’s Nikkei ended down 4.6 percent and Australian and Indonesian shares hit two-year troughs.
“China could be forced to devalue the yuan even more, should its economy falter, and the equity markets are dealing with the prospect of a weaker yuan amplifying the negative impact from a sluggish Chinese economy,” said Eiji Kinouchi, chief technical analyst at Daiwa Securities in Tokyo.
Just as worrying was evidence that developed markets were becoming synchronized with the troubles. London’s FTSE with its large number of global miners and oil firms, was down for its 10th straight day, its worst run since 2003.
The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 was last down 5 percent at 1,355 points, wiping around 400 billion euros ($460.16 billion) off the index and taking its losses for the month to more than 1 trillion euros.
U.S. stock futures also pointed to big losses for Wall Street’s main markets, with the S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial and Nasdaq expected to open down 3.6, 4.0 and 4.9 percent respectively. It is likely to tip the S&P 500 and Nasdaq formally into ‘correction’ territory – meaning stocks, at their lows, are 10 percent off their 52-week highs.
“We are in the midst of a full-blown growth scare,” strategists at JP Morgan Cazenove said in a note. source
Sunday, August 23, 2015
Pope Francis: An Apocalyptic Figure?
Reblogged from raptureready.com
By Jan Markell
I am cautious about "pinning
the tail" on the Antichrist
and the False Prophet. We
cannot know ahead of time
who these personalities are;
however, Pope Francis comes
close to "filling the bill"
on the False Prophet. Or he
may be but a "type" of that
man just like there are many
"types" of the Antichrist
throughout history. I think
the devil has always had a
candidate for the Antichrist
waiting in the wings as he
doesn't know when the final
generation is.
Oakland concludes, "So what should we expect if we are in the time when such a system unfolds? First, many who once were Protestant and Evangelical will become ecumenical. Second, all religions will unite in solidarity of purpose. Understanding the Jesuit agenda is essential if we are to understand how this worldwide deception will come about."
Francis recently sent a video message to Kenneth Copeland urging reconciliation between Catholics and Charismatics, a move cheered by Copeland's audience. The video's introduction was delivered by a friend of Francis, Anglican Episcopal Bishop Tony Palmer, who told Copeland's audience that "Catholic and Charismatic renewal is the hope of the Church." You can see some of that here.
The False Prophet is
described in Revelation
13:11-15. He is also
referred to as the
"second beast"
(Revelation 16:13,
19:20, 20:10). Together
with the Antichrist and
Satan, who empowers both
of them, the
False Prophet is the
third party in the
unholy trinity.
Pope Francis is
revealing himself to be
a blatant Marxist. He
has also pulled back
from issues Catholics
have considered sacred.
He apparently has
replaced abortion with
social justice and
environmentalism. Most
troubling, however, is
his call for a "new
world order" and
that there be a global
constitution, a global
court and a one-world
government.Scripture
is clear that the
Antichrist will be the
head of a one-world
government (Revelation
13).
Even conservative
Catholics are sounding a
warning that Pope
Francis--the first
Jesuit Pope--may be the
most troubling Pope
ever. He is raising
apocalyptic concerns and
some in the
eschatological community
feel that he, indeed,
has gotten the nod to be
the False Prophet.
Roger
Oakland, a
former
Catholic,
writes,
"According
to Bible
prophecy, a
one-world
religion
that will
offer the
promise of
peace
throughout
the world is
going to
commence
prior to
Christ's
return. To
most, this
global body
will seem
like a
wonderful
thing and
very
possibly
will be a
pseudo-Christianity
(coming in
the Name of
Christ);
however,
contrary to
how the
masses will
view it, it
will
actually
help
establish
and set up
the
Antichrist
and his
one-world
government."
He continues,
"In order for
this to happen,
all religions
must come
together in an
ecumenical plan.
Today, as part
of this Satanic
scheme, the
evangelical/Protestant
church is being
drawn
seductively into
the Roman
Catholic Church,
largely through
what we call
'the Jesuit
agenda.'
Incredibly,
while the
evidence is
obvious to some,
the majority of
proclaiming
Christians are
not at all aware
it is
happening."
Oakland concludes, "So what should we expect if we are in the time when such a system unfolds? First, many who once were Protestant and Evangelical will become ecumenical. Second, all religions will unite in solidarity of purpose. Understanding the Jesuit agenda is essential if we are to understand how this worldwide deception will come about."
Francis recently sent a video message to Kenneth Copeland urging reconciliation between Catholics and Charismatics, a move cheered by Copeland's audience. The video's introduction was delivered by a friend of Francis, Anglican Episcopal Bishop Tony Palmer, who told Copeland's audience that "Catholic and Charismatic renewal is the hope of the Church." You can see some of that here.
Pope
Francis is making a plea for the union of many faiths. He reportedly
said recently, "Jesus Christ, Mohammed, Jehovah, Allah. These are all
names employed to describe an entity that is distinctly the same across
the world." He opened the door to Muslim prayers at the Vatican.
Can you say one-world religion?
Pope
Francis is headed for the White House, Congress, and the U.N. in a few
weeks! He will be pushing climate change and "sustainable development"
which is again all about global government! One
has to wonder where he fits the gospel into his agenda. It doesn't
appear as though it does. One writer calls him a "wolf in Pope's
clothing."
Put it
all together: Marxism, environmentalism, new world order, global
government, sustainable development, the Jesuit agenda, unity of faiths,
a global constitution, a global court, a departure from Catholic
traditions.
We live in interesting times. And the hour is very late.
Saturday, August 22, 2015
What did Jesus mean when He promised an abundant life?
Answer: In John 10:10, Jesus said, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” Unlike a thief, the Lord Jesus does not come for selfish reasons. He comes to give, not to get. He comes that people may have life in Him that is meaningful, purposeful, joyful, and eternal. We receive this abundant life the moment we accept Him as our Savior.
This word “abundant” in the Greek is perisson, meaning “exceedingly, very highly, beyond measure, more, superfluous, a quantity so abundant as to be considerably more than what one would expect or anticipate.” In short, Jesus promises us a life far better than we could ever imagine, a concept reminiscent of 1 Corinthians 2:9: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.” The apostle Paul tells us that God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, and He does it by His power, a power that is at work within us if we belong to Him (Ephesians 3:20).
Before we begin to have visions of lavish homes, expensive cars, worldwide cruises, and more money than we know what to do with, we need to pause and think about what Jesus teaches regarding this abundant life. The Bible tells us that wealth, prestige, position, and power in this world are not God's priorities for us (1 Corinthians 1:26-29). In terms of economic, academic, and social status, most Christians do not come from the privileged classes. Clearly, then, abundant life does not consist of an abundance of material things. If that were the case, Jesus would have been the wealthiest of men. But just the opposite is true (Matthew 8:20).
Abundant life is eternal life, a life that begins the moment we come to Christ and receive Him as Savior, and goes on throughout all eternity. The biblical definition of life — specifically eternal life — is provided by Jesus Himself: “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3). This definition makes no mention of length of days, health, prosperity, family, or occupation. As a matter of fact, the only thing it does mention is knowledge of God, which is the key to a truly abundant life.
What is the abundant life? First, abundance is spiritual abundance, not material. In fact, God is not overly concerned with the physical circumstances of our lives. He assures us that we need not worry about what we will eat or wear (Matthew 6:25-32; Philippians 4:19). Physical blessings may or may not be part of a God-centered life; neither our wealth nor our poverty is a sure indication of our standing with God. Solomon had all the material blessings available to a man yet found it all to be meaningless (Ecclesiastes 5:10-15). Paul, on the other hand, was content in whatever physical circumstances he found himself (Philippians 4:11-12).
Second, eternal life, the life a Christian is truly concerned with, is not determined by duration but by a relationship with God. This is why, once we are converted and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, we are said to have eternal life already (1 John 5:11-13), though not, of course, in its fullness. Length of life on earth is not synonymous with abundant life.
Finally, a Christian's life revolves around “grow[ing] in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). This teaches us that the abundant life is a continual process of learning, practicing, and maturing, as well as failing, recovering, adjusting, enduring, and overcoming, because, in our present state, “we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror” (1 Corinthians 13:12). One day we will see God face to face, and we will know Him completely as we will be known completely (1 Corinthians 13:12). We will no longer struggle with sin and doubt. This will be the ultimately fulfilled abundant life.
Although we are naturally desirous of material things, as Christians our perspective on life must be revolutionized (Romans 12:2). Just as we become new creations when we come to Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), so must our understanding of “abundance” be transformed. True abundant life consists of an abundance of love, joy, peace, and the rest of the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), not an abundance of “stuff.” It consists of life that is eternal, and, therefore, our interest is in the eternal, not the temporal. Paul admonishes us, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:2-3).
Friday, August 21, 2015
Thursday, August 20, 2015
Lord, what time is it?
It is interesting to look back and take stock of what was happening back then and see how far we have gone
Here is a reprint of a note I wrote in 2012 on a morning meditation in May 2010.
Jean-Louis Mondon
February 9, 2012 ·
What time is it?
Here is a reprint of a note I wrote in 2012 on a morning meditation in May 2010.
Jean-Louis Mondon
February 9, 2012 ·
What time is it?
Notes from morning meditation on II Kings 5:26 5/23/2010.
Is this the time to take money, or to accept clothes, olive groves, vineyards, flockes herds or menservants and maidservants?
In others words to be beholden to others, especially when they think it´s a token of partnership, or alliance even if there is no intention or word on our part to agree to more. Of importance is the impression or the expectation that people have . As prophet, Elisha was a representative of Israel and of the God of Israel. Naaman was an officer of Aram´s army who was there for a personal matter, not on state business.
Aram was at war with Israel and accepting anything from the enemy could be construed as a conflict of interest. Elisha was serving the Kingdom of Israel whose King was the almighty God. Gehazi disobeyed his master who himself showed him what to do. After disobeying, he then lied about it. the consequences was leprosy for Gehazy and his descendants forever.
There are times when we cannot and must not do business as usual. As an example, Jeremiah was told not to marry. Now is the time of separation, time to go home to our roots (our spiritual birth as the entrance into eternal life in Ephesians 1:11-14 , as in the Revelation 2:4 warning to the church of Ephesus who had forsaken their first love. Repent is the word for this season and do the things you used to do at first. We are God´s possession having been bought with a price and we wait with groaning for the redemption of our bodies guaranteed by the indwelling promised Spirit in the believer.
"Then those who feared the Lord talked to each other and the Lord listened and heard. They will be mine in the day when I make up my treasured possession. I will spare them just as in compassion a father spares his son who serves him. And you will see again the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve the Lord and those who do not". Malachi 3:16-18.
The hour is late, look at all the events and signs taking place at an even increasing and faster pace. Now is the time to get ready to meet our Lord Jesus-Christ.
Jean-Louis.
Another essay of the same theme: God, what time is it?
Is this the time to take money, or to accept clothes, olive groves, vineyards, flockes herds or menservants and maidservants?
In others words to be beholden to others, especially when they think it´s a token of partnership, or alliance even if there is no intention or word on our part to agree to more. Of importance is the impression or the expectation that people have . As prophet, Elisha was a representative of Israel and of the God of Israel. Naaman was an officer of Aram´s army who was there for a personal matter, not on state business.
Aram was at war with Israel and accepting anything from the enemy could be construed as a conflict of interest. Elisha was serving the Kingdom of Israel whose King was the almighty God. Gehazi disobeyed his master who himself showed him what to do. After disobeying, he then lied about it. the consequences was leprosy for Gehazy and his descendants forever.
There are times when we cannot and must not do business as usual. As an example, Jeremiah was told not to marry. Now is the time of separation, time to go home to our roots (our spiritual birth as the entrance into eternal life in Ephesians 1:11-14 , as in the Revelation 2:4 warning to the church of Ephesus who had forsaken their first love. Repent is the word for this season and do the things you used to do at first. We are God´s possession having been bought with a price and we wait with groaning for the redemption of our bodies guaranteed by the indwelling promised Spirit in the believer.
"Then those who feared the Lord talked to each other and the Lord listened and heard. They will be mine in the day when I make up my treasured possession. I will spare them just as in compassion a father spares his son who serves him. And you will see again the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve the Lord and those who do not". Malachi 3:16-18.
The hour is late, look at all the events and signs taking place at an even increasing and faster pace. Now is the time to get ready to meet our Lord Jesus-Christ.
Jean-Louis.
Another essay of the same theme: God, what time is it?
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
Pitch Perfect - Wendy Wippel
Reblogged from omegaletter.com
Via servehiminthewaiting.com
Witnessing Tools
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
As a scientist, one of the most intriguing verses in the Bible is when Jesus tells His audience that if they don’t believe what He says about the physical realm, there’s no hope for what is spiritual (John 3:12). Because that means that what He did say about the physical can be taken to the bank. Even to Job.
Job’s long lament to God is finally answered by his Creator, who confirms His love for Job but also reminds the suffering saint just Who it is that he is questioning:
(Wesley’s commentary on the passage translates God’s words (loosely) like this:
Job, a wise man, responds humbly, admitting “I am unworthy—how can I reply to you?”
Which is something that we should keep in mind when we have the urge to question what God is doing in our lives.
But the intriguing thing to me, as a scientist (and as a student of the Bible) is, whether what God is telling Job through His soliloquy in Job just picturesque and poetic analogy? Or He telling us something factual about earthly things?
Apparently both.
At least, according to a recent scientific paper in Physical Review Letters, which explains research that seems to show that sometimes the stars do actually emit sound.
They sing.
Thanks to our scientific progress over the last 40 years, we now know that the fabric of the universe is a plasma, essentially an energy soup of containing lots and lots of protons and electrons too hot to coalesce into atoms.
The group of researchers in questions shot high-intensity lasers at plasma (don’t ask me what made them decide to do that, but know that it probably involved our tax dollars) the impact of the laser caused the plasma to flow in the other direction. And when the plasma flowed in the opposite direction, the force of the flow created enough pressure to result in “sound pulses”.
In other words, noise.
Here’s where it gets interesting. The physicist who authored the report, Dr. John Pasley, went on to say that the only place that this would probably actually happen in nature is on the surface of a star.
But not just any star.
Here’s where it gets really, really interesting. Pasley says that "when they are accumulating new material, stars could generate sound in a very similar manner to that which we observed in the laboratory”
This would only happen as stars were accumulating new material. In other words, while they were in the process of being created.
And here’s where it will blow your mind: Pasley then said of these stars--these new stars, accumulating material through the transformation of plasma into matter, that it could be said that these new stars were “singing”.
Just like God told Job:
And wouldn’t that have been a concert to hear!
Via servehiminthewaiting.com
Witnessing Tools
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
As a scientist, one of the most intriguing verses in the Bible is when Jesus tells His audience that if they don’t believe what He says about the physical realm, there’s no hope for what is spiritual (John 3:12). Because that means that what He did say about the physical can be taken to the bank. Even to Job.
Job’s long lament to God is finally answered by his Creator, who confirms His love for Job but also reminds the suffering saint just Who it is that he is questioning:
“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding.5 Who determined its measurements? Surely you know!” “Or who stretched the line upon it?6 To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone,7 When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy?”Here’s a Summary: Job, who created you? And all you see? Why do you think you have the right to question what I do?
(Wesley’s commentary on the passage translates God’s words (loosely) like this:
“Thou art but of yesterday; and dost thou presume to judge of my eternal counsels! When I settled it as firm upon its own center as if it had been built upon the surest foundations.”Summary: pretty much the same as above.
Job, a wise man, responds humbly, admitting “I am unworthy—how can I reply to you?”
Which is something that we should keep in mind when we have the urge to question what God is doing in our lives.
But the intriguing thing to me, as a scientist (and as a student of the Bible) is, whether what God is telling Job through His soliloquy in Job just picturesque and poetic analogy? Or He telling us something factual about earthly things?
Apparently both.
At least, according to a recent scientific paper in Physical Review Letters, which explains research that seems to show that sometimes the stars do actually emit sound.
They sing.
Thanks to our scientific progress over the last 40 years, we now know that the fabric of the universe is a plasma, essentially an energy soup of containing lots and lots of protons and electrons too hot to coalesce into atoms.
The group of researchers in questions shot high-intensity lasers at plasma (don’t ask me what made them decide to do that, but know that it probably involved our tax dollars) the impact of the laser caused the plasma to flow in the other direction. And when the plasma flowed in the opposite direction, the force of the flow created enough pressure to result in “sound pulses”.
In other words, noise.
Here’s where it gets interesting. The physicist who authored the report, Dr. John Pasley, went on to say that the only place that this would probably actually happen in nature is on the surface of a star.
But not just any star.
Here’s where it gets really, really interesting. Pasley says that "when they are accumulating new material, stars could generate sound in a very similar manner to that which we observed in the laboratory”
This would only happen as stars were accumulating new material. In other words, while they were in the process of being created.
And here’s where it will blow your mind: Pasley then said of these stars--these new stars, accumulating material through the transformation of plasma into matter, that it could be said that these new stars were “singing”.
Just like God told Job:
“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?...”? 6 To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone,7 When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy?” Job 38:4Pasley hastens to add that we couldn’t hear the concert, as the frequency of the sounds would be way higher than humans could hear. And he adds:
“if a star makes a sound too high for mammals to hear does it even count?”It does when there’s a whole other audience. And apparently there was. Apparently all the angels joined the stars in singing praise to Jehovah as He worked during those six days in which the universe was created.
And wouldn’t that have been a concert to hear!
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