Category: Prophecy

May contain help in interpreting the prophetic scriptures, may demonstrate how current events are fulfilling prophetic scriptures.

2014 July – Making Sure You Will Not Be Left Behind – Part Two

Making Sure You Will Not Be Left Behind – Part Two

“… give diligence to make your calling and election sure …” -2 Peter 1:10

By Mike Wingfield

Are you a true follower of Christ? In this newsletter, we will continue our examination of the most important ques­tion a person must answer while here on earth. Last month, we examined the first of nine tests on assurance of salvation that are found in the little New Testament book of 1 John. The theme of this book is found in chapter 5 and verse 13: “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that [you] may know that [you] have eternal life…”

In this issue we will look at the next four tests. The re­maining four tests will be given in our August newsletter. I highly recommend that you carefully read these newslet­ters and look up the Scriptures referenced. As mentioned in the previous newsletter, when you look at the lifestyles of professing Christians, it seems that most of them are not saved. You do not want to be deceived and miss the Rapture, or more importantly, heaven. I urge you to study these Biblical tests and make sure you will not be left be­hind. This could make the difference in where you will spend eternity.

Test #2-Do you keep God’s Commandments?

1 John 2:3-6 Verse 3 declares: “And hereby we do know that we know [have a relationship] him, if we keep his commandments.”

If you are God’s child, then you will obey the Lord’s commands.

Obedience to the Lord is a very clear indication that God is our Father and friend. Jesus continually repeated this on the night he was betrayed by one of His own disciples.

“If you love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15) “If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings …” (John 14:23-24) “If ye keep my command­ments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.” (John 15:10)

From a Biblical standpoint, there are two vital issues at stake in this second test: (1) Is Jesus really the Lord of your life? (2) Are you the servant of the Lord Jesus Christ? A study of the entire New Testament gives testi­mony to these two core issues.

Issue #1: Is Jesus really the Lord of your life? A few years back, there was a great debate in Christian circles about this subject. Some people believe that they can be a Christian if Jesus is just their Savior, but not their Lord. They believe that at some point later in their life, they reach a greater spiritual maturity level and Jesus then becomes their Lord. This debate and kind of thinking quickly reveals the lack of understanding many people have concerning what the New Testament teaches about true salvation. I urge all of us to not formulate what we believe on the basis of personal experience, or how we feel about Jesus and salvation. Our doctrine (what we believe) must be based totally upon the written Word of God – the Bible! The Bible must be our final authority in all matters of faith and practice! It does not matter what someone else says or believes. It does not matter what your church or pastor believes. If it does not conform to the literal interpretation of the Bible, they are wrong and God is right! Jesus declared that He and His Word are “truth.” (John 14:6) When we arrive at a different con­clusion than what Scripture teaches, “we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” (1 John 1:10) Certainly, true believers would never call Jesus and His Word lies!

The Bible declares: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

(Romans 10:9) There it is! You must confess that Jesus Christ is your Lord to be saved. When a person becomes a Christian, they become a disciple (follower) of Jesus Christ. When you follow Him, you spiritually mimic Him. Jesus said: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27)

The word “Lord” also means “Master.” (See John 13:14­15.) This means that Jesus, not self, is in control of your life. This is at the heart of repentance. The Bible de­mands that a person must repent in order to be saved. (Acts 2:38; 2 Corinthians 7:10) Repentance is a change in mind that leads to a change in action. At the moment of true conversion, the sinner recognizes that he must com­pletely surrender his will and life to the lordship of Jesus Christ. Jesus told His disciples: “If any man will come after [follow] me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24) Therefore, from the moment of a person’s genuine conversion, he must view Jesus as his Lord.

Issue #2-Are you the servant of Lord Jesus Christ? Throughout the New Testament, Christians are viewed as bond-slaves of Jesus Christ. The apostles viewed them­selves as “a servant [bond-slave] of Jesus Christ.” (Ro­mans 1:1; James 1:1) The apostles frequently called New Testament believers “servants” of Jesus Christ. (Revela­tion 1:1) The Bible illustrates the salvation of the believ­er in the cultural terms of the slave market of ancient days. When a master purchased a slave at an auction, that slave immediately became his property. In 1 Corinthians 6, the Apostle Paul reminded the Corinthian believers, who were living in a sensual and immoral culture, that they were not to give their bodies over to sexual immorality because their body belonged to their Master, Jesus Christ. (1 Co­rinthians 6:19-20) Therefore, in the truest Biblical image­ry, the New Testament believer must see himself as a bondservant of Jesus Christ. He is no longer in control of himself. His master is Jesus Christ. He is a purchased possession of the Lord Jesus. If he does not agree to this, then he is still in the slave market of sin, serving his sin-nature and under the sentence of condemnation. (Romans 6:16-22)

However, as described in 1 John 1, there are no believers who can say they do not sin. This is the struggle of the Christian life. (Romans 7:7-25) When we are victorious over sin, Jesus is Lord of our life at that moment. But, when we sin, self is back on the throne. However, as we grow and mature in our love commitment to the Lord Je­sus, we will mature in our battle over our sin nature and Jesus will more consistently be Lord of our lives. (1 John 5:1-5) The true believer is not marked by sinless perfec­tion, but as growing in their victory over sin.

Test #3-Do you love other believers?

1 John 2:7-11 As the Apostle John penned these words near the end of the first century, he reminded his readers that this was not a new commandment, but one which goes back to the life and witness of the incarnate Lord Jesus. Jesus said: “By this shall all men know that [you] are my disciples, if [you] have love one to another.” (John 13:35)

The believer in Jesus Christ will be marked by a genuine love for all people. All people have been equally created in the image of God, and Christ died for all. We have been commissioned to take the gospel to all people. This commission is driven by the love of God through us to the world. It is “the love of Christ [that constrains] us” to be witnesses of the love of God displayed at the cross of Cal­vary. (2 Corinthians 5:14-20) Jesus loved sinners. Do you?

However, for those who walk in the light of God’s revela­tion and are related to Him and each other, there is a common bond of love through the divine work of the Holy Spirit in all believers to love God and one another. “We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren.” (1 John 3:14)

This love for fellow believers is not the nature of the world. (1 John 3:11-19) The world hates the true believ­ers in Jesus Christ. (John 15:18-16:2; 1 John 3:13) In contrast, Christians love one another because it is the na­ture of God. (1 John 4:7-21) Therefore, when we love other believers, we are behaving like God. “If a man say, I love God, and [hates] his brother, he is a liar: for he that [loves] not his brother whom he [has] seen, how can he love God whom he [has] not seen?” (1 John 4:20)

This love that we have in the family of God will be mani­fested by two actions: (1) We will forgive one another, and (2) We will give to one another. Christ’s love for us was demonstrated when He gave His life for us when were sinners. (Romans 5:8) And now, it is continually mani­fested in that He is “faithful and just to forgive us our sins.” (1 John 1:9) Consequently, we are to demonstrate our love to the family of God by freely and frequently for­giving fellow believers when they sin against us. (Ephe­sians 4:20-32) Furthermore, when our brother or sister is in need, we are to demonstrate the love of God by sacrifi­cially giving of ourselves, just as Christ sacrificed for us. (1 John 3:16-18) The greatest act of love is to lay down our life for another person’s life. (John 15:13; 1 John 3:16) This kind of giving and forgiving is not an act of convenience, but a demonstration of sacrifice.

Test #4-Do you love God?

1 John 2:15-17 It should seem obvious that if a person claims to be a Christian, he should also love God. In essence, this is the greatest of all the commandments given to us. And yet, it is one of the most misunderstood. When Jesus was asked to identify the greatest commandment, He responded: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.” (Matthew 22:37-38) So, the real question is not: “Do you love God?” The real ques­tion is: “Do you love the Lord more than anyone or any­thing else?” Jesus demands this kind of love from all of His children.

How can a person realistically measure their love for the Lord? In 1 John 2:15-17, the Bible gives us the answer to this question. This text basically asks two questions: “Do you love God or do you love the world system in which you live? You must make a choice. You cannot love and serve both. (Matthew 6:24) The word translated love in this text is not a feeling kind of friendship love. It is a kind of love that sacrifices everything for the object that is loved. What the Bible is asking us in this text is: “Are you sacrificing everything in your life to gain the treasures of a godless world system that is only temporary? Or, are you sacrificing everything in this world system to know Christ and demonstrate your sacrificial devotion to Him as the highest level of priority in your life?”

A person’s pursuit of this world system is described as

“the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.” (1 John 2:16) The lust of the flesh is an obsession to gratify the cravings of the sin nature within all of us. The lust of the eyes is an obsession to see won­derful things (both good and sinful) for the sake of pleas­ing self. The pride of life is the personal devotion and focus upon what the world system promotes as the pur­pose and meaning in life.

One must understand that the world system, controlled by Satan, is designed to promote a lifestyle that is independ­ent of God and dependent upon self. In essence, it is what Satan offered Eve when he tempted her to reject God and have what she wanted. Genesis 3:6 says, “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food [the lust of the flesh], and that is was pleasant to the eyes [the lust of the eyes], and a tree to be desired to make one wise [the pride of life], she took of the fruit thereof and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.” Nothing has changed! Satan is still using the same world system to promote a lifestyle that is independent of God and de­pendent upon self.

So, if you really love God as a child of God, you will sac­rificially seek to place Him first in all of your desires, feel­ing, plans, and ambitions in life. Do you sacrificially give God your time, talents, and treasures that He has entrusted to you? I fear that very few believers understand that this is what is expected and demanded by their LORD! The Lord has promised that if we put Him first, He will give us what we need to equip us to worship and serve Him. “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33) “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.” (Proverbs 3:5-8)

Here is the real test: “For where your treasure is, there will be your heart [mind] be also.” (Matthew 6:21) What do you think about the most? What or whom you constantly think about is your treasure! How often do you think about God, His Word, His will, and His plan? Is it your greatest desire to know Him and please Him? Are you sacrificing whatever it takes to move toward these godly desires? This is not what super Christians do; it is what all true believers do!

I discovered long ago that the greatest measuring stick of one’s love for their Savior is their love for and commit­ment to the Word of God. Real believers cannot live without the Word of God. It is a consuming passion to read, study, memorize and mediate upon the Bible. This is the theme of the longest chapter in the Bible – Psalm 119. Someone has said: “Two natures beat within my breast.

The one will damn, the other will bless. The one I love, the other I hate. The one that I feed will dominate.”

Test #5-Do you regularly fellowship with other believers in a local church?

1 John 2:19 The professing churches in the United States and the American culture are moving further away from God and His Word. Consequently, it is becoming increasingly dif­ficult for some believers to find a local church where the Word of God is being faithfully proclaimed and the lead­ership of the church is a faithful model of godliness.

The word church comes from the Greek word which means “called out ones.” The church is made up of those born-again believers who have been redeemed by receiv­ing Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, and are set apart from the world system by the Holy Spirit.

The ministry of the church is the work of the Holy Spirit. He brings individual believers to salvation. (1 Corinthians 12:3) He equips each believer to serve within the church. (1 Corinthians 12:4-11) It is His work to immerse each one into the body of Christ and direct them to become a vital part of a local church. (1 Corinthians 12:12-14) It is the design and desire of the Holy Spirit who lives in every true believer to unite each believer with an assembly of believers. (Ephesians 4:1-6, 25; 1 Corinthians 10:17)

According to the Bible, in this Age of Grace, God’s work is primarily orchestrated through the local church. 1 John 2:19 describes the kind of attitude that is prevalent among many professing Christians today. They do not think they need the church. They believe they can worship and serve God on their own. According to this text, when a person rejects the church and attempts to experience the Christian life on their own, it is an indication that they are not saved.

Most people think they can get what they need from tele­vision pastors and evangelists. However, the ministry of the local church is not a place to just receive instruction from God. It is the body of Christ. It is a community of believers who regularly meet together for worship, fellow­ship, and Biblical instruction. It is God’s design that the body of Christ serves Him and each other. All believers need to be loved, taught, encouraged, rebuked, and coun­seled. (2 Timothy 4:2-4; Hebrews 10:24-25) Believers need other believers in the local church, who have been called and gifted by God, to help them mature in the faith.

(Acts 2:41-47; Ephesians 4:1-16; 1 Corinthians 12)

Notice that when the apostles obeyed the Lord’s great commission to go out into the world and make disciples and baptize them, they always planted churches where the converts lived. (Acts 14:21-23) They trained the leader­ship to proclaim the Word of God and to disciple the be­lievers.

There is no real Biblical excuse to give up on the church. Even with all of its problems, the Apostle Paul exhorted the believers in the church at Corinth toward unity and service within the local assembly of believers. There are no perfect churches, pastors, or believers. God has de­signed the church to be an assembly of believers who are united by the Holy Spirit and their commitment to the Word of God. (Ephesians 4:1-6) They are bound together to equip each other to worship and serve their Lord, and to evangelize the world with the saving gospel of Jesus Christ. They help each other mature in their faith and build each other up in their faith until they are called into Jesus’ presence. (Ephesians 4:11-16) They recognize that they will not be perfect until they are presented to Christ as His perfect bride on their wedding day – the Rapture. (Ephesians 5:25-32) Real believers need and love the body of Christ.

I will conclude this three-part article on the assurance of salvation in the next newsletter. We will examine the last four of the nine tests for making sure you will not be left behind.

 

Israel Turns 66

In May, Israel celebrated its 66th birthday as a resurrected modern nation. This nation, like no other, is the product of divine calling and intervention in the history of the world. Long ago, the Lord declared: “For I will take you from among the heathen [Gentile nations], and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own

land.” (Ezekiel 36:24) When the nation of Israel was founded in 1948, there were only 806,000 Israelis. Only 35 percent of them were na­tive-born. According to the Israeli Central Bureau of Sta­tistics, the estimated population of Israel now stands at 8.18 million. Jewish people, 6.135 million, make up about 75 percent of Israel’s current population. The Arab popu­lation in Israel is reported to be 1.694 million, or about 20 percent of the total population.

Within the last year, Israel’s population grew by 157,000. About 24,000 of these were new immigrants. Now about 75 percent of the Jewish population are native-born Israe­lis.

“In 1948, Israel had only one city in which the population exceeded 100,000, Tel Aviv-Jaffa. Today, 14 cities have populations of more than 100,000, of which six have more than 200,000 residents: Jerusalem, Tel-Aviv-Jaffa, Haifa, Rishon, Lezion, Ashdod, and Petah Tikva, according to the report.” (The International Jerusalem Post, May 9­May 15, 2014, p. 9)

Palestinians Hate Israel and Jews

Throughout the last few decades, there has been a game of deceitful chess being played in the name of peace in the Middle East. Several U.S. administrations have made many attempts to bring the Israelis and Palestinians to a successful peace agreement. Many Israelis truly desire peace with their Palestinian neighbors. During these ne­gotiations for peace, the Israelis have made numerous painful concessions and given up land that has made them more vulnerable to attack from their Arab/Islamic ene­mies. At the same time, the Palestinians have refused to recognize the legitimacy of the Jewish state of Israel. Fur­thermore, the Palestinians have not departed from the in­citement of hatred and violence they express against all Israelis.

Two recent developments have clearly revealed the hy­pocrisy of the Palestinians and their falsehood of working toward achieving peace with their Jewish neighbors. First, the Anti-Defamation League recently announced the re­sults of a very comprehensive global survey on anti-Semitism. They report: “The most anti-Semitic regions were found to be the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Pal­estinian anti-Semitism is ‘pervasive throughout society.’ … with 93 percent of respondents affirming anti-Jewish stereotypes.” (The International Jerusalem Post, May 16­22, 2014, p. 09) Many other sources confirm these find­ings. It is obvious that real peace of any kind is impossi­ble where such hatred and violence toward Jews is openly promoted in all aspects of that culture. How can you real­istically promote peace with a people you hate and want to kill?

All of this has been openly confirmed with the recent de­cision by the so-called “moderate” Palestinian leadership on the West Bank in its attempt to form a unity govern­ment with the radical Islamic terrorist government of Ha-mas in the Gaza Strip. The charter of Hamas calls for the compete annihilation of the Jewish state of Israel and the establishment of an Islamic Palestinian state from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan River. Since 2005, Ha-mas has launched more than 11,000 rockets and mortars against southern Israel. Hamas has made it clear that it will not moderate its harsh stance against Israel to ac­commodate a political marriage with Fatah, the Palestinian leadership on the West Bank.

The refusal of Western governments to condemn the Pal­estinians for their decision to form a unified government with an Islamic terrorist organization bent on the destruc­tion of Israel reveals the outright moral collapse of West­ern societies. When people support criminal governments that promote the murder of innocent civilians, and at the same time, condemn democratic governments that uphold the premise that all people are created in the image of God and deserve to be free and respected, then that culture has reached the spiritual point of no return. Such a culture is ripe for divine judgment.

ISIS and the Antichrist’s Kingdom

In recent months, a very powerful radical Islamic terrorist group called the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has taken control of Iraq and some territories in Syria. ISIS now controls Mosul, the second largest city in Iraq and the entire Iraqi western border with Syria. There is great con­cern that ISIS may attempt to take control of Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

According to Joel Rosenberg, an American communica­tions strategist and author who closely monitors develop­ments in the Middle East, “The objective of the ISIS lead­ers is to topple the Iraqi government, seize control of all of Iraq, establish a jihadist state under Sharia law, and use Iraq to begin a regional –and eventually global –Islamic caliphate, or kingdom.” (Blog by Joel Rosenberg) For those of us who study the prophetic Word, we recognize that this is a very significant development. According to the Bible, during the Tribulation Period, the Antichrist will control the world from his headquarters in Iraq. (Isai­ah 14:4) Iraq, the central area of the former ancient Bab­ylonian Empire, will be the hub of global economic con­trol (Zechariah 5:5-11), and political -religious control of the Antichrist’s empire. (Isaiah 13; Revelation 17-18) These developments and many other current events are setting the stage for the end-time events as outlined in the Bible. In light of this, we may be on the verge of a major war in the Middle East that will pave the way for the com­ing of the Islamic Messiah – the Madhi. I am convinced the Islamic Messiah will be the one described in the Bible as the Antichrist. Consequently, it would be wise to be listening for the shout that will take us out.

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2014 February – The Sign of the Red Blood Moon

The Sign of the Red Blood Moon

“And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the LORD come.”-Joel 2:30-31

By Mike Wingfield

The Bible tells us that in the past, God spoke to His cho­sen people, Israel, in a variety of ways (Hebrews 1:1), in­cluding through signs and wonders. Our Lord’s Jewish disciples believed their prophets had declared there would be signs from the Lord at the end of this age. Consequent­ly, near the end of His earthly ministry almost 2,000 years ago, they asked Jesus: “Tell us … what shall be the sign of thy coming, and the end of the [age]?” (Matthew 24:3) Part of Jesus’ response to their question is found in Luke 21:25-27: “And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of na­tions, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the pow­ers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glo­ry.” Therefore, it is clear that the last days will be marked by strange and unique celestial phenomena that include the sun and the moon.

Before, we examine the celestial signs of the last days, we need to recall to mind the words of the Apostle Paul when he declared “the Jews require a sign.” (1 Corinthians 1:22) The Scriptures indicate that the Holy One of Israel has spoken to the Jewish people through many signs, wonders, miracles, and visual aids. The ministries of many of the great prophets of Israel – Moses, Elijah, and Elisha – were accompanied by these great wonders. With powerful visual aids to communicate divine revelation, God spoke to the children of Israel in the wilderness with the Shekinah Glory, manna from heaven, and water from a rock. He directed them to build a tabernacle where He would meet with them. Many supernatural events were connected to the Ark of the Covenant. He spoke to them through the sacrificial system and the priesthood about His holiness, their sin, and the need of redemption.

When Jesus came, His ministry was also accompanied by signs, miracles, and wonders. After His ascension to heaven, the apostles continued with “the signs of an apos­tle.” (2 Corinthians 12:12) However, a close study of the New Testament will indicate that as the church became more Gentile, the Jewish apostles gradually passed off the scene. As this occurred, the signs, miracles, and wonders connected to the ministry of a Jewish messenger of God ceased. The Apostle Paul proclaimed this would happen.

(1 Corinthians 13:8)

Ultimately, the church will be raptured and the Lord will return to His divine program with Israel. When this hap­pens, supernatural signs, dreams, and visions will return to His people. Speaking to the Jewish people of the Tribu­lation Period, Joel wrote: “And it shall come to pass af­terward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your [Jewish] sons and your [Jewish] daughters shall prophesy, your [Jewish] old men shall dream dreams, your [Jewish] young men shall see visions: and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.” (Joel 2:28-29) In a very unique sense, a divine anointing of power and protection will be upon 144,000 young Jewish men (Revelation 7:1-8; 14:1­5) and two Jewish witnesses. (Revelation 11:3-12)

It is evident from the Scriptures, that in God’s eternal plan, the coming of the Messiah would be accompanied by amazing celestial signs. Concerning His first coming, Matthew [which many scholars agree was written for a Jewish audience] wrote: “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea … there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.” (Matthew 2:1-2) Concerning the second coming of Christ, there are numerous passages that con­nect it with amazing celestial signs. Some of them are:

Isaiah 13:13; 24:23; Joel 2:27-32; 3:15; Matthew 24:29; Mark 13:24-25; Luke 21:25-27; Acts 2:16-20; Revelation 6:12-14. Within these passages, there are three that pre­dict the moon will appear to be red like blood. (Joel 2:31; Acts 2:20; and Revelation 6:12)

It is Biblically legitimate to view some amazing celestial events as supernatural signs. When Moses recorded the creation account 1,400 years before the time of Christ, He wrote: “And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night, and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years.” (Genesis 1:14)

Furthermore, it must be noted that the Scriptures connect the guaranteed survival of Israel with the existence of the sun and the moon. In Jeremiah 31:36, the Lord promised:

“If those ordinances [sun, moon, & stars] depart from before me, saith the LORD, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me forever.” In another prophetic passage, Revelation 12:1, the Bible de­scribes Israel in a symbolic form which includes the sun and the moon. “And there appeared a great wonder in heaven [symbolic picture of Israel]; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars.” (Revelation 12:1) So, in a very unique sense, the signs in the sun and moon have special relevance for the Jewish people in general and the nation of Israel in particular.

In light of all of this, it is very interesting to consider the NASA reports concerning some very unique and timely celestial events that will take place in connection with the feasts of Israel this year and in 2015.

Moon Picture

Please notice that there are four red blood moons sched­uled to appear on Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) this year and in 2015. These back to back red blood moons on Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles have occurred seven times previously in history. It is sig­nificant to note that the last two times were in 1949-1950 (Israel’s War of Independence and victory over five pow­erful Arab neighbors) and in 1967-1968 (Israel’s amazing victory in just six days over the same Arab neighbors in June 1967). This leads us to ask: Are we about to witness another war in the Middle East between Israel and her Ar­ab neighbors this year or next?

Another question that is being asked is: Does the appear­ance of these four red blood moons indicate the rapture is about to occur and these red blood moons would be those predicted to take place during the Tribulation? Those who ask this question are quick to point out that these back to back red moons are not scheduled to take place again for over 100 years from now. Also, they observe that it seems apparent that the feasts of Israel are in some way a chronological presentation of the redemptive plan of God for Israel. Christ died exactly at the time of Passover. He is called “our Passover.” (1 Corinthians 5:7) His resur­rection took place on the next Jewish feast, the Feast of First Fruits. 1 Corinthians 15:23 declares that Christ is “the firstfruits” of the resurrection. The next feast was Pentecost, which is when the church began. (Acts 2) Now, looking forward, the next major Jewish feast is the Feast of Trumpets. Many connect this feast with the trumpets of the last days. The last annual Jewish feast is the Feast of Tabernacles, which many Biblical scholars connect to a symbolic reference to the millennial king­dom. So, the fact that these back to back red blood moon appear on major Jewish feasts days makes them very sig­nificant. Before we attempt to Biblically examine these considerations, it is extremely important to examine the Bible and the scientific evidence to determine what creates the conditions for a red blood moon.

Please notice that in the Biblical texts that speak of a red blood moon, there is also mention of accompanying signs on earth that will create “blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke.” (Acts 2:19; see also Joel 2:30) In Revelation 6:12 the darkened sun and red blood moon are connected to “a great earthquake.” The prophet Isaiah wrote about the massive global earthquakes of the Tribulation Period and their devastating results in Isaiah 24. In verse 23 he states that “the moon shall [blush] and the sun ashamed [cover its face]…” Collectively, it appears that these verses, as they are interpreted in their context, indicate global earthquakes will trigger global volcanic eruptions that will spew volcanic ash into the atmosphere, blocking out the sunlight during the day and making the moon have a blood-like appearance. Scientists tell us that when we see a deep red sunset or sunrise, we are looking at the light of the sun through volcanic ash in the upper atmosphere.

A red blood moon takes place during a total lunar eclipse. When the earth comes between the sun and the moon, it creates a dark shadow on the moon side of earth. [See the diagram below.] The only light of the sun that reaches the moon is the small amount that shines around the surface of the earth. If this atmosphere is filled with volcanic ash, it will cast a red light upon the surface of the moon.

Eclipse Picture

To help us grasp all of this, NASA gives the following report: “Our planet casts a long shadow. It starts on the ground–Step outside at night. You’re in Earth’s shadow. Think about it!–and it stretches almost a million miles into space, far enough to reach the moon.

“Suppose you had a personal spaceship. Here’s your mis­sion: Tonight, at midnight, blast off and fly down the mid­dle of Earth’s shadow. Keep going until you’re about 200,000 miles above Earth, almost to the moon. Now turn around and look down. The view from your cockpit win­dow is Earth’s nightside, the dark half of our planet oppo­site the sun. But it’s not completely dark! All around Earth’s limb, the atmosphere glows red.

“What you’re seeing is every sunrise and sunset on Earth-­all at once. This ring of light shines into Earth’s shadow, breaking the utter darkness you might expect to find there. Turn off the cockpit lights. There’s a lovely red glow.

“That same red light plays across the moon when it’s in­side Earth’s shadow. The exact color depends on what’s floating around in Earth’s atmosphere. Following a volcan­ic eruption, for instance, dust and ash can turn global sun­sets vivid red. The moon would glow vivid red, too.” (www.nasa.gov/vision/universe/watchtheskies/13oct_luna reclipse.html)

Those who want to be adamant that these red blood moons are heralding the Tribulation Period should be very cau­tious. While it is possible that these red blood moons could occur in the Tribulation Period, we cannot be abso­lutely positive. One must remember that NASA and other scientists are making their predictions based upon what has been normal according to our historical and scientific data. The unique geological and celestial developments of the Tribulation demand caution on our part when draw­ing any hard conclusions concerning the chronology of future prophetic events. Nothing like the Tribulation Pe­riod has ever occurred in the history of creation. This will be an unprecedented time of geological, climatic, and ce­lestial upheaval. While speaking about the wrathful di­vine judgments that will come upon the earth during this time, Jesus declared: “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, nor, nor ever shall be. … the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.” (Matthew 24:21, 29) The prophet Zephaniah described this time as “a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick dark­ness.” (Zephaniah 1:15)

The uniqueness of this period of time is also seen in the impact of the days of great darkness that will come upon the earth due to the collecting volcanic ash in the upper atmosphere. At first, one-third of the atmosphere will be darkened, blotting out the sunlight during the day. (Reve­lation 8:12) Finally, when the end of the Tribulation comes, the entire earth will be enveloped in darkness. (Revelation 16:10) Under normal conditions, this would produce another global ice age. However, just the oppo­site will occur. The inhabitants will suffer increasing scorching heat. (Malachi 4:1; Revelation 16:9) No one can pretend to understand how the Lord will bring about these unique developments. The uniqueness of the celes­tial and geological developments in the Tribulation Period cannot rule out more red blood moons and solar eclipses that are not anticipated by scientists. We must not rule out God’s sovereign rule over His creation. For example, the Lord gave a sign to King Hezekiah, turning the shadow of the sun back 10 degrees. (2 Kings 20:8-11)

I am not trying to minimize the impact that the approach­ing red blood moons this year and next will have as defi­nite signs of the end of this age. In light of the context of the Middle East at this moment, it is very apparent that these red blood moons are heralding some significant de­velopment that relates to Israel. However, no one can pre­tend to know what they are or when these events will take place.

As we watch all of these signs it should create a spirit of expectancy in all of our lives. We should all stand in awe of the possibility that we could be in the presence of our Lord before the sun sets tonight. For those of us who are saved, it should motivate us to be holy – set apart from this godless, wicked, and immoral culture in which we live.

When He comes, will you be ashamed or confident of the record of your life? “And now, little children, abide in him; that when he shall appear, we may have confidence,

and not be ashamed before him at his coming.” (1 John 2:28) Are you abiding in Christ? To abide in Christ is to live in His presence. Read John 15:1-11. When we abide in Christ we will also feel at home in the Bible. It will strengthen us so that we will produce fruit (works) that will glorify our Lord. Are you at home in the Bible? Are you involved in His work for His glory? If the answer to these questions is “no,” then you had better repent or you will “be ashamed before him at his coming.” (1 John 2:28)

“Therefore, be ye also ready; for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” (Matthew 24:44) Get ready for the shout that will take us out!

Palestinians and Putin Join Hands

Debka File, a special website dedicated to reporting mili­tary and intelligence insights into the Middle East, reports: “Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) launched his ‘diplomatic intifada’ against Israel and exit from the Kerry peace initiative Thursday, Jan. 23, from Moscow. His meetings with President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev marked his breakaway from the US-led peace process with Israel, four months before it was due to expire, and signaled his bid for Russian backing for a Palestinian state.”

(www.debka.com)- link only works if you have a paid subscription to debka.com

This move by Abbas caught the Americans and Israelis completely off guard. It means that all of the recent ef­forts to bring about a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have been openly rejected by the Pal­estinians.

As if this was not enough shock, the Palestinian leadership signed an agreement with the Russians that would allow the Russians to develop a $1 billion natural gas project off

the coast of Gaza. This is very troubling because Abbas’

government is not in control of Gaza and British Gas al­ready has the rights to this area. Israelis are concerned that the Russians are making a move to get a share of the valuable oil and gas deposits in the Mediterranean just off of their coastal area.

“The Palestinian leader began his conversation with Putin by calling Russia a “great power” that deserved to play a more prominent role in the volatile Middle East region. …The Palestinians have clearly opted to follow the exam­ples of other Middle East leaders, ranging from Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, to Syria’s Bashar Assad, Saudi

King Abdullah and Egyptian strongman Abdel-Fatteh El-Sisi, in making tracks, overtly or covertly, to Moscow. They are opening the door for Russia to fill the void left by American disengagement from the region under the Obama administration.” (www.debka.com– same article-link only works if you have a paid subscription to debka.com)

This report definitely illustrates that Russia has its eyes on the wealth in Israel and is casting its lot with the Arab Muslims. This is certainly setting the stage for the Gog and Magog invasion mentioned in Ezekiel 38-39. Accord­ing this prophecy, the vast wealth in Israel will be one of the reasons behind this Russia/Islamic invasion of Israel.

(Ezekiel 38:12-13)

The Ugly Face of Anti-Semitism

I have made many trips to Israel in the last 29 years. Most of my memories of these trips are very pleasant and have enabled me to understand the Bible, especially Biblical prophecy. The one unpleasant, yet very important, part of my tours to Israel has been a visit to Yad Vashem, Israel’s memorial to the Holocaust and the six million Jewish peo­ple who perished. I would never take a tour to Israel without a visit to Yad Vashem. It has been my practice to make this the last stop on my tour before our group travels to Ben Gurion airport for our trip back home. I want those who travel with me to never forget the Holocaust and what happen there. Anyone who visits this museum will know why there needs to be a Jewish nation called Israel. The Jewish people need to have a home of their own where they can defend themselves against the historical hatred that can be found throughout the pages of history . The Holocaust museum is overwhelming. If a person were to meticulously analyze the records, displays, exhibi­tions, and recorded testimonies, it could take about three days. Each time I visit this place I am moved to tears. I find it hard to grasp how anyone could be filled with hate! It is shocking to me how anyone, and especially those who claim to be Christians, can despise and hate the Jewish people. I have a very deep love for Israel and her people and constant pray for their safety in their land.

The Arab/Islamic world denies the Holocaust. They say it never happened. It is my observation that the Holocaust is one of the most documented events in the 20th century. The Nazis were proud of what they did and they kept me­ticulous records and photos to document what they did. In April, 2006, Germany made these records available to the public. “The files, which make up one of the largest Hol­ocaust archives in the world, are more than 15 miles long and hold up to 50 million documents, some seized by the Allies as they liberated concentration camps.” (http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Germany-to-release­Holocaust-archives-2499590.php)-link only goes to the front page, store has been removed/deleted.

The world just recognized International Holocaust Day on January 27th, the day the Auschwitz concentration camp was liberated by the Allies in 1945. Yet, this is nothing compared to Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day each spring. Sirens wail all over Israel for two minutes. Every person stops what they are doing and stands in complete silence for two minutes. Cars on the highway stop and all passengers get out of their automobiles to stand in memory of the six million Jews who perished in the Holo­caust.

The shocking evidence that our world is moving toward another Holocaust is evident both in the Scripture and the growing trends of anti-Semitism around the world. The most virulent expressions of hatred expressed toward the Jewish people are found in the Middle East among the Islamic populations. For thirteen centuries, Islam has treated Jews as being subhuman and demonic. Hatred toward Jews today is collectively aimed at the nation of Israel. Every facet of Islamic life promotes the destruction of Israel. Mein Kampf, Hitler’s diatribe against the Jews, remains a best seller throughout the Islamic world. Iran continues to call Israel a “cancer” that needs to be re­moved. The Islamic leadership of Iran continues to call for the annihilation of Israel. As with Hitler’s threats against Jews, the world is once again deaf, or does not seem to care that six million Jews in Israel could perish should Iran launch a relatively small nuclear bomb against the tiny nation of Israel.

Long ago, the prophet Moses prophesied that the Jewish people would be scattered among the nations and find no place of acceptance among them. (Deuteronomy 28:63­67) However, the Lord directed Moses to proclaim that in the last days the Lord would bring His people back to the land of Israel. (Deuteronomy 30:1-6) There are dozens of prophetic Scriptures which proclaim that the Jewish peo­ple would return to their land in the last days. These same prophetic passages declare that when the Jewish people return to their land, the world would join the nations sur­rounding Israel and attempt to annihilate the Jewish peo­ple. (Ezekiel 36:1-9; Joel 3:1-17; Zechariah 12:1-14:3)

This hatred for the Jewish people will culminate during the final seven years of this age before the Messiah, Jesus Christ, returns at Armageddon. During this final seven years, two-thirds of the world’s Jewish population will be exterminated. (Zechariah 13:8-9) Until the time comes when the Lord will rescue Israel, it is the duty and privi­lege of the Lord’s people to stand by Israel. We need to support the Jewish people with our love and prayers. We need to stand with the Lord and His people, Israel.

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2014 January – Thinking about Time and Eternity

Thinking about Time and Eternity

By Mike Wingfield

[Biblical references have been given to help the reader search the Scriptures. We admonish all of our readers to take time to read these Biblical references as they read this newsletter. Those who do this will learn the most.]

Under God’s created order, we are all creatures of time. Think about it: We measure the progression of our experi­ences in seconds, minutes, hours, days, and years. How­ever, as we grow older, we learn that our perspective of time changes. For most children, an hour can seem like forever! But, older adults often comment about how time passes so quickly.

Tragically, most people in our modern culture race through life without ever stopping to think about time and eternity! According to the Bible, God has made man to live forever. Once a man’s time is complete upon this earth (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2; Hebrews 9:27), he will either go into “everlasting punishment” or enjoy “life eternal.” (Matthew 25:46) Consequently, God has “set eternity” in every person’s heart. [Ecclesiastes 3:11-The word translated “world” in the KJV is the Hebrew word “olam”, which means eternity.] This simply means that when we walk with God in His wisdom, we live our days on earth with a Biblical consciousness of eternity. The only people who can do this are believers who walk in the power of the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 2:6-16) Those who do this will saturate their minds with the Word of God so that they can begin to think like God. (Isaiah 55:6-11)

Let us look at five Biblical realities about time and eterni­ty:

1. The Bible is a revelation about time and eternity.

When we consider the Holy Scriptures, we must realize that they are divine revelation. When God speaks, He speaks from His perspective in eternity. While it is diffi­cult for our finite minds to grasp, the Bible repeatedly tells us that God dwells in eternity – the eternal now. “For thus saith the high and lofty One that [inhabits] eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place…” (Isaiah 57:15) When God spoke to Moses at the burning bush, He referred to Himself as “I AM THAT I AM.” (Ex­odus 3:14) God is not bound by time, space, or matter.

When we say that God is not bound by time, it means He is not confined to the progressive events of His creation. God has no past or future. God sees and experiences all of the events of His creation from eternity past to eternity future at the same moment. He dwells in the eternal now. Time dwells in the eternal God, but mortal man dwells in time! This means that time is God’s servant. However, mortal man on earth is enslaved to time. We cannot save it, stop it, or slow it down. Time waits for no one.

God’s revelation does deal with time. God must reveal His eternal plans to finite man within the boundaries of time. He must do this because on earth, man is a creature of time. This is what makes Biblical prophecy so valuable to the believer. The prophetic Scriptures continually paint a grand view of time and eternity within the eternal plans of God. Our finite thinking concerning the movements of God within our framework of time is a very difficult thing to grasp. We tend to think that God is like us and views everything from the perspective of time. For example, when the scoffers of the first century were mentally har­assing the early church concerning the imminent hope of the Second Coming of Christ, the Apostle Peter answered by reminding them that they were willingly ignorant of the very nature of God. He said: “One day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” (2 Peter 3:8) Peter was simply reminding these enemies of the gospel that they could not think of God in the terms of man. God is eternal and man on earth is finite, bound by time.

2. Time began with creation.

Without the aid of the Scriptures and the work of the Holy Spirit, man cannot think outside the boundaries of time. When we attempt to think of the absence of time before the creation, our minds go blank. Yet, this is where the Biblical revelation begins: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1) Genesis 1:1 declares that in God’s eternal plans, this was the beginning of time, space, and matter! Before this divine creative act of God, there was no time, space, or matter! Hebrews 11:3 declares: “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do ap­pear.” In other words, Jesus Christ spoke time, space, and matter into existence out of nothing. For those of us who have come to know the Lord Jesus Christ and have searched His Word, we have learned that while our minds cannot totally understand all of this, we by faith accept it as being true. “Now faith is the substance [confidence] of things hoped for, the evidence [persuasion] of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1)

As mentioned before, our perspective of time in our earth­ly experiences is relative. An examination of the Biblical record of the creation reveals that the Lord intended for us to measure time on the earth in relationship to the crea­tion. In Genesis 1:14, He said: “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years.” God gave us the sun and moon to help fix the measurement of time on earth. A day is the time it takes the earth to rotate on its axis. A year is the amount of time it takes for the earth to make one revolution around the sun – 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 46 seconds. The concept of the measuring of time is only relative to those living on this earth. When the believer goes to heaven, he leaves the earthly bounds of time.

3. Time should be viewed in light of eternity and the purposes of God.

The overall testimony of the Holy Scriptures gives contin­ual evidence that Jesus Christ is working “all things after the counsel of his own will.” (Ephesians 1:11) “To every­thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1) Everything that the Lord has purposed will come to pass. (Isaiah 14:24, 26-27) It will also take place at the exact time that He has prede­termined in His eternal plan. (Galatians 4:4) All things are moving toward their divine consummation. (1 Corin­thians 15:24-28) In essence, this is the emphasis of Bible prophecy. The prophetic Word of God gives the student of the Bible a detailed view of the eternal plan of God within the context of earthly time.

The view of time in its relationship to eternity is at the heart of having real wisdom and finding the real purpose in life. Proverbs 9:10 states: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the [Holy One] is understanding.” To have true knowledge, under­standing, and wisdom about life, an individual needs to focus on the person and purposes of God revealed in the Bible. To learn about God and His purposes is to learn about life. This is the only way to answer questions about life: Who are we? Where did we come from? Why are we here? What are we to do? Where are we going?

When a person consistently looks at his life on this earth in light of eternity, he will have wisdom for living. Thus, life will become meaningful and joyful. This truth can be found in Psalm 90. In this Psalm, man is caused to view his life in light of eternity. It begins: “LORD, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlast­ing thou art God. … For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday, when it is past, and as a watch [3 hours] in the night.” (Psalm 90:1-2, 4) In these verses, man is faced with one of the most awesome truths the human mind can try to comprehend – eternity.

Every person has a divinely-appointed time on this earth. (Job 7:1) Psalm 31:15 declares that our time is in God’s hands. The Bible teaches that our lifespan is appointed by God. The days of our birth and death have been divinely chosen according to His eternal purposes. (Job 14:1-2, 5; Hebrews 9:27) In light of this, the Psalmist cried out to God: “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12)

4. Eventually we will join God in a timeless eternity. After much research, I have concluded that no person has a final grasp of this subject. It is very humbling to consid­er the subject of a timeless eternity. As mentioned before, the human mind, even when aided by the Scriptures, struggles with attaining such knowledge. Many Bible scholars I admire have a different view of understanding when and how man will enter into a timeless eternity.

Please allow me to share with you what I believe the Scriptures teach about this matter.

When a believer passes out of this life, he moves out of earthly time and into a heavenly time frame. This heaven­ly time frame is a different perspective on time, unlike earthly time, but not yet timeless as it will in the Eternal State [the condition that will prevail in the New Jerusalem upon the new earth as described in Revelation 21-22]. Notice the cry of the martyred Tribulation believers in heaven in Revelation 6:10: “How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?” It appears that these saints in glory are still creatures of time and are asking how long they must wait until the Lord will fulfill His promise of vengeance upon those who killed them. According to the eyewitness of this event, the Apostle John, the heavenly response pointed to a later time: “…rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.”

(Revelation 6:11) It appears that these believers in heaven still have some view of time. Furthermore, it must be re­membered that all of the saints in heaven will return to earth to participate in Christ’s earthly kingdom that will last for 1,000 years. (Revelation 20:4)

At the end of the millennial kingdom the original creation will suddenly and supernaturally pass away. Then, time will also cease to exist and all of the saved will enter into eternity with God in a new heaven and earth. In this new arrangement, heaven and earth will become one and the eternal God and redeemed mankind will live together. (Revelation 21:1-3) Theologians call this the Eternal State.

In the Eternal State, there will be no need for the sun or moon. (Revelation 21:23) The glory of God will provide unceasing light, expelling all darkness and night. (Revela­tion 21:25; 22:5) Thus, all marks of measuring time will cease to exist.

There will be no decaying or aging process. (Revelation 21:5) The One who lives in the eternal now will continu­ally make His new creation perfect and timeless.

Memories that bring sorrow to the glorified minds of the redeemed will not be finally erased until they enter into the New Jerusalem. The very first act of God to take place as we enter the New Jerusalem is recorded in Reve­lation 21:4: “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” The past will disappear. The former creation and all of its experiences will be gone. Our new eternal minds will be programmed to en­joy and understand a timeless eternity. Long ago, the prophet Isaiah wrote: “For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.” (Isaiah 65:17)

Eternity is more of a quality life, than a quantitative life. Think of time as being length. It is a progression of events on a linear plane. However, eternity has height and depth. It is more than forever and ever. Jesus said that it is an abundant life. (John 10:10) It is connected to the rich­ness of knowing God and being in His presence. (John 17:3) In eternity, there will be no focus on time. The glorified mind will simply focus on the rich experiences of a constant life. The redeemed will constantly experience the joys of eternity in the presence of their eternal God.

While everything in eternity is timeless, that does not mean that the experiences of all (God, angels, the devil, demons, the saved in the New Jerusalem, and the unsaved in the Lake of Fire) will be viewed equally. Only God dwells in a timeless eternity that is perceived all at once. Only God is eternally infinite. All creatures, both re­deemed and unsaved, will remain finite in eternity. Glori­fied saints will be “like him,” (1 John 3:2), but will never become infinite!

All of the good angels and the redeemed in heaven will enjoy a timeless eternity that will have order and a person­al intensity of their experiences without any progression or sense of the passing of time. The evil angels and all the unsaved in the Lake of Fire will also focus on the personal intensity of their experience of suffering without any sense of the passing of time. In eternity, the resurrected believer will have a new body and mind, without any reference points to time.

5. Time is uncertain, while eternity is sure!

The Bible is filled with many exhortations that communi­cate the uncertainty of man’s time on this earth, while at the same time his continuation in eternity is made sure. James 4:14 declares: “For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that [appears] for a little time, and then [vanishes] away.” Notice that this verse depicts man’s life as a va­por. Our life is like the morning fog. It appears for a very little time, and then it is gone. This kind of thinking and evaluation of time on this earth comes when a person looks at his present life on this earth in light of eternity. How one lives his life clearly illustrates what he thinks about time and eternity.

One of the tests that a person can apply to his life to see if he is really saved is found in 1 John 2:15-17. A person who is redeemed will give evidence of the change in his life and thinking by demonstrating that he pursues eternal things that will count for eternity, rather than the tempo­rary glitter that is offered by this world system. “The world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.” (I John 2:17) Jesus continually warned those around Him about this. On one occasion He asked His disciples the following thought provoking questions: “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mat­thew 16:26)

It is my personal opinion that the absence of the preaching and teaching of Biblical prophecy in most churches today has created a shallow view of Christian living. Most pro­fessing Christians are living like others who do not claim to be disciples of Christ. When Biblical prophecy is not faithfully and consistently taught, it will create a mindset that only focuses upon the present moment, rather than eternity. While we do need to focus on how we can deal with our problems and the struggles in our churches, homes, and nation, it is my opinion that the core problem is the absence of a longing to be with our Lord in heaven. Read Colossians 3:1-13. When we live our lives for the moment, not thinking about our Lord and eternity, we live like fools.

At the heart of living out Biblical faith is the eternal per­spective that we are “strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” (Hebrews 11:13) Our focus is not upon our earth­ly setting, but upon the eternal city of God, and that mo­ment when we will be with Him, and time will be no more. (Hebrews 11:13-16)

The person who views life from an eternal perspective will have a greater interest in the work of God than the work of his own hands. Psalm 111:2 says, “The works of the LORD are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein.” A greater pleasure comes in life when one realizes how his feeble, little works fit into the eternal plan of God! To view the hand of God in your daily world brings greater joy than all your own personal works that are bent toward your own needs and glory. It is for this purpose that we have been created. (Revelation 4:10­11) Therefore, the greatest pleasure comes in discovering the work of God in our world, and by His grace becoming a part of it! And, that will count for eternity!

Blind Hatred toward Israel

An examination of history will demonstrate that there has always been a hatred of the Jewish people among the Gen­tile nations. Jesus said to His Jewish disciples: “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake.” (Matthew 10:22) Hatred blinds people. When people hate some­one, they cannot see any good in the object of their hatred. They only see their sins and faults, which are exaggerated out of proportion. Such is the case with the Israeli Jew.

Aviel Schneider, editor of Israel Today, writes: More than 11 million Muslims have been killed in wars in the Middle East since Israel became a state in 1948. In the Arab-Israeli conflict the number is 46,000 Muslims, which amounts to less than half a percent of the total. In other words, more than 99 out 100 Arabs have been killed by fellow Muslims. … Still, Israel is branded as the aggres­sor and the source of all conflict in the Middle East.” (Is­rael Today, October 2013, p. 2)

No Peace

According to the Bible, there will be no peace in the Mid­dle East until the Messiah-Savior, Jesus Christ, returns to this earth to reign as King over all the earth. As a result of His sovereign leadership, “nations shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.”

(Isaiah 2:4) However, the same Scriptures indicate that in the last days, Israel will face endless horrific wars and ru­mors of wars. (Deuteronomy 5:30; Daniel 12:1; Matthew 24:6-9) Long ago, Jeremiah recorded the desperate Israe­li response to all of this: “We have heard a voice of trem­bling, of fear, and not of peace.” (Jeremiah 30:5) Isaiah prophesied of the incredible Israeli disappointment of the failure of the proposed peace covenant of the last days. He wrote: “From the time that it goeth forth it shall take you: for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night: and it shall be a [sheer terror] only to un­derstand the report.” (Isaiah 28:19) Today, Israelis are filled with anger, disillusionment, frustration, disappoint­ment, and fear. In the last few decades, they have made major compromises with the Palestinians to bring about a peaceful solution to the conflict over the Jewish presence in the land of Israel. Each time they have yielded to the world’s demands to demonstrate to the Palestinians that they are willing to give up some land for peace, it has been met with greater resistance, hatred, rejection, and terror from the Palestinians. In September 1993, Israel signed the Oslo Peace Accords with the Palestinians as directed by President Bill Clinton. Israel handed over much of the Biblical Land of Israel with the promise to yield more at a later date. Israel’s gesture of peace has been met with more hatred, rejection, and bloodshed.

“Since the Oslo Accords were signed in 1993, more peo­ple died on both sides than before. Israel has had 1,425 victims of terror since Oslo, compared to 415 in the 20 years prior to the treaty.

“On the Palestinian side, about 9,000 Palestinians have been killed, most of them combatants including gunmen and suicide bombers. What human rights groups describe as ‘innocent civilians’ have never been targeted deliber­ately; those casualties are usually the result of fighting terrorists in heavily-populated areas. In the 20 years be­fore Oslo, 2,000 Palestinians were killed, including 1,650 during the First Intifada or uprising (1987-1993).” (Israel Today, October 2013, p. 3)

According to a recent poll in Israel, “57 percent of Israelis believe that the Oslo Accords undermine Israel’s security as well as harming the nation politically and economical­ly.” (Israel Today, October 2013, p. 3) When Israel re­cently released hundreds of Palestinian murderers from their prisons as a peace gesture to the Palestinians, they were received as heroes. The reception of these murder­ers, who had killed innocent Israelis, as heroes has demonstrated to Israelis that all talks of peace from the Palestinians are only lies. This is exactly what Isaiah had prophesied 2,800 years ago. (Read Isaiah 28:14-22.)

A “Bad Deal”

Israelis view the recent Geneva deal, which was negotiat­ed between the P5 + 1 nations and Iran a little over a month ago, as a ‘bad deal.’ In essence, this deal allows Iran to keep all of its nuclear facilities and equipment. Iran agreed to dilute fuel stocks of enriched uranium be­yond 5 percent (20 percent is require for weapons grade). However, there is no provision made for the world to monitor the underground sites where Iran is conducting enrichment. In other words, the world is trusting Iran to keep its agreement without any proof of complicity. In light of Iran’s past record this is stupid and dangerous.

All of the nations of the Middle East, including Israel, are upset over this agreement. Israel’s prime minister, Ben­jamin Netanyahu, called this agreement a “historic mis­take.” He said, “Today the world has become a much more dangerous place because the most dangerous regime in the world has taken a significant step toward attaining the most dangerous weapon in the world.” (The Interna­tional Jerusalem Post, November 29-December 5, 2013, p. 7)

Israel has a right to be concerned and feel betrayed by her friend and ally, the United States. Iran has not kept her hatred and threats of annihilation of Israel a secret. Only weeks before the world would allow Iran to continue its nuclear program, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was quoted as saying: “Israel is doomed to ex­tinction.” At an Iranian rally in November, signs and chants of hundreds of thousands called for “death to Isra­el,” and proclaimed, “There is justification to kill all Jews and annihilate Israel.” (A recent letter from Zionist Or­ganization of America -ZOA) The president of ZOA,

Morton Klein, states, “Jewish history has taught us that horrific, genocidal threats against our people cannot be ignored. Iran must be stopped.” (A recent letter from Zionist Organization of America -ZOA)

Those of us who study Bible prophecy know that Iran has evil intensions toward Israel. They will join Russia and other radical Islamic elements in the Middle East to stage a major attack against Israel. (Ezekiel 38-39) One won­ders how these recent events will set the stage for this in­vasion.

Annexing the Jordan Valley

Israel’s political leadership is preparing a vote for the Is­raeli government to annex the Jordan Valley. Not only is it viewed as a prized part of the Promised Land, but is seen as being very significant to Israel’s security. Israel seized the West Bank and the Jordan Valley in a defensive war in 1967. According to international law, Israel has the right to retain the land. Furthermore, the Jordan Valley was part of the land that was tagged by the international community in 1920 for a future Jewish state.

Such a move by Israel demonstrates their rejection of the flawed two-state solution to obtaining peace between the Israelis and Palestinians. This move will certainly enrage the world and bring Israel into greater international isola­tion. However, those of us who know the Scriptures and support Israel’s right to all of the Promised Land, applaud the proposed annexation of the Jordan Valley.

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