A Start on the Times of the End

 On a practical level, the local body of the Messiah of Israel, must be in unity (corporate humility). They must be in total dependence on the Spirit, the gifts, the character traits will be needed moment to moment. Gentile believers, as the Japheth branch must, absolutely must put aside all ambition, no building your own kingdom. Gentile believers must be broken over the the fact that the chosen people have been temporarily blinded "for their sake".  That truth is meant to put us in the frame of mind and heart to be servants to the beloved of God.. When Israel as an ethnic people group, the sons of Abraham, chosen by God, come into their unwavering call, then, and only then are the blessings of God released on all creation. The ambition of the gentile, Japheth, people to build a kingdom is only realized when they bow, in humility to enter the blessing of the tent of Shem, Abraham's seed. Oh the depth of the wisdom of the God of Israel.

As we approach the last "week" of years (7 years) of this evil age, what are we to be watching for? How can we display the glory of the God of Israel to tell the end from the beginning. He has spoken to us through the scriptures, but revelation from His very own Spirit, and a constant humble seeking in tandem with other believers is a necessity. 

Beware of the Spirit that separates and places a "prophet" outside of the body, outside of accountability, outside of the benefit of submitting their words to others. I have seen this too many times to count and it ends badly every time.

Here are some of the names that I know helped shape my continually growing understanding.   Art Katz, Phil Haney, Reggie Kelly, Mark Klafter, Tom Quinlan, Phil Norcom, Travis Bennet, Phil Norcom, Julie Trommeter, Steve Wright, Marty Wright, Laura Bean, John DeVincent, Richard Workman, Rich Show, Joe Braun, Dane Burnworth, Allen Cowie, Jonathon Jonas, Susan Skidmore, Wray Skidmore, Jaime Curtis, Kristin Murray, Derek Prince, and really too many to mention.

I do think the time has come to put some of my understanding in a slightly organized post.

Israel has to be a political entity with borders and an army. It is. This nation has to be at enough peace with its neighbors to be able to rebuild the temple of God. The agreement that allows for Israel to rebuild the temple has numerous leaders who endorse it. They are not "for" Israel, but this is a ruse to buy time. One of these leaders who signs on is the anti-christ in his beginning stages of formation. He is a leader who arose, being in charge of only a tiny people.  He also arises from the north of Israel, modern day Syria. This is key because it eliminates most of the people who are being talked about by those people who are ringing "false alarms of the prophetic." His comings and goings are played out in Daniel 11:21 to the end of the chapter, it is not specific enough for me to follow it, but we can use this as a template for his actions as things become more clear.

At some point two very specific things happen to clearly and undeniably identify the anti-christ. The final 7 years are divided into two periods of 3 and 1/2 years by an event where the anti-christ having overcome military resistance is able to stand in the recently built temple and declare himself to be God. As far as I can tell the other event does not have a time marker, but the anti-christ sustains a wound to his head and his arm, that should have been fatal but he recovers, "resurrects" and is worshipped for this and for the signs that the false prophet is doing. The false prophet is only identifiable when he starts doing these false signs/miracles to proclaim the greatness of the anti-christ. I think it is folly to try to identify the false prophet at this stage and I really don't see anything to be gained by such speculation.

In studying Revelation fairly thoroughly, it seems to me the "mark of the beast" that enables one to buy and sell is not something you will come upon by accident. You will know when you take the mark that you are choosing to worship the anti-christ and rejecting the help and protection of the God of Israel. The current microchip trend is ominous and may be used by the anti-christ to make his plans easier, but no current microchip is in itself the mark of the beast, in my opinion.

I will post again on this, but this is a good "start".  Please comment or message me on facebook, let's help each other out.

what a mess

 There is a very good reason, Paul, an apostle, called the times, the epoch, the era, that we are living in THIS EVIL AGE

The governments of the world, the banking system, the true "power brokers" behind the scenes, the whole thing is in the power of the Evil One.  He said, it and Yeshua did not argue the point.  "The fullness of the gentiles", is actually when the evil that the gentile nations are capable of reaches its full height.  (The parallel is the fullness of the sin of the Amalekites in the books of Exodus, Deuteronomy and 1st Samuel.)  

We take it to mean until the full number of gentiles is saved, because we live and breathe a self-centered, gentile-centered gospel that has nothing to do with the foundation of God.  Israel is the center of the story, what they experienced in there long journey with the God of Israel is there for us to learn from and continue to apply.  God is a covenant-keeping God. He will complete His purposes in and through THEM. We are brought into their promises by the grace and mercy of God to include the nations who had been given over to the false gods they chose.  We come in as individuals, they will come in as an all-saved nation. 

The God of Israel is patient, no one can say He is not.

 

The Ten Women Waiting for the Bridegroom

 If it is true that the parables are similar to a joke, in that, they are being told with one "punch line" in mind, one teaching point that the Messiah of Israel was trying to get across, for generations to come to a people who would be willing to humble themselves and seek Him for the meaning (because no one else truly gets the meaning).  Then the simple point of the parable that is usually called the "parable of the ten virgins" is five of them had made preparations for a long wait and they were ready when He came.

Over and over the Bible speaks of a three and one half year period of tribulation.  

The refugee crisis that resulted from the war in Syria and currently from the war in Ukraine demonstrates how quickly a situation can change, but the speed of the change, does not lead to a short-term problem, it actually leads to very long term problem, because bombs have been dropped and there is no "home" to return to. 

There is a very real sense where one could look at the Bible and say, "God knows how to provide for His people in the wilderness."

There is a very real sense where one could look at the Bible and say, "God is very clearly warning us ahead of time so that we can be taking some steps to prepare for a three and one half year period of tribulation."

May the Lord our God faithfully lead us to find a balance, to hear clearly, to never take any action out of fear or frustration, but to listen, obey, trust and be a people who follow the Lamb wherever He goes.  May we be a people focused on community survival.  The Jewish people have a promise that God will preserve a remnant and He will never let them be totally blotted out, despite the fact that that will be the 100% goal of the anti-christ and his army.  The gentile peoples have no promise like that.  We are told that there will be some from every nation, tribe, people and tongue (Revelation 7:9) but they are pictured before the throne of the Lamb, so they very well could have been martyred and are therefore, by no means, a guaranteed remnant.  

I don't know it just struck me the other day, that there is no promise for the gentile nations, so we are a people crying out for mercy for our family, friends and towns.  Crying out to the Messiah of Israel, for grace to help in this temporary evil age.  Crying out for grace to proclaim the truth of the Day of the Lord and the coming Kingdom.  Crying out for the "powers of the age to come" to be a demonstration that the words we are sharing in this evil age are true and will be fulfilled.  

We NEED wisdom.

2 Thessalonians 1:3-10

 Paul starts his second letter to the Thessalonians with a quick summary of the basic foundational view of this evil age, the day of the Lord and the coming kingdom.  

2 Thes. 1:3-10 "3 We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing. 4 Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.5 All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. 6 God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you 7 and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. 8 He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might 10 on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you."

The disciples in Thessalonica are enduring persecution, growing in love for each other and persevering in the faith.  They do all this knowing on the Day of the Lord, God will judge everything exactly right, and He will make everything right.  Then the glory of the Kingdom follows.  

This view, this understanding, enables a life of faithful discipleship.  We are not disappointed in this age or its many instances of over-promising and under-delivering, our hope is not in this age or in any of the powers of this age. Our hope is in The Lord of the coming Kingdom, and it is one day closer.

Time Doesn't Change Things, The Day of the Lord Does!

 My brother's suicide crashed in on me again tonight.  

I don't know how long it has been since that day.

It doesn't matter.

Time doesn't change anything about that day.

Time doesn't heal anything about that day.

You know what will change everything?

The Day of the Lord!

We live in "this evil age".  The ruler of this world will be thrown down soon and his wrath will be like nothing that has ever been seen.  The reality of the 3 1/2 year fade to black of his kingdom will drive him to power-filled deeds of darkness.  The remnant people of God will lay down their lives willingly, sacrificially as a manifestation of the Life of the Lamb that was slain.  This Final Witness will testify to the chosen people that their God reigns, no matter what the circumstances will be shouting.  The God of Israel will meet with His people in the wilderness, face to face.  Hosea will have Gomer's love once and for all because Love Never Fails.  The Day of the Lord changes everything.  The cost that will be paid before that day will seem extravagant to those who are not aware of the joy set before us in the glorious Kingdom of our Lord.  The cost will seem extravagant to those who do not know we are living in "this evil age" and it must come to a close. We must make clear the field we are playing out these end times on.  We must pray that eyes will be opened and truth will be revealed.

My brother's suicide crashed in on me again tonight, but one day the devil is gonna hang on his own gallows!  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pupsopSaJ8