Jesus Warned: I Come Quickly and When You Least Expect it.

“Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.  But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”  Luke 21:27- 28).

Hey Gang:  I had decided there was not much interested in ‘what’s Happening Man” blog, so had put it to bed.  But the following article came across my desk and I felt it important enough that, if one or two people read it, it would be worth my time.  It is clearly written, very simple to read and understand and very appropriate for a family meeting and discussion of its contents.

It is an article that had eternal significance.  I have studied the prophetic word for many years and seen many, if not most of these signs come into reality.  The writer of Hebrews tells us that in the last days everything that can be shaken will be shaken.   I believe one has to have their head in the sand, if they are unaware of the many warning that God’s word has given us. 

Jesus said, “I don’t want you to be unaware of precisely what my intentions are pertaining to my coming again.”  The following is a  list of the many signs that one can clearly see in our world today. 

The Number One Prophetic Sign: Convergence

What is the number one prophetic sign? What sign, more than any other, points to the soon return of Jesus Christ?   While any number of signs are present, I believe one stands out above all others. In fact, Jesus Himself told us what it is.

When the disciples said, "Tell us the signs of your coming and the end of the age" (Matthew 24:3), Jesus detailed a number of things to look for.   He then said, "When you see all these things, you can know my return is near. I'm right at the door" (Matthew 24:33).

He also said, "When all these things begin to happen, look up for your salvation is near!" (Luke 21:28).  This means the number one sign of Jesus' return is all the signs appearing together.

Both Jesus and the prophets told us what signs to look for, and the appearance of just one is reason enough to take notice.   But the arrival of one sign after another should really get your attention. This convergence of signs is the number one prophetic sign - the number one reason to believe Jesus is right at the door.

The Convergence of Signs

The Bible tells us a number of events will take place just prior to the return of Jesus. Generations of Christians lived and died without witnessing one of these signs.   Yet our generation is witness to all of them. Those signs include:

Israel Back in the Land - God promised to bring the Jewish people back into the land of Israel before He returned (Jeremiah 23:7-8). He said He would call them from "among the nations" (Ezekiel 39:28), from "the farthest corners of the earth" (Isaiah 11:12), and from "north, south, east, and west" (Psalm 107:3). 

He promised to welcome them home from the lands where they were scattered (Ezekiel 20:34). When they did, He promised to return and establish His everlasting kingdom (Isaiah 11:11-12).

The Jews Back in Jerusalem - Jesus said armies would surround Jerusalem, destroy the city, and enslaves its citizens. This happened in A.D. 70 when the Roman legions did exactly that. 

Jesus then said people other than the Jews would control Jerusalem for a time, then the Jewish people would once again control Jerusalem. When they did, Jesus promised to return (Luke 21:24-28). Since 1967, the Jewish people have been in possession of Jerusalem and will be celebrating their 50 year reunification this June.

The Gospel Preached Throughout the World - When asked about the end of the age and the signs of His coming, Jesus said to look for a very specific sign. 

He said the gospel will be preached throughout the entire world. Every nation will hear it. And then? And then, the end will come (Matthew 24:14). For centuries after the crucifixion, the gospel was confined to a small area surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. 

In the past two centuries, Christians have brought the gospel to every nation in the world. Today, missionaries are in every nation. 

The Bible is translated in hundreds of languages, and the message of Jesus is sent around the world by radio, TV, satellite, and the Internet. Our generation is literally on the verge of spreading the gospel to every last person on earth.

An Increase in Travel and Knowledge - Six hundred years before Jesus, an angel gave Daniel a special message. He said "travel and knowledge" will increase in the end times (Daniel 12:4). For centuries of human history, dramatic gains in travel and knowledge did NOT take place. 

Yet the last two hundred years have seen explosions in the speed and frequency of travel as well as the amount and availability of knowledge.

Arrival of the Exponential Curve - Jesus said a variety of global signs will come before His return and the end of the age. These signs will be spiritual, natural, societal, and political in nature. And He said they would appear in a distinct way - "like birth pains" (Matthew 24:3-8).

This means the frequency and intensity of these signs will increase as we near His return. Our generation has seen the exponential increase in war and famine Jesus said to look for.  

In the 20th Century alone, more people died from war and famine than lived on the earth when Jesus spoke these words.

Israel Surrounded by Enemies - The Bible says enemies will surround Israel in the end times. Those enemies will say "Come, let us wipe away the nation of Israel. Let's destroy the memory of its existence" (Psalm 83:4) and "Let us take for ourselves these pasturelands of God" (Psalm 83:12).    Ezekiel said Israel's neighbors will say "God has given their land to us" (Ezekiel 11:14-17),  and "Israel and Judah are ours. We will take possession of them. What do we care if their God is there?" (Ezekiel 35:10). 

Ever since the rebirth of Israel in 1948, the daily headlines have included these Bible verses. Israel's Muslim neighbors claim the land of Israel for themselves, and they have no regard for the God of Israel.

Israel's Exceedingly Great Army - Ezekiel said, in the end times, Israel will field "an exceedingly great army" (Ezekiel 37:10). Zechariah said Israel will be like a fire among sheaves of grain, burning up the neighboring nations (Zechariah 12:6) and even the weakest Israeli soldier will be like David (Zechariah 12:8).   Since 1948, Israel has fought no less than four conventional wars against its neighbors. Despite being outnumbered more than 50 to 1, Israel has achieved overwhelming victory every time.

Rise of the Gog of Magog Alliance - The Bible says a military alliance that includes Russia, Iran, Turkey, and a number of Muslim nations will attack Israel "in the latter days" (Ezekiel 38:8) when God brings His people home from among the enemy nations (Ezekiel 39:27).  Today, we see those very nations coming together - an alliance that has never existed in world history.

Rise of a United Europe - The Bible says a revived Roman Empire will come to power in the end times (Daniel 2, Daniel 7, Revelation 17). According to Daniel, it will be a ten nation alliance of weak and strong nations. 

Some parts will be as strong as iron, while other parts will be as weak as clay (Daniel 2:42). We see the beginning of this alliance in the European Union - a coalition of weak and strong nations struggling to stay together despite the efforts of Britain to leave through Brexit.

The Rise of Global Government - The Bible says a single government will rule the world politically (Revelation 13:7), religiously (Revelation 13:8), and economically (Revelation 13:1617) in the last days. 

It will rule over "all people, tribes, and languages" on the face of the earth (Revelation 13:7). Its authority will be so complete no one will be able to buy or sell anything without its permission (Revelation 13:1617).  For centuries, a true global government was impossible. Today, world leaders openly discuss it.

Denial of the Signs - Almost two thousand years ago, Peter issued a warning. He said in the last days people will mock the idea of Jesus returning.  They will make fun of those who believe in the Second Coming and say exactly what we hear today - things like, "I thought Jesus was coming back? 

What happened to His promise? Generation after generation has said He's coming. Yet, since the beginning of the world, everything has remained the same!" (2 Peter 3:34).

Conclusion

Despite the naysayers, Jesus is coming, and the signs indicate that ours is the generation that will witness His return.  The convergence of all these signs confirm it. Jesus Himself said to look for these signs, and when you see them, He said you can know His return is near. He's right at the door (Matthew 24:33). 

In fact, He said the generation witnessing these signs will not pass away before He returns (Matthew 24:34).  "But Britt," you might say. "These are the same signs you keep pointing out. You keep saying the same thing over and over." 

That's right. I do. And that's because the truth doesn't change. These signs were present yesterday, and these same signs will be present right up until the rapture.   But keep this in mind - for 1,878 years of Christianity (A.D. 70 - A.D. 1948), none of these signs were present. Today, all of them are.

I repeat myself because this is a message people need to hear. It's the message every Christian should brand in his or her heart. Advertisers say you need to hear a message at least seven times before it sinks in.   Looking around, I don't think it's sunk in. Too many people are asleep when it comes to the signs of the Second Coming.

Sadly, many of these people are Christians. If you're one of them, it's time to wake up. 

Jesus warned us not to be caught sleeping when He returns (Mark 13:36). He commanded us to watch. 

Today, the signs of His return are all around us. Jesus is coming, and it can't be said enough... Now is the season of His return.

WHAT IF>

What If?

 “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.  For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the cleverness of the clever I will set aside” (1Cor. 1:18-19).

 

Hey Gang:  I believe on the day our 45^th president was installed into office, God looked down upon Washington, D. C. with gladness in His heart, but also a great deal of sadness.  Glad, for I believe that He fulfilled Daniel 2:21 once again, “It is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings”, when many feel He orchestrated and greatest upset in presidential election history.   

Upset to the world but, if you recall, when it was time to fed the 5000 the word tells us “He had already made up His mind what He was going to do”.  I believe He made up His mind what He would do on November 8, 2016 in the U.S. of A. before time began.

But, I believe there was sadness in His heart as He watched many of His very special creations, the ladies of our land, traveling from the four corners of our land to assemble in rebellion against our President and those who were on the other side of the aisle.  As was reported by one of the reporters who was there that day,  “It is  more than a rebellion against a man, it is rebellion against God”.

Samuel 15:22-23 tells us that God has some very harsh feelings about rebellion and disobedience.  He wrote: “Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord?  Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.  For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord”.

As I watched the hundreds of thousands of women assemble and listened to the parade of speakers who put down and cursed this once compassionate nation which protected the weak of lowly in our world, I wondered how God felt about this gathering.  I wondered if anyone had asked God how He felt about it.  He did promise that He would respond to our request, if we ask Him with the right motives.

As I listened to the rhetoric and interviews by the various news media reps, I wondered, if any one there had considered that perhaps Nehemiah had a better way of solving our differences,  “But when they cried to You in the time of their distress, You heard from heaven, and according to Your great compassion You gave them deliverers who delivered them from the hand of their oppressors” (Neh. 9:27).  

I wonder what Paul was referring to when he wrote these words found in Romans 16:17:  “Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them”.  I really like Paul’s words in verse twenty, “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet”. 

What say you?  Do you think there might have been deception involved in this gathering?  Jesus said it many times, Careful that you are not deceived!  Paul said, “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience”.  (Eph. 5:6).  Isaiah wrote: “But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear” (Isa. 59:2). 

But then again, God gave us the ability to think and reason and determine what we believe is good or evil.  Enough about that, it is passed and we cannot change one word that was uttered that day.  Let me close with something I know I can put my whole trust into, for it has stood the test and attacks of time and has more than survived.   It remains the most sought after book that has ever been printed – ‘today’.

Hey Gang:  I peeked!  Our God is a mighty God and the victory is already ours because of Calvary.  It is a complete and total victory over sin, Satan, evil in all its forms, and death.  Again, turning to the words of Paul, “O death, where is your victory?  O death, where is your sting?”  The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the Law; but thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (15:55-57).

One last verse before I close this epistle.  There was an old country preacher that often said “When you come to a ‘therefore’, stop and find out what it is ‘therefore!”  I believe this ‘therefore’ is very clear in meaning! “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the word of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Co. 15:57-58).

Blessings,

Gramps

Do You Feel Like You Are Being Sifted Like Wheat?

“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:31-32).

Hey Gang:  I do not know about you guys, but I feel like the past month, since Mr. Donald J. Trump became President Donald J. Trump, has been a time of some deep shifting.  Did you ever get up in the morning with a tune running through your mind that continues to repeat itself as the day progresses? 

It has not been a song in my mind but rather the words of Paul in Ephesians 6:12 “We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against; principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph. 6:12).

Billy Graham wrote the following in his book The Reason For Hope, written in 2013. “It is a time to take the news of the day in one hand and the Bible in the other and watch the unfolding of the great drama of the ages come together.  This is an exciting and thrilling time to be alive….It is not just Christians that sense something is about to happen.  The world knows that it cannot survive if it continues down the same path. History has reached an impasse.  This world is on a collision course.  Something is about to give.  With increasing frequency, commentators from secular media speak of Armageddon”.

Never in my memory in eight plus decades on the earth has a new year appeared, at its beginning, to be more prophetically interesting to watch, but, most in the world are not into the Word, therefore, they tend to have their heads in the sand pertaining to God’s program for these days. In the times I have been priviledged to share what God has taught me over the years about what is coming, I get the feeling that many times I am talking to door knobs.

I find two great truths that were very important to Jesus, the first found in 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance”.  He wanted every soul that received the breath of life to one day be with Him in the New Jerusalem for all eternity.

The second, that no one be left out in the dark. He taught in Mathew 24 and 25 what is to come in the last days of the Age of the Gentiles. He gave divine wisdom to the prophets and disciples to share the word of what was to come, so that we would not live in a confused state.

In a recent message from a prophetic guru, who I have found to be a no-nonsense type of person and have gained much respect for, made this statement after he had done some informal research involving more than a dozen prophetic Bible gurus and found all agree: “Never before in history has the sign of the times lined up as clearly as they are lined up today.”   What does that mean? You best check he oil in your lamp.

 

I have had people say, they think it is time for packing.  Forget it, the will be no time for packing and what in the world would you take to heaven?   

There is a story about one man who was informed by an angel that his life was about over and he should prepare to go.  He asked the angel for permission to take one suitcase with him.  Permission was granted. When he got to the pearly gates, Jesus asked him what was so important.  He opened the suitcase and it was full of gold. Jesus said, “You brought paving material?”

Blessings,

Gramps

Ten Top Bible Prophecy Stories of 2016

Jan Markell and Olive Tree Ministries

“When all of these things begin to happen, look up for your redemption draws near” (Luke 21:29)

Top Bible Prophecy Stories of 2016 By Jan Markell;  December 30, 2015 

At the end of each year I like to review how Bible prophecy played out during the year.  Seeing dark news items from a prophetic perspective causes the darkness to be more bearable.  

These Tribulation stage-setting events aren’t in any particular order.  But we must keep our eyes on Israel, God ‘s timepiece.  The minute-hand is Jerusalem, and the second-hand is the Temple Mount.  They have all been prominent in the news.

1. Zechariah 12:3 became a blunt reality on December 23.  This was the day the U.N. Security Council voted unanimously to come against Israel.  America abstained which is essentially voting with the other members.  She symbolically became the world’s burdensome stone.  This was initiated and instigated by the President of the United States which means terrible repercussions are coming to this land.  So, Israel is to return to 1967 “Auschwitz” borders.  The holy city of Jerusalem becomes “occupied territory”.  And Israel is further isolated and alienated as predicted.

2. The great falling away didn’t stop falling in 2016.  Many evangelical churches became nothing more than advocates for open borders and multiculturalism.  The social gospel made such giant inroads and salvation issues became unrecognizable.  Emergent/Postmodernism raged.  Other churches fell into luke warmness.  Hardly any word deals with the issues of the day or the Lord’s return.

3. The longing for a ‘man with a plan” was never so prominent.  Even CNN’s Home page begged for a man who could restore order.  It asks in smaller print, “Is there a leader who can stop the chaos and heal America?”

4. II Timothy 3 character was on overdrive in 2016.  Various presidential candidates were consumed with pride and self-aggrandizement.  Values seemed to tank this past year.  National industries featured same-sex ads with no shame.  It seemed like everyone was drowning in the lake of me-myself- and I.

5. Israel’s re-convened Sanhedrin took the momentous step of nominating a High Priest for the Temple – for the first time since it’s destruction in 70 A. D.  The Tribulation Temple is in the works, even though the United Nations just declared this area off-limits to the Jews!

6. Israel struck Damascus in early December, targeting some weapons.  This is a precursor to what is predicted in Isaiah 17:1. 

7. God continues to intervene for His sovereign nation of Israel.  In November, He sent a pillar of a cloud of dust and rain to push back ISIS on Israel’s border. “He who keeps Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps” (Psalm 121).

8. There was stage-setting for the Tribulation’s natural disasters which will be far worse than anything the world has known thus far.  Publications called many events “record setting,” “unprecedented,” and “of biblical proportions”.  The Bible calls them “birth pangs”.

9. The war on cash intensified.  A few nations are banning cash and this will eventually lead to the “Mark of the Beast” accounting. Technology was introduced that enables the total payment of goods and services using only an embedded chip.

10. Gog-Magog players ae getting ready.  Russia is the new power player in the Mideast, thanks to America’s absence.  So is Iran.  Turkey is in chaos and looking to Russia for support.  These are the three primary players in Ezekiel 38-39, although other nations participate.

Is All Hell Abut to Break Lose in America?

“Thus says he Lord God, “Surely in the fire of My jealousy I have spoken against the rest of the nations, and against all Edom, who appropriated My lands for themselves as possession with wholehearted joy and with scorn of soul, to drive it out for a prey.  Ezek. 36:5).

Hey Gang:  In one of my many morning pondering seasons and conversations with the Lord, I asked Him the question, “if He (God) did indeed send a curse over America for our throwing Israel under the bus, as He promised in Joel 3:2 and the Abrahamic covenant (Gen. 12:3), and suddenly our nation experienced a Katrina or Mount St Helen’s, would the people recognize it as the wrath of God speaking? Or would they sluff it off as just another Climate Control issue that has filled the airways in the past eight years”

Since that fateful day, when our United Nations representative abstained from voting on the proposal that would divide the land of Israel and sweep them back to the 1967 borders, there have been mega communications that come through the airways- some for and some against- but none have laid out the real story, that being it was more than an attack on Israel, it was a frontal attack on God.

In other words, the so called media representatives do not have a clue what the significance of this tragic vote is or the ramifications that could come out of our rejection of God and His chosen land and people.  After doing several hours of research of the many articles that have come across the airways in this two-week period and a hour or two of cut and pasting, I came across an article titled ‘? A Palestinian State’ by Matt Ward. This article gives us an excellent and complete overview of what all of this means.

He begins by telling us: “The consequences of the obvious recent US betrayal of Israel at the UN will be huge. There will be significant, real world implications stemming directly from Barack Obama's decision to abstain from UN Security Council resolution 2334, which subsequently allowed for Israel’s unanimous condemnation on Friday 23rd December, in the UN Security Council.

This betrayal will be felt deeply by Israel, despite the Obama Administrations spin that this was merely an act of “tough love,” toward its one-time Middle East ally.

This wasn’t an act of ‘tough love’ at all, it was an act of utter rebellion. It was an act of bitter hubris towards a hated enemy, and it was delivered by the Obama administration in the worst possible way, under the guise of ‘friendship’ and with a smile. Never has betrayal looked so abhorrent or felt so obvious.

For Israel, left reeling in the wake of this anti-Semitic UN resolution, the impact will be felt at every level.  This resolution is not just meaningless diplomacy, it endangers the very existence of the State of Israel, and we will now see a real attempt to delegitimize Israel as a nation state.

This resolution has effectively made all Israeli settlements illegal and defacto handed them over to the Palestinians. It has divided the land, or at least in real terms, begun that process. (Read Joel 3:2)

This resolution means that from this day forward any person or business involved in Jewish settlement enterprise or business, in for example the West Bank, could be sued in courts all over the world.

It means that the BDS movement, which despises Israel, have received a huge false legal justification for their anti-Semitic campaigns. They will now gain momentum in every EU and western country in the world. We will see widespread boycotts of Jewish settlement goods in Europe, the United States and across the world. It is merely a repackaged form of old school anti-Semitism.

This resolution means that Israeli politicians, Prime Ministers, IDF officers and soldiers, as well as normal Israeli citizens could actually be indicted by the International Criminal Court at the Hague.

This resolution means that banks, businesses, retailers, factories and any other Jewish enterprise located in so-called ‘settlement’ areas are now likely to be black listed. Other international businesses, banks, retailers and enterprises will no longer do business with them. These businesses will go to the wall.

This resolution will also create a mechanism to monitor and report back on Israel to the UNSC, on her perceived “transgressions” once every three months. This will mean Israel will be constantly critiqued to the most minute degree for every perceived wrong or injustice committed. They will be constantly hounded and harassed. Ultimately it could result in the imposition of international sanctions against Israel.

The Obama Administration still, at this point, has a number of weeks left in office. It is clear that Obama, and the administration he leads, are intent upon leaving their mark on history and Israel will be their victim. To that end, on January 15, France are convening a summit on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The great fear is that this current United States administration will use the opportunity this summit affords to draw up a second UN resolution in which a Palestinian state will be arbitrarily declared.

The consequences of this betrayal will likely be the creation of a Palestinian state.

At the time of the end, the single, key sign indicating the beginning of the tribulation period will be that the man of lawlessness will “confirm a treaty with many for a period of seven” (Daniel 9:27).

Could it be possible that the following scenario will happen as a result of this blasphemous action?  He will not instigate the treaty himself, he will confirm one that already exists. It is becoming increasingly likely, in my mind at least, that this new potential resolution, which Obama possibly intends to pass before the end of his presidential term in January, may be that treaty “confirmed with many.”

The time in which we live today, is quite simply the most prophetically significant period of the last fifty years, and certainly of my lifetime. It is that important.


“And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.” (Zechariah 12:3)

My great concern, as I listen to the so called wizards in our nation, is that I sense they do not have a clue what the ramifications of this decision really means.  William Koenig, a correspondent who operates out of the White House wrote a book in 2008 titled Eye to Eye, Facing the Consequences of Dividing Israel in which he listed 57catostropic events that occurred in the Unites States between 1991 and 2005, on each occasion, Israel’s giving of covenant land was the hot topic of discussion. (This did not end in 2008 – only the book.  News today is filled with things that happen immediately after on-going negotiations and decisions.)

Well, my friends, this has turned out to be longer than I wanted but I have not included one iota that does not need to be read, studied and understood.

Keep looking up, because if a Palestinian State is declared in the coming month, and the land of Israel is divided, there will be one heck of a storm coming, directly from God.  January 15 could be the most dangerous day in our nations history. Might be interested to see what happens in France.

“If My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chron. 7:14). 

The Road Less Traveled

“Enter through the narrow gate: for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.  For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matt. 7:13-14).

Hey Gang:  One might think it would be hard to answer the question, “What is the most profound thing you learned in your trips to Israel?”.  The answer is very easy.  But first you must know what our motivation was that lead to our going to Israel.  For me it was to get my hands dirty, visit and learn about those very special places I had read about many times in the Bible.

Let me put some meat on that statement.   On our most recent trip to Israel we were truly blessed with a wonderful teacher by the name of Denny Thompson, who has spent many years walking the hills and dales of Israel, studying the word to seek God’s revelations, and a deeper understanding of the words of Jesus.  We have been blessed to be on other trips thorough the Holy Land and found that each teacher had a very special focus.  Denny was different, he covered as much ground as the group was able to observe and then some.

I wish I could share with you all of his illustrations that truly made the Word of God become more meaningful, but that would take copying his 130 his page manual that, not only shared the meaning of Jesus’ words but gave a historical background on each of the places we visited and culture.

But, I want to share one example of his teaching that was especially meaningful to me.  On the last day of the tour we experienced a very busy day starting on the Sea of Galilee and heading south. One of the stops was at Beit Shean, a Roman City where great progress in restoration has been made since our last visit to this site.  It was a city that one might compare to Las Vegas, New Orleans, or any of the sin-cities of the world. 

As we were walking into the city on the wide, very well maintained thorough fare, we passed by a path, one might call a “lane” that was not cared for.  There was no question to choose to walk this path would have been to choose the more difficult way.   Denny, stopped the group and explained that path was the path to Jerusalem where the Temple was, the center of the religious activities of the day- the place where Jesus will one day set His throne on Zion Hill, but note- the path is very narrow.  

He explained it is much like the many crossroads we encounter as Believers in Yeshua, we have to make decisions- to follow the wide road that leads to all the glitter, bangles and beads of the world, or to follow the narrow road that is often filled with stones and holes, trials and tribulations that leads to Jesus and Eternal Life with Him.

This morning, as I spent my time with the Lord, the thought of Beit Sheen was clearly etched on my mind but another thought came into my mind. I thought of the time we spent at Gordon’s Garden Tomb, where many believe is the tomb where Jesus body was laid on that fateful day.  When you read of the Biblical description of that place, this is the closest to that description that one finds.

It is always interesting to me that additional time is always scheduled for this stop because there are many that want to remain there for a while.    On my first trip to Israel I, too, was interested in spending a little extra time at the tomb, but God made it clear to me, “He is not here, He has risen! 

But today I am far more interested on standing on the top of the tel at Tel Tamar and looking across the valley top to Bozrah where the Word tells me one day Jesus will pass through on His way to Jerusalem. Perhaps He will stop even at Tel Tamar on His way to the Eastern Gate.  I also enjoy standing on the Mount of Olives knowing one day soon Jesus will stand on the top of that mountain and it will split down the middle.

“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (John 14:6).  Wow, what an awesome promise.

Blessings,

Gramps    

Jesus said, "I do not want you to be Unaware!"

“Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle” (Zech. 14:3).

Hey Gang:  I have been debating with myself for several days as to whether I should send this blog out on What’s Happening Man or Gramps Morning Thought.  The later won because the reader numbers of What’s Happening Man are very low and I believe God would have me at least alert you to the significance of the past week’s activities on the part of our government.

On December 23, the United States of America perpetrated an unprecedented act against the State of Israel by abstaining on a resolution submitted in the UN Security Council which denies the legal validity of Israel’s West Bank and East Jerusalem settlements.  As former UN Ambassador John Bolton declared it was not a stab in the back it was a direct frontal attack.

This is the first time since the reestablishment of Israel as a nation that the United States has refused to use its UN Veto power to protect the interests of Israel, marking a dramatic and extremely dangerous change in not only our relationship with Israel but our relationship with God.  In Genesis 12 God made the following promise “And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse” (Gen 12:3) said in reference to our relationship with the “Apple of God’s Eye, Israel.

The question that you must settle in your heart is, “Is the Bible the word of God from cover to cover”.  For it makes a difference how you will process this bit of news. If you do not believe the Abrahamic Covenant is an eternal covenant, the actions of one Barack Obama will not have much meaning to you.  For most in the world, they are unaware of the significance of this resolution.  It is far more than another simple reprimand of Israel which is a daily event for the United Nations. 

I recently received a picture of how the United Nations sees the nations of the world.  On one side are listed all the nations of the world but one.  On the other side is the tiny state of Israel, alone.  Again the question of how this will impact on each one that receives this news is “Is the Bible? the Word of God and every jot and tittle true.   It so then one should not be to surprised with the action of the United Nations.  Zechariah 14:12 give us fair warning that this day is at hand “For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle”.   

We have already seen Zechariah 12:2 and 3 fulfilled.  Jerusalem is a cup that causes reeling to all the peoples around and has already become a heavy stone of all the peoples of the world.   But what the world does not realize is they are not tampering with Israel, a tiny state in the midst of nations who have but one goal, to annihilate Israel but are on the very edge of feeling the wrath of God.

In Genesis `17:7-8 God clearly made an unconditional covenant to give all (not part) of the land of Canaan to Israel for an everlasting possession and He also promised to be Israel’s God.   In my life time I have been blessed to see the nation of Israel become a state once again but the sons of Ishmael have decreed this will not last.  But I have also seen a continual battle on the world scene to take away the tiny lands that were given to them by the United Nations in 1948.

The recent resolution of the United Nations is Israel must return to the `1967 boundaries.  Again, your level of belief as to whether the Bible is God’s infallible word will determine how you accept this latest all-out attack against God’s chosen land and people.  In other words, what say you about our nations turning its back on Israel and does it have any connection with the fulfillment of Joel 3:2 that states, “I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat.  Then I will enter into judgment with them there on behalf of My people and My inheritance, Israel.  Whom they have scattered among the nations; and they have divided My land”.

I believe when President Barack Obama decided to abstain and turned his back on Israel,  it was more than a put down to Israel but a frontal attack on God.   Keep in mind the Abrahamic covenant “He will bless those who bless His chosen nation and chosen people but will curse those who curse His chosen nation and people” did not end with the death of Abraham but was cast in God’s cement which is irrevocable. 

I challenge you this morning, before you turn your attention to the business of the day, to take the time to read Luke 21:25-36 and pay special attention to verse 28, “But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near,” “Be on guard, so that your hearts will not be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of the life, and that this day will not come on you suddenly like a trap.,,,   Keep on the alert at all times, praying that you may had strength to escape all these things that are about take place and to stand before the Son of man.” (v 36).

Why is the resolution to push Israel back to the 1967 boundaries so dangerous to America?  I will address this question in the next What’s Happening Man blog to be posted on Sat.Jan  7.

Blessings,

Gramps

I Am Deeply Concerned For Our Nation - Are You?

“If my people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land” (2 Chron. 7:14).

Hey Gang:  I am a patriot!  I love my country and would have remained in the United States Air Force, but God said, “No, I have something else I want you to do”.  As I was seeking something that would convey my love for God and country, my bride came to my rescue again. She introduced me to a book she purchased months ago with the intent of working our way through it in this New Year as a daily devotional.   It was compiled by Dr. Richard G. Lee, titled “In God We Still Trust”.

After reading the January first and second entry several times, there is  no way I can improve on his words so I am going to copy them verbatim and pray that they hit your hot button with the same intensity that they hit mine. 

Jan 1: “From the nation’s earliest days, God’s promise in 2 Chronicles 7 that He will hear the cry of a humbled people has motivated America’s leaders to call citizens to prayer.  In 1775, as it began the process of forming a new Continental Congress, they called for a day of prayer.  At critical junctures during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln called for the nation to fast and pray.  And in 1952 President Truman signed a bill establishing an annual National Day of Prayer.

Second Chronicles helps establish a model of national spiritual renewal.  The book recounts how a succession of righteous Kings in Judah led to reforms that brought the people back to true faith in God.  Second Chronicles 16:9 assures us that God will “show Himself strong” toward those who place their trust in Him.” 

  

Patriot’s Prayer **

Lord, I am very aware of our nation’s need to repent and return to You.  I am also very aware that such repentance must begin in every hear, including mine.  Today I ask You to reveal to me the sins hidden in my heart and accept my pea for forgiveness.

Patriot’s Promise**

Jan 2: God promises that “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse from all unrighteousness” (I John 1>9).

Patriotism Defined:

Noah Webster’s An American Dictionary of the English Language, 1828: patriotism, is the love of one’s country; the passion which aims to serve one’s country, either in defending it from invasion, or protecting its right and maintaining its laws and institutions in vigor and purity.  Patriotism is the characteristic of a good citizen, the noblest passion that animates a man in the character of a citizen.

In Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary of 2004 patriotism is defined “Love for or devotion to one’s country.  Note the change.  Noah Webster’s patriotism is very different from the vague, subjective patriotism of one who only feels love for country.  True patriotism is not just an emotional feeling; it is action.

Webster’s original definition starts with a love for country, but moves to specific actions: service to country, defense of country, protection of the rights of country, maintenance of the laws and institutions of country, and perseverance of religion and morality in public and private life.  This kind of patriotism puts the needs of the country above personal or partisan desired, as well as above the favor of foreign nations.

Patriots Prayer**

I love my country Lord, and I ask You to protect us from harm.  Be with those men and women in each branch of service.  Guard us all in Your name.

Patriot’s Promise**

Hear God’s promise:  “The Lord commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that He might preserve us alive. As it is this day:” (Deuteronomy 6:24).

I believe with all my heart that God has looked down on this once mighty and proud nation and said, I believe I will give them one more chance to put their hands in the hands of the One who stills the waters.  I also believe with all my heart it was the prayers of the God’s people that prayed Mr. Thrump into office, and I believe with all my heart that it will be the prayers of God’s people that will give him success.

 

That is, if God’s people remain on the firing line continuously!!!  Satan is not going to take his Presidency lying down. Commit with me to pray daily – as we have done for years-  for this new Administration to seek God’s wisdom and listen to Godly advisers.

Blessings,

Gramps