Posted on 03/21/2021 3:18:51 PM PDT by Roman_War_Criminal
There are people today, including myself, that wonder why we’re still here. After all, Jesus, Paul, James, John, Peter and other prophets gave us signs to look for, and every one of them, except for the Rapture and the appearance of the antichrist, are here right now. (all emphasis mine)
The Ezekiel coalition has been formed for the first time in history, and God has made sure that Russia, Iran and Turkey are in desperate need of resources to survive. Then, there sits tiny Israel with all those natural gas and oil reserves, and they appear ripe for the picking. The “big three,” and some lesser nations that will join them, are having the “hook” set, just as God said it would be. Ezekiel 38:4; “And I will put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen; all of them clothed in full armor; a great host; all of them with buckler and shield, wielding swords.”
This will be the attack on Israel by what would appear to be overwhelming forces that, under normal circumstances, would be able to wipe Israel out in no time at all. However, the Heavenly Father has other plans, and when the dust settles, it will be obvious that He, not Israel, defeated the masses that attacked them. Ezekiel 39 describes the destruction, and at the end of the conflict, all Israel will know that the Lord God Jehovah protected them. The tribulation will still take place, and before it’s over, the Jews will be severely persecuted. However, the surviving remnant will enter the Millennial reign under the guidance of Jesus Himself.
Sadly, even with Jesus on the throne at Jerusalem, there will still be those who will turn away from Him during that 1,000 years. The final conflict will take place at the end, and Jesus will put it down with just a word from His mouth.
Matthew 24:43-44 and Luke 12:39-40 say that if the homeowner knew what day and hour the thief was coming, he would have been ready at that time. Jesus went on to say that we need to be ready for the “Son of Man” to come at an hour we do not expect. Human nature being as it is, if we knew for certain the moment that we would die or the moment the Rapture was to take place, many would wait right up to the last hour to call out to be saved. This is why it’s obvious that Jesus said we must be ready; right now.
No one knows for certain when they will take their last breath here. God provided many examples in His word about people who were unprepared. He also gives us the formula to follow so that we are constantly ready to leave here and be with Jesus. More about this further on.
Through Satan’s influence, false prophets are twisting God’s word to fulfill his evil plan to pull as many away from the Savior as possible. Saying that there’s plenty of time, or that we all worship the same god, or it really isn’t necessary to have Jesus in our lives are some of his most popular lies. How about, there’s really no such thing as hell, and even so, a loving God would not send anyone there. Before the creation of this earth, Lucifer went against the Father because of destructive self-pride and even had about 1/3 of the angels follow him (Revelation 12:4).
Today, there are more people that follow Satan than follow Jesus, which doesn’t surprise the Lord at all (Matthew 7:13-14). For Satan and his angels, or demons, there is no pathway to forgiveness. Jesus’ sacrifice was for all humans, as Satan and his demons had already been in the presence of the Lord God. They had witnessed His majesty and glory yet turned against Him anyway (Isaiah 14:12-14; Ezekiel 28:13-19; Revelation 12:7-9; Jude 1:6; and others). Hell was prepared specifically for Satan and his fallen angels, as stated in Matthew 25:41.
Having worked in several hospitals and then a number of years in law enforcement, I witnessed the deaths of hundreds of people of all ages and under a variety of circumstances. Some had terminal illnesses, yet even then, they weren’t sure exactly when they would die. More than a majority were people who started out a day not realizing it would be their last one here. If they could, they would most likely tell you they believed they had more time.
God knows the exact moment each of us will depart from this planet. As stated, He gave us ample signs of what would be happening at the end of this age. To prepare us, He has given us a great outline that would help us to be ready.
First and foremost, He knows we are all sinners, yet He loves us anyway (Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23; John 3:16-18). He sent a part of Himself, Jesus, to be the perfect sacrifice that would be able to cover our sins. There is no way possible that any other human could provide a pathway to the Father that would be acceptable.
Jesus is the only way, as stated in John 14:6, Acts 4:12, and Romans 5:8. We can do no works nor pay any price for our Salvation, as it’s provided by the Grace of our Savior and through the Mercy of our Father (Ephesians 2:8-9).
For the formula mentioned earlier, we have the ABCs of Salvation given in Romans 10:9-13.
A – Admit we’re all sinners and cannot save ourselves.
B – Believe and have faith that Jesus’ gift at Calvary was made for all who will receive and accept Him as their Savior. He died for us and was raised by God to conquer sin and death for us once and for all.
C – Confess we’re sinners, and call out to Him and ask for forgiveness and to save us.
Verse 13 says, “All who call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” That’s an absolute promise from our Heavenly Father.
He also says in numerous places that all who reject His Son will end up in the Lake of Fire after attending the White Throne Judgment of Revelation 20:11-15. Those that will already be in hell are the antichrist and false prophet (Revelation 19:20); then, 1,000 years later, Satan will join them (Revelation 20:10). There will be no pardons given; no forgiveness available for all who are at the Great White Throne. That judgment is final, and the sentence of hell is forever. And, no, God will not have sent anyone there other than Satan and the demons. It will be a choice that was made by every soul that will be in that long line.
God would rather have all to repent and seek forgiveness from Jesus and spend eternity in Heaven (2 Peter 3:9). He will force no one, as that wouldn’t be true love. All who go through the Judgments of Jesus will receive or lose rewards for what they did while here, yet their outcome will still be forever with the Savior, in their forever Home prepared by Him (John 14:1-3).
And now, a plea from one who has witnessed so many souls depart from their earthly bodies. Please, don’t wait another minute without Jesus in your life. Call out to Him and ask His forgiveness and to save you right now. An hour from now could be too late. He’s waiting and will accept all who put their faith and trust in Him.
The event of 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 and 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 is just about here right now. It could be any second. This would be the Father keeping His promise to prevent all true believers in His Son from going through the Wrath/Tribulation. Once it starts, the events that will take place will be more terrible than has ever been on this earth. Your eternity – your choice.
Come, Lord Jesus!
it is interesting the number of ideas humans have had about that question
This ranges from the Sumerians believing that the gods created humans as slaves to till the land, to the Hindu belief that everything is god, to the Jainism belief that the universe was never created and will not be destroyed.
Your view seems more Epicurean or Deistic. Have you read those philosophies?
“If anything, our connection or soul if you prefer melds with the creator of this amazing universe.”
ok, so your view is less Deistic/Epicurean and more Hindu i.e. Sanatana Dharma - or maybe Pantheistic.
You can rest assured that it is not good enough...
What do we have but the bible to guide us in the ways of God???
If God/Jesus won't forgive me for prior sins and not acknowledge all the good I've done since, then I don't want the "clouds" in the sky. I can rot in purgatory while knowing I did good stuff and my heart is good and my conscience is clear. That's all I want on my dying bed.
I hear ya...There are billions who think just like you, and I was one of them...
And there are billions more who don't even believe in God/Jesus...
All we can do is plant and water and the rest is up to you and God...We would be remiss if we didn't warn you...
Perhaps there will come a time in your life where all seems lost and you have no where to turn, but to God...It's happened to a lot of us...Probably most of us...If you don't need Jesus he probably won't waste his time with you...
Mat 9:9 And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.
Mat 9:10 And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.
Mat 9:11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?
Mat 9:12 But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.
Mat 9:13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
It is not like it was a decade ago...Time is very, very short...
You're making this easy...
While Jesus upholds the law, no one else does, ever...If you demand that you be judged by the good you do or did you have to realize one thing...The rules are pretty tough...You can't do good in some things but be a little slack in others...If you have failed in ANY of the laws you are just as guilty as if you violated all the laws...And will pay the price accordingly..
The good/great news is Jesus does not judge with the law as the standard to be judged against for Christians...The law is no longer nailed to the door for us to read and follow...The law is now embedded into our hearts...And like you, we don't have to do good, we want to do good...And if we fail, we get back up and continue on...I don' know your motive but we do it because we love God and that's what he wants us to do...Maybe you're already saved and just bereft of anything the bible says...
Whoops...Sent this to the wrong person...Sorry...
I know this thread has mostly expired but in re-reading it last night I couldn't help but not only pray for A Navy Vet, but dwell on what his words expressed that no doubt many others probably think as well. Rather than reply in a private freepmail I am compelled to respond openly.
Navy Vet, I first of all salute your service - my husband is also a Navy vet (he served aboard the aircraft carrier Independence in the Mediterranean during the Viet Nam war) and my Dad was a lifer Air Force fighter pilot and instructor. I know firsthand the pride that comes from giving one's life to serve their country with honor. That kind of pride is well deserved and admirable - it spurs us to excellence in everything we do. But that's not the kind of pride the Bible tells us God "hates".
The Creator and Sustainer of all that is, was or ever will be doesn't want us to "grovel". He doesn't want our humiliation, He wants our humility and those are vastly different terms. To be humble before the Almighty is to recognize that He alone deserves all the glory and no one else because:
When the Apostle Paul wrote,
He was quoting the Old Testament Prophet Isaiah who was inspired by God to write,
Paul later wrote in his epistle to the Philippians, that it was Jesus Christ who:
Someone once said to me that he thought God was being pretty boastful bragging about getting all the glory, but the way I see it, He's being HONEST about it. God rightfully does deserve all the glory, honor and praise because without Him nothing would exist. We wouldn't be here, nothing would.
So, again, God doesn't want anyone to grovel before Him or humiliate himself. He wants us to be honest and humbly admit that He is Lord and God and without Him we could do nothing. Bending the knee is showing reverence and respect. It is admitting He is God and we are not. The Bible says, "The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.". Fear is another word for reverence. It's just being honest. The wonderful news is that God loves us and wants us to come to Him of our own free will. Jesus said,
Please forgive me for "preaching" but I just had to speak what's been on my heart. God bless you as you seek to know the truth. "Agnostic" means without knowledge. It needn't be a permanent condition.
Excellent post boatbums!
I’m reminded of a few verses where The Lord is actually attempting to nudge us sinners back to Him - to turn to Him.
Isaiah 1:18
“Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the LORD, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.
Ezekiel 18:27
But if a wicked man turns from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he will save his life.
Isaiah 43:25
I, yes I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake and remembers your sins no more.
Isaiah 55:7
Let the wicked man forsake his own way and the unrighteous man his own thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that He may have compassion, and to our God, for He will freely pardon.
The Lord simply wants us to humble ourselves before Him. He knows more about us than we know about ourselves.
What could be better than the mercy of an Abba Father?
Please leave me alone. I’ve stated my beliefs many times. I’m not going to change them. Thank you for your concern.
I've also been thinking about those who deny that God desires a personal relationship with us - that He is an "impersonal" force. He's some nebulous superior being that zapped everything into existence and then went off somewhere else oblivious to what us puny humans might come up with on our own. It's the idea that "a god/God" is unknowable or impersonal.
But, I wonder, if those who think like that have done much searching to find out if their conclusion is reasonable. Why, if God was impersonal, did He create beings with an innate knowledge of a Creator or a universe where all of creation screams out design and order?
Now, if God desired to know and be known by His created beings in a personal way, how would He go about doing so?
I guess a good start would be to speak directly with someone and tell him about Himself, right? Yeah...He did that (see Adam, Eve, Noah, Lot, Abraham, etc.)
Another might be to appear in a form that humans can recognize and relate to. Yep...did that, too.
He could communicate directly with certain people and tell them specific things that were going to happen and explain how only a true God could do that and then those things DO happen exactly as He said. Ditto.
He could demonstrate His power through miraculous signs and wonders and rescuing those who believed in Him through insurmountable dangers. Seeing a pattern?
And if this god/God demonstrated that He wanted to be known by His creation by speaking to them, appearing to them, showing His power through foreknowledge and delivering them by miracles, then wouldn't that be evidence that He WAS knowable and desired to be known?
Anyway, just some things I have been pondering over lately. Your thoughts?
Beautifully said, m’Lady.
It’s hard to see what more He could have done to demonstrate to mankind that He’s interested in being reconciled with us.
Rom 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
Just the fact that God has made us his children shows he wants a relationship with us...
Thanks MHGinTN,
I’ve been away for work and haven’t been able to catch up, I appreciate your thoughts,
If I understand correctly 4D to me is time,
The spirit world operates in a bizarre manner, it’s like some quantum entanglement calculation where we lose locality and everything is interconnected and all communications exceed the speed of light and therefore time is meaningless null and void, and if true is this where the physical world butts up against the spirit world?
I *conjecture* this is where our time and space make up only 3 and one half of seven dimensions, with only half of time being experienced, where we go only in one direction, always forward and never back, it’s the number seven divided in half that we really exist in (with 12 dimensions and two times in creation and likely more or even an infinite number we cannot experience as created beings) again all conjecture but I suspect that people with insight from the Holy Spirit can see around the corner so to speak, because he is operating outside of our time and space and can offer warnings or alerts directly to us or via dreams,
I believe if we discern why the Tribulation begins, or what events on the Earth are or have changed it will unlock more understandings, I have some ideas I’ll share as soon I can get a free minute this Holiday weekend,
Thanks again,
When I use "4D" I refer to three variable expressions of dimension Space and one variable expression of dimension Time. Our body is limited in 4D spacetime coordinate system. But our spirit is not int he same coordinate system. We can make this presumption because the spirit continues to exist after the body is long gone, existing here with the Earth or in Heaven with The Lord, awaiting a resurrection body which is also not limited to the 4D coordinate system.
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