"The Ultimate Inconvenient Truth"

Let's face it gang, the Bible says "many are called, but few are chosen" (MATTHEW 22:14). The word called in this instance refers to being 'invited'. Tragically, not all those invited will be among the chosen of God.

ROMANS 8:29 says, "For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son."

Wow. Does that mean that God "foreknew" certain people? And what about predestination? Are we to understand that only certain individuals are picked out beforehand to be saved?

Apparently so. Jesus says in JOHN 15:16, "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should bear fruit." In fact, the doctrine of election, or being especially chosen by God, is woven throughout the Bible.

It is also one of the most hotly debated mysteries of the Christian life.

There are two basic positions (excerpted from pg. 1984 of the Nelson Study Bible) :

• Some understand foreknowledge to mean God's knowledge in advance of those who would repent of their sin and believe the Gospel. In other words, in eternity past, God looked down the corridors of time to see all who would one day accept the offer of salvation through Christ. Those who accept salvation are the elect. The fact that they would eventually believe in Christ was the condition that prompted God to choose them or predestine them to eternal life.
• Others understand foreknowledge as a 'relational' term. In other words, foreknowledge refers to God's intimate knowledge of and love for His elect before they came into existence. It is God's sovereign choice, and not a person's exercised faith, that determines who the elect are.

Got that? In the first view (known as Arminian), election is defined as: the conditional choice of God that is the result of our faith. In the second view (known as Calvinism), election is defined as: the unconditional choice of God that is the cause of our faith.

Regardless of one's stance on the matter of election, this much is clear: God is infinitely wise, powerful, and good. We cannot accuse Him of being unfair in His dealings with humans. It was our own sinfulness that has entrapped us and condemned us. Yet God, out of His infinite mercy, chooses to save us.

The ultimate inconvenient truth is this: Not everyone is chosen.

Go back and reread ROMANS 8:29, "For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son" (emphasis added).

If we are not being conformed to the image of His Son, odds are we haven't been chosen. If our "salvation" hasn't had a profound impact in the way we live our life here on earth, it probably hasn't actually taken place. Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to Me 'Lord, Lord', shall enter the Kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father" (MATTHEW 7:21).

Jesus is the Word made flesh (John 1:1). If we don't know or love the Scripture, we can't know or love Jesus. We can't be conformed to His image if we have no knowledge of who He is. In other words: Knowing Jesus = Knowing His word. Because Jesus said, "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should bear fruit", shouldn't we be careful 'fruit inspectors'? The fruit of the Spirit is: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control (GALATIANS  5:22-23). These attributes describe Jesus. And over a lifetime, they should begin to describe us, too, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in us. In other words: No Spirit = No salvation (Romans 8:9).

"So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the special blessings that will come to you at the return of Jesus Christ. Obey God because you are His children. Don't slip back into your old ways of doing evil; you didn't know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God--who chose you to be His children--is holy. For He Himself has said, "You must be holy because I am holy" (1 PETER 1:13-16).

A wise man once said: "If you haven't chosen God, He probably hasn't chosen you. But if you are blessed to be among the chosen, leap with joy and follow hard after Him." -- unknown

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News:

• NBC News: Fauci: COVID Booster Shots Will Be Needed Every 5-8 Months
• Israeli News: Study shows natural immunity to COVID is 13X superior to vaccination.
• CCCH: California legislature attempts to pass draconian Vaccine Passport law by calling it a "transportation bill"

"Are We Unraveling?"

Is it just us, or is this administration's strategy (or lack thereof) starting to unravel the greatest nation on God's green earth?

Face it people, things are starting to pile up. Let's see...we've got our back door wide open, welcoming in roughly 200,000 per month of who-knows-who. Are most of them decent people looking for a better life? Probably. But if even 10-20% are criminals, infected, or terrorists--we've let in some major headaches.

And please, don't even got us started on the financial burden bringing in sooo many people will pose. Which, come to think of it, why are we still paying people not to work? And why are we forcing landlords to allow people to live in their properties free of charge? Is this legal? Not according to the President--but c'mon, man, by the time the courts figure things out it will be too late. You'd think old Joe wants the economy to collapse.

Oh, and then there's the latest and perhaps the biggest tell-tale-sign that the USA just ain't what she used to be: According to Newt Gingrich, Afghanistan is a disaster.

"The lack of planning and professionalism, and the daily briefings that communicate ignorance, weakness, and confusion are shocking. Our officials don't seem to know how many Americans are still in Afghanistan, where they are, or how they are going to get to the airport to be evacuated.

"Around the world, the predatory nations are licking their chops, like lions watching a wounded potential meal. With a president this weak, an intelligence community this lacking in knowledge, a Pentagon that can't organize anything effectively, and a State Department that can't protect Americans, it is little wonder the predators are smiling and speaking out."

(And if that doesn't alarm you--stop reading this and go do whatever you can to increase your IQ points.)

One of the most frequently asked questions in the western church concerning Bible prophecy is: Where is America? You'd imagine the world's only super power would have at least a few verses devoted to it, but it doesn't. Not even one. Why not? Nobody knows for sure, but on its current trajectory, it doesn't take a prophet to see the vultures are circling.

A wise man once said: "History fails to record a single precedent in which nations subject to moral decay have not passed into political and economic decline. There has been either a spiritual awakening to overcome the moral lapse, or a progressive deterioration leading to ultimate disaster." -- General Douglas MacArthur

"When the godly are in authority, the people rejoice. But when the wicked are in power, they groan" (PROVERBS 29:2).

👉👉👉"HOW TO GO TO HEAVEN"☝

News:

• The Wall Street Journal: U.S. warns of ISIS threat to Americans in Afghanistan as nation again becomes cradle for Jihadism and al Qaeda.
• The Moscow Times: Russia warns of influx of Afghan terrorists "fleeing" under the guise of seeking asylum into neighboring or western countries.
• CNBC: Deadly firefight erupts at Kabul airport as evacuation chaos continues into second week

 

"The Mother of Black Swan Events"

Let's face it gang, a "Black Swan" is not just another ugly duckling.

According to wikipedia: "The theory of Black Swan events is a metaphor that describes an event that comes as a surprise, has a major effect, and is often inappropriately rationalized after the fact."

For instance, 9/11. A terrorist attack on American soil definitely came as a surprise to most. The effects of that event are still reverberating 20 years later and seems so obviously preventable in hindsight.

Because it is assumed that all swans are white, a black swan is seen as being impossible.

Unfortunately, we live in a Black Swan world. Consider:

• The pandemic and the loss of freedom that came with it
• The open Southern border hemorrhaging unvetted, untested, unvaccinated illegals (and anyone else who wants in for good or evil)
• The utter chaos in the Middle East that is spilling over into Europe and threatening to destabilize the entire region
• The leadership vacuum in a tumultuous world torn apart by division and hatred.

Anyone with eyes can see there is a flock of black swans overhead.

But that ain't all folks. 

Sooner or later the mother of all Black Swan events is going to devastate the world and catch everyone by surprise. The Bible clearly predicts it.

"When the Son of Man returns, the world will be like the people were in Noah's day. In those days before the flood, the people enjoyed banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat and the flood came to destroy them all.

"And the world will be as it was in the days of Lot. People went about their daily business--eating and drinking, buying and selling, farming and building--until the morning Lot left Sodom. Then fire and burning sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.

"Yes, it will be 'business as usual' right up to the hour when the Son of Man returns." (LUKE 17:26-30)

Ask yourself: With the world in the shape it is in right now, how much longer can we deceive  ourselves into believing it's still 'business as usual'? How much longer can we teeter on the edge of normalcy?

There is nothing sinful about eating and drinking, buying and selling, etc. Jesus was referring to the indifference of the people toward God and the coming judgment.

And later, Jesus warns,

"Watch out! Don't let Me find you living in careless ease and drunkenness, and filled with the worries of life. Don't let that day catch you unaware, as in a trap. For that day will come upon everyone living on the earth. Keep a constant watch. And pray that, if possible, you may escape these horrors and stand before the Son of Man." (LUKE 21:34-36) 

America just pulled its ambassadors out of Afghanistan. How long before God pulls out His?

 

And there you have it--the ultimate Black Swan event: The Rapture of the Church.

To be caught by surprise  is so obviously preventable.

"Today is the day of salvation." (HEBREWS 4:7)

"For in just a little while, the Coming One will come and not delay." (HEBREWS 10:37).

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A wise man once said: "While the anticipation of Christ's coming to rapture the church is the blessed hope of the believer, it is a sobering matter for the people who are left behind. They are described as deceived believers who have no hope. They will succumb to the great lie and will perish and be condemned (2 Thessalonians 2:10-12). This is not a pretty picture, but it is God's warning to a defiant and unbelieving world." -- Dr. Ed Hindson, author

News:

• NBC News: Three volcanos erupting at the same time in Alaska a week after 8.2 earthquake
• The U.S. Sun: Haiti rocked by aftershocks while magnitude 7 quake death toll soars over 1,300.
• The Wall Street Journal: Taliban seize power in Afghanistan; Europe fears violence and chaos will spread 

 

"Are We Living In The End Times?"

It doesn't' take a rocket scientist to recognize our world is in big trouble. Sometimes, the sheer magnitude of the trajectory we're on is overwhelming.

Why? Because it's becoming more and more clear to us that there will be no turning back. The world has fundamentally changed.

According to Got Questions.org:

"The Bible prophesies of many events that will occur in the end times. These events can be categorized as natural signs, spiritual signs, sociological signs, technological signs, and political signs. We can look to what the Bible says about these things, and if the signs are present in abundance, we can be certain that we are, in fact, living in the end times."

We interpret the Bible literally. We believe God's Word is divinely inspired and that every word of it is true. Therefore, we believe the Bible can be trusted to accurately foretell coming end-time events. 

For instance, the Bible predicts the end times will be characterized by:

• Deception--when evil will be called good and good will be called evil. When truth will be hard to find and the masses will believe in lies. (see Isaiah 5:20;   2 Timothy 3:13).
• Lawlessness--when even the governing authorities refuse to obey the law. (Matthew 24:12; 1 John 2:18).
• Heresy--when people will stop believing in the God of the Bible and put their faith in the "doctrine of demons", reincarnation, and occultism. (1 Timothy 4:1-2; 2 Timothy 3:1-17).
• Natural disasters--when earthquakes, drought, wildfires, floods and even pandemics come like "birth pangs" upon the earth.

Other signs include increased hostility toward Israel, a world in turmoil (especially the Middle East), a worldwide leadership vacuum, increasing globalism and a move toward a cashless digital currency. 

But the single most definitive sign proving that we are living in the end times is the restoration of Israel to her land in 1948 (Ez.37). Without that fulfilled prophecy, all the other signs are rendered meaningless.

Got Questions.org contends that "these are just a few of the signs. There are many more. God gave us these prophecies because He doesn't want anyone to perish, and He always gives ample warning before pouring out His Wrath" (see 2 Peter 3:9).

So, are we living in the end times? Every warning sign is flashing "Yes". But these are all Tribulation signs. Before the Tribulation comes the rapture of the Church and there are no signs for that. When a nation pulls its ambassador out, it's a sign war is coming. When God pulls His ambassadors out (in the Rapture of the Church), it's a sign judgment is coming. You don't want to see that sign.

A wise man once said: "The good news is that it's not too late to choose eternal life." -- Got Questions.org

"Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's Wrath remains on them (JOHN 3:36).

👉👉👉"HOW TO GO TO HEAVEN!" ☝

News:

• Newsweek: Israel "Ready To Attack Iran", warns Israeli Defense Minister to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear bomb
• World: Russia and China conduct joint wargames to "Bring Down American Arrogance"
• Yahoo!: China first nation to implement digital currency

 

  

"Can You Take Scripture Literally?"

In the West, Christian persecution might mean being mocked and ridiculed or in some cases even slapped with a lawsuit--but torture and death? Not so much.

And yet, the "systematic elimination of Christianity" happening  right now in Muslim regions of the world has "gone largely unnoticed by the international community," says Coptic Bishop Anba Angaelos.

According to a report by Open Doors, a non-denominational mission supporting persecuted Christians in over 60 countries:

"In the 21 worst nations for Christians, 100% of Christians experience persecution, including unimaginable torture, beheadings and atrocities resulting in the wholesale slaughter of our brothers and sisters in Christ."

Horrific? Yes. Unexpected? No.

In the Book of Revelation, the Apostle John was instructed to write down the things that must come to pass in the Last Days.

After 19 chapters detailing end time events, John writes: 

"Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus and for proclaiming the word of God" (REVELATION 20:4).

Beheaded. And while the martyrs of Revelation take place during the Great Tribulation period, current events lend credence to the literal interpretation of Scripture.

The Bible warns us to expect increasing persecution as the Day draws near. The Middle East is already brimming over with it.

"A Christian holocaust is in our midst," says Mark Arabo, a Chaldean-American spokesperson trying to raise awareness of Christian persecution. "A Christian genocide is being conducted by radicalized Islamists", and they "are absolutely killing every Christian they see.

Let's not assume the West will be exempt.

"Remember the word I said to you...If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you...because they do not know Him who sent Me" (JOHN 15:21).

A wise man once said: "As I read the news, I can't help but wonder if we're in the last hours." -- Franklin Graham, Samaritan's Purse                   

"Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because of your allegiance to Me" (MATTHEW 24:9).

 👉👉👉"HOW TO GO TO HEAVEN!" ☝

News:

• The First: 45 churches set on fire by arsonists in Canada
• AP: Breakneck pace of crises around the globe keeps National Guard troops away from home; "This past year was extraordinary," say Gen. Dan Hokanson
• Business Insider: COVID Transmission Among Vaccinated Could Raise Risk of Dangerous Variant