"Are You Woke To The Days We're Living In?"

In his classic book Escape The Coming Night, David Jeremiah wrote:

"Jesus told the disiples that before He returned, the earth would be as it was "in the days of Noah". While Noah was building the ark on dry land, his neighbors were laughing at what they believed were the efforts of a madman. They really didn't care what that family of religious fanatics did, because the people's lives were so evil and self-centered that God's warnings were ignored...In the days before the flood, people were looking out for number one, until that final hour when the Noah family and their animal friends entered the ark. When the flood came, the remaining citizens of earth had no dry ground or life rafts to rescue them. With thrir last drowning breath, it was too late to ask God for mercy."

Jesus and the prophets warned us of all the signs to watch for signaling that the time of the final judgment is near. Those signs are here right now, but as in the days of Noah,the warning is falling on deaf ears.

Why? Because let's face it,gang-it's hard to believe. Nothing like it has ever happened before, at least not since the days of Noah. The people of Noah's time didn't believe in Noah's warning because they had never experienced rain before-let alone a flood.

The Bible says,

"...that in the last days there will be scoffers who will laugh at the truth and do every evil thing they desire. This will be their argument: Jesus promised to come back did He? Then where is He? Why as far back as anyone can remember,everything has remained exactly the same since the world was first created" (2 PETER 3:3-4).

According to Greg Laurie, of Harvest Christian Fellowship,

 "The scoffers in this passage mistook Christ's delayed return to earth to mean that there would be no final judgment at all. They not only doubted Christ's return but forgot about God's judgment in the past. More importantly, those scoffers overlooked God's love and mercy. It is for their sake that God is restraining His judgment because "He is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance" (2 PETER 3:9).

God will surely accomplish His purposes and promises, even though it may appear that He is slow in doing so. Someday our time here on earth will be up, either through death or the Rapture of the Church.

What happens to us after that? Depends on what we do now.

A wiseman once said: "No one can deny that the world is in trouble. Tragedy stalks our streets. Violence and bloodshed fill the news. Today's political debates spotlight the deep and bitter divsion in a society that often seems to be coming apart at the seams. How do we explain so much chaos? Jesus said there would be days like this".  -David Jeremiah, author

"Everything I prophesid has come true, and now I will prophesy agaim. I will tell you the future before it happens" (ISAIAH 42:9). 

"He will bring salvation to all those who are eagerly waiting for Him" (HEBREWS 9:28).

"Look I am coming soon!" (REVELATION 22:7). 

👉HOW TO GO TO HEAVEN! http://heaven-gettingthere.blogspot.com/ ☝ 

News:

CNN: CDC projects 20K virus deaths in next  21 days

The Washington Post: Coronavirus threat rises across U.S. 'We have to assume the monster is everywhere'

New York Post: Protester's burn Bibles, American flags as tensions rise in Portland

 

"Christ's Imminent Return: How Close Are We?"

Christian author and founder of  The Berean Call , Dave Hunt died in 2013. He left behind a legacy of expert scholarship, impeccable research, and a wide variety of in-depth studies we can all benefit from. He also left us with a couple of warnings:

• "There are two solemn and related warnings which Christ gave concerning His coming again. First of all, He repeatedly and earnestly declared that He was coming very soon and should be expected at any moment. That He hasn't come in more than 1900 years, far from discrediting that promise, makes it all the more urgent that we heed it in our day. By heaven's reckoning, Christ has been gone a very short time; and His coming is nearer now than it ever was."

• "Secondly, He warned us about preoccupation with the things of this life. Christ knew the attraction which the pleasures and ambitions of this world, wicked though we realize it to be, can have for each of us. So He warned us that unless we kept the thoughts of His return fresh in our hearts at all times, we would be caught by surprise at His coming."

Dave Hunt was adamant about the fact that there are no signs for the rapture of the church. Not even one. There is absolutely nothing that must proceed it. Jesus said that He would come like a thief: "At such an hour as you think not" (Luke 12:40). Some translations say He's coming when you least expect Him. There are at least twenty warnings in the Bible telling us to watch, be ready, and stay awake.

Why? Because complacency is human nature. Remember the parable of the 10 bridesmaids in Matthew 25? "When the bridegroom was delayed, they all lay down and slept" (emphasis added).

The world is asleep right now and sadly, so is the church. And yet:

• Israel is back in the land (Ezekiel 37:21)
• surrounded by enemies (Psalm 83)
• Iran , Russia & Turkey have a military alliance for the first time in history (Ezekiel 38:5)
• technology has advanced to the degree that everything predicted in the Scripture is possible for the first time in history (Revelation 13)
• the financial world is sagging under its debt load (Revelation 6:5-6; James 5:1-3)
• sin is rampant; deception everywhere (Matthew 24:9)
• everything has gone super sized (i.e. earthquakes, storms, droughts, floods etc.) (Luke 21:25-26)

People--these are signs for the Tribulation and the Second Coming, not the Rapture, two distinct events that take place 7 years apart.

No one knows the day or the hour of the Rapture, but once it comes (when we least expect it) and the covenant (peace treaty?) of Daniel 9:27 is confirmed,  the Second Coming can be calculated to the very day. Everything hinges upon the covenant (or peace treaty signing) because it is the kickoff of the last 7 years as detailed in the Book of Daniel (Daniel 9:20-27).

Jesus said, "Watch out! Don't let me find you living in careless ease and drunkenness, and filled with the worries of this 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).

Why did Jesus warn us to keep a constant watch? Because the signs of the Tribulation will all be there in the distance for anyone who is aware and watching to see. For those who are not watching it will be "business as usual right up until the hour when the Son of Man returns" (Luke 17:30).

"So keep a sharp lookout! Don't let Him find you sleeping when He arrives without warning. What I say to you I say to everyone: Watch for His return!" (Mark 13:35-37).

A wise man once said: "How close are we? Christ could come at any moment--before I finish writing this page, or before you finish reading it. Does that thought bring joy or regret--perhaps even fear? The honest answer to that vital question reveals one's spiritual condition and the measure of one's love for Him." -- Dave Hunt (1926-2013)

(want to be sure you're ready? click here )

News:

• Reuters: Netanyahu not seeking war with Iran, he says after unveiling evidence of secret Iran nuke program; Pompeo: Iran nuke deal "based on lies".
• CBS News: 9 tornadoes hit Midwest; bad weather threatens 40 million across U.S.
• DEBKAfile: Iran's Foreign Minister: No renegotiation on nuclear deal; Deadline for Trump decision on deal looms next week 

"Like a Thief in the Night"

As far as most people are concerned, Christ's return is irrelevant. If they think about it at all, it's mostly to mock those who believe in it.

And who can blame them? False dates and fanaticism have deceived and damaged the faith of millions.

But is fear of repeating past mistakes reason enough to avoid the subject? Not according to Luke 12:37: "There will be special favor for those who are ready and waiting for His return." Luke 12:45 gives us the consequences of not being ready: "But if the servant thinks, 'My master won't be back for a while', and begins oppressing the other servants, partying, and getting drunk--well, the master will return unannounced and unexpected. He will tear the servant apart and banish him with the unfaithful. The servant will be severely punished, for though he knew his duty, he refused to do it." Apparently, God expects us to know the general time of Christ's return.

Before we go on, let's get something straight: Christ will come twice: once at the Rapture of the Church which takes place before the 7-year period known as 'the Tribulation' and for which there are no signs. He will come like a thief in the night when the world at large least expects Him. Then, at the end of the seven years of tribulation, amid unmistakable signs, Christ will come a second time.

Got that? There are yet two comings. One to rescue the church (the Rapture) and the Second Coming to rescue the Jews. We'll go over all this in more detail later.

For now, here's a simple overview of prophetic events:

1. The Rapture. When God delivers us from the wrath to come. (1 Thessalonians 4:16).
2. The Judgment Seat of Christ (Bema). Where believers' lives are examined. If we've used our gifts and talents to help build the kingdom, we'll be rewarded. If we've squandered our lives on selfish living, we'll suffer loss. (1 Corinthians 3:13).
3. The Tribulation. When 7 years of trouble come on the earth consisting of deception, war/rumors of war, famines, pestilence, and earthquakes. (Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21, Daniel 9). These 7 years are divided into two, 3-1/2-year periods. At the beginning of the 1st half, the Antichrist makes a covenant with Israel and the Jewish Temple is rebuilt in Jerusalem. The 2nd 3-1/2 years herald the Great Tribulation when the Antichrist breaks the 7-year covenant. (Daniel 9:27).
4. Armageddon: armies from around the globe gather at Megiddo in Northern Israel to launch a massive attack against Jerusalem. (Rev. 16, Zechariah 12:1-3, 14:1-5, Revelation 19:19).
5. Second Coming of Christ to earth. to rescue His Chosen people, the Jews, from annihilation and set up His millennial reign on earth. (Dan. 2:44, Matt. 24:27-37, Zechariah 14:4, 1 Thessalonians. 3:13, Rev. 19:8).
6. Judgment of the Nations. (Matthew 25:31-46).

 (Scripture references are not all inclusive. There are just too many to list them all. Please check cross-references in your Bible).

Words to the Wise: Be like the Bereans, "...in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so." (Acts 17:11).

News:

• Vox.com: Dems weigh "nuclear option" over Comey firing: shut down the Senate
• Daily Mail: N. Korea defector says war "unavoidable"; urges Trump to topple Kim.
• Associated Press: U.S. may send Patriot missile to Lithuania amid Moscow threat..

"The Ultimate Black Swan Event"

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 14 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 2004 tsunami in Indonesia that wiped out 250,000
• the Fukashima nuclear meltdown/earthquake/tsunami
• and Hurricane Katrina...to name a few

According to financial guru and ex-Marine Bob Moriarty, "There is a flock of black swans overhead, any of which could be catastrophic."

Moriarty, speaking in terms of a financial collapse, ISIS attack, or Middle East crisis, thinks it is only a matter of time before some calamity strikes.

And he's right. 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)

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) 

 And there you have it--the ultimate Black Swan event.

To be caught by surprise  is so obviously preventable.

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

How To Go To Heaven

A wise man once said: "...People everywhere are beginning to feel the hair stand up on the back of their necks as if they realize something is about to happen..." -- Art Bell, The Art of Talk

News:

• CNN: ISIS claims responsibility for Yemen bloodbath; 137 dead, 345 wounded, as well as deadly Tunisia attack that killed 23 tourists
• Sky News: "N.Korea 'Prepared' To Fire Nuclear Missile If It Feels Threatened", Ambassador says.
• DEBKAfile: Nuclear talks collapse as Iranian delegation ordered home; No chance of an accord before June 30. 

 

 

"Are Current Signs in the Sun, Moon, Stars Relevant?"

"I've been a solar physicist for 30 years, and I've never seen anything quite like this," says space physicist Richard Harrison.

And as Head of Space Physics at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire, England--he should know.

What's he seeing?

A strangely quiet sun.

"If you want to go back to see when the sun was this inactive...you've got to go back 100 years."

Solar activity waxes (a solar maximum) and wanes (solar minimum) on an 11-year cycle.

And though the sun should be at its very maximum of activity right now--it isn't.

Instead of bursting with flares and exploding with coronal mass ejections, or even just teeming with sunspots...we've got almost nothing. Nada. Zilch.

It appears our sun is sleeping.

That's right, folks. Apart from the occasional flare or two, this sun has slept through almost 2 cycles.

"It's completely taken me and many other solar scientists by surprise," says Dr. Lucie Green of London's Mullard Space Science Laboratory.

Mike Lockwood, Professor of Space Environment Physics at the University of Redding, believes there's a significant chance the sun could become increasingly quiet.

The implications? No one knows for sure. Scientists are baffled, with opinions ranging from "expecting a little Ice Age to "not a big deal."

And then we have those spooky Blood Moons everyone is hyped-up about.

"Usually, lunar eclipses come in no particular order," NASA says. "A partial can be followed by a total, followed by a penumbral (very subtle eclipse), and so on. Anything goes. Occasionally though, the sequence is more orderly. When four consecutive lunar eclipses are all 'total', the series is called a "tetrad".

And this particular tetrad (occurring 2014-2015) has the added attraction of landing on Jewish Feast Days.

Coincidence? Perhaps.  "Feast Day Eclipse: What Do They Mean?"

And finally, gang, let's not forget we have an unusual astronomical alignment due on September 23, 2017.

The constellation Virgo (the Virgin) will be clothed with the sun (the constellation will be in the sky during the day), the moon will be at her feet, and the constellation Leo will be over her head, containing 12 stars instead of Leo's usual 9 a la Revelation 12:1-2. "Blood Moon UPDATE: Revelation 12 Connection?"

The Bible tells us in the last days "there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars" (Luke 21:25).

Do we claim these current signs are the ones Luke was referring to? Nope. The timing isn't right. Those signs come immediately before the Second Coming of Christ.

But just as we see a gradual increase in deception, global unrest, earthquakes,pestilences, etc. described as "the beginning of sorrows" in Matthew 24:8, these subtle signs in the heavens may also play a role in reminding us that time is running out. Luke 21:28 goes on to say, "Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near."

Jesus spoke to His disciples about the importance of watching:

"Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near. So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near."

A wise man once said: "The beginning of sorrows literally means 'birth pangs'. The earth continually has birth pangs today (Romans 8:22)...during the tribulation, these 'sorrows' will increase in intensity and frequency until Jesus returns." -Philip W. Comfort, Ph.D.

News:

• USA Today: Officials: "Up to 1K possibly exposed to measles in Arizona; people being asked to quarantine themselves."
• Drudge Report: Doctors have stopped seeing patients who refuse vaccinations...developing.
• Market Watch: 70% of American families walk a financial tightrope with "little, if any, cushion" for emergencies.

"What are the Signs of His Coming?"

Christian author and founder of  The Berean Call , Dave Hunt, died last week. He left behind a legacy of expert scholarship, impeccable research, and a wide variety of in-depth studies we can all benefit from. He also left us with a couple of warnings:

• "There are two solemn and related warnings which Christ gave concerning His coming again. First of all, He repeatedly and earnestly declared that He was coming very soon and should be expected at any moment. That He hasn't come in more than 1900 years, far from discrediting that promise, makes it all the more urgent that we heed it in our day. By heaven's reckoning, Christ has been gone a very short time; and His coming is nearer now than it ever was."

• "Secondly, He warned us about preoccupation with the things of this life. Christ knew the attraction which the pleasures and ambitions of this world, wicked though we realize it to be, can have for each of us. So He warned us that unless we kept the thoughts of His return fresh in our hearts at all times, we would be caught by surprise at His coming."

Dave Hunt was adamant about the fact that there are no signs for the rapture of the church. Not even one. There is absolutely nothing that must proceed it. Jesus said that He would come like a thief: "At such an hour as you think not" (Luke 12:40). Some translations say He's coming when you least expect Him. There are at least twenty warnings in the Bible telling us to watch, be ready, and stay awake.

Why? Because complacency is human nature. Remember the parable of the 10 bridesmaids in Matthew 25? "When the bridegroom was delayed, they all lay down and slept" (emphasis added).

The world is asleep right now and sadly, so is the church. And yet:

• Israel is back in the land (Ezekiel 37:21)
• surrounded by enemies (Psalm 83)
• Iran and Russia have a military alliance for the first time in history (Ezekiel 38:5)
• technology has advanced to the degree that everything predicted in the Scripture is possible for the first time in history (Revelation 13)
• the financial world is sagging under its debt load (Revelation 6:5-6; James 5:1-3)
• sin is rampant; deception everywhere (Matthew 24:9)
• everything has gone super sized (i.e. earthquakes, storms, tsunamis, etc.) (Luke 21:25-26)

People--these are signs for the Tribulation and the Second Coming, not the Rapture, two distinct events that take place 7 years apart.

No one knows the day or the hour of the Rapture, but once it comes (when we least expect it) the Second Coming can be calculated to the very day. Everything hinges upon the Rapture because it is the kickoff of the last 7 years as detailed in the Book of Daniel (Daniel 9:20-27).

Jesus said, "Watch out! Don't let me find you living in careless ease and drunkenness, and filled with the worries of this 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).

Why did Jesus warn us to keep a constant watch? Because the signs of the Tribulation will all be there in the distance for anyone who is aware and watching to see. For those who are not watching it will be "business as usual right up until the hour when the Son of Man returns" (Luke 17:30).

"So keep a sharp lookout! Don't let Him find you sleeping when He arrives without warning. What I say to you I say to everyone: Watch for His return!" (Mark 13:35-37).

A wise man once said: "How close are we? Christ could come at any moment--before I finish writing this page, or before you finish reading it. Does that thought bring joy or regret--perhaps even fear? The honest answer to that vital question reveals one's spiritual condition and the measure of one's love for Him." -- Dave Hunt (1926-2013)

(want to be sure you're ready? click here )

News:

• World News Now: North Korea fuels ballistic Musudan missile with a range of 2,175 miles putting U.S. bases within reach. U.S. and Seoul on emergency threat level WatchCon2, one step away from war.
• Yahoo News: 'Devastating' quake strikes near Iran's Bushehr nuclear plant, kills 37 and injures 870
• U.S. News: Massive storms and giant tornadoes rip through Midwest leveling homes and causing power outages, 1 death and many injuries
• Bloomberg: Distrust of Federal Reserve and concern that U.S. dollars may become worthless, fuel push in more than a dozen states to recognize gold and silver coins as legal tender
• Drudge Report: ACLU accusing IRS of reading taxpayers personal emails without warrant
• Fox News Channel: Maryland to enforce "rain tax" on homeowners, charging them for rainwater runoff each time it rains; states finding ways to raise revenues through new taxes and fees