It is difficult for many to understand that no one is righteous; other than Jesus, no one from creation to now has ever been righteous and sinless. Romans 3:10-11; “No one is righteous, no, not one; No one understands; no one seeks for God.” Romans 3:23; “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 6:23; “For the wages of sin is death; but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus, our Lord.” (all emphasis mine – further explanation later)
There are people who have decided they would rather have the “pleasures” of this world than to believe some “fairytale” about someone named Jesus. They have fallen for Satan’s lies, hook, line and sinker. To them, the Bible is nothing more than a bunch of old stories that are not to be taken seriously. They represent the first group in 1 Corinthians 1:18; “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing; but to us who are being saved, it is the Power of God.”
Right here, 2 Peter 1:20-21 would be worthwhile to consider: “knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” Again, one must believe and have faith that the Holy Bible is the true and inerrant word of the Lord and has been handed down through the ages with accuracy, if it is to have any real meaning at all.
There are some books called “bibles” that are counterfeit works. They pervert the words of the Father and twist them to fit selfish and evil ways. Some are even gender-neutral and even refer to the Holy Father as “she.” These works are saying that all alternative lifestyles are proper and no longer are abominations to the Lord. The ones who have produced such works will definitely fall under the Revelation 22:18-19 warnings about adding to or taking away from the true word of the Lord. Some of these works are being used by false prophets in some “churches” to lead the faithful astray, just as we’re told would happen in the genuine scriptures.
If someone would take the time to look at all the prophecies of the Bible, and then see if they occurred as prophesied, they would see that God’s word has always been fulfilled with 100% accuracy.
One of the biggest fulfillments took place on May 14, 1948. Israel had been shut down as a nation to the chosen people of God for over 2,000 years. On that day, they once again became a sovereign nation, which no other nation in history has ever done. There are prophecies about the land becoming prosperous again and the people being a force to be reckoned with. If God were not behind this fulfillment, Israel would have been totally annihilated immediately at the announcement.
From history, we know Israel was attacked from all sides at their declaration of sovereignty. Even though outnumbered, they prevailed. They have been attacked several times since the beginning by superior forces, yet today they are thriving. How else, other than Divine intervention, could they have survived?
Their land is now rich and fertile, and what was once barren wasteland now produces enough food for their own consumption and even enough to export to other nations.
The Ezekiel alignment of nations for the final attack on Israel came to be for the first time ever within the past 2 decades. Russia, Turkey and Iran have never been all that friendly to each other but have formed a coalition of sorts because they all are financially in trouble. They are having issues taking care of their populations. Eventually, they will attack a very prosperous but tiny Israel for the wealth and resources the Jewish nation possesses. Once again, God’s word will come true, and this time there will be no question as to who protects them.
Whether the Ezekiel war starts and ends prior to the Rapture remains to be seen. What is known for certain is, this will most likely be the foundation for the appearance of the person who will present the “perfect 7-year peace plan.” That person would turn out to be the ultimate antichrist of the Tribulation, and initially, he will be seen as someone to be followed. However, he will not be followed by the true Christians (believers) of today, as we won’t be here.
Take a look at 2 Thessalonians 2:7-12 below for the details. Just remember, what we are experiencing in this evil world today is only a preview of what’s coming.
“For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only He [Holy Spirit] who now restrains it will do so until He is out of the way. And then, the lawless one [antichrist] will be revealed, whom the Lord will kill with the breath of His mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the Truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the Truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”
One point here: adding “emphasis” or “explanations” to such quotes is not what Revelation 22 is talking about as to adding to or taking away from the word. Adding to or taking away from is meant to “distort” the word of the Lord to cause it to mean something else altogether. By putting emphasis or explanations with the passages, the intent is to assist someone who is unfamiliar with the Holy Word as a “teaching tool.” This has also been accomplished through the different translations of the scrolls into clearer language for better understanding. The words may not be exactly the same, but the meaning is. There are very few people today who could read and understand the original writings of the works of the Bible.
Some have said the King James Version is the only true word of God, but please remember it was first published in 1611. Prior to that was the Geneva Bible written in the 1500’s and numerous works before that. God gave His true word to about 40 Holy Spirit-inspired writers over the ages and has made sure His words are true when declared as such.
My goal is to present the word of the Lord in a way someone can understand without me using big, complicated wording in order to try to impress others. I have always believed that what I present is only useful if the message is understood. Therefore, I try to use easy to understand language so that all can learn. Paul said it best in 1 Corinthians 14:19; “Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than 10,000 words in a tongue.”
With any work submitted by me, I encourage others to read the gospel (good news) for themselves to make sure I am accurate. My prayer before each message is written is that the Father guide me so that His words are given, not mine. I take this commission very seriously.
With this in mind, please go to Romans 10:9-13 for the steps to receive and accept Jesus as your Savior, to call on Him to save you from the wrath that is coming, and to prepare a home for you in Heaven (also see John 14:1-3). Right now would be a good time to do this as He could be calling His Flock Home at any moment.
Reading through Matthew 24, Luke 21, all of Romans, 2 Timothy 3, 2 Peter 3, and all of 1 John will tell you that every sign that points to the nearness of the end of this age is here right now. Some have used the word “imminent” to describe how close the Rapture is. As long as you have truly called on Jesus to be your Savior, this should not be a cause for concern. In fact, for those of us who are ready, leaving this sin-filled world is what we desire the most.
In the meantime, we continue to serve our Savior, and as Paul said in Philippians 1:6, “And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”
That day is very, very near. There are movies that supposedly show what the “left behind” will endure. However, they can’t begin to express just how horrible that 7-year period will be.
Call out; confess; receive; accept; be a part of the Savior’s true believers that will not go through the Wrath (1 Thessalonians 1:10; 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 and Revelation 3:10). Ask the Father to strengthen your faith to believe this is so. Hope to see you there!
Shalom! Come, Lord Jesus!