Election Predestination? :: By Terry James

The title of this commentary will likely grab the attention of many who are fascinated by the conundrum presented to the finite mind: How can God, who is omniscient, have known in eternity past that most of His creation called humanity would go to a lake of fire prepared for the devil and his fallen angels? Yet God still isn’t willing for anyone to perish; He wants all to come to repentance—meaning that people must have the free will to choose or reject God’s offer of salvation.

Well, this is the wrong article if solving that infinite query is your quest. I mean this title to indicate an examination of this presidential election and God’s omniscient foreknowledge about all involved and the outcome. To what extent is all this predestined by Heaven’s governance?

To those who believe in God being in complete control of everything at all times, there can be little doubt. God reached down on July 13, 2024, and turned Donald J. Trump’s head at the precise moment a speeding bullet was about to enter the presidential candidate’s skull.

Even pundits totally opposed to Trump stated that the near miss was providential. The Lord of Heaven, then, is certainly intervening in America’s electoral process. God Himself has made it quite clear that He is doing so.

He has intervened before—for example, in the 2016 election, many of us believe. Mr. Trump was given almost no chance of winning against Ms. Clinton. But win he did.

However, with the miraculous turn-of-the-head moment as Trump was addressing the rally throng, God asserted that those wanting the former president removed from the process, no matter the method, would not get their way. At least not on that occasion.

What does the Lord’s obvious statement mean in terms of the election this year? I, like you and everyone else, have no idea. The only thing I can add with certainty is that God did make that statement. He does nothing without great purpose. This is especially true when the statement–the intervention—is so blatantly done in front of the entire world.

This makes me quite excited about just what it does, in fact, mean: what it means to America, what it means to the election, and what it means in terms of God’s prophetic timeline.

Founder Todd Strandberg’s and my website, Raptureready.com, has at its center, of course, a certain anticipation. That anticipation is found in the prophetic insight Paul gave all believers:

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).

Those who have read my series, “Scanning a Fearful Future,” know my long-held belief is that if America were to suffer a catastrophic fate that would bring the nation down to rubble, the entire world would suffer in a way that it would take decades, perhaps longer, to ever get back to business as usual.

Business as usual is exactly what the Lord Jesus said would be the condition when He next intervenes in the affairs of wicked, rebellious humankind. That condition is outlined in Luke 17:28–30—the “as it was in the days of Lot” prophecy.

Jesus said all of life’s business—buying, selling, building, marrying, and planting–would be going on when He next catastrophically intervenes into the human condition.

A calamity that destroyed the US would be a world-rending matter because the nations of the world are so intricately linked to America.

This being the case, Jesus’ intervention must take place before America’s demise or world-rending circumstances, such as total economic collapse or World War III.

That intervention will be the Rapture of the Church—all who believe in Jesus Christ for salvation. Jesus told us that it would be just like the day when God removed Lot and his family from Sodom. The righteous will be taken to be with Christ. The word for “taken” is the Greek word paralambanó. It is the word used when the Lord said “one would be taken and the other left” in His Olivet Discourse, describing how it will be at the time of the Rapture. This is the same Greek word used by Jesus as recorded in John 14:1–3 when He said, “I will receive (paralambanó) you unto myself, that where I am there you may be also.”

All that said, it is more than obvious that the minions of Ephesians 6:12, both demonic and human, are doing all they can do to destroy America as founded so they can bring about the changed global order essential to establishing the one-world rule of Satan’s son of perdition—the Antichrist.

The following article outlines just how they are attempting to do so with this presidential election. Here is the link; check it out: https://www.wnd.com/2024/08/god-trump-america-and-democrats-all-out-plan-to-steal-the-2024-election/.

Yet the God of Heaven has this Luciferian force in derision through God’s Great Restrainer, the Holy Spirit, resident within the Church. The fact that Donald Trump was supernaturally spared that day in Butler, Pennsylvania, is proof of that derision and restraint, I have no doubt.

Again, I have no idea what our Lord is up to in all of this intrigue. But it is fascinating and even infused with great expectation as this November approaches. Has He predestined this election to serve His prophetic purposes?

As the title of our website would have it, being “Rapture ready,” which Paul the apostle exhorted in the above Scripture, is most appropriate. And the Lord Jesus makes that a commandment for the Christians who will be on the earth when He next is revealed, as given in the “days of Lot” prophecy.

“And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21:28).

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Trapped In the Path of Danger! :: By Robert Asher Mandel

A few weeks ago, 4 different tornadoes blew through my county here in northern Ohio. This is an account of the lessons I learned on that day. Dear RR readers, if you think this article might be a useful way for the Lord to speak into the hearts of lost family or friends, I invite you to prayerfully forward it to the names the Holy Spirit may bring to your mind. Thanks for reading. Robert Asher Mandel, is53@att.net

It was a beautiful afternoon when we arrived at the nature preserve. My brother-in-law, Tim, and I set up our lawn chairs beneath a spreading green tree, tied up my 5-month-old Cavapoo puppy, and equipped with chocolate malt and coke float, we settled in for a long afternoon of rest and relaxation.

We spent a wonderful hour in the sun until the sky began to cloud over. I was not concerned. Soon, the temperature began to drop; it only made the day cooler and more pleasant. Not long after, I felt a few drops of rain, so I casually asked Tim to get the weather report. But I was not in a hurry to leave such a comfortable spot!

Suddenly, Tim called out, “Bob, there’s a storm warning up! We’ve got to go!” I slowly stood to leave, taking my time, still hoping that things would blow over and return to normal. But within 30 quick seconds, strong winds were upon us, and the rain started to pour down! I yelled over to Tim to grab his walker and get into the car. I gathered up the pup and got her to safety. The chairs had already been blown apart, and by the time I collected everything, I was fairly well-soaked!

We quickly drove down the mile-long access road to the park, watching large branches snap and hearing the frightening sounds of heavy debris falling on our roof! Halfway to the main road, a woman in an SUV stopped to warn us to turn around because a tree had fallen across the road ahead! “Maybe she is exaggerating,” I thought. I decided to forge ahead because, even if her report were true, I imagined myself to be possibly capable of moving the small (?) tree, so I proceeded ahead despite her warning.

One hundred yards ahead, I found the situation just as she had said and, needless to tell, I could not budge the large tree one inch! I turned my car around to return to the relative safety of the picnic shelter we had left behind, but too late! In the 3 minutes since I had disregarded the message of my would-be rescuer, another large tree had fallen across the road behind me, blocking my way of retreat! C-R-R-A-A-A-CKK! W-H-A-A-M-M-M! We were trapped in the path of danger!

With nowhere to go, I told Tim to grab the dog and hunker down as I tried to position my vehicle away from the dead trees on either side. I called 911. I called the local fire department. Both told me that they were swamped with other more urgent calls and they would get to me when they could. It took about 2.5 hours! Caught in raging winds and rain, we listened to the loud cracks all around us and prayed that God would prevent that third tree from finally finding its mark! I had plenty of time to think back on how many warnings I had ignored and how similar the situation was to the way that many in the world are living today. I wrote this simple article as I waited out the storm.

The lessons of my experience are obvious. I was far too reluctant to leave my little oasis of comfort. I ignored the signs. I kept hoping that things would return to “normal.”

I waited too long. To compound my errors, I foolishly let my pride convince me that I could deal with whatever obstacles might be in my way as I made my escape. All of this left me facing terrible danger that I could have avoided had I been more humble and wise. The Lord spared my life, but it could have been different!

Dear friends, the Bible has provided us with many concrete signs to alert us to the arrival of the last times. I have been studying the prophetic scriptures for over 50 years. Please hear me when I tell you that we are now seeing those signs of the end occur all over the world! Even if you are not a Bible believer, you may well have a sense of impending danger as you see the skies darken and feel the first drops of rain. Friend, don’t make the same mistakes I made. You may still feel comfortable and safe, but it is far better to heed the warning signs before the storm breaks than once it hits.

Don’t be prideful like I was, believing yourself to be capable of dealing with whatever may come. Read the Book of Revelation, just chapters 6, 8, 9, and 13, and you will realize that you may have underestimated the seriousness of your impending danger. When God sends a messenger to warn you to turn around from the path you are on, don’t disregard their warning. Believe their words!

If you are humble and wise, you will reply to this email to ask the sender what you can do to deliver yourself from the deadly tragedies looming on the horizon for all on Earth!

If you would rather, just read the passages listed below and obey them. You will be eternally sorry if you don’t but eternally joyful if you do! May God bless and help you to escape the path of danger up ahead.

The Gospel of John, chapter 1, verses 12 and 13

“But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.” (verses from NLT)

The Gospel of John, chapter 3, verse 3.

“Jesus replied, I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.'”

The Gospel of John, chapter 3, verses 16 & 17

For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.”

Romans, chapter 3, verses 23-26

“…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished – he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.”

Romans, chapter 10, verses 9 and 10

“If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.”

The Book of Revelation, chapter 3, verse 20

“Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.”

The Book of Revelation, chapters 21 and 22