Only One King

“For God is the King of all the earth; Sing praises with understanding.God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne.Be still, be quiet, and listen to Him speak.”  Psalms 47:7-8. NKJV

Once upon a time I travelled to northern New York state on vacation and found it to be quite different than what I had anticipated. Having never visited that part of the country I had no idea what to expect as far as what nature had to offer but figured that forest is forest and there wouldn’t be much of a difference between it and what we enjoy in the Pacific Northwest. As is my habit, I would get up rather early and take my coffee and walk outside to watch the world wake up, and as  we were staying in the country on the edge of the forest it only took a few steps for me to find myself swallowed up by my surroundings.

One of the things I noticed immediately which was very different from the forests I am used to is that if you are quiet, the forest there is louder and very much alive with the sounds of it's wildlife. So much so that I spent close to an hour one morning just trying to identify each of the sounds I heard with the animals that made them. By the end of our visit I learned enough to actually figure out who was talking and even their mood...(squirrels can be very vocal and emotional).

The argument could be made that this past year has seen the world around us begin to talk rather loudly, considering the geological and geopolitical events we have seen. There are numerous blogs and discussion groups to be found on the internet where many are sharing their ideas and conclusions to what it all means, and especially warnings about what the future might hold as we approach the end of 2025. The question for us as believers, however, is all of this just coincidence or is God beginning to speak in a way His creation will hear and possibly understand?

“God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High. God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn. The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted. The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah Come, behold the works of the Lord, Who has made desolations in the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariot in the fire. Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah”

Psalms 46:1-11 NKJV

While all of the opinions and speculations are intriguing, my first thoughts when considering the events of the past few months went to my visit back East, and the words we find in both of these Psalms where God tells us to “be still”. The Hebrew phrase “be still” is the word raphah, which literally means to “relax, drop down, and be quiet”. When I read that I thought of how I did exactly that in the forest, and the result being that I suddenly began to hear what was going on around me.  So too, I believe, this may be good advice for us as believers at this particular time.

In the context of the Psalm, we are told that the day will come where God will speak in just the manner we may be seeing right now. The earth is shaking, the weather seems out of control, the future of the Middle East is uncertain to say the least, the economies of many nations are shaky with social unrest being the order of the day in virtually every nation. Israel is hoping the on again off again peace agreement in the Gaza Strip will hold, Russia and the Ukraine is a conflict which at present seems unsolvable and everyone wants to know just what it all means? For we as believers the answer is found in this Psalm where God tells us in no uncertain terms that He is the power behind all of this and we should be reassured that He “is our refuge and strength”.

Even within the body of Christ, the opinions and speculations of the past few months have led many to question if indeed we are approaching the time in history that most of us have been waiting for.  There is no question that the “labor pains” of this world are increasing in both frequency and intensity leading to a significant increase in the anticipation of the Church’s promised deliverance by Jesus Christ.  Yet some are of the opinion we have entered a period with more questions than answers.  My reply to that might be exactly who are you listening to for answers?  The passage from Psalm 47 states clearly that God is the only King and I believe it best to go to Him for the answers we seek.

“Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.“So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors!“Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”  Matthew 24:32-35. NKJV

We can certainly make the argument that what we are seeing now, is in fact, the time Jesus told us to specifically watch for.  That said, who better to go to with our questions than our Father in heaven?  The Bible is full of stories and examples of people of faith calling on God for answers and listening for Him to respond.  Taking the time to simply rest quietly and listen while reading His Word and taking comfort in His promises is the best answer for understanding the times we are living in and witnessing the events around us that seem to be out of control.

If you have been wondering or troubled by all that has been happening in the past few months let the verses from Psalm 46 be a comfort to you. While it is easy to try and look for answers in the media, either worldly or spiritual, believers need to take the time to be quiet and think on His words to us in this Psalm and let the God of this universe speak to us with reassurance in order not to fear the events happening around us.  May we never forget that God is "a very present help in trouble". 

Rather than listening to other voices, and seeking answers elsewhere, may I suggest we go straight to the King with our questions.  It's important to understand that God operates on His own timetable and just where we are on His clock is something only He knows.  Instead of listening to speculations of timing and experiencing disappointment, I believe if we are quiet and listen carefully God, through the Holy Spirit, will tell us what He wants us to hear, and make sense of all that we are seeing occur.

It’s often been said that Israel is God’s timepiece and we can know where we are on God’s timetable by looking at the events occurring there.  As far as the conflict between Israel and it's neighbors, God addresses that particular problem in many passages but I chose this particular one to share with you today.

“But thus says the LORD: "Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, And the prey of the terrible be delivered; For I will contend with him who contends with you, And I will save your children. I will feed those who oppress you with their own flesh, And they shall be drunk with their own blood as with sweet wine. All flesh shall know That I, the LORD, [am] your Savior, And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob."

Isaiah 49:25-26 NKJV

I believe the Bible makes it clear that there will never be a lasting peace between Israel and its enemies until the end of this age.  Just this past week we have seen reports that Israel is gearing up to once again address the situation with Hezbollah in Lebanon while Iraq, Iran, and Yemen are also on their short list. The ultimate goal and purpose behind everything we see going on in the world today is that our God intends to show the entire world through the nation of Israel, that He alone is God.  What we see right now is the King of this world moving the pieces into place for just that time.  That the Church is still here shows us that God is still waiting for the perfect time to remove all true believers and then turn His attention to Israel and the plans He has for them.  

God is the only King in this world and everything is under His control.  Whether orchestrated by Him or allowed to occur by His divine permissive will, all that we are seeing is part of His plan for this world.  Regardless of how out of control things may appear, we can rest assured knowing the King is on His throne and we have nothing to fear.  Just as David did in these Psalms, we need to simply go to God through His Word and be still and listen for His response and instruction.  As David told us, God "is our refuge and strength".

God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to this earth for the sole purpose of sacrificing Himself so we can spend eternity with Him in Heaven.  The signs of His imminent return for us are all around us as we witness the world beginning to spin out of control. If you have never taken the step of accepting this gift of eternal life, I urge you to do it right now.  Simply pray a prayer like this one and confess to God your need for salvation, and accept the gift He provided for you by the death and resurrection of His own Son, Jesus Christ.

Jesus I know I am a sinner. I have sinned against you, but I know you loved me enough to send your Son, Jesus Christ to die for my sins and then rise from the dead so that I may live forever with You. Lord forgive me of my sins and come into my life and help me to begin to live for You. In Jesus' name, Amen.

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Fall and Fruit

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”   Galatians 5:22-23  NKJV

Growing up in Southern California, I was only familiar with two seasons; warm and hot. It took a move to the Pacific Northwest to experience what four seasons was really all about, and actually having four choices as to which one I enjoyed the most. I don’t know about any of you, but my favorite has always been the fall. Just to experience the relief from the long, hot summer, feel the weather changing, doing yard work as the leaves change color and then fall, and looking forward to taking it a little easier in the winter all bring me a sense of enjoyment.  Then, of course, there are the apples on my apple tree finally getting ripe and getting ready to be picked so I can turn them into my favorite homemade apple pie.

I personally think there is nothing so beautiful as a tree full of fruit ready for harvest. As a child in California, I always looked forward to seeing the hills turn orange when all the oranges on the trees would begin to turn color. It is the same now living where I do. Here in the fall, it’s the apple orchards I get to watch as the apples begin to turn red.  When they begin to ripen, the entire orchard changes color and if you have never seen an apple or orange tree full of fruit ready for picking, you have really missed something. I have also always been amazed by just how much fruit one tree can produce, especially on my own tree and how obvious it is when the fruit is ripe.

This past week as I began picking apples, my thoughts turned to the passage from Galatians with which I am sure most of us are familiar, that talks about the fruit of the Spirit. I even have a framed print of it hanging on a wall in my home to remind me of what is expected from me as a believer. “Expected”? Yes, if we accept the fact that being filled with the Holy Spirit is a choice, then it follows that producing the fruits of the Spirit is also a choice. In other words, the ability to produce the fruit of the Spirit is in us, but we must also choose to exhibit them. 

The three fruits of the Spirit mentioned in this passage from Galatians, longsuffering, kindness, and goodness, are ones I would describe as "demonstrative". They describe just how we as believers exhibit our relationship with God by how we interact with others. Just as you can see fruit on a tree and be attracted to it, people should be able to see us practicing our fruits of the spirit, and be attracted by them.

“[Exhort] bondservants to be obedient to their own masters, to be well pleasing in all [things], not answering back, not pilfering, but showing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things.”   Titus 2:9-10 NKJV

Paul tells Titus that one of his responsibilities is to exhort servants to “adorn” themselves, or in other words, to make the choice to adorn.  As I considered the subject of the fruits of the Spirit this week, I also realized that while my tree may be covered in fruit, it really becomes noticeable when they turn bright red in the fall.  What I think God expects from us as believers is to approach every single day with the thought of “how do I show others the fruit of the Spirit”?  So often we believe that if we arrive at a certain level of maturity in our walk with Christ the fruit will appear “naturally” in everything we do. However if we take a good look around, especially within the body, I think we can see that may not be the case.

I am sure most of you realize and would confess that we as believers sometimes stumble and exhibit fruits not of the Spirit.  At one time or another we all have acted or spoken in a manner which does not show any of the fruit listed in this passage. I am not suggesting that those who do not exhibit the fruits of the Spirit are not true believers, but rather that just as being filled with the Spirit is a choice, producing the fruit of the Spirit is a choice as well. It is one thing to go to church, study, fellowship, and grow as a believer, but it is another thing entirely to choose to put on and exhibit the fruit of the Spirit.

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”       Matthew 5:16 NKJV

 

Have you ever really stopped to consider that people are attracted to what they see?  I have always enjoyed the produce section of a market and appreciate the time and trouble they go to in order to present the fruits and vegetables in an attractive display.  It is almost as if they want to tempt you to touch and feel and ultimately purchase what they are displaying.  As believers, how often do we think about how our spiritual makeup can affect, and even attract, the attention of non-believers?  Choosing to put on the fruits of the Spirit, however, is only the first step because like all fruit, our spiritual fruit must be cultivated.

A memory I will always have is waking up at night when the wind machines would turn on in the orchards to protect the fruit from freezing. If you are not familiar with that, many orchards have large airplane propellers with motors mounted on poles high above the trees. When the temperature would approach freezing, these would turn on to circulate the air and prevent frost from forming on the trees. Imagine living next to an airport when 20 or so airplanes start their engines at the same time and you will begin to understand what I experienced. The "outward" fruits are a result of believers growing in the warmth of God's love. The closer you are to God, the greater the warmth and the more you grow.

“Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!”     Psalms 34:8  NKJV

My uncle was an orchardist, and I remember accompanying him often while he drove around to different orchards resetting sprinklers and taking care of business. (with five kids, this was probably my mother's answer to daycare) Although it didn't occur to me then, not only did his work require a lot of physical effort, it was necessary for the trees to get the proper amount of water to produce their fruit.  The trees had to be pruned properly, be protected from insects which could harm the fruit, and often weeds would have to be controlled so as to not rob the trees of the water they needed to grow.  A result of cultivating a healthy relationship with God is growth, which occurs when we make the effort to take in the knowledge to be found in His Word which He has provided for us. As a result, our "fruit" will grow in proportion to what we take in.

“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have [its] perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”   James 1:2-4 NKJV

“let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”     Hebrews 10:22 NKJV

Just like seeing ripe apples on a tree and wanting to pick one, people are attracted by what they see and as believers we are encouraged to adorn ourselves in such a way as to attract others to the source of our fruit, Jesus Christ. May we as believers choose to cultivate our relationship with Christ in such a way as to grow our fruit for the world to see.  

There are many passages in the Word which refer to the “harvest” of believers and especially to the fall as the season of the harvest.  Could this be a clue from our Father that the rapture of the Church will occur in the fall season?  Only God knows but if that were to be the case I believe it is important for us to be ripe in the sense that we are reflecting the fruits of the Spirit as God has intended us to do.

Have you received the free gift of salvation God has provided for you?  Jesus loved you enough that He gave His life in order to have a personal relationship with you. When you believe in Him and accept His death as His payment for your sin, He forgives you and welcomes you into the family of God.  If you are reading this today and have never made the decision to accept Jesus Christ into your heart and accept the free gift of eternal life He has offered you, I urge you to do so right now. You can do that by praying this prayer and accepting the gift of eternal life God has offered you by the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ.

Dear Father in heaven, I believe in your son Jesus. I believe that He died on the cross for my sins, that He rose up from the grave, and that my sins are forgiven.  Forgive me of my sin, help me to walk with you, and thank you for saving me. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

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The Second Judgment

“For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water.But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.”  2 Peter 3:5-7  NKJV

As we approach the anniversary of the flood of Noah, one of the things I like to remind people of is that in reality, the flood was only the first of two judgments this world is to experience according to the Word of God.  The second judgment is, of course, the tribulation period which will last for seven years and end when Jesus returns to this earth the second time.  This is what the apostle Peter is referring to in the passage above when he tells us that the earth was judged first by water, and in the future tribulation it will be by fire.

Many bible scholars have long felt that there is sufficient evidence to support the proposition that the coming tribulation begins in the fall of the year. Years ago when I first met Chuck Missler and began to study his teachings, one thing he said which has always stuck with me was “your most fruitful investigations will be to probe the insights of the Jewish calendar”.  Another thing he said was that in the Bible, “pattern is prologue”.  Considering those comments as I studied the flood of Noah, it occurred to me that it is entirely possible that we are being given a clue as to when the tribulation period might actually begin.

“Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,’ “  Isaiah 46:9-10  NKJV

I would be the first to say that I am sure someone could write an entire book expounding these two verses from the prophet Isaiah.  This is my “go to” passage when someone tells me we don’t need to study the Old Testament anymore because we have the New Testament to rely on.  In my opinion, nothing could be further from the truth for there is so much to be found in the stories of the Old Testament, especially as it relates to the future of this world in general, and the Church in particular.  Paul even discussed this in his letter to the Corinthian church when speaking about all that happened to the nation of Israel during their history.

“Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.”   1 Corinthians 10:11  NKJV

Typology is the term used to describe the study of past events as a picture revealing the truth of a future event.  In essence what this means is that many of the events in the Old Testament were actually a picture of what was going to occur in the future.  Many scholars see the rapture of Enoch, which occurred just before the flood of Noah, as a type or pattern of the rapture of the Church, which will also happen just before the start of the final period of God’s judgment of an unbelieving world.  

Other examples would be the story of Abraham being told to sacrifice his only son Isaac, and God providing a lamb as a substitute. Or Joseph, sent by his father to visit his brothers and being “killed” in a sense by his imprisonment in Egypt only to reappear as second only to Pharaoh as ruler in Egypt. Also, there is Jonah, being thrown overboard allowing the others to survive while he suffers the punishment of God's wrath in the belly of the whale for three days and three nights. There are many more, but hopefully these are enough for you to understand what is meant by the study of typology.

One of the reasons many watch for the feast days of Israel to arrive is the amazing “coincidence” of numerous major events in Israel’s history which have taken place on those particular days over the past 5000 years. It would seem that God, by intent, has chosen to reveal Himself by orchestrating events to occur on the anniversary of many special days throughout Israel’s calendar. Since these occurrences are, according to the odds, almost impossible to explain it would seem that we are faced with the inescapable conclusion that not only is God at work, but He has chosen certain days to do certain things.

"But as the days of Noah [were], so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. "For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, "and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.”    Matthew 24:37-39 NKJV

I talked last week about the time of the flood, and the fact that the Bible states clearly that life changed dramatically the day that Noah entered the ark and God shut the door.  We also know that the flood, or judgment began seven days later so the question for today is this, could it be possible to identify the day when the tribulation will begin by looking at when the world was judged by God at the time of the flood of Noah as a typological event? If so, the Bible tells us clearly that the flood began on the seventeenth day of the second month, which is Cheshvan 17 on the Jewish civil calendar. 

“In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.”

Genesis 7:11 NKJV

Many of you know the fall feasts occur during the first month of Tishri, beginning with Rosh Hashanah which began September 23 this year. As the Jewish calendar is lunar rather than solar, each month begins with the first sighting of the new moon. If the new moon is sighted as it should be this October 23, then the seventeenth day of the second month, the anniversary of the flood, should be on November 9 of this year.  Also, and possibly more significant to the Church, the tenth of the month, or the day God shut the door of the Ark is November 2.

“For I am the LORD, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.   Malachi 3:6. NKJV

Now considering the fact we know that God has allowed many events to occur on the same day of the year throughout history, and He has clearly stated that He does not change, is it possible that by knowing the exact day the flood began we can assume the next judgment of the world could begin on the anniversary of the first judgment? I believe our answer to that could certainly be “why not”? It would follow the pattern that God has already established, and might, in light of other passages of scripture, be logical when we know that Jesus talked of His return at the end of the age by referring to the time of Noah and the flood.

As we see in the passage from Matthew 24, when Jesus was talking to the disciples about the end of this age, He specifically mentions the time of Noah and the flood and tells them that the two events will be similar. The obvious question for us is, however, “how similar”? Jesus does go on to describe the lifestyle of the world at the time of the flood, but could there be other similarities as well? Some may not know that this was not the only time Jesus talked about the flood of Noah during His ministry, so why not look to the other?

Some time before the Olivet Discourse, Jesus was teaching in Jerusalem and was asked a question by the Pharisees concerning the coming kingdom. In the course of discussing that subject, He looked to His disciples and used the flood of Noah as an illustration much the same as He would later do in the Garden.

"And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: "They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.     Luke 17:26-27 NKJV

In light of the state of the world right now, and the events which many believe are building up to an "apocalyptical" type of event, is it possible we are fast approaching the beginning of that period of time which the Bible tells us so much about? It would probably not surprise anyone who makes it a point to study current events with regards to biblical prophecy, yet as we have seen in the past, the patience of God towards His people could best be described as longsuffering. Yet even God has foreordained a point in time when His judgment will fall on an unbelieving world, and as many believe, it could be very close.

While I want to make it clear that I am not predicting anything, considering the facts outlined above I couldn’t help but ask myself a few interesting questions.

Was the flood of Noah and the judgment of the world a typological event?

Most certainly.  Peter makes it clear there are two judgments of an unbelieving world, one already accomplished and one more in our future.

Could the tribulation period begin on the anniversary of the flood of Noah?

Why not?  We can see that God has orchestrated past events to occur on the same day throughout Israel’s history and God Himself has said He doesn’t change.

Is it possible the rapture of the Church could occur seven days before the start of the tribulation mimicking the day God shut the door of the Ark?

Absolutely.  Yet because the rapture is an “imminent” event it could obviously occur at any time.  I do, however, find it interesting that Paul described the rapture in nautical terms as we have mentioned before referring to the full number of gentiles “coming in” and God also waited until the ark was full and then shut the door.

Again I am not trying to set dates or predict anything other than to point out the possibility that history will repeat itself exactly as it has done before which the Bible clearly reveals.  As always, though, considering what is promised to occur the question we must all ask ourselves is are we ready for that time to arrive?  If you have never opened the door of your heart to Jesus and made the decision to accept His gift of eternal life spent with Him, I would urge you to do it right now.  You can do that by simply praying this prayer and asking Him to come in.

Dear Father in heaven, I believe in your son Jesus. I believe that He died on the cross for my sins, that He rose up from the grave, and that my sins are forgiven.  Forgive me of my sin, help me to walk with you, and thank you for saving me. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

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