Never Alone

“Now the LORD had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you.I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing.I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”   Genesis 12:1-3. NKJV

Contained in this passage is one of the most important promises, along with a warning, that I believe God has given to the nation of Israel and all the other nations that inhabit the earth. In simple terms God says that any one person or nation that blesses Israel will be blessed, but to those who curse Israel, they in turn will be cursed. The United States and Israel have been allies since the inception of the Jewish state in 1948, and throughout the intervening years of both war and peace in the middle east we have continued to support the independence of Israel. 

Anyone who has taught the subject of eschatology, or what the Bible has to say about the end of the world as we know it, has at one time or another encountered the same question over and over again, and that is "where is the United States in prophecy?" Since it would appear that we are not mentioned specifically, those who teach on this subject have been left to come to conclusions based on what we do find in scripture and also on what we don't. The position I have chosen to teach over the years is really a simple one, and it goes something like this. The United States is not mentioned in the end times scenarios written in scripture for one of two reasons. One, we don't exist as a nation, or two, we exist but choose to not get involved.

Now since we have always been allies with Israel, the logical conclusion would be that we suffer some sort of an attack or at least are threatened with one serious enough to force us to question our support and then choose to withdraw. This is the conclusion most would come to based on the fact of our past strong support for Israel. Recent events on the political front initiated by our current president, however, may be signaling a radical shift in our foreign policy which in turn might suggest that in any future conflict the United States may choose to withdraw it's longstanding support for Israel.

President Donald Trump reportedly warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a tense phone call on Monday that further military escalation against Iran could leave Israel increasingly isolated, as new details emerged about growing disagreements between Jerusalem and Washington during the latest regional crisis. According to Israel’s Channel 12, Trump told Netanyahu, “You better be very careful with what you do because you might soon be left alone against Iran.”    https://worldisraelnews.com/trump-warned-netanyahu-you-may-be-left-alone-against-iran/

Already in Israel the feeling is emerging that the United States is "rethinking" its historical support of Israel. They see our president attempting to influence the policy making of the Israeli government led by Benjamin Netanyahu.  Slowly but surely it would appear that a shift is occurring in regards to our relationship with Israel, and Israel is fully aware of it. There are signs that Israel is preparing to address the threats from Iran without the support or approval of the United States, which in the past has been a major concern. Does Israel feel abandoned already?

President Trump says that Prime Minister Netanyahu will accept whatever deal his administration makes. Maybe, maybe not. Netanyahu could see the approaching November midterm elections in America and even Israeli elections in October, and declare that this is the moment for a new Israeli Independence Day.  https://harbingersdaily.com/a-time-to-act-is-now-the-moment-for-netanyahu-to-declare-a-new-independence-day-for-israel/

There is no other way to take this statement than President Trump telling a sovereign nation that he alone calls the shots and Israel has no choice but to accept them.  I would suggest that is a grave miscalculation on his part as the Bible tells us that there is coming a time where the entire world is against Israel and they will defend themselves without any help from anyone other than God.

Iran & Israel cease fire for now, PM Netanyahu warns: If Iran attacks again we’ll respond with ‘overwhelming force ’https://allisraelnews.com/iran-israel-cease-fire-for-now-pm-netanyahu-warns-if-iran-attacks-again-well-respond-with-overwhelming-force

“And it shall come to pass, that as I have watched over them to pluck up, to break down, to throw down, to destroy, and to afflict, so I will watch over them to build and to plant, says the LORD.     Jeremiah 31:28 NKJV

“We are no longer scattered among the nations, powerless to defend ourselves. We restored our sovereignty in our ancient home. And the soldiers who defend our home have boundless courage. For the first time in 100 generations, we, the Jewish people, can defend ourselves. This is why -- this is why, as a prime minister of Israel, I can promise you one more thing: Even if Israel has to stand alone, Israel will stand. But I know that Israel does not stand alone. I know that America stands with Israel. I know that you stand with Israel. You stand with Israel, because you know that the story of Israel is not only the story of the Jewish people but of the human spirit that refuses again and again to succumb to history's horrors.  Facing me right up there in the gallery, overlooking all of us in this (inaudible) chamber is the image of Moses. Moses led our people from slavery to the gates of the Promised Land. And before the people of Israel entered the land of Israel, Moses gave us a message that has steeled our resolve for thousands of years. I leave you with his message today, (SPEAKING IN HEBREW), "Be strong and resolute, neither fear nor dread them.''  

Benjamin Netanyahu speaking to Congress 3/3/15

Israel can defend itself.

I would certainly not argue that point even when looking at the list of enemies the nation of Israel faces at the present time, and I would remind you that I and many others believe the next major event on Israel’s prophetic calendar is the destruction of Damascus revealed to us in Isaiah 17.  Yet when it comes to defending itself, I would also point out that it is one thing to defend against a smaller, weaker opponent than it will be when the entire world comes knocking at their door.  This will be the case after their destruction of Damascus, as it is explained to us in Ezekiel 38-39 where God allows the armies of Gog and their allies to mass for an attack on Israel in order to reveal Himself to both Israel and the world as the true defender of His people.

“The Gentiles shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity; because they were unfaithful to Me, therefore I hid My face from them. I gave them into the hand of their enemies, and they all fell by the sword. “According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions I have dealt with them, and hidden My face from them.” ’ “Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Now I will bring back the captives of Jacob, and have mercy on the whole house of Israel; and I will be jealous for My holy name—‘after they have borne their shame, and all their unfaithfulness in which they were unfaithful to Me, when they dwelt safely in their own land and no one made them afraid. ‘When I have brought them back from the peoples and gathered them out of their enemies’ lands, and I am hallowed in them in the sight of many nations, ‘then they shall know that I am the LORD their God, who sent them into captivity among the nations, but also brought them back to their land, and left none of them captive any longer. ‘And I will not hide My face from them anymore; for I shall have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel,’ says the Lord GOD.”    Ezekiel 39:23-29  NKJV

In this instance, Israel will not find it necessary to take on the responsibility of defending itself as God chooses to do that Himself by supernaturally confusing the enemy to the extent that they turn on each other and destroy themselves.  Personally, what I find most intriguing about what God has to say in this passage is that the entire nation of Israel, everyone, will “know that I am the LORD their God”.  Some might think it surprising, or somehow miraculous that the coming antichrist will be able to enforce a peace between Israel and its enemies, but I want to suggest that might be rather easy given the fact that the entire world just watched God defend Israel!  I don’t believe too many of Israel’s enemies would need to have their arms twisted to agree to a peace with Israel after watching what God can do.

“And it will come to pass at the same time, when Gog comes against the land of Israel,” says the Lord GOD, “that My fury will show in My face. “For in My jealousy and in the fire of My wrath I have spoken: ‘Surely in that day there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel, ‘so that the fish of the sea, the birds of the heavens, the beasts of the field, all creeping things that creep on the earth, and all men who are on the face of the earth shall shake at My presence. The mountains shall be thrown down, the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.’ “I will call for a sword against Gog throughout all My mountains,” says the Lord GOD. “Every man’s sword will be against his brother. “And I will bring him to judgment with pestilence and bloodshed; I will rain down on him, on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, flooding rain, great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. “Thus I will magnify Myself and sanctify Myself, and I will be known in the eyes of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the LORD.” ’      Ezekiel38:18-23  NKJV

Who defends Israel?  God Almighty.  Does Israel really need America as its ally when they have the God of the universe on their side?  The simple answer is no.  This is only my opinion, but as someone who has studied the words and watched the actions of Benjamin Netanyahu for many years, my belief is that he has a personal relationship with God and knows full well who defends Israel.  As a politician, he might desire the friendship and support of the United States, but as a believer, he knows full well who really defends Israel.  

“Tell you what, if there wasn’t me, there would be no Israel right now”… Those were the words of President Trump in an interview on Wednesday.https://harbingersdaily.com/no-israel-without-trump-mr-president-god-isnt-looking-for-a-partner-to-share-his-glory/

I would have to say that I personally believe that to be an incredibly naive statement that demonstrates a rather large ignorance of Bible prophecy.  If I were to give any advice to our president I would strongly suggest he read and become intimately familiar with the passage from Genesis which begins this post. Should a major conflict, which we know from scripture is on the near horizon, occur in the Middle East and we choose to withdraw our support, God is very clear that we will be cursed. The only question is what form our judgement would take.  

The Bible states in no uncertain terms that Israel is the apple of God’s eye and He will not only defend them but promises that He alone will judge them at the end of this age.  Their survival is guaranteed and no one individual or any nation on earth can change that.  Considering we are told that all of the nations of the earth will be against Israel, and it’s biggest ally, the United States, is threatening to withdraw its support, one can’t help but wonder just how close we are to the end of this age.

There is no question in my mind, and many others as well, that we have arrived at that point in time which the Bible speaks so much about and that the removal of the Church to spend eternity with God by way of the rapture will shortly occur. Becoming part of the body of Christ, the Church, is the result of our choice to accept the sacrifice made by Jesus Christ for our sins.  If you haven’t made that choice, what better time than right now to do it, before it’s too late.  

Simply pray a prayer like this; Jesus I know that I am a sinner, and have sinned against you.  I believe you loved me enough to send your Son Jesus to die for my sins, and that He rose from the dead so that I can live.  Forgive me of my sins and come into my life and help me to live for you.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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No One Knows

“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only”.  Matthew 24:36  NKJV

How often have you heard this verse quoted as an argument surrounding the time of the rapture of the Church and whether or not we can know it?  To be honest, not only could I not put a number to how many times I have heard it, I can’t even remember just how long ago I first heard it because it was so long ago.  As far back as I can recollect it seems I have heard this over and over again whenever the subject of the rapture comes up.  Yet funny as it may sound, for just about as long, I can recall being somewhat uncomfortable with this explanation and application for reasons I could not fully explain.

So the time finally arrived when I decided that this was a question I needed to answer for myself and proceeded to apply what understanding I had at the time concerning Biblical interpretation towards examining this portion of scripture and deciding for myself if it did indeed refer to the rapture.  I proceeded to do that using the basic knowledge of the rules of interpretation that I had been taught and which have been used for generations.  One of my earliest teachers was Chuck Missler, a wonderful Bible expositor and teacher that I am sure many of you are familiar with.  One of his favorite sayings concerning studying the scriptures, and one which I will never forget goes something like this: “If you torture the data long enough, you can get it to confess to anything”. 

All too often it would seem many employ just that tactic in order to support a position they adhere to, when in fact, a closer examination of the passage proves otherwise.  One of the first rules of interpretation is that you never take a verse away from the context in which it was written.  This principle, which has stood me in good stead over the years, is extremely important in this particular case.  So first of all we need to examine this passage in light of the context in which it was written.  Think “big picture”.  So the first thing I did with this verse is take a step back and look at the entire conversation, when it occurred, who Jesus was talking to, and what was going on that prompted Jesus to say what He said. 

“Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”  Matthew 24:3  NKJV

So by examining the context of this conversation, and asking the three questions I just mentioned, this is what I came up with.  This was the beginning of the Passion Week, and Jesus was soon to be taken and crucified for the sins of the world.  From what He had been saying to His disciples, they had a pretty good idea that something was up and were seeking clarification.  As Jews, looking for their Messiah, their concern was with the nation of Israel and its future in relation to the coming kingdom, which the prophets and Jesus had foretold.  Their question to Him was specific, and pointed; “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”

When I did this, it seemed obvious to me that Jesus was speaking about the future of the nation of Israel, and not the Church as many have chosen to believe.  From the Jewish perspective, the disciples knew only that one day the current age would end and that the Messiah would establish His Kingdom.  They knew nothing of the Church as it would be established, or of what is now known as the “Church Age”, so an obvious question I asked myself is why would Jesus speak of it or refer to the rapture in answer to their questions about Israel and the future end of the world?  The only answer that makes sense to me is that Jesus is simply answering the disciple’s questions about when the world as they knew it would end. 

Now I am sure there will be those who would disagree with that conclusion, but to those I would point out something else I noticed.  If we wish to follow the rule that you never take a verse out of context, it seems logical to read the verse that immediately precedes the passage where Jesus says that no one knows the day or the hour.  If we do that, and read both together, this is what we find.

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away”.  “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.    Matthew 24:35,36  NKJV

It certainly seems obvious to me that Jesus is speaking of the future time when heaven and earth will pass away.  Although we might not know the day or the hour this occurs, we certainly do know when it will happen because Jesus revealed it to the Apostle John on the island of Patmos when He showed him the “things to come”.

“Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.”     Revelation 21:1-5  NKJV 

Heaven and earth will pass away at God’s command and He will usher in eternity with a new Heaven and a new earth.  Only He knows the day and the hour this will happen, but He has also told us that if we watch, the signs of that time approaching will be as obvious as a woman in labor. Heaven and earth do not pass away at the rapture, so to take Jesus’ own words and apply them to a different event just seems wrong. I am sure there are, and will be those who disagree with my thoughts on these words from Jesus to His disciples but in all honesty I think the simplest answers are the best ones.  Of course, this then begs the question; can we know the time of the rapture?  

Would you believe my answer to that question is “no man knows the day or the hour”?  Now I am not trying to confuse you so let me explain what I mean by that statement.  I recall as a history major back in my college days spending time studying the Manhattan Project, which was the US government program aimed at creating the first atomic bomb.  Something that made a very big impression on me was discovering that when questioned about what was going to happen when the first test bomb was set to explode, the scientists replied that they really had no idea.  In other words, they didn’t know.

God, our Heavenly Father, was, is, and always will be the only one who knows the future.  Many might claim foreknowledge but the truth remains that no one knows the future but God alone.  There will always be a difference between knowing the future and thinking you know the future, which we have seen demonstrated time and time again by those who believe they can predict when the rapture will take place.  No man can know, with one hundred percent certainty, when the rapture will occur. Many have, and will speculate believing they have figured it out but in the end, they don’t know, just like the nuclear physicists that created the first atomic bomb did’nt know.

On that subject there is another point I would like to make which addresses something I hear quite often.  When discussing predictions of rapture dates I often hear people say that by picking a specific date, one automatically disqualifies that date for being the correct one because “no one knows”. I would respond that what I have said previously still holds and that is it’s impossible to “know” for certain that the rapture will occur on a specific date.  That does not, however, mean that someone might correctly guess the day it might occur.  No one “knows” the winning lottery numbers but people do guess correctly some of  the time.

While trying to predict the timing of the rapture seems to be growing in popularity, I would suggest that while fruitless, it is also a result of the growing awareness that our time of departure is close at hand.  We have been told plainly by the scriptures that if we are faithful to watch, we will recognize the signs of the end of this age as they appear.  I believe the recent focus on the rapture and end times signs is, in fact, a result of many in the body coming to the same conclusion, and that is that the time of our departure is imminent.

The rapture of the Church, made up by all who have chosen to believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and sacrificed Himself for our sins, is quickly approaching, The signs we have been told to watch for are becoming all too hard to ignore.  If you are one who has never made the decision to believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, I pray you would consider doing that today.  Simply pray a prayer like this one and receive the free gift God has offered to all who choose to believe.

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 Hardest Thing To Do

“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”     Ephesians 4:30 NKJV

Have you ever had your feelings hurt? Has there ever been a time where someone close to you, someone you really cared about did or said something to hurt you? I think it is safe to say that we all have, as it seems almost impossible to go through life without experiencing this kind of hurt from those who are close to us. I think it is also safe to say that the reason it hurts so bad is that this kind of hurt can only come from those we are closest to and from those who we really care about.

Yet as we tend to focus on the hurts we receive from others, are we honest enough with ourselves to acknowledge that we might be hurting the one who is closest to us? In this chapter of Ephesians Paul is instructing believers concerning the changes in our behavior which are a result of our new relationship with Christ. After he talks about those changes, he then uses this verse to remind us that the failure to exhibit the attitudes expected from true believers results in “grieving” the Holy Spirit. The word used here for grieve is “lypeō” which translated means “to make sorrowful, to affect with sadness, cause grief, to throw into sorrow, to grieve, offend, to make one uneasy, cause him a scruple.” 

How often do we really acknowledge that we can, in fact, grieve the Holy Spirit in this way? There are things we can do which actually cause the Holy Spirit to be sad, offended, and deeply hurt. Why is He hurt so badly? Because He loved us so much that He chose to make the greatest sacrifice He ever could by sending His Son to die for our sins, which is the gift which “seals” us for the “day of redemption”.  So what is it that we do which grieves the Holy Spirit this badly? Paul tells us in the next two verses.

“Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”

Ephesians 4:31,32 NKJV

Looking at this verse you might conclude that the negative qualities of “bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking” result in a spirit of unforgiveness but I would suggest that there is another way to look at it. It also seems logical that being unwilling to forgive someone actually produces these sinful behaviors which grieve the Holy Spirit.  Show me a believer who exhibits these qualities and I am certain you will find they are the result of refusing to forgive as we are commanded to do.

Is forgiving hard?  Absolutely, yet in all honesty I believe that true believers who are indwelt by the Holy Spirit have all they need to forgive any offense by anyone at anytime.  That said, it follows that we have no excuse that God will accept for choosing not to forgive. The failure to forgive is a choice rather than an inability.  By not forgiving others, the result will be that our relationship with the Father will suffer greatly and our lives will begin to exhibit the negative qualities listed above.

Simply put, it is our reaction to those who offend us and our unwillingness to forgive them, which grieves the Holy Spirit. Paul spends an entire chapter explaining how we are to be changed by our decision to become believers and to allow God to enter our lives and show us His way. He makes the point that when we do make this decision, a changed life is not only desired, but expected. The world encourages us to play the blame game, and withhold forgiveness, while Paul tells us here we are to act differently.  We are not to walk as the world walks, and as we used to, but rather to walk in a manner that demonstrates the power of God's love which is now in us.

“I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”     Ephesians 4:1-3 NKJV

It seems apparent as well from the context that Paul is talking about our relationships with our fellow believers, and especially how we choose to treat them. Why is that? As we have said before, we would all agree that the biggest hurts come from those who are closest to us, and who is closer than our own family? So what is the key to maintaining the unity of our family, the body of Christ? How are we to react when we are offended by something someone does or says that causes us to hurt? Paul tells us in the very last verse in the chapter when he says “forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.“

So just how has God forgiven us? Let me share just a few things that came to mind when I began to think seriously about that question.

Unconditionally. The first thing I thought of in my own life is that no matter what I have done, God has forgiven me. Doesn't matter what it was, how big a sin, how offensive to Him, He forgives. How often have we looked at something someone else has done and said “I can't forgive them for that!” Truth be told, you can, but you just choose not to. Have you ever found yourself trying to justify feeling the way you do towards another? Quite honestly, if you have to try and justify it you have in fact already admitted you are wrong. 

Repeatedly. So I have finally arrived at the point in my life where I no longer sin? Wrong. We all struggle with sin, and as long as we are trapped in this body we will sin. I don't like it, you don't like it, but we all have a sin nature and we all sin. However no matter how often we fall, God is willing to forgive us time after time after time. Do you know someone who continually offends you by sinning? Is your attitude towards them one of reluctance to forgive because “they” don't change? How comfortable would you be if God refused to forgive you because “you” didn't change? Our attitude towards others should always be to forgive and never hesitate to extend to them the same forgiveness God extends to us.

Genuinely. “Talk is cheap”. Ever hear that expression? Most of us have at one time or another, and I'm sure most of us understand that the meaning behind it is clear; talk is useless if it is not backed up by action. Try another one; “if you are going to talk the talk, walk the walk”. Did you notice something in the last verse of this chapter? When God instructs us to forgive someone, He tells us first to be kind. This is not describing an attitude, but rather an action. We are being told to treat someone who offends us in a kind manner, rather than striking out in anger letting our emotions get the best of us. How many of us would be here if God struck out at us “unkindly” every time we sinned?

Our sin does not affect God's love, His patience, or His actions towards us so it follows that  our feelings and patience and actions towards sin from a brother or sister should not be any different. Is there a brother or sister you are holding something against? Is there someone in the family you treat unkindly because you just can't bring yourself to forgive them? If so, according to this passage you are grieving the Holy Spirit, hurting Him worse than you yourselves are hurt and seriously affecting your relationship with Him. Should we not follow God's example towards us?

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  1 John 1:9 NKJV

If you have never confessed your sins to God and accepted His forgiveness and gift of eternal life you can make that decision right now.  I encourage you to pray this prayer and accept God’s promise to save you.

Jesus I know I am a sinner in need of salvation. I believe you sent your Son Jesus to die on the cross for my sin, and I ask you now to forgive me of my sins. I want to receive your gift of salvation so please come into my heart and help me to live for you from now on. In Jesus' name, Amen.

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