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You won't find a better Preacher who KNOWS God's Word! Israel in Prophecy - Signs of the Times Pastor Jentezen Franklin (He won't beg you for money!!)
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 READ TO THE END FOR THE GOOD NEWS (16) For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the "Dead in CHRIST Shall Rise First: (17) Then WE which are ALIVE and REMAIN shall be CAUGHT UP together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE OR WANT TO READ THIS: DON'T TAKE THE: MARK OF THE BEAST! WE ARE LIVING IN THE LAST DAYS We must understand Jesus's warning: His disciples must always be ready and understand, referring to His return from heaven to take church saints out of the world, i.e., the Rapture. The word "rapture" derives from the Latin raptu, which means "caught away or caught up." This Latin word is equivalent to the Greek word harpaze, translated as "caught up." Jesus will come again. As Christ Jesus went to heaven, He will return from His Father's presence and take His believers to be with Him in Heaven, to a place prepared for them. The rapture was the hope of NT Christians and is the "Blessed Hope" of all believers today! The ultimate purpose of the Lord's return is that believers may be with Him forever. DO NOT FEAR, BUT BE PREPARED Jesus gives a parable in Matthew 24:1-13 illustrated by a story of ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. But only five of them were wise enough to fill their lamps with oil, while the other five were foolish and forgot. So, when the bridegroom tarried, they all lay down to rest until midnight, when a shout roused them, "The bridegroom is coming! Come out and welcome him!" All the bridesmaids jumped up and trimmed their lamps. Then, the five who hadn't any oil left begged the others to share with them, for their lamps were going out. But the others replied, "We haven't enough. Go to the shops and buy some for yourselves." However, while they were gone, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut and locked. Later, when the other five returned, they stood outside, calling, "Lord, please open the door for us!" But he called back, "Go away! It's too late! I do not know you!" So stay awake and be prepared, for you do not know the date or moment of Christ's return. THE UNEXPECTED COMING OF CHRIST But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. Matthew 24:36 This verse speaks of only the Father knowing the time of Christ's return. Jesus explicitly states that His coming for His children, living before the tribulation, will be unexpected without a specific warning. Christ's coming at an unknown time is as unpredictable as the coming of a thief who breaks into a house. Thus, the devoted believer must be ready at any time for the Lord's appearance (See: Matthew 24:44) WARNING SIGNS FOR THE LAST DAYS Remember that there will be difficult times in the last days. People will be selfish, greedy, boastful, and conceited; they will be insulting, disobedient, to their parents, ungrateful, and irreligious; they will be unkind, merciless, slanderers, violent, and fierce; they will hate the good; they will be treacherous, reckless and swollen with pride; they will love pleasure rather than God; they will hold to the outward form of religion, but reject its real power. Keep away from such people. Some of them go into people's houses and gain control over weak women who are burdened by the guilt of their sins and driven by all kinds of desires, women who are always trying to learn but who can never come to know the truth. SHALL WE CONTINUE IN SIN God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?? (See: Romans 6:2) "God forbid" In Greek: me genoito. Which is a powerful phrase: "Let it not be" or "Don't let it happen." It corresponds to the Hebrew chalilah lanu, "May it be far from us" (i.e., to do something forbidden). Paul challenges the erroneous idea that believers may continue in sin and yet remain secure in Christ because of the grace of God. Paul answers this hostile doctrine of grace by emphasizing one fundamental truth: True believers are identified as being "in Christ" because they are "baptized into Christ and his death" so that their "old life of sin is buried," (See: Romans 6:3-7). Moreover, a believer has been translated from sin's realm into another realm, the realm of "life in Christ"(See: Romans 6:2-12). Since "true believers have died to sin" and made a "definitive separation from their past life of sin, they will not continue to live in sin." ILLICIT & IMMORAL BEHAVIORS SHALL NOT INHERIT THE "KINGDOM OF GOD" Some in Corinth were deceived into believing that even if they broke fellowship with Christ, disowned him, and lived in immorality and injustice, their salvation and inheritance in the "Kingdom of God" were still secure. However, Paul declares spiritual death is the inevitable consequence of habitual sinning, even for the Christian believer (See: Romans 8:13). This is happening in our churches and believers today as the nation continues condoning deviant behaviors such as homosexual marriages, also as seen in 1st Corinthians below: (9) Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the "Kingdom of God"? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, (10) Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the "Kingdom of God." 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 THERE IS GOOD NEWS The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9 This verse means the Lord does not delay His promise, as some understand delay, but He is patient with you and I, not wanting anyone to perish, but all to come to repentance. Many years ago, the Lord dealt with me about true, Godly repentance. Yes! I had prayed the sinner's prayer, but then, very heavily, I felt God telling me to ask the Holy Spirit to search my heart and repent over every sin as honestly as possible. As I began to pray, I started crying uncontrollably, asking God to forgive me as many things as I could remember. I also asked Him to bring to my mind any sins I didn't remember, and over time, He still reminds me of something I needed to ask forgiveness for. He also taught me that I had to walk away from some of the sins I had repented to and not to continue acting on them. So the good news is; 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 IF YOU STILL DON'T BELIEVE DON'T TAKE THE: "MARK OF THE BEAST"! SONG: THE KING IS COMING SUNG BY: GAITHER VOCAL BAND    Judy NEEDS your prayers right now. She is out sick due to her Chemo medication has a nationwide shortage. The doctors are using them to girls who need abortions due to Roe-vs-Wade being overturned.
 Jesus said unto him, "I assure you and most solemnly say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise." LUKE 23:43 TOO OLD FOR HELP? A 110-year old Israeli shepherd was admitted to a Beersheba hospital while experiencing a heart attack. Despite his age, doctors worked hard to save him. The man was thought to be the oldest heart patient to be treated successfully with anti-clotting drugs. A hospital spokesperson reported that the shepherd returned to his tent in the Negev Desert to tend to his goats. CONDEMNED TO DIE The care given to this 110-year-old man faintly echoes how Jesus responded to those people we consider "beyond help." His ability and willingness to go beyond social barriers to help lepers and social outcasts went far beyond the normal expectations of what a reasonable person would do. Even in the agony of His suffering, Jesus reached out to a dying man everyone else regarded as "beyond help." The man was a criminal, condemned to die only hours from entering a lost eternity. JESUS' LOVE REACHES OUT At that moment, Jesus responded to the man's cry for help and said, "Today, you will be with me in Paradise." Do you know someone who seems beyond help today? WHAT ABOUT YOU? Perhaps you think you are without hope. The God of the Bible specializes in giving help to those regarded as so old, so guilty, or so weak as to be beyond help. PONDER THESE SIMPLE WORDS Jesus seeks the lowly ones When others do not care; His loving kindness and His help He longs with them to share. TODAY: No one is beyond help from Jesus. His strength is best seen in our weakness. BELOW: Song: FOR THOSE TEARS I DIED Sung By: Judy  Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man. PROVERBS 30:2 A RUN FOR OFFICE He wanted to be a nobody. In 1992, a Seattle man running for the office of Washington State's lieutenant governor legally changed his name to "Absolutely Nobody." As he entered the race, he wanted to greet the voters, saying, "Hi, I'm Absolutely Nobody. Vote for me." He later admitted that the purpose of his campaign was to abolish the office of lieutenant governor. The man used the name as a gimmick. WHAT GOD SAYS ABOUT US The Bible has a lot to say to those of us who present ourselves to others as a nobody. The right kind of humility is healthy. The songwriters of Israel knew how important it is to see our foolishness apart from God (See: Psalm 73:22, Proverbs 30:2). Jesus Himself showed us that without God, we wouldn't accomplish anything of lasting value (See: John 5:30; 15:5). We read a warning in the story of Moses. There's a downside to insisting that we are "nobody" to avoid doing what God commands. Our motives make us into somebody who resists the loving purposes of God. WE WERE MADE IN HIS IMAGE We may treat ourselves and others as having no worth. But remember, God, doesn't make nobodies. Like Moses, if we surrender to God, we can do anything God wants or asks us to do--in His strength. PONDER Lord, take my life and make it wholly Thine; Fill my poor heart with Thy great love divine. Take all my will, my passion, self, and pride; I now surrender, Lord--in me abide. --Orr TODAY: Knowing that without Christ, we can do nothing. But, with Him, we can do everything He asks us to do. BELOW Song: WITHOUT HIM I COULD DO NOTHING  Wherefore we labor, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. 2 CORINTHIANS 5:9 PASSION Mark Twain said, "Twenty years from now, you will bbe more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream, Discover." This quote appears on a Website intended to help people discover what they are passionate about so they can live with greater significance. DIVINE DECREE The apostle Paul's passion in life was primarily driven by concern for the eternal destiny of others. In 2 CORINTHIANS 5, he names three things that fueled his passion. First, he recognized that he was accountable to Christ for his service and wanted to give a good accounting at the judgment seat of Christ (See: 2 CORINTHIANS 5:9-10). Second, Paul was driven by Christ's love and a desire that others would know the love that he had experienced. In verse 14, he wrote, "For the love of Christ compels us." Finally, he understood that a lost and dying world needs a Savior (See: 2 CORINTHIANS 5:20). A PASSIONATE LIFE What are you passionate about? The love of Christ fueled Paul's passion for people--and ours should be as well. Let's apply Twain's words of challenge to our efforts in outreach: "Sail away from the safe harbor. Share the love of Christ Jesus with someone today." PREPARED BY PRAYER Set us afire, Lord; stir us as we pray! While the world perishes, we go our way Purposeless, passionless, day after day; Set us afire, Lord; stir us as we pray! --Cushman And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them and rose again. 2 CORINTHIANS 5:15 TODAY: Talk to Christ about others helps us to talk to others about Christ. BELOW: Song: JESUS PAID IT ALL Sung By: Reawaken Hymns |
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