tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83999245631183995892024-03-23T06:16:09.444-04:00TRIBULATION HARVESTRepent and be forgiven! Believe and be saved!souzak99http://www.blogger.com/profile/12756935840229045589noreply@blogger.comBlogger96125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8399924563118399589.post-56262700216878214692024-03-22T03:16:00.019-04:002024-03-22T03:46:48.621-04:00On The Horizon: The Destruction Of Damascus And The War Of Gog And Magog<span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD-Uk0ZVHOmYUE2odpkBFlLXCwAWdVFMj54jiw2E_ETFbKoMjxMfIsZeLfaT5OZIBPqPdGknolcu54iK9_5GEUDKNOL6-WAf05Dm1PdR-fljenfZpytE5RgKfFHBQt0EAReFCDadpmoWaFk_li7Ygg09WPvhw54eJ9XQXk85rrrqlgnQrX8Rtdvbd1VF8/s436/Lumii_20240322_024938227.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="419" data-original-width="436" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD-Uk0ZVHOmYUE2odpkBFlLXCwAWdVFMj54jiw2E_ETFbKoMjxMfIsZeLfaT5OZIBPqPdGknolcu54iK9_5GEUDKNOL6-WAf05Dm1PdR-fljenfZpytE5RgKfFHBQt0EAReFCDadpmoWaFk_li7Ygg09WPvhw54eJ9XQXk85rrrqlgnQrX8Rtdvbd1VF8/w200-h193/Lumii_20240322_024938227.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Biblical prophecy reveals many events that are yet to occur, among them being the <a href="https://souzak99.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-demise-of-damascus.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">destruction of Damascus</span></b></a> and the <a href="https://souzak99.blogspot.com/p/coalition-attack-on-israel.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">War of Gog and Magog</span></b></a>. Whether they occur before or after the Rapture is unclear, but I'm going to take an educated guess and say that since these two events will be localized in the Middle East, then we'll probably still be here to watch these events unfold. I also think they're interlinked with each other, and I'll explain why.</div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The War of Gog and Magog is a biblical prophecy that has yet to occur. It'll be a coalition of Middle Eastern nations that will include: Iran, Sudan, Ethiopia, Libya, Algeria, Tunisia, Turkey, Armenia, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan. Although Russia will participate, she will be a reluctant combatant. Scripture tells us that Russia will be forced to enter this conflict. <i>"And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, <b><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">2</span></b>"Son of man, set your face toward Gog of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal, and prophecy against him <b><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">3</span></b>and say, 'Thus says the Lord God, "Behold, I am against you, O Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal. <b><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">4</span></b><u>I will turn you about and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out</u>, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them splendidly attired, a great company with buckler and shield, all of them wielding swords." Ezekiel 38:1-4 <span style="font-size: x-small;">(I underlined these words to emphasize them.)</span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">So why should Russia get involved? It's geopolitical. She's made alliances with many of these nations, and they're going to demand that Russia lead this coalition. Russia is also interested in the riches of Israel, and will definitely want a piece of the spoils of war. Because of this, God is going to cause Russia to reluctantly participate in this very short-lived and ill-fated war. Why isn't Russia concerned about the response of the United States and NATO? I'll answer that question in a moment.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Since Lebanon will be involved, can we infer from scripture that Israel's current efforts to destroy Hezbollah's influence in Lebanon will not be successful before this next major Middle Eastern war? That begs the question as to whether the War of Gog and Magog is closer than we imagine.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">So, what could cause all of these countries to suddenly form this new coalition to attack Israel? What is the trigger event... the black swan... that could cause these countries to attack Israel? It could be anything, but I'm theorizing that it will most likely be Israel's destruction of Damascus. Damascus most likely won't be destroyed during the War of Gog and Magog, because God comes against the troops who are attacking Israel during this battle, and is not attacking the specific nations that have sent their troops to do battle with Israel. What does that mean? It means that the prophecy about Damascus' ultimate demise is a totally separate event.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Now that we can see that the prophecy concerning Damascus is a separate event, could the destruction of Damascus be at the hands of Israel? Could this be the spark that sets off the powder keg and triggers the War of Gog and Magog? Think about this... Syria commits an act of aggression against Israel; an act so heinous that it threatens the very existence of Israel. Israel determines that for it's own safety and future existence, that it has no other option but to respond with a nuclear weapon. They fire <u>one</u> missile and destroy Damascus, determined to show that Israel won't accept defeat and to warn other nations that she is ready to defend herself by any means necessary. I'm sure we all agree that the crime against Israel would have to threaten the very existence of the nation in order for them to use a nuclear weapon. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">This sets two things in motion. The prophetic War of Gog and Magog, and the part of the prophecy that states that no one will come to Israel's defense... the whole world will turn against Israel for choosing the nuclear option, and no country will lift a finger to aid or defend her during the battle, not even the United States. That's one of the reasons Russia is bold enough to lead this coalition... because the United States won't be in a position to defend Israel. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">There are only two reasons I can think of that would prevent the United States from being involved in this war. The first would be the political environment. If Israel does, indeed, destroy Damascus using a nuclear weapon, the United States may be in a position where it can't (or refuses to) defend Israel's actions, thus taking a stand against Israel. Secondly, the United States may not be in a position where their military might would be a threat to Russia. As things progress, and as biblical prophecy clearly shows, the United States isn't a superpower during the Tribulation. Something occurs that removes us from being a major player on the world stage. That's a whole other blog article, so I won't speculate any further here.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Will born again believers be here to witness these prophesied events? I hope so! As horrific as they may be, I'd like to be here to see God move in such a mighty way to protect Israel and to open the eyes of unbelievers to show that He does, indeed, exist. The field will certainly be ripe, and God, through these events, could provide a last evangelistic push as we quickly approach the end of the church age!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It would truly be the season of Jesus' return and of the Rapture of the church!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">If you want to know more about the <a href="https://souzak99.blogspot.com/p/coalition-attack-on-israel.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">War of Gog and Magog</span></b></a> or the <b><a href="https://souzak99.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-demise-of-damascus.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">destruction of Damascus</span></a></b>, click on the links provided.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: verdana;">REPENT, AND BE FORGIVEN!</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: verdana;">BELIEVE, AND BE SAVED!</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: verdana;">TRIBULATION HARVEST</span></b></div>souzak99http://www.blogger.com/profile/12756935840229045589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8399924563118399589.post-86912634618943282112023-09-25T02:15:00.013-04:002023-12-23T06:36:11.191-05:00Building A Tribulation Kit<div style="text-align: justify;"><b style="font-family: helvetica;"><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXfH7awsa1nugGa_8vX-DHYpfAKM8WCpuMgN7hi1Pa_07Ry2bCsIRL9006dPu9Ic7oGXANhnlYwRSgRadfS9VQL3rOQwnCSzRjntFGGMv5ZPmMQ-aDmLy5VXN7YiPtcRIDAc_DMnVvAfwKMIpqiJ8aJ8LzZkVAW9wrnRgGUPVlo8WRrcpxKgy9em4AoPo/s540/ZomboMeme%207497.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="540" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXfH7awsa1nugGa_8vX-DHYpfAKM8WCpuMgN7hi1Pa_07Ry2bCsIRL9006dPu9Ic7oGXANhnlYwRSgRadfS9VQL3rOQwnCSzRjntFGGMv5ZPmMQ-aDmLy5VXN7YiPtcRIDAc_DMnVvAfwKMIpqiJ8aJ8LzZkVAW9wrnRgGUPVlo8WRrcpxKgy9em4AoPo/w200-h150/ZomboMeme%207497.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>What's the purpose of a Tribulation Kit?</i></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">It's not difficult to picture a time in the near future when the world will experience the fulfillment of biblical prophecy concerning the Tribulation. </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The purpose of a Tribulation Kit is to have a collection of valuable information set aside to share with family, friends, and others in your community who are unsaved and who will find themselves living through the Tribulation. It's a great evangelizing tool to bring the salvation message and the word of God to those who are not yet born again believers. This is a blog created specifically for those who do not believe in a Pre-Tribulation Rapture. Whether you believe in the Rapture or not, these Tribulation Kits are a valuable resource for those who will find themselves living during the time of the Tribulation.</span></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><i>What are some of the things to include?</i></b></span></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>BIBLE: </b>The first thing you should include is a bible. You can include the version of your choice. You can include the entire bible or just include the New Testament. It depends on how much money you're able to spend and how many Tribulation Kits you want to put together. You can find paperback bibles and New Testaments.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>TRACTS:</b> The second thing you should include are Tracts. You may not know who is receiving the kit, so try to include several tracts that explain the message of salvation in different ways. There are even some cartoon tracts out there that are written to give an easy to understand explanation of the salvation message. I, personally, have included about 8 different tracts in my kit.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>WRITTEN INFORMATION:</b> Those living through the Tribulation will need to know what's happening and what's to come, so a letter or homemade booklet would be beneficial to whoever is accessing the Tribulation Kit. You can also print off pages from online sources to add to your kit. You can include hard copy information about salvation, the Tribulation, God's salvation plan for mankind, etc... You can even include a tribulation timeline that you can find online, so that they'll know what's coming and in what order.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>DVD/CD: </b>If you're able to download some Christian YouTube videos, then you can burn them to a DVD. The same could be said for Christian music. You can burn a CD of your favorite Christian praise and worship music. Use a marker to write on the DVD/CD or buy some DVD labels and affix them to the DVD's and CD's. </span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>FLASH DRIVE: </b>You can use this in addition to the DVD/CD option for video and music and as another option for hardcopy information. You'll not only have physical copies of information on a DVD, CD, or printed on paper, now you'll also have all of that copied to the flash drive. Just figure out how much information you want to save on the flash drive (calculating extra space in case you want to add more information or if the recipient wants to add more information). I've even added free online bibles (various versions) on to flash drives, along with survival information, first aid information, etc... </span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>A LITTLE SOMETHING EXTRA: </b>Add a little something extra to your Tribulation Kit. I've added a small gift... a simple wooden cross necklace with a breakaway cord. The ones I chose are inexpensive and can be purchased through <a href="https://www.orientaltrading.com/wooden-cross-necklaces-12-pc--a2-24_1250.fltr?keyword=wooden+cross+necklace" target="_blank">Oriental Trading</a>. </span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>ANYTHING YOU THINK IS IMPORTANT: </b>The great thing about a Tribulation Kit is that you can include anything you want, so if you think it's important to include, then add it to your packet. That includes online information, a copy of the book of John, a small med kit with basic first-aid items, etc... Whatever you include is up to you. That's why every Tribulation Kit will be different. </span></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><i>So how do I put everything together?</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><ul><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>CONTAINERS:</b> Well, that depends on how much physical material you have. It could be as simple as slipping everything into a large manila envelope or zip lock freezer bag. If that's not going to be large enough, you can use small bins or cardboard boxes. You can use manila envelopes and/or cardboard containers as long as you keep them from water and mold damage, but I suggest using large zip lock freezer bags or small storage bins that stack. If you need something larger than a gallon sized zip lock freezer bag, they sell jumbo 2.5 gallon zip lock bags.</span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>LABELS:</b> You'll need to let people know what's in the kit, so you'll want to label them. You can make a hand written label or print something off and then affix it to the outside of the kit so that it's easily identifiable in case you're not around to share them with others (We're not guaranteed survival through the entire Tribulation). It can be something as simple as, "Tribulation Kit" or you can create a more detailed label that includes the items. It doesn't matter what information you choose to include as long as it's clearly labeled in large letters.</span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>SPECIAL NOTE:</b> If you believe in a Pre-Tribulation Rapture or Mid-Tribulation Rapture, you could also leave printed information about the Rapture as well. If you believe in a Pre-Tribulation Rapture, then you can read my article about an After Rapture Kit (ARK) by clicking <b><a href="https://souzak99.blogspot.com/2012/01/make-rapturetribulation-packet.html" target="_blank">HERE</a></b>.</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><i>Everything's been packaged and labeled. Now what?</i></b></span></div><ul><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>STORAGE:</b> You'll want to find a safe dry place to store your Tribulation Kits, but try to keep them in plain sight. If they're individual kits in envelopes or zip locked bags, you can place them in a protective covered storage bin or even in a cardboard box, but be sure to place a label on the outside so that everyone knows what it contains. If they're stored in individual bins, then stack them somewhere out of the way, but still in plain sight. They'll all be labeled, so you're good to go (be sure to label the side or end of the bins that will be visible).</span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>PRAYER: </b>Pray over the kits that you've assembled. Your hope should be that they all get into the hands of those who need them before anyone else finds them and destroys the</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">m. Remember, all Christian materials will most likely be outlawed at a certain point during the Tribulation, so it's important for the kits to get into the hands that can benefit from them.</span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>TELL YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY: </b>Don't keep these Tribulation Kits a secret. Make sure you share the information with family and friends so that they'll know where to go when the Tribulation begins so that they can be equipped with the tools they'll need. If they're not born again believers, suggest that they take a packet home and leave it in a secure place "just in case" what you say is coming actually happens. If they don't take them, then at least they'll know where to find them when they need them.</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><i>Is there anything else I can do?</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Other than the Tribulation Kit and evangelizing now, consider leaving behind tracts in/on those things that people will most likely steal during the Tribulation if you're not there (again, it's more than likely that we'll die either from the judgments of God or from the persecution and execution of Christians). Maybe tape a tract on the back of a flat screen television, computer, and other high priced items, so if they're stolen, at least they have another opportunity to hear the salvation message. Leave Christian materials in your emergency food stash and in your first aid/medical supplies and attached to the inside of your medicine cabinet door. Consider placing a Tribulation Kit in your vehicle glove box and/or hanging one in your closet for people looking for clothing. I'm sure you can be imaginative and think of other great places to leave a Tribulation Kit or Christian tract. Bring a kit to work and leave it in a desk drawer or file cabinet. Again, pray that your efforts will be fruitful.</span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Please take the time to leave a comment below and share your ideas for what you plan to include in your Tribulation Kit as well as any ideas you may have where you could leave kits or tracts in your home. God bless!!!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: helvetica;"><b>REPENT, AND BE FORGIVEN!</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: helvetica;"><b>BELIEVE, AND BE SAVED!</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: helvetica;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: helvetica;"><b>TRIBULATIONHARVEST.NET</b></span></div>souzak99http://www.blogger.com/profile/12756935840229045589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8399924563118399589.post-46983134940622387532023-05-20T02:44:00.010-04:002023-05-20T02:52:49.695-04:00Why I Believe In A Pre-Tribulation Rapture - Part 7: Timing Is Everything<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: helvetica; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVgLwj5VsjyxH0NUk-4QEcsooYV6cVH9teJ91u7OK86TMyubXPpPQUMkCYDgQvNpnYzy0TcRG7EdEFEBaFb9x9UiWHDTYsf-GWssSYB3qBYDPdZhlOhHHHYQLJEIogSar0BwbIXLu5AZ0UKj2QyGx-S8uRF2ASTQyNc_QIfvF9PFIVO_15Unyf2PWj/s1080/Clock.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1080" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVgLwj5VsjyxH0NUk-4QEcsooYV6cVH9teJ91u7OK86TMyubXPpPQUMkCYDgQvNpnYzy0TcRG7EdEFEBaFb9x9UiWHDTYsf-GWssSYB3qBYDPdZhlOhHHHYQLJEIogSar0BwbIXLu5AZ0UKj2QyGx-S8uRF2ASTQyNc_QIfvF9PFIVO_15Unyf2PWj/w200-h148/Clock.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">As with most things, timing is everything. The same is true for the Rapture. There are conditions in scripture that people overlook when they're talking about anything other than a pre-Tribulation Rapture. Let's look at some of these conditions:</span></div></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><ul><li>In Luke 17:26-27, Jesus says, <span style="color: #990000; font-style: italic;">"And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man; </span><b style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">27</span></b><span style="color: #990000; font-style: italic;">they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all." </span>So Jesus, Himself, tells us that they were living a normal life, blissfully unaware that the judgment of God was about to be unleashed upon them.</li></ul><ul><li>In Luke 17:28-29, Jesus says, <i><span style="color: #990000;">"It was the same as happened in the days of Lot: they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building; </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>29</b></span><span style="color: #990000;">but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. </span><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">30</span></b><span style="color: #990000;">It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed." </span></i>Again, living a normal life, oblivious to what was to come.</li></ul><ul><li>1Thessalonians 5:1-3 says, <i><span style="color: #073763;">"Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. </span><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">2</span></b><span style="color: #073763;">For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. </span><b style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">3</span></b><span style="color: #073763;">While they are saying "Peace and safety!" then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape."</span></i></li></ul><div>Just looking at these few scriptures alone, it's difficult to believe that anyone could honestly say that this will be an accurate description of the condition of the world during, or toward the end of, the Tribulation. Destruction has been coming down all around them throughout the Tribulation (Seal Judgments, Trumpet Judgments, Vial/Bowl Judgments), so it's impossible to believe that the words, <i style="color: #073763;">"While they are saying 'Peace and safety!' then destruction will come upon them suddenly..." </i>is referring to what occurs during the Tribulation. Just like it was in the days of Noah and Lot, everyone will be living their normal lives before God rains down His judgment upon the earth. That's exactly the scenario that Jesus said would occur at His coming. Just like Noah and Lot, God will exact His judgment when everyone least expects it... when they're lulled into a sense of security, saying, "peace and safety." </div><div><br /></div><div>From the first judgment of God when the Tribulation begins, to the last, there will be worldwide suffering and devastation, the likes of which have never been experienced in the history of the world until now, so how can the population of the world be blissfully and blindly declaring "peace and safety" and feel at ease when they'll be in the midst of worldwide earthquakes, drought, poisoned water, famine, economic chaos, disease, war, death in the streets, pestilence, 300 pound hale, locusts from the pit, etc... It just doesn't fit the narrative that Jesus and the Apostles share, does it? There's no way that just these few scripture I've shared can describe life at any time during the Tribulation. So, if scripture doesn't fit the narrative of other Rapture theories, then those other Rapture theories must be incorrect. </div><div><br /></div><div>"Peace and safety" are the words spoken BEFORE the Rapture, not after. </div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Another timing issue is that the letters to the Corinthians were written before John wrote Revelation, so in 1Corinthians 15:52 Paul couldn't have been referring to the seventh trumpet spoken of in Revelation 11, since he hadn't been given that revelation yet. He was clearly speaking of another trumpet. If you're thinking that this scripture could be referencing the Feast of Trumpets, then that can't be the case, because the day and time can be predicted on a yearly basis, and Jesus said that He will return unexpectedly, like a thief in the night, so not even born again believers will be expecting His return on any particular day. If you wish to hear what I have to say about the "last trump," then click <a href="https://souzak99.blogspot.com/2021/04/what-if-last-trump-isnt-what-we-think.html" target="_blank"><b>HERE</b></a> and read about what I believe to be the ultimate trumpet blast that no one will expect!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">To conclude, scripture doesn't contradict itself. If people are going to be living as they are today and declaring "peace and safety," then it must be BEFORE the Tribulation, because once the Tribulation begins, God pours out His judgments upon the earth, and the devastating results won't lead anyone to be joyfully living a normal life. The Tribulation is God's "great reset," a reset that the world system will think benefits them, but in the end, will mean their destruction and eternal separation from God's glorious presence.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I encourage discussion in the comment section below. God bless!!! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>LINKS TO THE OTHER PARTS OF THIS SERIES</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://souzak99.blogspot.com/2013/03/why-i-believe-in-pre-tribulation.html" target="_blank">Why I Believe In A Pre-Tribulation Rapture - Part 1: The 24 Elders</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://souzak99.blogspot.com/2013/03/why-i-believe-in-pre-tribulation_26.html" target="_blank">Why I Believe In A Pre-Tribulation Rapture - Part 2: Noah, Lot, And Rabbit Holes</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://souzak99.blogspot.com/2015/04/why-i-believe-in-pre-tribulation.html" target="_blank">Why I Believe In A Pre-Tribulation Rapture - Part 3: The Slow Motion Replay</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://souzak99.blogspot.com/2017/04/why-i-believe-in-pre-tribulation.html" target="_blank">Why I Believe In A Pre-Tribulation Rapture - Part 4: The Apostasy or Falling Away</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://souzak99.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-first-resurrection-and-rapture.html" target="_blank">Why I Believe In A Pre-Tribulation Rapture - Part 5: The First Resurrection</a></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://souzak99.blogspot.com/2023/01/why-i-believe-in-pre-tribulation.html" target="_blank">Why I Believe In A Pre-Tribulation Rapture - Part 6: The Bridegroom</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #274e13;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #274e13;">REPENT, AND BE FORGIVEN!</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #274e13;">BELIEVE, AND BE SAVED!</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #274e13;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #660000;">TRIBULATIONHARVEST.NET</span></b></div></span>souzak99http://www.blogger.com/profile/12756935840229045589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8399924563118399589.post-76805255346357178802023-01-29T01:15:00.011-05:002023-06-03T22:00:42.369-04:00Why I Believe In A Pre-Tribulation Rapture - Part 6: The Bridegroom<span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="color: #4c1130;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijj-bZTYD35rwHTJH01eRWVF9UVyAbvlFGxGv4GHS6HwlWVixkQi-CBS7NgGr9bAw17Nd7TpMsto--qqKLnglA35Aofm_9ooloS-XrMfPGyGoCo8ME9wB4iBDsAdaVARiDGZFz3F_Gm3IDca1y6NsH8yCCNQL7GFSWyyMGgWE3r81ZJjWVkqxGaU5p/s590/Wedding.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="590" height="122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijj-bZTYD35rwHTJH01eRWVF9UVyAbvlFGxGv4GHS6HwlWVixkQi-CBS7NgGr9bAw17Nd7TpMsto--qqKLnglA35Aofm_9ooloS-XrMfPGyGoCo8ME9wB4iBDsAdaVARiDGZFz3F_Gm3IDca1y6NsH8yCCNQL7GFSWyyMGgWE3r81ZJjWVkqxGaU5p/w200-h122/Wedding.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>"Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. <b><span style="font-size: xx-small;">8</span></b>And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. <span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b>9</b></span>And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God."</span></i> (Rev. 19:7-9)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Jesus calls Himself a "bridegroom" and born again believers His "bride." (Mark 2:18-19) These terms are used more than once in the New Testament, and if there's one thing that we know about God, there's always a deeper meaning to words like these, so let's look at the traditions of a traditional Jewish wedding at the time, and consider whether that has any relevance to the Rapture, when many, like myself, believe that Jesus will come for His bride.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Choosing a bride...</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In ancient Jewish tradition, either the father would choose the son's bride. Paul states, <i><span style="color: #4c1130;">"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: <b><span style="font-size: xx-small;">4</span></b>According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: <b><span style="font-size: xx-small;">5</span></b>Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,"</span></i> (Eph. 1:3-5)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Oftentimes, the bride had not seen or met her future husband, but had found out about him through the bridegroom's servant. This reflects our engagement with Jesus. We have not seen Him, but God’s servant, the Holy Spirit, has revealed Him to us. <i><span style="color: #4c1130;">"Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:”</span></i> (1Peter 1:8) When He returns to retrieve His bride, we'll see Him face to face! Paul writes to the church body, <i><span style="color: #4c1130;">"For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ."</span></i> (2Cor 11:2) The word "espoused" actually means "engaged." So we, as born again believers, are presently engaged to Jesus.</div></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Every bride came with a price...</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Brides in early biblical times were purchased through way of the bridal price, or "mohar." The word for wife, be’ulah, means the “owned one.” Husband, or ba’al, means “owner” or “master." Once a couple entered into covenant at betrothal, they were legally married in all aspects except for the physical consummation of the marriage.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Jesus paid our "mohar" through His blood...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><ul><li><span style="color: #4c1130;"><i>"Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:"</i></span> (1Pet. 1:18-19)</li><li><span style="color: #4c1130;"><i>"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? <span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b>20</b></span>For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." </i></span>(1Cor. 6:19-20)</li><li><span style="color: #4c1130;"><i>“Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood." </i></span>(Acts 20:28).</li></ul></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>The marriage contract...</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">At the betrothal ceremony, a marriage contract, or ketubah, was presented to the father of the bride. Although a bride was selected for a bridegroom, the young woman did have some say in responding to a proposed marriage contract. The same occurs in our spiritual betrothal to Jesus because we also have a say in whether or not we'll accept the marriage contract. Paul writes, <i><span style="color: #4c1130;">"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. <span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b>10</b></span>For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."</span></i> (Rom. 10:9-10) When we believe and make this confession of faith, we're agreeing to this wedding contract, and as such, we become part of the bride of Christ. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>The bridegroom comes bearing gifts...</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Betrothal also included the giving of gifts by the bridegroom to his bride. This gift was to remind the bride of what was to come. What is our Bridegroom's gift to us? God's Holy Spirit and all the gifts that come through Him. <span style="color: #660000;"><i>"Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you."</i></span> (John 16:7) And again, <span style="color: #660000;"><i>"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. <b><span style="font-size: xx-small;">14</span></b>He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. <span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b>15</b></span>All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you."</i></span> (John 16:13-15)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Through the Holy Spirit, we receive additional gifts; <i style="color: #4c1130;">"For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; </i><b style="color: #4c1130; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">9</span></b><i style="color: #4c1130;">To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; </i><b style="color: #4c1130; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">10</span></b><i style="color: #4c1130;">To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: </i><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: xx-small; font-style: italic;"><b>11</b></span><i style="color: #4c1130;">But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.” </i>(1Cor. 12:8-11)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Water immersion...</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Brides purified themselves in a mikvah (pool of living water) prior to their wedding. It represented a separation from an old life to a new life – from life as a single woman to life as a married woman and from being under the authority of her father to being under the authority of her husband. Water immersion is the New Testament equivalent of the mikvah. The Bible says <span style="color: #660000;"><i>"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved;"</i></span> (Mark 16:16a). When we're baptized in water, we're symbolizing our death and resurrection with Christ, going from our old life to a new life, coming out from under the authority of our old father, Satan (sin), and coming under the righteous authority of our Bridegroom, Jesus.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>The bridegroom must go to his father's house...</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Once the marriage covenant was sealed, the bridegroom left his beloved to go to his father’s house to prepare a wedding chamber for her. During this time, his wife-to-be would prepare herself to leave her parents’ home to live with her husband’s family and become part of their household. When a marriage contract is agreed upon, the engagement begins and the groom goes to his father's house to prepare the marriage chamber. When I think of this, it reminds me of the scripture, <span style="color: #660000;"><i>"In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? <b><span style="font-size: xx-small;">3</span></b>And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also."</i></span> (John 14: 2-3) The Jewish bride was set apart, consecrated, separated unto her bridegroom while he was away preparing their wedding chamber. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>No one knows the day or hour...</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The groom could be gone up to twelve months! Because of this, the bride had no idea what day or hour her bridegroom would return to take her to the wedding chamber. It was the bridegroom's father who inspected the bridal chamber to be sure it was completed and ready for the wedding. Only when it's been completed to the father's satisfaction does the father give his son permission to retrieve his bride. So, neither the bridegroom nor the bride had any idea when the bridegroom would be sent. As it says in scripture, <span style="color: #660000; font-style: italic;">"But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only." </span>(Matt. 24:36)</div></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><div style="text-align: justify;">When the bridal chamber is ready and the groom is sent to retrieve his bride, he gathers his friends and they set off together. Now, during this entire time, the bride's responsibility is to remain vigilant and be ready, because the bridegroom could arrive at any time. <i><span style="color: #660000;">"Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not." </span></i>(Luke 39:40) In fact, bridegrooms usually came for their brides late at night, near the midnight hour. It reminds me of the parable of the ten virgins, <i><span style="color: #660000;">"And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him."</span></i> (Matt. 25:6) </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>The trumpet is blown...</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">When the bridegroom approached from afar off, shofars would be blown and the shouting and merriment of those with him could be heard, which could be heard afar through the silence of the night. This reminds me of another portion of scripture, <span style="color: #4c1130;"><i>“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: <span style="font-size: xx-small;">17</span>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.”</i></span> (1Thes. 4:16-17) Note: It's specifically stated that it will be <b>the</b> "trump of God," so this excludes the last trumpet blown during the seven trumpet judgments, since these will be regular judgment trumpets and not <b>THE</b> trump of God, which seems pretty specific. If you're interested in my reasoning behind this, check out my article, <b><a href="https://souzak99.blogspot.com/2021/04/what-if-last-trump-isnt-what-we-think.html" target="_blank">"What If The Trump Isn't What We Think It Is"</a> </b>You can also check out my YouTube video <b><a href="https://youtu.be/58EbpI_HhUE" target="_blank">HERE</a>.</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>The Rapture...</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The bridegroom always arrived at the huppah before his bride to welcome her to the place he had prepared for her, where, from that day forward, they would be together. This is where the bride and bridegroom would stand side by side, formalizing their union. Our Bridegroom will meet us at our huppah in the sky, on that day that glorious day when He welcomes us to His Father's house: <span style="color: #4c1130;"><i>"Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord i the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."</i></span> (1Thess. 4:17) </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Alone together for seven days...</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Bride and bridegroom would greet the guests gathered at his father’s house and then be escorted to the bridal chamber where they would be alone for seven days, the marriage would be consummated, and the second part of the marriage ceremony would be complete. The best man or “friend of the bridegroom” waited outside the wedding chamber to hear the voice of the bridegroom tell him that the marriage was consummated. Then all the guests began a week long celebration. Jesus said, <i><span style="color: #660000;">“He that has the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled” </span></i>(John 3:29). The seven day period was also called the “week of the bride.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>The marriage feast...</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Following the seven days in the bridal chamber, the bride and bridegroom joined their guests for a joyous marriage feast. The first meal that the bride and bridegroom shared with their guests was called a seudat mitzvah, a festive meal, and had religious significance. The purpose of the meal was to instill joy in the hearts of the bride and bridegroom. Again, scripture shows us that this part of the marriage will play out in heaven, <i><span style="color: #4c1130;">"And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. <b><span style="font-size: xx-small;">7</span></b>Let us be glad and rejoice and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his wife hath made herself ready. <b><span style="font-size: xx-small;">8</span></b>And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. <b><span style="font-size: xx-small;">9</span></b>And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God." </span></i>(Rev. 19:6-9)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Jesus fulfills the wedding feast responsibilities of a bridegroom...</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><ul><li>Jesus has chosen us as His bride.</li><li>Jesus paid our bridal price with His blood.</li><li>Jesus has made a bridal contract through His covenant with those who repent and believe.</li><li>Jesus has given us a bridal gift by sending the Holy Spirit.</li><li>Jesus has set up water baptism as our outward expression of our covenant with Him.</li><li>Jesus has gone to the Father's house to prepare a place for us as we wait for His return.</li><li>Jesus will return at a day and hour of our Father's choosing, so neither He nor we know when that day will be.</li><li>Jesus will return at the sound of <a href="https://souzak99.blogspot.com/2021/04/what-if-last-trump-isnt-what-we-think.html" target="_blank"><b style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">the trumpet of God</b></a> and with a shout!</li><li>Jesus will bring us up to meet Him in the clouds and take us to His Father's house.</li><li>Jesus will sequester us in the bridal chamber for a week (seven years) during which we will participate in the wedding feast.</li></ul></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Final thoughts...</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This entire article has brought us to this point, and the reason why I took the time to write this. Jesus plans on fulfilling His responsibilities as our Bridegroom, and that means taking us to the bridal chamber for one week (seven years) while the rest of the world is experiencing the Tribulation/Great Tribulation. Some will say, <i>"He didn't take Noah or Lot out of this world."</i> True, He didn't, but that's because it wasn't necessary to do so. He sequestered Noah and his family safely inside of an ark and He safely led Lot and his family away from the pending destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. The Rapture is different. There is going to be a worldwide judgment of God which will bring about the end of the world system as we know it and usher in His millennial reign. There'll be no flood to float on in this case. It'll be a world on fire! There will be nowhere on earth to find safety, so the Lord needs to take us home before the Tribulation begins. </div></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><div style="text-align: justify;">What bridegroom says, <i>"I love you, but to show your love for me, you must suffer through the worst judgments God has ever brought upon mankind."</i> No, a true bridegroom would rescue his bride before she is exposed to that type of danger. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">To those who say we need to suffer through the Tribulation so that we can somehow become more worthy to enter Heaven, I'd have to say that our salvation is not based on works, and we can't make ourselves more "worthy" by suffering through the Tribulation. You're using man's limited intellect and it just doesn't jibe with scripture. Our seven days in the bridal chamber with Jesus will be our seven years with Him in Heaven, participating in the Bema seat judgment and participating in the wedding feast He has prepared for us. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I hope that those who do not believe in a Pre-Tribulation Rapture will consider what I have to say in this series of articles. I hope we can interact in the comment section below. God bless!!!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">If you wish to read the other parts of this series, please click on a link below:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://souzak99.blogspot.com/2013/03/why-i-believe-in-pre-tribulation.html" target="_blank">Why I Believe In A Pre-Tribulation Rapture - Part 1: The 24 Elders</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://souzak99.blogspot.com/2013/03/why-i-believe-in-pre-tribulation_26.html" target="_blank">Why I Believe In A Pre-Tribulation Rapture - Part 2: Noah, Lot, And Rabbit Holes</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://souzak99.blogspot.com/2015/04/why-i-believe-in-pre-tribulation.html" target="_blank">Why I Believe In A Pre-Tribulation Rapture - Part 3: The Slow Motion Replay</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://souzak99.blogspot.com/2017/04/why-i-believe-in-pre-tribulation.html" target="_blank">Why I Believe In A Pre-Tribulation Rapture - Part 4: The Apostasy or Falling Away</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://souzak99.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-first-resurrection-and-rapture.html" target="_blank">Why I Believe In A Pre-Tribulation Rapture - Part 5: The First Resurrection</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://souzak99.blogspot.com/2023/05/why-i-believe-in-pre-tribulation.html" target="_blank">Why I Believe In A Pre-Tribulation Rapture - Part 7: Timing Is Everything</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #274e13;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #274e13;">REPENT, AND BE FORGIVEN!</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #274e13;">BELIEVE, AND BE SAVED!</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #660000;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #660000;">TRIBULATIONHARVEST.NET</span></b></div></span>souzak99http://www.blogger.com/profile/12756935840229045589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8399924563118399589.post-63517759965550626852022-12-17T15:39:00.012-05:002023-12-17T23:40:43.714-05:00Should We Continue Celebrating Christmas?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsFSmi9IsakR-Oow3VICpKyczqM6g5h8E9F0p2omFNRvfRk8wj1VlLU7-hhveuk1_AvL7Wt7RVqTCeJ3rCcklC8RqvODjj3sBWcBG932nYBA1tur2Y4G334vMW3OyBdu4qD9E4yyfEws_Srq52tTj_2udIOXZljf88MYJe4HWdLJOgUvjxc8tM5XD7/s615/ZomboMeme%2011122021014836.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="615" data-original-width="551" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsFSmi9IsakR-Oow3VICpKyczqM6g5h8E9F0p2omFNRvfRk8wj1VlLU7-hhveuk1_AvL7Wt7RVqTCeJ3rCcklC8RqvODjj3sBWcBG932nYBA1tur2Y4G334vMW3OyBdu4qD9E4yyfEws_Srq52tTj_2udIOXZljf88MYJe4HWdLJOgUvjxc8tM5XD7/s320/ZomboMeme%2011122021014836.jpg" width="287" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Christmas is that time of the year where nostalgia hits us square in the face. We fondly remember Christmas past spent with loved ones who handed down family traditions in which we still joyously participate. We quietly reminisce about the glow of the lights on the tree, the music, decorating the house, buying and wrapping presents, and gathering together to eat those special holiday meals. The only part of the season that most dislike is when it ends, and everything needs to be taken down, boxed up, and put away in the attic or basement for another year.</span></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Many years ago, I was sitting in a dark room with only the glow of the lights on the tree to keep me company. I had been contemplating the meaning of Christmas for the past couple of years and had converted all of my tree ornaments to Christian themed ornaments (Angels, doves, manger, etc...) thinking that I would have a Christ centered tree every season. As I sat there in the stillness of the night, looking at the lights on the tree, I suddenly understood that what I was looking at had nothing to do with Jesus, but was, instead, my attempt to Christianize those things that had nothing to do with the birth of Jesus. Was it the leading of the Holy Spirit? I'd like to believe so. It was then and there that I decided that when the tree and decorations came down after New Year's Eve, I'd never put them up or celebrate Christmas ever again.</div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">That brings me to the very crux of this article. Should we, as a body of believers, continue to celebrate Christmas? I suppose that would depend on how we answer a few critical questions. </span></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Do the symbols of Christmas reflect the birth or life of Jesus? (Evergreen tree, wreath, candles in windows, yule log, holly, mistletoe, etc...). I'm not talking about gaslighting these pagan symbols and giving them new meaning to obfuscate their original and continued use by pagans. I'm asking if any of these things were present in Israel at the time of Jesus' birth and if they were used to celebrate His birth.</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">If they weren't originally used to celebrate His birth, then where did these symbols come from? What were their original meaning? Why is it not an issue that we've co-opted these symbols from pagans in order to worship God?</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Is there any scriptural or historical evidence that the early church chose one special day to celebrate the birth of Jesus? </span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">When was Christmas first celebrated, and what were the circumstances and reasoning surrounding it's creation?</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">What were the original traditions of Christmas?</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Is Christmas a God ordained observance, like the High Holy Days in Judaism?</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Why does Jesus' birth seem to mean more to people on this day over all other days? Shouldn't we be celebrating the joy of His birth every day?</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">What can I do for others on this day that I can't do for them any other day of the year?</span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Why is it permissible to use pagan symbolism and traditions if we claim it in the name of Jesus? Does God have a history of recycling paganism in our worship or celebration of Him?</span></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">As we begin asking these and other questions, we can either shut our eyes and ears to the real answers and purposely gaslight ourselves, or we can listen to the truth of the matter... that Christmas is paganism wrapped in a pretty Jesus bow, and that we participate in the holiday in order to satisfy our own fleshly desires. One desire is to experience those nostalgic feelings brought on by the flood of memories from Christmas past. We hear the holiday music and dance to songs like, "All I Want For Christmas Is You" and "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree." We unpack the decorations and as we do, we unpack our fond memories of every Christmas we've celebrated. We allow ourselves to be mesmerized by the glowing lights strung on the tree; lights that reflect off of the garland, tinsel, and ornaments, making the tree shine. We put lights in the windows and on the house to let everyone know we're celebrating Christmas. We put a wreath on the door and some of us put a display up in the front yard. It's all in keeping with our holiday traditions, which adds more fuel to the fire, so-to-speak, when it comes to strengthening those feelings of nostalgia. One more year down and one more link added to the nostalgia chain that keeps us bound to this holiday.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKj4iijYFFsNMxrJbXrKLgvLw3VVl8Ys23xPeFCfbZf3WhhUboaGj18XHjwHERlkIBWVmPpi9DcgbRu13Y1kq2aXgJNMy1m_vNVcVWmFT8yvCqXjY3PrVARU6ZtN6nH5mDlRXOh4Tv_3oetkGcni36mXUtm7379rHzS42O0KoFbDroEYZicDKbOaP8/s700/Confused%20Math%20Lady%2023112019140419.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="620" data-original-width="700" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKj4iijYFFsNMxrJbXrKLgvLw3VVl8Ys23xPeFCfbZf3WhhUboaGj18XHjwHERlkIBWVmPpi9DcgbRu13Y1kq2aXgJNMy1m_vNVcVWmFT8yvCqXjY3PrVARU6ZtN6nH5mDlRXOh4Tv_3oetkGcni36mXUtm7379rHzS42O0KoFbDroEYZicDKbOaP8/w200-h177/Confused%20Math%20Lady%2023112019140419.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>I know that by even suggesting the discontinuance of the celebration of Christmas, it brings up a lot of issues in the mind of the born again believers who still celebrate the day. One of the first issues in dealing with this decision is... <i>"What about the children? They'll be crushed if we stop celebrating Christmas. I'll give it more thought, but I'll wait for the kids to grow up before cancelling Christmas, if that's what I decide to do." </i>The problem with this, is that not only is this a compromise, but you'll also be perpetuating the cycle and passing it on to another generation. It's like compromising on Halloween when you decide to forbid dressing up as anything evil or scary. You might even limit their celebration of the day by only allowing them to go to the church "Trunk or Treat" event or Fall Festival where the children can still dress up in costume and receive treats (another compromise by the church, but that's another story). Many compromise on Halloween, so it's permissible to compromise on Christmas as well. <i>"Sure, it's all pagan symbolism, but I'm going to choose to believe that it's all about Jesus."</i> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Christians like to use the following scripture to justify their celebration of Christmas: <i>"One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. <span style="font-size: x-small;">6</span>He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it." (Romans 14:5-6a)</i> There's one major flaw about quoting this scripture. It has nothing to do with pagan celebrations. You can't <i>"regardeth it unto the Lord"</i> if it's a pagan celebration. This scripture doesn't give permission for born again believers to indulge in pagan practices and celebrations, so this portion of scripture has been cherry picked and has been used ineffectively to defend an indefensible position. In fact, in 1Thess 5:22, we're instructed to, <i>"Abstain from all appearance of evil." </i>We're not told just to abstain from evil, but to abstain from even the "<b>appearance"</b> of evil.</span></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">So even if we're not intentionally doing anything evil, we're told that our actions are a reflection of our personal walk with the Lord. That being the case, we're not even to allow ourselves to participate, however innocently, in anything that could be perceived as evil. If you take that full circle, we can say that although we're not purposely practicing true paganism, we shouldn't be using their pagan symbolism and traditions to celebrate the birth of Jesus, no matter how innocent our actions are or how strongly we believe that it's acceptable to God, because it has the <i>"appearance of evil."</i> So are Rom. 14:5-6a and 1Thess. 5:22 in conflict? No, because who would participate in a pagan celebration and regard it unto the Lord? </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Who sees the celebration of Christmas as a pagan practice... an appearance of evil? Pagans. They actually see the folly of Christians using pagan symbolism and participating in pagan practices in order to celebrate the birth of Jesus. In fact, pagans encourage us to do so, because they enjoy watching "religious" people ignorantly compromising their faith. Born again believers who have had a change of heart toward the holiday also see the symbols of Christmas as compromised Christianity. So yes, it has an appearance of evil.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Christians also like to use the phrase, <i>"God knows my heart."</i> It's true that God knows your heart, but if your heart knows that the symbolism of Christmas has nothing to do with the birth of Jesus, then He knows you're ignoring that knowledge and that you're consciously using pagan symbolism to worship Him. He knows that you're participating in order to continue celebrating a holiday that feeds your flesh and is perpetuated, by your actions, in the next generation of born again believers. Take any other symbol of paganism and idol worship and try to pass it off as Christian. You wouldn't get away with it. Then why do we slap a Jesus bow on other pagan symbols and traditions and call it acceptable? It's a contradiction, and one that can't be explained away by saying, <i>"God knows my heart."</i> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I encourage you to seek the Lord, and to honestly open yourself up to the possibility that the celebration of this holiday may not be pleasing to the Lord. Celebrate Jesus birth, life, death, and resurrection 24/7/365. You have the opportunity to help those in need all year long by offering them monetary assistance, food, clothing, and by sharing the message of salvation. Too many people wait until December 25th to reach out to others and do something special for them. As I've come to say often, "There's nothing you can do for someone on December 25th that you can't do for them any other day of the year." You can't love Jesus more on that day either, because that would mean you aren't loving him to your full capacity every other day of the year. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Not everyone is ready to hear this message or to accept it. I understand that. Please let me know what you think by using the comment section below. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCX3f8Akz1x7irbPkM7Ky9pxYX3a_j_qqpxD78R5Bf_4DCvrR-5m8PHcO1Q1gaRPovg-4njZLjKQXXfaS--p_q5erHZzSQT0l523DdFhFIVyWCBqogdCWOWJbW1EvfMSSeuk8dQS90IqatNjyurOsgiN6yCxngOOw3UiXkt0bqThRPPaortKcBcGW5/s1080/ZomboMeme%2020122019112528%20-%20Copy.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1071" data-original-width="1080" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCX3f8Akz1x7irbPkM7Ky9pxYX3a_j_qqpxD78R5Bf_4DCvrR-5m8PHcO1Q1gaRPovg-4njZLjKQXXfaS--p_q5erHZzSQT0l523DdFhFIVyWCBqogdCWOWJbW1EvfMSSeuk8dQS90IqatNjyurOsgiN6yCxngOOw3UiXkt0bqThRPPaortKcBcGW5/w200-h198/ZomboMeme%2020122019112528%20-%20Copy.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjarX-pK0G-q95MzJsQ2hWQlW6mqlpxV3kilRvV0cNl5KgX3wnALqi77PsAOd15-6duaDKjsLx9I_FCTiV69HvDq2ZF4SBhiB1LhZO-8Wy550RnFlMAZQJQX_ey9MwyFcfedNICnJ5WX1XK8wHJU8BJayFZhjkoSPgcsfMz9_qw7PeUOdOsyh2FBWCE/s840/Oh%20Yeah%20Its%20all%20coming%20together%2029112019163348.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="745" data-original-width="840" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjarX-pK0G-q95MzJsQ2hWQlW6mqlpxV3kilRvV0cNl5KgX3wnALqi77PsAOd15-6duaDKjsLx9I_FCTiV69HvDq2ZF4SBhiB1LhZO-8Wy550RnFlMAZQJQX_ey9MwyFcfedNICnJ5WX1XK8wHJU8BJayFZhjkoSPgcsfMz9_qw7PeUOdOsyh2FBWCE/w200-h178/Oh%20Yeah%20Its%20all%20coming%20together%2029112019163348.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiSedD90pQB1GMNKPzRFzR0SvR9rTjRAXBCfu468K5rNNKqP6fom4JMO1HbCEdgw5dGeUEDZAKPpYBJzc4SLTK05hh8cd9lxCwKRCg3TfVicWYBOP5asF_Ui57wWHq2XZryjC722oPc6hNITNyzavgzZKrRjuAsGQLEquFu10PGWBvIWPvxhXgzitb/s1024/ZomboMeme%2005122021034436.jpg" style="display: inline; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="919" data-original-width="1024" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiSedD90pQB1GMNKPzRFzR0SvR9rTjRAXBCfu468K5rNNKqP6fom4JMO1HbCEdgw5dGeUEDZAKPpYBJzc4SLTK05hh8cd9lxCwKRCg3TfVicWYBOP5asF_Ui57wWHq2XZryjC722oPc6hNITNyzavgzZKrRjuAsGQLEquFu10PGWBvIWPvxhXgzitb/w200-h179/ZomboMeme%2005122021034436.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimcENLOXp0IcStNhNELzIp-_z6vW2WXDfSlPaf-Hj6xQ2ZiWz1hr12dC_5y3d9u2q3csFbbwzAmn5rpKbDwnIHbdbEBU5YhLzh_fu2VKkcZTJqfjalwWy2uT9J6pH40Jkf22hYCZIP9-gx5KiBsXH3kQAZM_Y6V3yHt2mqv18abwb1TvJoAebZc0Y_/s1571/ZomboMeme%2029112019164638.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1558" data-original-width="1571" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimcENLOXp0IcStNhNELzIp-_z6vW2WXDfSlPaf-Hj6xQ2ZiWz1hr12dC_5y3d9u2q3csFbbwzAmn5rpKbDwnIHbdbEBU5YhLzh_fu2VKkcZTJqfjalwWy2uT9J6pH40Jkf22hYCZIP9-gx5KiBsXH3kQAZM_Y6V3yHt2mqv18abwb1TvJoAebZc0Y_/w200-h198/ZomboMeme%2029112019164638.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: helvetica;">REPENT, AND BE FORGIVEN!</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: helvetica;">BELIEVE, AND BE SAVED!</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: helvetica;">TRIBULATIONHARVEST.NET</span></b></div>souzak99http://www.blogger.com/profile/12756935840229045589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8399924563118399589.post-74823256137125593412022-12-16T22:46:00.002-05:002022-12-16T23:46:13.728-05:00Tribulation Evangelism Verses The Rapture: Should I Stay Or Should I Go?<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZIrynrLfWITiO0F626NzLvBGHWwmRkZ_NbUgHYNipA9SmUjWLi_ipVtt-snOPBnMw4L1foFWW0Au7E_iSYGbnvzx8q0moKCPYSXxQiw7nIk7WDyC9W55-A64OndSmO5zZaW2XR3JifEJ75b8M1PZJV01HDC-pL96RezV7gJrhxkV-jAKThXZPiiRi/s1000/shutterstock_338580671.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZIrynrLfWITiO0F626NzLvBGHWwmRkZ_NbUgHYNipA9SmUjWLi_ipVtt-snOPBnMw4L1foFWW0Au7E_iSYGbnvzx8q0moKCPYSXxQiw7nIk7WDyC9W55-A64OndSmO5zZaW2XR3JifEJ75b8M1PZJV01HDC-pL96RezV7gJrhxkV-jAKThXZPiiRi/w200-h133/shutterstock_338580671.webp" width="200" /></a></div>I had a really close friend who once expressed his desire to remain behind after the Rapture so that he could help evangelize his family, friends, and neighbors during the Tribulation. He wanted to be used by God to share the message of salvation during those horrific seven years of God's judgment. He couldn't see that he was using his fleshly intellect to express a fleshly desire, so he couldn't comprehend what the consequences were to this train of thought. All he understood was that he wanted to make a great personal sacrifice by missing the Rapture so that he could offer what he viewed as a more sacrificial service for the Lord. It seems like a self-sacrificing decision, but it's really a misguided and self-serving decision.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">You may be asking, "What's so wrong with the desire to remain behind after the Rapture and sacrifice yourself for the greater good?" Well, to be honest, God doesn't need us here after the Rapture. If He did, he would have offered us that option, but He didn't. He's already made provision for everyone left on the earth during the Tribulation. First, m</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">any who have been evangelized... who have had that seed planted during the current church era, will become born again believers.</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> Secondly, </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">God is going to raise up 144,000 converted Jewish evangelists to spread the message of salvation worldwide. Finally, God's also going to send the Two Witnesses, who will be preaching and exhibiting miraculous signs in Jerusalem for the first half of the Tribulation. God has everything under control. If we're going to be making great personal sacrifice for the Lord and for the greater good, we should be making those sacrifices <b><u>now</u></b>, while we're here... </span><i style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>before</b></i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> the Rapture. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">By refusing to participate in the Rapture, we'd also be showing great disrespect for God by refusing to joyfully and thankfully participate in the fulfillment of the greatest promise ever given to mankind... salvation. The Rapture is when we transform from corruptible to incorruptible, from mortal to immortal. The Rapture is when we get to join with the Bridegroom forever, and exist throughout eternity in the presence of God. We leave this planet, knowing that whoever is left on earth, and is written in the Lamb's Book of Life, will become born again believers during the Tribulation. God has already made that provision for them without us having to be here.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">If you're still not convinced, and you still want to remain behind after the Rapture, answer me this... how are you going to avoid the great escape? The Rapture happens unexpectedly, in the blink of an eye. You can't pray to miss the Rapture and hope He allows you to do so, because that's a fleshly desire and doesn't come from God. The only way to avoid the Harpazo as a born again believer is to lay down your cross and put God on ice (no, I don't believe in "once saved, always saved.") My friend decided to do just that. He began living his life in the flesh. Even early on in his Christian walk, he sometimes got drunk and he enjoyed using weed occasionally, but once he decided he wanted to remain after the Rapture, his drinking and smoking grew worse. Other areas of his life suffered as well. His plan was to live his life his own way, and just bide his time until the Rapture, at which time he'd repent and become a more committed Christian and to allow himself to be used by God to evangelize the lost. It was almost like living your life without God and relying on a deathbed conversion to save you. He didn't understand that his time was <b>now</b>, and that God wanted him to spread the gospel and to be used by Him now, because there's not promise for tomorrow.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Speaking of waiting for a death bed conversion and of there being no promise for tomorrow, the tragic part of this story is that my friend never made it to the Rapture. He was drinking and had a tragic, unforeseen accident a few years ago, receiving a severe head injury. They operated on him, and placed him into an induced coma... a coma he never came out of. He was considered brain dead, and then, about a week later, he stepped into eternity when his family had to make that near impossible decision of turning off his life support. They had to say goodbye to their husband, dad, and brother.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">This is a warning to anyone who thinks they're going to live their life their own way and get serious with God when they decide it's the "right time." That time may never come. You may slip into eternity, like my friend did, at the most unexpected time and under totally unexpected circumstances. A fall down the stairs, t-boned by another vehicle, accidental overdose, unplanned surgical complications, heart attack, or any other number of unforeseen mishaps. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">If you love God, then love Him with all your heart, mind, strength, and spirit. Do it now! Stop waiting for the right time to get serious about, or reconcile, your relationship with Him. We don't need to be here for the Tribulation because God has already created provision for the soon-to-be born again believers who will arise during the Tribulat</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">ion (people we need to be witnessing to NOW). We need to trust that God has everything under control, and that if He plans to evacuate all of us from this planet at a moment's notice, then He will raise up men and women of God, as He's done in the past, to spread the message of salvation to all who will believe and repent. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">If you want to evangelize to the world after the Rapture, there's a way to do that without actually being here. I suggest that you create some After Rapture Kits (ARK's) and leave them behind for those who are left behind. What are ARK's? They're packets of information to leave behind for those who are yet to become born again believers. You can leave bibles, tracts, music, DVD's, flash drives, etc... that have valuable Christian information. If you want to know what I have in my ARK's, just <a href="https://souzak99.blogspot.com/2012/01/make-rapturetribulation-packet.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">CLICK HERE</span></b></a>.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Choosing to stay behind after the Rapture is the wrong decision, not only because you erroneously believe that you'll still be alive at that moment in time, but because you could die as a result of the Rapture, depending on where you are and what you're doing, but more importantly, because you're hindering the Holy Spirit's work in your life and you're jeopardizing your relationship with God. If you trust God, then you know that He has everything under control, and that those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life will definitely receive the gift of salvation. We're needed to spread the message of salvation now. That's why were here at this point in biblical history. God doesn't need us to do that after the Rapture, but now, so that many more will have the opportunity to receive the promise of salvation, and participate in the greatest evacuation plan the world will ever experience!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: helvetica;"><b>REPENT, AND BE FORGIVEN!</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: helvetica;"><b>BELIEVE, AND BE SAVED!</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: helvetica;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: helvetica;"><b>TRIBULATIONHARVEST.NET</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>souzak99http://www.blogger.com/profile/12756935840229045589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8399924563118399589.post-39570872183213323362022-11-22T10:20:00.007-05:002023-06-17T01:45:47.898-04:00What's To Become Of The United States During The Tribulation?<div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><div style="font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhddAyguQXQrpVFNcxhJi-uJK5ZlEorDqIlQWV4Z-MRf3fERZEzD9scaJQUElzxFZwCincvUP_zVeYrBWuik7N0M7oFLDj6Bwqoy_QwGFyeRawHxL3PClzfocECUpLxHy9e1NnB7qPXupWCGQpq8lEH0G7nvfd3nHxD2279F5A0kPhr37SgX2LpC_jk/s1920/Grunge%20Flag.jpg" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; font-family: verdana; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhddAyguQXQrpVFNcxhJi-uJK5ZlEorDqIlQWV4Z-MRf3fERZEzD9scaJQUElzxFZwCincvUP_zVeYrBWuik7N0M7oFLDj6Bwqoy_QwGFyeRawHxL3PClzfocECUpLxHy9e1NnB7qPXupWCGQpq8lEH0G7nvfd3nHxD2279F5A0kPhr37SgX2LpC_jk/w200-h133/Grunge%20Flag.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span>I’ve often wondered what was going to happen to the United States that would exclude it from biblical prophecy. </span></span><span><span>Somehow the United States is taken out of the picture of end time events. I can only contemplate what the circumstances will be, but it will happen. </span><span>I'm unaware of any scripture describing a great and powerful kingdom of the west being involved in events during the Tribulation. </span></span></div></span><span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span>The Rapture hasn't yet happened, and already this nation is divided as the evil that was only spoken of in the dark is now being proclaimed openly. Even the church body is experiencing division. When born again believers are raptured, it's going to leave a vacuum in almost every area of society, and will cause havoc worldwide. Some countries will experience a greater loss than others, depending on the percentage of the population that are born again believers. The Rapture will cause a huge drain on human resources and services, especially here in the U.S. where we have a large Christian population. This drain on resources and services will cause a great disruption in our nation. Everything will temporarily grind to a halt at the time of the Harpazo. </span></div></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><br /></span></div></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span>The United States has a lot of enemies because it's the one major country with whom the New World Order is having a difficult time dealing. Not only do we have a large Christian population, but we also have an even larger population that believes in personal freedom. People from other countries depend on the United States to fight tyranny and stand for personal freedom. They've expressed the fear that if the United States falls to the New World Order, then the rest of the world will have lost the most powerful beacon of freedom, and the rest of the world will fall. Because of this, we have a big target on our back. If anyone thinks that our enemies and the spiritual influences that control the New World Order won't take advantage of this nation's weakness after the Rapture, then they're deceiving themselves. </span><span>Our enemies will see a moment of weakness and jump at the opportunity to end us as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, the enemies within our own country can't comprehend what their participation in the creation of a New World Order will mean to them. They think they're going to receive financial gain and positions of power, but their actions are only going to lead to their own destruction.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><br /></span></div></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span>Our enemies from without know that they won't even need to step one foot on U.S soil to defeat us. This will NOT be a "Red Dawn" type of scenario where they'll bomb major cities and then parachute in to take control of our nation, making it a years-long, drawn out, city by city, town by town, state by state fight. No, it'll be instantaneous.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><br /></span></div></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZuo5EcKlyS-HNKSH4B3sh7FHLug9hevSkVGNehAeeXPI8OU6CqB8R97DZtgx-vfFSF-p8FJg8Iv1WUASXj_r9vaQ3mSY2GBg5B1YECB9tPmpTDY5BQvmlhT7RQ_Z5RXWr5gCJf3YWk2Nr8hJjbobx9w1q9SUhD3nOidC2s7n4vGNzmzYNN-Ks7DR_/s750/emp-attack.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="750" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZuo5EcKlyS-HNKSH4B3sh7FHLug9hevSkVGNehAeeXPI8OU6CqB8R97DZtgx-vfFSF-p8FJg8Iv1WUASXj_r9vaQ3mSY2GBg5B1YECB9tPmpTDY5BQvmlhT7RQ_Z5RXWr5gCJf3YWk2Nr8hJjbobx9w1q9SUhD3nOidC2s7n4vGNzmzYNN-Ks7DR_/w200-h133/emp-attack.png" width="200" /></a></div>Right now, China and Russia are our biggest threats. All China or Russia needs to do is help to facilitate an attack on the U.S. China can use North Korea or any one of their other allies as a proxy to attack our nation, just as Russia can use Iran or any of their own allies to be proxies for their government. The preferable method would probably be the 1-2-3 punch. They'll probably use a combination of a (1) financial attack, (2) cyber attack, and (3) EMP attack on our nation. What the financial and cyber attacks don't take care of, the EMP attack will. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><br /></span></div></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span>For those of you who don't know what an EMP is, it stands for Electro Magnetic Pulse. It's a wave of electromagnetic radiation. These electrons interact with power lines, metal, conductive materials, and electronics, causing power spikes. That means </span>anything<span> running on electricity will be fried, including vehicles, cell phones and landlines, computers, internet devices, power plants, transformers, substations, medical equipment, refrigerators, air conditions and heaters, televisions, radios (and other broadcast equipment), solar and wind power... all electrical devices rendered inoperable in a matter of seconds. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><br /></span></div></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span>A few strategically placed EMP's would bring this country's entire electrical grid down. Just think of what that would do to the United States.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span face="Arial, sans-serif">With an EMP attack, there's no going to the local supermarket, corner store, or pharmacy to pick up a few things, because there won't <b>be</b> a supermarket, corner store, or pharmacy to go to. Gas pumps won't work, so you won't be able to gas up your vehicle. You also </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">need electricity to produce goods and you need vehicles to transport them, and you need refrigeration units to keep perishables viable. If food isn't being produced or shipped, millions of people in this country woul</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-weight: normal;">d starve to death in a matter of weeks, unless they had some type of long-term emergency food and water supplies to rely on.</span></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><span><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal;"><div style="text-align: justify;">With our power grid down:</div></span><span style="color: black;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><ul><li style="font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal;"><span>Large scale farming wouldn't be viable, so we can forget about food. Farmers will be hording their crops, and the surrounding population will raid farmers' fields for food.</span></li><li style="font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal;"><span>Hospitals wouldn't be able to help the sick, because they wouldn't be able to use the electrical medical equipment that was fried by the EMP.<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">Pharmaceutical<span> companies won't be operating, so the basic meds someone takes on a daily basis would quickly run out, which would mean that those seeking medical attention wouldn't have access to any type of modern medication. Can you imagine the death toll as a result of just the lack of medication??? Cancer meds, seizure meds, blood pressure meds, antibiotics, vaccines, psyche meds (anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, AHDH, etc...), angina meds, pain meds, asthma meds/inhalers, AIDS meds, migraine meds, etc... </span></span></span></li><li style="font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">There wouldn't be weekly trash pick-ups, so trash would pile up and become a bio-hazard. How long do you think it will take YOUR neighborhood to start smelling like a garbage dump and looking like one as animals tear open the bags in a desperate attempt to survive.</span></span></li><li style="font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Water treatment plants would sit idle, while raw sewage overflows into our waterways, adversely affecting fresh and salt water sources. </span></li><li style="font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Water needs to be pumped into the water towers and treated, so we can forget about having any fresh water in our homes to drink, cook, or flush our toilet with. We'll be defecating in plastic bags or in a hole in our back yard. That will add to the amount of trash left on the streets. Imagine the odor and the spread of disease because of all this trash and fecal matter in the streets. </span></li><li style="font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">What about the millions of people who will die on the streets or in their home from lack of medication or from starvation or dehydration? What's to become of them? Will the starving and sick actually take the time and effort to dispose of the bodies that fall to the ground, or will they be too weak or sick, leaving the bodies where they are, increasing the spreading of pestilence? </span></li></ul></div></span><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">I could go on and on, but these things, and others, will lead to starvation, sickness, pestilence, violence, and death. It kind of makes the Four Horsemen mentioned in the book of Revelation seem a little more relevant now, doesn't it?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Lawlessness would be rampant, because policing wouldn't be possible, so those who have called for the defunding of the police will finally get their wish, as this country reverts to gang law. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">The starving, the sick, and the hopeless will beg for someone to help them, and the sovereignty of this country will be the last thing on their mind as they struggle to survive. That's where the Antichrist comes into the picture. This is how he's going to be able to usher in a one world government, economic system, and religion, because people will gladly give up their freedom just to survive and return to some sense of normalcy, but they don't realize that biblical prophecy states that they'll be living in the new norm, where they'll be experiencing the judgments of God. The life they complained about before the Rapture will seem like paradise to them as they suffer through the next 7 years, if they survive that long (biblical prophecy states that 2/3 of the population will die before the end of the Tribulation, so there's only a 1 out of 3 opportunity to survive until Jesus returns.)</span></div></span><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A severe EMP attack would quickly knock our country out of "super power" status and turn us into a third world nation, drastically reducing our population. Part of our national government structure may survive (they're supposed to have EMP proof sites situated in different areas of the nation), but they would be leaders of a severely crippled country. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Our enemies will have won, without even setting one foot on American soil. If they can decimate our nation's infrastructure, they can cause the death of millions of people within a few short weeks, without ever having to invade the country or fire a single gun shot. China and Russia don't need to attack the U.S. by conventional methods in order to defeat us. Three or four large EMP's strategically positioned and detonated, would do the trick. They may even lob a few more at us once the grid is down, just to be sure the entire nation was in total subjection to the coming New World Order. Since there was no nuclear explosion at ground level, that would greatly reduce the risk of major worldwide contamination from fallout. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span>This is how the United States will probably be sidelined for the entire seven year Tribulation. Those political leaders, the wealthy and famous, and those who were promised positions of power during the NWO will be crawling in the dust, because they'll be part of a dying nation. If the attack on this nation isn't enough, they'll suffer during the Tribulation, when they'll lose everything that they thought set them apart from everyone else. They'll be humbled in ways they can't imagine. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Everything going on in the world right now is in preparation for end-time events. The worldwide precursor to the <a href="https://souzak99.blogspot.com/p/mark-of-beast.html" target="_blank">Mark of the Beast</a> has already had a trial run, where a large percentage of the population of the world fell under the influence of worldwide propaganda and censored information. Those who refused to submit to the NWO's authority were de-platformed and blocked from their social media accounts. Some lost their livelihood, were separated from loved ones, were ostracized by friends, family, and society, were prevented from traveling, were imprisoned, were attacked on the street, were given substandard medical treatment or prevented from receiving alternate medical treatment, and were labeled "fringe," "extreme," and "radical," as well as suffering other negative repercussions from resisting the NWO's push to force everyone to submit. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Biblical prophecy is advancing right before our eyes. Although the "<a href="https://souzak99.blogspot.com/2014/08/and-god-will-send-them-strong-delusion.html" target="_blank">strong delusion</a>" won't occur until the Tribulation, many are being conditioned to fall victim to this coming prophetic event. There are many who believe the propaganda that's being disseminated on television, radio, social media, print media, and even in our own seats of government. The lie has become the truth, and those who won't accept the lie are treated like enemies of society and of the state, by those who both perpetuate the lie and those who have been deceived into believing the lie. It was prophesied, and it's happening right now.</div></span></span></span></span><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span>We keep trying to fight back, to take back some ground, but end-time prophecy won't be stopped. God will honor our efforts as long as they're in His perfect will, but those efforts will </span>achieve<span> only so much before we're taken out of the way and the full force of evil is allowed to be unleashed worldwide. </span></span></span></span></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: helvetica;">When this happens, the United States will fall. It will be taken out of the picture. Just as Jesus will rescue His bride from what's to come, He will also bring judgment upon this nation, once His bride has been removed from it. I'm sure there are many theories out there as to why the United States isn't included in biblical prophecy just as there are a myriad of theories of how the United States is going to meet it's fate. </span></span></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span>As much as God has blessed this nation, we're rotting from within. The rich and powerful believe that they're untouchable, but God is no respecter of persons, and it doesn't matter how much money, power, or fame they have, they can't escape God's judgments. </span><span>God has taken down kings and kingdoms before, and the United States is no different. They, and this country, are not exempt from God's wrath or judgments. </span></span></p><span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal;"><div style="text-align: justify;">If you comment on this blog article, please attempt to keep your comments brief and please limit your scriptural references to a minimum. </div></span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><b><span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></b></span></div></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><b><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: helvetica;">REPENT AND BE FORGIVEN! BELIEVE AND BE SAVED!</span></b></span></div><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: helvetica;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>TRIBULATIONHARVEST.NET</b></div></span></div>souzak99http://www.blogger.com/profile/12756935840229045589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8399924563118399589.post-45855586714086188852022-11-20T21:50:00.020-05:002023-09-24T23:30:38.375-04:00A Good Reason Why We're Still Waiting For The Rapture: Digital Currency<div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaf__zH4oVgWTPaBcMiz4S1cOX4Cdb6ZvbIvJEldXBKGiueisY9uSvNHeFfJnXb45OIN-ToyrYClSWBN7NZHisGnXQaGFXpxBUJ0QcOlGthruiz0L1Zx00A8v14Ct2s138Mu3dCTNOZkKo8JjGRxcSMZj191velXLrrZdYrTKPrnmKNpJqfuexodNJ/s1280/digital%20dollar.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaf__zH4oVgWTPaBcMiz4S1cOX4Cdb6ZvbIvJEldXBKGiueisY9uSvNHeFfJnXb45OIN-ToyrYClSWBN7NZHisGnXQaGFXpxBUJ0QcOlGthruiz0L1Zx00A8v14Ct2s138Mu3dCTNOZkKo8JjGRxcSMZj191velXLrrZdYrTKPrnmKNpJqfuexodNJ/w200-h113/digital%20dollar.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">A YouTube acquaintance of mine stated several times in the past that the Rapture was imminent. I remember him posting a video on his YouTube channel telling his viewers that the Rapture was so imminent, that he'd be surprised if we were still here for the presidential election (we were only about 5 months out from the election at that time). We're talking about the 2020 election and the date of this article is Nov. 20, 2022, so a few years have passed since then. I tried to explain to him that his urgency was a bit premature, but he wasn't having any of it. Here is what I tried to explain to him. </span></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /><span><br /></span><span>No matter how bad things seemed to be at that moment, it was nothing compared to what it was going to be like when the Rapture actually happens. A world system had to be created before there could be any move towards a one world government or a one world monetary system. It doesn't have to be completely cohesive, but the pieces need to be there for the Antichrist to pull them all together. The one world religion will be an easy thing to perpetrate once the majority of born again believers are gone (I'm saying that the majority will be gone, because there will be new born again believers populating the planet after the Rapture.)</span><br /><span><br /></span><span>The Antichrist won't have time to build these new systems in every country of the world. There are a lot of time consuming and complicated issues in dealing with the switch to a digital monetary system, and a lot of the initial work needs to be accomplished beforehand, so the ground work needs to be laid and the majority of the work needs to be completed BEFORE the Antichrist shows up on the scene. When that acquaintance of mine from YouTube was so adamant that the Rapture was going to most likely take place in 2020 (although he claimed he wasn't date setting...), I just couldn't agree with him. There was so much that needed to be done before the Rapture because the Antichrist immediately appears on the scene. Like many in power say, <i>"Never let a good crisis go to waste." </i></span><br /><span><br /></span><span>Now, how could the Antichrist make sure that no one would be able to buy or sell anything without his mark? It's not like those Rapture movies we grew up on. Sure, you won't be able to walk into a store and buy anything unless you have the mark, maybe, but I don't think people have considered the black market. There's a black market for everything in demand. So what's a demented despot to do?</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span>Anyone left here who has the <a href="https://souzak99.blogspot.com/p/mark-of-beast.html" target="_blank"><b>mark of the beast</b></a> won't really care whether they make their money from those who have the mark and those who don't. Money talks. Evil will be infesting this planet, so making distinctions as to whether someone has the mark or not won't matter to many who are controlling the flow of goods, assuming they aren't offered a price for your head. For biblical prophecy to be realized, the Antichrist will need some other type of system in place to stop the legal and illegal purchase of goods, or his mark won't prevent illegal black market purchases. What could this new system be that would work in conjunction with his mark?</span><br /><span><br /></span><span>The answer is digital currency. He would need to be sure that physical cash was taken out of the hands of the populace and replaced with </span><span>digital currency</span><span> that could be tracked and controlled. On November 20,2022? </span><a href="https://noqreport.com/2022/11/15/here-come-programmable-dollars-new-york-fed-and-12-banking-giants-launch-digital-dollar-test/" target="_blank"><b>The Federal Reserve Bank of NY and a group of banks announced that they'll be perform a 12-week trial to test out a digital dollar.</b></a><span> Yep, and it won't be built like Bitcoin. The Federal Reserve will be in charge of the whole shebang. As I said, the groundwork needs to be laid so the Antichrist can access and control established economic and governmental systems. The United States isn't the only country experimenting with digital currency, either. According to data from the Atlantic Council, an American think tank in the field of international affairs, as of this date and time, there are around 105 countries across the glove that are exploring digital currencies. Several countries have already converted to 100% digital currency. So, as you can see, we're well on our way to a one world economic system.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span> </span><span><br /></span><span>I told a co-worker a few months back, when all this </span><span>digital currency</span><span> talk was getting serious, that if the government ever switched over to </span><span>digital currency</span><span>, they'd be able to not only see where all of our money was going, but they'd also be able to lock us out of our bank accounts at a whim. She brushed it off as a conspiracy theory, saying that the government would never be allowed to do that. What can you say after getting that kind of response? I just shook my head and went on with my work.</span><br /><span><br /></span><span>Here's the thing. When you're using physical cash, no one knows what you're spending your money on, unless you're using it with a store courtesy card or something else that links you to the cash you're spending. So you go to the store, spend your cash, and no one's the wiser on what you purchased. With </span><span>digital currency</span><span>, all of your purchases will be recorded, which means that systems can be put in place to flag your account when you're using your </span><span>digital currency</span><span> for "unapproved" purchases. What do I mean by that?</span><br /><span><br /></span><span>Here are a few scenarios:</span><br /><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span>Example #1: Inflation is an issue, so they need people to spend money. What the government doesn't want you to do is save money. They want it pumped into the economy. How can they get you to spend the cash instead of saving it? They give it an expiration date. You can thank China for that idea. The </span><span>digital currency</span><span> is good for a specified period of time (3 months maybe?). If you don't use it, you lose it, and there won't be anything you can do about it. If you're not going to spend it, the government will take it and split it between the federal government and the state in which you reside. Simple as that. </span><br /><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span>Example #2: Our benevolent government claims it knows what's best for us and decides that it's time to limit the amount of "unhealthy" foods that we're allowed to eat or to limit the services and products that we access. They'll claim it's for our own good. So, we'll be limited in the amount of animal protein and other "unhealthy" foods we're are allowed to purchase. When we reach our monthly limit of particular items, we won't be able to use our </span>digital currency<span> to purchase them. Our card will be declined. The cashier will be instructed to remove those items from the belt if you want to continue your purchase. The current president wants everyone to convert to electric cars, stoves, etc... Can you imagine going out to buy a new gas stove or combustible engine car and be blocked from purchasing one because you're not authorized to use digital currency to purchase those items? </span><br /><span><br /></span><span>Example #3: You want to purchase a firearm and some ammo? Survival gear? At the register, your digital currency is rejected and you immediately get a text from the Federal Reserve that you can't use your digital currency for that purchase because your social media score red flags you as a possible threat. They'll most likely block all further attempts to purchase these items until your social media account comes under review in 6-12 months. Maybe.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Example #4: You go to your local town or city hall and peacefully protest; you go before a school board to debate an issue; you meet at a church where the pastor talks about political and societal issues that the government deems "unacceptable"; you share what the government considers "misinformation." Depending on how serious they consider the "infraction," you could receive a text from the Federal Reserve informing you that your account has been frozen for a week or two. Just long enough to force you to submit to their totalitarian authority.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">What I'm trying to say is that digital currency destroys anonymity. True story, I went to a big box store recently and purchased a couple of items using my debit card. A couple of days later, I received an email from that big box store asking me to review the items I purchased. Wait, I didn't purchase them online, so how did they know I purchased those items as a walk-in customer? They connected me to my debit card purchase. So we've already lost some of our anonymity by using something other than cash.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Once we go to an electronic form of payment and we lose the freedom of anonymous spending, they'll be able to track every transaction and use our bank accounts as leverage to force everyone into compliance. Ask yourself this... how many people were convinced to take the jab? </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><ul><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;">First it was optional. They waited to see how many people would just line up and take the jab. The same will be true of the conversion to digital currency. They'll wait to see how many voluntarily make the switch. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;">When they got a large part of the population jabbed, they resorted to bribing those who had still not taken the jab. College tuition, gift cards, a car, a jab lottery, free fries, etc... They'll most likely do the same with the switch to digital currency. "Convert to digital currency and get an additional $100 in your account! Convert to digital currency and automatically be entered into a $10,000 lottery!"</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Then, when the herd instinct and bribery wasn't enough, they tried shaming the unjabbed into submitting, by pitting the jabbed against the unjabbed, claiming the unjabbed were driving the variations that were killing grandma and that we were never going to get through the pandemic unless everyone got jabbed. The jabbed developed a sense of social superiority over the unjabbed, and many of them had no issues with sharing their distaste for anyone refusing the jab. It'll be the same for digital currency. <i>"We're never going to get rid of this runaway inflation, this recession, unless everyone converts to digital currency! We're spending millions on printing money and creating coinage. It's a waste of money and it's killing us economically. Why can't you just follow everyone else who's fighting to get this economy fixed! If you don't want to convert to digital currency, then you've become part of the problem and that's unacceptable and fascist!" </i>Those paying in cash at the register will feel the glares of those who have already made the switch just like the masked received the judgmental stares of those who walked around double masked.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span>Then, when social shame wasn't enough, the threats started. People were told to get the jab, or they would lose their livelihood. It was a "choice," but what it really was, was intimidation... it was coercion. <i>"Do what we say, or lose everything."</i> Suddenly, <i>"My body, my choice"</i> was no longer relevant. The same will hold true for electronic cash. We'll be given a "choice." </span><i>"Convert to digital currency, or your bills don't get paid." </i><span>If the jab compliance is any indication, the majority of the nation will have already switched over to digital currency by this time. The Federal Reserve will say, </span><i>"Every cash business, including property owners, will be switched over to cashless payments as of such-and-such a date, so cash will no longer be accepted as payment after that date. Want to pay your rent? Make a car payment? Buy groceries? Buy fuel? Pay your utility bills? Go to any store? Pay for car repairs? Keep your cell phone on? If you want to spend any money, you'll need to convert your cash to digital currency, or you won't be able to buy or sell anything, because we will be a cashless society as of such-and-such a date."</i></span></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">It's the same steps the Antichrist and False Prophet will likely go through to get everyone to take the mark: First, wait while many take it willingly, then bribe the masses with gifts, then cause class warfare between those who have taken the mark and those who have not (putting social pressure on those who refuse the mark), then threaten the dissenters' livelihood and family structure, striking fear in the heart of those who continue to resist. All of this will culminate with the mark becoming mandatory, refusal of which will mean execution by way of beheading. It's been prophesied that by the middle of the Tribulation, when the Antichrist, being possessed by Satan, sets himself up as God in the Third Temple, his mark will become mandatory, and those who refuse to take his mark and worship his image will be killed.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">With the rise of digital currency with over a hundred countries testing or planning to test a digital currency, </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">we see this important piece falling into place.</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> It's something that the Antichrist will use to his advantage. This is one sign that we're that much closer to the Rapture. They say that digital currency is years away, but with systems tested, but with all the planning, testing, and implementation in the U.S and other countries worldwide (China has digital currency), it wouldn't take much for the Antichrist to just convert every economy in the world to a shared digital currency. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">UPDATE 18 SEP 2023: <a href="https://www.fxstreet.com/cryptocurrencies/news/citibank-customers-to-get-digital-tokens-for-their-deposits-under-citi-token-services-202309182055" target="_blank">Citibank Customer To Get Digital Tokens For Their Deposits Under Citi Token Services</a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: helvetica;"><b>REPENT, AND BE FORGIVEN!</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: helvetica;"><b>BELIEVE, AND BE SAVED!</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: helvetica;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: helvetica;"><b>TRIBULATIONHARVEST.NET</b></span></div>souzak99http://www.blogger.com/profile/12756935840229045589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8399924563118399589.post-62816626974507254232021-04-04T20:30:00.028-04:002023-02-02T23:34:21.139-05:00What If The Last Trump Isn't What We Think It Is?<p><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: justify;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUybuHKqUTeCYqPZywmVgVC5DRz1MP_sdIzmLKIGcu0J0eVGhWpTzn8Jrb0KiN_JhtS_yTHQ2vd-IrMlxjM_lNtNTOhP_apRvzKFoBxWWYRkjV6-NbtYFQvx0fCe-vux0X3rZ-pW34_yA/s1250/zombomeme12042021000606.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="703" data-original-width="1250" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUybuHKqUTeCYqPZywmVgVC5DRz1MP_sdIzmLKIGcu0J0eVGhWpTzn8Jrb0KiN_JhtS_yTHQ2vd-IrMlxjM_lNtNTOhP_apRvzKFoBxWWYRkjV6-NbtYFQvx0fCe-vux0X3rZ-pW34_yA/w242-h136/zombomeme12042021000606.jpg" width="242" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: justify;">Read the article, or <a href="https://www.bitchute.com/video/5B9WTWuT7FHG/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">WATCH THE VIDEO</span></b></a>. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: justify;">Let me begin by first quoting the portion of scripture that we'll be discussing:</span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b style="text-align: justify;"><u>1</u></b><span style="text-align: justify;"><b style="text-decoration-line: underline;"> Cor. 15:51-52 </b>"Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, <span style="font-size: xx-small;">52</span>in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, <b>at the last trumpet</b>; for the <b>trumpet will sound,</b> and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed."</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="text-align: justify;">Many people are convinced that the last trump referred to here in 1 Corinthians is either referring to the last trump of Rosh Hashanah, or referring to the last trumpet judgment mentioned in the book of Revelation. We've all seen the blogs and vlogs, or sat in church services or bible studies where we were taught one theory or the other. Many Christians are convinced that it has to be one of the two. They're steadfast in their beliefs, and can offer up reasons why their adherence to that particular theory is logically correct, but I often question things, and after a while, I began to believe that neither one of these theories makes much sense to me, and here's why... </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="text-align: justify;">In Matthew 24:36, Jesus says, <span style="color: #660000;"><i>"But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only."</i></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #660000;"><i><br /></i></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="color: black;">And again, in Mattnew 24:44, Jesus says, </span><i>"Therefore, be ye also ready: for in such an hour that ye think not, the Son of Man cometh.</i></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Again, in Matthew 25:13, Jesus says, <span style="color: #660000;"><i>"Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming."</i></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">So, if no man or angel, or even Jesus, knows when that will be, and if He says that He's coming in such an hour that we don't even <b>expect</b> Him, then how can we even suggest that it will be at the last trump of Rosh Hashanah of any given year, since that last trump of Rosh Hashanah can be calculated? Even if it's not this year, it can be predicted that it will happen next year. If not next year, then the next one. It will always be <b>expected</b> at the end of Rosh Hashanah, so we could say that it <b>can</b> be predicted in any given year if it were to be this particular "last trump." Christians get hung up on the Feast of Trumpets every year, anticipating that at the last trump of this High Holiday, they'll be raptured. How many people are disappointed year after year when it doesn't happen? How many have fallen away from the faith after they were assured by those they deemed more mature than them, that this was the year of the greatest evacuation in the history of the planet?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I also question how we can be assured that it will happen at the end of the trumpet judgments that are spoken about in the book of Revelation. That can also be predicted, because the 7th trumpet judgment occurs mid-Tribulation. We may not know the hour, but if the tribulation lasts 7 years on the Luni-Solar calendar, also known as the Jewish calendar, we can calculate where the mid-point is in the Tribulation (1260 days), so knowing this date would give us the knowledge that Jesus said none of us would have. So, if both of those trumpet blasts can be more-or-less calculated, how is it possible that Jesus would say that we wouldn't know the day... that He would return unexpectedly???</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I have a different theory that I'd like throw into the mix. What if God isn't referring to either one of those trumpet blasts? Think about that. What if there was a trumpet blast that we weren't even considering... that didn't even come to mind... because it's an Old Testament reference which can't be calculated, because we were never told that it would ever be used again? That would mean that it would be a totally unpredictable event, so even though we know we're in the season, we'd be taken by surprise when it actually happened, because there would be absolutely no way to predict the day or time of this other trumpet blast. So, if the last trump doesn't relate to Rosh Hashanah, or the seventh trumpet judgment, then what am I referring to?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">There is a portion of scripture in Exodus that mentions another heavenly trumpet that was blown. The similarities between that event and the coming Rapture is compelling. Is it possible that the "last trump" spoken of in 1 Corinthians could be the same trumpet that was blown in Exodus 19:16-18? </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>"So it came about on the third day, when it was morning, that there were thunder and lightning flashes and <u>a thick cloud</u> upon the mountain and a very loud trumpet sound, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. <span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>17</b></span>And Moses brought the people out of the camp <u>to meet God</u>, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. <span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>18</b></span>Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke because the LORD descended upon it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the hole mountain quaked violently."</i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Now, the trumpet in this portion of scripture wasn't just any trumpet. It was actually a special ram's horn that was blown from heaven. If we go back a few verses to Exodus 19:13b, it says, <i>"...When the ram's horn sounds a long blast, <u>they shall come up</u> to the mountain."</i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This happened just after God's people were delivered from the hand of the Pharaoh and the bonds of Egypt. Just as they were delivered from the bond of Egypt, will we be delivered from the bonds of this world... of the flesh... at the next blast of the ram's horn from heaven?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Could the trumpet that heralded the arrival of God in a cloud at the top of the mountain, be the one that will herald the arrival of Jesus in the clouds as well? Could this be the heralding trumpet that's going to be blown one last time when God calls us up out of the camp to meet Him?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Scripture states: <i>"For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with <b><u>the trump of God</u></b>: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:" </i>(1Thess. 4:16) It says with <b><u>THE</u></b> trump of God, not <b><u>a</u></b> trump of God. It's a very specific trumpet blast. The only "trump of God" I know of was blown at </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Mount Sinai.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It's a point of view that I've never heard before, but it's highly likely I'm not the only one who's mentioned this point of view. Could this be why the bride of Christ is going to be unaware as to the actual time of the Rapture? We know the season, but how could we possibly know the day or the hour? This point of view makes the Rapture totally unpredictable, just as Jesus said it would be.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I think this is an interesting take on the subject, and one that I hope will generate some conversation in the comment section below. As I've said, we've been taught to believe in one theory or another concerning the "last trump," but if Jesus says it's not possible for us to know the day or hour, then why put much thought into it? Just know that it will happen, and that we need to be like the wise virgins who kept their lamps full. If we do that, then we won't need to be concerned about when the Lord will return, because we'll always be at the ready.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: arial; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial;"></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i style="color: #cc0000; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">If you like this article, or any of the other information on this web site, please consider following me. You'll be one of the first to be notified when I create new content! You'll find the section at the top of the right hand column on this page. It says, "Follow Tribulation Harvest by Email." After entering your email address, you may be prompted to sign in to your Google account. Thank you!!!</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: arial;"><b>Repent and be forgiven! Believe and be saved!</b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: arial;"><b>TribulationHarvest.net</b></span></span></div></div>souzak99http://www.blogger.com/profile/12756935840229045589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8399924563118399589.post-88615400924004117152020-03-22T14:33:00.005-04:002021-04-24T11:56:50.218-04:00The Nephilim And End Time Biblical Prophecy<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisJPn_XWmOeS4ErLYiw2VYgS-QFytleBbv1mDM5utIZpH6VFjS_oljcfTxguS19LLpVTPNAPxem_w-aYtHW5XifPTV-o8jxIw8gL-gV-8ChrfaeMIM8KVCpbD1KtxEZlfh_3l7hn7DLtw/s1079/zombomeme29032020101608.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="607" data-original-width="1079" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisJPn_XWmOeS4ErLYiw2VYgS-QFytleBbv1mDM5utIZpH6VFjS_oljcfTxguS19LLpVTPNAPxem_w-aYtHW5XifPTV-o8jxIw8gL-gV-8ChrfaeMIM8KVCpbD1KtxEZlfh_3l7hn7DLtw/s320/zombomeme29032020101608.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>READ THE BLOG, OR </b><a href="https://www.brighteon.com/584cc423-69f7-4c8a-8878-51c01625d2c0" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">WATCH THE VIDEO</span></b></a><b>.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Adding to the word of God is a very serious thing. I briefly hit upon this subject in one of my previous posts: <a href="https://souzak99.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-spirit-of-python-is-spirit-of-occult.html" target="_blank"><b>The Spirit Of Python Is A Spirit Of Divination And Nothing More.</b></a> In that article, I shed light on all the false teachings out there concerning the spirit of python, and how a spiritual truth was being distorted and taught as biblical truth. The same thing seems to have happened with this idea that Nephilim will appear again during the end times. This false teaching has been around for quite some time. Here is the scripture that everyone seems to cling to when claiming that there will be Nephilim during the end times:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><i><span style="background-color: #c27ba0;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b>26</b></span>And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. </span><b style="background-color: #b4a7d6;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">27</span></b></i><span style="background-color: #b4a7d6;"><i>They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.</i> (Luke 17:26-27)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">God has said that in the days of the Son of man, life will be as it was in the days of Noah. Well, what does that mean exactly? God answers that question in <b>the very next verse:</b> <i>"They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage..." </i>Everything was going on as usual, <i>"...until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all."</i> So God explains what He meant when He said that the end times will be just as it was in the time of Noah.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">Q: Well wait, where do the Nephilim come into the picture? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">A: They don't. God doesn't mention them, but that doesn't stop false teachers from cutting and pasting the Nephilim in to this end time prophecy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">Let's read the next few verses in that same chapter where God immediately gives us another example:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="background-color: #b4a7d6;"><i><b><span style="font-size: xx-small;">28</span></b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they bulided; </span><b><span style="font-size: xx-small;">29</span></b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. </span></i></span><span style="background-color: #b4a7d6;"><i><b><span style="font-size: xx-small;">30</span></b>Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.</i><span face="verdana, sans-serif"> </span></span><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="background-color: #b4a7d6;">(Luke 17:28-29)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">So, in Lot's time, they were eating, drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, living their lives as they usually did on a daily basis. There was no warning judgment was coming just as there was no warning in the time of Noah. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">Do you see any Nephilim mentioned? No, you don't. Read Luke chapter 17 yourself. Any mention of Nephilim in that entire chapter? Again, no. Why? The reason they're not mentioned is because they're not part of end time prophecy. The Nephilim aren't even on God's radar in Luke chapter 17. On the contrary, God is giving us a picture of what it will be like when Jesus returns. Everyone will be living life as usual. Eating, drinking, marrying, working, going to the store, etc... God isn't warning us about Nephilim, He's telling us that Jesus' return will be totally unexpected and that judgment will come upon the world at a time when no one expects it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">Although there are many born again believers online who would have you believe that the Nephilim are part of this prophecy, it's just can't be supported by scripture. Ask yourself this question: If this teaching about Nephilim appearing during the end times is not supported by scripture, then what kind of teaching is this? Answer: <b>It's a false teaching.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Let's look at it from the perspective of those who hold true to this false teaching. They will say, "Well, it doesn't necessarily mention the Nephilim, but they were alive at that time, so when God says that it will be the same during the end times as it was during Noah's or Lot's time, then logically it must also mean that the Nephilim will be around. God says, 'As it was in the days of Noah...'" <span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>WARNING!!!</b></span> That's when they will begin using flawed human intellect to lead you down a rabbit hole and away from biblical truth to convince you to believe in something that isn't biblically sound and cannot be found in scripture. They'll explain to you that other things were happening at the time of Noah as well, so they must be included in this prophecy. If you listen carefully to what they have to say, you'll find that their logic is based on pure conjecture, and that their claim is in no way based on scripture.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Using their flawed logic, </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">dinosaurs would also appear during the end times because dinosaurs were alive before the flood. If we're going to cut and paste Nephilim to the picture, then we have to do that with everything else, including dinosaurs, because God said, "As it was in the days of Noah..." </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">Do you see where I'm going with this? Just as dinosaurs aren't going to return, neither will the Nephilim, because IT'S NOT SCRIPTURAL! What's one of the basic rules of bible study? You must interpret scripture in context. I had a friend who used to misquote scripture all the time, taking things totally out of context and using it haphazardly, like a child clumsily wielding a toy sword. It was not only annoying, but she truly believed that what she was saying was biblically sound. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">Misquoting scripture, or adding to scripture, shows a lack of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding of God and of His word. I guarantee you that many people who believe in the return of the Nephilim will take great exception to this article, but that's because they don't have scriptural truth to back up their claims of returning Nephilim, and they can't defend themselves with solid scripture references, so they'll angrily defend their indefensible position.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">That's really all the time I'm willing to give to this false teaching. It's pretty straight forward. I urge you to stay away from any teaching that can't be supported by scripture and I warn you not to let false teachers lead you down a rabbit hole of flawed human intellect disguised as spiritual teaching. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">God bless and please feel free to leave a comment down below. All comments are held for review before posting, so if your comment doesn't immediately appear, don't fret. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">If I don't see you here (on earth), then I'll see you on the other side!!! God bless!!!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: verdana;"><b>REPENT AND BE FORGIVEN!</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: verdana;"><b>BELIEVE AND BE SAVED!</b></span></div>
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souzak99http://www.blogger.com/profile/12756935840229045589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8399924563118399589.post-67172483807991391182019-10-24T13:58:00.003-04:002021-01-23T01:24:11.478-05:00How Many People Will Disappear At The Time Of The Rapture?<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>READ THE BLOG, OR WATCH THE VIDEO!!!</b></span></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>VIDEO: <a href="https://www.brighteon.com/87bb6460-5305-4210-b726-59227b64d4fb" target="_blank">HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL DISAPPEAR AT THE TIME OF THE RAPTURE???</a></b></span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8soK65nwagzUH-xLd9_iUmxOwW1BsuS040p5F_ajVY6bGxeb7zMkIREniQniRxl6mLZtIpZd1vVxPGuB6m3flFytJwa-HIhmFYIZiSlaqKiCJPHeXga7HvXso9z93Kbqb9aGNDx7x9O0/s1042/zombomeme05022020103450.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="587" data-original-width="1042" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8soK65nwagzUH-xLd9_iUmxOwW1BsuS040p5F_ajVY6bGxeb7zMkIREniQniRxl6mLZtIpZd1vVxPGuB6m3flFytJwa-HIhmFYIZiSlaqKiCJPHeXga7HvXso9z93Kbqb9aGNDx7x9O0/s320/zombomeme05022020103450.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I've seen videos and read articles and comments about how "millions of people" or "tens of millions of people" will disappear at the time of the Rapture. I always knew that number couldn't be correct. The number of those who will be raptured will be much, much more significant than just a few million people. </span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">What many people don't take into account is the fact that all of the children on the planet will disappear at the moment of the Rapture. Those children, who are too young to understand what sin is and their need to repent of that sin,<b> </b>will be rescued from what's to come. They'll disappear from their cribs and playpens, from backyards and sleepovers, from schools and field trips, from vacation destinations like Disneyland, from beaches and parks, from cars and buses, from movie theaters and restaurants, from dinner tables, and even from their own parent's arms... they'll all just disappear!</span></span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">How many children make up this demographic who will be raptured? Well, we need to do a little calculating to figure that out. It's a little tricky, because there are many variables.</span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">As of September 2019, there are approximately *<b>7.7 billion people</b> on the planet. As of 2018, *<b>approximately 25% (I rounded down) are between the ages of 0-15</b>. So, we're talking about a demographic of <span style="color: #274e13; font-weight: bold;">1,925,000,000</span> children. That's just shy of 2 billion.</span></span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Let's assume, for argument sake, that children under the age of 13 have not reached the maturity to truly understand what sin is and the consequences of an unrepentant heart (some people refer to this as the age of accountability). I am using this figure because in Jewish tradition, a child becomes an adult at the age of 13, so those who are younger than 13 years old will be considered for this purpose. Yes, I know it varies because children mature at different rates, but we need some sort of baseline for the calculations, so those are the figures I'm using right now. I also understand that we're not including the mentally disabled, who may not be able to comprehend what sin is. There are a lot of variables, and that's why I needed to set some sort of baseline. </span></span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">So the ages we're looking at are 0-12. <u>Note: I am considering those under 1 year of age as it's own age group</u>, that's why I am calculating the ages of 0-12 and not 1-12. This is important in the calculations below because it seems like I'm using a higher number of age groups, but it's increased by one because I'm counting those of 0-11 months old as their own age group (0-15 is 16 age groups, 0-12 is 13 age groups, and 0-10 is 11 age groups)</span></span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Assuming, for statistical reasons, the total number of children is equal for each age, that would mean that each year represents approximately 120,312,200 individuals (between the ages of 0-15). </span></span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>Calculation: </b>Divide 1,925,000,000 children worldwide by 16 age groups and that equals 120,312,200 per age group. But we're trying to find out how many children are between the ages of 0-12, so let's perform another calculation.</span></span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>Calculation:</b> 120,312,200 per age group X 13 age groups = <b>1,564,058,600</b> children worldwide. That's just over 1.5 billion!!!</span></span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Let's reduce the age to 10 years old in order to satisfy some of you who may say that 12 years old is too old.</span></span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>Calculation:</b> 120,312,200 per age group X 11 age groups = <b>1,323,434,200</b> children worldwide. That's just over 1.3 billion children!</span></span><br />
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Just by calculating the children alone, approximately 1.3 billion to 1.5 billion will disappear at the moment of the Rapture. That's way more than the "tens of millions" or even "hundreds of millions" that most people refer to when speaking about the number of people who will take part in the Rapture.</span><br />
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<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">So as you can see, just counting the children alone, we already have over a billion people who will disappear at the moment of the Rapture. Add to that all other born again believers above those calculated ages, and we're talking about 2 billion people or more in total. There are many professing "Christians" out there, but there's no way of knowing how many "true" born again believers there are, so that makes the projected number of raptured adults difficult, if not impossible, to calculate. </span></span><br />
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<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Can you imagine a world where almost every child under 13 (or 10 and under, if you want to use that calculation) suddenly disappears? Even those in the womb! How devastating will that be for the unsaved parents who remain behind?!? The entire world will be in turmoil! </span></span><br />
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<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">If you think these devastated parents will be heading off to work, or even remaining at work (depending on what time it happens in different parts of the world) after this event, you're not being realistic. Just think what that means. Think about this on a worldwide scale! <b><span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://souzak99.blogspot.com/p/after-rapture_04.html" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a></span></b> if you want to know more about what will happen after the Rapture!</span></span><br />
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<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">And what will happen immediately after that? The Antichrist will be right there to ride in on a white horse to save the day (Revelation 6:1-2). <b><span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://souzak99.blogspot.com/p/seven-year-tribulation.html" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a></span></b> to read more about the rider on the white horse.</span></span><br />
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If you think that the violent groups we see attacking innocent people on the streets and destroying personal property without any remorse for their victims or respect for law enforcement is horrific, if you think that the comments people post online or spew on television are filled with unbridled and venomous hate, and if you think politics is corrupt to it's core with back room deals, payoffs, and collusion with foreign powers, then just wait until that moment when the Holy Spirit and God's people are taken out of the way. <i><span style="color: #4c1130;">"For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way." (</span>2 Thess 2:7) </i>God has been holding back the full force of evil in the world, and when the Rapture occurs, that dam is going to break, and those horrific things you've seen, heard, read about, and experienced will be multiplied and become normalized. Those who hate God and who hate born again believers think they're going to rejoice when every true born again believer is gone, but they're in for a rude awakening.</span></span><br />
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<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Remember, the United States isn't mentioned in biblical prophecy, so there's no knowing what shape the US will be in at this time in biblical history. Our military forces are not mentioned in biblical prophecy, so that's something to think about. In this country, at this moment, there is a huge population that calls good, evil...and evil, good. When every born again believer is taken out of the way, what will this country look like? New born again believers will be hunted down and executed if they refuse to take the Mark of the Beast on their right hand or forehead and if they refuse to worship the Beast. Think this can't happen? Look at what's happening in the streets, as mobs attack the defenseless and elderly, the unarmed and the bystanders. They attack with fists, bats, chains, and other makeshift weapons. They wear masks, incite mobs to violence, and justify their violent behavior by calling evil, good. In many instances, law enforcement is ordered to stand down and allow the violence and destruction. Yes, this is a real thing. If it's happening now, while the full force of evil is still being held back, can you imagine what it will be like when the dam breaks as billions of people disappear in the blink of an eye?</span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">There are a lot of links for you to access on this web site. Just go to the tabs at the top of the page and check them out. There's a lot of information there. Thank you for taking the time to read this article. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them in the comment section below. God bless!!!</span></span><br />
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<i>*These are the latest figures that I could find for this article.</i></span><br />
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</div>souzak99http://www.blogger.com/profile/12756935840229045589noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8399924563118399589.post-40509017562746878042018-12-30T23:02:00.013-05:002023-06-06T01:41:35.321-04:00Unbelievers Waiting for the Rapture!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPv5w1bv_ksvBikbNEwka5bT-qfFeH2KkitI6_kGANO4DOEu_H-sOJROVGWIDRcV5dluJ3YjUDC35Ikzee05BRjhAwkguXi5pANOkqsq6BAAlB0IJntG2eOMl_g-pD5XAyVvN1hEFtAUM/s1600/Persecution+of+Christians.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="188" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPv5w1bv_ksvBikbNEwka5bT-qfFeH2KkitI6_kGANO4DOEu_H-sOJROVGWIDRcV5dluJ3YjUDC35Ikzee05BRjhAwkguXi5pANOkqsq6BAAlB0IJntG2eOMl_g-pD5XAyVvN1hEFtAUM/s1600/Persecution+of+Christians.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: verdana;">Believe it or not, it's true. Many unbelievers and haters of the Judaeo/Christian God of the bible concede that if the Rapture ended up being a real event, they'd be more than happy to see every single born again believer taken from the face of the earth. Many believe that born again believers are intolerant, sexist, immoral, phobic, hateful, and judgmental. They call born again believers Nazis, fascists, white supremacists, terrorists, and every other hateful name. They curse us with foul and indecent language and even assault some of us. It used to be, in the modern era, that born again believers were only persecuted in countries like China, North Korea, the Middle East and in other areas of the world where anti-Christian sentiment had a strong hold. Now Christians in free western countries like England and the United States are being persecuted. Sure, it hasn't reached the point where they're murdering us on the streets, but it's not a huge leap from assault to murder. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Sooner or later, persecution like we see it in other parts of the world, will rear it's ugly head in the western world, bringing with it physical torture and death. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Just look at how some of these individuals/groups treat those who have a different ideology or lifestyle than they do. These individuals have had objects thrown at them, been spat upon, had their belongings ripped off of their body, been physically assaulted, been harassed to the point where they are forced to leave an establishment with which they're doing business or had their lecture cancelled. They've had their house surrounded and defaced, received threatening phone calls and messages on their social media accounts, been face to face with someone spewing hatred toward them, and had their livelihood ruined by frivolous lawsuits. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Look at what continually happens to those who are peacefully trying to educate the population that abortion is the torture and death of a child. They're assaulted verbally and physically, they have their educational materials (posters, signs and pamphlets) defaced, destroyed and taken from them, and they're often the ones removed from the space instead of the offender, in order to quell any hostilities. Born again believers are shouted down, cancelled, threatened, bullied, injured, and thrown in jail. Why? Because the principalities and powers don't want the truth to be spoken. They don't want the salvation message to be shared, and they'll use their human hosts to tamp down any attempt to share that truth. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">It's not just the average citizen exhibiting these types of vengeful, fascist, and anti-Christ behavior. Unbelievably, many of our political leaders and educators are actually endorsing these types of behaviors by standing in front of these crowds and encouraging them to act this way, conditioning them to believe that by violent and confrontational behavior, they're acting both for the good of the country and for the good of the world as a whole. These crowds are encouraged to use violence and intimidation to force those who don't agree with their belief system to fall in line or to retreat and be silent. How easy is it going to be for the Antichrist to whip up this type of resentment towards born again believers when the world is in the midst of a <b><a href="https://souzak99.blogspot.com/2014/08/and-god-will-send-them-strong-delusion.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">strong delusion</span></a></b>? People are already displaying this type of behavior, so it wouldn't take much to kick it up a notch and solely focus this abusive and criminal behavior toward the Christian community, if it doesn't reach that point by then. What the Christian community is dealing with as a whole in this country and other free countries in the world, is like a walk in the park compared to what will happen during the Tribulation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">All of the prophecies in the word of God have come to pass, except those that are linked to the Rapture and everything that follows. Want proof that prophecy is still relevant? Look to Syria. There is a prophecy that states that Damascus is going to be so utterly devastated</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">, that it will become a barren city. This prophecy has yet to be fulfilled. Will that happen before or after the Rapture? Who knows, but it will happen and hopefully it'll help bring some to the Lord.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><i>Isaiah 17:1 "The burden against Damascus. "Behold, Damascus will cease from being a city, and it will be a ruinous heap."</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">You may scoff at what is written here, but I guarantee you that when this prophecy becomes reality, right in front of your eyes, you'll remember what you've read here. Either you'll urgently seek the Lord, knowing what's coming, or you'll explain it away as something other than biblical prophecy. It doesn't matter, because biblical prophecy will have come to pass. You can either accept it as the fulfillment of God's word, or you can try to convince yourself that it was just a coincidence.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">In the mean time, this article is about many unbelievers halfheartedly hoping that the Rapture is a real event so that they can be rid of Christians once and for all. They believe that life on this earth will be a paradise without Christians getting in their way. They believe they'll finally be living in a utopia once all born again believers are gone and they can finally run the world as they see fit, without any interference. What they don't realize, is that this will be the global event that changes everything, the <b>great reset </b>for which the world's been yearning, and the world will never be the same. Not only will they need to deal with the aftermath of the Rapture, which you can read about <b><a href="http://souzak99.blogspot.com/2013/04/what-can-we-expect-from-martial-law.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">here</span></a></b>, but there will be unexpected consequences that occur after that event. What will they be?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">One of them will be the unexpected resurgence of Christianity all over the world. Yes, what many unbelievers don't realize is that this event will trigger spiritual conversion in the hearts and minds of men and women worldwide. Those who drifted away from the faith, those who've been evangelized but didn't believe or understand what they were told, and those who will have their heart pricked when they hear the word of God preached by the 144,000 Messianic Jews whom God will be sending out to evangelize the world... they will repent and be forgiven! They will believe and be saved! The world, thinking they've finally rid themselves of born again believers, will find themselves in the midst of millions of new born again believers. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">The other unexpected consequences will consist of the events awaiting everyone during the seven year Tribulation. Worldwide earthquakes, pestilence, famine, death, starvation, the loss of fresh water supplies, a one world economic system controlling everyone's finances, a one world religion that will call for the hunting down and execution of "Christians," and a one world government that makes modern-day fascism look like a puppet show. There is so much that the world will have to endure and you can read more about it <b><u><a href="http://souzak99.blogspot.com/p/seven-year-tribulation.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">here</span></a></u></b>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">Unbelievers don't realize that they will be living through biblical history, taking part in what was foreseen since the beginning of the world. They'll be living and breathing biblical prophecy. They'll be so hard-hearted that they'll consciously reject the truth, because it will be in conflict with everything they've ever believed. They'll be under a strong delusion that what they're doing is right, accepting lies and rejecting the truth, just as so many people today are convinced to do by celebrities, politicians, mainstream media, and the like. They choose to accept what's spoon fed to them instead of digging deeper for the truth. They will experience the sights and sounds of all that was prophesied, and a majority will die shaking their fist at God because they refuse to bring themselves to believe that they were wrong. They will refuse to submit to God, who they will see as evil, unloving, and unjust. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">Unbelievers should be hoping that the Rapture is a long way off or that it's a fairy tale, because the reality of it isn't what they're hoping for. They're going to expect man-made heaven on earth, but what they're going to experience a little taste of hell on earth. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">If you're an unbeliever who is scoffing at this, remember that there's no guarantee for tomorrow, but if tomorrow does come, and another month and another year, and you are allowed to live long enough to witness the destruction of Damascus or live through the Rapture, then don't harden your heart. Stop and understand that there's little time left. The Tribulation lasts seven years, but there's no guarantee that you'll live through the entire Tribulation. In fact, most of the earth's population will perish before the end of those seven years. Odds are, you won't live through it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">I encourage you to read the <a href="http://souzak99.blogspot.com/p/salvation-message.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue;">Salvation Message</span></b></a> on this web site. Think about what's to come and understand that biblical prophecy is real, that God is real, that Jesus lived and died to pay for your sins and remove the stain of that sin from you in order to save YOU from eternity apart from Him. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Those who wish Christians would disappear are living on borrowed time. Yes, God blesses them with every breath they take and causes their heart to beat; He causes the sun to rise on their day just as the sun rises on ours. He loves us all and wishes that none of us would spend an eternity apart from Him. There will come a time, though, when that last breath will be taken, when the heart beats for the last time, and when the sun no longer rises on another day. Then, and only then, when they take that first step into eternity, will they realize that there is another life after this one. By then, it will be too late to change anything. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Which future will you choose?</span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: verdana;"><i><b>Repent and be forgiven! Believe and be saved!</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: verdana;"><i><b>TribulationHarvest.net</b></i></span></div>
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souzak99http://www.blogger.com/profile/12756935840229045589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8399924563118399589.post-5301103872883397562018-12-26T21:27:00.008-05:002023-06-06T01:07:12.293-04:00Re-Evaluating Our Christian Walk<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: verdana;">There are times when we need to re-evaluate our lives as born again believers and make the changes necessary to strengthen our relationship with God.</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">I think this is a subject we can all relate to. There are times in our Christian lives when we need to stop, think about where we've been, where we are, and what we hope to accomplish in the future.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">Knowing where we've been, and reflecting on the road that has lead us to where we are now, is a morale booster, but we can't live on past glories. The point to looking back is to check our progress and give us the opportunity to make any course corrections that are needed in order to continue moving forward. Of course, this needs to be done through prayer, through the leading of the Holy Spirit, and through the wisdom that the Lord has blessed us all with.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">The older I get, the more I realize just how important it is to use my time wisely in order to accomplish what the Lord has sent me here to do. God created me to exist at this particular point in time in order to complete specific tasks. As I get older and time grows short, I understand more that my time here on earth is valuable and I need to ask myself whether there needs to be a course correction. Am I accomplishing all that I can for the Lord?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">I woke up from a dream a little while ago. In this dream I was helping a brother who had turned away from the church body. I felt the power of God flowing through me as I counseled him. In my dream, I brought his plea before the pastor in order to create reconciliation between him and the person I was counseling. Long story short, I found myself begging with the the pastor to listen to reason. When I woke up from the dream, I understood even more how some of the decisions I have made in the past few years separated me from the church body and from the work that the Lord had planned for me to complete.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">I began thinking of how many opportunities had been wasted apart from the body, and how much time had been used for other things, sin being chief among them. Although I've repented, I still find myself separated from the body of believers that I was born to be a part of. Phone apps, world news, social media sites, online videos... all of these things had taken the place of my relationships within the body of Christ.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">I have come to terms with the fact that even though the structure of the modern day church doesn't reflect how the early church operated, I need to be okay with that, because even in such a setting, God works through His body of believers. I don't agree with some church traditions, but it's the best system we have in this modern age, and to abandon it wouldn't be wise. Yes, God has brought me full circle on this issue. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Because of this, I believe it's my responsibility to work within this framework to complete the work that the Lord has for me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">Right now I have a fire in my heart that says I needs to move forward. I need to link arms with those brothers and sisters that are truly serious about their relationship with the Lord and who are in it for the long haul. We need to stand side by side at the front line, put our shields up and advance together, step by step, into the enemy's territory. We can't be looking back and patting ourselves on the back for the amount of territory with which the Lord has blessed us. We just need to focus on what lies ahead and constantly move forward. There will be plenty of time to look back at the efforts we put in to the battle once the battle is over and we're home with the Lord.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">The church has always been filled with social butterflies, chatterboxes, gossipers, the uncommitted, the "religious," etc... We won't ever find a church body where we won't find at least one or more of these types of individuals, but we can't let that divide us or stop us from encouraging one another. We can't let that stop us from fellowshipping with one another. We can't let that stop us from praising and worshiping God as a body. Whether we gather together in a church building, at someone's house, walking on the beach, driving in a car...wherever, we need to operate as one body in support of each other and encourage one another to continue the race, growing in wisdom, knowledge and understanding of God and His word. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">If going to an organized corporate church is too much for you right now, think about checking out a few online sermons through church websites and apps. Keep tabs on local full gospel churches through their websites as well. Remember, you can visit a church without making a commitment to that church.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Join me and really commit to making some of the tough choices to help refocus our relationship with the Lord. The less time you spend with Him, the more time you spend in the world. You may want to consider...</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Uninstalling games on your electronic devices and fasting from playing videos on your gaming system. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Limiting the amount (and type) of television and video that you watch. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Limiting the amount of news that you take in on a daily basis. If you're checking out 20 news sources 3 times a day, cut it down to your top 5 and check it once a day (at the end of the day).</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Limiting your time on social media. Even Christian social media can be a time eater, so be careful.</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Instead, you may want to consider...</span></div><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Praising and worshipping God through Christian music.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Chatting or texting with your Christian friends about positive and spiritual things instead of spending time with worldly friends talking about worldly things.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Picking an interesting topic and search the Bible for correlating scripture. Then memorize one of those scriptures (admit it, you're going to choose the shortest one...lol), and then pick another topic to study.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></li></ul></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">These are just a few basic suggestions to get you to think about the things in your life that change and which will enhance your relationship with God and draw you closer to Him. And what does it say in James 4:8a? It says that if you draw close to God, He will draw close to you. That's an awesome scripture to stand on, and an easy one to memorize ;)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">Consider whether the skills you have can be used to glorify God. If you're a creator, then why not use your skills to create something for God? The skills with which the Lord has blessed me have allowed me to create this very blog site. If you have a great voice or play an instrument, make some noise to the Lord at church, online, or in your local community. If you have technical skills, then make His presence known online or use your skills to help the church.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;">Just as we evaluate other things in our lives, our spiritual walk with the Lord deserves even more attention. You may come to realize that the Lord is leading you in a totally unexpected direction, and that it may be time to re-evaluate and plan for the direction you see the Lord taking you. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I pray that your walk with the Lord grows daily and that you will make an effort to draw closer to God so that He can fulfill His half of His conditional promise and draw closer to you. May we all be more like Jesus every day, and may we all rejoice in His presence together on that great and glorious day when He returns to take us all home.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: verdana;"><b>Repent and be forgiven! Believe and be saved!</b></span></div>
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souzak99http://www.blogger.com/profile/12756935840229045589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8399924563118399589.post-36977264922291645852018-12-23T19:45:00.006-05:002021-01-23T02:26:47.395-05:00Christmas - Compromised Christianity?<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Christmas is </span><b>not</b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> a biblically sanctioned day of observance. Nowhere in the New Testament are there examples of born again believers celebrating the actual date of Jesus' birth, nor are there any commands from God about observing such a day. That is my shorthanded opinion on the subject. If you want to hear more, please continue reading.</span></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">In the Bible, there are God appointed feasts (appointed times) for His chosen people... Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Weeks, Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and Tabernacles. These all reflect the work of redemption through Jesus Christ. These seven feasts were appointed by God, giving specific instructions on how they should be observed, including the dates and times. These feasts, and only these feasts, were <b>appointed by God</b> as a way to foreshadow Jesus. Nowhere in the New Testament did God appoint a day or time to celebrate the birth (or the death/resurrection for that matter) of our Savior.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Tradition and nostalgia can be powerful weapons in the hands of the enemy. They can cause us to ignore scriptural truths in our blind attempts at keeping tradition alive and to keep those powerful feelings of nostalgia stirring within us.</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I know how powerful nostalgia can be. It doesn't just involve reliving past memories, it involves the things that trigger those memories as well. A sound, a photo, a song, a decoration, food, or even a "remember when" moment, but especially an anniversary or holiday.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Unbeknownst</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> to me, the Lord had been bringing me to a point where I would be receptive enough to have my perception of Christmas challenged</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">It occurred one winter, when I sat staring at my beautifully decorated tree. It was nighttime. The lights in the house were off and I was alone. The only source of light was the Christmas tree. The colors were beautiful and the single set of bubble lights that I had somehow managed to spread out evenly on the tree were bubbling away among the multitude of multicolored mini lights strung evenly from top to bottom.</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> I sat looking at the hand painted angels hanging here and there on the branches. The blue glass ornamental balls painted with scenes of the manger and the three wise men (I have an issue with the story of the three wise men <span id="goog_1225376585"></span>as well as their supposed visit to the manger<span id="goog_1225376586"></span>, but that's explained in <a href="http://souzak99.blogspot.com/2012/12/contradiction-in-bible-jesus-birth.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue;">another blog</span></b></a>) reflected the lights as they hung on the tree as well. Since she passed away, the angel my mother used to have on the top of her Christmas tree has adorned mine. I was so glad that I had a "Christian" tree that didn't reflect "worldly" themes. It was then, in the quietness of the evening, in the midst of my silent thoughts, that everything changed.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Clarity of mind suddenly came to me. It was as if I had an epiphany. At that moment, I asked myself, "What am I doing?" </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I had known for a while that the act of putting up a tree was a pagan ritual that I probably wasn't supposed to be participating in, but it was a subconscious thought that I always brushed off every holiday season, and by avoiding that thought, I was able to put the tree up every year without any guilt. At this moment, though, I was beginning to understand that what I had standing before me</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> was a compromise tree.</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> What do I mean by that? Well, as you know, compromise is something we all do sometimes in an effort to convince ourselves that we're not doing anything wrong (consciously or subconsciously). We deceive ourselves and disguise something that we know to be wrong as something that is acceptable. I</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">t's how I used to treat Halloween so many years ago. I knew I shouldn't be participating in Halloween, but I compromised because I didn't want my children to feel excluded. I used to tell them that they could go trick-or-treating as long as they wore a costume that wasn't considered "evil." They dressed as Moses, an angel, funny freaky Frankenstein, the spirit of Christmas, etc... They were compromise costumes. I eventually ended that practice, but now here I was, going in the same direction with the Christmas holiday. I was compromising. I was putting Christian decorations on a </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">pagan</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> symbol as well as using other pagan symbols around my home to celebrate Christmas. I was trying to disguise a pagan holiday with Christian themes and attempting, in my own mind, to pass it off as a celebration of Christianity. </span></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">I had never heard of Christians totally abandoning the practice of celebrating Christmas, but that didn't stop me from turning away from what I saw as a celebration of paganism. It was the last time I participated in Christmas. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">It was a while after that when I met a married couple online who felt the same way that I did. They revealed to me that there were many other born again believers who were being led to reject the Christmas holiday. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">There are plenty of videos and articles out there that explain the paganism surrounding Christmas and the symbols associated with this day, so I won't get in to all of that here, although I will ask you a question. Have you ever questioned where holly, wreaths, mistletoe, trees, lights, candles in windows and yule logs originated? You should educate yourself in the origins of some of these traditions and symbols.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoheg3B4FY3ieuGEULM5M4Rzu9Sa5ATOErVZZTVnKd3p7mBCcr3noMACAPOFDl7863T3pn7cllMW15lUk6wTvRd_qbnQ7msAyuuxVq19YTuW1-go8jBVSR6Ly8TZf6QkFRqznjxU0_0zQ/s1600/Screenshot_2014-12-18-23-13-00-1.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="472" data-original-width="473" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoheg3B4FY3ieuGEULM5M4Rzu9Sa5ATOErVZZTVnKd3p7mBCcr3noMACAPOFDl7863T3pn7cllMW15lUk6wTvRd_qbnQ7msAyuuxVq19YTuW1-go8jBVSR6Ly8TZf6QkFRqznjxU0_0zQ/s200/Screenshot_2014-12-18-23-13-00-1.png" width="200" /></span></a><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">My favorite saying when talking about holidays such as these, is that you can't take a pagan tradition, wrap it in a Jesus ribbon, and think that this makes it okay to participate in it. It just doesn't work that way.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Christians have been trying to convert Halloween into a more biblical friendly event. Why hasn't it been a success? Simple. Christianity and Halloween are incompatible. The symbols and traditions of Halloween are evil and the only way to combine them with Christianity is through compromise. You need to change the symbolism and traditions of Halloween and create a new narrative where they meet Christian expectations. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">This is exactly what happened with Christmas. To put it in more modern terms, paganism was rebooted and re-branded as Christmas. Pagan symbols were whitewashed and given new meaning in order to make the pagan symbolism more acceptable, while still keeping their original meaning to those pagans who continued to worship outside of Christianity. Christianity took pagan wreaths, mistletoe, yule logs, etc... and decided to brand them as "Christian" for the faithful, even though they knew that these things were pagan in origin. One thing is for sure...God doesn't recycle paganism. Paganism is anti-God. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqzbMn70Z7w0NmsXZlfNz6aJl8SrBxHkUGgjl_h6tlyXwqghxL4gOErYWTikM-BM9oVV1aSIWawSR7nQU1NyDvPvSPKbs5rrkNi6mEKKPZROJdHcahUticb0axqrc_7S7iht7k8TKGH0c/s1600/ZomboMeme+23122018191413-1.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1245" data-original-width="1100" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqzbMn70Z7w0NmsXZlfNz6aJl8SrBxHkUGgjl_h6tlyXwqghxL4gOErYWTikM-BM9oVV1aSIWawSR7nQU1NyDvPvSPKbs5rrkNi6mEKKPZROJdHcahUticb0axqrc_7S7iht7k8TKGH0c/s200/ZomboMeme+23122018191413-1.jpg" width="176" /></span></a><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">The way I see it, I can't participate in pagan traditions that have been dressed up to look like a Christian holiday, even if I claim that my celebration of these symbols is my expression of faith in God. We can put a Christian spin on pagan objects and traditions to try to make it our own, but why? Why are we spending so much time, energy and money on a holiday that God never required or encouraged us to celebrate, that the early church never participated in, and that has pagan roots? There were times in "church" history when they tried to expand through compromise, and it only weakened the church as a whole because these compromises have become nostalgic traditions that have been blindly accepted by the majority of believers. </span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">There is no day more important on the calendar than any other day when it comes to how we are to live our lives as born again believers. We don't need a day to remember Jesus' birth or resurrection, because we should be living our lives celebrating those moments daily, which is how I believe God meant it to be. How can we witness to others effectively if we don't have that sustaining joy and thankfulness of Jesus' birth and resurrection? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Most born again believers are not ready to accept the fact that Christmas is a man-made holiday based on pagan symbols, traditions and celebrations. That's understandable. The important thing is to keep an open mind and to leave yourself open to the leading of the Holy Spirit on this matter. </span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I'd be interested in knowing what your thoughts are on this subject. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Please keep your comments civil and profanity free. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">All comments are reviewed by me before being posted. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Any comments that do not meet these requirements will be deleted before even making it on to the blog. </span><br />
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souzak99http://www.blogger.com/profile/12756935840229045589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8399924563118399589.post-10470130135244730812017-04-02T17:26:00.004-04:002021-01-23T02:34:17.336-05:00It's Okay To Preach To A Quiet Room<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdLgeLaoa9FmZWy2Aro7_2uUVpvoqUVqaPqx8jmmI5n8_6aC8upLmtBcXvSs0hEStRi_fpZVMhWgQTduTO5_s7YWtPC7Vrked5prq9Y-GRX1Gxa1vgy6tG46G8hXdcVNUo-CVPRxXPmec/s1600/preacher.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdLgeLaoa9FmZWy2Aro7_2uUVpvoqUVqaPqx8jmmI5n8_6aC8upLmtBcXvSs0hEStRi_fpZVMhWgQTduTO5_s7YWtPC7Vrked5prq9Y-GRX1Gxa1vgy6tG46G8hXdcVNUo-CVPRxXPmec/s320/preacher.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">This is my advice to pastors... It's okay to preach to a quiet room. Many pastors think that they need to elicit a certain amount of energy and response from the congregation in order to deem their sermon a success. I'm here to tell you that this is not the case.</span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">If you are a pastor who instructs his congregation to yell "Amen" when you make a point or expects the congregation to shout out encouraging words to you while you preach, you may want to rethink that.</span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">Time and time again I've seen pastors trying to elicit a response from the congregation, as if their lack of response is a direct negative response to his sermon (which, in many instances, is not the case). That is a dangerous thing, because such a pastor is more likely to alter his preaching style and the content of his sermons to elicit what he deems as a more positive response. In doing so, the pastor may begin compromising the word of God.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I remember when a former pastor of mine was preaching the word, and the Holy Spirit grabbed on to something the pastor said and planted it in my heart. As I sat there, trying to grasp what the Holy Spirit was doing, what He was sharing, the change He was making in me, the growth that was happening in me in that very moment... the pastor was up on stage trying to elicit an "Amen" from everyone. In that moment of silence, when the Holy Spirit may have been reaching into the heart of many others in the congregation, the pastor missed what the Spirit was doing because</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> he was more concerned about receiving a positive response to his sermon. I gave him the "Amen" he was looking for, but that interfered with what the Holy Spirit was doing in me at the moment. I broke that silence and interrupted what the Holy Spirit was doing in me. I'm here to say I won't ever make that same mistake again, because I KNOW I robbed myself of a greater blessing.</span></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">Another reason the congregation may become unresponsive is when taking notes. I don't know about anyone else, but when I'm taking notes, I'm more concerned with getting the scripture reference right and taking down a few key words than I am about shouting anything out to the pastor. </span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">Yet another reason is that some are having their own personal bible study with the Lord, searching for a scripture that ties in with the scripture given by the pastor. Yes, some of us do have our mini bible studies during the sermon...ha ha ha. When the Spirit is showing you something, you have to go with it or you can lose it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">This is why I say that it's okay to preach to a quiet room. Pastors, realize that when it gets quiet, it's probably the Holy Spirit at work. In trying to validate your own worth by the response you receive during your sermon, remember that it's God, not you, that everyone should be there to receive instruction from. Pray for the discernment needed to know when hearts are being changed and when it's best to just continue instead of stopping the flow to beg for a verbal pat on the back. Be confident enough to know that if you are </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">speaking the words God gives to you, then you can be sure that the Holy Spirit will drive the message home.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Please leave any comments you may have in the comments section below.</span><br />
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souzak99http://www.blogger.com/profile/12756935840229045589noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8399924563118399589.post-3876646037628727372017-04-02T16:25:00.006-04:002023-06-03T22:02:14.227-04:00Why I Believe In A Pre-Tribulation Rapture Pt. 4 - The Apostasy or Falling Away<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>READ THE BLOG, OR WATCH THE VIDEO!!!</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">VIDEO: <a href="https://www.brighteon.com/c14bcef4-9f13-470a-95d9-84525ed901e9" target="_blank">WHY I BELIEVE IN A PRE-TRIBULATION RAPTURE - PART 4: THE APOSTASY OR FALLING AWAY</a></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTJCH7IWIH-3RztTSxdYw5uo5a0L4Ej3NRIf9cc8xqj7XXxeeaxAf_k_GQF-DhTQ0_aqZxd2tXUWM8RpTB5nAPdCHdbNf0ufhx6C_zdGuajacT42e3ScCw8dwWT8zG1SrUJtaH5ixHpBs/s1043/zombomeme03022020121126.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="586" data-original-width="1043" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTJCH7IWIH-3RztTSxdYw5uo5a0L4Ej3NRIf9cc8xqj7XXxeeaxAf_k_GQF-DhTQ0_aqZxd2tXUWM8RpTB5nAPdCHdbNf0ufhx6C_zdGuajacT42e3ScCw8dwWT8zG1SrUJtaH5ixHpBs/s320/zombomeme03022020121126.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>How many of us have read 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5 and were confused when studying the subject of the Rapture? Some who read this portion of scripture are convinced that it shows that the Rapture cannot occur pre-Tribulation because the "day of Christ" comes AFTER a falling away and the Antichrist is revealed. Somehow, this didn't sit well with me because I believe in a pre-Tribulation Rapture. Could I be wrong? If not, how do I reconcile this scripture with my understanding of the Rapture?</span><br />
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</span> <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I'm one for allowing my long held beliefs to be challenged. In fact, I find that many of those beliefs weren't even rooted in scripture, but were church traditions. Of course, some were based on incorrect understanding of the scripture itself.</span><br />
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</span> <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">This is a case of the latter. There are two things we need to focus on here. We need to discuss what the "day of Christ" is and we need to look at the original Greek word that has been translated "a falling away." Only then can we read this portion of scripture in context and see it's true meaning.</span><br />
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</span> <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Here is the scripture being discussed:</span><br />
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</span> <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">2 Thessalonians 2:1-5 <i><span style="color: purple;">"Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, </span><b><span style="color: #783f04;">2</span></b><span style="color: purple;">That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that day of Christ is at hand. </span><b><span style="color: #783f04;">3</span></b><span style="color: purple;">Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; </span><b><span style="color: #783f04;">4</span></b><span style="color: purple;">Who opposeth and exaulteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. </span><b><span style="color: #783f04;">5</span></b><span style="color: purple;">Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?"</span></i> KJV</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">There are only five verses here, but these five verses say so much. Let's take this in piecemeal. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">We have to begin in the middle, in verse 3, in order to understand the other verses wrapped around this one.</span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: purple;"><i>"Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come <b>a falling away</b> first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;"</i></span><br />
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</span> <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">The Greek word being used here is, "</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">apostasia." It is being translated in English as, "a falling away." What if that isn't the correct translation? I have listened and read teachings on this particular subject and have come to the realization that my long held interpretation of this phrase is incorrect. In earlier versions of the bible, this word was translated not as "a falling away," but as "the departure." Whoa! Yeah... it blew my mind when I sat there and re-read the verse using those words instead. This is what I mean: <i><span style="color: purple;">"Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come <b>the departure </b>first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;"</span></i></span></span><br />
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</span></i></span> <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">The first seven English translations of "apostasia" all rendered the noun as either "departure" or "departing." Wycliffe Bible (1384); Tyndale Bible (1526); Coverdale Bible (1535); Cranmer Bible (1539); Breeches Bible (1576); Beza Bible (1583); Geneva Bible (1608). Jerome's Latin translation known as the Vulgate from around 400 AD renders apostasia with the word "discessio," meaning "departure."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: helvetica;">So if the true translation is "the departure" and not "a falling away," then that makes a huge difference in how this scripture, taken in context, is understood.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica;">Many look to the words "that day of Christ" as reference to the Rapture. Could this be true? Let's take a closer look.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica;">What is the mental state of the believers in Thessaloníki at this point? Here's what Paul writes:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: purple;"> "Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, </span><b><span style="color: #783f04;">2</span></b><span style="color: purple;">That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand."</span></i> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">They were shaken down to their core. What would cause such a severe negative reaction in them? </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">If they believed that the "day of Christ" was the Rapture that they were about to experience, then why would the body of believers be "shaken in mind" or "troubled?" That just doesn't make sense. Could it be that the "day of Christ" mentioned here is not referring to the Rapture but, instead, is referring to the time of Jacob's trouble... Daniel's 70th week... the Tribulation? Could it be that they believed that they had missed the great catching away and that they were living through the coming judgment, the day of Christ, that they had been warned was coming?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica;">The believers in Thessaloniki at that time were worried that the "day of Christ" had come (the Tribulation) and Paul had to correct them. If I could be so bold as to paraphrase Paul, he basically told them, <i>"Hey, we already spoke to you about the Lord's promise to gather together both those who have gone before us and for us as well, so don't fret about what you're hearing from people giving you false information or saying that we wrote letters to the fact that the <b>Tribulation </b>("day of Christ") has begun. The Tribulation isn't going to begin until after <b>"the departure"</b> and after the Antichrist is revealed." He then briefly describes the Antichrist and then reminds them in verse 5 that while he was with them, he explained it to them.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">If you go back to Paul's first letter to the church in Thessaloniki, you'll see that </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">he never spoke to them about "a falling away," but he did speak to them about Jesus returning to gather together the saints: <i><span style="color: purple;">"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: </span><span style="color: #783f04;"><b>17</b></span><span style="color: purple;">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. </span><b><span style="color: #783f04;">18</span></b><span style="color: purple;">Wherefore comfort one another with these words." </span></i>(1Thess. 4:16-18)</span></span></div>
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</span> <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">So we can see that the saints in Thessaloniki were petrified that they had missed the Rapture and were now at the beginning of the Tribulation. Paul was calming them down by telling them that the promised Rapture had not yet happened, and that the Tribulation can't begin until it does happen, at which time the Antichrist will be revealed. Then, and only then, can the Tribulation begin. </span><br />
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</span> <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Important to note, is that in 1 Thessalonians 4:18, Paul told them that they were to comfort one another with the promise of a gathering together (Rapture). Why? Because they wouldn't need to worry about entering into the Tribulation. Jesus would come first to gather believers together to be with Him forever. It's no comfort to be promised a gathering together of believers AFTER suffering through the Tribulation</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">, but it is a comfort to be promised a gathering together BEFORE such times begin.</span><br />
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</span> <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">So Paul's saying, "I already told you, we're going to be gathered together before the Tribulation, s</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">o don't listen to false doctrine and the twisted words of men, hold on to what you've already been taught. Remember what I told you before."</span><br />
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</span> <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">There is also the fact that the scripture doesn't contradict itself. Let's look at what Peter said in Acts 2:16-18 <i><span style="color: purple;">"But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel: </span><b><span style="color: #783f04;">17</span></b><span style="color: purple;">And it shall come to pass <u>in the last days</u>, saith God, I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters will prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: </span><span style="color: #783f04;"><b>18</b></span><span style="color: purple;">And on my servants and on my handmaidens <u>I will pour out in those days of my Spirit</u>; and they shall prophesy:" </span></i></span><br />
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</span> <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">This does not sound like "a falling away," now does it? People, even now, are saying that we are in the midst of the great falling away, but that conflicts with what is going on in the world today. Actually, it's the exact opposite. Thousands upon thousands of people are coming to Christ every day. Just look at what is going on in Asia and the Middle East and third world countries!</span><br />
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</span> <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">It seems that by interpreting the word </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">apostasia" as "a falling away" actually contradicts what God said He would do in the last days, and the proof is what is going on in the world today. Where Satan has made inroads into our nation's church system and those in Europe, God is more than making up for that with the influx of new born again believers worldwide. </span><br />
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</span> <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">1 Tim 4:1 speaks of a departure from the faith, but it does not describe a great falling away: <span style="color: purple;"><i>"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter time, <b>some</b> shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;"</i> </span>There is a difference between what people expect as a great "falling away" and what Timothy described as "some." Some shall depart from the faith, and that is exactly what has happened, but there are more saints worldwide entering into a relationship with Jesus than there are departing the faith, so I can't support the notion that "a falling away" is the correct interpretation of the Greek word, "</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">apostasia."</span><br />
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</span> <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Here's another little nugget of information for you. 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7 says: <i><span style="color: purple;">"And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. </span><b><span style="color: #783f04;">7</span></b><span style="color: purple;">For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way." </span></i></span><br />
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</span></i></span> <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Meaning? The Holy Spirit is holding back the reign of the Antichrist until He is "taken out of the way." Since God has already promised never to leave nor forsake us, and that we are born of the Spirit (and since scripture cannot contradict itself), the Holy Spirit will not depart unless we go with Him. Sounds an awful lot like the Rapture, doesn't it? </span><br />
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</span> <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I'm interested in your opinion. Please take the time to leave a comment below.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /><div style="text-align: center;">You can read the other parts of this series by clicking on the links below:</div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://souzak99.blogspot.com/2013/03/why-i-believe-in-pre-tribulation.html" target="_blank">Why I Believe In A Pre-Tribulation Rapture - Part 1: The 24 Elders</a></div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: blue;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://souzak99.blogspot.com/2013/03/why-i-believe-in-pre-tribulation_26.html" target="_blank">Why I Believe In A Pre-Tribulation Rapture - Part 2: Noah, Lot, and Rabbit Holes</a></div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: blue;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://souzak99.blogspot.com/2015/04/why-i-believe-in-pre-tribulation.html" target="_blank">Why I Believe In A Pre-Tribulation Rapture - Part 3: The Slow Motion Replay</a></div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: blue;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://souzak99.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-first-resurrection-and-rapture.html" target="_blank">Why I Believe In A Pre-Tribulation Rapture - Part 5: The First Resurrection</a></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><span style="color: blue; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://souzak99.blogspot.com/2023/01/why-i-believe-in-pre-tribulation.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Why I Believe In A Pre-Tribulation Rapture - Part 6: The Bridegroom</span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><a href="https://souzak99.blogspot.com/2023/05/why-i-believe-in-pre-tribulation.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Why I Believe In A Pre-Tribulation Rapture - Part 7: Timing Is Everything</span></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br style="font-family: helvetica;" /></div></div><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">
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souzak99http://www.blogger.com/profile/12756935840229045589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8399924563118399589.post-53832329299701346002015-09-16T01:14:00.000-04:002020-04-28T11:50:37.189-04:00Rapture Date Setting And Paranoia<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #274e13;">BIBLICAL PROPHECY!</span> <span style="color: #660000;">BLOOD MOONS!</span> <span style="color: #b45f06;">THE FALL FEASTS!</span> <span style="color: #073763;">THE RAPTURE! </span><span style="color: #cc0000;">THE TRIBULATION!</span> <span style="color: #bf9000;">DESTRUCTION!</span> <span style="color: #20124d;">DEVASTATION! </span><span style="color: #38761d;">THE END OF THE WORLD!</span> <span style="color: #0b5394;">ECONOMIC COLLAPSE!</span></b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-SHwWz3m4hjv3fcoILAkym31O_VB896utsvWsXrjlal7VvkR4BII6d8JUioFJ-AsaW0P1RPlKu2ZVkkq-Rnr2UmkofVmuAAlE0wjnjS3q_IJd4mdIcgffbXryrIw4OliLxNg6Q2lmBlE/s1600/zombomeme16022020221131.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="587" data-original-width="1042" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-SHwWz3m4hjv3fcoILAkym31O_VB896utsvWsXrjlal7VvkR4BII6d8JUioFJ-AsaW0P1RPlKu2ZVkkq-Rnr2UmkofVmuAAlE0wjnjS3q_IJd4mdIcgffbXryrIw4OliLxNg6Q2lmBlE/s320/zombomeme16022020221131.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Seeing the unsaved being influenced by their own fearful thoughts and gripped with fear about the possibility that mayhem and destruction is right around the corner is one thing, but when those who call themselves Christians let fear and uncertainty grip their heart and control their thoughts and actions, that's quite another. Yes, there are principalities and powers at work in this world, but Christians have One greater who lives within them... the Holy Spirit. We mustn't allow ourselves to get caught up in all of the hype of this season of change. For years, believers have predicted the date of the Rapture, and unbelievers have predicted the destruction of the world, oftentimes to the determent of those who believed those stories, but neither the Rapture nor the earth's destruction have occurred as feared.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We can excuse the unbeliever for predicting the ultimate demise of the planet and everything on it, but can we excuse the born again believer of sharing the false assumption that the date of Jesus return can be predicted? Jesus said, <span style="color: red; font-style: italic;">"But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only." </span>Matthew 24:36 He didn't say, <span style="color: #274e13;"><i>"...knoweth no man, except those who were clever enough to figure it out."</i></span> No, he said, <i><span style="color: red;">"...knowth no man... but my Father only."</span></i> Everything thrown out there by those born again believers who have studied God's word, Jewish tradition, and world history, doesn't really give us a clue as to when the Rapture will take place. These individuals have absolutely no idea when the Rapture will take place. It's all guesswork. There's not going to be that one believer in Heaven who will be able to say, <span style="color: #274e13;"><i>"Yep, no one else figured it out except me." </i>There's no crown, no special badge of honor, and no special seat at God's throne for such a thing, because God has already said that no one will be able to know the date and time of the Rapture. To say that it's possible to do so, would be to call God a liar.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There have been some famous, or infamous, date setters and those followers who believed in their prophecies and mathematical calculations. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Do you remember Harold Camping? He continually invented new Rapture predictions, and no matter how many times they failed, he'd give an excuse and invent a new Rapture theory and date. Even though he was a false prophet, he had a worldwide following and earned millions of dollars in donations from them. His Rapture dates? Well, he predicted the Rapture would occur on or about September 6, 1994, and when that failed, he came up with two successive dates for that year (September 29th and October 2nd), both of which did not produce a Rapture. He had three more predictions for 2011, which by then included the destruction of the universe (which is not biblically sound when speaking about the Rapture). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I could reach back into history and come up with many more examples of false prophets who predicted the Rapture, but why look to the past when we have individuals here on YouTube who explain their theories and calculations and machinations in order to convince a gullible audience of their authority and surety of a Rapture that can be predicted.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">September 13, 2015 was thrown out there by some Christians who believed that this was the date of the Rapture. That date has since come and gone. These same Christians then claimed that the Rapture would occur on September 28, 2015 at the next blood moon. Again, no Rapture. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">Let me state this as clearly as I know how. If you are absolutely positive, and believe in your heart, and you know that you know that you know that the Lord will return on a specific date, then you can be positive that you are... completely wrong, because Jesus said that no man would know the day nor the hour of His return. If you don't agree with what Jesus said, then you're basically calling Jesus a liar.</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Be honest... how many of us, in the past, have bought in to the idea that the year had finally come for the Lord's return? (I'm raising my hand) That year passed without the Rapture, then the next and the next until we now find ourselves here in 2020. Some are positive that this is the year. In fact, there's one brother on YouTube who states that he has serious doubts that we'll even be around for the election in November 2020. Really? I have a question for all the date setters. What happens if and when 2021 rolls around? Will you then be positive that the Rapture will take place in 2021? What if we reach 2022? How positive will you be then that 2022 will be the year of the Rapture?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Even though we don't know the day or the hour, we've been told that we will know the season. Many of us believe that we are in that season even now, but </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">we have no idea how long this season will last. We know that Jesus' arrival is imminent and it could occur at any time, but that's not to say that this season won't last another five or ten years. I'm hoping that's not the case, though. I hope that the Lord <b>does</b> return this year, but I'm not going to listen to those false prophets who lead people on, and choose their words to carefully craft a prediction, while still weakly claiming that "it's just an educated guess." You know the kind of YouTubers I'm talking about. Some of them are pretty famous in the YouTube Rapture Prediction community.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">While we're here, we have a war to fight. We're here to take back ground from the enemy and to advance the kingdom of God here on earth. We're here to rescue those who are unwittingly running headlong toward the edge of the abyss, and while we're doing this, the enemy continues to make his preparations for the coming of his Antichrist. God has Satan hemmed in so that he can only accomplish so much, but when the point is reached where the world is ripe for the great deception that will fall upon them, and the world system has been created for the Antichrist to take control of, then we'll be ripped from this world in a blink of an eye at the same moment that the full force of evil in this world is released and the Antichrist is revealed!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There are people out there in the Christian community and here on YouTube who will talk about the blood moons, the Jewish Feasts and the "last trump" and who will try to convince us that the blood moons signal catastrophe and that through their study they've concluded that the Jewish feasts and the scripture relating to the "last trump" show that the Rapture will occur on the last day of Rosh Hashanah. These individuals have received monetary gain from the books, videos, charts, posters, and anything else, that they've hawked online. Whether they receive monetary gain or not, they make these claims, all the while telling us that they're not date setting. If it's not Rosh Hashanah 2020, then all through next year the date setters will be talking about Rosh Hashanah 2021... but they're not date setting. Mhm...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">What they don't tell you is that the Jewish calendar has gone through some changes since Jesus prophetically fulfilled the first four major feast days. Without </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">getting into great detail, the Jewish calendar that was around when Jesus walked this earth isn't the same calendar that they use now. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Jewish calendar used to be based on the lunar cycle, and eye witness accounts of when the new moon appeared, but as I understand it, that was changed in the fourth century when it was changed to a fixed calendar. As you can imagine, those in Jesus' time would be celebrating a holy day on a particular day while those in the fourth century and beyond would be celebrating it on another, since they would be operating under two different systems of marking days and months. The modern calendar allows for the adding and taking away of days so that certain holy days don't fall back to back or on the "wrong day."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The point I'm trying to make concerning these two methods of marking time, is that it makes no sense to try to connect the "last trump" Jesus spoke of with the last trumpet blast of the modern celebration of Rosh Hashanah because it's more than likely that this holy day won't line up with the old lunar calendar. That's why <b>if</b> God <b>was</b> referring to Rosh Hashanah when He made mention of the "last trump," it would most likely be blown on the date that Rosh Hashanah would have ended in regard to the old Jewish calendar and not the last day of Rosh Hashanah that is marked on the modern Jewish calendar that they use today.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Many of us feel that we're in the season where we are to look up and expect the arrival of the Bridegroom, but it's not a time to panic and believe that every news story is going to lead to the immediate destruction of this nation. Not every urgent new article or broadcast is an imminent warning that the Rapture is days or weeks away. Neither is the existence of any virus a sign that the Rapture is at hand. Christians just need to calm down and remember that there was no urgency in the Apostle's actions as they shared the gospel, even though they initially thought Jesus was returning in their lifetime. We need to use them as an example of how we're to conduct ourselves. Panic and urgency aren't gifts of the Holy Spirit. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Yes, the United States is most likely going to fall, because the greatest and most powerful nation that there has ever been on this planet is found nowhere in biblical prophecy. Will it be civil war that takes us down? Could a civil war be seen as a moment of great upheaval and confusion in our nation which would prompt our enemies to launch a limited nuclear or EMP attack on this nation that would exclude us from taking a major role in the Tribulation? A major EMP attack would wound our country immensely. Imagine, a country without electricity. No computers, no cell phones, no modern transportation, no satellite communication, no GPS, no television, no radio, no electric home appliances, no lights in your home or on the streets... you get what I'm saying. We'd be back to horses and wagons and getting our food in the wild and our water at the river or well. No longer would we hold the place of the most powerful nation on earth. We'd be out of the game and out of biblical prophecy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Instead of fearing what is to come, we need to prayerfully prepare for what we may need to go through before the Bridegroom arrives. We don't know how bad things are going to get in this world or how bad it's going to be for born again believers before the Tribulation begins. We are already seeing the leading edge of Christian persecution in this country and it's only going to get worse as we get closer to Yeshua's return. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">What's a Christian to do? We need to live each day in it's own time. We need to continue to believe, pray, share, witness, evangelize, teach, etc... We need to continue to depend on God to increase our faith, give us strength, and lead us by His Holy Spirit. Jesus said that His return would be as the great flood occurred in Noah's time. Everyone would be eating and drinking, getting married, and going on with their daily lives. His return will happen suddenly, as a thief in the night. In the blink of an eye we'll be ushered into His presence and our thoughts will no longer be focused on what is happening in the world, but will instead be focused on the One who saved us through His blood on the cross.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In conclusion, I want to warn you again not to fall into the date setting trap. Live your days one at a time while looking up in anticipation of the arrival of the Bridegroom. One day, when you least expect it, you'll hear that shout and that trumpet blast, and in that moment we'll be with Jesus!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Remember: </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Jesus said, </span><span style="color: red; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-style: italic;">"But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only." </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Matthew 24:36</span><br />
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souzak99http://www.blogger.com/profile/12756935840229045589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8399924563118399589.post-51985400788155372812015-08-28T00:17:00.008-04:002023-06-03T22:01:44.231-04:00Why I Believe In A Pre-Tribulation Rapture Pt. 5 - The First Resurrection<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>READ THE BLOG OR WATCH THE VIDEO!!!</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>VIDEO: <a href="https://www.brighteon.com/b5507e89-8b83-4efb-9f85-5213f1cff8ce" target="_blank">WHY I BELIEVE IN A PRE-TRIBULATION RAPTURE - PART 5: THE FIRST RESURRECTION</a></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFTwpM4ioJx-v5fi20JNKxy_m8lmd-wEuJDwm3_AXJANydyXgw3NRyFwN5EXiB8phqBVCtIk2BLUnWJ-vzl6-T8zgLQJorHaEBriNzg-9zp6georrtxTAfDhyphenhyphenJKN3oMTmLb8JhIsOdzSM/s1042/zombomeme03022020214318.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="587" data-original-width="1042" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFTwpM4ioJx-v5fi20JNKxy_m8lmd-wEuJDwm3_AXJANydyXgw3NRyFwN5EXiB8phqBVCtIk2BLUnWJ-vzl6-T8zgLQJorHaEBriNzg-9zp6georrtxTAfDhyphenhyphenJKN3oMTmLb8JhIsOdzSM/s320/zombomeme03022020214318.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>It's easy to confuse the first resurrection with the Rapture. After all, they both involve resurrected bodies. The Rapture isn't exclusively a resurrection. By that, I mean that yes, the saints that have gone before us will be reunited with their bodies and have them transformed into immortal and incorruptible bodies just a moment before we, who are living, have our bodies transformed in like manner. It isn't described as the first resurrection, but as being caught up. <i><span style="color: #20124d;">"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with with trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: </span><b><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: x-small;">17 </span></b></i></span><i><span style="color: #20124d;">Then we which are alive and remain shall be <b>caught up</b> together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."</span></i><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> (1Thessalonians 4:16-17 KJV) </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">The first resurrection won't involve the living, but the dead in Christ. Here we see both the living and the dead being "caught up" to be with the Lord forever. It's not known as a "resurrection Rapture," but only as the Rapture (the catching away of the living and dead in Christ). The Rapture won't be the first time that the dead have been resurrected either. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">If you remember, immediately after Jesus rose from the dead, others rose from the dead as well. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-style: italic;">"Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. </span><b style="font-style: italic;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: x-small;">51 </span></b><span style="color: #20124d; font-style: italic;">And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; </span><b style="font-style: italic;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: x-small;">52</span></b><span style="color: #20124d; font-style: italic;"> And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, </span><b style="font-style: italic;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: x-small;">53 </span></b><span style="color: #20124d; font-style: italic;">And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many." </span>(Matthew 27:50-53 KJV)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica;">It would be just as easy to confuse this with the “first resurrection” as it would be to confuse the Rapture with the "first resurrection."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>So when does the "first resurrection" occur?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="color: #20124d; font-style: italic;">"And I saw thrones, and they that sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the <b>souls</b> of them that were beheaded for their witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshiped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, nor in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. </span><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: x-small; font-style: italic;">5 </span><span style="color: #20124d; font-style: italic;">But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. </span><b style="font-style: italic;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: x-small;">6 </span></b><i style="color: #20124d;">Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years." </i>(</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Rev. 20:4-6 KJV)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica;">This scripture specifically mentions events that will occur only at the time of the Tribulation. Those who participate in the "first resurrection" were beheaded for their witness for Jesus and for the word of God, did not worship the beast, and did not receive the mark of the beast on their hand or forehead. It's clear that the "first resurrection" occurs AFTER the Tribulation, when Jesus returns to Earth along with those who had been raptured seven years prior. Nowhere in this portion of scripture does it mention that those alive in Christ will be caught up together with them. This event happens seven years AFTER the event known as the Rapture. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica;">Many will continue to support the idea of a post-Tribulation Rapture, but that just isn't the case. This "first resurrection" is <b>exclusive</b> to those who have experienced death and there is nowhere in scriptures of this kind that describe the catching away of those who are living as well. If you read the following verses, you'll see what I mean:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><i><span style="color: #20124d;">"And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the alter the <b>souls</b> of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: </span><b><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: x-small;">10 </span></b><span style="color: #20124d;">And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? </span><b><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: x-small;">11 </span></b><span style="color: #20124d;">And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest <b>yet for a little season</b>, until their fellow servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled."</span></i> (Rev. 6:9-11 KJV - bold mine) There is nowhere in this scripture that even eludes to the fact that those who are alive will be caught up with them. This event coincides with Christ's return along with those who participated in the Rapture seven years before. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: helvetica;">God is very specific when He is describing those who are "under the alter." </span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: helvetica;">They are the souls who were slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: helvetica;">They are told to "rest yet for a little season."</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: helvetica;">They are to wait until their fellow servants/brethren are killed as they were. </span></li>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">These <b>souls</b> aren't representative of every Christian who is waiting to be resurrected at a post-Tribulation Rapture. These are specific <b>souls</b> that have been persecuted and killed because of their faith and it is during the seal judgments that they are first mentioned, linking their persecution and deaths to the Tribulation. These souls mentioned here in </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Rev. 6:9-11 are the same souls mentioned in </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Rev. 20:4-6. They are the souls who are part of the "first resurrection" and who "</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years." The importance of the "first resurrection" cannot be understated. After the pre-Tribulation Rapture, the "first resurrection" will be vitally important. It will give those who had previously rejected Christ the opportunity to repent, believe, and be saved before their physical death. They are assured that even though they did not participate in the Rapture, they will participate in the "first resurrection" and live and rule with Christ for a thousand years! They have escaped the curse of the second death. The Rapture was their wake-up call, and many will heed that call.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Is there a second resurrection?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Well, yes and no. It's not specifically called the "second resurrection." It's called the "second death." It occurs a</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">t the White Throne Judgment after Satan is finally defeated and condemned to eternity in hell. It is at this time that those who died apart from God, are resurrected and stand before Jesus to be judged by the law of God, receiving the eternal destiny that they have chosen for themselves… eternity in the lake of fire and brimstone. This is why you need to repent and believe, so that you can be part of the experience known as the Rapture or, if you are left behind, be a part of the first resurrection. Just as those who take the mark of the Beast are automatically condemned to Hell, those who are part of the “second death” are destined to spend eternity in Hell.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">If you'd like to read the other articles in this series, please click on a link below:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://souzak99.blogspot.com/2013/03/why-i-believe-in-pre-tribulation.html" target="_blank">Why I Believe In A Pre-Tribulation Rapture - Part 1: The 24 Elders</a></div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></div><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: blue;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://souzak99.blogspot.com/2013/03/why-i-believe-in-pre-tribulation_26.html" target="_blank">Why I Believe In A Pre-Tribulation Rapture - Part 2: Noah, Lot, and Rabbit Holes</a></div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></div><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: blue;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://souzak99.blogspot.com/2015/04/why-i-believe-in-pre-tribulation.html" target="_blank">Why I Believe In A Pre-Tribulation Rapture - Part 3: The Slow Motion Replay</a></div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></div><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: blue;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://souzak99.blogspot.com/2017/04/why-i-believe-in-pre-tribulation.html" target="_blank">Why I Believe In A Pre-Tribulation Rapture - Part 4: The Apostasy or Falling Away</a></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><span style="color: blue; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://souzak99.blogspot.com/2023/01/why-i-believe-in-pre-tribulation.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Why I Believe In A Pre-Tribulation Rapture - Part 6: The Bridegroom</span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><a href="https://souzak99.blogspot.com/2023/05/why-i-believe-in-pre-tribulation.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Why I Believe In A Pre-Tribulation Rapture - Part 7: Timing Is Everything</span></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br style="font-family: helvetica;" /></div></div><div style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></div>
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souzak99http://www.blogger.com/profile/12756935840229045589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8399924563118399589.post-30875840466666293942015-08-03T21:56:00.002-04:002021-01-23T01:33:55.375-05:00The Spirit Of Python Is A Spirit Of Divination And Nothing More<div style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><b>READ THE BLOG OR WATCH THE VIDEO!!!</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><b>VIDEO: <a href="https://www.brighteon.com/5a3d6c45-c83e-4217-bd87-bbc3a93ee328" target="_blank">WHAT IS THE SPIRIT OF PYTHON???</a></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Raohcwm3usPtw7-91pDMygjs_sDlY5DUdoccS7qZMMhVdvrIBpz-kUxXoINhC7u1POwjiWFwkDLIJ7VeXVzAV_mTdeM65d3uTZLqyXZsqZE8G0sGdVIeDc4stbZ8ejuCl3BieokKSyU/s2048/Spirit+Of+Python+Thumbnail.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1151" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Raohcwm3usPtw7-91pDMygjs_sDlY5DUdoccS7qZMMhVdvrIBpz-kUxXoINhC7u1POwjiWFwkDLIJ7VeXVzAV_mTdeM65d3uTZLqyXZsqZE8G0sGdVIeDc4stbZ8ejuCl3BieokKSyU/s320/Spirit+Of+Python+Thumbnail.png" width="320" /></a></div>Over the past few weeks, I've heard references regarding something called the "spirit of python." This teaching has obviously been around for a few years, so I thought I'd take a closer look at what this is all about. I've taken the time to read what people have had to say online and I've watched some videos on the subject. I've been sitting on this article, tweaking it here and there and waiting for someone to respond to my social media posts, offering up some information that I haven't yet considered; something... anything that would add to what I've already learned about this subject. None has been forthcoming, so here is my opinion on this subject.</span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">The teaching I've heard starts off, simple enough, with a scripture that makes mention of the subject of this article:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAgYbaDh58MPFsK5TAkPL5FlpeE0dpPJyZuH4-9ZNAOy_zMseYcayXqd7In4p8wpKLNIi7O3oH8yKZtjpLY3l6poVP7_mgnPTDHq3JgWSLkRZGdFI95RJe6v-NZdrMS7ZU09hTtLNLdtk/s1600/python+2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAgYbaDh58MPFsK5TAkPL5FlpeE0dpPJyZuH4-9ZNAOy_zMseYcayXqd7In4p8wpKLNIi7O3oH8yKZtjpLY3l6poVP7_mgnPTDHq3JgWSLkRZGdFI95RJe6v-NZdrMS7ZU09hTtLNLdtk/s200/python+2.jpg" width="124" /></span></a><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><i><span style="color: #4c1130;">"And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of <b><u>divination</u></b> met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: </span><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: x-small;"><b>17 </b></span><span style="color: #4c1130;">The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation. </span><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: x-small;"><b>18 </b></span><span style="color: #4c1130;">And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour. </span><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: x-small;"><b>19 </b></span><span style="color: #4c1130;">And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains were gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers, </span><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: x-small;"><b>20 </b></span><span style="color: #4c1130;">And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city, </span><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: x-small;"><b>21 </b></span><span style="color: #4c1130;">And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans."</span> </i></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Acts 16:16-21</span></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">The first thing someone will tell you when discussing this subject is that the word "divination" that is found in verse 16 isn't the proper translation of the Greek word being used here. The Greek word is <b>puthón</b>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Vine's Expository Dictionary describes the word </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">puthón</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">this way: </span></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #274e13; font-family: verdana;"><i>(Eng., "python"), in Greek mythology was the name of the Pythian serpent or dragon, dwelling in Pytho, at the foot of mount Parnassus, guarding the oracle of Delphi, and slain by Apollo. Thence the name was transferred to Apollo himself. Later the word was applied to diviners or soothsayers, regarded as inspired by Apollo. Since demons are the agents inspiring idolatry, 1Cr 10:20, the young woman in Acts 16:16 was possessed by a demon instigating the cult of Apollo, and thus had "a spirit of divination."</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">What does that mean? It means that spirit of </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">puthón is associated with a false religion. This demonic spirit has a major role in the protection and assistance of those who practice divination. So in Acts, when it's said that the woman had a spirit of </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">puthón</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">, it's referencing the demonic spirit that protected and assisted those who practiced divination. That's why KJV translates that word as divination instead of the word python. Although python is the English translation of this word, it's difficult, scripturally, to connect it's behavior with that of an earthly python.</span><br />
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</span> <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Let's look at the behavior of this woman. We know that she:</span><br />
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<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">is possessed by a demon.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">can tell people about things in their personal lives and predict their future.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">is a</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> slave being used to make money for her masters.</span></span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">is exalting Paul and Silas instead of God.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">is making herself equal with them by associating with brethren who exhibit supernatural abilities just as she does, and with no official rebuke from them.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">How does Paul handle the situation? Well, at first he does nothing but ignore her. Why is that? Scripture isn't clear about why he waited to cast out that demon, but an educated guess would be that it was probably because the Holy Spirit was instructing him to wait.</span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Days later, Paul's heart becomes grieved. Again, why? Once again, scripture isn't clear why, but we can take another educated guess. I can think of several reasons:</span></span></div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">Here we have a slave woman who Paul can see is under a demonic influence. Her greedy masters, are using her spiritual state to make themselves rich. </span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">The demon who is possessing this woman knows who Paul and company are, and declares it openly. Do her masters repent and ask for forgiveness and for the Apostle to drive the demonic spirit from her? No.</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">This demon tries to blend in with the Jesus crowd in order to deceive the populace. If he can make himself out to be a spirit of light, when he is in fact a spirit of darkness, he can deceive an even greater number of people and pollute the message of salvation with it's own brand of false religion.</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Like Satan in the Garden of Eden, this spirit of </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">puthón mimics it's master and speaks just enough truth to deceive people into believing that it's the author of truth. God alone is the source of all prophecy and revelation. He alone is the Author of truth.</span></span></li>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">Whether it was one or a combination of these things, or something else entirely, that caused Paul's heart to grieve, he takes care of the situation by casting out the demon. Once the slave woman's masters realize what's happened, they panic. They've just lost their moneymaker and they're not happy about that. They complain to the local authorities, who then punish Paul and Silas by whipping them and throwing them into prison.</span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><i><span style="color: #4c1130;">"And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them. </span><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: x-small;"><b>23 </b></span><span style="color: #4c1130;">And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charing the jailor to keep them safely: </span><b><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: x-small;">24 </span></b><span style="color: #4c1130;">Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks."</span> </i>Acts 16:22-24</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">The spirit of </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">puthón is a demon that protects and assists those who practice the sinful act of divination. This demon, under Satan's direction, seeks to displace God as the author of truth. Satan knows that mankind responds more readily to something that is seen than something (or someone) that is unseen. We see examples of that in the scriptures all the time. One that sticks out in my mind is 1 Samuel chapter 8, where Israel rejects an unseen God in favor of being led by a king that they can actually see. </span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Satan takes advantage of this human desire by providing mankind with a flesh and bone individual who practices divination under the influence and protection of what cannot be seen, the spirit of </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">puthón.</span><br />
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</span> <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I guess I interpret this scripture differently than the mainstream python crowd. I see this as a warning. It's an example of how the enemy wants to destroy mankind's faith in God. Satan attempts to deceive us by demonstrating his power through humans, who don't understand that these false "prophets" are operating under the influence of the spirit of </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">puthón. This demonic spirit speaks enough truth to be believable while still deceiving the victim. This is what we see in this portion of scripture. This demon possessed woman was making a lot of money for her masters. Business was good because her clients believed she had the supernatural power of prophecy. This demon was proving itself to be successful in its purpose... to take people's eyes off of an unseen God, who alone is the source of all prophesy and revelation, and instead focus their eyes on him.</span><br />
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</span> <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">We have educated Christians taking this portion of scripture and using the word "python" to create a whole new, and in my opinion un-biblical, teaching. We go from a bible study to story telling. We go from the word of God to the word of man. We go from discussing the spirit of </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">puthón as being one that protects and assists in the act of divination and one that tries to create an alternate belief system, to being one that is blamed for many of the ills of Christians worldwide.</span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">We leap out of the bible and take the physical nature of a python and transpose that into Christian teaching related to this portion of scripture. In any other circumstance, it would be considered a false teaching and maybe even the teachings of cults, but because it's being taught in the mainstream Christian community, it's being lauded as solid biblical teaching.</span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">Here are some of the things I've read and heard:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"One of the only named spirits in the Bible, the python spirit is a </span><b>coiling</b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> spirit that works to </span><b>squeeze out</b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> the breath of life (the Holy Spirit) and </span><b>cut off</b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> your lifeline to God (prayer)." </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.charismamag.com/blogs/the-plumb-line/21396-what-the-python-spirit-really-wants" target="_blank"><b>Charisma Magazine - Sep 25, 2014</b></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"It's not just natural things, you know, keeping you from prayer. I'm busy, I gotta do this, I gotta do that. It's a spirit called python that wants to <b>choke</b> your prayer time out of your life..." <span style="color: blue;"><b><a href="https://youtu.be/3DU8bMeSya0" target="_blank">Jentezen Franklin</a>.</b> </span>This gentleman has a teaching called, "<b><span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://youtu.be/6Uw9Vwf56HA" target="_blank">Spirit of Python: Snake Eggs in Your Head</a></span>.</b>" The description reads, </span><i>"Sin begins in the mind. Not as an act of the body, not with the act of the soul. It begins with a thought that lies in the mind <b><u>like a snake egg</u></b> until it is hatched. What we continually think on, we eventually act on. In this message we learn that we may not always be in control of what enters our minds, but we do have control over how long it stays. But we can get victory. We can renew our minds and get the <b><u>snake eggs</u></b> out." </i><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">That's right, folks. Scripture has been twisted to the point to where we're being told we have snake eggs in our mind, which, of course, means that this "spirit of python" is the sole reason for our negative thoughts. It doesn't come from any other demon or even from our own flesh. No, it's the dreaded python spirit. Sorry, I don't mean to be flippant, but spiritual snake eggs? Really? It seems like the spirits of fear, lust, anger, confusion, etc... are out of a job because all these attributes are now assigned to the spirit of </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">puthón.</span></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">This demonic spirit seems to be receiving plenty of notoriety as of late. If there's one thing that this spirit has not been lacking, it's the attention that Christians have been giving it and the growing list of things that they have accused it of being responsible for.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">This teaching states that this "spirit of python" doesn't strike outwardly with venomous fangs. On the contrary. It's reported that this demon </span><u>quietly seeks out it's prey and warps itself around them and ever so slowly and subtly squeezes the spiritual life out of them</u><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">. You know, like an actual earthly python. </span><b>That is in direct conflict with what the bible says happened in this instance.</b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> This demonic spirit was everything but subtle when it had its run-ins with Paul and Silas. It made itself known immediately and it was large and in charge (until it was cast out, of course). Taking this attribute of an earthly cobra and trying to transfer it to this demonic entity just doesn't fit in with this particular scripture, now does it? Unfortunately, this entire teaching is wrapped around (no pun intended) this one portion of scripture because there aren't any other scriptures concerning this demon to support this false teaching.</span></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">This false teaching also includes the idea that this demonic spirit can choke a marriage, choke a ministry, choke your joy, choke your finances, choke your prayer life, choke your spiritual relationship with God... choke, choke, choke. An attribute of a python is once again erroneously transferred to the spiritual description of this demon in a way to make you believe that when you've reached a point of stagnation in your walk with the Lord or you become limited in other areas of your life, it must be because of this particular demon's influence.</span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">It seems that this demon can slowly squeeze the Holy Spirit right out of you. Ready to jump some hoops? </span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">An earthly python squeezes you until you have difficulty breathing. This attribute is incorrectly transferred to the spirit of </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">puthón.</span></span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">Breath is symbolic of the Holy Spirit.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Since the demon is supposedly squeezing the spiritual breath out of you, he's actually sque</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">ezing the Holy Spirit out of you.</span></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> wasn't aware that any demon had authority over the Holy Spirit. In fact, I'm positive that none of them have the authority to "choke" Him out of our lives. </span><br />
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</span> <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">As this false teaching reveals, anything that goes awry in your life can be attributed to this demonic spirit. Demons must love getting credit for things they don't do. Are we so busy trying to shift the blame for the negative situations in our lives that we're actually willing to give credit to a demon that has nothing to do with it? Just as the populace was giving credit to the demon for the prophecies it was giving through the woman in the related scripture, are we giving credit to him for things that he doesn't even do? Are we building up this demon to be more than what he is? I believe the Christian community is doing just that.</span><br />
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</b> <b>Don't feel like praying? </b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">It's not your own spiritual laziness, it's the fault of that python spirit who wants to cut off your breath and prevent you from speaking with God.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>Feeling the financial squeeze and don't want to tithe?</b> It's not your reluctance to rely on God to provide for your needs, it's that python spirit that's strangling your finances so that you <b>can't </b>tithe. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>The congregation of your church isn't growing?</b> It can't be the perception that others have of your church, or that the Holy Spirit isn't providing the increase, it must be that python spirit strangling church growth.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>Your children have become rebellious? </b>It can't involve the spirit of rebellion or the fact that you're not paying enough attention to them or giving them proper discipline in their lives. It must be the spirit of python coming in to strangle all the joy out of your life.</span><br />
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</span> <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You must see where I'm going with this. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">When we begin labeling the attributes of a python in the physical world and use those attributes to describe this spirit of </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">puthón in the spiritual world, we're going a bit too far. Where does it end? Negative thinking, fear, depression, etc... it's all being attributed to this "spirit of python." What negative thing in a Christian's life can <b>NOT</b> be attributed to this demon?</span><br />
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</span> <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I know I'm going to get some serious heat about this. Too many Christians are too invested in this teaching to stop and give what I have to say serious thought. There are Christians that I respect who are spreading this teaching throughout the body of Christ. I don't believe it's scriptural and because of that, I have to speak up. My concern can't be about how it will be received or whether people will block me on social media. Sometimes in a battle it's only you and the Lord. I've experienced that more than once in my lifetime. I know that there are others out there that just can't seem to make the connection between the story in Acts 16 and this teaching on the "spirit of python," but they are unwilling to go against the flow and speak out. That's okay. I'll do it for you.</span><br />
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</b> <b>To Recap</b><br />
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</span> <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Here is what I believe the spirit of </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">puthón to be:</span></span></div>
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<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">It is a demonic spirit.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">It's name is descriptive of its association with divination.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">It deceives mankind and takes their attention off of God by promoting a different belief system.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">It is bold</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">, like it's master, Satan.</span></span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">It's main purpose is to entangle people in the occult (palm reading, tarot card readings, séances, occult rituals and chants, crystal ball reading, etc... which are all forms of divination). This can lead to participation in other occult practices, like voodoo, incantations, witchcraft, etc...<div class="MsoNormal">
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<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">It exhibits no other power or influence but that which is associated with divination.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Here is what I do <b>not</b> believe the spirit of </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">puthón to be:</span><br />
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<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">It is not the cause of almost every negative thought.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">It is not a spiritual being with the attributes of a physical reptile.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">It do</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">es not operate in "restricting" or "choking" or "crushing" Christians in almost every area of their lives.</span></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Personal Experience:</b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> I have to admit that I have had experience with this demon in the past. I now know what his name is, and that's a plus. As a young Christian, I experienced the temptation of becoming involved with something that would give instant gratification... the occult. I thought about it, purchased a book on the subject, tried to make contact with ghosts (which are just demons in disguise) and even purchased and used a Ouija board (with results). The answers I received frightened me, which prompted me to repent and throw all of that demonic stuff away. This preceded what was to happen years later...</span><br />
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</b> <b>Second Hand Experience:</b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Twenty-six years ago, I was married. Three years later, my wife left me and the children for personal reasons that I won't get into here, except to say that she wanted to do what she wanted and when she wanted, and the family was holding her back, so she moved on. What I didn't find out until a few year later was that my wife, who was a new born again believer when we were married, had become involved in the occult. She was seeing a "witch" and was participating in tarot card readings. She eventually purchased a set of these cards for herself. From what I understand, she used them often.</span><br />
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</span> <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Why am I sharing this with you? Because I know from personal experience that this "spirit of python" acts just like it did in the scripture quoted at the beginning of this article. It didn't come in quietly and start squeezing and choking me, nor did it seem to have that effect on my wife. The spirit of </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">puthón's influence made us believe that we could have power of our own and have it in this world. It was a seductive temptation that both she and I fell to at different times in our lives. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">It is not difficult for me to understand how this woman described in Acts 16 made so much money for her masters. </span><br />
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</span> <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">We fight against powers and principalities all the time. I just don't believe that this particular demon is responsible for everything that people want to attribute to it. I believe that </span><b>it's function is clearly stated in scripture</b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> and that people have taken the "python" thing totally out of context and given it a meaning it was not intended to have. They have taken a spirit whose sole purpose is in protecting and assisting one who uses the satanic power of divination and has built that demon up to be more than what he actually is. </span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">If I had to boil all of this down to one sentence, it would be this: <b>The spirit of </b></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>puthón is a demon of the occult that exhibits no other ability other than those associated with divination.</b></span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Here is my hope, that either:</span></span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> am right and that what I consider to be a false teaching will be shown for what it is.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I am wrong and have somehow missed a mention of other scriptures that would reaffirm this teaching of a "spirit of python," at which point I will update or delete this ar</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">ticle.</span></span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">If you believe that I have the wrong end of the stick, then please share your thoughts below with scripture to back up your statements. These scriptures must apply to the subject of this article. All other comments may be deleted. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I know that this subject can be a divisive one, so I'm hoping we can have a calm discussion about this subject.</span><br />
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souzak99http://www.blogger.com/profile/12756935840229045589noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8399924563118399589.post-53997648694643190942015-07-27T23:50:00.002-04:002021-01-23T02:34:39.987-05:00Is The Word "Rapture" In The Bible?<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6we4P0T1cJmpd6yYHFCUtqQVnflsTbDsXN5uBFXDqXyKsuJahkutakeewfIgwK6lAGcV-5Zd_a_M5TyTqQ4jyRS6qQUMWQdFPFtoTGQxjtnEQuzfAe2n-NXgVFeKvd1bS9-zQZhg6kqw/s1600/Rapture.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6we4P0T1cJmpd6yYHFCUtqQVnflsTbDsXN5uBFXDqXyKsuJahkutakeewfIgwK6lAGcV-5Zd_a_M5TyTqQ4jyRS6qQUMWQdFPFtoTGQxjtnEQuzfAe2n-NXgVFeKvd1bS9-zQZhg6kqw/s200/Rapture.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Can the word "rapture" be found in the bible? Here is my answer short and sweet. "Honestly, it all depends on what language the English translation came from."</span><br />
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Let's look at the verse we're discussing: "Then we which are alive and remain shall be <b>caught up </b>together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." (1Thessalonians 4:17 KJV)</span><br />
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<b>From Greek to English</b></span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Let's take a look at the Greek word that's at the root of this discussion.</span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>Harpazo (har-pad'-zo)</b> 1) to seize, carry off by force 2) to seize upon, claim for one's self eagerly 3) to snatch out or away</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Since the New Testament we know and love is translated from the Greek language, the word "rapture" doesn't appear in our English translation. The English translation from the Greek word "harpazo" is "caught up." The KJV translation is correct. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Greek (harpazo) = English (caught up)</span><br />
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<b>The Middle Man</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;"><i><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">So then, where did the word rapture come from? It came by way of a middle man, the Latin language. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">The Latin translation of "harpazo" is "rapturo." The English translation of "rapturo" is "rapture."</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br />
Greek (harpazo) = Latin (rapturo) = English (rapture)</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span><b>Why do we use the word "rapture?"</b></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">The word "rapture" is used as verbal shorthand describing <i>"the act of being caught up, snatched, taken suddenly by force."</i> I mean, if we had to describe it that way every time we mentioned the event, our conversations could get pretty long-winded. After all, there are other examples of verbal shorthand that we use to describe things in the bible. One example is the word "Trinity." Do a word search and you won't find it anywhere in scripture. It's verbal shorthand. When we use that word, it's clear that we're referring to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-indent: -24px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>THE RECAP</b></span></span><br />
</span><ul>
<li><span style="line-height: 24px;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">The Greek verb "harpazo" translated into Latin is "rapturo" which is translated into English as rapture. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 24px;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">We often use verbal shorthand to describe something in scripture without having to fully articulate it's meaning. Example: Rapture and Trinity.</span></span></li>
</ul>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"> Greek (harpazo) = English (caught up)</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Greek (harpazo) = Latin (rapturo) = English (rapture)</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
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<b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #274e13;">Repent and be forgiven! Believe and be saved!</span></b></span></div>
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souzak99http://www.blogger.com/profile/12756935840229045589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8399924563118399589.post-81584772024200160252015-07-19T22:57:00.007-04:002021-01-23T02:34:52.395-05:00The World Won't Ever Be Void Of God's Chosen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjupNA1LmVCtCuS2YFJrsOnngmErQqTGiMOBIE64ki6ek60rFyYg29u_nIdURDP1wAcct-753IrlybrT2jkZ6f-TXZK771GF9F8IuQEGSLPcaDDms_cgXN2vIP-wrwoeJfC70qE9QH91U8/s1600/Light.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjupNA1LmVCtCuS2YFJrsOnngmErQqTGiMOBIE64ki6ek60rFyYg29u_nIdURDP1wAcct-753IrlybrT2jkZ6f-TXZK771GF9F8IuQEGSLPcaDDms_cgXN2vIP-wrwoeJfC70qE9QH91U8/s200/Light.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">Since the creation of mankind, there has always been someone on earth who has had a close relationship with God, even if that individual stood alone or acted without regard to their own personal safety. Adam, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Issac, Moses, David, Esther, Elijah, Daniel, Jeremiah, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, etc... No matter what Satan did to try and wipe God from the minds of mankind or to destroy God's people, he just couldn't accomplish that task. </span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">Then a marvelous thing happened. Jesus came into the world! Through His birth, sinless life, crucifixion, death and resurrection, He provided us access, in His name, to our Father in heaven. Although all believers rejoice in that knowledge, the unsaved, and their slave master Satan, wish that it was otherwise.</span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">There never has been a time when God was not praised and worshiped on the earth, and there will never be a time when unbelievers will ever experience a world where God is not Lord of all.</span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">Many unbelievers half-heartedly hope that the Rapture is a real event so that they can finally be rid of all those "intolerant," "hateful," and "judgmental" people who call themselves Christians. What they don't realize is that once Jesus returns for His bride and quickly whisks her away, there will be a whole host of born again believers to take their place.</span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">That's right, there will be millions of men and women who will repent and believe and take up where the raptured saints left off. Who will they be? </span></div>
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<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">Those who called themselves Christian, but did nothing more than play church on Sunday.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">Those who walked away from the faith, never truly giving their lives to the Lord.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">Those who were evangelized and witnessed to, but never made a decision for Jesus.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Those who are ignorant of what a relationship with God truly is, and are evange</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">lized and witnessed to during the Tribulation.</span></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">The first two groups will have a working knowledge of who Jesus is and what true Christianity is all about. They will most likely be the ones to teach and lead those who make up the last two groups.</span></span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">What the world doesn't foresee is the chaos that is going to arise immediately following this worldwide event. The joyous hope of ridding themselves of every true born again believer will leave them desperate, petrified, horrified, and regretful. The world that remains </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: blue;"><b><u><a href="http://souzak99.blogspot.com/p/after-rapture_04.html" target="_blank">after the Rapture</a></u></b></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> won't be the world they envisioned. They believe they'll finally make the world a utopia, but it becomes just the opposite.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtTtlm7gt3Rv_zEtkH_NCc_hATtEWr-viguUEaJ0Dzcjr1SfbkEJmERYmvFvV4aHee2yCOYyoRi4p7rzSApgJ0m_Lni8QQ4zygfL7jMSrCnDsCc_x2CTerg_QL55c4rCBM0keqfA8UciE/s1600/the-rapture.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtTtlm7gt3Rv_zEtkH_NCc_hATtEWr-viguUEaJ0Dzcjr1SfbkEJmERYmvFvV4aHee2yCOYyoRi4p7rzSApgJ0m_Lni8QQ4zygfL7jMSrCnDsCc_x2CTerg_QL55c4rCBM0keqfA8UciE/s320/the-rapture.jpg" width="224" /></span></a><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Many will develop a hate for God to the point of where it will consume them. They will shake their fists at Him in defiance and help to track down born again believers in order to hand them over to the authorities for re-education, and eventually, execution.</span></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">No, the unbeliever will never be rid of true men and women of God no matter how hard they try. From Adam's time on this earth to the moment Jesus returns as King of kings and Lord of lords at the battle of Har-mageddon, God will always have His chosen people here to spread His word and keep the faith alive in the midst of those who have not yet repented and believed. God has gone, and will go, to great lengths to make sure that mankind has every opportunity to hear the truth, repent, and believe.</span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">To God be all the glory and honor forever and ever! Amen!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><i style="color: #cc0000;">If you like this article, or any of the other information on this web site, please consider following me. You'll be one of the first to be notified when I create new content! You'll find the section at the top of the right hand column on this page. It says, "Follow Tribulation Harvest by Email." After entering your email address, you may be prompted to sign in to your Google account. Thank you!!!</i></span></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #274e13;"><b>Repent and be forgiven! Believe and be saved!</b></span></span></div>
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souzak99http://www.blogger.com/profile/12756935840229045589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8399924563118399589.post-38471399896225546072015-06-26T19:23:00.003-04:002021-01-23T02:35:09.079-05:00We Are A Witness To Biblical History<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggwHnBhhzxmCmiTpan5pWCBL6I4Igue5fsa3XDGJ65uSUpswgd8bFRPqKiG9dDYyFOP0at8sFUZDycY7whjuOY5d4rgx1H5WNvqHcV2GI7Ak5zreKmhfG5gdvqmyb_bNjPYZQviHESv8w/s1600/quill.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggwHnBhhzxmCmiTpan5pWCBL6I4Igue5fsa3XDGJ65uSUpswgd8bFRPqKiG9dDYyFOP0at8sFUZDycY7whjuOY5d4rgx1H5WNvqHcV2GI7Ak5zreKmhfG5gdvqmyb_bNjPYZQviHESv8w/s200/quill.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">One of the questions I used to ask online was this... <i>"Do you ever wish you lived in biblical times? If so, which era would you like to have lived in?"</i> Well, I'd get all kinds of responses, but the one response I never received was this... <i>"I am living in biblical times. I'm living in the end times spoken of by the prophets!"</i></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">Yes, we are living in a really exciting time in history. We're living in a time that the saints before us could only dream about. Here we are in a world that is on the verge of having the total force of evil unleashed upon it as we and the Holy Spirit are taken out of the way at the time of the Rapture! As the world deteriorates, our one hope lies in the return of Yeshua our Bridegroom! </span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">I'm sure many of us have wondered what it would be like to talk with someone we've read about in the bible. We'd like to know what they were thinking and what they were doing when God intervened in their lives. </span></div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><i>"Moses, what are some of the details of the journey in the desert that weren't recorded in the bible?" </i></span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><i>"Abraham, as you were leading your son to be sacrificed on the alter of God, how did you keep your composure?" </i></span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><i>"Rahab, when you let down that cord of scarlet, did you doubt you would survive when you saw the walls come crashing down all around the city?"</i></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">What we don't realize is that these very saints may come up to us to ask us questions about what was happening here on earth in the years leading up to the Rapture. <i>"What were you doing?" "What was the world experiencing?" "How powerful was the deception with which the enemy clouded the minds of unbelievers?" What were the signs that made you aware of the season of Yeshua's return?"</i></span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">We are living biblical history and are witnesses to the continued fulfillment of prophecy as God allows mankind to destroy itself. We use our computers, phones, tablets, radios, televisions and printed media to follow the events as they unfold, most often in real time! Society seems to be decaying at a more rapid pace as citizens watch their personal liberties fade away, racism once again burns in the hearts of men, scandals and deception are expected of those holding public office, sexual perversion is accepted at the highest levels of government as witnessed by the Supreme Court's decision concerning same-sex marriage, military forces are positioning themselves, and long-held alliances between countries begin to crumble. </span></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">We can also see the three major religions of the world begin to coalesce into a one world religion as the Catholic church begins to embrace Islam and Protestant religions.</span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">We watch as...</span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">The terrorist group IS decapitates Christian children and men as they rape and make sexual slaves of Christian women.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">Iran is being allowed to continue it's uranium enrichment, which will eventually lead to the creation of nuclear weapons with which they can terrorize with world.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">Israel continues to become more isolated as the United States begins to turn it's back on a long held alliance.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">China becomes the number one economy in the world and builds a technologically modern military.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">The United States seems to make one misstep after another, causing our allies and enemies to see us as a declining world power.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">Earthquakes occur in greater number and in diverse places.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">The governments of the world become more and more corrupt.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">The heart of man grows cold.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">Evil is spoken of as good, and good evil.</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">We are at the tail end of the church age, my brothers and sisters. We're not just close, we're <b>very</b> close to the Bridegroom's return. God never promised us that we would be exempt from persecution before the Rapture. In fact, it's to be expected as the dark ruler of this world continues to influence the nations, governments and peoples of this planet. Christian persecution won't just contain itself to other nations, it will shift to this country as well. Already Christians are being harassed, verbally and physically attacked, and forced to stand before a judge to explain their actions.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">The legalization of murdering a child in the womb (abortion) flooded this nation with the sin of the spilled blood of the innocent, and now the Supreme Court has mocked God again by legalizing same-sex marriage. Now, matters have been made much worse. Born again believers don't see this decision as the rest of the world does. We see the spiritual implications. We <b>know</b> that God is not pleased, and we await His response as we go forward from here.</span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">There are dark times coming for the inhabitants of this free land and for the rest of the world. God's patience, though greater than we can possibly imagine, does run out. This may be the very thing that stirs that anger to overflowing.</span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Take heart, brothers and sisters. Although we are entering dark times, we live and operate in the light. We still have the opportunity to be beacons of light in this ever darkening world. Maybe, just maybe, as the world turns darker, those seeking the truth will see our light shine even brighter as this age comes to a close.</span></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">We're beating against the gates of hell in the name of Jesus and those gates cannot prevail against us as we break through them to rescue our brothers and sisters, armed with the sword of the spirit which is the word of God.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">As every day passes, the story we take with us into eternity grows in length and in detail. Now is the time to begin moving forward with more urgency, adding a new chapter to our story as we go forward from here. Time is short.</span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">When we get to heaven and share our story with the saints that have gone before us, what amazing things will your story hold?</span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><i style="color: #cc0000;">If you like this article, or any of the other information on this web site, please consider following me. You'll be one of the first to be notified when I create new content! You'll find the section at the top of the right hand column on this page. It says, "Follow Tribulation Harvest by Email." After entering your email address, you may be prompted to sign in to your Google account. Thank you!!!</i></span><br />
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<br />
</span><div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #274e13; font-family: verdana;"><b>Repent and be forgiven! Believe and be saved!</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #274e13; font-family: verdana;"><b>TribulationHarvest.net</b></span></div>
</div>
souzak99http://www.blogger.com/profile/12756935840229045589noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8399924563118399589.post-83459997661727580792015-06-24T09:15:00.001-04:002021-01-23T02:35:38.933-05:00Experiencing Tribulation After Rapture Packets - The Reboot<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt64-14JV_xARjKRTZV_WkABMMbBKIu8UHHk-HFEdglnC09r4g4BpZGF2aFxBbeip4SQCXnqwxwiMFo1xTO21Sj8hs-PRonk51UrppVV50i7GaPdPocJLsVU2RuPPQ-DsZ7uK3080w9tU/s1600/20170613_215014.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt64-14JV_xARjKRTZV_WkABMMbBKIu8UHHk-HFEdglnC09r4g4BpZGF2aFxBbeip4SQCXnqwxwiMFo1xTO21Sj8hs-PRonk51UrppVV50i7GaPdPocJLsVU2RuPPQ-DsZ7uK3080w9tU/s320/20170613_215014.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">If you'd like to see a shorthand version of this article, <a href="https://souzak99.blogspot.com/2012/01/make-rapturetribulation-packet.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><b>click here</b></span></a>. If you want to read a more in-depth article describing the contents of this packet and how I created some of the content, please continue reading.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I also have a <a href="https://youtu.be/5sFXpRRfU20" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue;">video</span></b></a> on YouTube that goes through everything that I have in the After Rapture Packet. It's 30 minutes long, but I think it's very informative.</span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">This article describes my efforts to reboot my original Experiencing Tribulation <b>A</b>fter <b>R</b>apture <b>P</b>ackets (ARP's). First, you may be asking yourself what an after Rapture packet is. Well, I'll tell you. ARP's are packets of information that can be left behind for those who are left behind after the Rapture. These packets of information provide the information that explains what just happened (the Rapture) and what's coming next (the Tribulation and everything that entails). It also provides the individual with the information necessary to guide them into a relationship with Jesus, so that they, too, may repent and be forgiven, and believe and be saved. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I have already given some to unsaved family and friends and to those who hold to a false belief that their association with a particular religion or being a member of a particular church will bring them salvation. I've also mailed some out to born again believers I've met through social media who have expressed a desire to receive a copy so that they can leave it behind, in their home, for loved ones to find after they, themselves, have been raptured. </span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Full disclosure: I provide ARP's <span style="color: #990000;">free of charge</span> and make absolutely <span style="color: #990000;">no money</span> off of them. <span style="color: #990000;">Any donations I may receive, go directly back into producing more packets</span>. I already have a covenant with God that I will not use any money from this ministry for personal gain. It all goes back into the ministry to purchase more supplies. I don't even pay myself for the time spent creating the content or assembling the packets.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Here is what I have included in my After Rapture Packets and how I put everything together. Your packet will be different, because there's no hard and fast rule on what you can pack into yours. Of course, you'll definitely want to include materials explaining salvation and include a bible of some sort, whether it's the complete bible, a single New Testament, or even just the Gospel of John, if that's all you can afford right now. I just wanted to provide you with some sort of outline on the types of information you might want to put in your packet. </span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Another piece of advice I have for you is to be consistent in the content of your packets. Be sure the same information is included in all of the packets. If you've spent all that time putting together what you consider to be the perfect packet, make all of them perfect by assembling them all the same. </span><br />
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<b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">The DVD Reboot</span></b></span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="clear: left; font-family: verdana; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsHv0BFG1wsi9V8XGAJcQ7TeuGWJ1IzwJYEyc8B_gghE13ObGlsxYg4CL4ryyybYqHFxKIdLRwEQ3pM5xV02MhuUbLvuCYJB8Bxbx1xM1CXOg_3vtRY5d6K-oODshUrUEm5JTA_LPr9WE/s1600/2012-03-24+13.31.18.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsHv0BFG1wsi9V8XGAJcQ7TeuGWJ1IzwJYEyc8B_gghE13ObGlsxYg4CL4ryyybYqHFxKIdLRwEQ3pM5xV02MhuUbLvuCYJB8Bxbx1xM1CXOg_3vtRY5d6K-oODshUrUEm5JTA_LPr9WE/s200/2012-03-24+13.31.18.jpg" width="150" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: small;">Original Version</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">The original content on this DVD was a single video from a particular ministry, whose information was plastered on my label instead of my <i>own</i> ministry's branding (</span><i>Don't worry, I emailed them and asked for permission to use their video)</i><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">. After considering my options, I realized that the DVD needed a total reboot, content and labeling. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I grabbed a few Christian videos I hoped weren't going to be judged to be too preachy and content that wouldn't go over their head and just confuse whoever was watching it (after all, I wanted to share the milk, not the meat of the word). I even made the great leap to create some of the content myself. I was actually surprised at how well my bit it turned out...lol. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Once the video content, including closing credits, was gathered into one place, I burned the contents on to a single DVD and played it back to be sure everything transferred over to the DVD as planned. When I was satisfied, I burned all of the other DVD's. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Then the labels were created and printed off. There's more information about that below. After the labels were printed, they were left to dry before I sat down to adhere them to the front of the DVD's. Again, there's more information about that below. Then they were all slipped into their own individual sleeves with the labels point outwards. The following are the items you'll need to label your DVD's.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"></span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>Items needed: </b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">-DVD's (blank or burned)</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">-DVD/CD envelopes <i>(I opted for the envelopes that offer a clear window in the front. Why cover up your hard work, right?)</i></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">-DVD Labels (</span><i>Important: Don't use CD labels, even though they are most likely less expensive. DVD players run at a higher temperature than CD players, and the DVD labels are made with a stronger adhesive to stick to the DVD's in the higher temps they will be experiencing. Also, </i><i>by using Avery labels, I was able to go to their web site to create the content on the labels. Most of that content was mine.</i></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">-DV</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">D/CD label applicator <i>(</i></span><i>I suggest using an applicator because it will center the labels perfectly and prevent the DVD's from wobbling in the DVD player because of a label placed off-center.)</i></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><i></i></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><i></i></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">A lot of time and effort went into finding the right content for the DVD. It's difficult to find good content that won't be considered by the unsaved to be "too preachy" or "confusing." They need milk, not meat, and we need to consider that when deciding what videos we'd like include on the DVD. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">The photo on the top shows the older version of the DVD label. I think you'll agree that the new version below it is a vast improvement!</span><br />
</span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwthZ-wlgX7K5CLwf3wbGxJqIOPtonlDQiP6BHevjoeorxvfqHSvGKJh7FBS5wdHrURCc5cLt25Pa9aDxvXLJFtvhPHdefAvMmIvcNCYuXy5jNL4SEMnHf1vBpMHufv2mVntrfVM67NRA/s1600/2015-06-30+11.18.06.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwthZ-wlgX7K5CLwf3wbGxJqIOPtonlDQiP6BHevjoeorxvfqHSvGKJh7FBS5wdHrURCc5cLt25Pa9aDxvXLJFtvhPHdefAvMmIvcNCYuXy5jNL4SEMnHf1vBpMHufv2mVntrfVM67NRA/s200/2015-06-30+11.18.06.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: small;">Rebooted Version</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"></span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>The new DVD labels contain the following info:</b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">-The name of my small ministry, "Tribulation Harvest."</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">-The slogan of my small ministry, "Repent and be forgiven! Believe and be saved!"</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">-The title of the DVD, "Experiencing Tribulation."</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">-The total length of the DVD, "73 Mins."</span><br />
-<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">The fact that it's a free DVD</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">-My own QR Code</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">If you would like to see a video of how I attached the labels to the DVD's you can click <b><a href="https://youtu.be/Pk5WtaGlV2g" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">h<span style="color: blue;">ere</span></span></a></b>. This link will bring you to my YouTube video on the project. <i>Note: You'll need to wear earphones and hike your volume up to max to hear my voice on the video. For some reason the audio is very low on that video.</i></span><br />
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<b>Experiencing Tribulation Booklet Reboot</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You won't find this in any store. I created this booklet myself so that I could bring the reader through the scriptures, from the moments just after the Rapture takes place, to the resulting chaos, to the rise of the Antichrist, and ending with the Lord's return. I quote scripture (mostly from Revelation) and then paraphrase what God is revealing to us through His word. At the end of the booklet is a message about repentance and salvation. </span><br />
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</span><div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3SCAjoORvomG7C1rmjroY8ABBy4rsxEpUgpxjGzZs-4UxU-CK_2vX6kMtt82NnJK0Zo-vxwnxsuA3tXXlNCHxOBeN5vUnoAMWmBYgzrkybHxO5tIv0E-hPxWBrT-0e32uyZBEtYnG9NY/s1600/SCAN0048.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1026" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3SCAjoORvomG7C1rmjroY8ABBy4rsxEpUgpxjGzZs-4UxU-CK_2vX6kMtt82NnJK0Zo-vxwnxsuA3tXXlNCHxOBeN5vUnoAMWmBYgzrkybHxO5tIv0E-hPxWBrT-0e32uyZBEtYnG9NY/s320/SCAN0048.JPG" width="205" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">Original Version</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKgN2UTQ1kyo0cgqM3l-koGQM26MAWrTt3xL-yLvTggZfY_qidxwuNfarKXTEabIyMB20xJtlUmsHNv0L3OhLjaKsgHp4P3zhRbXb_taY0BfcIUP3lWO7MBiGapkTFgv3qjtwXKhICGoY/s1600/SCAN0026.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1022" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKgN2UTQ1kyo0cgqM3l-koGQM26MAWrTt3xL-yLvTggZfY_qidxwuNfarKXTEabIyMB20xJtlUmsHNv0L3OhLjaKsgHp4P3zhRbXb_taY0BfcIUP3lWO7MBiGapkTFgv3qjtwXKhICGoY/s320/SCAN0026.JPG" width="203" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Rebooted Version</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">(The vibrant green color was</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">washed out by the scanner)</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">The reboot created a booklet that was more pleasing to the eye, both inside and out, which may help carry the reader on to each successive section of the booklet. One thing about a project like</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> this one, you can always find something that you feel can be rewritten. It gets to the point where you have to force yourself to stop and just complete the project or you'll never finish it. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Here's a tip... I didn't use the settings for a booklet in my word processing software because it wouldn't allow me to create the margins I was looking for, which made this project much more involved. Of course, that was about 8 years ago, and maybe word processing software has improved. So here's the way I did it. This would be so much easier to explain if I made a video. Maybe I'll get around to doing that, but not today...lol.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>Step 1</b> was to create two columns of text on a landscaped 8.5x11 sheet. I linked those columns together and linked them to columns on the other pages and began typing away. The text blocks were all linked to each other, so as I filled up one text block, it automatically jumped over to the next text block, allowing me to continue to type without having to click on the individual text blocks to enter my text. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>Step 2</b> was to cut each two columned sheet in half to create individual one sided pages, so each 8.5x11 sheet produced two pages. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>Step 3</b> was to count the pages and then grab some blank copy paper, folding them in half to create a crease. Then they were temporarily put together like the pages of a book. I numbered each one in the center of the page with the page number.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>Step 4</b> was to take each individual page and carefully tape them to the center of the folded booklet so that the pages, when turned, would be in the right order. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>Step 5</b> was to take them to my local office supply store and print each double sided page. Because they were taped to the page, I made sure to set the printer to accept two single sided pages and then double side it, that way it didn't grab my double sided taped booklet and rip everything apart. I copied one side and just flipped the page over and let the printer copy the second side before it did it's thing. I did that for all the pages. I also printed the cover double sided.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>Step 6 </b>was to purchase a ream of colorful paper that I could use for the cover. I had everything planned out so that not only the outside of the cover contain information, but the inside as well. Space was precious, so I made sure every page had content.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>Step 7</b> was to print off the double sided cover at home, so I could include some color in the cover.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>Step 8</b> was to collate all the pages into individual packets and then fold them in preparation for stapling. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>Step 9 </b>was the actual stapling of the booklet. I had thought about using cord or some other material to "sew" the binding, but I ultimately decided to use a stapler. I was going to purchase one of those staplers with the extended arm to do the work, but I ended up saving money and using what I had. I put a piece of cardboard under the booklet, turned it right-side up, and used the open stapler to push two staples into the center crease of the booklet. The sharp points dug into the cardboard. I pulled the booklet off of the cardboard, flipped it over, and used a butter knife to push the ends of the stapler over, securing it to the booklet.</span><br />
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</span><div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B_IGQRRrtyQ/XDZ0ggEfbdI/AAAAAAAARrk/uxZldbo_Qb0OtLMpaVhzYtW593RqFU-cACLcBGAs/s1600/SCAN0029.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1242" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B_IGQRRrtyQ/XDZ0ggEfbdI/AAAAAAAARrk/uxZldbo_Qb0OtLMpaVhzYtW593RqFU-cACLcBGAs/s200/SCAN0029.JPG" width="155" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Tribulation Timeline</span></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-family: verdana;">Tribulation Timeline</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I've created something I like to call a Tribulation Timeline. This was easy to create compared to the booklet. The Tribulation Timeline is an 8.5x11 double sided sheet of colorful printer paper that breaks down what will happen during the Tribulation and when it will happen. It's actually a shorthand version of the booklet. It's not as complicated and as intricate as a lot of the timelines out there, but it works. The front side briefly breaks down the Seven Seals, the Seven Trumpets and the Seven Vials/Bowls. It also places these events in either the first half of the Tribulation or the second half. It also contains information about the return of Jesus, the enemy's temporary imprisonment, Christ's thousand year reign, the enemy's release from imprisonment and what occurs as a result, and then Jesus's response. This timeline is folded in half and is tucked in the center of the booklet. The other side of the page explains the reason why the enemy is temporarily imprisoned and then released after a thousand years and includes a section that warns the reader that time is short...that the countdown until Christ's return has begun and that there's no guarantee that they'll survive the entire Tribulation period, so it's imperative that they repent immediately!</span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Bible Reboot</b></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">When I first started this packet, I purchased some inexpensive paperback New Testament bibles that did not include any information about salvation, so I created some labels for the inside cover. They contained information that lead the reader through the salvation message from beginning to end. The labels provided scripture references and their corresponding page numbers to make it easier for the new believer to find. I assumed that new believers would be unfamiliar with the chapter/verse arrangement of the bible. To draw the reader's eye immediately to the scripture quoted on that page, I also underlined or highlighted those particular verses. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">If you're going to use this idea, I would suggest that you choose one bible and stick with it. A paperback bible from publisher #1 won't have the same set up as a paperback bible from publisher #2, so stick wi</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">th the same version from the same publisher unless you don't mind updating your labels.</span></span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">The <b>reboot</b> I did on this one involved both the physical profile of the bible and the version that I was going to use. Gone was the shorter and thicker NT in favor of a sleeker version. The KJV had also been traded in for the NASB, and I'll explain why. </span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>KJV v NASB</b></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJV9sGfiFBaXPu-K7f_ICddzF2-HZMmMOu0O3Vm7WQsRmocZN9DD5z6N9UPekO7eLZazDEXi4qPrMNcvslAhAVOyY1J7qXUaQmV7o9t-awF0z95mm2A0u6N_vufYKpI4dy0WOaSB-zJWE/s1600/SCAN0032.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1038" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJV9sGfiFBaXPu-K7f_ICddzF2-HZMmMOu0O3Vm7WQsRmocZN9DD5z6N9UPekO7eLZazDEXi4qPrMNcvslAhAVOyY1J7qXUaQmV7o9t-awF0z95mm2A0u6N_vufYKpI4dy0WOaSB-zJWE/s200/SCAN0032.JPG" width="129" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">NASB<br />New Testament<br />Paperback</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">When thinking abut the KJV, I became concerned that people would pick up that version and have difficulties understanding it. My goal for the After Rapture Packets is to make things as easy as possible for someone to understand the content, and to me, that meant switching from the version that was more difficult to read and understand to the version that held close to the original text as well, the NASB. I know there are KJV purists out there, but whoever accesses the ARP's won't have much time left on this earth. Two thirds of the earth's population is going to die during the seven-year Tribulation, so there's an urgency to explain as much as possible in the limited time left. If I was passing along the word of God to another generation of born again believers who were going to have a lifetime to read and learn, I most certainly provide a full bible, but these will be dangerous and treacherous times, and the NT is enough to get that individual on that straight and narrow road, which is what this is all about. That is also why I utilized the NASB version of scripture in the booklet mentioned in the previous section. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I also opted to print off some labels containing the Tribulation Harvest web site, it's motto, and a blurb stating that the NT was provided free of charge through this ministry. They are affixed to the bottom of the front cover.</span></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">I opted to purchase only the paperback New Testaments for several reasons:</span></div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">They're not expensive.</span></span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">Since two thirds of the earth's population will expire before the Lord's return due to the three sets of judgments sent by God upon the world, most people will be living short lives. I felt it was better to leave them with information vital for their salvation, because that was the most important thing.</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">Owning a bible will most certainly be outlawed. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if there were organized bible burnings. Right now we live in a world where it's becoming more difficult to express our Christian beliefs without being labeled hateful, intolerant, homophobic, transphobic, Nazi's, etc... Remember, born again believers will be persecuted for not accepting the <a href="https://souzak99.blogspot.com/2015/03/what-is-mark-of-beast.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><b>mark of the Beast</b></span></a> and for not worshiping his image. If preaching and sharing the word of God can be considered hate speech in this day and age, imagine how it will be viewed under the authority of the Antichrist. A thin paperback New Testament will be less conspicuous hidden under clothing or or tucked away somewhere safe as apposed to having a thick bible containing both the OT and NT. Of course, that's just my humble opinion, and as I've said at the beginning of this article, the contents of your packets will be different from mine.</span></li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8nBVnwgKA30DMNx7xlGLY1Bukic2SRr-c0XJMJC2mBM4U42Pq0wAn_4eEUZldTe08XzynoHPN5SbIrlO-8S7JeswyKI_c3HZHutjiy-D7mY__QmXPcaonBA36vg_fbqmqAW6SlUKYjtQ/s1600/Photo03081358.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8nBVnwgKA30DMNx7xlGLY1Bukic2SRr-c0XJMJC2mBM4U42Pq0wAn_4eEUZldTe08XzynoHPN5SbIrlO-8S7JeswyKI_c3HZHutjiy-D7mY__QmXPcaonBA36vg_fbqmqAW6SlUKYjtQ/s200/Photo03081358.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="150" /></span></a><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Tracts Reboot</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Tracts are very useful. They provide a synopsis of what our sinful nature and spiritual condition is, what God has done to rectify this condition, and our need to repent of our sin... to be born again... so that Jesus can restore our relationship with our heavenly Father by transforming us through His Holy Spirit. Finding a tract without a "pray this prayer" section at the end can be difficult to find, but it's not impossible. If you want to know why I try hard to find bibles and tracts that don't include a "pray this prayer" section, click <b><a href="https://souzak99.blogspot.com/2014/09/should-we-be-encouraging-repeating-of.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">here</span></a></b> and read another article on this web site about how I feel about that subject. </span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">The nice thing about tracts is that they're easy to obtain. Y</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">ou may be able to pick some up at your church or you can </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">purchase some at a local brick and mortar store or online. They're relatively inexpensive. My ARP's contain a variety of tracts that all give the same basic message, but in different ways. It's important to remember that we don't know what audience we'll be reaching, so an assortment of tracts is a way of giving the message of salvation in different ways to people who have various personalities and respond to the written words. Some tracts have powerful artwork and don't hold back any punches, some are drawn like a cartoon and are lighthearted. The rest are somewhere in between. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">To digress for a moment, the DVD described in one of the sections above was created in the same manner. There are three videos that are diverse in their approach to the subject of the Rapture and Tribulation. One is like a teaching video, one is like a heart to heart, person to person video and the one that was created through this ministry is just text and music. Then there are the animated videos that were included. Individuals who get their hands on the materials in the packet may be young or old. You have to try to make accommodations for a range of ages.</span><br />
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</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJHO8RjItIhnEZpwSHVDGj2yzdD7eT3pbO7Ijhc81j4EEh-eoVf7AvoZmZbOaENKU9wrzKySpCZReV45sv1zQ9P0otErLmj6lweoNjdqUOzr4H_KTt_uCTKLv1ec9dZ1bmhSVABwQ5bLY/s1600/20170517_123717-1-1.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="916" data-original-width="1600" height="114" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJHO8RjItIhnEZpwSHVDGj2yzdD7eT3pbO7Ijhc81j4EEh-eoVf7AvoZmZbOaENKU9wrzKySpCZReV45sv1zQ9P0otErLmj6lweoNjdqUOzr4H_KTt_uCTKLv1ec9dZ1bmhSVABwQ5bLY/s200/20170517_123717-1-1.jpg" width="200" /></span></a><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">Getting back to tracts, my advice is to read as many as possible and find a select few that give the same message in different ways. When you've narrowed it down to a handful, stick with them. You can always add more to the collection as time goes by. I create and distribute tracts printed on business card sized stock, and when my stock runs out, I create new designs to print and distribute. Every time I create a new set, I make sure to take one of each and add them to my ARP's.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: verdana;">Packaging Everything Up, Including The Little Extras</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">There are several ways you can distribute this information. One way is to use plastic containers, boxes or bins and store it all together in the expectation that people are aware that they can enter your residence after the Rapture and collect this information. It's like a central hub for information. Others package their information in folders or manila envelopes. It all depends on how you want to distribute your information and what type of information is in your packet. If it's all printed material, then maybe a manila folder would work. On the other hand, if you're including a bible and other bulky information, then maybe another type of packaging would work better. </span></span><br />
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</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqClxcFbWkt9Pjmz3VYsjZnwx87tRy0hjy5OVQ5JOp8Lm-TAeIrGgkEpevOy3qA0uBklqDNE5d2xJkdNTJPzexw6LhZIQ3X2TVK31GeFpiGnlmm9M3fRGXMNTM-HhJ_tAuC29pmIemUiQ/s1600/20190108_040158-1.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1306" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqClxcFbWkt9Pjmz3VYsjZnwx87tRy0hjy5OVQ5JOp8Lm-TAeIrGgkEpevOy3qA0uBklqDNE5d2xJkdNTJPzexw6LhZIQ3X2TVK31GeFpiGnlmm9M3fRGXMNTM-HhJ_tAuC29pmIemUiQ/s200/20190108_040158-1.jpg" width="163" /></span></a><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">At one point, I was using shrink wrap. I purchased the clear shrinkable envelopes and the electric sealer, but I realized there was a major problem with that. Although the sealed shrink wrap protected the contents, there was no way I could add to what I had already sealed in the package. If I found an item that would make a great addition to the packet (small business card sized scripture cards, book marks, cross necklace, etc...), I wouldn't be able to add it to the packet because the packet would have already been sealed and shrink wrapped. The solution, for me, was to find something resealable that was made in a material that would protect the contents from the elements. I opted to use zip-lock freezer bags. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">The plastic is pretty thick and it helps to protect the contents from dust, dirt and moisture. It's also easy to add anything you want at any time without ruining the packaging.</span></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">If you're giving a prepackaged packet to a family member or friend, you can unzip it and add a personal note or letter. You can also add personal photos and anything else that you think this particular individual would want to have after you're gone. You can even make your own DVD that personally addresses this individual... leaving a piece of yourself behind for them to watch and listen to once you're gone.</span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><b>In Closing</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZZJUO4XB1nEpqlJBzjnvlWxb4ssH5bogXOR2B3An71LQILapE2nw8xjYUqurH3Wi1k5pQPSYetvlsUdXomxGV9kR3as6Qxcho5Qbh32NDQc3Xv2-Kom56q6IFKdF4n4Zbw775N3d73UU/s1600/20181228_003031+%2528edited-Pixlr%2529.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="902" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZZJUO4XB1nEpqlJBzjnvlWxb4ssH5bogXOR2B3An71LQILapE2nw8xjYUqurH3Wi1k5pQPSYetvlsUdXomxGV9kR3as6Qxcho5Qbh32NDQc3Xv2-Kom56q6IFKdF4n4Zbw775N3d73UU/s320/20181228_003031+%2528edited-Pixlr%2529.jpeg" width="180" /></span></a><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">As you can see, getting all the pieces of the puzzle in place can be pretty time consuming and will most likely involve some out of pocket expense, but the end result is worth it. Creating content is the toughest part of the entire process. Once you have the content, it's just a matter of copying that content over and over again, and that's easy.</span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">Start by creating a generic resealable packet that can be given to anyone. If you wish, you can then take a few of those packets and update, upgrade and personalize them, tailoring them to the person or group you're passing it along to. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">How do I get them in the hands of my family and friends? What I like to do is ask them if they would do me a personal favor and just take the packet and put it away somewhere safe. Then I say that if billions of people suddenly disappear (something they believe is just religious fanatic talk), then they have the information they need to understand exactly what has happened and what is coming next. They'll usually take the packet out of love, respect or courtesy.</span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I would like to hear from you if you have your own After Rapture Packet, what it contains, and how you've packaged it up! Please leave a comment below.</span></span></div>
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<i style="color: #cc0000;">If you like this article, or any of the other information on this web site, please consider following me. You'll be one of the first to be notified when I create new content! You'll find the section at the top of the right hand column on this page. It says, "Follow Tribulation Harvest by Email." After entering your email address, you may be prompted to sign in to your Google account. Thank you!!!</i><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #274e13; font-family: verdana;"><b>Repent and be forgiven! Believe and be saved!</b></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #274e13; font-family: verdana;"><b>TribulationHarvest.net</b></span></div>
souzak99http://www.blogger.com/profile/12756935840229045589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8399924563118399589.post-78810839583179077072015-06-16T20:28:00.003-04:002021-01-23T02:09:27.459-05:00The Four Horsemen - The Rider On The White Horse<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Go online and click on your favorite search engine. Type in "Four Horsemen of Revelation" and then click on images. In quite a few images that you find of the four horsemen spoken of in the book of Revelation, you'll find that the rider of the white horse is holding a bow and is pulling the string taut as he prepares to fire an arrow. The majority of the images of this rider also depict him as wearing a golden crown. There's a problem with these images... they're not accurate interpretations of the word of God.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Rider with arrow at the ready.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">The book of Revelation states that the rider of the white horse has a bow, but it makes no mention of any arrow. Here, read it for yourself, </span><i><span style="color: #4c1130;">"<b>And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow;</b> and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering and to conquer."</span></i><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Rev 6:2.</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> </span></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">Why do most pictures of this rider on the white horse show him ready to fire an arrow? I can only speculate, but you have to admit that a rider ready to let fly his deadly arrow makes for a dramatic scene, right? We also have to consider that artists often take liberties when it comes to creating artwork that pertains to scripture. Many artists may be relying on their own worldly understanding of who or what the four horsemen really are, relying on stories they've heard or images they've seen, perpetuating the false picture of arrows and golden crowns. No matter what the reason, the image does not line up with biblical truth.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">What kind of crown is the rider of the white horse wearing? </span><i><span style="color: #4c1130;">"And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; <b>and a crown was given unto him:</b> and he went forth conquering and to conquer."</span></i><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> Rev 6:2. <b><u><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://souzak99.blogspot.com/2013/01/when-is-crown-not-crown.html" target="_blank">There are two words for "crown" in the bible</a></span></u></b>. One is a "diadem," which is a kingly crown. The other is a "stephanos," which is a victor's crown. In the case of the rider on the white horse, the latter is used in this scripture. He's not wearing a gold kingly crown, he's wearing a victor's crown, like a crown of laurel leaves.</span></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">We are then told that, <i><span style="color: #4c1130;">"he went forth conquering and to conquer." </span></i> That can be a little confusing, since he's not really wielding a formidable weapon, right? I'll explain that in a moment.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><i><span style="color: #4c1130;">"And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow;" </span></i><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">The rider on the white horse symbolically has a weapon in his hand, but it is of no threat to anyone because a bow, without arrows, is really no weapon at all. This symbolizes that he will arrive on the scene as a man with a powerful but non-threatening personality. His choice of weapon will not be of military means, but of a personality that exudes confidence and authority, offering sound diplomatic solutions to the world's ills (especially the problems that have dominated the Middle East since the birth of Israel).</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><i><span style="color: #4c1130;">"...and a crown was <b>given</b> unto him: and he went forth conquering and to conquer."</span></i><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">The laurel crown that the rider is described as wearing is a symbol of the authority that he will have during this critical time in earth's history. It is an authority that has not been earned by him, but, as the scripture states, an authority that is <b>given</b> to him. Who gives man authority, whether it's you, me or the Antichrist? You know the answer... God. God allows Satan to begin ramping up his end-time plan with the introduction of this rider on the white horse. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">So, what does he conquer? He conquers the minds and hearts of mankind. To the world, he will be seen as a "savior." He attempts to bring the world together in a one world system of government, religion and economics. You are probably telling yourself, "Surely everyone will see through this man." Your assumption would be incorrect. I say that because scripture also states, <i><span style="color: #4c1130;">"And for this cause God shall send them </span><b><u><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://souzak99.blogspot.com/2014/08/and-god-will-send-them-strong-delusion.html" target="_blank">strong delusion</a></span></u></b><span style="color: #4c1130;">, that they should believe a lie: </span><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: x-small;"><b>12</b></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"> That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." </span></i>2 Thess 2:11-12.</span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Next time you see a picture of the rider on the white horse, check out the weapon he's holding and the crown he's wearing. You'll find, like I did, that most of the artistic interpretations of this portion of scripture depict a rider with one or both of these errors contained in their artwork.</span><br />
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souzak99http://www.blogger.com/profile/12756935840229045589noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8399924563118399589.post-77612468489292438912015-05-06T11:36:00.001-04:002021-01-23T01:36:37.788-05:00Christians Have Become Walking Billboards For The World<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>READ THE BLOG OR WATCH THE VIDEO!!!</b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>VIDEO: <a href="https://www.brighteon.com/0fad8a82-3870-4ab8-b465-73759a25cf96" target="_blank">WALKING BILLBOARDS: WHO ARE YOU BRANDING???</a></b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikdBGNBZ72VP1DBHYYYdCncyDbMjaez2imMTTj2W9-lM1cqtfFm8FWKi7l7Yi2doP3iFGLAzV8bdwJ-oVz4Rk2Mlnd7t4QbZG4PgNWOMNUvzonGGNeX7-mZ3VBrqcIvrq-NdcH5VHwwrY/s2048/Walking+Billboards+Thumbnail2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1151" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikdBGNBZ72VP1DBHYYYdCncyDbMjaez2imMTTj2W9-lM1cqtfFm8FWKi7l7Yi2doP3iFGLAzV8bdwJ-oVz4Rk2Mlnd7t4QbZG4PgNWOMNUvzonGGNeX7-mZ3VBrqcIvrq-NdcH5VHwwrY/s320/Walking+Billboards+Thumbnail2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>We've all seen it. Most of us have participated in it. Some have discarded the practice while most continue with these displays of love and affection. What am I referring to? Branding. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Branding is one of the most important aspects of any business. Effective branding gives a business an edge and increases sales, so if a business can get customers to love their brand, then their customers will unwittingly become free walking billboards for them.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSSXeAq0wSzk-TaPilACTZ79Nc5m8YcGGfLGqbeZa5fXEzzzyLgAczNVerbAYqVqiZSjOMbcFzWTFgD_oRSU7VRhUTZV02nzXl36hhka_sN93G5MvqX7epurUSYKD11Kczlz4M10xaYXo/s1600/Brand-Name-Logos.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" height="115" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSSXeAq0wSzk-TaPilACTZ79Nc5m8YcGGfLGqbeZa5fXEzzzyLgAczNVerbAYqVqiZSjOMbcFzWTFgD_oRSU7VRhUTZV02nzXl36hhka_sN93G5MvqX7epurUSYKD11Kczlz4M10xaYXo/s1600/Brand-Name-Logos.jpg" width="200" /></span></a><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">Just sit down in any high traffic area, and do a little people watching. More specifically, look at what they're wearing and what they're carrying. What does it say on that t-shirt? On that hat? On that handbag? On that canvas bag? On their cell phone cover? What message are they attempting to communicate with the general populace? "I love this team, this entertainer, this athlete, this video game, this movie, this quirky saying, these animals, this drink, this food... this brand." They're also sending messages like, "I'm humorous, I'm sexy, I'm angry, I'm patriotic, I'm antisocial... I'm pro-abortion... I'm with Stupid." Now, how many people do you see wearing an article of clothing that shouts, "I love Jesus... Jesus is the most important thing in my life... Jesus died for you... I am a born again believer in Christ!" Yeah... not so many. Most likely, not even one. Why is that? Why is branding yourself to the world okay as long as the message being displayed in no way points to Jesus?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">We can understand when the unsaved wear this type of clothing. They're part of the world system and have a herd mentality. Christians, on the other hand, are supposed to be different. We're not supposed to reflect the world, we're supposed to reflect Jesus. So why do we still wear these items of worldly affection? We're not supposed to blend in with the herd, but stand out as a peculiar people. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I guess branding is like anything else. We've done it for so long that it's just natural. No one gives it a second thought. We've allowed ourselves to believe that the reasons the world uses to wear these things is a valid reason for us, as Christians, to wear them as well.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">If we want to show our support for our favorite sports team or athlete, we wear the team jersey. If we have something to say, we find a shirt that expresses that thought. If we have a favorite brand, we like to wear it and declare our devotion to it. If we support a cause, we shout it out to the world so that hopefully they will get on board and lend their support as well. So, where is our devotion to Jesus? If Jesus is such an influential part of our lives, why is there so little (if any) branding for Him in our lives? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Wearing clothing that includes branding conveys a message. It says that this message is so important to us on a personal level that we feel the need to share it with everyone else by wearing it out in public. If I asked you to inspect the clothes in your closet and in your dresser drawers, how many items of clothing would you be able to find that had some sort of Christian message on it? I'm not talking about something you only wear to church or to Christian events. I'm talking normal daily outerwear. A vast number of Christians would say that they had none. Now look again and count how many articles of clothing you own that has some type of branding on it (sports, movies, products, etc...)? Did you find any with the Nike swish, the logo of your favorite sports team, or Star Wars plastered across the chest? Why is the message of the world so much more important to Christians to display on their chest, on their back and on their head than the message of the cross? We need to think about that.</span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Here's an example of something that happened to me years ago. I'm from the Northeast and folks around here are great New England Patriots fans. I needed a new hat, so I purchased a Patriot's hat. Well, don't you know that from the moment I put that hat on, Patriots fans began striking up conversations with me about how the team and individual players were doing. Here I was, a walking billboard for the Patriots brand and I wasn't even a football fan, but the hat was all people needed to see. Do you see where I'm going with this? What if I were wearing a Jesus hat or a Jesus t-shirt? I'd be a billboard for Jesus and maybe, just maybe, I'd get some people coming up to me to talk about Him. It wouldn't even matter if I received a positive or negative reaction because who knows how many other people standing around us would hear a bit of the gospel during that conversation and have a seed planted in their heart?</span></span></div>
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">My brothers and sisters, please listen to me. We have one message to proclaim to the world, and that message isn't about how much we like a particular brand, movie, actor, athlete, entertainer, animal, etc... The message we're supposed to be proclaiming is salvation through Jesus... believe and repent.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYoi88XtkSbl2HZcfnN34YAZCaWkCfD9TGAPeSHA-4Yo1ASoQwbbQMbSllmQEgq-BYSMJq2renMShvH6IZ0W0AlKfe3cHJb7dVCd0W9gOruKj21bMsvItuwqdFwD96LzPrJu88kqT1U4Y/s1600/Got+Jesus+229.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYoi88XtkSbl2HZcfnN34YAZCaWkCfD9TGAPeSHA-4Yo1ASoQwbbQMbSllmQEgq-BYSMJq2renMShvH6IZ0W0AlKfe3cHJb7dVCd0W9gOruKj21bMsvItuwqdFwD96LzPrJu88kqT1U4Y/s1600/Got+Jesus+229.gif" width="200" /></span></a><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Now, I'm not saying that you have to wear Christian clothing every time you leave the house. What I <b>am</b> saying is that if we're going to be wearing any branding, it should be something that points the sinner toward Jesus. </span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I have a hat that I wear for work. It has the company logo on it. When I'm not working, I don't wear it. Why? Because </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I don't want everyone's eyes and mind to be focused on a worldly brand. I work for the company, but the company isn't my life. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Instead, I wear a black hat with a simple black cross on it. When people see my hat, their eyes and mind are focused on Jesus, even if it's only for a few seconds. The Holy Spirit can do a lot in a few seconds. Every once in a while someone will comment on the hat as they walk past me. That's great, but I also think about all the others who saw it and didn't say a word to me. What was going on in their mind and in their heart as they walked past me? Only God knows.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">We need to come out from the world and show them that our love for Jesus is greater than our love for worldly branding. Wouldn't we rather brand Jesus at a sporting event, a company BBQ, the beach or park, amusement park, county fair, or any other setting where there could be tens, hundreds or even thousands of people around us rather than branding something of this world that is here today and gone tomorrow? Wouldn't we be more productive as born again believers in Christ if we invested in the advancement of the kingdom of God which lasts forever! </span><br />
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<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Let's get back to early church branding and declare who we are in Christ.</b></span></div>
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souzak99http://www.blogger.com/profile/12756935840229045589noreply@blogger.com2