RAPTURE WHEN?

Since I was a child I've believed in and have been waiting for the Rapture, not so much then as now, I wanted to grow up, graduate, get married, all the things a young person dreams of for their future, things that children and their parents still want. It's hard to tell people that by the signs of times and fulfilled prophesies the time is almost here. I'm always looking at signs in the heavens and prophesy in the news, particularly when it comes to Israel. Israel returni...ng as a nation started the end-time clock, not that the world will ever really end, but the world as we know it now will. Anyway, I look at Jewish holidays and signs in the heavens and think maybe this could be the time of the catching away of the church, Billye Brim once said jokingly that the Lord might give a prize to the one who guesses right, probably not but there is a minor Jewish holiday coming up July 26 and 27 called Tu B Av, it's kind of like Valentines day in our country, reportedly in the past young women would go out and dance in the fields and young men would choose their brides, it's called a mysterious holiday because Israel isn't quite sure why they started celebrating it, but coupled with the fact of the longest lunar eclipse in 21st century on the 27th, which is also a blood moon, maybe God had a reason we are not aware of for the celebration, the Rapture is about Christ returning for His bride, the church. Maybe? Just wondering??? If not then, soon!

RAPTURE 2017?

It's amazing how a book, the Holy Bible, written around 2000 years ago and earlier, can so accurately describe the world we are living in today, as well as some of the things that are forecast in the news as coming up in the future.  This is a site you can use to look up the scriptures in this post:  https://www.biblegateway.com/

There is a good possibility, not a certainty, that the Rapture could occur during the days of Awe this year but also including Sukkot in October, the best possibility being during Rosh Hashanah.  Whether it happens this year or not, it certainly will occur in the near future.  Evangelist Perry Stone believes that the Rapture will occur during Rosh Hashanah, year unknown, because it's the Feast of Trumpets, and also because of three Jewish themes involved with Rosh Hashanah, the resurrection of the righteous, the Kingship of the Lord, and the marriage of the King, all these themes are also involved in the Rapture of the church.  It does make sense, but Yom Kippur, having to do with atonement, forgiveness, and purification, and Sukkot, representing living in temporary dwelling places while moving toward the Promised Land also seem to be good candidates.  These are moeds (an appointment, i.e. a fixed time or season; specifically, a festival), and many bible prophecy teachers teach the Rapture will happen on a moed, or Jewish festival day.  How people refuse to believe in God, when we see in the news every day things occuring that were prophesied in a book around 2000 years ago and earlier, is beyond belief to me.  These are the reasons I believe the Rapture could possibly be during Rosh Hashanah this year:

1.  The Bible tells us Jesus will return to take us home (the Rapture, not the Second Coming when he comes to stay and reign).  
1 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 NKJV  ¹⁵ For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. ¹⁶ For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.

2.   Prophecy fullfilled.
Jews came home.   Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel all speak of the Jewish return to the land.
Israel became a nation again on May 14, 1948, a nation was (re)born in a day. Isaiah 66:7-8 
June 7, 1967 Israel regained control of Jerusalem.  Luke 21:24
Israel has developed methods to grow crops in the dessert.  Isaiah 35:1
The Hebrew language has been revived.  Zephaniah 3:9
Israel is being threatened to be cut off as a nation.  Psalms 83  

Warning: Nations turning 'against Israel'

Published: 01/17/2015 at 8:01 PM
Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2015/01/warning-nations-turning-against-israel/#zyFvpmARKjUE9hqX.99

On December 23, (2016) the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 2334 — which criticizes Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territories, and calls for all parties to prevent incitement and terrorism — by a 14–0 vote, with the United States the lone abstention. https://arcdigital.media/the-nations-united-against-israel-d3fa8eda209

3.  We're living in the days that were prophecied about in the old and new testaments.
*Extreme Transportation and Knowledge surges -  Daniel 12:4
*Difficult times, ungrateful, unholy, self loving people - 2 Timothy 3
*Wars, earthquakes, pestilences, terror, etc. -  Luke 21:10-17
*A diminishing of the gospel message - 2 Timothy 4:3
*Skeptics and scoffers - 2 Peter 3:3-4

4. A few prophetic events in the works.
*The nations of the Exekiel 38 and 39 Battle of Gog and Magog (which has not happened in history yet) are forming alliances.
 The Gathering Storm On Israel's Northern Borders

 Read more at http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=1589#eTlBlmvCJmuTZMre.99

  

Israel Prepares To Confront The Hezbollah-Iran-Syria Axis
http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=1582

 *A cashless society and the "Mark of the Beast"   Revelation 13:15-17; Revelation 14:9-11; Revelation 15:2
 http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=1505
If you are here after the Rapture don't worship the beast (Antichrist) or take his mark or there is no more hope of eternal life, but according to Revelation 15:2 there is for those who are victorious over the beast, his image, his name, and his mark.
*Jews believe the Messiah is coming soon.
 http://www.wnd.com/2017/01/israeli-police-preparing-for-messiah/
Of course they don't believe the Messiah they are waiting for is Jesus, but Christians believe he is the Messiah and He's coming again, first in the Rapture, and second to defeat the enemies of Israel and to rule and reign in Jerusalem.
*Sacred articles found needed for the last days temple.
 https://books.google.com/books?id=kVj4AAAAQBAJ&pg=PA55&lpg=PA55&dq=sacred+last+days+objects+found&source=bl&ots=xmws9tVMs3&sig=3jM_mCqSpvd6jEl0LADiczwymBc&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjr18zmrK3WAhUN0GMKHVJyCaQQ6AEINzAG#v=onepage&q=sacred%20last%20days%20objects%20found&f=false

5. Prophecies of Rabbai Judah Ben Samuel.
I first heard about Rabbai Judah Ben Samuel on YouTube from a sermon by Pastor John Hagee. He lived in the end of the 12th to the beginning of the 13th century.  He predicted the Ottoman Turks would rule over Jerusalem for 8 jubilees (a jubilee is 50 years), they took control in 1517 and ruled till 1917, eight jubilees, he predicted it 300 years before it happened; he then predicted that Jerusalem would become a no man's land for one jubilee, "in 1917, the Ottoman Turks were conquered by the British. The League of Nations conferred the Mandate for the Holy Land and Jerusalem to the British. Thus, from 1917, under international law, Jerusalem was no-man’s land."; he predicted that in the 9th jubilee the Jewish nation would regain control of Jerusalem, in 1967-which would signal the beginning of the Messianic end-times, during the 6 day war the Jews regained control of Jerusalem, and have possesion to this day.  We are now at the end of the 10th Jubilee, 2017, 50 years after the Jews regained Jerusalem.  The bible declares that the generation that saw that happen would not pass away till all the end-time prophecies are fulfilled.  Matthew 24:34 and whole chapter for context.
 http://www.wnd.com/2012/11/12th-century-rabbi-predicted-israels-future/

6. All those signs.
Luke 21:11   And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
Luke 21:25  And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;
Blood moons, solar eclipses, hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, etc., and on September 23, 2017 an alignment of the sun, moon, planets and stars which seems to match Revelation 12:1,2.

7. The International Day of Peace
In 1981 the  General Assembly of the ungodly, Israel hating, United Nations, declared September 21 The International Day of Peace, this year it happens to fall during Rosh Hashanah.  It wouldn't surprise me if Jesus doesn't come to take Christians out of here, leaving the UN members scratching their heads about what happened.
*************
The Seven Year Tribulation following the Rapture is mainly to give Jews the opportunity to accept Jesus Christ as their true Messiah, but Gentiles can also accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, but there will be many terrifying things that will happen.  It would be better to accept Him now and not be here then.

ISRAEL CANNOT BE DEFEATED

The Antichrist and all nations that come against Israel will be destroyed:

Zechariah 14New International Version (NIV)

The Lord Comes and Reigns

14 A day of the Lord is coming, Jerusalem, when your possessions will be plundered and divided up within your very walls.

² I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city. ³ Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights on a day of battle. ⁴ On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. ⁵ You will flee by my mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake^[a] in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him.
⁶ On that day there will be neither sunlight nor cold, frosty darkness. ⁷ It will be a unique day—a day known only to the Lord—with no distinction between day and night. When evening comes, there will be light.
⁸ On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half of it east to the Dead Sea and half of it west to the Mediterranean Sea, in summer and in winter.
⁹ The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name.
¹⁰ The whole land, from Geba to Rimmon, south of Jerusalem, will become like the Arabah. But Jerusalem will be raised up high from the Benjamin Gate to the site of the First Gate, to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the royal winepresses, and will remain in its place. ¹¹ It will be inhabited; never again will it be destroyed. Jerusalem will be secure.
¹² This is the plague with which the Lord will strike all the nations that fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths. ¹³ On that day people will be stricken by the Lord with great panic. They will seize each other by the hand and attack one another. ¹⁴ Judah too will fight at Jerusalem. The wealth of all the surrounding nations will be collected—great quantities of gold and silver and clothing. ¹⁵ A similar plague will strike the horses and mules, the camels and donkeys, and all the animals in those camps.
¹⁶ Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, and to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles. ¹⁷ If any of the peoples of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, they will have no rain. ¹⁸ If the Egyptian people do not go up and take part, they will have no rain. The Lord^[b] will bring on them the plague he inflicts on the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles. ¹⁹ This will be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles.
²⁰ On that day holy to the Lord will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, and the cooking pots in the Lord’s house will be like the sacred bowls in front of the altar. ²¹ Every pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy to the Lord Almighty, and all who come to sacrifice will take some of the pots and cook in them. And on that day there will no longer be a Canaanite^[c] in the house of the Lord Almighty.

Daniel 9:20-27   NLT

Gabriel’s Message about the Anointed One

²⁰ I went on praying and confessing my sin and the sin of my people, pleading with the Lord my God for Jerusalem, his holy mountain. ²¹ As I was praying, Gabriel, whom I had seen in the earlier vision, came swiftly to me at the time of the evening sacrifice. ²² He explained to me, “Daniel, I have come here to give you insight and understanding. ²³ The moment you began praying, a command was given. And now I am here to tell you what it was, for you are very precious to God. Listen carefully so that you can understand the meaning of your vision.

²⁴ “A period of seventy sets of seven^[c] has been decreed for your people and your holy city to finish their rebellion, to put an end to their sin, to atone for their guilt, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to confirm the prophetic vision, and to anoint the Most Holy Place.^{[d] 25} Now listen and understand! Seven sets of seven plus sixty-two sets of seven^[e] will pass from the time the command is given to rebuild Jerusalem until a ruler—the Anointed One^[f]—comes. Jerusalem will be rebuilt with streets and strong defenses,^[g] despite the perilous times.
²⁶ “After this period of sixty-two sets of seven,^[h] the Anointed One will be killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing, and a ruler will arise whose armies will destroy the city and the Temple. The end will come with a flood, and war and its miseries are decreed from that time to the very end. ²⁷ The ruler will make a treaty with the people for a period of one set of seven,^[i] but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. And as a climax to all his terrible deeds,^[j] he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration,^[k] until the fate decreed for this defiler is finally poured out on him.”


Jesus defeats Israel's enemies:

Revelation16:12-21   NLT

¹² Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great Euphrates River, and it dried up so that the kings from the east could march their armies toward the west without hindrance. ¹³ And I saw three evil^[c] spirits that looked like frogs leap from the mouths of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet. ¹⁴ They are demonic spirits who work miracles and go out to all the rulers of the world to gather them for battle against the Lord on that great judgment day of God the Almighty.

¹⁵ “Look, I will come as unexpectedly as a thief! Blessed are all who are watching for me, who keep their clothing ready so they will not have to walk around naked and ashamed.”

¹⁶ And the demonic spirits gathered all the rulers and their armies to a place with the Hebrew name Armageddon.^[d]

¹⁷ Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air. And a mighty shout came from the throne in the Temple, saying, “It is finished!” ¹⁸ Then the thunder crashed and rolled, and lightning flashed. And a great earthquake struck—the worst since people were placed on the earth. ¹⁹ The great city of Babylon split into three sections, and the cities of many nations fell into heaps of rubble. So God remembered all of Babylon’s sins, and he made her drink the cup that was filled with the wine of his fierce wrath. ²⁰ And every island disappeared, and all the mountains were leveled. ²¹ There was a terrible hailstorm, and hailstones weighing as much as seventy-five pounds^[e] fell from the sky onto the people below. They cursed God because of the terrible plague of the hailstorm.

Revelation 19: 11-21   NLT

The Rider on the White Horse

¹¹ Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. ¹² His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself. ¹³ He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. ¹⁴ The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses. ¹⁵ From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress. ¹⁶ On his robe at his thigh^[e] was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords.

¹⁷ Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, shouting to the vultures flying high in the sky: “Come! Gather together for the great banquet God has prepared. ¹⁸ Come and eat the flesh of kings, generals, and strong warriors; of horses and their riders; and of all humanity, both free and slave, small and great.”
¹⁹ Then I saw the beast and the kings of the world and their armies gathered together to fight against the one sitting on the horse and his army. ²⁰ And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who did mighty miracles on behalf of the beast—miracles that deceived all who had accepted the mark of the beast and who worshiped his statue. Both the beast and his false prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. ²¹ Their entire army was killed by the sharp sword that came from the mouth of the one riding the white horse. And the vultures all gorged themselves on the dead bodies.

Jesus (a Jew) will rule from New Jerusalem

Revelation 21:1-7   NLT

The New Jerusalem

21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. ² And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

³ I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them.^{[a] 4} He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”
⁵ And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” ⁶ And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. ⁷ All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children. 
 

HOW THE MODERN LIBERAL MEDIA WOULD TREAT JESUS CHRIST

Interview:

*Liberal Media:  You say you are the Son of man, and have implied you are the son of God.  Have you ever had a psyche evaluation?

*Jesus:   But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge.

Headline for the next few months:  JESUS CLAIMS TO BE GOD

John 1                King James Version (KJV)

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

² The same was in the beginning with God.

³ All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

¹¹ He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

¹² But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

¹³ Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

¹⁴ And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

*Liberal Media:  You said that taxes should be paid to the Roman government, saying that Jewish citizens should give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.   It would seem you are really a Roman and not a Jew.

*Jesus:   But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge.

Headline for the next few months:  JESUS APPEARS TO BE WORKING FOR THE ROMAN GOVERNMENT

John 6:27  New Living Translation (NLT)

²⁷ But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval.”

*Liberal Media:  You called some of the prestigious men of the community “white washed tombs full of dead men’s bones”, you also insinuated that people who are not Jews are dogs.  Shouldn’t you be more tactful and polite in the way you speak to others, and you do appear to be prejudiced?

*Jesus:   But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge.

Headline for the next few months:  JESUS:  INSINSITIVE AND PREDJUDICED

John 3:16-17King James Version (KJV)

¹⁶ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

¹⁷ For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

*Liberal Media:  I’ve heard it said you are sinless, but really, can anyone make that claim?  Aren’t you just like the rest of us?

*Jesus:   But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge.

Headline for the next few months:  JESUS HAS GOD COMPLEX

2 Corinthians 5:21King James Version (KJV)

²¹ For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

*Liberal Media:  You said you came not to bring peace, but a sword, and that you would cause family members to turn against each other, you also caused havoc in the temple by throwing over the furniture and driving the merchants out, you really are a violent person, why would the world want you as King?

*Jesus:   But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge.

Headline for the next few months:  JESUS INCITES VIOLENCE

 

FINAL END RESULTS PENDING, AT LEAST SEVEN YEARS FROM NOW.

 

Jude 13-15New King James Version (NKJV)

¹⁴ Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, ¹⁵ to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”

 

Revelation 20:4-6New King James Version (NKJV)

The Saints Reign with Christ 1,000 Years

⁴ And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. ⁵ But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. ⁶ Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

TO GOD BE THE GLORY / MIRACLES

TO GOD BE THE GLORY! MIRACLES, BY EVELYN HOLTZCLAW

The amazing story of 16 months Ralph Holtzclaw spent as a POW of the Germans, Evelyn's unwavering faith that he would return home, and the miracles and blessings they experienced before and after this unthinkable ordeal.

Sister Holtzclaw, as I call her, is a wonderful lady and a dear friend, she is the virtuous woman of Proverbs 31.  You can read her book on my website www.word-truth.com

on the MIRACLES tab.

THANKS LORD!

Lord, I thank you today for moved mountains, dried up fig trees, and calmed storms.
I thank you for healing and health.
You're great and mighty and everything else is small.

RAPTURE? REALLY?

I base my belief on the Rapture on these scriptures:

The King James Version (Authorized)
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18
4:16
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
4:17
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
4:18
Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

The King James Version (Authorized)
1 Corinthians 15 1 Corinthians 15:51-57
51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep (die), but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

The following verses pertain to the Rapture, the Antichrist, the Second Coming, and the Battle of Armageddon: The words "falling away" in verse 3 can be traced to the Greek word "Aphistemi" which has among it's definitions "cause to withdraw, remove", and "Histemi" with a definition of "to escape in safety". Using this definition the verse would read:

2 Thessalonian 2:3, 7, 8
2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a (removal to safety) first, and that man of sin (Antichrist) be revealed, the son of perdition; A removal of what? Christians.
Verse 7 and 8:
2:7
For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he (Christians) who now (letteth) (hinders) will (let) (hinder) , until he be (taken out of the way) (raptured).
2:8
And then shall that Wicked (the Antichrist) be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: (His second coming at the Battle of Armageddon).

The difference between the Rapture and the Second Coming of Christ is at the Rapture we will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air and at His second coming He will actually come back to the earth and at that coming He's here to stay.

GOD CONTROLS THE POWER OF HIS WORDS!

In the last few years I've heard several ministers state that God cannot lie with the reasoning that if God says it it will happen and nothing can stop it, ie., "let there be light, and there was light". While I agree that God cannot lie, I don't agree with the assumption that He cannot control the power of His own words. An instance in the Bible in which God spoke something and it didn't happen is in Exodus 32:7-14. the Israelites sinned by having a golden calf created and worshipping it while Moses was on Mt. Sinai receiving the commandments of God for them, in verse 11 God said He would destroy them and make Moses a great nation, it didn't automatically happen because God spoke it, in verses 11-13 Moses intercedes for them and in verse 14, God changes His mind. Another instance is in 2 Kings 20:1-11, God told Isaiah to tell King Hezekiah that he would die and not live, but King Hezekiah prays and in verses 5 and 6 God tells Isaiah to tell him that He will heal him and add 15 more years to his life. He didn't die back in verse one in the instant God spoke it.

The Word made flesh, God in human form, the One Who was in the beginning with God and Who made all things and without Whom was nothing made that was made (John 1:1-3), the Master who spoke to the storm "peace be still" and the storm obeyed His voice, the one who healed the sick and commanded demons out of people, who raised from the dead Jairus' daughter, Lazarus, and the son of the widow of Nain with commands from His mouth, this same Jesus,in the Garden of Gethsemene spoke the words "let this cup of suffering pass from me", God spoke with God, Jesus prayed, but those words did not happen instantaneously, they didn't happen at all. Jesus loved us and was willing to accept this as God's way to save us, therefore Jesus bore the suffering of being beaten and abused, the One who never sinned became our sin, and He bore the curse of dying on a tree (the cross), He even went through hell for us. God the Son didn't lie when He spoke "let this cup of suffering pass from me", but thank God he went through with God's plan of redemption. The rest of the story is that God raised Him from the dead and He broke the power of sin forever for those of us who accept Him as Saviour and Lord.

MIRACLES IN THE STORMS

Winter is not my favorite season, I dread slick, icy roads, parking lots, and sidewalks. This season has threatened to be the worst we've seen in Oklahoma City for ice and snowfall, yet I've seen a number of miracles this winter. The first big winter storm came on Christmas Eve, the first miracle was that I was scheduled off work the week of the storm and for another week after the storm and for one reason or another so were every member of my family. The forecasters were saying it was going to last a long time and that more would come. I happened to read in my bible reading that God melts the snow and thaws the ice, I started confessing that, particularly when the weather reports were being aired. The day we were suppose to have the second round the weatherman said he really couldn't understand how the temperatures could stay above freezing with all the snow still on the ground but it did and we didn't get the devastation from the second round that was expected, soon everyone was able to get out and about and when we went back to work the main roads and parking lots were in good shape.

February was the next round. I went to work the morning it was to come, nothing was happening when I left, but by the time it was time to go home we had had ice, sleet, and snow. I was confessing and believing it wouldn't come so I didn't take any windshield de-icer with me. I asked to leave 15 minutes early that day and was on the same bus with the lady who was parked right next to me. Everything had been extremely icy and slick a little earlier in the day but it was sleeting when we left and the sleet gave enough traction to walk on it without slipping. I got in my car and turned on my defrosters full blast and was going to wait awhile till the car warmed up to start trying to scrape the ice off the windshields, the lady next to me just started spraying some of her de-icer on my windshields, it helped, and before long I had my windshields clear enough to leave. If I had left on time she would already have been gone and it might have taken longer to get my windshields cleared, another miracle from the Lord, despite my stupidity or lack of faith, whichever it was. The next miracle was the next day, which was Friday and extremely icy, my husband took me and dropped me off in a covered parking area that led right into the building. The snow was coming down heavily that afternoon so he asked me to ask my chief if I could leave early, and he allowed me to leave an hour and 45 minutes early. Monday was clear enough on the main streets and parking lots to get around without too much trouble.

The next storm the weatherman said that the cold air and the moisture never quite met so we didn't get the winter precipitation they were predicting, and everything else we've been getting recently have been rain.

My family and I didn't have a single vehicle accident or fall during some of the worst winter weather we've seen in our state. Praise to almighty God! Mark 11:22-24 states that if you speak to mountains to move they will move if you have faith. Jesus spoke to a storm and calmed it and He said we could do the things He did. I've taken baby steps in this area and have had some successes and failures (on my part, not God's), but I won't stop trying to do what the bible says I can do. I speak to storms, and I don't intend to stop.

EGYPT WAS JOSEPH'S PROMISED LAND

Joseph had a dream that the sun, moon, and eleven stars would bow down to him, these represented his father, Israel, his mother, and his eleven brothers. No one believed him, not even his father. The many obstacles meant to destroy Joseph and his dream only brought him to the fulfillment of it. His jealous brother's sold him to slave traders, who in turn sold him to Potiphar, the captain of the guard for Pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt, his brothers told their father that he had been killed by wild animals. In Egypt he was promoted to Potiphar's personal attendant, but Potiphar's wife falsely accused him of trying to rape her and he was put in prison, there he was put in charge of the other prisoners. Pharaoh's chief cup-bearer and chief baker had also been put into prison and Joseph interpreted dreams each one had, the cup-bearer's dream revealed he would be restored to his former position, the baker's dream revealed he would be executed. The cup-bearer was released and restored to his former position as Joseph had said, but he forgot Joseph for two years until Pharaoh had two dreams no one could interpret. The cup-bearer then told Pharaoh how Joseph had interpreted his dream about being restored to his position. Pharaoh summoned him, and Joseph said with God's help he would tell him what the dreams meant, no one else had been able to do this. God revealed the interpretations to Joseph, which was that their would be seven good years and seven years of famine throughout Egypt and the entire region, he suggested Pharaoh put an intelligent and wise man in charge and Pharaoh decided Joseph was that man. Joseph became second in command in Egypt. His family was forced to come to him for food during the years of famine, and later, after testing them he revealed to them that he was Joseph, and eventually gave his family the choice land of Goshen. Joseph kept his position as second in command to Pharaoh for the remainder of his life, Egypt was his promised land, his dream had been fulfilled. He did, however, request when they left Egypt for their own promised land, that they take his bones with them.

Eventually, after his generation had died off, Joseph was forgotten, and the Israelites were feared, the new Pharaoh made slaves of them. The land that been their salvation became their prison. Egypt was not the land God promised the children of Israel, and God groomed Moses to lead them to their promised land.

THE PUZZLE MASTER

Recently I've had some dilemmas. I felt like I had a huge puzzle to work out, I thought I knew what the final picture should look like. I took a piece while the Puzzle Master looked on, it looked like it would fit perfectly, the right color, the right shape, but it didn't fit, surely it had to fit, I tried to turn it, force it, but it just wouldn't fit. Over and over again the different pieces I thought were perfect just didn't fit. Frustrated I turned to the Puzzle Master, you know I need to put this puzzle together, please help me. He smiled and took a piece I wouldn't have thought would fit at all and slipped it neatly into place, then another and another. He hasn't finished the puzzle yet but the picture's starting to look clearer, and I've learned just to leave it to the Puzzle Master.

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THE RESHAPING

Megan's grandpa had just heard a newscast that upset him quite a bit. "What in the world are they doing to our country?" he muttered to himself. Faith and Megan decided to take a little break from studying for a test for their political science class. Grandpa called them over and asked if he could tell them a story, Grandpa loved telling stories, and the girls loved hearing them. "A long time ago a group of people called Landers came to a large island and decided to make it their home. In this place everyone would be free to worship The Three, His Highest Majesty, His Son Logos, the King of the Realm of Peculiar People, and The Comforter, or not worship them as they pleased. The place would be called Freedom Land. They built and grew and after some struggles and even a war they became firmly settled in their new country. They began calling themselves Citizens. The Leading Citizens soon decided it was time to develop the laws of the land and met together and established "The Document" which contained the basis for all other laws, and all the Leaders signed it. Eventually it became necessary to add some "Rules" to "The Document". Besides being the basis for the laws of the land, The Document also provided for the organization of their government. Everything went well for a long while. The Keepers made sure the laws that were inforced were based on The Document. As time went by things began to change, the Reshapers began to question what The Document really meant in various areas, many Keepers, Informers, and Citizens joined with the Reshapers. The Loyals maintained a view of The Document that the Leaders had intended, but the Reshapers and the Keepers and Informers (who were also Reshapers), pressed hard their point of view. The Reshapers, who secretly knew the true content of The Document, decided it would be in the best interest of the Citizens to "reshape" the text to best suit "the needs of the Citizens". With the help of the Informers who anounced daily the views of the Reshapers, and of the Keepers who were willing to bend and twist the words of The Document to their own advantage, the Citizens began to believe these reshapings and twistings of The Document as facts. The Loyals, who also had among them some Keepers and Informers, pressed to keep the truths of The Document intact, but the damage was done. Many Citizens had been won over by the Reshapers. Some of the Loyals, wishing to please the Citizens, became Shifters and Drifters. The Shifters shifted over to the Reshapers side, the Drifters, drifted to whichever side was the most popular to the Citizens at any given time. Lax interpretations of The Document began to have a profound effect on Freedom Land. The Reshapers, Shifters, and Drifters, started finding all kinds of things to do with the Citizens money, and collected from them as much as they saw fit. The freedom to worship The Three became sadly restricted, especially in the learning places of children, in public places, and in work places. Where once people could say what was on their mind, now caution had to be taken with words spoken for fear of being penalized. Employing Citizens who had ingenious ideas and developed them, hiring many other talented Citizens, to help with their production, came under strict regulation and scrutiny of the Reshapers, who had been given charge of Freedom Land, and had to let many Citizens go because they could no longer afford to keep them. Freedom Land was losing the very thing she was established for: Freedom." Grandpa got up from his big easy chair and started to walk toward the kitchen. "Wait Grandpa; is that the end of the story?" Megan asked, seeming quite frustrated. "No," Grandpa answered, "your parents, you girls, I, and every good Loyal can change the ending of this chapter; it's still a work in progress". "Getting The Three involved wouldn't hurt a bit either". "How do we get them involved?" Megan asked. "I can answer that," chimed in Faith, "just ask." "Right you are girl, right you are," Grandpa said, smiling at Faith. "Oh, and by the way, the end of the whole book has already been written, and we win," Grandpa concluded and went on to the kitchen.

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THE TREES

CONSUMING DEATH

Genesis 2:8-3:24 God gave Adam one restriction, not to eat from the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, when God gave Eve to him Adam instructed her as well, but they were tempted, the fruit looked so good, better than any of the other fruit in the garden, and they would know things they had never known before, they would know what God knew, they would be like God. Eve ate and then Adam, but there was death in the fruit, their spiritual and physical death, and ultimately the death of the Son of God. They had digested sin, now to save man sin would have to die.

CONSUMING LIFE

John 6:22-69 A crowd had followed Jesus because he had previously fed them by miraculously multiplying the fish and bread, He was their meal ticket. He tells them they should be more concerned about eating and drinking that which leads to eternal life. 53Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. 54Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. This was offensive to many of them and they stopped following him.

THE CURSE

2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2 Corinthians 5) Galatians 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: (Galatians 3) Jesus, the Son of God, God in human flesh, became our sin, He took our curse, our punishment, our death, He went through Hell for us. Sin was placed back on the tree and died. But that's not the end of the story. The Father brought Him out of the tomb, He broke the power of sin and death forever. (Acts 2:24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. Acts 2:27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Acts 2:30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; 31He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. 32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.) He has the keys of death, hell, and the grave. He gives life to all who come to Him. He released the Holy Spirit upon the earth.

THE WORD

John 1:1-14 God created by Words, "and God said... and it was so", in the first chapter of John it is revealed that Jesus is the "Logos" or Word of God, He was always with God and was God and all things were made by Him. The Word became flesh. He lived among us, loved us, and taught us. The whole bible is His revelation, the old testament reveals our need for Him and preparation for His coming, in the new testament He came and fulfilled his purpose. When we acknowledge the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ and accept Him as our Saviour and the Lord of our lives we partake of His Body and His Blood, He has become one with us, we are New Creations. We symbolically eat and drink of the body and blood of Christ when we partake of communion. When the Word of God becomes our meat and drink, when we read it, and consume it, are nourished and strengthened by it and live by it's Words, we are partaking of the life giving flesh and blood of the Logos of God. Just a thought, isn't it interesting that the pages of the bibles we have today come from trees!

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PLEASE LORD, WASH MY FEET

John 13:1-17

Jesus disciples couldn't really comprehend the fact that Jesus was going to die soon, they thought He was going to be a great military leader who would soon show His might against their Roman conquerors. They wondered who among them would be His highest officers. Jesus let them know His kingdom was different than that of this world, He taught them to be great in His kingdom they must be willing to be a servant of all, they must be willing to be as humble as a little child.

Jesus, because He loved His disciples, and knowing He would soon be put to death, now would teach them a lesson with practical as well as eternal implications. He took off His garments and put them aside and wrapped a towel around Himself. He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples feet. They were horrified. This was the Master, their teacher, their Lord, and He was doing only what the lowest of servants would be ordered to do. They had walked the unsanitary, vermin infested roads, covered with animal feces, and dead carcases. Their feet were filthy and the Master was going to wash them. NO, Peter objected, I will never allow You, my Lord and Master, to wash my feet.

Jesus loved the brash, outspoken Peter, but He let him know authoritatively that if Peter would not allow Him to wash his feet, Peter would have no part with Him. This was a startling revelation to Peter, then wash my hands and head also he pleaded. They had already bathed in preparation for the meal, they were clean except for their feet which had gotten dirty on their way there. Jesus told Peter there was no reason to wash what was already clean, only that which had gotten dirty. He then taught them a lesson about greatness and humility, if He as their Lord and Master would take on the responsibilities of a servant, if they wanted to be great it began by being willing to serve.

As Christians we're clean, but we live in a world that is not clean, some of the ideas and immoral attitudes of our secular world try to rub off on us. If we succumb we need only to come to the Father and confess our sins. 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

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THE GREAT COMMANDER

Matthew 8:5-13; Luke 7:1-9

Matthew 8:5-13; Luke 7:1-9What was it about this Centurion, what did he see in Jesus that no one else in Israel saw, not even His own disciples? How did he obtain such great faith that it amazed Jesus? We know he heard about Jesus, but what was it he heard? Perhaps he listened in the courtyard while his servants spoke of this Jesus, how he healed people and delivered them from demon possession. Perhaps he heard of Levi the tax collector who was completely changed after one encounter with Jesus Christ. Maybe he heard the rumors of how Jesus turned water into wine in Cana. Perhaps he even led his soldiers to make sure the large crowds who gathered to listen to Jesus didn't get out of control and was astonished at the words, wisdom and authority of Jesus. "How is it that this Jesus heals?" he may have asked, he may have even seen himself. He commands was the response. Jesus didn't beg, plead or grovel, he didn't say lengthy prayers, he commanded people to be healed and they were, he commanded demons to come out and they did, and what did the demons say? "You are the Son of God!" Being a commander was something the Centurion totally understood, he had men he commanded and they had no choice but to obey. This Jesus didn't command men, he commanded in a realm that men could not see or understand, but the Centurion did, because whatever Jesus was commanding had no choice but to obey Him. Jesus, was his hope for the healing of his valued servant, but he felt unworthy to have such a great commander come to his home so he asked that Jesus just command the forces He controlled to heal his servant and the Great Commander honored his request.

SOLUTIONS

I'm a Speaking Spirit, I believe God has given His children the ability to speak to circumstances, situations and things and see change. I've done it and I've seen the results. It's still all in God's hands, after all he's the power behind the words, but sometimes He requires natural solutions to the problems we face. We might pray asking for a miracle but instead God gives a solution. A while back I spoke to a blinker that wasn't working and it started working again. About three weeks ago the blinker stopped working again, I spoke to it and it still didn't work. I talked to God about it, but it still didn't work when I spoke to it, I couldn't turn the bolts and wasn't sure what I was doing anyway so I finally took my car to a shop. I was told that since the blinker worked sometimes (which it did) it wasn't the bulb, it might be the wiring or something else, I went home without a solution. Soon my husband discovered my headlamp was also out and I couldn't even get to it to see if I could replace it myself, I took the car back to shop and was told since they would have to move some things to get to it, it would cost me around $70.00, I called my husband and he said not to do it. I was kind of upset with him because I wanted a solution now. I was driving around with my brights on at night and one of my back blinkers out. I was believing God not to let me get a ticket because I had at least tried to get it fixed, but my requests to God for a solution were still in His hands. When I went shopping at Wal Mart I got an oil change and asked if they could replace the headlamp, they did. The first shop I went to loosened the bolts on the taillamp and I was able to get it off, I went to an autoparts store, bought the bulb and replaced the blinker bulb myself, and that's all it was. The whole thing cost less than $20.00. With checking wiring, etc. it may have been well over $100 if God had not been involved in it.

Also I had a new clothes dryer that wasn't working efficiently, I talked to God and told Him I wanted my dryer to work, I spoke to the dryer and it still didn't work, then God gave me the thought that I should move the dryer out a little more, I did, now it works perfectly.

I spoke to an ice storm and told it it couldn't come, it came anyway, it caused my sister and her daughter to be in an accident which wasn't their fault, they weren't hurt but the car was badly damaged. I told God I wanted to get even with Satan for what he did to my sister. God did it for me, the insurance of the young man who hit them paid to get her car fixed, now it looks better than it ever did, inside and out, it didn't cost her anything. All negative affects of that ice storm were nullified as far as my family is concerned.

This may not sound like much but in these days when people are scared senseless about the economy, it would behoove all of us to invite God to be involved in our financial situations, to help us with our financial decisions, and keep us from making financial mistakes, to give us solutions to problems and miracles when we need them.

If these little things sound like nothing to you but ordinary solutions to ordinary problems then don't tell me about it, tell someone who has to be bailed out, my mortgage is paid off, and God is changing my ordinary house into the house I wanted.

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