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Saturday, December 21, 2013

Rapture Revelation to Ayodelle Sawyerr

This is a revelation given to Sister Ayodele Sawyerr from Sierra Leone, who saw in Heaven and Hell.  I have spoken with a godly sister in Christ, who knows sister Ayo, named Claire Andoun Atongo.  She says that sister Ayo is very reserved, and was training the sisters in prayer.  Claire was always together with her praying, and said she is a mature believer in Christ. 

When sister Ayo saw the Lord, she said He was shining as a Light.  She said, if you were to take all the energy in the world and put it all together, it would not compare with the Light of Christ.

He told her that the rapture is imminent.  He said, "Time is up!  Time is up!  There is no time left. Soon and very soon the rapture is about to take place."

I urge you to read and watch her entire testimony on my blog, Sister Ayo - a Revelation of Heaven and Hell.  The Lord emphasized holiness in this revelation.  She said, “We have to strive to walk in holiness...Let us live a holy life -- a life that will please God. Let us live like Job -- like the Lord boasted of him, 'Look at my servant. He is blameless.' Let us be blameless before the Lord, because at any time the rapture could take. I pray we will all make it in the rapture."

It's time to prepare for the Lord's return, if you have not already done so.

Author's note: You must take responsibility for your own actions. Nobody knows the day or the hour, and in no way am I date setting. This is only to provide you with information, so that you can make your own decisions, for which you will be accountable to God.

Please prayerfully listen to this sister's testimony, and use the Testimony Review Process adopted by this blog, as you decide for yourself whether the Lord has spoken to her.  For issues and concerns, each person must confirm with the Lord, whether something is valid or not.

I also encourage you to visit our Signs of the Times Directory, and access my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"
_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

The Day of Our Lord’s Wedding is at Hand

Samuel Oghenetega
On another blog, I posted an article about the supernatural Visitation of Jesus to Samuel Oghenetaga, which occurred in late June and early July of 2013.  I encourage you to read it, in order to get the full detail of what the Lord told this fourteen-year-old Nigerian boy, Samuel.  He spoke about righteousness, holiness, and how to prepare for the rapture.  However, in this post here today, I simply want to point out that the Lord told Samuel numerous times to warn people and tell them the rapture is at hand.  Here are some excerpts in which He did so:

Prepare for the rapture
"Prepare for the rapture. It will be like a dream."  The Lord gave him Mt 24:29-31, and he saw a picture of the people being caught up to meet the Lord in the air, and the caption said, “Come, My faithful servants.”

"There shall be wars and earthquakes before I come. I will heal the sick. Keep on praising me and I will rise with my flaming sword to fight."

My marriage is at hand 
Jesus dressed in a white suit like He was going to a wedding. He said with a meek voice, “One more chance. Repent. My marriage is at hand. Repent before I come. May the grace of my Father rest upon the heads.”

The day of our Lord’s wedding is at hand
"I have sent my angel proclaiming with a loud voice, 'Behold, the day of our Lord’s wedding is at hand.' Repent! The Lord has spoken."

Putting it All Together
Everything the Lord told Samuel is consistent with Scripture and with what He is revealing to others. Since the Lord told him Mat 24:29-31 was about the rapture, then we know that passage of Scripture is about the rapture, and it is not up for debate.  The Lord said in that passage:

"Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." (Mat 24:29-31)

This passage indicates that there will first be signs in the sun, moon, and stars, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Some of the signs in the sun and moon will include them being darkened and not giving light.  Then the sign of the Son of man will appear in heaven.  After that the Son of Man Himself will come on the clouds of heaven with power and glory.  That will be the moment when He gathers His elect to Himself from the four winds. Notice the sequence, and the things which must still occur before the rapture.

It is significant that the Lord told Samuel this past summer that there will yet be wars and earthquakes before He comes.  We know there have been many wars and earthquakes across the centuries, and presently they are happening more than ever.  But what kind of wars and earthquakes would need to happen at this point to point to the Lord's immediate return?  I think the war would have to be greater and more intense than any war the world has ever seen -- I'm talking about World War III.  And the earthquakes would have to be more powerful and destructive than any other the world has ever experienced, such that whole nations like the USA are affected.  Do not let these things catch you by surprise, because they must happen before the rapture.

"Behold, the Day of Our Lord’s Wedding is at Hand!"

Author's note: You must take responsibility for your own actions. Nobody knows the day or the hour, and in no way am I date setting. This is only to provide you with information, so that you can make your own decisions, for which you will be accountable to God.

If you enjoyed this post, you may also like Visitation of Jesus to Samuel OghenetagaUrgent: Jesus Christ's Return is Imminent - 2013Peace, Safety, and the Thief in the NightThe 311 MomentOutline of Endtime Events, my daughter's poem, The Midnight Hour, and the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar.  You may also visit our Signs of the Times Directory, and access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." 

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"
_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

The 311 Moment

In my research, I have discovered that the 3:11 verses from Genesis to Revelation have a clear message for the Church about the moment that I sense we are in right now, which I refer to as the "311 moment".  I will first explain what I think these Scriptures are saying to us, and then you can read the Scriptures yourself to see if it is true.  If I were to summarize the message I think is found in the 3:11 verses, it would be as follows:

We live in the day when we are going to see rulers try to force everyone to worship the image or be killed.  The enemy tempts us with all forms of idolatry.  But the Lord says, "You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me."  Refuse to bow before idols. Flee from idolatry. 

We must repent, and worship God alone, in Spirit and Truth, through His Son Jesus Christ, who comes to baptize us with the Holy Spirit and fire.  He is good, for His lovingkindness is upon Israel forever.

At this time, there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God. We must be righteous and live by faith. We must prove ourselves to be more righteous than the hypocrites. We must cry out for a wise and discerning heart, rather than for riches, long life, or the death of our enemies. The Lord will do for you whatever you ask, if you ask in Jesus Name. We must turn away from evil and do good; we must seek peace and pursue it. We ought to be in holy conduct and godliness. Then all the people will know that we are a people of excellence. We should love one another. We ought to be looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God. God’s people must lead a disciplined life. We must not reject the discipline of the LORD or loathe His reproof. Ask for the discipline of the Lord.  Ask Him to reprove you.

Saints must take direction from God. Share food and clothing with those in need. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse. Our lives must be built on the right foundation, which is Jesus Christ.  When we do so, we are able to sing, praising and giving thanks to the LORD. The people will shout with a great shout when they praise the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD Jesus Christ has been laid. But many are building on something else. Their lives have become contaminated. Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? Even the ocean waters have become bitter with radioactive poison.

The world and even most of those in the church do not accept God’s testimony. This is what the Lord God says, whether they listen or not. Many Christians are now perverted and are sinning, being self-condemned. They are faithless and treacherous. The judgment of Church leaders is influenced by money; many pastors, preachers, and priests teach and preach for a price; and prophets prophesy for money.  Yet they lean on the LORD saying, "Is not the LORD in our midst? Calamity will not come upon us."  The Lord swore in His wrath regarding such people, "They shall not enter My rest."

Judgment is coming. The Lord is about to do a thing at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. The Lord will remove from our midst the proud, exulting ones among us. He will chase them and tear them to pieces; He will make them desolate. The enemy will pull down their strength and loot their strongholds. When they are left behind, they will be hiding, and will search for a refuge from the enemy. They will hide themselves from the Lord to cover their shameful nakedness, because they have eaten from the tree that the Lord commanded them not to eat. They will wish they had never been born, or that they had died as soon as they were born.

Jesus is coming quickly; if you're already keeping His Word, then hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown.  The resurrection from the dead is about to happen. The Lord’s presence is moving now, and His chosen people are about to cross over into the Promised Land. His Bride should go forth and gaze on King Jesus with His crown.  His royal wedding day has now come, the day of gladness of His heart. This is the time. The windows of heaven are about to open.  The Lord Himself will descend.

Sun and moon will stand in their places; They will stop shining at the light of the Lord’s arrows, at the radiance of His gleaming spear. A renewal is about to reach completion, in which there is no race distinction, and Christ is all in all. The Lord is about to rescue us out of all our persecutions and suffering. He will rebuke the devourer for us. The day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. We will see God carry out His eternal purpose in Christ Jesus. That which is about to happen will bring an eternal glory that remains forever.

If there is any theme or message in the 311 Scriptures, this would be it, in my opinion.  But you should pray about it and ask the Lord to confirm it for you, if it is true. Use your discernment, and please understand that this is not a prophecy, but my understanding of the times, as well as my understanding of the Scriptures (1 Chr 12:32; Mt 16:3; Lk 12:56).

Scriptures
Now here are the 3:11’s of Scripture, which seem to have a message from the Lord for the church at this time:

"Go to the exiles, to the sons of your people, and speak to them and tell them, whether they listen or not, 'Thus says the Lord GOD.'" (Eze 3:11)

'I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown. (Rev 3:11)

“in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.”  (Php 3:11)  

“a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.” (Col 3:11)

“This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord,” (Eph 3:11)

"For if that which fades away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory."  (2Co 3:11)

"Go forth, O daughters of Zion, And gaze on King Solomon with the crown With which his mother has crowned him On the day of his wedding, And on the day of his gladness of heart." (Son 3:11)

"Now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you whatever you ask, for all my people in the city know that you are a woman of excellence." (Rth 3:11)

"Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is crossing over ahead of you into the Jordan." (Jos 3:11)

“Now may our God and Father Himself and Jesus our Lord direct our way to you;” (1Th 3:11)

“There is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God.” (Rom 3:11)

"As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (Mat 3:11)

"Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony.” (Joh 3:11)

“For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (1Co 3:11)

They sang, praising and giving thanks to the LORD, saying, "For He is good, for His lovingkindness is upon Israel forever." And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the LORD because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid. (Ezr 3:11)

And he would answer and say to them, "The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do likewise." (Luk 3:11)

"For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another." (1Jn 3:11)

"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this," says the LORD of hosts, "if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows. Then I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of the ground; nor will your vine in the field cast its grapes," says the LORD of hosts. (Mal 3:10-11)

“Persecutions, and sufferings, such as happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium and at Lystra; what persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord rescued me!” (2Ti 3:11)

Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, "The righteous man shall live by faith." (Gal 3:11)

God said to him, "Because you have asked this thing and have not asked for yourself long life, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself discernment to understand justice, behold, I have done according to your words. Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you." (1Ki 3:11-12)

"My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD Or loathe His reproof." (Pro 3:11)

“For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies.” (2Th 3:11)

“Knowing that such a man is perverted and is sinning, being self-condemned.” (Tit 3:11)

And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?" (Gen 3:11)

"Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water?" (Jas 3:11)

"He must turn away from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it." (1Pe 3:11)

“As I swore in My wrath, 'they shall not enter My rest.'"  (Heb 3:11)

“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!” (2Pe 3:10-12)

“Sun and moon stood in their places; They went away at the light of Your arrows, At the radiance of Your gleaming spear.” (Hab 3:11)

"In that day you will feel no shame Because of all your deeds By which you have rebelled against Me; For then I will remove from your midst Your proud, exulting ones, And you will never again be haughty On My holy mountain." (Zep 3:11)

Her leaders pronounce judgment for a bribe, Her priests instruct for a price And her prophets divine for money. Yet they lean on the LORD saying, "Is not the LORD in our midst? Calamity will not come upon us."  (Mic 3:11)

Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, "An enemy, even one surrounding the land, Will pull down your strength from you And your citadels will be looted." (Amo 3:11)

“You too will become drunk, You will be hidden. You too will search for a refuge from the enemy.” (Nah 3:11)

The LORD said to Samuel, "Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. (1Sa 3:11)

Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare a war; rouse the mighty men! Let all the soldiers draw near, let them come up! Beat your plowshares into swords And your pruning hooks into spears; Let the weak say, "I am a mighty man." Hasten and come, all you surrounding nations, And gather yourselves there. Bring down, O LORD, Your mighty ones. Let the nations be aroused And come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat, For there I will sit to judge All the surrounding nations. (Joe 3:9-12)

"He has turned aside my ways and torn me to pieces; He has made me desolate." (Lam 3:11)

"Why did I not die at birth, Come forth from the womb and expire? (Job 3:11)

And the LORD said to me, "Faithless Israel has proved herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.” (Jer 3:11)

But Jehoshaphat said, "Is there not a prophet of the LORD here, that we may inquire of the LORD by him?" And one of the king of Israel's servants answered and said, "Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who used to pour water on the hands of Elijah." (2Ki 3:11)

"He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end." (Ecc 3:11)

"But whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire.” (Dan 3:11)

Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster
Coincidentally, March 11, 2011 or 3/11, was the day when the tsunami hit Japan and caused the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, which was the worst nuclear disaster in world history.  We are now coming up on the third anniversary of that event, and the effects of radiation are still impacting the planet.

Mutated crystal
The fallout has caused mutated snow flakes and ice crystals in the area of the disaster, as this article reports.

Another article from Liberty Voice reports that the radiation contaminated waters of the Pacific have reached the West Coast of the United States, Mexico, and Canada.  In fact, it is contaminating the fish along the coast! They have even found that the Alaska sockeye salmon population has declined, and the numbers of bird deaths on the West Coast has risen.  Furthermore, even the mushrooms and berries along the US west coast are contaminated with caesium-137.

Not only did South Korea ban Japanese seafood and fish imports in September, but in December, China has banned all shellfish imports from the Pacific Coast of the US!  An article from Ideastream News states, "China has closed its doors to all shellfish imports from an area that stretches from northern California to Alaska. The state of Washington says it's losing as much as $600,000 a week." 

Moreover, the plankton is also dying off in the waters of the US Pacific Coast, as reported in Washington's Blog.  One commenter on that blog named Tall Tom aptly stated:

"The Plankton are dying off. The Pacific Current acts as a conveyor belt bringing fresh Plankton into contact with the poisoned waters off of Fukushima. As they die off there is less Oxygen that is generated through Photosynthesis. This leads to the depletion of Oxygen in Ocean Waters and makes the Oceans acidic...The death of the Oceans, through famine from the loss of Plankton, and a depletion of Oxygen for Aquatic Life is happening as a direct result of Fukushima. Our Atmosphere will also slowly be depleted of Oxygen due to the Plankton Die Off...That depletes the Oxygen supply as well as the supply of the basic building block of the Oceanic Food Chain...The Oceans are dying, and as a result, so will most land-based life, unless we can stop the leaks of poisoned water."

The number of global impacts from this disaster are too many to list here.  The Pacific Current will continue to send out bitter waters from Fukushima that will further contaminate the oceans.  And it will likely continue until the end of the age when the Lord destroys the earth by fire.

An interesting side note is that the third trumpet of the apocalypse turns a third of the earth's waters bitter. (Note: I am not saying that this trumpet has already been sounded or fulfilled).

"The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water— the name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter." (Rev 8:11)

In a New York Times article published on July 25, 1986, called "Chernobyl Fallout: Apocalyptic Tale," S. Schmemann first noted the link between Chernobyl and the Ukrainian word for "wormwood."  The name of the location where the infamous nuclear reactor disaster happened is derived from the Ukrainian word "chornobyl" - a plant whose Latin botanical name is Armetisia vulgaris, known as "common wormwood." That was in the Ukrainian Bible before the Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster ever happened on April 26, 1986.  Since both the Fukushima and Chernobyl nuclear power plants experienced radioactive disasters, and since the name Chernobyl is derived from chornobyl, or Wormwood, this connection seems to associate the bitter waters of Fukushima with the end time apocalyptic events of Revelation. I am not saying that the Fukushima disaster is a result of the future, third trumpet. But could Fukushima be a harbinger of the third trumpet and a sign of the Lord's soon return?

Confirmations Afterward
After I published this article, I saw a brother, named Todd, say he had a dream of the Fukushima earthquake on 3/11/11.  So I sent this article to him, and he replied: “I have read your blog article, and found it extremely interesting. After asking and seeing it so many times in January to March 2011, the Lord awakened me with the number 311 and led me to Revelation 3:11," which says, "I AM coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown." 

Then brother Todd says the Lord confirmed it to him on 3/11/11 with the earthquake in Japan.  On that night of March 10 – 11, Todd had a dream of an earthquake in Japan, and told his family about it when he awoke.  Afterward that morning, they saw the earthquake broadcast on television in the hotel lobby where they were staying.

Then after a period of over two years elapsed, I wrote an article on February 19, 2016, titled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster, which is like a part two of this present article.

Putting it All Together
I believe that the 3:11 Scriptures in God's Word do describe the days we are living in, which we could call a 311 moment.  If you have just read this message, and you have ears to hear what the Lord is saying, then let me encourage you.  Jesus is coming quickly now.  If you are already living a consecrated life for the Lord, in holiness, righteousness, and truth, then hold onto what you have.  Look heavenward, for your redemption draws near.  And warn those who will listen.

If you are not living as you should, and you have become worldly or lukewarm toward the Lord, then repent.  Cry out for mercy.  Wake up, and seek the Lord with all your heart.  Continue to live a life of daily repentance, doing God's will.  Stay ready and on the alert for our Lord's return. And don't forget to warn others and lead them to live their lives for Jesus Christ.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Most other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted.
 
Author's note: You must take responsibility for your own actions. Nobody knows the day or the hour, and in no way am I date setting. This is only to provide you with information, so that you can make your own decisions, for which you will be accountable to God.

Please use the Testimony Review Process adopted by this blog, as you decide for yourself whether the Lord has spoken to anyone about 311.  For issues and concerns, each person must confirm with the Lord, whether something is valid or not.  Please allow me to encourage you to read "Testing the Spirits of False Prophets," "Discerning the Things of the Spirit," and "A Warning to the Nay Sayers."

If you enjoyed this post, you may also like Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster, The Land Mourns in the Last Days, Sequence of Signs Preceding the Coming of Christ, Trumpet Sounds Heard Around the World, News Headlines Reflect the End Times, Baptized with the Spirit, Holy Fire Baptism, Is Repentance Possible During the Great Tribulation?, my daughter's poem, The Midnight Hour, her music video called The Coming, and the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar.  You may also visit our Signs of the Times Directory, and access my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"
_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Monday, December 2, 2013

Peace, Safety, and the Thief in the Night

On this blog, I occasionally post various signs happening in the world that point to the return of our Lord Jesus Christ, such as my recent messages
Urgent: Jesus Christ's Return is Imminent!,
Pope Frances Supports Homosexuality

It's interesting to see the responses I get.  Most people are thankful for these articles, but here and there I sometimes get someone who cautions me that we will not have any advance warning when Christ is about to come back.  This leads me to ask myself the question: Does God give us warnings to alert us of His coming?  If these warnings cause someone to be afraid, does that mean the message is not from God?

I think the popular message of today is one of "peace and safety."  This is what everyone wants to hear, but it is false. The antichrist and the false prophet are also saying “Peace, peace” when there is no peace.  The prophets of old spoke about this, as did our Lord Jesus and the apostles.

Jesus Did Not Come to Bring Peace
Jesus said, "Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man's enemies will be the members of his household. He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.” (Mat 10:34-39)

He said He did not come to bring peace on the earth.  Until the day when He rules and reigns as King over the earth, there will be no peace.  Until then, even the members of your own family will be your enemies.  That’s why we must love the Lord more than them.  We’ve got to take up our cross, follow Jesus, and lose our life for His sake.  Only then will you find your life.

"Peace, peace," But There is No Peace
The Lord declared through Jeremiah, regarding the false prophets, "They have healed the brokenness of My people superficially, Saying, 'Peace, peace,' But there is no peace." (Jer 6:14; cf., Jer 8:11)

The Lord declared through Ezekiel, regarding the false prophets, "It is definitely because they have misled My people by saying, 'Peace!' when there is no peace. And when anyone builds a wall, behold, they plaster it over with whitewash; (Eze 13:10)

This is always the strategy of the enemy.  He seeks to put people to sleep. He seeks to numb them to what’s really happening, so they will follow him.  Then they become unaware of the signs of the times, and they are unprepared for the return of Christ.

Understanding the times
In fact, many Christians have fallen for the lie that we cannot know the season of Christ's appearing.  They believe that predicting the season of our Lord's return by observing signs is not biblical.  But Jesus did predict the signs that would occur right before He returns (Mt 24; Mk 13; Lk21).  The apostle Paul also spoke of specific signs that would happen before Christ returns (2 Thes 2:1-12; 1 Tim 4:1-3; 2 Tim 3:1-9).

Occult peace symbol
The enemy always preaches peace without Christ at the center.  This is the message of the UN and the antichrist himself.  They even have a symbol for it, called the peace symbol, also known as the Cross of Nero, who despised Christians.  Many Christians like to wear this symbol, because they are unaware of its true meaning.  If you research it, you will find that the peace sign is an occult symbol, used in satanism.  It is a broken, upside-down cross, and a mockery of what Christ has done to redeem mankind.  It’s like a wish to reverse Christ’s redemptive work and instead bring souls down to hell.  It’s a symbol of false peace, because there can be no true peace without Christ.  The world will never know true peace without Him as King, and neither will any individual, unless Christ becomes their Lord and Savior.

The apostle Paul said, “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. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober.” (1Th 5:3-6)

We are living in the very days that Paul spoke about.  They are saying, “Peace and safety,” in many different ways right now.  For one thing, look at the Middle East peace process.  That’s been going on for as long as I can remember, and there has been no real peace there.  In fact, it has been heating up and tension has been building steadily to the point that they are on the brink of war. 

The antichrist does not want Israel to defend itself against her enemies, because he plans to betray her and lead the nations to attack and divide Jerusalem.  So he speaks empty words about peace and safety, while just the opposite is coming.

Sudden Destruction...Like a Thief in the Night
The Lord Jesus is coming now to collect His Bride.  And He is ready to punish the wicked.  Sudden destruction is now about to come upon this world.  You can see the labor pains.  The nations are in anguish, the earth is reeling, and even the heavens are being shaken.  Soon our Lord will pierce the clouds in glory with His holy angels, and He will rapture up the saints to be with Him in heaven forever. 

This will come like a thief in the night for those who are not ready.  They will think they have made the house safe and secure, when in fact it is not. Since they live in sin, they are not safe and secure, but vulnerable to total destruction.  They will not expect it when it hits them. 

Jesus said to the Church in Sardis: “'So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you.’” (Rev 3:3)

His warning to the church in Sardis implies that if you repent and wake up, His coming will not surprise you like a thief, and you will know the season when He is coming.

He also said, “Look, I come like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake and remains clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed.” (Rev 16:15)

The one who stays awake and dressed will be blessed, for they will not go naked and be shamefully exposed before the Holy One, when He comes.

The apostle Paul said, “…you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober.”

The coming of the Lord will not overtake the elect like a thief, if they are true sons of the light and sons of the day, not walking in any darkness at all.  If we are not asleep, but alert and sober, then we will be expecting His return at any moment.  We will see all the signs that our Lord prophesied would happen before His return (Mt 24; Mk 13; Lk 21), and we will know it is the season for the rapture.  We will look up, for our redemption draws near, and it is even at the door.  But those who sleep will not be aware of the hour.

The parable of the ten virgins teaches the same thing.  For those who are alert, whose lamps are lit, and whose flasks are full of extra oil, they will be ready when He comes.  It’s the ones who are not alert and who do not prepare themselves who are shut out of the wedding (see Mt 25:1-13).

Putting it All Together
The people of God have historically rejected the true messengers that God sends to warn them, and it is the same way today.  The peace and safety message has always been the popular one that false prophets proclaim.  But the only ones who have peace in their hearts are those who know the Prince of Peace.  Nevertheless, the Word clearly teaches that there are calamities coming upon the earth.

There are definite signs that Scripture says will happen before the Lord returns, and we see them taking place all around us.  It’s time to wake up, repent, and live a life of daily repentance.  We need to produce the fruit of repentance, walking in love and in the light, and serving the Lord.  We need to watch and pray, always being ready for Jesus’ return.  Then that day will not overtake us like a thief in the night.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note: You must take responsibility for your own actions. Nobody knows the day or the hour, and in no way am I date setting. This is only to provide you with information, so that you can make your own decisions, for which you will be accountable to God.

If you enjoyed this post, you may also like Urgent: Jesus Christ's Return is Imminent - 2013, Outline of Endtime Events, my daughter's poem, The Midnight Hour, her music video call The Coming, and the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar.  You may also visit our Signs of the Times Directory, and access my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"
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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.