Monday, November 11, 2013

Pope Frances Supports Homosexuality

Francis' 1st address as pope, St. Peter's Basilica, 13 March 2013.


I have written previously about the changing of the popes in Something's Going on in 2013.  In that article, I pointed to the prophetic signs surrounding the resignation of Pope Benedict and the rise of Pope Francis on 13 March 2013.  Recently I heard Elvi Zapata say that the Lord showed him Pope Francis is the second beast of Revelation 13, which is the false prophet.  In that July 2013 broadcast, Elvi predicted that the pope would be pro-homosexual and would say so soon. So I decided to check on the pope's position on homosexuality, and found that he has already vocalized his stance on homosexuality, in fulfillment of Elvi's prediction.  I was amazed to see just how explicitly he has done so!  He has not simply implied his position through innuendo, but come out openly in favor of it.

The Advocate reported on October 10, 2013 that Italian Catholic Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transvestite (LGBT) lobby group Kairos of Florence wrote a letter to the pope in June, and the pope issued his blessing to Kairos and its members.

"The group declined to reveal the contents of its original letter or of Pope Francis's response, but confirmed that the pope issued his blessing to Kairos and its members. Kairos also received a letter from the Vatican's secretariat of state, which reportedly said Pope Francis ‘really enjoyed’ the letter and the way it was written, according to The Tablet."

"Pope Francis continues to make headlines for statements that seem more tolerant and accepting of LGBT people than those of his predecessors, though there has been no change in official Catholic doctrine condemning homosexual acts and opposing marriage equality. In September, Francis said the church shouldn't ‘interfere spiritually’ with the lives of LGBT people in a wide-ranging interview in which he also said the church cannot focus solely on opposing abortion, contraception, and marriage equality. A month earlier, the pope told a group of reporters that he wouldn't judge gay priests, asking, ‘If someone is gay and seeks the Lord with good will, who am I to judge?’”

Read more at Pope Francis Writes Private Letter to Gay Catholics.

Time magazine reported Pope Francis also challenged Catholic attitudes about homosexuality:

“In Buenos Aires I used to receive letters from homosexual persons who are ‘socially wounded’ because they tell me that they feel like the church has always condemned them. But the church does not want to do this,” the Pope said before restating his unprecedented July comments about not judging gay people. “Religion has the right to express its opinion in the service of the people, but God in creation has set us free: it is not possible to interfere spiritually in the life of a person.”

“A person once asked me, in a provocative manner, if I approved of homosexuality,” he continued. “I replied with another question: ‘Tell me: when God looks at a gay person, does he endorse the existence of this person with love, or reject and condemn this person?’ We must always consider the person.”

Read more: Pope Francis Expresses Tolerance of Gays, Support for Women

Codewit reported on October 8, 2013, “Pope Francis said today that he favors the right of gays to marry.”

Pope Francis on 20 March 2013
“In an interview with Lithuanian newspaper Rausva Plunksna, the leader of the Catholic Church explains that since gays are part of God's creation, they deserve the same rights and respect as all human beings.”

"We have learned much about homosexuality in recent years," he told a reporter aboard the papal jet. "We now know that being gay isn't a choice, but something one is born with. If our Lord decides that someone should come into this world  a certain way, who are we to judge His choice?"

"And for those who do judge, where exactly in the Bible does it say marriage is reserved for heterosexual relationships? Is it in the Ten Commandments? I don't see it there. You'd think if stopping gay marriage were so important Jesus would have mentioned it - I don't know - maybe once in the Bible.

"The Bible mentions not eating shellfish more than it mentions homosexuality. And yet many anti-gay activists - including some Catholics - are running around eating shrimp and telling others what to do with their lives. I view these people as bigoted and ungodly and I will confront them during my time as pontiff. Who are we to tell anyone who to love? "

Read more at Pope Francis Says He Supports Gay Marriage.

It's evident that Pope Francis has done a complete turn around from the position he previously once held as a Cardinal. When he, then Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, was an archbishop in Argentina, he called that country's legalization of same-sex marriage "a 'move' of the father of lies who wishes to confuse and deceive the children of God."  He used to refer to same-sex marriage as a tactic of satan, the father of lies, to confuse and deceive the children of God.  As an Archbishop, the future Pope also once said, “The identity of the family, and its survival, are in jeopardy here: father, mother, and children … At stake is the total rejection of God’s law engraved in our hearts.”  Look how much he has changed since becoming Pope only a few short months ago.

Pope Gave Blessing to Lobby Group
On his flight from Rio to Rome on the papal jet, the Pope answered questions from reporters about a wide range of topics including his view on homosexuality and lobby groups.  I read the entire transcript of that interview.  In it he expressed his sound disapproval of lobby groups of any kind, saying:

“There is so much being written about the gay lobby. I haven’t met anyone in the Vatican yet who has “gay” written on their identity cards. There is a distinction between being gay, being this way inclined and lobbying. Lobbies are not good. If a gay person is in eager search of God, who am I to judge them? The Catholic Church teaches that gay people should not be discriminated against; they should be made to feel welcome. Being gay is not the problem, lobbying is the problem and this goes for any type of lobby, business lobbies, political lobbies and Masonic lobbies.”

So there are two important points to learn from this statement.  First, he said "being gay is not the problem" Secondly, in spite of the Pope's statement that lobby groups of any kind are "not good" and are a problem, he assured the Italian LGBT group Kairos of his blessing.  This seems rather hypocritical, or at least inconsistent.  Aren’t they a gay lobby group like all the rest of those listed online?

Imagine if a parent said to their teenager, "Being a sexually immoral person is not the problem.  The problem would be if you organize into a group that advocates for the rights of sexually immoral people in the political arena or in Vatican City.  A group of people seeking to influence politicians or public officials on that particular issue would not be good. I won't try to interfere if you want to be a sexually immoral person, but just don't seek to influence a politician or public official like the pope on the issue." Would it make any sense for a parent to say such a thing?  I respectfully submit that I see a definite parallel between that and how the Pope is handling the gay issue.

Biblical Truth
We have now heard from the man whom the Catholic Church considers the vicar of Christ.  When this man speaks, his words are considered the Words of God. This is the Catholic dogma of papal infallibility, which says that the pontiff may speak "ex cathedra" on matters of faith and morals without the possibility of error, and his teaching must be upheld by the whole Church.  Therefore he has essentially spoken on behalf of God about his views on homosexuality.  So are his views consistent with Scripture?

The Scripture states that God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve.

Moses, who received the Ten Commandments from God wrote the book of Genesis, including the account of creation.

"God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." (Gen 1:27)

"For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh." (Gen 2:24)

The word that Moses used for "wife" is "'ishshâh," meaning woman or wife.  So Moses taught that marriage is between a man and a woman.

Jesus affirmed what Moses wrote.

And He answered and said, "Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? "So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate." (Mat 19:4-6; cf., Mk 10:6)

Jesus did teach on marriage, contrary to the pope's remark.  Jesus explicitly said that marriage must be between one male and one female. He said a man is to be joined to his wife, not his husband, and the two will become one flesh.

The apostle Paul clearly affirmed the teaching of Moses and Jesus, when he wrote:

"Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, because we are members of His body. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband." (Eph 5:22-33)

In this passage, the apostle Paul used the Greek word "gune" for wives, which means "a woman; specifically a wife" (Strongs).  This is the same Greek word used for "wife" by the gospel writers when quoting Jesus, too. Paul taught marriage between a man and his woman or wife is a sacred and mysterious type of the relationship with Christ and the Church.  It must not be tampered with, perverted, or deviated from. Paul also wrote:

"For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them." (Rom 1:21-32)

Paul taught what God did to those who did not honor Him as God, or give Him thanks. This was not something they were born with.  Their foolish hearts had become darkened.  So God gave them over to a depraved mind. He gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.  They exchanged the truth of God for a lie. God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent actsJust note all the negative expressions Paul uses regarding homosexuality, in order to see how God views it: "sinful desires," "sexual impurity," "shameful lusts (degrading passions)," "unnatural functions," "indecent acts," and "depraved mind."

If you want to know what their depraved minds were filled with, Paul tells us they were "filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful."

Paul also wrote: "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God." (1Co 6:9-10)

He was explicit that effeminate people will not inherit the kingdom of God.  In referring to the effeminate, Paul used the Greek word "malakos," meaning "figuratively a catamite: - effeminate, soft."  A catamite is an adolescent boy used by a young man for the purpose of sodomy.

Paul was also explicit that homosexuals will not inherit the kingdom of God. This doesn't mean that God doesn't love them or that we shouldn't love them as people.  But Scripture is clear that for a person to burn in his or her desire toward another person of the same gender is impure, it's a lie, it's unnatural, indecent, and it dishonors their body.  Such persons receive in their own persons the due penalty of their error, which means that they bring on themselves the appropriate penalty in their bodies.

And Moses recorded the rampant homosexuality in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, which brought down the wrath of God from heaven (Gen 18:20-33; 19:1-29).  Those cities were destroyed because of this very sin, which is now named after Sodom.  The apostle Peter affirmed this account in the New Testament, when he wrote:

"For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment; and did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; and if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly lives thereafter; and if He rescued righteous Lot, oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men (for by what he saw and heard that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds), then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment," (2Pe 2:4-9)

Peter taught that Sodom and Gomorrah  were destroyed and reduced to ashes, because the men of those cities were unprincipled, living ungodly lives of sensual conduct.

Jude taught the same thing, when he wrote: "In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire." (Jude 1:7)

Moses, Jesus, Jude, the apostle Peter, and the apostle Paul, who wrote half the books of the New Testament, all taught that marriage is reserved for heterosexual relationships.

The Evidence of Ex-Homosexuals
In the sixth chapter of the apostle Paul's letter to the Corinthians cited above, in which he states that neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God, he states: "Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God." (1Co 6:11)

Some of the members of the Corinthian church had been homosexuals, before they were washed in the blood of Jesus, made holy and righteous by Him.  And still today there are many Christians around the world, who can testify that they have been delivered from the bondage of homosexuality.  I encourage you to read the testimony of my brother in Christ, Stephen (see here).  For the pope to say that people are born this way is contrary to Scripture.  The fact that men and women have been and continue to be delivered from this sin proves that it is not something they were born with.  It is not something a person is born with any more than being a drunkard is.  Millions of people like myself who were once drunkards and much more, have been completely set free by the blood of Christ.

Judging Those In the Church
The Pope does not wish to judge those inside the church, who are leading a homosexual lifestyle. His exact comment was, "Who are we to judge?" Yet that is his responsibility to do so.

The apostle Paul said to the Corinthians: “I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world. But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler--not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? But those who are outside, God judges.  Remove the wicked man from among yourselves.” (1Co 5:9-13)

This is an explicit teaching to expel the wicked man from the church.  If anyone claims to be a brother in Christ, and yet lives a wicked life as defined by God's Word, and is unrepentant, it is the responsibility of the Church, particularly the appointed rulers, to remove that person.  Any pastor or ruler in the church who refuses to do so is neglecting their duty.

Mind Control and Tradition vs Truth
This man is not a novice, but an elder, who has spent over half his life in ministry as a Christian spiritual leader.  He has been trained in theology and Catholic doctrine, and he has taught others.  For him to come out vocally tolerating homosexuality in the Church, it seems as if he has been the object of mind control.  And for those of you who are not aware, the science of mind control is already far advanced into the future.

Worse yet, it seems almost as if the pope is performing a subtle form of mind control on the masses by making such permissive statements.  He contradicts the written position on homosexuality of his own Church, and that of the Bible.  He is essentially creating a new, oral tradition regarding homosexuality by verbally setting direction, casting vision, and sharing his personal opinions.  As with past traditions set this way by the Catholic Church fathers, these teachings are viewed as having the same authority as the Word of God, even though theoretically they would admit that the Scripture is supreme.  As I have written about in Tradition vs. Truth, such man-made traditions nullify the Word of God and cause people to disobey the clear teachings of Scripture.

The Beast on the Throne
On January 21, 1995, the Lord revealed to Dumitru Duduman, a Romanian prophet of God, that the Pope will sit on a throne, fighting against the Protestants.  (Brother Dumitru Duduman was in Romania at this time). He stated:

I fell asleep sometime around midnight.  About 2:00 a.m. I heard a loud voice saying to me "Dumitru!  Wake up!  I must show you something!"  Even though I was ill, I jumped to my feet, without realizing that I was awake.  Then I realized I wasn't even in Romania.   I saw myself in America.

A powerful voice spoke sternly to me, "Why have you become discouraged?  Why did you try to question God, thinking in your heart that I have left you?  Why do you keep so much sadness in your heart, and such a great mourning because I took your wife?  Why have you allowed yourself to become discouraged so that you will no longer be able to work for me as you have until now?  This is why I have come to you, to show you a revelation, which you must tell the American people."

The voice boomed at me, telling me to look to my right.  I was awake - not sleeping.  I was standing, and I turned my head as ordered.  When I looked, I saw that there was a great flock of black birds, with very sharp, large beaks.  Out of the beaks came a blinding light, which you could barely look at.  From their tails I saw flames of fire shooting out.   I became very frightened.  I rubbed my eyes, thinking I was asleep and dreaming. But I was neither sleeping nor dreaming.

This flock of birds suddenly turned into airplanes that did not make any noise.  American airplanes would go up, trying to attack.  But as they would draw close, they would fall to the earth in a blaze of fire.

Once again, I heard the voice, but I could not see who was speaking to me.  The voice said, "Look higher than the black planes."  When I looked, above the planes, I saw a helicopter which hovered above them.  On the side of the helicopter there was a plank, like on a ship, where soldiers were lined up, dressed in black, all armed the same, and of about the same size.  From the center of the helicopter, a platform began to raise up.  It rose higher than the helicopter itself.

On the platform was a throne.  The Pope was on the throne, yelling with a loud voice, "I have been given the power to rule the earth and to fight against the Protestants, that I may overtake them."

As I watched him with terror and fear - because he was surrounded by a powerful force which was formed by planes and personnel - suddenly a white cloud appeared and covered them, so I could no longer see anything.  Out of the midst of the white cloud came a man dressed in shining clothes, wearing a shiny crown on his head.  He spoke to me.  His voice sounded like thunder.  When I heard his voice, I fell to the ground.

He said, "Remember everything you've heard, everything you've seen, and everything you will hear.  Tell my people, because once again I want to work with you more than I have until now.  The armies, and the planes that you saw, and the Beast that sat upon the helicopter - these are the catholic powers which will overtake the holy, that the words prophesied in Revelation may come to passA majority of my people will be overtaken and trampled because their lives are not clean before their Lord.  Tell this message to them!  Do not be quiet!  For if you are quiet, I will punish you!  The churches are fraudulent (counterfeit, fake).  They live a life as their hearts desire, with their hands stained in blood - in adultery, in sodomy, and worshiping strange and foreign gods.   Because they have forsaken the true God, He has allowed them to go as their hearts desired.  Now, tell them!  Cry out loud!  Tell them to stop treading the path their hearts desire - to repent with all their hearts, that in the day of the Beast's anger I may be able to save them, so they would not deny me.  The time is very short, and the army of their salvation is already prepared."

Again, He spoke to me, "Look to your right."  When I looked, I saw such a vast army that my eyes could not encompass it.  "This is the army I have prepared to save my people from the Beast's grasp.  Do not forget to tell them the words that I have told you.  I will give you a spirit of remembrance."  The voice continued speaking to me, "I will come and bring you more revelations about the times of the end."

Then again, I heard a thunder.  Then the white cloud and the being disappeared.  I was so terrified that I was unable to sleep the rest of the night.

Calculate The Number of His Name
A website called Biblelight.net shows how the names or titles of the Pope have been calculated and found to be equal to 666:

VICARIUS FILII DEI is a title for the Pope that literally means “substituting for, or in place of the Son of God.”  The value of the letters in each of these three Latin words is 112 + 53 + 501 = 666.  DUX CLERI is another title for the Pope.  Translated means Captain of the Clergy.  The value of the letters in each of these two Latin words is 515 + 151 = 666.  LUDOVICUS translated means Vicar of the Court, and the value of the letters in this Latin word is 666.

"Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six." (Rev 13:18)

Testing the Fruit of False Prophets
In a separate post, I have previously written about the biblical way to determine if someone is a false prophet.  We don't just go around calling everybody we disagree with and everybody we don't like a false prophet.  This is a very serious thing to say about someone, no matter how great or small they are, whether they are with or without renown.  Jesus taught us to test their fruit.  So if we test the fruit of Pope Francis, we will determine what kind of roots and tree he has.  If his fruit is good, then the tree is good.  If the fruit is bad, the tree is bad.  You be the one to test his fruit, and decide whether he is a good tree or a bad one.  For more on that, please read Testing the Spirits of False Prophets.  Now here comes the fruit test below.

Putting it All Together
I am grateful that Pope Francis welcomes people to tell him if they disagree with him, as I have just done. He says, "I like people telling me when they disagree with something."  Maybe my little blog will make a difference.

So let's summarize what we've learned today.  A prophet of God said the Lord showed him that Pope Francis is the second beast of Revelation 13, known as the false prophet.  He predicted the pope would be pro-homosexual.  It has since been publicized that the pope has issued his blessing to a Catholic Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transvestite (LGBT) lobby group and its members, even though he has stated that lobby groups are not good and are a definite problem. This is inconsistent. Francis said the church shouldn't interfere spiritually with the lives of LGBT people, in fact he said it is not possible to do so, and that he wouldn't judge gay priests.  In doing so, he directly violates Scripture, and neglects his duty to judge those inside the Church.

He said "being gay is not the problem," which is inconsistent with Scripture. He said, "God in creation has set us free" (implying we are free in the area of sexuality).  He said, "We have learned much about homosexuality in recent years." This is a reference to the beliefs of modern psychology, which contradict the Bible. He is essentially saying he has learned from those who profess to be wise.  And as the apostle Paul said, those who did so became fools.

The pope said that being gay isn't a choice, but something one is born with.  Yet the fact that men and women have been and continue to be delivered from this sin proves that it is not something they were born with. And he has explicitly said it is the Lord Who decides that certain people will come into the world as homosexual.  He also states that the Bible does not say even once that marriage is reserved for heterosexual relationships. He considers anyone who speaks out against homosexuality as "bigoted and ungodly," and he vowed to confront such people, rather than the homosexuals. He also referred to the unnatural affection that men have for men and women for women as "love," and said we cannot tell anyone "who to love." His words on these matters of faith and morals must now be upheld by the whole Catholic Church.

Yet we have seen from Scripture that the Bible does teach that marriage is reserved for heterosexual relationships. Moses, Jesus, and the apostles Peter and Paul were all in agreement that marriage is between a man and a woman, not between two people of the same sex. Therefore, when the pope says, "If stopping gay marriage were so important, Jesus would have mentioned it - I don't know - maybe once in the Bible," he demonstrates either his gross ignorance of Scripture, or his enormous disregard for the authority of God's Word.

Someone might protest that this article is incorrectly titled, "Pope Frances Supports Homosexuality," but I stand by my title. If a pastor does not preach against sin, and does not preach repentance and holiness, then he is essentially permitting sin. Yet the pope has gone beyond that by giving Catholic homosexuals a pass, making excuses for them, giving them his blessing, and tolerating sin in the Church.

There is no other Christian leader in the world with as much influence as this one man.  Over a billion people look to him with great respect for spiritual guidance.  Yet rather than giving them godly counsel and preaching the Word of God, he is deceiving the people and leading them into sin. That is not good fruit.  He is a false prophet, and I believe he may be the very same false prophet depicted as the second beast in Revelation 13.  This is what the Lord showed Dumitru Duduman and Elvi Zapata.  His number is six hundred and sixty-six.  A great evil has come into the world, as this man has ascended the papal throne. 

Now that he has vocalized his personal opinions, there is no longer anything restraining the homosexual spirit in the Catholic Church.  It has been unleashed to demonize millions.  All of these priests, who have taken vows not to marry, and who are closet homosexuals, now have permission from their top leader to practice this sin.  He has promised not to judge them, but only to confront those who dare to judge them.  They must be celebrating.  Some of these priests may already be in homosexual relationships with other priests, or at least desire to be.  Meanwhile others may be in such relationships with boys or men in their parishes.  They are all "free" now to do as they please.  Then there are the homosexual parishioners themselves, who have been given a license to sin.  This will bring about the destruction of the family, society, and ultimately contribute to the destruction of the world in a short period of time.

Although Pope Francis seems like a very nice man, and may seem like a lamb outwardly, or claim to represent the Lamb, he speaks like a dragon.  This is another sign of the times. And now some Scriptures to consider, right before I share my closing comments:

“Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke as a dragon.” (Rev 13:11).

"For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect."  (Matt 24:24, NKJV)

"...they have misled My people by saying, 'Peace!' when there is no peace..." (Eze 13:10b)

"Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, 'Because you have spoken falsehood and seen a lie, therefore behold, I am against you,' declares the Lord GOD." (Eze 13:8)

"Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy from their own inspiration, 'Listen to the word of the LORD! 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Woe to the foolish prophets who are following their own spirit and have seen nothing.”’” (Eze 13:2-3)

Then the word of the LORD came to me saying, "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to those shepherds, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Woe, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock? You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat sheep without feeding the flock. Those who are sickly you have not strengthened, the diseased you have not healed, the broken you have not bound up, the scattered you have not brought back, nor have you sought for the lost; but with force and with severity you have dominated them. They were scattered for lack of a shepherd, and they became food for every beast of the field and were scattered." (Eze 34:1-5)

"For behold, I am going to raise up a shepherd in the land who will not care for the perishing, seek the scattered, heal the broken, or sustain the one standing, but will devour the flesh of the fat sheep and tear off their hoofs. Woe to the worthless shepherd Who leaves the flock! A sword will be on his arm And on his right eye! His arm will be totally withered And his right eye will be blind." (Zec 11:16-17)

A message to homosexuals
If you are a homosexual reading this today, I want you to know that Jesus loves you, and died for you on the cross. He suffered a lot, so that you would not have to go to hell. But the only way you (as with every other human being) can avoid your just punishment is to repent and believe on Him as your Lord and Savior, for the forgiveness of your sins.  When you repent, you turn from your sin. His blood not only cleanses you from sin, but gives you power over sin.  When you make Him Lord, you promise to do whatever He says, obeying Him in everything.

He still loves you, but His standard for heaven is high.  He requires truth, righteousness, and holiness, without which no man will see God. 

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. The photo of Francis giving his first address as pope at St. Peter's Basilica, 13 March 2013, is used courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. The photo of Pope Francis on 20 March 2013, one week after his inauguration, is also courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

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, I recommend reading my articles Something's Going on in 2013, Angelica Zambrano Hell and Heaven, Angelica Zambrano's Second Visit to Hell, The Peace and Love I've Come to Know, and New Age-New World Order. I also recommend The Next Pope and  Pope Francis is the False Prophet From Revelation. 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.

Friday, November 8, 2013

The Blood Moons of 2014 and 2015

For those of you who have not already heard, I want to alert you to the fact that there are going to be four blood-red moons back-to-back on the first day of Passover and Tabernacle in 2014 and 2015.  That's called a "tetrad," and it has only happened seven times in 2000 yrs.  The next time this happens will mark the eighth occurrence of this supernatural phenomena since the days of our beloved Lord Jesus.

After this next one, it will not happen again for a hundred years.  The last two times this happened were in 1948-49, following the blessed nation of Israel becoming a State once again, and in 1967-68 in connection with the famous, six-day war.  So whenever it happens, there is always something very significant happening in Israel. 

There are so many articles and videos about this that you could read. But let me simply direct you to two relatively brief explanations of it online, if you are interested in more info.  First, an excellent article by Pray 4 Zion.  And secondly, a video by Hebrew roots pastor, Mark Blitz, of El Shaddai Ministries in Bonney Lake, Wash. 

There are two Scriptures we should review together in closing.  First is an excerpt from the prophet Joel:

"...Before them the earth quakes, The heavens tremble, The sun and the moon grow dark And the stars lose their brightness. The LORD utters His voice before His army; Surely His camp is very great, For strong is he who carries out His word. The day of the LORD is indeed great and very awesome, And who can endure it? 'Yet even now,' declares the LORD, 'Return to Me with all your heart, And with fasting, weeping and mourning; And rend your heart and not your garments.' Now return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness And relenting of evil." (Joe 2:10-13)

"I will display wonders in the sky and on the earth, Blood, fire and columns of smoke. The sun will be turned into darkness And the moon into blood Before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. And it will come about that whoever calls on the name of the LORD Will be delivered; For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem There will be those who escape, As the LORD has said, Even among the survivors whom the LORD calls." (Joe 2:30-32)

This is a solemn warning.  It's an alert to prepare yourself for this terrible day that is coming.

The second prophecy about this day was made by Jesus Himself, regarding the time of His return to earth:

"But 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 the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.” (Mat 24:29-31)

Dear friend, are you ready?  Please don't put off until later the need to get ready.  Do it now.  Read the prophet Joel chapter 2, and the gospel of Matthew 24.   After that your next steps to prepare are 1) to return to the Lord Jesus with all your heart, and with fasting, weeping and mourning; and rend your heart and not your garments.  Return to the LORD your God. You need a baptism of repentance. Then 2) you need to believe on Jesus, and call upon the name of the Lord.  He has promised that whoever calls on the name of the LORD Will be delivered.  Once you have done that, please share this article with the people you love, especially the Jewish people.

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, I also recommend the following:

Something is going on 2012 Trumpet Sounds Heard Around the World Are You Rapture Ready?
The End Has Come Very Few Will Hear the Trumpet Grieve and Lament for the Church
Urgent Revelations of Christ's Imminent Return The Amazing Sign of Jonah Mark of the Beast (666)

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.

Saturday, November 2, 2013

Faithful Until Death: The Glory of Martyrdom for Christ

It's one thing to give your life to Jesus, but how much greater it is to give your life for Jesus. Many have given their lives for the gospel down through the ages.  This is the highest act of love for God.  These people did not love their own lives even to the point of death.

And we're in those last days when more believers than ever are doing so.  More Christians were persecuted in the twentieth century than in the entire previous 1,900 years of history combined.  And this trend will only continue accelerating as we approach the soon return of Christ.  In fact I have published an article about one such recent case of persecution with a miraculous ending. There's an army of martyrs arising! 

The Blood of the Martyrs is Seed
Tertullian, the founder of western theology, wrote: “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.”   He was arguing that when saints are killed for the glory of Christ, it only results in many others turning to Christ.  When people witness the love and devotion that believers have for the Lord Jesus, they are touched to the depth of their souls. They realize that if Jesus was worth dying for to those saints, and they laid down their lives willingly for Him, then He is real and they want to serve Him, too.

In Foxes Book of Martyrs, it is recorded that during the reign of Serverus, “Rhais had boiled pitch poured upon her head, and was then burnt, as was Marcella her mother....Potainiena, the sister of Rhais, was executed in the same manner as Rhais had been; but Basilides, an officer belonging to the army, and ordered to attend her execution, became her convert.”

Whenever there has been great persecution, it has also brought great revival and many people into the kingdom of God.  This has been true since the first church, as recorded in the book of Acts.  When Stephen was stoned to death, Saul of Tarsus gave approval to it.  Then he went about ravaging the Church, and many Christians were scattered.  But they went about preaching the Word (see Ac 8:3-4).  And Saul later came to know Christ himself, taking the name of Paul.  He realized when he met Jesus in person that when he persecuted Stephen and other disciples, he was persecuting the Lord Himself.  That really got him, and he was never the same after that.  He became a fiery preacher that made disciples all over the known world, and wrote half the books of the New Testament. Tertullian was right! The blood of the martyrs is truly the seed of the Church.

Those Who Would Not Accept Their Release
For Christ, some believers must experience the life of refugees, mockings, scourgings, chains, prison, torture, dismemberment, lack of decent clothing, financial destitution, affliction, being treated badly, homelessness, and constant fleeing from danger. The apostle wrote about it, describing what they suffered, and said some would not accept their release from torture, since they preferred a better resurrection:

“And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground. And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.” (Heb 11:32-40)

Those who are martyred will obtain an even better resurrection.  The wicked will be resurrected to eternal damnation, but the righteous to eternal life.  And those who die for Christ will receive the greatest glory in the resurrection among the saints in heaven.   The greatest reward awaits those who will lay down their lives for the Savior.

Resist to the very end like the three Hebrews
When the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar forced his subjects to bow to an idol in honor of him under the threat of being thrown into a blazing furnace, the three Hebrew young men refused to bow.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter. "If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. "But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up." (Dan 3:16-18)

Let’s trust the Lord to deliver us, but let us also have the same attitude as these courageous teens, who said, “Even if our God does not deliver us from the blazing fire, we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image.”

A Certain Number of Believers Must be Killed
Did you know the Scripture teaches that there is a certain number of saints who must be killed? 

The apostle John wrote in the book of Revelation about the souls of the martyrs in heaven: “When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?’ And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also.” (Rev 6:9-11)

Perhaps this is what Paul meant when he wrote to the Colossians about his sufferings filling up a cup of affliction, so to speak.  "Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions." (Col 1:24)

He taught that we as the Body of Christ are called not only to believe in Christ, but to suffer for Him.  The afflictions of Christ on Calvary were all that was needed to pay for our eternal salvation.  But if we refuse to suffer for Him, then we do not have true saving faith to begin with.  And if we could use the analogy of a cup of affliction, then we could say Christ's afflictions went into a cup, which His Body on earth continues to fill up.  Whenever someone persecutes the saints, they persecute Jesus (Ac 9:4; Mt 25:40,45).  Until He returns, that cup is still not full yet.  So any afflictions we endure for Him are added to the cup and help to fill it up until it reaches the full measure that God has appointed.

Some Believers are Destined for Captivity, Some to be Killed by the Sword
Scripture makes it clear that it is the destiny of some believers to go into captivity for the Lord and for others to be killed by the sword.  "If anyone is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; if anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints." (Rev 13:10)

Faithful Even to the Point of Death
We are called to be faithful, even to the point of death.  Jesus said to the church in Ephesus: "Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life." (Rev 2:10)

Betrayed to Death by Family Members
In some cases, people are betrayed to death by members of their own family.  "Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. (Mat 10:21)

War Against the Saints
The beast will make war with the saints and overcome them: "It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him." (Rev 13:7)

Those who do not worship the beast will be killed
"And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed." (Rev 13:15; cf., 14:11)

Beheading the Saints
One form of execution for those who refuse the mark of the beast is beheading . "Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years."  (Rev 20:4)

Witnesses Overcome and Killed
The beast will even overcome the two witnesses and kill them: "When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them." (Rev 11:7)

Whoever Loses His Life for Jesus’ Sake Will Find It
"For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. (Mat 16:25).  Are you willing to lose your life for the sake of Jesus?  Start doing so now on a daily basis, and then you'll be ready to lose your physical life.

Fear the Lord, not those who kill the body
"Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.  (Mat 10:28)

Present your body as a sacrifice to God
Paul told the believers in Rome to offer their bodies as a sacrifice to God.  “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.” (Rom 12:1). 

In fact, many Roman Christians literally did this, offering their bodies during the days of persecution.  Many were tied or nailed to stakes and then the Romans poured boiling substances over their heads. There were also twilight executions where Christians were nailed to a cross and burned alive as torches to light the arena of the Colosseum. Still others were thrown to the wild beasts in the arena.  They preferred to die rather than deny the Lord to save their lives.

Jesus said, "Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.”  (Mat 10:32-33)  There is great glory awaiting those who are martyred.  But everlasting shame and disgrace for those who deny Him.

Flee from Persecution
Nevertheless, when faced with persecution, our Lord taught us to flee, just as He always avoided those who were plotting to destroy Him (Mt 10:23; Joh 7:1).  We should beware of human pride, and not actively seek a martyr's death, by making self-confident statements or purposely trying to be arrested.  Among those who have done this in history, some have denied Christ, including the apostle Peter (Mt 26:33-24). We don't seek death.  We are already crucified with Christ, and we seek to be made like Him in His death (Phil 3:10).  We seek to do the will of God (Mt 7:21), and then accept whatever the consequences may be for doing so.  We do not shrink back to destruction, but live by faith (Heb 10:38-39).

Putting it All Together
At this moment, around the world, many believers are being persecuted for Christ, and some even unto death.  The blood of the martyrs is still the seed of the church. For Christ, some believers must experience the life of refugees, mockings, scourgings, chains, prison, torture, dismemberment, lack of decent clothing, financial destitution, affliction, being treated badly, homelessness, and constant fleeing from danger. Some believers are destined for captivity.  Many end up in concentration camps or in prison for their faith. Some are destined to be killed by the sword.  There is a certain number of believers who must be killed.

We are called to be faithful even to the point of death. In some cases, people are betrayed to death by members of their own family. Don't let that catch you by surprise, because the Lord told us in advance that it would happen.  Some people will do anything to save their skin.

The Word explicitly says the beast will make war with the saints and overcome them. Those who do not worship the beast will be killed.  One preferred method of execution will be beheading. 

Persecution is almost upon America.  The Lord said to sister Deborah Rennier on September 9, 2009, “'Remember MY saint Corrie ten Boom and what she endured? This is almost upon you. Whoever denies ME before men, I will deny before MY Father.'” For more on sister Deborah's encounter, see America’s Destruction is at Hand.

We must not deny the Lord, but confess Him freely and offer our bodies as living sacrifices to God.  Whoever loses his life for Jesus’ sake will find it.  This is not a message to put the fear of death in you, but the fear of the Lord.  These days, there is very little talk about fearing the Lord. Yet Jesus said, we must fear the Lord, not those who kill the body.  

We live in perilous times, dear saints.  This is the most serious period in the entire history of the earth.  It's time now to get your heart right with God, and daily fortify your spirit.  Watch and pray, so that you will not fall into temptation when the devil comes to tempt you.  Teach your children to become martyrs. Be prepared to take a stand for Christ, even unto death.  This will require perseverance and faith on the part of the saints.

There's a better resurrection for those who do so. The glory of the martyrs is a greater glory than other saints receive. A crown of life awaits the martyr.  Let's encourage one another while it is still called Today.

We cannot do this in our own power, and the Lord doesn't expect us to.  He will give you the grace to do whatever he asks you to do.  Trust Him to do that.  Grace and peace to you!

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note I invite you to also read these related articles of mine: Mark of the Beast (666), America’s Destruction is at Hand, The Fiery Sufferings of the Believer, Angelic Escape from Terrorist Assassins, Hiding Place, Holy Fire Baptism, Pope Frances Supports Homosexuality, Covenant Prayer, and Your Rewards Are Based on Your Practice. My daughter has written a poem related to this same topic called Die or Deny. You may also visit our Signs of the Times Directory, and access my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master. For a look at actual stories of martyrs, I suggest reading Foxes Book of Martyrs, which is available online for free (Source 1Source 2Source 3).  For current events related to persecution of the saints, visit Voice of the Martyrs. The "Crown of Life" painting © 2012 is by Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist.

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.

Friday, November 1, 2013

America’s Destruction is at Hand

On October 17, 2013, during a period of focused seeking the Lord, I had a dream of a puffy, white cloud in the sky "the size of a man’s hand," off in the distance while I was speaking with two ladies in the backyard of the home of a Christian man I know in New Hampshire. The sky was not stormy looking, but fair and blue, but this one cloud had my attention.

Then I saw the cloud start to spin around like it was the beginning of a tornado.  A tail started to form beneath it as it was spinning, as would a twister. Then suddenly the little cloud began to move downward from the sky and toward us at a very high rate of speed, like a missile. The tail either disappeared or was concealed behind it as it rapidly traveled through the air horizontally.  It went right by us to our left.  As it did, the front of the little cloud had an actual face with two eyes, a nose, and a mouth, which was very serious and resolute, like it was carrying out a mission for God.  It struck a residential apartment building some distance away, and although the buildings seemed to be in New York City, I could still see the impact of the explosion all the way up in New Hampshire.  It was huge!

Even though the strike zone was quite a long distance away from us, the debris from the explosion kept flying backward in our direction, and I was surprised at the force and magnitude of it.  It was quite unusual, since I expected that most of the debris from such a strike would fly in the same direction that the projectile was moving when it hit the target.

I had the two ladies, one of which may have been my wife, and the other may have been my oldest sister, get face-down on the ground with me, one on each side of me.  I put my arms over them and told them to keep their faces down.  Afterward people in the city that was hit, which seemed to be New York City, were looking for hotels to stay in.  The hotels were packed.  They were overcome by anxiety.  I had still not seen any official news on the matter, since I don’t read the news.  I was wondering how many deaths or casualties there were.

Then I heard a report in which the news caster said that a whole section of New York City and its suburbs were "carpet bombed."  This type of bombing is also known as saturation bombing, which is a large aerial bombing done in a progressive manner to inflict damage in every part of a selected area of land.  As they said that, I saw a map like they show on the news, showing dots where the bombs hit.  I only remember seeing around seven dots. That's all I remember from the dream, and I believe it ended at that point.

I will let others judge whether this was from the Lord or not.  But as I already mentioned, I had this dream during a special period of seeking the Lord, and I had not been studying or reading about end times.  I had not been seeking the Lord about the last days. 

War Coming to America
Then on October 31, 2013, as I was reading through the book of Revelation, I happened to read online the following account of a dream given by a sister named Deborah Rennier on September 9, 2009.  She simply entitled it "War."

"I found myself being lifted high above the earth by a pair of giant hands. I was taken so high that I could see much of the earth. Before me I could see China, North Korea, Iran, Russia, and Afghanistan."

"As I watched I saw missiles launched. It was nuclear war. Fireballs were erupting everywhere. It started with China and North Korea. Soon Russia and Iran joined in. They were attacking the United States and Israel."

"These events seemed to start slowly and gain momentum. I knew that England, Pakistan and others were on high alert with weapons ready to go. They seemed to be waiting to see who was winning."

"There was great chaos in the sky and on the sea. I saw America firing weapons and missiles. I saw submarines surfacing on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. I knew there were more underwater. The USA was being attacked on all sides. There was smoke and destruction everywhere. It appeared that the American defenses were overwhelmed."

"Then I saw camps encircled with razor wire. Inside the fences were barracks style housing. I then woke up."

"These things frightened me terribly and I sought the Lord for understanding. I heard the Lord speak to my spirit:"

“'Remember MY saint Corrie ten Boom and what she endured? This is almost upon you. Whoever denies ME before men, I will deny before MY Father.'”

"HE then gave me this scripture:"
Jer 4:27 For thus says the Lord: “The whole land shall be desolate; Yet I will not make a full end.
Jer 4:28 For this shall the earth mourn, And the heavens above be black, Because I have spoken. I have purposed and will not relent, Nor will I turn back from it.
Jer 4:29 The whole city shall flee from the noise of the horsemen and bowmen. They shall go into thickets and climb up on the rocks. Every city shall be forsaken, And not a man shall dwell in it.
Jer 4:30 “And when you are plundered, What will you do? Though you clothe yourself with crimson, Though you adorn yourself with ornaments of gold, Though you enlarge your eyes with paint, In vain you will make yourself fair; Your lovers will despise you; They will seek your life.
Jer 4:31 “For I have heard a voice as of a woman in labor, The anguish as of her who brings forth her first child, The voice of the daughter of Zion bewailing herself; She spreads her hands, saying, ‘Woe is me now, for my soul is weary Because of murderers!’

America and the Bride
Then I happened to read this other vision given to a woman named Cynthia, earlier this year.  She wrote:

"In the early morning of January 3, 2013, as I was still in bed praying, my spiritual eyes caught these visions: First, I saw a girl of about 10 to 12 years old standing by the beach, her back towards me. I could see that she was wearing a swimsuit of red and blue stripes, the color of the American flag. Even from behind I could see that she was healthy and had a lovely feature. Then the girl transformed into a woman. She wore the same swimsuit of red and blue stripes but no longer looked pretty. She’s an obese; her unwanted fats were bulging. Next I saw a bride standing on the porch of an old tower. This second scene was devoid of colors. It looked like an ancient black and white movie or photo. The bride was holding a bouquet and was looking far into the horizon. From her point I could see the depth below so I knew it was a very tall tower where she was standing. Then I saw another thing. I saw this message, 'America’s Destruction is at Hand,' boldly printed on a bond paper.  The paper was placed into a paper bag and a stone, the size of a fist, was thrust onto the paper to make sure it sank to the bottom of the bag. As the paper got to the bottom with the stone, it went further down and I gasped as I realized that the paper bag turned into a black hole, a bottomless pit. The paper with the message just kept falling."

America will betray Israel! Then sudden destruction will come
Then the following day, on November 1, 2013, I happened to see another video, when I was not even looking for it.  This video was posted on May 5, 2013.  It is a man of God I have never heard of, named Sadhu Sundar Selvaraj, sharing the account of a visitation from the Lord that he had.  In that encounter, the Lord showed Him a major military attack on Jerusalem that will result from betrayal by "Israel's best friend."  As he watched all this unfold before his eyes, he heard the angel that was standing there say, "Israel will put up a stiff fight amidst heavy losses.  A political trap will be laid for the city to be captured.  Israel's best friend will betray her."

On another occasion, a mighty angel appeared to him with a long drawn sword, and showed him what would be done to the nation that betrays Israel and divides Jerusalem. First a great 3D map of the US appeared before him.  Then the angel said, "This is what will happen to the best friend that will betray Jerusalem and divide Jerusalem." The angel pierced the sword into the heart of America and divided the nation right down the middle, saying, "Likewise this nation will be divide as Jerusalem will be divided."   You can watch the short, 10-minute video here.

All hell is going to be let loose over America
Immediately after that, I decided to listen to a video of Neville Johnson preaching in Lancaster, CA on August 8, 2013.  I had no idea what he was going to talk about, since the title simply showed his name and the date of the message. I thought, "Let's see what the Lord's been saying to Neville recently."  I was only 2:50 into the video, when he said he had been in heaven recently and the Lord asked him if he wanted Him to give him the good news or the bad news first.  I was shocked when he said the Lord told him, "All hell is going to be let loose over America."  He then told him that "All heaven is going to be let loose over America."  You can watch here the part of the video where he tells about this encounter.

Putting it All Together
I was not planning on sharing my dream with anyone except my own family, but now nearly two weeks later, I feel compelled by the Lord to share these things publicly.  These are some very serious dreams and visions, which are not to be taken lightly.  Dear friend, there are redemptive judgments coming upon America.  It's high time we sought holiness and consecration.  This nation needs to turn back to God in deep, sincere, heartfelt repentance.  When we fail to respond to His kindness, then He has no choice to display His severity toward us.

Please take these revelations to heart, and go before the Lord in your prayer closet.  Repent of your own sin.  Grieve and lament for the nation, and especially the present condition of the Church.  Amend your ways, and turn back to God with all your heart. 

The Lord still loves you, but His standard is high, and His mercy is only attainable on this earth.  We need to return to holiness, righteousness, and truth, without which no man will see God.

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 the testimonies I have linked to, and use the Testimony Review Process adopted by this blog, as you decide for yourself whether the Lord has spoken to these individuals.  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."

I also recommend reading Judgment of BabylonAmerica, Turn Back to God, Only the Holy -- Three Shocking Testimonies. Also check out Grieve and Lament for the Church, The End Has Come, The Three Elijahs, and Are You Rapture Ready?  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.

Saturday, October 12, 2013

The Timing of the Rapture

Jesus taught a pre-tribulation rapture.  He said, "And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: 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. 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; but on the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.” (Luk 17:26-29)

The Day of the Lord Like the Days of Noah and Lot
Why did Jesus liken these two incidents to the day of the Lord? What did these two have in common with each other and with the return of Jesus Christ? The apostle Peter also used these same two examples in speaking about the day of the Lord (2Pe 1:19; 2:4-8; 3:4,10).

First, in both accounts, there was the presence of a minority of righteous people in the midst of a majority of wicked people.  Noah and his seven family members were amidst an entirely wicked world.  Lot and his two daughters were amidst a completely wicked city. 

Secondly, there was the salvation of the righteous and the destruction of the wicked.  Both the wrath of the wicked and the salvation were from God.  

Thirdly was the timing of the deliverance of the saints from God’s wrath. In other words, they were delivered, and then the wrath of God was poured out.  Only as soon as Noah entered the ark did God destroy all the wicked on the face of the earth.   Only as soon as Lot went out from Sodom did God destroy all the wicked of Sodom.  This does not mean we won’t suffer or go through very hard times.  Jesus said, “But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.” (Luk 17:25).  The same is true of His disciples.  For Jesus said to the disciples, "The days will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it.” (Luk 17:22).  This indicates there will be days when disciples of Christ want very much for the Lord to return, but His return does not happen as soon as they wish. The reason disciples would long to see His return is that mankind has become so completely wicked, and that they mistreat the saints, not because the wrath of God is being unleashed in the world. 

His discussion with them was all about “the days of the Son of Man,” which He mentioned explicitly four times:

And He said to the disciples, "The days will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it.” (Luk 17:22)

"For just like the lightning, when it flashes out of one part of the sky, shines to the other part of the sky, so will the Son of Man be in His day.” (Luk 17:24)

“And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man:” (Lk 17:26a)

"It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed.” (Luk 17:30)

Don’t Look Back!
It was in that very context that He said "On that day, the one who is on the housetop and whose goods are in the house must not go down to take them out; and likewise the one who is in the field must not turn back.” (Luk 17:31).  What does this mean?

In this discussion, in which He compared His return to the day Lot left Sodom, the rapture of the saints will be like Lot’s departure from the city.  Lot was saved and the city was destroyed.  He said those who look back would not be saved.  He used Lot’s wife as an example of those who do go into the house to take out their earthly goods or who turn away from the Lord’s appearing to go back to something else in the world.  He said, "Remember Lot's wife.” (Luk 17:32). Lot’s wife was not saved, because she looked back.  She turned into a pillar of salt.  That’s what the Lord meant when He said we must not look back on that day when He is revealed at His coming (Lk 17:30-31).

God had made provision for Lot's wife to be saved.  Was it His fault that she wasn't?  No, it was a matter of her will.

The Lord explained that on the day He is revealed, some would in fact look back as Lot’s wife did, and He described the outcome of their action.  “Whoever seeks to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.” (Luk 17:33).  The one who looks back will be destroyed, because he will seek to save his own life.  That’s why it is called the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. On the other hand, the one who loses His life will be saved and go up in the rapture.

Jesus taught plainly that some would be taken up in the rapture and others would be left.  I will quote the whole paragraph, but pay close attention to the last part, beginning with the words, “I tell you,” when He speaks of the two people in the same place who experience different outcomes. "It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed. On that day, the one who is on the housetop and whose goods are in the house must not go down to take them out; and likewise the one who is in the field must not turn back. Remember Lot's wife. Whoever seeks to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. I tell you, on that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other will be left. There will be two women grinding at the same place; one will be taken and the other will be left. [Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other will be left.]  (Luk 17:30-36; cf., Mt 24:40-41). 

He gave three examples that each described how two people in a similar situation would experience completely different outcomes.  First there are the two in the same bed, such as a husband and wife.  Then there are the two women grinding in the same place. And finally there are the two men in the same field.  In each instance, He said, “One will be taken and the other will be left.”  We know why one would be left behind, because He already said the one who looks back would be destroyed, since he would seek to save his own life. 

One Will Be Taken
There is no question that this passage is about the rapture that will occur on the day when Jesus is revealed just like the lightning, when it flashes out of one part of the sky, and shines to the other part of the sky.  All will see, but some will look back, because they love their life more.  He referred to the rapture when He said three times, “one will be taken” (Lk 17:34,35,36).  That phrase, “only one will be taken,” is very solemn.  It clearly indicated that not everyone would be taken, and not everyone would be spared from what would immediately follow the rapture.  The one who is not taken will experience a similar fate as the wicked of Noah’s day, the wicked people of Sodom, and Lot’s wife.  The one who is taken will experience a similar fate as Noah and his family, as well as Lot and his daughters.

The word “taken” is “paralambano” which means, “called to one side in an affectionate manner.” It means, “to receive near, that is, associate with oneself (in any familiar or intimate act or relation)” (Strongs).  Although various forms of Paralambano do occur in other places in the New Testament, the present indicative passive of Paralambano (paralambanetai) occurs only in this passage, which refers specifically to the coming of Jesus for His people.

In his book, Angels on Assignment, brother Roland Buck wrote about the time he asked the angel Gabriel about the return of Christ.  He stated: “And in that great calling, He is calling us as His bride to be with Him during that great joining of Christ to His church. 'Called to His side in an affectionate manner.' Then Jesus spoke to me and said that word was, 'Laid on the shelf, never to be used again.' I looked this up afterwards and it is true, it's used once. Paralambano if you care to look it up, you may. God said it. God did it. There is coming a time, real soon on God's calendar, it's almost here. I don't know how eternity relates to time but on God's calendar the countdown is almost finished.”

The apostle Paul said, “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.” (1Th 4:16-17).  This expression “will be caught up” comes from the word “harpazo” meaning “to seize (in various applications): - catch (away, up), pluck, pull, take (by force).” (Strongs). It’s talking about being suddenly “taken” as Jesus said would happen at His return. 

Where the Vultures Will Be Gathered
When Jesus had given the three examples of people in similar situations who would experience completely different outcomes, the disciples wanted to know where this would happen.  They asked, “Where, Lord?”  (Lk 17:37)

Jesus answered with a sort of riddle, and He said to them, "Where the body is, there also the vultures will be gathered." (Luk 17:37)  Vultures are scavengers that eat meat, and they almost exclusively eat the decaying meat of dead bodies.  They can literally smell a corpse from a mile away.  It's a myth that they circle over dead bodies.  When they locate a corpse, they quickly come down and gather upon it to pluck at the body with their beaks before other predators find it.  According to Melissa Mayntz in her article about vultures, she states: “While vultures eat mostly dead animals, they are capable of attacking and will often prey on extremely sick, wounded or infirm prey, especially if food has been scarce and there are no carcasses nearby.”

So we should ask, “What is the body that Jesus was referring to in this riddle?”  Jesus did not say a “dead body,” but simply “a body.” From the writings of the apostles, we know that the Church is the body of Christ.  We also know that the return of the Lord will not occur until there is first a great apostasy or falling away (2 Thes 2:3).  We know this is the Laodicean age of the church, when it has become “wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked” (Rev 3:17).  We could liken this to the very kind of body around which vultures would typically gather. 

So when you see a place where throngs of people are gathered around churches that have become apostate, and that are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, then you know that is the place Jesus was speaking when He said, “One will be taken and the other will be left.” 

Now in order to understand this, we need to realize that it is the Lord Himself who views the Laodicean Church as wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, but the Church itself does not see itself that way.  Rather, it says, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing."  So when you see a lukewarm, apostate Church that is rich, wealthy, thinks it has need of nothing, and yet is popular, drawing crowds, you have found the place where this will occur.  Only some of those among the crowds of people in these churches will be taken up in the rapture.   The ones that look back at the world, who love their lives, and seek to hold onto their earthly possessions will be left behind.

Why would people be drawn to such churches, as we see crowds of people doing today?  Peter describes the preachers in these churches like this: “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.” (2Pe 2:1-3).  Peter added, “…They count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are stains and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, as they carouse with you, having eyes full of adultery that never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having a heart trained in greed, accursed children; forsaking the right way, they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness…These are springs without water and mists driven by a storm, for whom the black darkness has been reserved. For speaking out arrogant words of vanity they entice by fleshly desires, by sensuality, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error, promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved.” (2Pe 2:13-19).

The preachers of these apostate churches that have become so popular are false prophets who introduce destructive heresies, reveling in their deceptions, even denying the Master who bought them.  They are full of sensuality, having eyes full of adultery that never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having a heart trained in greed, accursed children; forsaking the right way. They exploit the saints with their false words. 

Paul gave the reason why such preachers would be so popular: “But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons,” (1Ti 4:1) “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.” (2Ti 4:3-4)

Paul said the message of these preachers would be one of peace and safety, which everyone likes to hear.  “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.” (1Th 5:3)

Like a Thief in the Night
The Lord warned the disciples (in this same discussion about His return) to be on the alert, since we don’t know which day our Lord is coming.  He is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.  He used the analogy of a thief in the night to show why we must be ready.

"Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.” (Mat 24:42-44)

However, the day of the Lord will only come as a thief in the night for those who are not ready.  That was the point of what Jesus said. 

Likewise, Jesus sent this message to the church in Sardis: "To the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: 'I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. 'Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. '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 3:1-3)

The Lord warned the church in Sardis that since they were a dead church, if they did not repent and wake up, He would come like a thief. The dead church today must wake up and repent or else the Lord will come like a thief.

This is repeated again in Revelation: "Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes, so that he will not walk about naked and men will not see his shame." (Rev 16:15)

For those who are alert and sober, who stay awake and keep their clothes on, the sudden nature of the Lord’s return will not overtake them like a thief.  Paul said, “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 5:4-6).  The key here is Paul’s admonition at the end to be alert and sober, just as the Lord warned the disciples.

Peter also spoke of that day as a thief in the night saying, “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)  Just as Paul admonished the saints to be alert and sober, Peter reminded the saints of the need for holy conduct and godliness.  There is action required on our part to be ready.  As Peter said, “Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless…” (2Pe 3:14). 

Date Setting
Many people have set dates for the Lord’s return, yet they have all been wrong.  Jesus said "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.” (Mat 24:36).  However, I think we will know when we are in the season for the Lord’s return, because Jesus taught that we must be able to interpret the signs of the times.

He said, "And in the morning, 'There will be a storm today, for the sky is red and threatening.' Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot discern the signs of the times?” (Mat 16:3)

He also said, "Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door.” (Mat 24:32-33)

I read the following excerpt from a conversation brother Yong-Doo Kim had with the Lord Jesus:

Brother Kim: My beloved Lord, thank you for your grace. Someone has stated that You will come when his/her grandchild is a teenager, specifically mid teens. Is he/she deluded?

Jesus: My beloved servant, if I disclose the date of my coming to some of my servants, then chaos will come upon the world. As I have stated in the Bible, I will come like a thief and no one will know. However, for those who are spiritually awaken, they will know that my coming is soon. They will not know the exact date but will know the season. They will suddenly realize the urgency of the coming. In that season, it will only be a matter of time.

It will not be years and days of prophesying that the gates of heaven are opening or if the archangels are blowing the trumpets. When I come for My bride, it will happen abruptly. For those spiritually awakened, when you are in a moment of prayer, suddenly, you will know and feel it spiritually through the spiritual realm that I am coming. All who are waiting and awakened will feel it together.

I do not state the date to any single person, otherwise, the world may become chaotic and disorder may follow. Therefore, a date will not be given. Only the Father knows the date. My beloved servants, if you only love Me and you are abiding in Me, you will never be bewildered for not knowing the date. 

The man of Lawlessness
One last thing I want to clarify is that the apostle Paul seemed to say the rapture would not occur until the man of lawlessness has been revealed.  He said, “…with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him…it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.” (2Th 2:1-4)

There was a time when I used to think I clearly understood the order in which end time events would happen.  However, I have since come to realize that I don’t have all the answers. We know in part. For example, take the tribulation.  Will it last seven years or three and a half years? Will only the last three and a half be considered the great tribulation?  Will the appearance of the man of lawlessness mark the beginning of the tribulation?  I am not going to attempt to answer all of these questions here.

However, I will say that I think the Great Tribulation is the time of God’s wrath on the wicked on the earth, and it is not God’s will for one of His children to go through that, in the same sense that it is not God’s will for any one to perish.  However, that does not mean nobody will ever perish, since man has a free will.  For the same reason, some professing Christians may go through the Great Tribulation, if they do not repent. 

But before the Great Tribulation, I think we will see days of suffering on the earth due to the wickedness of men, as I’ve already mentioned.  I also think that the man of lawlessness will be revealed while the saints are still on the earth, which would be prior to the beginning of the Great Tribulation.  First there will be the wrath of man, and I think the saints will experience that. I think the man of lawlessness will be a part of it. And before that is finished, then the rapture will occur and the wrath of God against the wicked will begin.

Putting it All Together
So Jesus did teach that the saints will be raptured before the Great Tribulation.  It's recorded right in the gospels.  We are not destined for the wrath of God.  That does not mean the saints will escape all suffering.  There will be suffering from the increase of wickedness on the earth, including persecution in the form of gross human rights abuses against Christians.   In fact, the man of lawlessness must be revealed before the coming of the Lord and our being gathered to Him.  But that is much different from the wrath of God.

On the other hand, not everyone will be taken.  Some will look back like Lot's wife and be left behind.  Others will go inside to get their earthly goods and be left behind.  Everyone who seeks to save his life will lose it.  This will happen where the vultures are gathered around a body that is sickly or dead.

Nobody knows the day or hour, so there should be no date setting.  But we will know the season of His coming.  There are many signs that indicate we are in the season of the rapture right now.

Yet the Lord will come at an hour when you do not expect.  That's why we must remain awake spiritually, alert, and ready for His return. We conduct ourselves in holiness and godliness.  We must repent of all known sin in our lives and seek the Lord.  Seek Him while He may be found.  Call on Him while He is near.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. The "Time is at Hand" painting © 2012 is by Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist.

Jjron at en.wikipedia, the copyright holder of the photo of the White-backed vultures (Gyps africanus) eating a dead wildebeest in Maasai Mara National Park, Kenya. Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled GNU Free Documentation License.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you  may also enjoy my children's poems The Time is Near and Make Your Bride Ready.  I also recommend my articles, The 311 Moment, Peace, Safety, and the Thief in the NightAre you Rapture Ready? and Holy Living in a Perverted World.  You may also visit our Signs of the Times Directory, and access my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.  The following posts contain divine revelations given to seven different people regarding the rapture:

Rapture Revelation to Angelica Zambrano The Day of Our Lord’s Wedding is at Hand Rapture Revelation to Ayodelle Sawyerr

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.