Do Not Be Discouraged

Have you ever had a time when God brings a certain verse to your mind and then you seem to hear it being preached everywhere? That happened to me and the verse is this:

⁴ Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.  1 John 4:4

I really think this verse is so important and with all that is going on in this world today, I hold on to it and know that no matter what is going on, God is ultimately in charge.

Many people will wonder, well if God is in charge then why is all this happening? Why does He let it happen?? I answered that in a previous post, Why Does God Let Bad Things Happen. The simple explanation is this, when God created man He gave man dominion over all that is in the earth. When Adam sinned, dominion passed to Satan who has had dominion ever since.Think of it this way, God gave Adam the deed to the earth and Adam got foreclosed on and the Bank (Satan) now owns the earth. But Satan can’t just do whatever he wants, he has rules that he must follow. For instance, he can’t force anyone to follow him or do what he wants, he must convince them. Man still has free will and has the choice of whether to follow God or Satan, but Satan offers man the desires of his heart and many will follow to get what they want.

Satan will try to use whatever it is that you desire to try to convince you to follow him. You do not even have to worship Satan as so many people think that is the only way that you follow. All Satan needs to do is to give you what you want and distract you from knowing the truth and following God. What is your desire? Money, fame, drugs, sex, success, there are so many choices and Satan will use whichever one drives you to distract you.

Then you turn on the news and there are all sorts of horrific things going on. There seems to be no good news reported on, its all war and murder and natural disasters. And if you watch other channels, it is all about celebrities and their lives…the other day I saw a huge trending article about a celebrity’s new hair style…are we really that shallow that something like that is news? The reason those kinds of things are on the news and trending is because it is a distraction from what is really going on. Too many people are distracted by the daily antics of “celebrities”, especially the manufactured ones that should not be famous at all. Like the Kardashians, why are these people famous? For nothing that they have done, and why do so many people care what they do? It is nothing more than a distraction.

It is easy to get caught up in the distractions and the horrific things that go on every day, but you need to put that stuff aside and remember that God is ultimately in control. One day, and looking at the events of Bible prophecy, I think it is not too far off ( I will never set a date) God will end this Age of Grace (the Church Age) that we have been living in. After the Church and Holy Spirit have been removed from the world there will be nothing left to hold back Satan. He has had to bide his time and wait because the church age had not been completed and the Holy Spirit still dwelt in the world, but once they are removed there is no more obstacle to his rule.

During this time Satan will rule the world, but God will also be sending His judgments onto the world as well, until the final battle where Satan will be defeated and God takes dominion back.

So do not be discouraged with all the things that are going on in the world. Do not be upset that God is letting these things go on for so long, He is merciful and He is waiting for as many people to turn to Him as possible before he starts raining judgments down on the earth. Thousands of people turn to follow Christ each day, so for each day that God waits, many are saved.

All we can do is wait patiently and hold on to His promises and pray for the undecided to make the right decision.

Maranatha!

Yoga…Just Exercise?

Everywhere you look today, yoga seems to be the exercise of choice. Stores sell yoga clothing and mats and other items for doing yoga; there are books and DVD’s and even schools and classes to teach yoga. TV shows and celebrities talk about doing yoga, it seems to be the “in” thing to do. Experts talk about the health benefits of doing yoga and even churches have yoga programs. Yoga seems harmless…some stretching, maybe some strange poses…but it is supposed to help you to relax…to clear your mind.

What is yoga? It is a physical, mental and spiritual practice or discipline that originated in India. The goal of yoga is liberation, the rising of and expansion of consciousness.The ultimate goal of yoga is moksha; this is the liberation from worldly suffering and samsara (reincarnation cycle) and to an enlightened relationship with a creator.

So yoga combines the physical movements with the attainment of enlightenment. How are they accomplishing this with their movements? Most of the movements, called asanas, are designed to be positions of worship to Hindu gods. Yoga also incorporates pranayama breathing, this attempts to manipulate the life energy, and of course the concept of emptying the mind which guides people into astral travel.

Now the question is, should a Christian do yoga? I think the answer is clearly no. First the movements are forms of worship to other gods, do not lie to yourself and say that you are only doing it for the exercise; you can’t separate the two.

²¹ Dear children, keep yourselves from idols. 1 John 5:21

Second is the breathing that tries to manipulate your life energy, as a Christian, we are under the blood of Jesus, why would you move away from that protection.

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, ² in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. Ephesians 2:2

Third is the emptying of the mind, now that one is obvious, when your mind is empty it is open to any demon to enter; we may not be possessed because of the Holy Spirit but they may be able to oppress us.

² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2

So can you be a Christian and do yoga? the answer is no, as a former yoga teacher, Laurette Willis says no. Her question is, would you call yourself a Christian Hindu or a Christian Buddhist? Even Hindus agree that you can’t separate the spiritual meaning of yoga from Hinduism.

Why is yoga so popular when it is really about worshiping Hindu gods? What better way for Satan to get you to do something that will damage your relationship with God than by convincing you that yoga is only exercise. So for those of you that are Christians and practicing yoga…stop! And I use the word practicing for a specific reason, whether you intend to or not you are practicing Hinduism by performing the yoga movements.

What is Happening with Syria

If you have been following the news you have heard about what is going on in Syria.The trouble in Syria began in March 2011 when 15 school children were arrested for writing anti-government graffiti on a wall.  The people protested peacefully asking that the children be released, the government responded with violence against the protesters and four people were killed; at one of the victims funerals they shot at mourners and another person was killed.  People became angry and unrest spread across the country.  The people demanded that President Bashar al-Assad resign, he refused. The country was split between those that supported al-Assad and those that were opposed to his rule. Those opposed are not united but split between groups of rebel fighters, political parties, and those in exile; there could be around 1,000 groups in total.

Taking advantage of the unrest in the country the IS, or the Islamic State has taken over large areas of the country. In September of 2014 the U.S., UK and other countries joined together to attack their ground forces. In September 2013 there was a chemical weapon attack outside of Damascus, the capital of Syria. This outraged other countries since chemical weapon use had been banned, it was not confirmed who was responsible. Syria blamed the rebels. American and French governments wanted to do limited missile strikes against military targets in Syria, Russia, a supporter of as-Assad suggested that the Syrian government destroy their chemical weapons; this began in October 2013.

Since the conflict began, many Syrian people have tried to escape the violence by fleeing the country. At least 4 million people have fled Syria and many countries have taken in some of the refugees. Making things more difficult for the refugees, IS fighters have been disguising themselves as refugees to gain a stronghold in other European countries. This has been discovered and many countries are now refusing to take in any of the refugees.

What does the Bible say about Syria? In Isaiah God reveals a prophecy of the complete and absolute destruction of Damascus.

17 A prophecy against Damascus:

“See, Damascus will no longer be a city
    but will become a heap of ruins.
² The cities of Aroer will be deserted
    and left to flocks, which will lie down,
    with no one to make them afraid.
³ The fortified city will disappear from Ephraim,
    and royal power from Damascus;
the remnant of Aram will be
    like the glory of the Israelites,”
declares the Lord Almighty.

⁴ “In that day the glory of Jacob will fade;
    the fat of his body will waste away.
⁵ It will be as when reapers harvest the standing grain,
    gathering the grain in their arms—
as when someone gleans heads of grain
    in the Valley of Rephaim.
⁶ Yet some gleanings will remain,
    as when an olive tree is beaten,
leaving two or three olives on the topmost branches,
    four or five on the fruitful boughs,”
declares the Lord, the God of Israel.

⁷ In that day people will look to their Maker
    and turn their eyes to the Holy One of Israel.
⁸ They will not look to the altars,
    the work of their hands,
and they will have no regard for the Asherah poles^[a]
    and the incense altars their fingers have made.

⁹ In that day their strong cities, which they left because of the Israelites, will be like places abandoned to thickets and undergrowth. And all will be desolation.

¹⁰ You have forgotten God your Savior;
    you have not remembered the Rock, your fortress.
Therefore, though you set out the finest plants
    and plant imported vines,
¹¹ though on the day you set them out, you make them grow,
    and on the morning when you plant them, you bring them to bud,
yet the harvest will be as nothing
    in the day of disease and incurable pain.

¹² Woe to the many nations that rage—
    they rage like the raging sea!
Woe to the peoples who roar—
    they roar like the roaring of great waters!
¹³ Although the peoples roar like the roar of surging waters,
    when he rebukes them they flee far away,
driven before the wind like chaff on the hills,
    like tumbleweed before a gale.
¹⁴ In the evening, sudden terror!
    Before the morning, they are gone!
This is the portion of those who loot us,
    the lot of those who plunder us.

Isaiah 17

Damascus is one of the oldest continuously populated cities in history. It has seen at least 5,000 years of history. The city has been destroyed before but never has it been uninhabitable. This prophecy tells of a war between Damascus and Israel, and with IS having taken over much of Syria that could be a definite probability. They are so close to each other that it would not surprise me if IS attacked northern Israel. If Syria, even under IS control, attacks Israel, they will not hesitate to return fire. If Damascus is to be destroyed completely, it could very well happen with a nuclear attack. That will certainly leave the city uninhabitable for a very long time.

With the destruction of Damascus and a portion of Israel destroyed the other nations may take this as their chance to destroy Israel once and for all. This may trigger the War of Gog and Magog from Ezekiel 37 and 38.

So keep an eye on what is going on in Syria, it could be the spark that starts the chain reaction of the war against Israel.

I pray for all those that are affected by the events around the world, but it is amazing to live in a time where I am seeing Bible prophecy being fulfilled day by day. I look to the day when I will see my savior Jesus Christ at the rapture. Maranatha!

Are We in the Tribulation

Many people have been claiming that we are already in the Tribulation period. With all the crazy things going on in this world I can see why they would think so, but biblically we have not reached that point yet. These are only the “birth pangs”, the beginnings of what will come; during the Tribulation period things will be so much worse. Let’s take a walk through the Tribulation period, from the seals to the trumpets to the bowls or vials.

The seven seals:

seal 1: The White Horse- this horse signifies the appearance of the Antichrist and his rise to power through talk of peace, but his true goal is conquest.

seal 2: The Red Horse- this horse signifies war, this makes sense for this horse to follow the Antichrist’s rise to power. Once he has power he will bring war to all that stand against him.

seal 3: The Black Horse- this horse signifies famine, this is also logical since famine inevitably follows war. The areas that are affected have little left over and if war is brought to a country that supplies much of the food for the world, you can see how this would cause famine in many places.

seal 4: The Pale Horse- this horse signifies pestilence and death, this is a logical progression as well. War, famine, disease and death all go hand in hand.

seal 5: The martyrs under the altar- they are asking God to judge those that killed them to avenge their deaths. They are told to wait until their full number was in. God assures the martyrs that they will be avenged, but they must wait until everyone is given the chance to turn to God.

seal 6: A great earthquake will strike the earth,the sun will turn black and the moon red and stars will fall to the sky, the heavens recede and every mountain and island is moved from its place. At the opening of this seal the people of earth know that this is God’s judgment on them yet they refuse to repent and turn to Him, instead they blame God for what is befalling them.

Between the 6th and 7th seals the 144,000, 12,000 from each of the tribes of Israel are sealed with God’s seal to keep them from harm.

seal 7: When this seal is opened there is silence for half an hour in heaven. Seven trumpets were given to the seven angels that stand before God. Before they begin the next series of judgments another angel appears with a golden censer filled with incense, the angel fills the censer with fire from the altar and hurls it to the earth. This causes thunder, lightning and an earthquake.

Trumpet 1: Hail and fire mixed with blood fall to the earth and burn 1/3 of the earth, trees and grass are burned up. This is God’s judgment on the land.

Trumpet 2: A large mountain on fire is thrown into the sea, 1/3 of the sea turns to blood and 1/3 of the living creatures die and 1/3 of the ships are destroyed.This is God’s judgment on the sea.

Trumpet 3: A star falls from the sky onto the springs and rivers, the star is called Wormwood and causes 1/3 of the waters to turn bitter and many die from drinking it. This is God’s judgment on the fresh waters.

Trumpet 4: 1/3 of the sun, moon and stars are turned dark; a third of the day and night was completely dark. This is God’s judgment on the sky.

Before the final three trumpets are sounded an eagle flies by saying “woe” to those of the earth because of the final three trumpet blasts to come.

Trumpet 5: A star falls from the sky, (probably and angel) he is given the key to the abyss. When he opens it smoke rises from it and releases locusts that were given the power to sting like a scorpion. They were not allowed to harm anything on the earth except those people that did not have God’s mark on their foreheads. They were allowed to torment the earth for five months. Their king was the angel of the abyss, Abaddon or in Greek, Apollyon.

Trumpet 6: This releases the four angels that were bound at the Euphrates river, they were released to kill 1/3 of mankind. They killed with fire, smoke and sulfur.

Before the final trumpet is blown there is a time when there will be two witnesses that will prophesy in Jerusalem. They are given the power to shut off the rain and to kill anyone that tried to harm them with flame from their mouths.  They prophesy 1260 days, half the tribulation period before they are killed. Their bodies will lie on the street for 3 1/2 days and the entire world will celebrate their deaths. After 3 1/2 days they will rise from the dead and ascend to heaven. At this point there will be a massive earthquake that will cause a tenth of the city to collapse.

Trumpet 7: At the sound of this trumpet it is announced in heaven that God has retaken the world. This signifies the final judgments and the halfway point of the Tribulation period; this last 3 1/2 years will be so bad that it is called the Great Tribulation. At the end Jesus will triumph over Satan.

Bowl 1: This bowl is poured out onto the land, festering sores broke out on those that have taken the mark of the beast

Bowl 2: This bowl is poured out on the sea, the entire sea turns to blood and all creatures in it die.

Bowl 3: This bowl is poured onto the rivers and springs, they turn to blood

Bowl 4: This bowl is poured onto the sun and the sun scorched people with fire

Bowl 5: This bowl is poured onto the throne of the beast and his kingdom is plunged into darkness. There is absolutely no light, so dark that it causes physical pain.

Bowl 6: This bowl is poured out onto the Euphrates river so that it dries up to prepare the way for the kings of the east. Three spirits go out into the world to gather the world for the final battle at Armageddon.

Bowl 7: This bowl is poured out into the air. Once this has occurred a voice from the throne says “It is done!”  A worldwide earthquake larger than anything that has ever happened occurs. Jerusalem is split into three parts. nations collapse, every island is gone and all mountains are destroyed, hailstones weighing 100 lbs fall from the sky crushing people. The Antichrist’s kingdom of Babylon is destroyed.

At this time Jesus will return for the final battle with Satan where Satan will be defeated and thrown into the pit.

How will you know when the Tribulation begins?

²⁵ “Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One,^[f] the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. ²⁶ After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing.^[g] The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood:War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. ²⁷ He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’^[h] In the middle of the ‘seven’^[i]he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple^[j] he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.  Daniel 9:25-27

The Tribulation begins when the Antichrist makes a covenant with Israel for seven years of peace. If you look at Israel right now you will see that we are not at that point and there is not a one world ruler so we have not entered the Tribulation period yet. But I do not think that the time is far off when this will start, if you are watching world events things are lining up  for the War of Gog and Magog that is described in Ezekiel and also the destruction of Damascus in Isaiah 17. For those that do not have a relationship with Jesus, it is not too late. You can see the way the world is changing and all the things that are falling into place biblically, do you want to leave yourself in the position of going through the Tribulation?  Check out this former post I wrote and the simple prayer that you can pray at the bottom.

The Clock is Winding Down

Maranatha!