THE INTERESTING
INFORMATION CHRISTIAN MINISTRY
CONFIRMING
BIBLICAL TRUTH
INTERESTING INFORMATION 11/20/2019
The following material is provided for
information purposes only. Any
conclusions or opinions formed should be based on the principles as outlined in
Acts 17:11. The material is intended for
use as a witnessing tool and to keep you informed so you will not be unaware
(Luke 21:34) of what is happening according to Scripture.
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URL - ARCHAEOLOGISTS
IDENTIFY CITY GATE FROM TIME OF KING DAVID
https://www.jpost.com/printarticle.aspx?id=591653
https://www.charismanews.com/opinion/78466-the-miracle-of-iran-s-underground-church
VIDEO: ARCHAEOLOGISTS UNVEIL ANCIENT ROAD PROPHETS, KINGS
WALKED TO JEWISH TEMPLE
INTERESTING ARTICLES SUMMARY
·
Crucifixion: The hands
of the Carpenter
·
Thanksgiving includes a
love for America
·
Greg Laurie answers a
tricky question about Heaven
·
Adam and the animals
·
NEW CREATURES IN CHRIST
INTERESTING ARTICLES
CRUCIFIXION: THE HANDS OF THE CARPENTER
The Christian
Post – Oct. 31, 2019 -- It was Joseph of Arimathea who had the honor of taking
the body of Jesus down from the cross. Think what it would be like to have to
pull the cold and lifeless hands of the Son of God from the thick, barbed Roman
nails. These were carpenter’s hands, which once held nails and wood, now being
held by nails and wood. These were the hands that broke bread and fed
multitudes, now being broken to feed multitudes. These hands once applied clay
to a blind man’s eyes, touched lepers, healed the sick, washed the disciple’s
feet, and took children in His arms. These were the hands that, more than once,
loosed the cold hand of death, now held firmly by its icy grip.
These were the
fingers that wrote in the sand when the adulterous woman was cast at His feet,
and for the love of God, fashioned a whip that purged His Father’s house. These
were the same fingers that took bread and dipped it in a dish, and gave it to
Judas as a gesture of deep love and friendship. Here was the Bread of Life
itself, being dipped in the cup of suffering, as the ultimate gesture of God’s
love for the evil world that Judas represented.
Joseph’s
shame, that he had been afraid to own the Savior, sickened him as he tore the
blood-sodden feet from the six-inch cold steel spikes that fastened them to the
cross. These were the “beautiful feet” of Him that preached the gospel of
peace, that Mary washed with her hair, that walked
upon the Sea of Galilee, now crimson with a sea of blood.
As Joseph
reached out his arms to get Him down from the cross, perhaps he stared for an
instant at the inanimate face of the Son of God. His heart wrenched as he
looked upon Him whom they had pierced. This face, which once radiated with the
glory of God on the Mount of Transfiguration, which so many had looked upon
with such veneration, was now blood-stained from the needle-sharp crown of
thorns, deathly pale and twisted from unspeakable suffering as the sin of the
world was laid upon Him.
His eyes,
which once sparkled with the life of God, now stared at nothingness, as He was
brought into the dust of death. His lips, which spoke such gracious words and
calmed the fears of so many, were swollen and bruised from the beating given to
Him by the hardened fists of cruel soldiers.
As it is
written, “His visage was marred more than any man” (Isa. 52:14).
Nicodemus may
have reached up to help Joseph with the body. As the cold blood of the Lamb of
God covered his hand he was reminded of the blood of the Passover lamb he had
seen shed so many times. The death of each spotless animal had been so quick
and merciful, but this death had been unspeakably cruel, vicious, inhumane, and
brutal. It seemed that all the hatred that sin-loving humanity had for the
Light formed itself into a dark and evil spear, and was thrust with cruel
delight into the perfect Lamb of God.
Perhaps as he
carefully pried the crown from His head, looked at the gaping hole in His side,
the deep mass of abrasions upon His back, and the mutilated wounds in His hands
and feet, a sense of outrage engrossed him, that this could happen to such a
Man as this. But the words of the prophet Isaiah rang within his heart:
He was wounded
for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for
our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.
. . the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all...He was led as a lamb to
the slaughter . . . For the transgressions of My people He was stricken...Yet
it pleased the LORD to bruise Him . . . By His knowledge My righteous Servant
shall justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities. (Isa. 53:5–11)
Jesus of
Nazareth was stripped of His robe, that we might be robed in pure
righteousness. He suffered a deathly thirst, that our thirst for life might be
quenched. He agonized under the curse of the Law, that we might relish the
blessing of the gospel. He took upon Himself the hatred of the world, so that
we could experience the love of God. Hell was let loose upon Him so that heaven
could be let loose upon us. Jesus of Nazareth tasted the bitterness of death,
so that we might taste the sweetness of life everlasting. The Son of God
willingly passed over His life, that death might
freely pass over the sons and daughters of Adam.
May Calvary’s
cross be as real to us as it was to those who stood on its bloody soil on that
terrible day. May we also gaze upon the face of the
crucified Son of God, and may shame grip our hearts if ever the fear of man
comes near our souls. May we identify with the apostle Paul, who could have
gloried in his dramatic and miraculous experience on the road to Damascus. Instead, he whispered in awe of God’s great love:
God forbid
that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the
world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. (Gal. 6:14)
THANKSGIVING INCLUDES A LOVE FOR AMERICA
Charisma News
– Nov. 22, 2018 -- Thanksgiving is actually critical theme to a spiritual
awakening in America. This part of our foundation is specifically Christian,
and it is uniquely patriotic. No other nation in the world has a day set aside
to give thanks to the God of the Bible for sparing and providing for those
early pioneers.
Let's make
sure we include the reason for there being a Thanksgiving in our celebration.
Let's make sure we give thanks not only for our own blessings, but let us give
thanks to God for America and its Christian foundation.
Too many
people are accusing preachers of mixing Christianity and politics or
patriotism. Those who understand how this nation was founded are jealous for
her godly heritage. There is nothing wrong with a love for nation as long as it
is grounded in a love for Jesus Christ.
There is,
however, something wrong with a professing Christian who voted for a party and
an anti-Christian platform that is pro-abortion, pro-gay marriage, anti-Israel
among many other things and who say that portions of the Word of God are
hateful and judgmental. When they utter such things, we know the portions they
mean. They are crusading to defend every sexual sin condemned in the Bible.
Let us be
thankful to God for America, and let us pray that the Word of God may continue
to have free course and be glorified in our nation. Let us pray also to be
delivered from wicked and unreasonable men who do not have faith.
"
Finally, brothers,
pray for us, that the word of the Lord may quickly spread and be glorified,
even as it did with you. And pray that we may be delivered from unreasonable
and wicked men, for not all men have faith" (2 Thess. 3:1-2).
Let us also
pray and give thanks for all men, especially for our president and those in
authority.
"Therefore
I exhort first of all that you make supplications, prayers, intercessions, and
thanksgivings for everyone, for kings and for all who are in authority, that we
may lead a quiet and peaceful life in all godliness and honesty, for this is good
and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved
and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Tim. 2:1-4).
Notice that
thanksgiving is a part of this prayer. Too many have a sense of entitlement
when it comes to America. The question now seems to be "What can my
country do for me?" not "What can I do for my country?" There
are many more ungrateful people living in our nation than ever before.
Notice also
the reason we are to give thanks and pray for those in authority. It's so strife,
division, hatred, conflict and potentially unrest and war can be prevented so
we can live in peace. And for what reason? So that the
gospel can move, and more people can come to the
knowledge of the truth and be saved (v. 4).
Those who
accuse us of being too political or patriotic and placing American politics
before the gospel don't fully realize the connection.
America is
still the greatest nation on the face of the earth and I am grateful for the
many privileges and blessings of my citizenship. There are many enemies from
within who want to take those privileges and blessings away from us. There are
many who want to transform this nation into something God never ordained or
intended.
Thanksgiving
is a great time of year to remember our roots and rejoice and give thanks for
our nation and the many freedoms and blessings we still enjoy.
GREG LAURIE ANSWERS A TRICKY QUESTION
ABOUT HEAVEN
Sometimes it
is difficult to wrap our minds around this eternal destination called heaven.
Charisma News
– Feb. 26, 2019 -- What will it be like for us? Will it seem strange? Will it
really feel like home? The mental pictures we conjure up seem so surreal, so
mystical, so misty and foggy at times.
But there is
nothing misty or foggy about heaven. The Bible presents heaven as a future
destination, identifying it as a real place and a home that will be
inexpressibly better than anything we are experiencing now. The Bible promises
that in heaven, we will be given new bodies that will be strong and healthy,
and we will never have to deal with pain or sorrow or fear again.
As I talk to
people about our life in the presence of God, however, three or four questions
invariably surface. You might call them down-to-earth questions about a
beyond-the-earth realty.
Let's consider
one of these: Will we still be married in heaven? Some people would be very
happy to think that there would be marriage in heaven. Others would not be so
happy. So what's the answer?
It's really
yes and no.
You will still
have many of the relationships in heaven that you had on earth. Yes, you will
be receiving a new body, made to last forever, and you will be relocating to
heaven and ultimately to the new earth that God will establish. But that won't
erase history. No, it will culminate history.
But
what about the marriage relationship? Actually Jesus was asked that very question by a group of
religious leaders known as the Sadducees. Now this group of leaders, in
contrast to the Pharisees, didn't believe in the resurrection of the dead or
life after death.
Maybe that's
where they got their name, because they were so sad ... you see. It's a pretty
bleak outlook to have no hope of life beyond the grave. This group of Jewish
leaders thought they would trap Jesus with a hypothetical situation they'd
dreamed up (see Matt. 22:23-28).
With that
question, these guys smugly supposed they had the Lord trapped, and He wouldn't
be able to answer. Jesus quickly put that idea to rest, however, with His
response (See Matt. 22:29-30). So although you won't be married to your spouse
in heaven, you will be married to the Lord, because the Bible clearly describes
us as the bride of Christ. When we go to heaven then, we will join our groom,
and in that sense, there will be marriage on the other side.
The human
institution of marriage culminates in heaven, and we will no longer be married
in the technical sense. But that doesn't mean our relationship will end. God's
plan for our lives doesn't stop in heaven; it continues. God doesn't abandon
His purposes in heaven. He fulfills them. Therefore, friendships and
relationships that have begun on earth will continue in heaven richer than
ever.
This week,
take another look at what God says about heaven and what awaits you, not as a
fantasy, but as a reality yet to be experienced and a continuation of God's
plan for your eternal life. Continue to pray for the here and now regarding
God's will for you and your loved ones as well as your extended family,
friends, church, community, state and national leaders. Unite with others of
like mind to pray for unity and world-wide revival. Read: John 14:1-2, 1 Timothy 2:1-4, James 5:16.
ADAM AND THE ANIMALS
Ecclesiastes 3:21 “Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth
upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth
downward to the earth?”
Creation
Moments – Oct. 16, 2019 -- During his oh-too-brief “born again period”, Bob
Dylan sang “Man Gave Names to All the Animals”. His song was basically a catchy
nursery rhyme and, understandably, did not attempt to understand why God had
brought these animals to Adam to name.
God had just
said that it was not good for Adam to be alone – by which He meant that Adam
was not complete, not that there was anything evil in his singleness. God said,
“I will make a helper fit for him”. God had, therefore, already determined to
make woman. So when He brought the animals to Adam for Adam to see if there was
a helper there, God knew that there was not. This exercise was, therefore, a
lesson for Adam.
In Old
Testament times, names meant something. In order to name something, one had to
know something about it. Therefore, Adam was exercising his deductive powers as
he gave these animals names. He was learning about the attributes of a variety
of animals. At the end of the exercise, Adam determines that there is no helper
among the animals.
The lesson
that God was teaching Adam, therefore, by getting him to name animals, and by
God’s subsequent creation of woman, was that Adam was to understand that he was
not like the animals. He did not evolve from the animals. It was not possible
even for Adam to take a female ape as his helper, which could have been the
case if Adam were simply a newly evolved simian.
NEW CREATURES IN CHRIST
At the moment
of salvation, a person becomes a new creature in Christ. Some of us may have
felt the change as the burden of sin was lifted and replaced with forgiveness
and hope. But what if we didn’t feel anything? Are we still saved?
Salvation is a
result of hearing the gospel and responding in repentance and faith. Emotion
may accompany the transformation but doesn’t determine its validity. Becoming a
new creation involves much more than our emotions:
A New Position. Before salvation, we were enemies of God, but through Christ’s
death on our behalf, we have been reconciled to Him and have become His beloved
children. With His death on the cross, Jesus paid the penalty for all our sins.
And what’s more, His righteousness was then credited to us in a legal
transaction the Bible calls justification.
A New Presence. At the
moment of salvation, the Holy Spirit took up residence within us. He works to
transform us in a process called sanctification, whereby we become
increasingly righteous in practice.
A New Power. Because we still struggle with sin and selfishness, living up
to God’s standard is beyond our own abilities. But when the Holy Spirit came
into our life, He brought with Him the power of almighty God, which enables us
to become and do whatever He desires.
What we have
now is the seed of what we will eventually become. Although at present it’s
difficult to discern the changed life of a Christian, it will be evident when
Jesus returns and brings our bodies into conformity with His glorious body (Phil. 3:21).
In Touch
Ministry
"The
Grace in which we stand is more than we deserve"
PRIOR ISSUE
INTERESTING INFORMATION 11/20/2019
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URL - CHINA CHANGES BIBLE CHARACTERS TO ANCIENT CHINESE IN OFFICIAL
CHURCH MAGAZINE: 'IT'S SO BIZARRE'
https://watchjerusalem.co.il/633-archaeology-verifies-the-reign-of-judahs-youngest-king
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: –
“Heaven’s delights will far
outweigh earth’s difficulties” – Our
Daily Bread
INTERESTING ARTICLES
·
Why the Trump
impeachment attempts prove we are in perilous times
·
Joy Behar says
Democrats need to lie to get into office
·
Young Muslim women
serge to success in American Elections
·
People will say just
about anything to have sex
·
The most interesting
sounds you’ve never heard
·
A GLIMSE OF HEAVENLY
PRAISE
·
‘S
INTERESTING ARTICLES
WHY THE TRUMP IMPEACHMENT ATTEMPTS PROVE
WE ARE IN PERILOUS TIMES OF THE LAST DAYS (Excerpt)
"By
perseverance the snail reached the ark." —Spurgeon
Charisma
News – Nov. 4, 2019 -- Because we'll face hardship and heartache in life and
increasingly hard times in days ahead, it's imperative that Christians
understand suffering and the role of patience and perseverance to prepare.
God
is again readying an ark of safety as in the time of
Noah so it's time to heed His call.
Perseverance
is best friends with patience. Patience is the quality of being patient, calmly
waiting; perseverance is continuing on course amidst suffering, pressure and
discouragement. Pressure reveals the person, ideally pressing us into God.
Those
believing that times prior to the return of our Lord will be glorious should
read the picture Jesus painted for us in Revelation 22:10b-11, where He
foretold, "The time is just about up. Let evildoers do their worst and the
dirty-minded go all out in pollution, but let the righteous maintain a straight
course and the holy continue on in holiness." The prophet Isaiah painted a
clear picture of the end times as having both gory and glory—"light has
come" as "darkness shall cover the earth and deep darkness the
peoples" (Isa. 60:1-2).
The
theme of endurance takes on greater significance for Christians in these end
times. Jesus warned us: "Then they will hand you over to be persecuted ...
You will be hated by all nations for My name's sake.
Then many will fall away, and betray one another, and hate one another ...
Because iniquity will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who
endures to the end shall be saved" (Matt. 24:9-13). Scripture tells us how
this essential character quality is developed: "We know that suffering
produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope" (Rom.
5:3b-4).
Ominous
storm clouds are on the horizon: overt hostility to Christian values;
allegations destroying reputations without due process; incivility, angry
protests and boycotts of businesses; far-left politicians, celebrities and
educators hammering godless socialism, abortion on demand, infanticide,
physician-assisted suicide, drug legalization and sexual anarchy; nonstop
mockery and mean-spirited attacks upon our president; corruption of the media;
LGBTQ propagandizing of children in schools; libraries and shopping malls now
hosting drag queen shows as entertainment (The Wall Street Journal,
Oct. 19, 2019).
Let's
be brutally honest—here in America we have enjoyed relative peace, prosperity
and protection until recently. With religious freedoms eroding, we must
"stand against the schemes of the devil" and "be alert with all
perseverance and supplication for all the saints" (Eph. 6:11; 18).
The
oldest book in the Bible, the book of Job, contains invaluable insights to help
us endure as we face suffering and opposition.
"My brothers, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an
example of suffering and patience. Indeed, we count them happy who endure. You
have heard of the patience of Job and have seen the purpose of the Lord, that
the Lord is very gracious and merciful" (James 5:10-11).
Here's
the deal: These are days of preparation. We need to break free from any
shackles that would hinder us from standing strong in what Scripture calls
"the evil day" (Eph. 6:13).
Job
persevered, passed the test and it paid off in the end. With pressures,
opposition and suffering increasing for Christians, we're wise to learn lessons
from Job, who was a heroic example of perseverance for these perilous times.
"Therefore,
since we are encompassed with such a great cloud of witnesses, let us also lay
aside every weight and the sin that so easily entangles us, and let us run with
endurance the race that is set before us" (Heb. 12:1).
JOY BEHAR SAYS DEMOCRATS NEED TO LIE TO
GET INTO OFFICE
For Democrats,
honesty isn’t the best policy after all.
WND – Nov. 5,
2019 -- The news from Friday that former Texas Rep. Robert “Beto”
O’Rourke had dropped his doomed bid for the Democratic presidential nomination
added one refreshing element to the usual cackling on the ABC talk show
"The View" on Monday.
It got the
shrewish Joy Behar to blurt out an unexpected truth: Democrats need to lie
about their goals if they ever expect to get elected.
To Behar,
O’Rourke’s problem was not his vow to confiscate weapons -- that “hell, yes,
we’re coming for your AR-15s” -- it was that he was stupid enough to be honest
with the American people about wanting to wipe out one of the rights guaranteed
by the U.S. Constitution.
And the worst
part was, her audience applauded.
The admission
came when the panel was discussing what was left of the Democratic field after
O’Rourke’s pained departure.
Resident
conservative voice Meghan McCain called O’Rourke’s end a cautionary tale for
Democrats who let the adulation of the base go to their heads.
“Beto, when my
husband told me he got out of the race, I think he’s actually like a beta test
for why going so national and being beloved by the media is always dangerous. …
He raised $80 million, and President [Barack] Obama was drawing comparisons to
him,” McCain said.
“He did a lot
of, like, battleground culture war, and he ran as the most left, most ‘woke’
candidate. And look where he ended up.”
And that’s
when Behar chimed in.
“They should
not tell everything they’re going to do,” she said. “If you are going to take
people’s guns away, wait until you get elected and then take them away. Don’t
tell them ahead of time.”
There’s no
denying there’s more than a kernel of truth to what Behar said.
Getting
elected by twisting the truth isn’t exactly new to anyone in politics,
regardless of party. But in 21st century America, with a biased mainstream
media that no longer even pretends to cover politics fairly, Democrats have raised – or lowered – dishonesty to a new level.
Their last two
presidents are probably better known for their lies than any truths they might
have told (assuming, for the sake of argument, that they did tell one or two
truths).
Bill Clinton’s
“I did not have sex with that woman” and Obama’s “If you like your doctor, you
can keep your doctor” are practically legends of lying in American politics.
But what Behar
was encouraging was worse than either of those whoppers. She was talking about
infringing on a constitutional right but deliberately dissembling about it in
advance.
AND SO IT BEGINS! YOUNG MUSLIM WOMEN SURGE TO SUCCESS IN
AMERICAN ELECTIONS
Politics expert: Women of color are "next generation of
leaders"
The Jerusalem
Post – Nov. 8, 2019 -- Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib
has lent her support to the 26 Muslim candidates emerged victorious in
Tuesday's off-year US elections, tweeting news of their successes.
The election
wins brings the total number of Muslims elected to office in the States this
year to 34. Fifteen of the candidates were newly elected. Muslim advocacy
groups have described the results as a blow against Islamophobia and a triumph
for community organization.
Tlaib is one of four Democrat congresswomen
who have shot to prominence thanks to their demagogic support for minority
rights. Describing herself as a Palestinian American, she regularly uses
Twitter to attack Israel.
Retweeting a video by minorities-supporting campaign group
"She The People" on election day, Tlaib commented: "Get out of the
way. We are here and more are coming."
Among the winners was 23-year-old Safiya
Khalid, who took her seat on Lewiston City Council with nearly 70 percent of
the vote.
Khalid, who arrived in America as a Somalian refugee aged seven
and was dogged by online abuse throughout her campaign, told supporters that
the win proved “community organizers beat internet trolls.”
Nadia Mohamed, 23, was another former Somalian refugee to win a
city council position, in St Louis Park, Minnesota. She replaced the outgoing
Democrat with 63 percent of the first-choice votes.
“When I close my eyes and think of an elected official, I get a
different image that’s been in the history books,” she said.
In Virginia, four Muslim women won their races. Democrat Ghazala
Hashmi unseated incumbent Republican Glen Sturtevant in a surprise victory to
take a State Senate seat.
Also celebrating in Virginia were Lisa Zargarpur,
elected to the Prince William County School Board, Buta
Biberaj, who became Loudoun County’s new
commonwealth’s attorney in a tight race against the incumbent Republican
candidate, and 24 year-old Abrar Omeish,
who took a place on the Fairfax County School Board making her both the
youngest person to hold elected office in the state.
"What do Muslim Americans do during a time of heightened
Islamophobia under a xenophobic administration? We run for office and
win," said Linda Sarsour, executive director of
Muslim-American advocacy group MPower Change.
Mohammed Missouri, Director of JetPac, an
organization that trains American Muslims to run for office, concurred, saying:
"the surge in Muslim candidates running for office in recent years is, in
part, a direct response to open expressions of Islamophobia in the U.S.,
including White House policies that critics see as anti-Muslim."
Richard Meagher, a political science professor at Randolph-Macon College in
Virginia said the results should make pundits question their assumptions. “We
always hear about electability concerns, but women of color are not just
electable, they’re the next generation of leaders for the Democratic Party of
Virginia,” he said.
Credited Hashmi’s success
in part to a district that was undergoing change, he added: “Chesterfield is
the leading edge of the urbanization of the suburbs. We’re used to suburbs
voting with rural districts, but they’re becoming more like the cities.”
PEOPLE WILL SAY JUST ABOUT ANYTHING TO
HAVE SEX
At what point does embellishment turn into an outright lie?
WND – Nov. 5,
2019 -- First impressions are important, especially when it comes to dating. We
all want to be seen in the best light by a potential new romantic flame or
sexual partner, but at what point does embellishment turn into an outright lie?
If you’ve ever felt like your date or that mysterious stranger you met in the
corner of the party isn’t being completely honest with you to better their
chances for some bedroom action, a new set of research suggests you were
probably right.
When the
possibility of a sexual or romantic encounter reveals itself, the study finds
people are very likely to present themselves in a deceptive manner in order to
appear as attractive as possible to their potential new mate. According to
scientists from both the University of Rochester and the Interdisciplinary
Center Herzliya in Israel, as our “sexual systems”
are activated in the presence of an attractive stranger, it is common for
people to embellish, conform, change their attitudes regarding certain topics,
and outright lie all to make a good first impression.
To be clear,
what the research team have dubbed “the activation of
the sexual system,” doesn’t actually entail physical sexual arousal. Instead,
it refers to when our brains first become aware that we are attracted to
someone nearby and begins to formulate sexual thoughts and inclinations.
THE MOST INTERESTING SOUNDS YOU’VE NEVER HEARD
Psalm 77:17 “The clouds poured out water: the skies sent out a sound:
thine arrows also went abroad.”
Creation
Moments – Oct. 3, 2019 -- We are surrounded by sounds, some of which can be
louder than an airliner taking off. Yet, we never hear these sounds. It’s
called infrasound. It’s real sound that can be recorded if you have the right
equipment.
Infrasound
waves are below 20 hertz, the lowest frequency we can hear. Because the sound
waves are long, they can travel hundreds or even thousands of miles. Volcanic
eruptions regularly generate infrasound and so does the wind. But, perhaps most
interestingly, those beautiful Northern Lights that often color the night sky
also generate infrasound. The sound is produced when the incoming solar
particles push the air outward. While we are not able to hear infrasound, it
does influence us. Researchers in England placed an infrasound generator in a
concert hall and, during the performance, infrasound
was added at selected points. After the concert, the audience was asked about
their emotions during certain passages of music, or if they had had experienced
any strange feelings during the concert. Researchers concluded that infrasound
intensified whatever emotional state the music had produced in people. So, if
you have ever watched the Northern Lights and thought you were almost hearing
something, it was likely the infrasound you were sensing.
The more we
learn about the creation God has given us, the more we find to marvel at how
excellent is His workmanship.
A GLIMSE OF HEAVENLY PRAISE
Anyone who
isn’t sure that Jesus is God and is worthy of worship should take a look at
today’s passage. This heavenly scene opens with a dilemma—no one is found
worthy to open the scroll in God’s right hand until the Lion of Judah, the root
of David, appears as a Lamb standing as if slain.
This is none
other than Jesus Christ, who offered Himself as a sacrifice for mankind’s sin.
He took our sin upon Himself, suffered the punishment we deserved, and clothed
us in His righteousness so that, through faith in Him, we could be reconciled
to God. Now He stands in heaven, receiving praise and honor from all its
inhabitants. He alone is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll, which
contains God’s final plans for human history.
If the angels,
the elders, and the four living creatures praise the Son and the Father with
such reverence, awe, and exaltation, then we who are direct recipients of
divine mercy and grace can, too. The citizens of heaven hold nothing back in
their unceasing worship and adoration as they humbly bow before the throne.
Considering
all that our triune God has done for us, praise should be our humble and joyful
response. He delights in hearing our voices raised in adoration and worship as
we declare that He is worthy of all honor.
Is God the
focus of your thoughts and emotions as you join with fellow believers in
exalting Him, or do you sing the words thoughtlessly or get caught up in an
emotional experience? Although worship will be perfect only in heaven, let’s
start practicing now.
In Touch Ministry
"The
Grace in which we stand is more than we deserve"
SECTION II - SPECIAL ARTICLES/ BOOK
REVIEWS
IN THIS
SECTION:
· WHAT HAPPENS AFTER
WE DIE? (WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS)
· WHAT’S IN A
NAME?
· "BOB
PIERCE - THIS ONE THING I DO" - A
BOOKREVIEW/SUMMARY
· "THE
HIDDEN CODES OF THE BIBLE" - A BOOK REVIEW/SUMMARY
· "SIGNS
OF THE TIME” - A BOOK REVIEW/SUMMARY
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER WE DIE?
By D.E. Davis
For Christians, we are told in Scripture in 2Cr 5:8 that to be
absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. For those who turn away
from God, we are told that they are eternally separated from God and go to a
place called Hell. Rev 14:11 says that
the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and
ever.
The question that everyone ponders is: What really happens after we
die? Do we just lay dormant until the Lord takes us to be with him or until
judgement is handed out at the Great White Throne as called out in Rev. 20:11?
Are we conscience? Do we feel, touch, think, recognize loved ones, know what is happening around us? All questions that we have
ask ourselves, no doubt, at some time in our life.
My own personal review of the Scriptures has led me to believe that
after we die, even though our body may be dead and buried, our Spirit is alive
and fully conscience. Chuck Missler likens this state
of conscienceness to the software that runs the
Computer; once the hardware goes, the software remains intact and available for
further applications.
There are two illustrations in the Bible that makes it clear as to
what happens after death, when we're in the spirit.
The first one is illustrated in the Luke account of Lazarus and the
rich man in Chapter 16. After death, Lazarus, a man of God, is escorted into
Abraham’s Bosom, a holding compartment in Hell for the Believers prior to the
Cross. The non-believing rich man was "buried" and went into a
separate compartment in Hell (Hades), apart from Abraham’s Bosom, where he was
in Torment according to Scripture. Both were in a Spirit state; yet by the
account, they could see each other and speak to each other.
The second account is in Revelation, where John is taken (in the
Spirit) to Heaven to see those things that shall come to pass prior to the
return of Jesus Christ to the Earth, or Second Coming (not the Rapture).
I had to conclude from the study, based on the following Scripture,
that all of the senses we have here on earth will be with us throughout
eternity, even unto death.
·
THE
ABILITY TO LOOK/SEE - Luke 16:23;Rev. 1:12;4:1,4; 5:1,2; 6:1,2,8,9; 7:1,2; 8:2;
9:1,17; 10:1,5; 13:1,2,3;14:1,6; 15:1,2; 16:13; 17:3,6; 18:1; 19:11,17,19;
20:1,4,11,12; 21:1,2,22; 22:8
·
THE
ABILITY TO HEAR - Rev. 1:10; 4:1; 5:11; 6:1,3,5,6,7; 7:4; 9:13,16; 10:4,8;
12:10; 14:2,13; 16:1,5,7; 18:4; 19:1,6; 21: 3; 22:8
·
THE
ABILITY TO BEHOLD ( to obtain knowledge of: understand: perceive) - Rev.
5:6,11; 6:5,8,12; 7:9; 8:13; 13:11
·
THE
ABILITY TO REASON - Luke 16:30
·
THE
ABILITY TO CRY (even though there will be no more crying in Heaven) - Rev.
5:4,5; Luke 16:24
·
THE
ABILITY TO SPEAK - Rev. 5:13; 10:9; 21:6,15; Luke 16:24, 29,30,31
·
THE
ABILITY TO FEEL/TOUCH - Luke 16:23, 24,25
·
THE
ABILITY TO REMEMBER - Luke 16:25
·
THE
ABILITY TO WONDER - Rev. 17:6
·
THE
ABILITY TO WRITE - Rev. 1:11; 10:4; 19:9
·
THE
ABILITY TO QUESTION - Rev. 7:13
·
THE
ABILITY TO TAKE (THE BOOK/ROD) - Rev. 10:8,9,10
·
THE
ABILITY TO FALL (ON KNEES) - Rev. 19:10; 22:8
·
THE
ABILITY TO STAND - Rev. 13:1
·
THE
ABILITY TO WORSHIP - Rev. 19:10; 22:8
·
THE
ABILITY TO PERFORM TASKS - Rev. 11:1
God has promised in 1 Thess 4:16 and 1
Cor. 15:52,53 that one day, we shall be reunited with Him in body and will be
transformed and conformed to Him - in the twinkling of an eye. We are also told
in Scripture that we shall see Him face to face- see the Lamb that was slain
for you and me. We know by His Word, that we will Praise Him, Worship Him and
Rule with Him.
One thing in the study that I found extremely fascinating was the
difference in treatment between Lazarus and the non-believing rich man.
Scripture says that Lazarus was escorted to Heaven by an Angel, but there is no
indication in Scripture about how the rich man arrived at Hell. Could it be
that God had a specific purpose why He chose not to tell us in Scripture?
Finally, knowing that others may have varying interpretations of
these Scriptures, I strongly urge you to review the Scriptures yourselves to
determine what you find as the truth according to God’s Word.
WHAT’S IN
A NAME?
For those who
wish you had some other name because you don't like the name you were given,
you had better think twice. It is most
likely that the name your parents picked out for you was not their choice but
God's choice. Let’ s
face it, the word of the Lord is true.
That's why in Eph. 1:4, God proclaimed that He had chosen us from before
the very beginning of the world.
If you follow
the Genealogy of Adam in Genesis, Chapter 5 (*) you will receive an insight
into what importance God put in names - It's an exciting message:
Genealogy Meaning
Adam Man
Seth Appointed
Enosh Mortal
Kenan Sorrow
Mahalalel The
blessed God
Jared Shall
come down
Enoch Teaching
Methuselah His
Death shall bring
Lamech The Despairing
Noah Rest,
Comfort
Now let us look
at God’s Plan for Redemption:
"Man (is)
appointed mortal sorrow; (but) the Blessed God shall come down teaching (that)
His death shall bring (the) despairing rest."
Let us now look
at the Genealogy of Abraham (*):
Genealogy Meaning
Abraham Predestination
Isaac Called
Jacob Justified
Joseph Glorified
(*) Source:
Chuck Missler’s Briefing package: “A Walk Thru the
Bible”
WELL YOU SAY!
BUT THAT WAS ALL OLD TESTAMENT AND WOULDN'T BE APPLICABLE FOR TODAY - WOULD IT?
Well, let us see.................. As a Christian, did God not choose you by name at the same time he chose Adam, Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph - before the very foundation of the world? If God had a purpose for their name, would you expect anything less for your name since He chose you at the same time?
As a Christian,
You ought to thank God daily that you, by your given name, was written in the
Lamb's book of life before the very foundation of the world and that you will
be a partaker in all the promises of Rev
21:27.
Within the last
couple of years, researchers have found many startling discoveries through the
use of super computers, specifically, hidden codes that God supernaturally
placed within the Hebrew text of the Bible.
Over 2000 years ago, the names of historical and current leader’s names
were placed in the Bible. Such names as Adolph Hitler, Eichmann, Arafat, Peres,
Rabin, Rabin's murderer Amir, Ben-Zion Netanyahu, Saddan
Hussein, George Bush, Schwarzkoph, Peter Arnet (CNN), Timithy McVeigh,
Bill Clinton.
Do you think
that God would limit His calling out to just those who had a highly visible
historical impact on this world? There
is no doubt that He had a purpose in doing this, if nothing else, just to get
your attention that He is the Creator; that He alone knows the beginning from
the end.
It is my firm
belief that as we advance further with our computer technology and peel back
the layers of the Hebrew text of the scriptures, we will make many more
startling and exciting discoveries. One
being that God has written each and every one of our names in His Word.
HERE IS WHAT GOD
SAID: Isaiah 66:22 "For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will
make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so
shall your seed and your name remain."
BOOK REVIEW by D. E. Davis (September 1997)
BOB
PIERCE -"THIS ONE THING I DO"
By Franklin Graham with Jeanette Lockerbie
It is amazing the worlds that open up to an individual, once the
Power of the Holy Spirit comes upon him. Just three years ago, where once I was
blind to Missions, to all the inspired men and women God has called to service
and the multitude of people all over the world who have been saved,
new worlds are ever opening to me to see how awesome the power of God is in our
Christian lives.
Such was the power and strength of faith Bob Pierce had in our Lord
and Savior, Jesus Christ. It is
difficult for me to even attempt to assess where God has put Bob along
with other past great men of the faith, but from what I read about his life
with Christ, he certainly had his eyes focused on Jesus! I personally feel inadequate and humbled to
even put in words, my thoughts about this man.
Bob was a man Blessed by God. I feel sad that I never had an opportunity to
know him, but look forward to meeting him one day in heaven.
If ever there was a verse of scripture that represented Bob Pierce,
it had to be the title of this book as taken from Philippians 3:13,14
".......this one thing I do,....I press toward the mark for the prize of
the high calling of God in Jesus Christ."
Bob was raised in Los Angeles and at the age of 12, gave his life
to Christ and was baptized in the Nazarene Church. "God simply called me
to give my heart to Jesus, and I followed Him." He died in 1978 of leukemia but lived his
life for Christ in between in between those dates as if Christ was coming
tomorrow and he still had to witness to the whole world before dawn broke. Throughout his career, he dedicated his life
mainly to Missions and over the years was responsible for founding such World
re-noun programs as "World Vision", an organization dedicated to
meeting the emergency needs in crisis areas such as Korea after the Korean war. During that time
of need, he established
a Korean Orphanage, serving over 30 thousand Korean war orphans. Bob was also responsible for starting the
World re-noun Korean Orphan's Choir. As
an outgrowth of "World Vision" he founded "World Medical
Mission" which covered all emergency medical needs in countries all over
the world which had no medical facilities.
He was also founder of "Samaritan's Purse" and organization
dedicated to funding World emergency need, no matter where they were. These organizations are still meeting the
needs of those in crisis today.
If his work through these organizations was not enough, he became a
United Nations War Correspondent during World War II; was Co-founder for
"Youth for Christ"; and became a Motion Picture producer/Radio
program host, author and a lecturer, but first and last, he always considered
himself an evangelist! Even though Bob knew that he was "extraordinarily
gifted by God, he was never impressed with himself - he considered himself just
an earthly vessel, available at all times for the exclusive use of the
Lord".
In his own words, he had "many flaws, failings but had
abundant faith in God who lives and cares about people."
If I had to pick four areas of the Christian life that I feel truly
represented Bob Pierce, they would be 1) Unwavering Faith, 2) Compassion for
others, 3) Obedience to God and 4) Commitment to accomplish the Will of God in
his life.
From the Beginning, Bob knew his calling was for Missions to the
Asian Countries. His first mission led
him through Hawaii to Hong Kong and eventually to China. Getting to China was his first big test of faith
- he had no money, even for the first leg to Hawaii. Bob held the opinion that God knows ones
needs already and if He has called you to a task, He will provide and enable
you - just move out! He did just that and went to the L.A. airport that day without
any money in his pocket. His faith paid
off as God provided the funding for each leg of his trip just at the moment he
needed it. This was the norm rather than the
exception throughout his career as an evangelist. What ever
it was, where ever it was, if God called, Bob would act no matter what the
circumstance......he knew that God would always provide.....and He did!
Bob had a compassion for the spiritually and physically suffering
of the world. "He was the friend of
the little people, the forgotten, the hurting, the maimed, the unheard and the
unsung". Bob's theme was "Let
my heart be broken with the things that break the heart of God". It was
Bob's personal belief that "wherever you find men and women who really
love Jesus Christ, you find the compassion of Christ spilling out of them to
meet human need." Over the years World Vision, Samaritan's Purse and other
organizations like them; one in particular, Mission Aviation Fellowship Pilots
(MAF), who flew Missionaries around the world in crisis situations, helped so
many helpless and needy men, women and children. They knew first
hand the healing power of God.
Bob dared it all to be obedient to the Lord's call. Once he had in focus the mission that God
wanted him to accomplish, he followed in Faith to bring the unsaved to
Christ. It was his opinion that " If you are an ambassador, act like one!"- no matter where you are. Bob would bring to memory how other
great men of Faith were obedient even in the face of death. During World War II, a young South Korean
Pastor, Mr. Im was mistaken for a North Korean
Communist and imprisoned. During his
internment, he would go around camp singing "Jesus Loves Me" and
other Christian songs. He not only
uplifted and inspired other fellow Christian prisoners to come together, he brought many more to Christ. Together he and another prisoner, Chaplain Voelkel, established a Bible Study where over 6,000
prisoners finished a six month Bible Study.
Six Hundred (600) of those finishing the Bible Study became pastors and came back to Korea
to preach the Gospel. In another
instance, he related how a Korean school teacher was put to death in front of
his students because of his faith and obedience to the Lord.
To be an ambassador for the Lord "is one of the greatest
things that could ever have happened to anyone - to let God put a fish hook
into you so deep that there is no way of ever getting off the hook."
"Bob did one thing all
of his life, and that was to lead people to the foot of the Cross where they
would put their faith in a risen Lord Jesus Christ. He lived every minute completely amazed that
God could use him. No matter how much he
was able to do in how many places, it was never enough." This was the kind of commitment Bob made to
Jesus; "to commit yourself, give yourself away to God irrevocably, forever. Say to Him, go ahead and burn me up. Spend
me. Eat me up. Use me for you
Glory." And that's exactly what he did.
Being a man of God was not always easy for Bob and he paid a high
price. In one measure or another he had
to forsake his wife, his family, his Mother and Father, his brothers and
sisters and other worldly possessions to follow Jesus. He not only lost his health, he lost his
Daughter, Sharon, to death.
Committing your life to Christ in a Godless society is never easy;
many times you feel like you may be the only one putting your life, your self image, your social acceptance on the line. As Bob came to realize, ". Someone has to go and pay that humiliating
price of literally letting your ego be stomped on- not just pushed in and
suppressed, but laid out there for people to stomp on. We need to do this by the grace of God with
love and patience: sow the seed on rocky soil, nurture it, and maybe never be
applauded."
Committing your life to Christ really comes down to this; What really matters
to you in Life?
On his death bed in the City of Hope, Bob left us this one message
- "I don't care what you have attempted. What you have succeeded at, or
what has been your work in Christ's name while you are here on earth - only one
thing matters when you have reached the last step before you go to stand before
Christ:
- Did you tell men and women who Jesus is?
- Did you bring them to some comprehension of His redeeming love?
- Did you make it plain to them that He alone can pay their way to
heaven throughout His atoning death on the cross?"
Such was the life of a man of God, Bob Pierce.
HIDDEN CODES OF THE BIBLE
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ACT 17:11 - Exhorts you to daily review the scriptures
to see if what is being said is true
References: Grant
R. Jeffrey - "The Signature of God"- RECOMMENDED READING
Other reading: "The Hebrew Factor" by Yacov
Rambsel
Prepared
by D. E. Davis
Daniel 12: 4 - "But thou, O Daniel, shut
up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to
and fro, and knowledge shall be increased."
Here is undeniable proof, the third in the
series, that every word, every letter and every punctuation in Bible text was
put their by the inspiration of God. It gives new meaning to the words
"increase knowledge". It's just
one of the many signs, and without a doubt, the most exciting revelation that
God said he would reveal to man in the "end time". As you will see, God has put his signature
throughout the Bible, has revealed History before it ever happened, all through
hidden codes that were supernaturally placed into text which was written over
2,000 years ago; which could only be found with today's computer technological
advances. The codes are found in what
scholars call "Equidistant Letter Sequences" or ESL. That is, each sequential letter in an encoded
word or phrase was found the same distance apart numerically; The exact interval designed by God.
Actually, the discovery of hidden codes in
scripture dates back to before WWI and it was not until 1988 that the use of computers were able to detect a significant amount of
coding in scripture. Since then, the
research that Grant Jeffrey and others have done has just exploded and new
discoveries are happening every day.
Here is a summary of what has been found and outlined
in Grant's book, referenced above. It is
my understanding that he is in the process of writing another book to tell what
he has found subsequent to "The Signature of God".
Luke 21:15 - " For I will give you a
mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay
(refute) nor resist."
Proverbs 25:2 - "It is the glory of God
to conceal a thing: but the honor of kings is to search out a matter."
What follows is what most of the human race
would find hard to believe. It
unfathomable to think that the Hebrew Bible, containing 304,805 Hebrew letters,
written by 40 individuals could contain hidden messages that if one letter was
taken out of the text, one word was removed, the hidden message could not be
revealed......yet the message has been sustained for over 2,000 years and has
been revealed to man just as Jesus said it would be. Jesus has actually placed His name and other
messages about Himself into text which proves he is the creator of all; King of
Kings and Lord of Lords.
GOD'S
SIGNATURE
God has personally signed scriptures
throughout the Old and New Testaments in various ways. For example in the Old Testament, he has
encoded his name, Jesus, in the following scripture:
God has also encoded unbelievable detail
about many of the things we read about and which touch our lives daily. For example, he outlines:
PLACES
AND THINGS
·
Gen. 2: 4-10 - The key word "Eden" was
spelled out sixteen (16) times in the span of 379 Hebrew letters. The letters were all equidistant from each
other.
·Gen. 2
- In this chapter which deals with the garden of Eden, scientists found
encoded in the Hebrew text, Twenty-five (25) names of trees that were in the
Garden
of Eden.
·
Gen. 1:1 - Starting with the first appearance of the
Hebrew letter "Tav", the word
"Torah" was found every 50th letter.
·
Ex. 1: 1 - Again, starting with the first appearance of
the letter "Tav" and counting every 50th
letter, the word "Torah" was spelled. Num./Deut.
- In the book of Numbers the word "Torah" was found spelled backwards
every 50th letter. In the book of
Deuteronomy, "Torah" was found again spelled backwards, but this time
every forty-ninth (49) letter.
NAMES
AND EVENTS
·
Holocaust
·
Deut. 10: 17-22 - Beginning with the second to last
appearance of the Hebrew letter "bet" in this passage, they found
every Thirteenth (13) letter, the phrase "b'yam marah Auschwitz" which means "in the bitter sea
of Auschwitz." Also encoded in
this passage were the names of the other Nazi Concentration camp, "Belsen".
·
Deut. 33:21 - Beginning with the letter (resh) that appeared in the Hebrew word "Yisreal," and counting every twenty-second (22) letter
from the left to right they found the phrase "re'tzach
alm" discribing the
Holocaust, which when translated, means "a people cry murder,
slaughter."
·
Adolph Hitler
·
Deut. 10: 17-22 - The word "Hitler" spelled
out in Hebrew was found every twenty-second (22) letter.
·
Deut. 33:16 - Beginning with the first appearance of the
Hebrew letter "mem" and every two hundred and forty-sixth (246)
letter from left to right you find that the coded letters spelled out the
phrase, "Melek Natzim,"
which translates as the "king of the Nazis."
·
Eichmann
·
Deut. 32:52 - Beginning with the appearance of the first
letter (aleph) and counting from left to right every six hundred and seventy
(670) letters, the name "Aik'man" is spelled,
which is the Hebrew form of the name "Eichmann."
·
Egyptian President Anwar Sadat
·
"Sadat occurred together with the name of the
leader of the Moslem Brotherhood
assassinating team that killed him.......it contained the year of his
assassination, 1981, and the words
"president," "gunfire," "shot'" and
'Murder".
·
Desert Storm
·
Beginning in Gen. 1:7 and continuing through the rest of
Genesis, Grant Jeffrey indicated at the Prophesy Conference in Irvine,Ca. on 27 Sept. 1996 that
they had recently found information in hidden code in scripture relating to
Desert Storm. I believe more details
will be available in Grant's next book.
·
The French Revolution
·
Gen. 39,41 - "Another
passage in the Book of Genesis revealed a cluster of encoded words that deals
with the French Revolution. The
following words are clustered ogether" "Mapecha HaSarfatit" which
spells "the French Revolution" in Hebrew, "Louis," the name
of the French king, and the word "Beit (house of Bourbon,") his royal
dynasty. In the same cluster were the
following words: "Hamarseilles" (the name of the French anthem) and the
word "Bastillia" (the infamous French
prison for political prisoners........"
OTHER
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
·
Word pairs - "In their initial experiment,
.......the scientists arbitrarily chose three hundred (300) Hebrew
word-pairs that were logically related in meaning, such as hammer and anvil, or
tree and leaf, or man and woman." ".....the researchers were
astonished to find that every single word-pair had been located in Genesis in
close proximity to each other."
·
King David's Ancestors
·
Gen. 28 - " Every one of the five Hebrew names of
these ancestor of King
David (Pharez, Zerah,
Boaz, Obed, Jesse) were found encoded at forty-nine (49) letter intervals,
hidden within the text of Genesis 38".
·
Famous Jewish Rabbi - "The Jewish people celebrate the
memory of their famous sages by commemorating their date of death. Incredibly, the computer program found every
single one of the sixty-six names of these famous rabbis embedded in the text
of Genesis paired at significantly close proximity with their actual date of
birth or their date of death."
IS
THE HEBREW BIBLE UNIQUE TO GOD' S INSPIRED EMBEDDED CODES?
Grant points out that "The researchers
attempted to reproduce these results by running the computer program on other
religious Hebrew texts outside the Bible, including the Samaritan Pentateuch.
.......the researchers could not detect word pairs in the Samaritan Pentateuch
or any other Hebrew text outside the Bible.
In fact, an exhaustive analysis reveals that no other Hebrew text
outside the Old testament contains these mysterious
codes, not even the Hebrew apocryphal books written during the four hundred
years before the birth of Christ"
A
WORD OF CAUTION
"No one can search the Torah using these
codes to foretell future events. The
reason is that it is impossible to extract the encoded information unless you
already know what the future facts are."
"The prophet Isaiah warned against false prophets and declared that
only God can Prophesy
future events accurately
(Isa. 46: 9,10).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Computer tapes are now available so
that anyone with a computer can personally verify the existence of these codes
beneath the text of the Scriptures.
As Christians, we can stand firm in the word and shout for joy. God has given us "the words and the wisdom that none of our adversaries will be able to refute or contradict", no matter how much they try!
PRAISE
THE LORD!
SIGNS OF THE TIME
References: Grant
R. Jeffrey - "The Signature of God"- RECOMMENDED READING
Prepared by D. E. Davis
June 10, 1997
Prelude
How do we know that Jesus is the one true God when there
are so many religions, cultures and cults that claim that they serve the one
true god? How about Buddha, Allah?
Scripture says that God alone knows the beginning from the
end. The way that God establishes His
authority is through Biblical Prophesy. There are over 500 prophesies that were
prophesied over 2,000 years ago that have all come to pass. There are still some Old Testament that have
yet have to be fulfilled (Daniel Ezekiel), but there has never been an event
prophesied that has not come to pass in it’s time.
100% accuracy tells us that the God of the Bible is the only true God. No one else in the history of the world,
living or dead, can make this claim.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In Matthew 24:3, just before Jesus' ascension
into heaven, the disciples of Jesus ask Him what would be the sign of His
second coming. Over the centuries
various groups have attempted to guess when Christ would return to the earth to
claim His inheritance as promised throughout scripture. As we know, no one has been right yet!. God clearly states
in Matthew 24:36 that no man, not even the angels, know the day or the time
when Christ will return. Only God the Father knows.
This summary is
clearly not another attempt to forecast this event. This summary does, however, attempt to
provide an awareness of what is happening around you so that you will not be
caught unaware. (Ref. Luke 21:34 and Matthew. 24:42).
ACT
17:11- Exhorts you to daily review the scriptures to see if what is being said
is true.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------THE
SIGNS OF THE TIME-------------------
Grant Jeffrey has done a wonderful job of
providing critical information about events that are happening in this
generation that all Christians need to know;
Events that were prophesied over 2,500 years ago. Approximately 90% of the material contained
herein was extracted and summarized from Grant's book. I highly recommend reading this book as it
contains so much more that you will want to know.
THE
REBIRTH OF ISRAEL
The rebirth of Israel was prophesied in
several scriptures throughout the Bible.
Isaiah 66: 8 predicted that Israel would be born again in
"one" day. Ezekiel 4:3-6 and Levitcus
26:18 foretold the exact number of days that it would take Israel to
re-establish themselves as a nation in the last days. ( The
exact calculation can be found in Grant Jeffrey's book referenced above). On
May 14, 1948, the Jews proclaimed their independence of the reborn state of
Israel.....The exact day that was predicted over twenty-five (25) centuries
ago.......No other ancient nation ever ceased to exist for a period of
centuries and then returned to take its place on the stage of world
history."
PRESENT
ARAB-ISRAELI CONFLICT
In Psalms 83:2-8, God inspired King David to
predict that upon Israel's rebirth as a nation it would be immediately surrounded
by their enemies. The modern names of
those nations named in scripture include Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and
Syria....the nations that have now joined the Palestinians in their attempt to
destroy Israel.
In Gen. 12: 3, God has promised to punish those
nations that come against Israel.
"I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee; and in thee shall all families of the earth
be blessed."
RESTORATION
OF THE HEBREW LANGUAGE
When Israel was captured by Nebuchadnezzar in
approx. 562 B.C., Israel was no longer allowed to speak the Hebrew language,
but had to learn the language of the Chaldeans.
The Lord predicted, however, through Zephaniah 3:9, that he would restore
a pure language to Israel so that they may "serve him with
one consent". It was in the
early part of this Century that the Hebrew language was revived from the dead
language. Today, Hebrew is a living
language to over 5 million Israelis.
THE
FERTILITY OF ISRAEL
In Isaiah 27:6; 35:7 and Joel 2:23, the Lord
prophesied through these prophets that the deserted, unproductive, barren land
of Israel would once again become productive in the last days and that Israel
would experience tremendous increases of rain.
Ever since Israel has returned to the land, they have flourished in the
land and now supply over 90 percent of the citrus fruit consumed in
Europe. Rainfall has increased by more
than "10 percent every decade for the last century and Israel has planted
in excess of two hundred (200) million trees and transformed the complete
environment of the Promised Land."
According to the United Nations, Israel is now "the most
agriculturally efficient land on earth."
THE
UNWALLED CITY
Ezekiel 38:11 speaks of the future invasion
of Gog and Magog (Russia) saying "And thou shalt say, I will go up to the
land of un-walled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell
safely, all of them dwelling without walls and having neither bars nor
gates". Grant explains that "even army bases and Israel's settlements
in the West Bank and Gaza have no walls today.........How could Ezekiel have
known twenty-five centuries ago that the development of modern weapons such as
bombs, airplanes and missiles, would have made walls and gates irrelevant for
defensive purposes in the last days. In
the ancient past even small villages as well as cities depended on walls for
defense against invading armies."
PLANS
FOR REBUILDING OF THE TEMPLE
Revelations 11:1, 2 foretells of Israel
rebuilding the Temple in the last days.
There is much controversy between the Israelis and the Muslim's because
the Dome of the Rock (Al-Aqsa Mosque) it is believed, sits on the very spot
where the Temple is suppose to be built. In recent years, however, aerial Infra-red
photography shows that this may not be the case. Ezekiel 44:14-18, tell about the sacred
vessels and linen robes that must be used in the Temple. "The Temple Institute in Jerusalem has
already prepared over 75 of the objects, vessels, and linen garments required
for future Temple service.......over 500 men from the tribe of Levi have
already been trained to fulfill the duties of Temple worship and
sacrifice."
Update:
Just recently in the Washington Post on May
28, 1997, it was reported that a 10 month old heifer named "Melody" is the
first red heifer to be born in Israel in over 2,000 years. "In ancient times, the ashes of a red
heifer were mixed with spring water to purify high priests before they entered
the Temple."
THE
REBUILDING OF BABYLON
We know that the old city of Babylon (now
called Iraq) will be built again in the end times because Isaiah 13:6, 19
foretells of its destruction. In Isaiah
34:8-10 it is prophesied that the rebuilt City of Babylon will burn for ever.
"As unlikely as it seems, the Iraqi
government of Saddam Hussein has spent over one billion dollars rebuilding the
ancient city of Babylon and intends that it will become the center of their
future renewed Babylonian Empire.
Interestingly, the whole city of Babylon was built over an underground
lake of asphalt and oil."
THE
ANOINTING OIL
The prophet Daniel prophesied in Dan. 9:24
that the when Jesus returns, that the most Holy of Holies will be anointed with
the anointing oil. "One of the five
ingredients, afars' mon, was
thought lost forever, when the Temple was destroyed in A.D. 70 and the only two
groves of afars'mon trees in existence were burned
to the ground. Incredibly, several years ago, archeologists
in Israel found a clay flask buried near the Dead Sea caves filled with the
ancient oil of anointing. Scientists
confirmed that the oil is two thousand years old and is composed of the precise
ingredients described in Exodus 30:25,26."
PESTILENCE/FAMINES/EARTHQUAKES
Matthew 24:7 prophesied that in the last days
"For nation shall rise against nation and Kingdom against Kingdom: and
there shall be famines, and pestilence, and earthquakes, in divers (various)
places." Grand Jeffrey writes
regarding these matters:
·
Pestilence - In 1991, the Central Intelligence Agency
produced a report which "concluded that up to 75% of the population of
Africa living in the area south of the Sahara Desert may become infected with
AIDS over the next 12 years. This will
mean the death by AIDS of over three hundred million people in Africa alone. In July 1991, the South African Medical
Journal reported that a staggering 47% of black male and female blood donors
tested positive for AIDS during 1989."
In Nov. 1996, the
Associated Press reported that "Sexually transmitted diseases are
diagnosed 12 million times a year in the United States - including a staggering
3 million cases among teen-agers".
·
Famine - The
United Nations today "claim that over thirty million in Africa are now at
risk of dying from the most devastating famine in this century. The UN estimates that one billion people are
in danger of starvation while another billion lack proper nutrition. North American food reserves (grain and corn)
are at the lowest level in sixty years."
·
Major killer earthquakes – “Major Killer earthquakes
(7.2 or greater on the Richter scale) occurred
only once per decade throughout history until our century. However, since A. D. 1900, the growth in
major earthquakes has been
relentless. From 1900 to
1949 it averaged three major quakes per decade.
From 1949 the increase became awesome with 9 killer quakes in the
1950's; 13 in the 1960's; 56 in the 1970's and an amazing 74 major quakes in
the 1980's. Finally, in the 1990's, at
the present rate, we will experience 125 major killer quakes in this
decade."
WORLD
WIDE COMMUNICATION
In Revelation 11:9,10,
it is prophesied that during the tribulation period, the antichrist will have
the two witnesses that God sent killed and their bodies will lay in the street
for three and a half days while the whole world watches.
Did not the whole world watch Desert Storm on
CNN television? With all the
technological advances in telecommunications, including the recent opening of
the World Wide Net to our computer industry, any event happening in any part of
the world can now be viewed while it is happening. The prophesy of the two witnesses could literally be fulfilled
today. This could not have happened just
10 or 15 years ago.
INCREASED
KNOWLEDGE AND TRAVEL
Daniel 12:4 prophesies how much knowledge and
travel will increase in the end time. "But thou, O Daniel, shut up the
words, and seal the Book, even to the time of the end: Many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall
be increased."
Today, it is estimated that "Human
knowledge is growing so quickly that it literally doubles every twenty-four
months." With the discovery
through the use of modern "Super" computers by Grant Jeffrey and
other researchers of the hidden codes that God supernaturally designed into the
original Hebrew text of the Torah describing not only the history of the world
in advance, but also verifying his Authority through His personal signature
throughout his scripture, we realize that God chose this generation to reveal
this unique aspect about himself.
It is also amazing that in this century, we
have gone from horses to cars, from cars to supersonic spacecraft; not only can
we now travel the world in a matter of hours, but in the case of the U.S. Space
Shuttle Discovery, we can now travel at speeds in excess of eighteen thousand
miles per hour.
REVIVAL
OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE
Daniel 2:40-44 predicts that the old Roman
Empire will be revived in the end times into a ten Nation alliance. We currently see the foundation being laid
today through the European Economic Community. "In 1957, six (6) Countries
signed the Treaty of Rome laying the foundation for the future United States of
Europe.............Since then the Maastricht Treaty consolidated the fifteen
(15) Nations of the European Union into the worlds
first superstate." All it will take is the re-shuffling and/or
the consolidation of Nations to bring this prophesy to
a literal fulfillment.
ODDS
THAT THESE PROPHECIES WERE FULFILLED BY CHANCE IN THIS GENERATION
"In the Bible there are several types of
generations. One generation is defined
as the length of life of the average person - seventy or eighty years. However, a generation of governing is usually
defined as forty years,...........During the last two
thousand years since the days of Christ, there were fifty such forty-year
generations. Therefore, the odds are one
chance in fifty that any one of these specific prophecies happened by chance in
our generation rather than some other generation."
"The odds that more than one event
happening in our life time are:
"Another way of looking at this is that
the chance that the prophets of the Bible correctly guessed these prophecies is
also one in 97,500 trillion............in other words, it is simply impossible
that men alone could
have written the Bible
without the supernatural assistance and inspiration of God."
Matthew 24:32-35 - "Now learn a parable
of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth
forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see
all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This
generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my
words shall not pass away."
Luke 21:28 - "And when these things
begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your
redemption draweth nigh."
ANTI-CHRIST
TO BE REVEALED
As of today, no one knows who the Anti-Christ
is, but we do know what God has told us about him:
Many people try to spiritualize or say the
events prophesied in the Bible are just symbolic. Any doubt about how God handles these
prophetic events should have been erased on May 14,1948. God is literally fulfilling scriptural
prophesy before our very eyes. Can we
expect anything less for those few remaining prophesies for which He has
promised the world; 1) the removal of the one who restrains the man of
lawlessness/Sin (the rapture of the Church), 2) His second coming to take
possession of His inheritance, 3) The millennial kingdom and 4) the new heaven and new earth.
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Ezekiel 33:6 - "But if the watchman see
the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the
sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his
iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand."
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