INTERESTING INFORMATION CHRISTIAN MINISTRY
CONFIRMING BIBLICAL TRUTH
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
INTERESTOING INFORAMATIONINTERESTING INFORMATION 3/4/2026
Est. 1997
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’s
DE
“However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find any faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8b)
Ezekiel 34:2 “Shepherd, feed the Flock
"FOR EVERY CLOUD THERE'S A RAINBOW"
https://www.heritagechurchmckinney.com/messages/For%20Every%20Cloud%20There's%20A%20Rainbow.mp3.
Pastor Len McLaughlin, Heritage Church, McKinney, Tx
This is a wonderful Message. Don’t miss it, you will be blessed!
Pass it on to your Homebound Family and friends
CHRISTIAN MUSIC VIDEO
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK – “The tongue must be heavy indeed, because so few people can hold it.”– Anonymous
SUMMARY OF ARTICLES
· The power of the tongue: How your words are shaping your spiritual destiny
· 10 habits for a healthy, holistic and happy life
· Is there Life on other Planets?
· GOD’S WORD TO US
INTERESTING ARTICLES
POWER OF THE TONGUE: HOW YOUR WORDS ARE SHAPING YOUR SPIRITUAL DESTINY
Charisma News – Mar. 1, 2026 -- “If you begin to complain and speak negatively, your whole spirit, your whole soul is going to be brought into darkness,” Rabbi Kirt Schneider warns in a recent teaching.
In his in-depth study of the book of James, Rabbi Schneider reminds believers that, while “we all stumble in many ways,” there is one area that reveals spiritual maturity more than almost any other: our words.
James writes, “If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well.” The message is clear. If we can control our tongue, we can influence the entire trajectory of our lives.
Rabbi Schneider explains it plainly: “If you can get control over the words that you’re speaking, it’s going to create the trajectory of your life. As you speak, your whole being goes in that direction.” Words are not neutral. They are directional. They move the soul.
He warns, “If you begin to complain and speak negatively, your whole spirit, your whole soul is going to be brought into darkness. On the other hand, when you speak light, when you speak faith, when you speak goodness, when you speak goodwill, your soul is going to move into the trajectory of light more and more.”
James uses powerful imagery to describe this truth. A bit in a horse’s mouth directs the entire animal. A small rudder steers a massive ship. In the same way, the tongue—though small—controls the course of our lives. “See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire,” James writes.
This is not merely about avoiding obvious sins like slander. It goes deeper. Rabbi Schneider challenges Christians to examine not only the words themselves, but the spirit behind them.
“We have to get control over what we say, not only in the words, but in the energy that’s behind the words. What is motivating the words? What’s the motive behind what we’re saying?”
Sometimes, he explains, we speak simply because we are uncomfortable with silence. “Many of us are not comfortable when there’s silence in the room… They’re restless. The natural human tendency is to be restless in the silence.” But James calls the tongue “a restless evil and full of deadly poison.” When we speak from anxiety or restlessness rather than from the Holy Spirit, destruction often follows.
The apostle also confronts the inconsistency many believers live with: “With our tongue we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men who have been made in the likeness of God… My brethren, these things ought not to be this way.”
Rabbi Schneider presses the point further. Gossip and criticism do more harm than we realize. “When I speak ill of somebody, it brings everybody around me down into darkness.” Even if listeners join in, trust is eroded. “If he’s talking about so-and-so behind their back, how can I trust them that they’re not talking about me behind my back?”
Scripture instructs believers to dwell on “whatever is pure, whatever is good, whatever is beautiful,” and to “speak only that which edifies the hearer.” That discipline is not easy—but it is transformational.
“What I’m speaking of takes hard work. It takes discipline. But living a godly life takes discipline.” Yet the reward is profound. As we restrain our words, we build spiritual strength. “As you control your tongue, you’re going to feel better. You will feel better.”
Even more, controlling the tongue becomes the gateway to controlling the mind. “The first way to get better control over our thoughts is to get control over our words. Because until we get control over our words, we’re not going to be able to get control over our thoughts.”
When the tongue is sealed by the Holy Spirit—when only life-giving words proceed from our lips—something powerful happens. “Our soul is going to ascend into the light of Hashem, into God’s presence, into God’s glory.”
This is not a condemnation. It is an invitation.
Your words are shaping your soul. Choose light.
10 HABITS FOR A HEALTHY, HOLISTIC AND HAPPY LIFE
Charisma News – Feb., 2026 --Drawing from decades of ministry experience, Tomczak outlined 10 habits designed to cultivate a healthy, holistic and genuinely happy life.
1.Seek God first each day
Tomczak stresses the importance of beginning each day in God’s presence. Setting aside time for prayer and Scripture before daily demands helps establish spiritual focus, clarity and peace that shape the rest of the day.
2. Commit to obeying the Ten Commandments
Rather than presenting God’s commands as legalistic rules, Tomczak describes them as timeless principles that protect life, relationships and moral clarity. He notes that obedience leads to personal stability and healthier communities.
3. Cultivate contentment and gratitude
Contentment, Tomczak explains, is a learned discipline. By practicing thankfulness in every season, believers guard their hearts against discouragement and develop a steady joy rooted in trust in God.
4. Walk humbly as a servant
Using Jesus’ example, Tomczak highlights humility as a posture of service. True humility is expressed through practical acts of love and a willingness to put others first in everyday life.
5. Practice generosity
Generosity is framed as a habit that brings freedom and spiritual health. Tomczak warns that stinginess leads to inward focus, while open-handed giving reflects faith in God’s provision and produces lasting fruit.
6. Discover and use your God-given gifts
Tomczak encourages believers to intentionally identify and develop their spiritual gifts. Those gifts, he says, are meant to be used for God’s glory and the benefit of others, not hidden or neglected.
7. Prioritize healthy sleep
Adequate rest is presented as essential rather than optional. Tomczak encourages believers to establish calming nighttime routines and to trust God for peaceful sleep as part of a balanced life.
8. Observe a regular day of rest
Tomczak emphasizes the importance of a weekly Sabbath rhythm. A consistent day of rest restores energy, sharpens focus and protects against burnout over the long term.
9. Feed your faith and renew your mind
Faith grows through consistent exposure to God’s Word. Tomczak urges believers to build daily habits that strengthen spiritual confidence and align thinking with biblical truth.
10. Commit to healthy living
Physical health, Tomczak notes, supports longevity and effectiveness. Regular exercise and wise eating are framed as acts of stewardship that help believers serve God with strength and endurance.
Building Habits That Last
As the calendar moves beyond January, Tomczak’s message serves as a reminder that lasting change is built through consistency, not intensity. By cultivating these habits, believers can move forward with renewed purpose, steady faith and confidence that God honors a life aligned with wisdom, balance and obedience.
IS THERE LIFE ON OTHER PLANETS?
Charisma News – Feb. 25m 2024 -- There has been more and more news about UFOs and aliens. Since there have been sightings for over 50 years with little said, "Why now?" We see that even Christians have begun to voice belief in alien beings and life on other planets. But the Bible is clear that there is no life on other planets. The Bible proves that life exists only on the earth. What exactly does it say? First, it says that God is always described as the God of the Earth, and not the God of other planets.
· "The God of the whole earth shall He be called" (Isa.54:5b, KJV).
· "He is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath" (Josh. 2:11c).
· "Thou hast made heaven and earth" (Isa. 37:16c).
God's Word also says the earth is inhabited. It never says other planets are inhabited. God specifically created life only on this planet (Gen. 1), and created man to dwell on it.
· "Since the day that God created man upon the earth" (Deut. 4:32g).
· I have made the earth, and created man on it" (Isa. 45:12a).
· Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named" (Eph. 3:15).
And Psalm 115:16 reads, "The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord's: but the earth has He given to the children of men." Job 7:1 says, "Is there not an appointed time for man upon earth?" God didn't say that He gave other planets to the children of men, but only the earth.
In Genesis 1:14 we read that planets were created "for signs, seasons, days and years." This does not indicate that planets were created for any other purpose. Then God said, "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years."
The Bible also repeatedly tells us that Jesus came into the world to save sinners. He did not come to save any other being on any other planet. Salvation through Christ is only for human beings, who are descendants of Adam on the earth.
· "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners" (1 Tim. 1:15b).
· “The Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world" (1 John 4:14b).
· "God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him" (1 John 4:9b).
Look at Romans 5:12, where it says, "As by one man's sin entered the world and death by sin." There is no death anywhere else but on earth, no sin before man, no blood shed before man, no death before Abel (Read also Luke 11:50-51; Rom. 12; 2 Cor. 5:21).
Another thing to understand is that God's attention is only on the earth and human beings.
· "For He looks to the end of the earth" (Job 28:24a, NKJV).
· "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong" (2 Chron. 16:9a).
· "The whole earth is full of His glory" (Isa. 6:3b).
· "For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord" (Isa. 11:9b).
Let's look at talk of extraterrestrials. If they were real, they would have a sin problem and be in need of redemption. The problem is that they would have no Savior. Why? Because Jesus has no power to forgive sins off the earth even if there were life on other planets.
· "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners" (1 Tim. 1:15b). "Look unto Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth!" (Isa. 45:22a).
· "The Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins" (Matt. 9:6b, KJV).
Also look at how Jesus is described in the Bible. Jesus became the God-man, not the God-alien. He is called "the last Adam." The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
· "The first man Adam became a living being" (1 Cor. 15:45b).
Jesus Christ died only once, rose again and paid for the sins of mankind. He died only for those who live on the earth, and no place else, as written in the Word:
· "for this He did once for all when He offered up himself" (Heb. 7:27b).
· "Once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin" (Heb. 9:26b). "the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all" (Heb. 10:10).
The Bible never describes life on other planets. God is the God of the earth alone, a place He created for mankind to dwell. He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ to die for our sin.
GOD’S WORD TO US
God reveals Himself through His Word—and changes us forever.
Most everyone can access a Bible today, yet this book often sits unopened on a shelf or coffee table. If we truly grasped its worth, however, we would prize God’s Word above everything else. All of Scripture was inspired by the Holy Spirit. Every thought and word in the Bible originated with God Himself (2 Peter 1:20-21).
Consider how we treasure letters from people we love. Our response to Scripture should be even stronger. The Creator of the universe—the God who holds eternity in His hand—recorded truths that are necessary for His children to live abundantly and joyfully. What’s more, God reveals Himself through His Word, which is so powerful that it can transform our life (Hebrews 4:12).
Our love for the Bible is rooted in its essential purpose. Romans 10:17 tells us that “faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” Scripture, then, is key to our understanding of saving faith. How could such a book ever become commonplace in our heart and taken for granted?
Think about the last time you saw a Bible. What was your reaction? Did you read it with excitement or a sense of reverence? Next time you open this precious book, read the words, savor their meaning, and ask God to help you apply His lessons to your life.
In Touch Ministry
PRIOR ISSUE
INTERESTING INFORMATION 2/25/2026
Est. 1997
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’s
DE
“However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find any faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8b)
Ezekiel 34:2 “Shepherd, feed the Flock
https://www.heritagechurchmckinney.com/messages/You%20Are%20What%20You%20Wear.mp3
Pastor Len McLaughlin, Heritage Church, McKinney, Tx
This is a wonderful Message. Don’t miss it, you will be blessed!
Pass it on to your Homebound Family and friends
CHRISTIAN MUSIC VIDEO
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK – “ IN THE DARK? FOLLOW THE SON” – Our Daily Bread
SUMMARY OF ARTICLES
· Following Jesus ‘‘At a distance” will cost you your Faith
· Hell is no laughing matter
· Satan: The exciter of sorrows
· GOD IN THREE PERSONS
INTERESTING ARTICLES
FOLLOWING JESUS ‘AT A DISTANCE’ WILL COST YOU YOUR FAITH
Charisma News – Feb. 22, 2026 -- Pastor Travis Johnson is urging Christians to stop keeping Jesus at arm’s length. Appearing on Ministry Now on Daystar, Johnson said the modern church is in danger of repeating Peter’s mistake by following Christ “at a distance” rather than with bold conviction.
Citing Luke 22, Johnson pointed to the moment after Jesus’ arrest when “Peter followed him at a distance.” He argued that this single phrase reveals the beginning of spiritual collapse.
“If you follow Jesus from a distance, you’ll lose your faith. If you follow him closely, you’ll change the world,” Johnson said.
He admitted that he once struggled with what he called a “respectable faith.” As a young pastor meeting with potential clients, he bowed his head to pray but covered his face as if he had a headache so no one would notice. “It’s embarrassing,” he said. “I can’t even actually I wish I had not told that to everybody right now.”
Johnson said many believers attempt to balance cultural approval with spiritual identity. But he rejected the idea that Christianity can remain socially neutral. “Church isn’t a TED talk and our faith isn’t a social club,” he said. “He’s either Lord of all or He’s not at all.”
Using Peter as a case study, Johnson described what he called three stages of an embarrassed Christian. First comes being “respectably distant,” where faith is softened to avoid offense. Next is being “variably committed,” where believers choose which parts of Scripture to follow. The final stage is outright denial.
“We talk a lot about deconstruction right now. When I was younger, we just called that backsliding,” he said.
Johnson said Peter’s restoration began with the resurrection. As a teenager, Johnson wrestled with whether Jesus was truly divine and even historically real. Studying history and the martyrdom of the disciples convinced him otherwise.
“Why would Peter die for Jesus if he was dead? He wasn’t. He was alive,” Johnson said. “Jesus is not in the grave.”
That conviction, he said, transforms embarrassment into boldness. He pointed to Acts 2, where Peter, once ashamed, “stepped forward with the 11 others” and preached with power.
“When you stand with Jesus, you will never stand alone,” Johnson said.
Johnson also sees signs of renewed spiritual hunger, particularly among Gen Z. He said rising Bible sales and church attendance signal opportunity. “Faith is back in style. Family is back in style and freedom’s back in style and there’s a window over heaven that’s open with an opportunity for revival,” he said.
Still, he emphasized that revival begins with personal surrender. “A person with a testimony is never at the mercy of someone with an argument,” he said. “Your best ability is your availability to Jesus.”
Johnson’s message was direct. Lukewarm faith leads to drift. Bold faith changes lives. Christians, he said, must decide whether they will sit at a distance or step forward in power.
HELL IS NO LAUGHING MATTER: WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT ETERNITY
Charisma News – Feb. 22, 2026 -Hell has once again become a point of public discussion among Christians after commentator Kirk Cameron said he now leans toward annihilationism rather than eternal conscious suffering. Cameron has stated he is open to changing his mind and considers the issue secondary to the Gospel. Still, many believers were surprised that such a foundational doctrine would be reconsidered.
In the middle of that renewed debate, author and speaker Bill Wiese has stepped forward with a simple but weighty question: What does the Bible say?
Wiese opens his recent teaching without theatrics or mockery. “Will people exist forever in hell? Yes, most certainly. You will not cease to exist.” His tone is direct and sober. The subject, he makes clear, is not theoretical. It is eternal.
He grounds his position in the nature of God and the authority of Scripture. “There is no scripture that supports an unbeliever will be spared from eternal torment and hell. God will not change his word.” Quoting Psalms 89:34 and Malachi 3:6, he emphasizes that the Lord does not alter what He has spoken. If God has described punishment as everlasting, Wiese argues, believers cannot redefine it to make it more palatable.
The discussion has intensified in part because annihilationism can sound less severe. The idea that the lost simply cease to exist after judgment appears, at first glance, more compassionate. But Wiese insists compassion must begin with truth. “God made us eternal beings in Genesis 1:26.” If humanity is created with an eternal dimension, the issue is not whether people live forever but where they will live forever.
He also addresses the seriousness of sin itself. “We have sinned against a holy, omnipotent, perfect, almighty God.” Wiese explains that the gravity of an offense is tied to the one offended. Sin against an infinite God carries eternal consequence. He points to the cross as proof that God does not treat sin lightly. “He gave the human race his very best in sending his own son to die in our place on the cross. And then people scoff at that fact or flat out reject this amazing free gift of salvation.”
For Wiese, hell is not about cruelty. It is about justice and the rejection of grace. He rejects the notion that time spent in hell could somehow pay off sin. “Time spent in hell could never pay for our sins. Our time is not valuable enough to God. Only the shed blood of Jesus has that value.” Citing Hebrews 9:22 and Ephesians 2:8-9, he stresses that salvation is by grace through faith and not by works. If human effort cannot save, neither can prolonged suffering.
Central to his argument is Matthew 25:46. “And these will go away into everlasting punishment but the righteous into eternal life.” Wiese notes that the same Greek word aionios is used for both punishment and life. “The same word is used to describe both heaven and hell’s duration.” If eternal life truly means forever, he argues, then eternal punishment must mean the same.
He further points to Revelation 20:10, which describes the devil being “tormented day and night forever and ever.” Wiese says this defines what everlasting means. “So here we see that the place the devil and men are cast in is defined as day and night forever and everlasting.” He also references Revelation 14:10-11, which says the smoke of their torment ascends forever and they have no rest day nor night. “To be tormented with fire and brimstone one has to still exist.”
In raising these passages, Wiese does not mock those who disagree. Instead, he repeatedly returns to Scripture. His approach is not sensational but textual. The conversation sparked by Cameron’s comments has revealed how uncomfortable many believers feel about hell. Yet discomfort does not erase doctrine.
Hell is not a punchline. It is not a debate topic to be handled casually. It is a warning wrapped in mercy. Wiese closes with a question that frames the matter plainly: “So all humans are eternal beings. The question is, will you spend it in everlasting bliss in heaven or in everlasting torment in hell? You decide.”
SATAN: THE EXCITER OF SORROWS
What excites you?
Koenig’s Int’l News – Jun. 14,2023 -- Ask most people today what enlivens them and you’ll likely get the standard laundry list of supposed pleasures with which we’re all familiar.
Let’s start off with the trifecta of money, fame, and power. That gets a rise from just about everybody. But have you noticed that many who get them also have train-wrecked lives?
Writer Cynthia Heimel: “I pity celebrities…[they] were once perfectly pleasant human beings. But now their wrath is awful. I think when God wants to play a really rotten practical joke on you he grants you your deepest wish and then laughs merrily when you realize you want to kill yourself…They worked, they pushed and the morning after each of them became famous they wanted to take an overdose. Because, that giant thing they were striving for, that fame thing that was going to make everything OK, that was going to make their lives bearable, that was going to provide them with personal fulfillment and happiness and they were still them. The disillusionment turned them howling and insufferable.”
A few wake up to that reality after a while. For example, Lady Gaga admitted, “I have traveled the world and seen the happiest people in the poorest parts of the world. Their values are intact. In the richest homes I meet the saddest and most depressed people.”
What about love and/or sex? Judging by the number of websites and businesses devoted to helping people find both, this one’s also got to be at the top of the thrill-me list.
And yet, today we’re seeing a meltdown of cosmic proportions in the area of love and relationships that has turned what God intended for good into a misery party that grows by the thousands every day.
For example, young women everywhere are now exasperatedly starting to ask, “Why aren’t men ‘wifing’ (i.e., marrying) us?” A recent article took a stab at their question and found that a growing number of young men are confused about their own sexuality, have decreasing levels of testosterone, and can’t form meaningful relationships due to the stimulation they get from…you guessed…porn.
And it’s not just a small number of men who are affected. A study found that many young adults are excitedly pursuing digital intimacy over real-life relationships, with 61% saying they tune into X-rated content “regularly”.
Hard as it is to believe, absent a genuine relationship, some women are now starting to ‘marry’ digital, non-existent men.
I could give more examples, but you get the point. And so, what’s the result of all the above? Nobody’s happy.
And what’s the result of nobody being happy? According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, although advances in healthcare have driven down the death rate of young Americans, “In an alarming reversal, rates have now risen to the highest level in nearly 15 years, particularly driven by homicides, drug overdoses, and suicides.”
Heavy sigh.
If, like in the movie The Matrix, we could peel back the reality we see, we’d find the actual battle that’s producing all the woe above, which is what Paul described in Ephesians 6: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (6:12).
Not realizing the spiritual battle they face, people pursue things they’re electrified by only to be dashed on the rocks of sin’s consequences. And all of it is spearheaded by the one the Bible calls “the ruler of this world” (John 16:11).
Another very fitting and interesting title for him is found in the Catholic 1614 Rite of Exorcism. It’s one of the most apt names I’ve ever seen for Satan: “the exciter of sorrows”.
The Tempter
Jesus touches on the devil at the end of what we call The Lord’s Prayer with a phrase that has puzzled many people: “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (Matt. 6:13).
The confusion in the statement arises from the text seeming to say that God can tempt us to sin, a charge countered by James who says: “Let no one say when he is tempted, “God is tempting me”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone” (James 1:13).
The perplexity is resolved when it’s understood that, although there are two phrases in Christ’s statement, they are actually saying the same thing. It’s what’s called a synonymous parallelism in Scripture.
The expression “deliver us from evil” is many times correctly translated as “the evil one” because it is in the singular, masculine form in the Greek text – clearly a reference to the devil. And the phrase of not being led into “temptation” is referencing Satan’s role as the tempter (Matt. 4:3, 1 Thess. 3:5) and his domain being one of temptation.
So, what we have in this petition is the ask of being kept out of the devil’s hands and from his domain of ‘temptation’ – a term which (interestingly) has as one of its synonyms, the word “excitement”.
We could paraphrase the request: “Don’t let us get excited about the wrong things and keep us from the power of the one from whom they come”.
In his essay, “I talk back to the devil,” A. W. Tozer correctly observes the following about excitedly seeking the wrong things that the enemy offers – what the writer of Hebrews calls “the passing pleasures of sin”: “[Satan] knows that if we continue in this kind of bondage, we will never be able to claim our rightful spiritual heritage. He knows also that while we continue in this kind of enslavement, we are not much better off than when we were spiritually dead.”
Remember, the enemy’s name of Satan doesn’t mean ‘the adversary’ for nothing. His aim for you is to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10) and that goal more often than not begins with his work in our lives as “the exciter of sorrows.”
To counter him, “be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might” (Eph. 6:10) and remember: “The LORD will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul” (Ps. 121:7).
GOD IN THREE PERSONS
The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have unique roles while remaining one in essence and purpose.
There are people—including some long-standing Christians—who regard the Trinity as a hierarchy, but that isn’t biblical. Scripture shows all three members of the Trinity are fully God:
The Bible confirms that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are equally God. They function as a single unit—no one is more important or less essential than the others. All three are focused upon their plan for mankind: salvation, transformation, and glory for God.
In Touch Ministry
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
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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."
THE SIGNATURE OF GOD
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:
THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD FROM ANCIENT TIMES UNTIL TODAY
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).
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"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.
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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.
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----------------------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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