Heaven Bound

Signs. What would we do without signs? Go here … stop there … turn here  … helpful and necessary if people utilize them correctly but when there’s a multitude of signs in a short space of time or place it can get confusing.

I think that’s where we’re at today prophetically speaking. So, many signs and seemingly important events just in the last year or so that we can barely keep up. And while we’re grateful for signs at some point it begins to have the opposite effect. Probably because we have certain expectations about how things will play out and when they don’t we tend to become a bit jaded or even disillusioned. That being said, we have two signs that occurred in the last hours of 2024 and the early hours of 2025 that deserve mention. Both of which involved lightning in one form or another.

Just before midnight on New Years Eve four of our most significant public buildings were struck by lightning.

Followed just hours later by a man who purposely drove a truck into a crowd in New Orleans killing 15 people.  *Oddly enough the weaponized vehicle was a Ford F-150 Lightning.

But that was not the end – oh, no. Before the first day of the New Year was over someone else would lose their life when another truck exploded outside Trump Tower in Las Vegas.  And while not exactly tied to “lightning” in this instance it was the Tesla Cybertruck – the often compared to and alternative to the Ford F-150 Lightning …. so again, we have another close tie involving not only the word lightning but a tie to the vehicle used in the earlier event.

Needless to say the internet has been buzzing with these events. Some feel that God is sending us a message using words like ominous and omen in describing how they feel.

Lighting in the Bible is a sign of God’s great power and strength. In Psalm 97:4 it states:

“His lightning flashes out across the world; the earth sees and trembles”

I think it would be safe to say that indeed we have been given a sign. And for those of us who feel that no further signs are necessary we would do well to remember that it is not necessarily us (believers) for whom the signs are given. I’m pretty sure that in the days ahead … when things continue to unravel as they surely will there will be some who will remember this day and these signs and hopefully turn to the only one who can save them.

• A big thank you to friend and fellow blogger Steve Coerper for providing some of the above information.

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem they shall prosper who love thee” Psalm 122:6

Watching and waiting with YOU for the soon return of Jesus! Cindy

“The light shines in the darkness and the darkness over came it not” John 1:5

As we all know light a candle in a darkened room and instantly the darkness is dispelled. For that reason the only way for earth to become dark literally or figuratively is for those who bear the light of Jesus to be gone. Therefore, the rapture must take place in order for darkness to prevail.

In just a few hours champagne corks will pop …glasses will clink and fireworks will burst overhead in dazzling array as the world says goodbye to a very weird 2024.

Many are hoping for a better year with more than a few pinning their hopes on the return of Donald J. Trump to the presidency. But the world has passed a threshold from which there is no return. AI aka known as the beast system is ready to devour anything in its path. No escape. None exempt. Therefore, the rapture in my opinion must happen very, very soon.

If you read my post from a few hours ago titled The Season For Oil you know that I am looking for and hoping for our departure before the last Hannukah candle is lit. But should that not happen I think we can be assured that our blessed hope and the fulfillment thereof is very, very close. 2025 in my opinion is going to be increasingly weird, bizarre, dark and very scary. Evil off the chain as if things have not been bad enough already.

What we know as believers I wish everyone knew.  That the dark season ahead will be very brief. Evil will not remain unrestrained for long. Jesus will bring an end to this once and for all. His triumph over death and his resurrection guarantees it.

Until then, we do what we can to get the message out. Jesus is coming soon! Are you ready?

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem they shall prosper who love thee”. Psalm 122:6

Watching and waiting with YOU for the soon return of Jesus! Cindy

“At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ Matthew 25:6

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This evening the 7th candle on the Hannukah Menorah will be lit concluded by the 8th and final candle tomorrow evening which also happens to be the first day of the New Year 2025. It is the season for oil.

My daughter reminded me this morning how the parable of the ten virgins found in Matthew chapter 25 mirrors the miracle of Hannukah. Both of which are all about the oil and keeping the fire burning. And while one is about oil miraculously burning for eight days and the other is about five who had oil and five who let their lamps go out – we see the overlaying theme of oil and how they might possibly converge in one event.

That being said how fitting might it be for the rapture to fulfill both Hannukah and the Parable of the Ten Virgins in one fell swoop. With midnight falling between the lighting of the 7th and 8th candles (midnight) it would make sense as the rapture would take place before the last candle is lit tomorrow evening – for  once that candle burns down the season of oil is effectively over – at least as far as Hannukah is concerned for this year anyway.

Therefore, Jesus walking among the seven lampstands of Revelation chapter one representing the seven churches is perfectly illustrated by occurring before the eighth cande is lit.

But once the eighth and final candle goes out …. darkness ensues …and  the world absent of the Hannukah light is plunged into darkness. And, I for one can’t help but think that 2025 is going to be a very dark year.

Does the rapture have to take place during Hannukah? Of course not, but as we light the 7th candle this evening it is good to remember that  tonight could be the night.

Therefore, we keep our oil burning – and we keep looking up – for Jesus is coming soon!

And, as always-

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem they shall prosper who love thee” Psalm 122:6

Watching and waiting with YOU for the soon return of Jesus!

Cindy

“Though you soar like the eagle and make your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down, declares the LORD.” Obadiah 1:4

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I was reading from the book of Obadiah this morning and since it consists of one chapter I came across the verse above which speaks of the down fall of the mighty eagle (or rather who she represents in this case).  So, imagine my surprise when a few moments later I saw that the bald eagle had been established as our national bird on Christmas eve December 24th of this year. The article was posted on the Drudge Report this morning with the accompanying photo depicting believe it or not an Eagle among stars. Could have been a flying Eagle or a nesting Eagle but no – it was pictured against a back drop of the flag – the star portion. Which kind of makes sense as the Eagle is our National bird. But still.

Many people were not aware perhaps that the Eagle though depicted on the Great Seal of the United States was not officially our National bird. In fact, even though it has appeared on our National Seal since 1782 it was still not official. 242 years not official. So, why has it taken so long? A rhetorical question. I’m sure there are a variety reasons but for our purposes –  prophetically speaking you might say- the time was perhaps reserved for now.

Interesting symbolism to say the least.

I don’t know how much longer God will hold back his judgment on this once great country. More than ever I’m sickened by what I see and hear from news and entertainment. From the woman who was purposely set ablaze in the NYC subway just a day or two ago  – to the nauseating and blasphemous Christmas video by Kim Kardashian. It feels as if the hounds of hell have been unleashed and there’s no stopping them now.  Or so it seems.

I have the distinct feeling God is going to bring an end to this circus and very soon. And when he does for most it is going to come as a serious shock. Was the designation of the Eagle as our national bird on December 24th – the formal recognition thereof – the catalyst for the fulfillment of Obadiah 1:4? It could be. In fact, one could  almost say – “It’s official now”.

And pray for the peace of Jerusalem!

Cindy

“While they are saying peace and safety then destruction will come upon them suddenly like birth pangs upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape” 1 Thessalonians 5:3

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About one a.m. Tuesday morning my husband was awakened by the noise of a great explosion. A noise so loud and with such intensity that it rattled the windows of our house. Jumping out of bed to see what it was he heard a second boom as loud if not louder than the first. Looking outside he couldn’t see anything but from the direction the sound was coming from he knew it had to be close. And I – deaf as I am – slept through it all knowing nothing until morning.

Later that day we found out it was an RV that an elderly man was living in. The two explosions were a propane tank and an oxygen tank exploding. What caused them to explode at that hour of the morning we have not as yet heard. What we did hear though is that the gentlemen living there made it out of the RV in time. A true miracle in my estimation as you can see just how serious this fire was by the photo above taken by one of the neighbors living nearby.

Under the right conditions we all know how volatile propane and oxygen can be which reminds me of the precarious situation the Biden administration has currently placed us in. And while it’s almost certain that the people behind the curtain are pulling the strings (not Joe himself) it hardly matters as the result is the same. And it seems to me that we are as close to the fulfillment of 1 Thessalonians 5:3 as we have ever been before.

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem they shall prosper who love thee” Psalm 122:6

Watching and waiting with YOU for the soon return of Jesus! Cindy

“So they instructed the Benjamites, saying, “Go and hide in the vineyards and watch. When the young women of Shiloh come out to join in the dancing, rush from the vineyards and each of you seize one of them to be your wife. Then return to the land of Benjamin  …….. So that is what the Benjamites did. While the young women were dancing, each man caught one and carried her off to be his wife. Then they returned to their inheritance and rebuilt the towns and settled in them.”  Judges 21:20, 21, 23

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In October 2013 I had the blessing and privilege of spending three weeks in the Biblical heartland of Judea and Samaria, Israel also known as the West Bank. I along with a large group of others from around the world were there as volunteers to pick grapes and olives as a way of blessing Israeli farmers.

As I think back on that time …the vineyards in Shiloh …. vines heavy with large clusters of ripe grapes I can vividly imagine beautiful young ladies dancing among the vines radiant in white in anticipation of their soon betrothal. And while this event as recorded in the book of Judges dates back to ancient times it is still observed in contemporary times and is regarded as a Valentines Day of sorts in Israel to this day as you can see in the photo below. Here a young woman (in red) is seen being comforted by a friend as she sits at a table across from a photo of her boyfriend who is still being held hostage by Hamas. Jerusalem Post

Ready to Marry

Tu B’Av is the 15th of Av and corresponds to August 19th on our calendar this year which would be tomorrow as I write.  And the imagery of brides being plucked away is so consistent with our anticipation of the rapture that we would be remiss not to take note.

But what more can we learn about this one of a kind day? 

I found this on Chabad.Org:

“The 15th of Av (known as Tu B’Av) is a most mysterious day, celebrated this year on August 19, 2024 …. The Talmud tells us that many years ago the “daughters of Jerusalem would go dance in the vineyards” on the 15th of Av, and “whoever did not have a wife would go there” to find himself a bride. And the Talmud considers this the greatest festival of the year, with Yom Kippur (!) a close second!”

Its interesting how they reference the Talmud but not the book of Judges where it originated and perhaps it is because the Bible does not speak as to whether this became an ongoing event but according to the Talmud it did. It is also interesting how Tu B’Av is considered both mysterious and the most important festival of the year including Yom Kippor! Now, Chabad.Org is not Messianic so we get this information from a purely Jewish stand point.

So, why would they assign such importance to a lesser know festival such as Tu B’Av?

Could it be because Messiah is coming for his bride?

 And while that is yet hidden from them they suspect that somehow this little known and somewhat mysterious festival is of great importance. 

And it will be should the  harpazo or catching away of the bride take place on this special day marking the beginning of the grape harvest … which would make sense because the Church is associated with barley and wheat but never grapes.

The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath. Revelation 14:9

Av 9 and Av 15

is also worth noting that Tu B’Av comes six days after Tisha B’Av on Av 9 which is the most solemn day on the Jewish calendar due to the destruction of both temples and a series of other calamities that occurred on that same date.

But long before the Av 9 tragedies regarding the temples there was the tragedy of the bad report given by the spies to Moses in Numbers 13.

And because of the bad report and the faithlessness of the people God ordained that they should wander 40 years in the wilderness and that none of that generation would be alive to enter the Land of promise. That generation would have to die out first

We read the following from Wikipedia which is taken from the Talmud:

“At the end of Israel’s wandering in the wilderness, the last remnant of the generation of the sin of the spies, which had been forbidden from entering the Promised Land, found that they were not destined to die. For forty years, every Tisha B’Av the Israelites made graves for themselves in which they slept expecting to be their last night; every year a proportion of them died. In the 40th year, the fifteen thousand who had remained from the first generation went to sleep in the graves and woke up the next day to their surprise. Thinking they made a mistake with the date, they kept sleeping in graves until they reached Tu B’Av and saw a full moon. Only then did they know they were going to enter the Land of Israel with the new generation”.

Now whether it actually happened this way or not I dont know but it certainly fits the rapture theme of the dead rising from their graves and the bride being caught away as described in 1 Thessalonians.

“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord”. 1 Thessalonians 4:16,17

And if that were not enough there is also a full moon which is both a supermoon and a blue moon from Sunday August 18th through Wednesday August 21. This particular moon is known as a Sturgeon Moon which is a type of fish. And of course, we know a fish has long been a symbol for Christians.

Will the next few hours bring about our deliverance? Only the Lord knows but based on all the information related to the time period we are in I say, why not?

And as always,

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem they shall prosper who love thee ” Psalm 122:6

Watching and waiting with YOU for the soon return of Jesus! Cindy

• Shiloh in Hebrew means Messish and in Israel is pronounced “she low” as opposed to “shy low” as it is often pronounced here. It comes from Genesis 49:10 … ” the scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a law giver from between his feet, Until Shiloh come; and unto Him shall the gathering of the people be“.

“With a mighty voice he shouted: “’Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!’ She has become a dwelling for demons and a haunt for every impure spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal”. Revelation 18:2

How many of you remember the above image from August 2015? I do and I even blogged on it in a post titled New York, New York, What Have You Done? In it, I discuss how New York City has been courting demons since 2010 if you have not read it or would like to reread it you can find it by clicking here.

The image above is of the Hindu goddess Kali which lit up the face of the Empire State Building for several days as part of an artistic endeavor described by some as breathtaking and the image of power and strength. *This was all part of an exhibition to raise awareness to the plight of endangered species or so they say.

I’m not sure what the goddess Kali has to do with endangered animals and wasn’t altogether sure who or where the goddess Kali fit in the Hindu religion so I did a little research and found this –

**“Kali is the Hindu goddess (or Devi) of death, time, and doomsday and is often associated with sexuality and violence but is also considered a strong mother-figure and symbolic of motherly love.

I’m not sure that’s the kind of mother most of us would wish for but in spite of what we might consider an odd mix of characteristics she for some reason or other is the object of fervent worship in India.

The importance of which (in my opinion) cannot be stressed enough in regard to the times we are living in.

Consider this:

Global peace and understanding, really? Isn’t she also the goddess of death, doomsday and violence? Oh, I see. Looks like we’re right on track with that.

I’m not sure why the Empire State Building was selected. But I know as an icon of American culture and a well known symbol of the city itself it would be a desirable choice as it symbolizes the rise of America as global financial power in the 20th century.

And it’s not just the United States whom Kali has found favor with but Great Britain as well. In 2022 the goddess Kali was part of an exhibit in the British museum regarding feminine power – as noted below.

Some may think the image at Cern is Kali but it’s not, it’s Shiva, the god of destruction. In the Hindu religion Shiva is the husband and Kali is the wife. So Kali standing over Shiva in this image is said to symbolize “total mastery over the process of life. It means that you can kill God himself and then give life back to him”.

Now I’m no expert on how demons are summoned nor do I want to be. But it’s very odd to me how 9 years following the display  of the goddess Kali on the Empire State Building we now have Hinduism showing itself in both political parties.

Kamala Devi Harris (Democrat and current Vice-President running for President). She claims she is a Baptist but derives her dedication to social justice from her Hindu roots so she states. I wonder which of her policies reflect her Baptist affiliation, if any? Her name Kamala Devi is a Hindu name which means: Lotus (Kamala) and goddess (Devi).

But let’s not stop there. The closing prayer for the opening day of the Republican National Convention was given in the name of the Sikh god Waheguru. Sikh is an Indian religion influenced by Hinduism and Islam.

And it is worth noting as well that the Republican Vice President nominee J.D Vance is married to a woman (Usha Vance)  who is a practicing Hindu.

Is this coincidence? I don’t know but if it is it’s a very strange one.

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“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem they shall prosper who love thee ” Psalm 122:6

Watching and waiting with YOU for the soon return of Jesus! Cindy

*In 2015, the Hindu goddess Kali was projected onto the Empire State Building as the final image in the light artwork exhibition Projecting Change. The exhibition was created by filmmaker Louie Psihoyos and his team in collaboration with Obscura Digital to raise awareness about the need to protect endangered animals and wildlife extinction. The exhibition also featured virtual images of 160 animal species and other endangered animals, including Cecil the lion, projected on to the New York City Skyline”.

** Encyclopedia of Ancient History

 “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world”. James 1:27

Losing our first tooth. It’s kind of a big deal and one many of us remember no matter how many years have past. So, this past weekend when my youngest grandaughter lost her first tooth it became a spiritual lesson that I will never forget.

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A couple of weeks ago we traveled with our oldest daughter and family to to visit the small town I grew up in. Every year in July they have a celebration that includes a parade and fireworks which is always fun especially for the children who have a ball dodging water cannons and chasing after all the candy being thrown at the parade.

 The next morning we prepared to visit the church I grew up in and while preparing for church my five year old grandaughter came rushing up to show me that she had lost her first tooth. I oohed and awed as a grandma would and took a photo of her wide toothless grin.

Not long after that while waiting for the adults to finish getting ready she found a dime in the parking lot of the motel we were staying at. To a five year old who has little concept of money it was a great find. And she was excited to show everyone the dime she had found. Not many minutes later after walking around with the dime tight in her fist she approached my 87 year old mother (her great grandmother) and said:

“I heard you only have ten dollars so I want to give you my dime.”

So earnest and sweet she was that my mother graciously accepted stating that she would “keep it and treasure it forever”. And she will  as I know this form of true and pure love from a child really touched her heart.

Apparently, my mother (who is a widow) had told her earlier that she should put the tooth under her pillow so the tooth fairy would bring her some money. She then went on to say jokingly “I wish the tooth fairy would bring me some money because I don’t have any”. So, God bless her  …. my grandaughter taking her words to heart approached her later to offer up her dime. Where she got the idea my mother only had ten dollars I don’t know … but, in her mind whatever she had – it wasn’t much and she was glad to offer up her dime as a supplement to the ten dollars that she had.

When we arrived at Church I was astounded to learn that the scripture for the morning was James 1:27 ….  amazing! Hadn’t we just witnessed the very embodiment of this verse in the form of my grandaughters generous heart just moments earlier. There could be no mistake – God was speaking through her action.

Like the widow of Luke 21:3 who Jesus commended she had given all that she had.

When we look at this verse out of James we understand of course that we are not saved by works. But if our works do not express our faith in the form of things near and dear to the heart of God we might seriously need to examine ourselves.

As David Guzik writes on his on-line verse by verse commentary (regarding James 1:27) –

“A real walk with God shows itself in simple, practical ways. It helps the needy and keeps itself unstained by the world’s corruption”

…. he then goes on to quote Spurgeon (the Prince of Preachers) who said:

“Charity and purity are the two great garments of Christianity.”

With this in mind, we might well ask the Lord where we are regarding these virtues. Have we become calloused or neglectful of these things? It’s easy to do and I know I have been at times. And with that being said I am so thankful for the Lords gentle reminder that he is most pleased when when we act in the simple faith of a child. A lesson I will not long forget.

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem they shall prosper who love thee” Psalm 122:6

Watching and waiting with YOU for the soon return of Jesus! Cindy

 “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good,  treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—  having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people”. 2 Tomothy 3:1-5

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A few days ago we found a fledgling Robin hopping across our lawn. Apparently it had fallen from its nest and the poor scrawny featherless thing was helpless to do anything about it. Equally helpless were it’s parents and yes, it is parents- as I found by googling the subject-  as both male and female Robins feed the hatchlings until they are ready to leave the nest.

Having no idea where the actual nest was (likely high in one of the Cottonwood trees that surround our property) we constructed a makeshift nest from a wire basket and an old towel. Suspended off the ground we were hopeful at this point that the little thing would no longer be vulnerable to predators – including our favorite resident cat. Mr. Dibbles who is known far and wide for his predatory skills. And so far, so good. The mom and pop are regularly bringing it worms and we are changing the soiled part of the basket daily to provide a comfortable and safe resting place for the little fella until he is able to fly.  Just in the last couple of days he has sprouted a good amount of fuzz that is giving us great hope.

It’s been rewarding to watch these attentive parents. A sad contrast to human parents who use and abuse their own children (if they even make it to birth). A couple of months ago a woman went on a two week vacation to the Bahamas leaving her 16 month old home alone in a crib. And when she returned…shock, shock, the poor little thing was dead. And this is not an isolated incident. How can this be! Even birds and animals care for their young more than that.

It might seem a bit crazy but I pray each night for the little bird I have dubbed Little Bit. As far as I know he will be on his own until the sun comes up and his mom and dad return with worms. Away from his home nest and siblings it’s got to be a bit scary even for a bird. But as we know the Lords eye is on every sparrow that falls and I’m pretty sure that includes Robins too.

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“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem they shall prosper who love thee” Psalm 122:6

Watching and waiting with YOU for the soon return of Jesus! Cindy

“Hell from below is moved to meet thee at thy coming” Isaiah 14:9

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What I know about King Charles and the royal family you could fit into a teacup but I think it’s safe to say they are not quite like the rest of us and after the unveiling of the King’s official portrait earlier this week I am more convinced of that than ever.

Of the many adjectives used to describe this monstrosity of a painting (hideous, bizarre, and disturbing) none seemed more appropriate to me than this verse from Isaiah chapter 14 (as quoted above).  And while this verse is not speaking of King Charles directly it is speaking, I believe of the one who controls him.

One of the things people are talking about are the images that appear when the portrait is mirror imaged. And it’s not hard to see why when you look at it. There are definitely some very demonic shapes that appear if you look closely enough. Whether these images were intentional or not is beside the point in my opinion as the very fact that they are contained within the image is telling in and of itself.

Aside from the *demonic imagery the portrait as it stands alone is creepy enough.  Why would the King choose to be portrayed as if engulfed by flames or shrouded in a bloody mist?  Surely, the royal family had to know it would raise eyebrows and if nothing else the accusation that the Monarchy has blood on its hands should be enough to give them pause. But it didn’t. So, why?

Symbolism is Everything

I’m no expert on symbolism but one thing that jumps out at me is how the King’s uniform, his medals and all that the uniform entails seem to fade into the background while his hands and face remain clear and prominent in the foreground. That has to mean something.

Is it that the king himself (or who he represents) is ready to move on to the world stage while his kingdom (and all other kingdoms) succumb to his power?

Is that the message that was unveiled along with the portrait?

Or is it even possible that the man of sin himself has been revealed?

“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition”. 2 Thessalonians 2:3

I don’t think it will be long until we know.

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** Thanks to Steve Coerper of Anakypto Forum for supplying the images below.

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem they shall prosper who love thee” Psalm 122:6

Watching and waiting with YOU for the soon return of Jesus! Cindy