Heaven Bound

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1

Genesis chapter one, verse one – the foundation on which all of the Bible rests.  To reject the validity and authority of this one verse is throw all other scripture in to doubt.

People often ask, “Considering the immense size of the Universe, is it reasonable to think that earth and earth alone is the only place which supports life?” And, I believe the answer to that is – yes.  And, here’s why.

To back up a little, the subject came up in conversation with my daughter Seven Stars yesterday and like the astute Bible student that she is,  she pointed out the simple yet profound truth contained within Genesis 1:1.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.   

That’s it. The heavens and the earth –  implying, if you will that from God’s view point there are two, and two places only of which, he is concerned – the heavens and the earth.  The heavens, (which include the atmosphere and the Cosmos, as well, as the third heaven, where he dwells) – and earth. And, earth is where, he would perform his redemptive work liberating not only mankind from the curse of sin, but, all of creation.

 In Isaiah 66:1, we get insight in to the special connection that God has with earth.

“Heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool.”

More than poetic language, I believe this verse explains the unique connection between God and earth. Heaven is where he dwells but, it is earth where he rests his feet.  Not Pluto, not Saturn, not Venus or any other distant planet in some far off galaxy, but, earth. For earth is not only the place where he rests his feet, it is also, the place, where he would walk in the form of Y’shua two thousand years ago, and, it is to earth that he will return again, one day soon.

It’s important that we grasp this one simple truth, for if we do not, we are in danger of great deception and are at risk for what the Bible calls the great delusion and lie.

“For this reason, God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie …”  2 Thessalonians 2:11

What lie is that?  Well, the original one from the fall in the garden in Genesis, when the serpent said to Eve –

“For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

The same lie that is being posited today through evolution and the popular idea that we are being and have been visited from the beginning of time by extraterrestrials, who, in my opinion are nothing more than demons manifesting from the spiritual realm.

It is imperative, therefore, that we settle in our minds in advance as to what it is we really believe. For the day is coming, when the delusion will be so great that if we do not already have our minds settled on the truth of God’s word, we will be sucked in.   

Right now, the world falls in to three camps. Those who believe the word of God, those who reject the word of God and those who doubt the word of God.

Make sure, which camp you’re in. For the day is coming (and, coming soon), when it will matter a great deal, what you believe.  Make sure you trust in Jesus and make sure you trust his word.

“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 1893, from the lofty heights of Pike’s Peak, Colorado thirty-three year old Katherine Lee Bates penned these words:

“O beautiful for spacious skies.  For amber waves of grain. For purple mountain majesties above the fruited plain. America! America! God shed his grace on thee. And, crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea!”

America, the beautiful! America, the good!

And with some of the richest resources on the planet found within the confines of her  shores, America has not only been blessed, but, blessed abundantly. Yes, it is more than apparent that when God looked down upon this young nation, he looked upon her with favor.

But, in 1893 – the same year that the words to America, the Beautiful were penned something changed.  America the blessed became America the greedy.  And, in 1893, the covetous eye of the United States fell upon the South Pacific islands of Hawaii, where, American businessman were becoming fabulously rich exporting pineapple and sugar from the many plantations being developed there.  And, with the encouragement and help of these same businessmen, in spite of the heartfelt plea from the Hawaiian Queen for the intervention of President Grover Cleveland and the American people to come to their aid, the Monarchy was successfully overthrown and the islands were illegally annexed to the United States as a territory on January 17, of that very same year.

We can never really divorce ourselves from our history. For some reason, we Americans think we can proceed through life without any rear view mirrors. The past is “past”, we say, “forget about it already!”  But, this is not the way it is with God.  God remembers!

America has never been perfect, not even from the start, (we have the slave trade to prove that) but, even with all our flaws, America was a country, where the Bible was revered and where, people for the most part thanked God for the many blessings that had been bestowed upon them. But something changed and I believe that something was 1893. The year the American government (representative of the people) was no longer satisfied with what God had provided for them with in these shores.

Just a few short months before Katherine Lee Bates would write her famous poem, the American government saw an opportunity to seize what appeared to them to be a treasure ripe for the taking in the South Pacific. And, with the help of evil men stole from the Monarchy what was rightfully theirs.  An especially egregious act, when you consider that the Hawaiian Monarchy had responded to the gospel message and had declared Hawaii to be a Christian nation, a nation to be governed from within the frame-work of the ten commandments and of the Bible. A tragedy, when you consider the 50th state little resembles the vision the Queen had for her people and the islands of Hawaii.  (For more of this, see my previous post – Echoes of a Paradise Lost – part II – https://cindybythesea.wordpress.com/2012/03/18/echoes-of-paradise-lost-part-ii/

I bring this up because on inauguration day next year (January 20, 2013) it will have been almost 12o years to the day that the Hawaiian Islands were illegally annexed as a territory to the United States on January 17, 1893.  An interesting number, when you consider that the number 120 is Biblically significant and is often used in association with a divinely appointed time of probation”.

In 1922, Frenchman Alexis de Tocqueville had this to say about America.

“In the end, the state of the Union comes down to the character of the people. I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her commodious harbors and her ample rivers, and it was not there. In the fertile fields and boundless prairies, and it was not there. In her rich mines and her vast world commerce, and it was not there. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits, aflame with righteousness, did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.”

But, is America good, if, ever we were?  Have the past 120 years brought us closer to or farther from our Creator? Have we used the bounty so generously bestowed upon us since the turn of the last century to bless others or to curse them?  It can’t be both ways. One road, two paths.  And, if we’re honest, we know, which path we’ve chosen.

The sobering truth (in spite, of all the political hype) is that we are no longer at a crossroads as a nation, (that train left a long time ago – about 120 years ago) – we are at the end of the trail. But, most are too blind to see it.  Choosing Obama or Romney (or anyone else for that matter) is not going to change anything. We have squandered the blessings given to us and frankly, it is too late.

There remains nothing more for the people of God to do than what they have always have been called to do –  “to preach the gospel and to go and make disciples in Jesus name,” while there is still time. 

And, leave, (as the Bible implores) this crumbling world system behind. 

“Come out of her, my people so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues, for her sins are piled up to heaven and God has remembered her crimes ….”

Yes, God has remembered. The stolen Monarchy, the aborted babies, the pornography, the child abuse, the divorces and the adultery, the lying, the stealing, the cheating, the drug use, and, on and on and on it goes …….. the majority of which has taken place in the days since the turn of the last century – 120 years. But, God has determined, it will come to an end.

“And, the angel cried out with a mighty voice!

Fallen, fallen is Babylon the Great! She has become a home for demons and a haunt for every evil spirit, a haunt for every unclean and detestable bird. For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries”

“Woe, Woe, O great city dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet, and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls! In one hour such great wealth has been brought to ruin”    Revelation 18: 2,3, 16 & 17.

* For more on America as end-times Babylon, check out this fine article by my friend Carlos at Chozeh and Nabiy titled:  The Colors Worn and Adorned by the Harlot of Revelation. Shockingly, his research proves they are red, white and blue!   http://nabiy4america.wordpress.com/2011/06/24/the-colors-worn-and-adorned-by-the-harlot-of-revelation/

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

*For those of you who may not have already caught this in the comments section, my daughter Kristin made the astute observation that the Jehovah Witness First National Convention was held in 1893 and the Mormon Temple in Salt Lake City was dedicated in 1893 of that same year.  Astounding, when you consider that if Mitt Romney should win the election, it would be an exact 120 years from the date of these events that a Mormon would be sitting in the White House. The implications are immense, when you consider their (Mormon) history, doctrine and political aspirations. More on this in a future blog.

1893
Growth: First “national assembly” attracts 360 people (Jehovah’s Witnesses In The Divine Purpose, p. 33).  http://www.watchman.org/articles/jehovahs-witnesses/new-light-on-watchtower-history/

“President Woodruff dedicated the (Salt Lake) temple of April 6, 1893 exactly 40 years after the cornerstone had been laid.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_Lake_Temple

Here in the islands, we have an airline with the simple name of go! It’s a small airline that offers daily inter-island flights at reasonable fares.  I like the design of their logo and the simplicity of their name for it says it all, “seats are available, prices are low, what’s holding you back? Just go!“

I like that word “go” for its the last word Jesus gave to us. Remember?

“And Jesus spake unto them saying, all authority hath been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go ye therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in to the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teaching them to observe all things which I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.”  Matthew 28:18-20

Simple and straight forward, right? You would think. But, sadly, the state of our culture and our world today reflect a huge lack of understanding on the part of the Church, when it comes to the great commission.

This past week, I was privileged to hear and meet Joel Rosenberg, who was speaking for the first time here in the islands at the annual Calvary Chapel End-times Out Reach Conference.  And, as fascinated as I was about his expertise on the middle-East, his take on Bible prophecy and the latest book, Implosion – the message that really struck my heart was his strong admonition for the Church to fulfill what Jesus has called us to do – to go!

According to Joel, statistics bear out that “the average Christian today shares his faith with a non-believer about once per year.” About once per year! Can you believe that! But, when you look at the state of our world, our country for goodness sake, it’s easy to see that this is true. In a country, where a majority of people still identify as Christian, it is obvious that the Church (in this generation) has fallen down on the job.  We have failed at the task to which Jesus has called us to, and failed miserably.

The question we have to as ourselves is why? Why have we failed so miserably at what Jesus has called all believers to do.

The simple truth is that we are either too lazy, too fearful or perceive ourselves to be ill-equipped for the task.  And, this is where discipling comes in. Too many believers have  not been discipled in the faith and therefore, have never grown to the point, where they can share their faith in a simple but, clear and concise way with others. Babies who lack the ability and motivation to do anything more than “play with the rattle” because, they have never been shown otherwise. They have never been discipled to maturity.

It is important therefore that each of us (no matter how old we are in the Lord) be discipled ourselves as well as discipling others. It’s a God designed process for strengthing and growing those in the faith.  My friend Nan is that person to me. She is very wise and helps me to stay focused in my walk with the Lord. We all need someone like that in our lives.

One day, and, maybe very soon, we will stand before the Lord Jesus Christ and he will say, “show me your disciples” –  “show me those you have nurtured and taught, I would like to meet them” –  when, we stand in front of him will we hang our heads in shame, stammer that we didn’t really understand the meaning of the word “go” – plead ignorance or complain for of lack of time.  Or, will we hear – 

“Well done, good and faithful servant, enter in to the joy of the Lord”.

 There may not be many days left, the rapture could be very soon. Let’s make sure that we make the most of these last days and go! – as Jesus said. This is his heart, these were his last words to us. If we want to please Jesus, this is how we do it.  go!

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

“Be very careful, then,  how you live –not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, (“redeeming the time” ) because the days are evil”  Ephesians 5:16

“Redeeming the time,” this was the theme of the annual “How to Walk” conference I attended yesterday at Calvary Chapel Honolulu hosted by and in support of Christian radio station KLHT radio here on the island of Oahu. And, it’s a theme that is still very much on my mind this morning, as I sit down to write.

The Eyes of a Wolf

“Redeem the time, for the days are evil.”  Yes, the times we live in are evil, we have only to listen to the latest news broadcast to know that this is true.  And, while each news report seems more depraved and more wicked than the last, we can take heart in knowing that every generation of believers has faced evil and that Jesus has instructed us in advance by telling us –  “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves, be then wise as snakes and gentle as doves”  Matthew 10:16  In other words, if we are are wise, we will not only suspect that there may be wolves, we will know that there are wolves and, we will expect them!  Let us not be like Little Red Riding Hood, who, fooled by the wolf’s cover, said, “Grandmother, what big teeth you have!!!!” – just as the wolf was ready to chomp her to bits!

Red Riding Hood Politics

In a few weeks, we will be called to the voting booth and most Americans will be checking off one of two boxes – Republican or Democrat.

It takes some digging, but, the shocking truth is that at this point in time, it really doesn’t matter.  For if you look closely, the eyes of one wolf differs very little from the eyes of the next.  And, unless we are “wise as serpents, and, as gentle as doves” (as the Bible says), we will never know the difference.

Many think this country can be turned around by electing someone who “shares” our conservative values. But that simply is not true. For unless this country repents in sack cloth and ashes for its collective sins before God, no politician can set right, what has been made wrong. And, especially a candidate, whose God is not even the God of the Bible and whose religion has a political agenda of its own.  I ask you then, “what fellowship does light have with darkness?” And, the answer, of course, is none, therefore, the salvation of America can not be found in any one candidate  or another, but, by a sincere turning to God through Jesus Christ, his son.  *For an in-depth look at Mormonism and the rise of Mitt Romney, click here:http://www.saintsalive.com/resourcelibrary/mormonism/the-mormon-plan-for-america-and-the-rise-of-mitt-romney

Redeeming the Time

Friends, it is my prayer that we will put down the political signs and pick up the baskets of bread and water (of the word of God) for feeding those who are perishing in the kingdoms of this evil age. We must minister the love of Jesus by being his hands, his feet, his mouth and we must always remember that the kingdoms of this age were never meant to last – our King and his Kingdom is not of this world – and, he is coming soon!

Therefore, redeem the times, dear friends, the age is evil, but, God is good! By his grace, may we be found doing the things that he cares about (things that are of eternal value), when he comes.  

 “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 mighty Mississippi is drying up.  The worst drought in 50 years is taking its toll on this once great river and unless, something changes fast, the worst is yet to come.

The Mississippi River is vital to the American economy as 60% of our grain and 22 per cent of our oil and natural gas and one fifth of our coal travel down this river.  Therefore, the importance to the nation and our economy cannot be underestimated as is pointed out in this article from today’s news.

“the health of the Mississippi River is absolutely crucial to the economic success of this nation and right now the river is in incredibly bad shape.”http://snippits-and-slappits.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-mississippi-river-is-drying-up.html

And, that should give us pause.  For the Mississippi River is not the only area of the country experiencing draught right now. Just ask farmers in the mid-West, where crops are failing there too.  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/15/toxic-crops-us-drought-side-effects_n_1783171.html

I’m not sure how much the public is paying attention to all of this right now, but, sooner or later, when prices at the local grocery store double and triple, it WILL get their attention.  Food prices in Hawaii are already exorbitantly high; I can only imagine, what might happen on an island with 950,000 hungry people, when, they can no longer afford to buy food.  I shudder to think!

Birds and fish dying in unprecedented numbers without any clear explanation. Mutant insects and who, knows what else from Fukushima. And, a world on the brink of a devastating war that could disrupt already scarce food and fuel supplies; it’s a recipe for disaster beyond what any of us can imagine.

I’ve been trying to stock up on food and a few other necessities in the hope that I will be a blessing and not a burden to my neighbors, when (not, if) that day should come. I think the proverbial handwriting is on the wall and we, who are Christians know it. So, if the Lord should tarry, what are we to do?

Something to think, pray and make provision about.

On a different note, I wanted to pass along an article that was forwarded to me by dear reader and sister in Christ, Bea Stegall, I think you will find it very interesting.  When, I read stuff like this, I feel a lot like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, when she said to Toto, “I don’t think we’re in Kansas, anymore”.  Yes, Dorothy, I know exactly how you feel!  I hardly recognize this place any more – and, maybe that’s just the point. This world really is not our home, when, we belong to Jesus.  

Thanks, Bea for sending this my way.

The real Luciferian Purpose behind the Chemtrail and Electromagnetic Manipulation of the Atmosphere – http://www.stevequayle.com/index.php?s=33&d=31

“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

Pumice Stones found floating off the coast of New Zealand

“He who has an ear let him hear what he says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And, I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no man knows except him who receives it.” Revelation 2:17

On Thursday August 9, the above photo was released regarding a mass of pumice stone found floating off the coast of New Zealand. Discovered from the air, it appears that  recent activity by an underground volcano has released in to the ocean a massive amount of pumice stone floating like a giant-sized “raft” or “island” the size of the country of Belgium off the coast of the southern capital of Wellington.  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/11/pumice-raft-belgium-new-zealand-photo_n_1767569.html?ir=World

Pumice stone is generally white in color and very light weight; light enough to float and is formed from cooled and hardened lava. Frequently used in decorative landscaping, it is also used to strengthen concrete, and in its crushed state is used as an exfoliant – think Lava brand soap.

I have no idea how many individual stones are floating off the coast of New Zealand right now, but, as you can see from the photo below, they are many – so, many that the water shines brightly white with them.

   water shines bright with massive amounts of white Pumice stones floating off the coast of New Zealand

Is this important? Perhaps so.

It’s interesting to note that August 9 is three days before the close of the 2012 London Olympics.  Keep in mind, that the portion of scripture concerning the white stone is addressed to the church at Pergamum, and, Pergamum is directly tied to the idea of Olympic games. In fact, the altar of Zeus, which was located in Pergamum was decorated at its base with a frieze in high relief depicting the battle between the Giants and the Olympian gods. Perhaps, this is why Pergamum is referred to in Revelation 2 as “the seat of Satan” or the place, where Satan has his throne.  An undeniable link to the games themselves and the extreme occult nature of this year’s games in particular. For a detailed analysis of the occult nature of this years Olympics, check out this fine work by Bob Schlenker of the Open Scroll blog.  http://theopenscroll.blogspot.com/2012/02/series-links-2012-london-olympics.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pergamon_Altar 

   Olympic struggle – Altar of Zeus

Without a doubt, politics, religion and sports are intricately related, when it comes to the occult and, the new world order. From Madonna’s super bowl extravaganza to this year’s Olympiad; what was once occult (hidden) is now coming in to full view. And, an unsuspecting world high on pride and in full party mode will be stunned at what has been conjured up. Remember, the base of the altar of Zeus depicts Giants in struggle with Olympic gods. A word known as Giantomachy – a greek word, which means “giant” and “battle”.  Think Nephilim …… and, their return.

In ancient times, white or black stones were used in sporting events and in trials. If you were on trial for a crime and received a white stone, you were judged innocent, if you received a black stone, you were guilty. If you participated in a sporting event and were victorious, you would receive a white stone, if you were not, you would receive a black one.  Today white and black stones are no longer used in this way and medals of gold, silver and bronze are awarded instead. Medals that can be worn around the neck for all to see.

How different this is from God’s ways.  For the Bible tells us that those believers, who, overcome will be fed with hidden manna and given stones of white with new names written on them, which only the Lord can see!

For it is the Lord, who feeds us daily by his word and by his Spirit and it is he, who issues to us stones of white; the Victor’s stone.

Something, we are promised as a reward for overcoming and something that the world cannot see.

“A white stone was also given to the victor in a contest or battle, which is exactly what is in view through overcoming.  Christians are presently in a battle, a warfare, against “principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world [‘age’], against spiritual wickedness in high places [‘against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenlies’]” (Ephesians 6:12).  And Satan and his angels use the world and the flesh in their never-ceasing efforts to bring about a Christian’s defeat.  It is the victor — the one overcoming the world, the flesh, and the devil — that the promised white stone will be given”   http://www.bibleone.net/BF08.htm

Yes, brother and sisters, we are closer to that glorious day than ever before. Stand fast and do not waver in these final remaining days.  I hope the thought of thousands, if not, millions of brilliantly white stones floating off the coast of New Zealand has brought a smile to your face today, I know it did mine. And, maybe, just maybe, your name and mine (known only to the Lord) is written on the face of one of them, – you know, I wouldn’t be a bit surprised!

Come quickly Lord Jesus, how, we long for your return!

And, as always,

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, they shall prosper, who love thee”  Psalm 122:6  Waiting and watching with YOU for the soon return of Jesus!   Cindy

While the world is busy conjuring up magic of the darkest kind in merry ol’ England, we, here in the United States have been dealing with some dark spirits of our own. From the face eating cannibal of Florida to the shooter at the Century 16 theatre in Colorado, it seems that just when we thought life couldn’t get any more evil or perverse, it does.

And, now this – a warning from the Department of Homeland Security regarding the possibility of civil unrest preceding this years election, a warning so serious that according to a report on today’s Drudge, massive amounts of riot gear have been ordered in anticipation of just  such an event.  http://rt.com/usa/news/dhs-unrest-gear-283/

Which leads me to ask –  What is this “Department of Homeland Security” business all about anyway?  Prior to 9/11, (as we all know) this agency did not exist.  Nor did the term “homeland”.  No one before the creation of this agency ever referred to our beloved country as “the homeland”. It simply did not exist.  It is a term completely designed by and for this agency. Russians refer to their country as “the Motherland” and Germans to theirs, as “the Fatherland” but, the term “homeland” for Americans, never!
 

Which may neither be here nor there, unless, you consider the increasing obtrusiveness of this agency in the lives of law-abiding citizens.

Leading many of us to suspect,  “the enemy from without is actually, the enemy from within”.

Curious that researchers have just now uncovered evidence linking President Obama to America’s first indentured servant, John Punch.  A fact, (if it is so) that is sure to add fuel and emotion to an already politically charged Presidential race.  Well, timing is everything, as they say.  http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/president-obama-related-country-first-enslaved-man-220215114.html

Enjoy the Olympics, America!  The “gold” you bring home may be needed by this time next year just to buy food – if the gods, that you worship don’t devour you first, that is.

Murder, madness, mayhem ……. the summer of 2012.

“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

 “His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”  Matthew 3:12

It was the early morning hours of Friday July 13, my daughter Seven Stars awoke from a dream, (if it can be called a dream) of horrifying magnitude. In something closer to what could be termed an “out-of-body” experience, she was led by the Spirit to what can only be called, a pre-view to hell.  Cold and damp, as clammy as death and the grave itself, she witnessed a place of darkness and isolation, a place of utter despair and desperation unlike anything she had ever seen (or heard) before; the wailing and shrieks of those confined for eternity, the only witness that they themselves were not alone in this inescapable and damnable place of darkness and gnashing of teeth.

Hell is a very real place; the Bible is clear about that. But, how often does the reality of those lost into eternity without a saving knowledge of Jesus really get a grip on us?  Sometimes, (speaking for myself) it can become purely academic. We read it in the Bible, we believe it, yet  …. somehow, it still never quite sinks in.

Struck to the core by this horrific experience, my daughter’s first question was to wonder if it were a warning to her.  Good question!  And, in answer God gave her four scriptures that I think answer that question quite well.

1 – Hell Awaits a Great Influx of People

 “Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it”.  Isaiah 5:14

2 – Watchman, Sound the Alarm!

“Son of man, I have made you a watchman   for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. ¹⁸ When I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die, ’ and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for^[a] their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. ¹⁹ But if you do warn the wicked person and they do not turn   from their wickedness   or from their evil ways, they will die   for their sin; but you will have saved yourself.  Ezekiel 3:17-19

Backsliders, Take Warning!

^” If we deliberately keep on sinning   after we have received the knowledge of the truth,   no sacrifice for sins is left, ²⁷ but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire   that will consume the enemies of God”.  Hebrews 10:26-27

The Harvest is Near!

^“Then Naomi said, “Wait, my daughter, until you find out what happens. For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today.”  Ruth 3:18

Time is short, all of us who study the prophetic word know that. It won’t be long and all those, who are not yet saved will slip in to a Christless eternity. And, that number is huge!

What if Jesus gave YOU a vision of hell?  What would you do?  Like a watchman on the wall, would you sound the alarm?  Would you be shouting to the roof tops, take heed – the harvest is near!

My daughter has taken this to heart and her already deep concern for unsaved loved ones has caused her to take a step of boldness that has already raised the ire of some in our family.  Please keep her in prayer …. and, please pray that God may soften and open hearts, while there is still time.  And, may this dream or vision (whatever it was) serve as a reminder to each one of us of the very real and lasting consequences for those who are dying daily and going in to eternity without Christ.

Much love and many blessing in Christ Jesus and … as always,

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, they shall prosper who love thee” Psalm 122:6  Waiting and watching with YOU for the soon return of Jesus!  Cindy

In a few days, I’ll be traveling to the mainland for a family reunion and to see my children and my grandchildren.  While I am there, my son-in-law and my granddaughter will be getting baptized. It’s a joyful occasion that I am very much looking forward to.

And, as I’m packing I’m thinking about what I want to put in to my suitcase; this sweater, those jeans, two pairs of shoes or one; and, I’m also thinking about this whole idea of going home; and, what it means.

As a Christian, we know that our home is in heaven with Jesus. As the Bible says, “this world is not our home, we are merely strangers passing through”.  A concept that in some ways can be hard to grasp, especially, when faced with things like real life mortgages and jobs, hectic schedules and making ends meet month after month -things that demand our time and attention in ways that we do not like but, are responsible too, just the same. Leaving us to wonder sometimes, how ready we are for our departure, and, if we will even be going.

There has been a lot of talk lately about what constitutes the bride of Christ and who will be going in the rapture.  Do all saved people make up the bride of Christ or is it only those, who, the Bible describes as overcomers?  It’s a good question and one worthy of our consideration. And, while I cannot give a definitive answer on that, I do have a few thoughts of my own to add to the discussion.

Patterns in scripture:

Adam and Eve – Eve was taken from the rib of Adam; from his side – thus, God had provided for Adam a suitable and mature helper. And, because, Jesus is known as the second Adam his bride will likewise be fully mature as well. Regardless of the various ages and stages that believers are in (regarding their Christian walk), when Christ calls for his bride – at the time of her presentation, she will be presented to him without flaw and in full maturity.

Isaac and Rebecca – Rebecca was selected as a bride for Isaac through the help of Abraham’s servant (Eliezer – which means, “God is my help”) – a type of Holy Spirit, through whom, she agrees to marriage to Isaac – a man, whom, she has not yet seen but, is none the less willing to leave her home for.  As the meeting of Rebecca and Isaac draws near, Rebecca “veils” herself.  A custom derived from the days of arranged marriages – the veil only lifted after the ceremony so, that groom had no chance of backing out of the deal, if he did not like what he saw. Therefore, in the case of Yeshua and his bride, it will only be at the time of the wedding, when the veil is lifted that the true identity of the bride will be known. For now it is concealed – then and only then, will her identity be known. And, Yeshua will be completely pleased for it has been the Holy Spirit (like Eliezer) who made the selection.

*Side note – in reading the story of Isaac and Rebecca, I noticed that her family wanted  her to wait for ten days before leaving for her marriage. But, when asked, Rebecca chose to leave with Eliezer at the time he requested. (Genesis 24:58) – which, leads me to believe, when the time for the rapture comes, there will be no delay.

Boaz and Ruth –  On Naomi’s advice (another type of the Holy Spirit?) – Ruth washes and perfumes herself and putting on her best clothes goes down to the threshing floor at the time of the barley harvest to lay at the feet of Boaz, the kinsman redeemer in what would be understood in those days as a request for marriage. Which reminds me of this verse from Revelation 19:7-8 –

“Let us be glad and rejoice: and give honor to him, for the marriage of the lamb is come, and his wife has made herself ready. And, to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints”. 

Ruth made herself ready. How then are we made ready? By acquiring the righteousness of Christ because the Bible tells us that outside of him, we have no righteousness of our own.

And, then there is this:

Overcomers –

To the church at Ephesus:

“To him who overcomes, “I will give the right to eat from the tree of life which is in the paradise of God.” Revelation 2:7

To the church in Smyrna:

“He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death”  Revelation 2:11

To the church in Pergamum:

“To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone and a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.”  Revelation 2:17

To the church in Thyatira:

“To him who overcomes and does my will to the end will I give authority over the nations.”  Revelation 2:26

To the church in Sardis:

“He who overcomes will like them be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and before his angels.”  Revelation 3:5

To the church at Philadelphia:

* “Hold on to what you have so that no one will take your crown. Him who overcomes, I will make a pillar in the temple of my God”.  Revelation 3:12.

To the church of Laodicea:

“To him who overcomes I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat with my Father on his throne.” Revelation 3:21

*Revision from initial post, where I had missed the Revelation 3:12 admonission to the church at Philadelphia. Thanks to my friend Steve Coerper for bringing this to my attention.

Brothers and sisters, we are all at various stages in our walk with the Lord. Some have maintained a steady growth of maturity throughout their Christian life, while for some it is two steps forward and one step back. If our qualification for the rapture is dependent on our faithfulness as demonstrated by our walk and, our ability to overcome,  then who can qualify?  If this is the case, it will be a very slim bride indeed, who presents herself to be married and if this is how the Father sees it, then so be it, his judgments are right and true. But, is this really what scripture teaches when we look at it in its full context?  Using myself as an example, I would have to wonder – will the Father be judging me by my walk over the last week, the last year, the last four years or from the time I was saved as a young teenager?  Is he looking at my life from the time of my salvation and taking an average? Is C a passing grade? Or would a B be better?  If you looked at my life in the years following my divorce, I would have had a pretty poor record indeed. But, is that the whole story?  I have to wonder.

Well, I have my suitcase half-way packed and, I’m still deciding on which shoes to take. Speaking of which, I am reminded that the third piece of spiritual armor is shoes.

“And, your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace”. Ephesians 6:15

Kind of cool, when you think about it like this:

The sandals of the Roman soldier “often were fitted with nails, or armed  with spikes, to make the hold firm in the ground” (Albert Barnes’ Notes    on the Bible). God’s good news and our mission—our marching orders—to  preach it serve as our firm foundation. When we truly allow ourselves to take  comfort in the good news promised by God, there is nothing from outside ourselves  that can trouble our hearts or give us reason to be afraid. Christ has overcome  the world (John 16:33), and so we have nothing to fear from it.   http://www.freebiblestudyguides.org/bible-teachings/armor-of-god-shoes-of-preparation-gospel-of-peace.htm

And, because Christ has overcome the world. We in turn are overcomers too.  He became righteousness for us, when we had no righteousness of our own. It is he who has dresses us in fine linen bright and clean, when we could not do it for ourselves – it is his blood and his blood alone that makes us wedding ready.

Jack Kelly at gracethrufaith addresses the issue of being an overcomer in this way:

 I’m one who believes that the 7 letters chronicle Church history.  Notice that in each letter the admonition is to overcome the tendency to get away from total reliance on the Lord for our salvation.  In that sense much of the Church has not been over comers. http://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher/who-was-revelation-meant-for/

From the earthly to the heavenly

Therefore, I would have to say that when the time arrives for the wedding of the Lamb, the bride will stand before her groom fully transformed  – aka raptured – changed in the twinking of an eye – in to the beautiful, spotless and mature bride, he so willingly paid the price for and deserves.

May it be so, Lord Jesus and may your coming for us be soon!

“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

*Hopefully, I will be seeing all of you in the air very soon, but, should the rapture not take place sometime in the next two weeks, I will see you back her at Cindybythesea sometime around July 15.  Grace and blessings to you all!

On Thursday June 14, President Obama further fulfilled the Isaiah 9:10 prophesy by signing a steel girder that will top the Freedom Tower with these words:

We Remember

We Rebuild

We Come Back Stronger

In a chilling fulfillment of what Rabbi Jonathan Cahn outlines in his book, “The Harbinger” – President Obama takes the words spoken on the senate floor post 9/11 and moves them from the future to the present –

“The bricks have fallen down but, we will replace them with dressed stone, the fig trees have been felled but, we will replace them with cedars.”  Isaiah 9:10

Eight words.  Eight simple words. Eight, the number for new beginnings penned in red ink by the man elected to represent us as a nation before God.

As I was thinking about this, the words to an old Janis Joplin tune “Me and Bobby McGee” came to mind.  *Janis, who died of a heroin overdose Oct. 4, 1970.

“Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose, and nothin’ ain’t worth nothin’ but, it’s free” …..

Yes, freedom ….  what is it worth, when it’s no longer used for the ideals that brave men and women gave their lives for but, instead used to enslave people in the pursuit of every kind of selfish desire and depravity known to man?

This month the Pentagon has marked June as gay pride month. A swift reversal of “the don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy that was still in force a year ago this month. Freedom.

In the book of Genesis, Cain exercised his freedom in bringing a sacrifice to God that was unacceptable. In a fit of jealousy and rage, he murdered his brother, spilling his blood red upon the ground.  Freedom.

Yes, we want to be free. Free to make our own choices; to be our own gods. We reject the God of the Bible and his commandments and we refuse any longer to be under the subjection of his rule. We choose, therefore, to no longer to be a nation under God, but, a world without God!

And, on June 14 with the stroke of a red pen and eight simple words ….

We remember, we will rebuild and we will come back stronger than ever!

… the decision was made. And, we may have entered a new beginning, a period of godlessness like we have never seen before. For towers have always symbolized an assault on heaven and the rebellion of mankind against God.

And, while this all sounds dire, we can take heart in knowing, as believers that the victory has already been won and the cross will always stand taller than the freedom tower or any other tower, ever will!

*I find it interesting that the President chose to sign this message in red as red is the color of the blood of the lamb that brought freedom to the Israelites from their bondage in Egypt and the blood of the lamb (Jesus) which bought and paid for our freedom from sin.  Another, yet not wholly surprising cheap shot by the enemy, who can always be identified by his incessant boasting.

—————————-

O God, magnificent Creator, merciful Redeemer. Thank you for the abundant blessings you have so generously poured out upon this nation. Forgive us O Lord, for using those same blessings to dishonor you and to serve ourselves. We confess that we have not only sinned before you  but, have sinned towards one another. We confess O Father, that we have the blood of innocents on our hands. We confess that we have rebelled against your holy instituions of marriage and family and we have reaped the consequences of a society unraveling before our very eyes.  O God, it may be too late for our nation as your judgments are just and true, but, I pray dear God that we as individuals would turn to you and humble ourselves that you might have mercy on us.  I thank you for the blood of your precious son without which, we could never hope to be forgiven and I thank you, Father for your word, which says ;  “Mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13) – without which, none of us could stand,   Thank you God for hearing our prayers and thank you God for loving us and saving us.  We ask God for your help and your strength in these last days and please, help us to remember that while the enemy may prevail for a time, the victory is already won and it belongs to you.  Therefore O Lord, we glorify and bless your Holy name!  In Yeshua’s holy and precious name, Amen!

“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