Heaven Bound

The Bible talks alot about the second coming of Jesus like a bridegroom coming for his bride.  If you’re not sure of the verdant love this bridegroom has for his betrothed, just read the Song of Solomon and you will soon be convinced!  This bridegroom is head over heels for his gal!   Wow, what a love story!  A beautiful jewish love story!

The New Testament is replete with references to Jesus our bridegroom coming for his bride, the church. What might at first, seem like odd references to things like “virgins being ready with oil lamps”, are not so odd, when one begins to understand the Jewish wedding as it was in ancient times. 

In the days of Jesus, when a man and a woman were bethrothed, a price had to be paid for the bride.  She was valuable and the young man, if he wished to have her hand in marriage would have to offer all that he had.  After the price was negotiated and accepted  by the father, the groom to be would go back to his fathers home to prepare a place for himself and his bride to live.  Only when these preparations were complete, could the wedding take place. If anyone should ask the young man when the wedding would be, he would have to answer, “I don’t know, ask my father” for only the father could determine when the preparations were complete.  Once the father deemed the preparations satisfactory, then and only then, could the young man go to get his bride.  In the meantime, the bride is waiting, not knowing exactly when her husband to be would come. It was up to her and her bridesmaids to be ready at any time. They knew some night at midnight, a shout would be heard and the groom with his grooms men would descend upon the  house to take her and her bridesmaids to the wedding.   It was traditional for this to take place at night, so it was important that the young virgins/ bridesmaids have oil in their lamps so they could be ready at a moment’s notice.  Once the bridegroom arrived, it would be a hustle of activity and there would be no time to go and find oil for anyone who was not prepared.  The groomsmen on finding the bride would lift her up and literally carry her on their shoulders to the bridal chamber. There the bride and groom would enter and stay for seven days for the consumation of the marriage.  At the end of the seven days, they would emerge and the party, the wedding supper would begin.

What a perfect parallel to scripture!  How much Jesus loves us!  So much, that he paid the ultimate price for us – in fact, all that he had.  The father would accept nothing less!  Our bridegroom, gave his life for us and has been gone these past two thousand years preparing a place for us.”  Some day soon, when the Father says the preparations are complete, he’s coming back for us.  With a shout and the sound  of a trumpet, we who are waiting, will be caught up in to heaven to join our bridegroom in the wedding chamber.   At the end of seven days (years) we will emerge for the joyous celebration of the wedding supper of the lamb!

As I think about this story, how it unfolds with such beauty, I wonder if the bride is as excited to see the bridegroom as he is to see her?  Its interesting to note that the month leading up to the Feast of Trumpets is the month of Elul. The month of Elul, is symbolized by an acrostic made from the the hebrew letters from the name of the  month.  The letters form an acronym, which in hebrew is: ani l’dodi v’dodi li – from the Song of Songs  “I am my beloved and my beloved is mine“.  Wow, when I read this, I was just blown away!  It seems that God has pulled out all the stops to show us how much he loves us.  What a beautiful lead in to the month of Tishri and the feast of Trumpets.  Listen closely, I think I hear him coming now!

Many years ago, I read a book by J.R. Church titled “The Hidden Prophecies in the Psalms”.  In this book, the author points out that the Psalms besides being recognized for their poetic beauty and supplication to the Lord in times of trouble, are also highly prophetic in nature and are part of the astounding one third of the Bible that makes up Bible prophecy.  Take for instance, the 22nd psalm which references the crucifixion in several of its verses “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me” … “All who see me mock me, they hurl insults, shaking their heads” … “I am poured out like water and all my bones are out of joint” … “I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.”

It is the contention of Mr. Church in his study, that the prophetic nature of the Psalms also correspond with years having to do with end time events beginning with 1948 when the Jewish people were re-established in Israel in fulfillment of God’s promise to bring them back to the land of their inheritance.  Interestingly, the placement of the book of Psalms itself, in the order it appears in scripture testifies to the significance of this date as Psalms is the 19th book from Genesis and the 48th book counting back from Revelation.  This is important, because the events of 1948 with the re-birth of Israel (the budding of the fig tree) began the count down on God’s prophetic time clock.  In Matthew 24, Jesus makes reference to this when he says in verse 32, “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its  leaves come out, you know that summer is near, right at the door. I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all of these things have happened.” A biblical generation is known to be “three score and ten years” in other words, seventy years.  When the number 70 is added to 1948, you get 2018. If the Psalms are indeed prophetic, as they appear to be, then what can be learned from looking at these seventy Psalms as they correspond to our current time frame beginning with the 48th Psalm and ending with the 118th Psalm.

As I pondered the possible connection, I remembered the extreme importance of Psalms 113-118.  This set of Psalms is known as “the Hallel” and date back to Temple times when it was mandatory for every Israelite male to appear before the Lord at the temple for the Feasts of Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles.  These Psalms were recited as the worshipers made their ascent in to the temple for worship. These Psalms continue to be important today and are recited at every Passover as they have been for the past 2,000 years.

With this brief frame work in mind, I want to share what I find to be an astonishing confirmation that the seventy year period starting in 1948 and ending in 2018 indeed corresponds with Psalm 48 and ends with Psalm 118.  When I began to read these Psalms with their prophetic nature in mind, the 118th Psalm virtually jumped off the page at me.  From what is implied in these very precise scriptures, in the year 2018, is that, the seven year tribulation will be over and the Messiah will begin his reign from Jerusalem in the Messianic kingdom.  How do I know this?  Three verses tell me without a doubt, this is so.  

 (1) Psalm 118:22 “The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone”. 

 (2) Psalm 118:25-26, “O Lord save us…Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” 

(3) Psalm 118:27, “…with boughs in hand, join in the festal procession”. 

The fulfillment from these verses from Psalm 118 are found here:

 First of all, Jesus the stone the builders (Israel) rejected, has now been made the chief corner stone – we find a reference to this by Jesus himself in Matthew 21:42 and numerous other passages.

 Secondly, Jesus said, in reference to his rejection by Israel at his first coming, ” For I tell you, (Israel), you will not see me again until YOU say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.'”  This reference from Matthew 23:39 will be fulfilled, when Israel who has their backs against the wall at the Battle of Armageddon, will, willingly call out for help from their Messiah, Yeshua, in their day of trouble and welcome him as King of Israel.

  And thirdly, the festival in which boughs are waved is the Feast of Tabernacles, the Kingly Feast, the feast that looked forward to the time when Messiah will reign as King.  You can find a description of the waving of these boughs in Leviticus 23:40.  This tells me, Yeshua (Jesus) who was rejected by Israel will at this time be welcomed as King and the Messianic age will begin.

This is but a thumbnail sketch of what I am studying right now, there is SO much more that tells us the time of our redemption draweth nigh. The picture I am getting from this study and others is that the course of events that are now unfolding will be culminated by 2018 – which may in actuality be the Feast of Tabernacles of 2017, because the Jewish calendar changes before ours does (theirs change in Sept, ours in January). The tribulation of seven years duration, then, would in my humble opinion, begin in the year 2010 which in actuality begins next weekend at Rosh Hashanah, when the Jewish calendar changes to the year 5770.  With that in mind, will we who are waiting and watching for the soon return of the Lord still be here after that????   The Feast of Trumpets next weekend is highly symbolic of the bridegroom coming for the bride, so, we may well be gone – we’ll talk about that in my next post.  Until then, keep looking up! Jesus is coming soon!

*** Be sure to take a moment to check out my daughter Kara’s blog “Seven Stars”  – she has posted some beautiful photos from the hubble telescope that also tell us Jesus is coming soon!

I’ve been feeling a little melancoly lately, feeling a little like something near and dear to me is slipping away.  Its the kind of feeling I had when my marriage had come in to its final days.  The tighter I tried to hold onto it, the faster it slipped away; kind of like trying to hold sand in a fist, the tighter you hold it, the faster it slips through your grasp.   As I read the daily news, my heart breaks at what I see.  Part of the pain that grips me, is knowing that I, along with my generation, are greatly responsible for what we are seeing fall upon our children, we are reaping what we have sown and our children and grandchildren are paying the price.

From all appearances, God is in the process of giving us over to our enemies. That he has done so, should come as no surprise, given the course we have allowed this country to take in the last forty years or so.  As individuals, I know that as long as we have breath there is hope, salvation and mercy before God, but, as a nation, I don’t think so.  I believe his judgment is set and we are in the final process of reaping what we have sown.   After all, is anyone really paying attention anyway?

Yesterday, I read an excellent article that I would like to pass on.  I encourage you, if at all possible, to take the time to read it.  The writer, Bill Cloud from Shoreshim ministries does a superb job likening what is happening in our country to the sinking of the RMS Titanic. (You can get to it, by clicking on Shoreshim ministries listed on the right side of my page under blogroll,-  once its up, look for the heading in the middle left of the page titled ” a word from Bill”), I promise, you’ll be glad you did!  Like the Titanic, few realized, as the boat took on water, that the great ship was irrevocably doomed. The many warnings of dangerous icebergs ahead had went unheeded, until in the end, it was impossible for the great ship to recover from the damage that had been done.

When the flag of a communist country, (China)  flies over the capital of our great land, do our people not find that disturbing? When the President can’t find time to make the national prayer breakfast, but, has plenty of time to host a dinner in honor of Ramadan, does that not give us pause for thought?  When states like Michigan are unable or unwilling any longer to help support historic events such as the annual state fair, but, have money enough to fund groups like Access (Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services) are we not just a little bit bothered? 

Europe has already put its neck in the noose, by allowing one set of laws for muslims and another for non-muslims.  In other words, making exceptions to the law for those who live under sharia law and those who do not. For instance, in some European countries where polygamy is illegal, it is now, (for fear of offending or causing trouble with the muslim community) been made legal – for muslims, not Europeans.  In our own schools, here in the United States, children are encouraged to learn about the muslim faith and religious observances such as Ramadan are touted, while Christian and Jewish holidays are banned, except for in the most secular sense i.e. Santa Claus and Easter Bunny, okay, – but, no Jesus, God or ten commandments, thank you!

For those with their heads in the sand, it will be a rude awakening, when they discover that Islam means exactly what they say, when they say, “death to the infidels“.  Islam is not and never has been a benign religion. What they are not able to accomplish peaceably, will in the end, be done by force.  I now understand those mysterious words from Revelation chapter 20 verse 4 “And I saw the souls of them that had been beheaded for their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God.” Beheading is still the favored method of Islam for dealing with infidels (those who refuse to convert to the faith).

As I feel the tilt of this great ship as she begins her slide beneath the water to her final resting place, I think my greatest remorse is for those whose ears remain deaf to the warnings being sounded all around them. The din from the clinking of the china and the strains of the orchestra making merry, give the false impression to those unaware, that everything is alright, when its not.    For me, I think my grip on this world just got a little bit looser – even so, come Lord Jesus, your children are ready to go home.

I think September and October are my favorite months.  I love the change from summer green to the golds and bronze of autumn.  There is a sense of satisfaction that comes at the end of summer, I think, one that harkens back to the days when people knew what it meant to get the crops in the barn before the winter snow would fly.  I remember at the end of every summer, my grandmother “putting up” dozens of  jars of jams, jellies, pickles, relishes, fruit, tomatoes, meat and vegetables of all kinds from her own garden and fruit trees.  With each finished jar, she undoubtedly had a sense of satisfaction, knowing  that her family would not be going hungry that winter, and I, as a child knew, I would be sharing in some of the tastiest food around, for she always shared from her bounty with us.

As I was thinking about this, the words to America the Beautiful came to mind.  “O beautiful, for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain, for purple mountains majesty, above the fruited plain, America, America, God shed his grace on thee, and crowned thy good with brother hood from sea to shining sea.”  Wow, I love those words, so beautifully written.  This is the America of our heritage, the America we love and hold in our hearts, but, unfortunately, it is not the America of today.

According to the Bible, in Luke 12:48, “to whom much is given, much is required.”  It doesn’t take any great expose here to convince anyone, that we as Americans, have been the recepients of the greatest freedom and bounty in the history of the world.  But, in the last forty or so years, we have taken  little from that bounty in the way of goodness and mercy, (the gospel), food ,water and medical care to share with the world, but, instead, have exported every evil and immorality known to man, while gluttonously fattening ourselves with the same.

In Jeremiah 8:20, the prophet laments, “The harvest is past, the summer is over and we are not saved.”  In the book of Acts, the summer harvest began with the birth of the church at Pentecost. What the Bible refers to as the “times of the Gentiles”.  This period of harvesting of Jews and Gentiles for the past two thousand years is known as the church age.  From the many prophetic signs being fulfilled today, we know that the harvest  is nearing an end.  Soon the trumpet will sound and we will be called home.  Just as in Israel, when at the Feast of Trumpets, at the sound or blowing of the shofar, the ram’s horn, the people were signaled that the harvest had ended and the time to assemble in God’s temple for worship had  come.

I can’t think of any sadder words, than those of the prophet Jeremiah, “the harvest is past, the summer is over and we are not saved”.  The Bible implores us, warns us, pleads with us, that “today is the day of salvation.”  Please, today if you hear his voice, do not harden your heart!   The trumpet is ready to sound!  Just as the church age, (the summer harvest) began at Pentecost, the harvest, will most likely end at the Feast of Trumpets, the traditional end of the Jewish harvest, which falls on September 20th this year.  Be assured, God will not leave wickedness unjudged, but, he has provided an ark of safety, and that ark is Jesus.  Before God brought the judgment of the flood, he provided the ark for Noah and his family, before God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, he brought Lot and his family out of the city.  A harvest is coming, the harvest of God’s wrath and judgment. An absolute fullfillment of “sowing what you reap.” This is a harvest you do not want to be part of.  In Revelation 14:15 it says, “take your sickle and reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.”

When the trumpet blows and the harvest is ended, (whether its this month, or any day soon) will I, will you, be satisfied in our hearts that we have done all we can to lead unsaved friends and family to Jesus? If not, join with me then, in making the most of the time we have left – waiting for the trumpet to blow.

Like a scene straight out of Dante’s Inferno, are the dark, smoldering images coming out of Southern Cal this week.  Eerily attractive, they capture our attention, as we watch their image on our screens, both attracted and repelled by the ferocity of the fire.   What is it about fire that is so immensely attractive, so powerful, almost hypnotic?  Have you ever noticed people  standing about a campfire or sitting in front of a fireplace,  how it isn’t long until they become quiet, contemplative, staring into the flames as if being drawin in to the fire itself? 

Fire, in small controlled increments serves a useful purpose. We cook with it, heat with it, even destroy with it when it serves our purposes.  But fire, the raging, unstoppable kind,   the kind that once started takes on a life of its own – what about it?   Is it possible that the attraction/revulsion we feel for such an inferno is set deep in our spiritual senses, senses that on a conscious level, we may not know even exist.

The Bible has alot to say about fire, not fires in general, but, one particular fire, the fires of Hell.  The word hell is  a repellent word for those of us who respect it, like fire is to be respected and yet curiously, attractive to those foolish enough not to respect it.

Hell according to the bible, is the final destination for those who choose to be apart from God.  Jesus likened it to Gehenna the site outside Jerusalem where rubbish was burned along with the dead bodies of criminals and animals.  It was a place where the fire burned continuously day and night.   But, unlike the rubbish being consumed by the fires of Gehenna, the spirits of those cast in to hell will never be consumed, for the spirit is indestructible. 

In God, there is life and light, outside of Him is darkness and destruction.  The Bible says, “choose this day whom you will serve” – Joshua 24:15.  Will you choose light and life or darkness and destruction.? God does not desire that any should perish, but, that all would come to repentance.  He desires this so much, that He became flesh and walked among us, taking the penalty for our sins on His shoulders.  But, its our choice.

As the fires in Southern California burn, heros risk their lives to stop them.  Jesus, more than a hero, our Savior has already given his life for us.   If you don’t know him today, won’t you ask him to come in?  “Behold, I stand at the door and knock, if any man hear my voice, I will come in.”  Revelation 3:20

There is a chinese proverb that goes something like this, “May you live in interesting times.”  Whether this proverb is a blessing or a curse, is any ones guess, most likely determined, I would dare say, by how it is said and who it is said to!  When I think about it, it reminds me of a double edged sword, in other words, it can cut both ways.  Such are the interesting times we live in!

I was reading an article in our local paper this morning, the Honolulu Advertiser in which the late Senator Edward Kennedy is quoted as  saying in 1983 in regard to the role of his Catholic faith in his political beliefs, “I believe there surely is such a thing as truth, but who among us can claim a monopoly on it.”   With leaders like this, no wonder our country is in the moral morass we find it in today.  Sadly, our most respected leaders, no longer possess the compass of truth needed to guide it. 

It appears to me, that those like Senator Kennedy who doubt the nature of truth, do so, because they have failed to correctly define it.  Truth, by its very definition is narrow.  It is very similar to the law of mathematics.  Take for instance, the simple equation  of 2 + 2 = 4 .   The sum of four is arrived at, not by how much we like it, how many people voted for it or how many agree with it, it simply is.  It is an immutable law, one by which the universe depends and operates.  Without it,  it would be impossible to send  a rocket to the moon or anywhere else.  Therefore, we depend on these laws to be both definable and narrow, anything else would be chaos.

In the same way, the Bible declares that it alone is the word of God and Jesus the only way to God.  Its narrow all right.  Jesus recognized this fact, when he said, the way to salvation is narrow and the way to destruction wide  and “few there be that find it.” (Matt. 7:13,14),  In the past century, we have made great strides in forging new frontiers in all the sciences, while at the same time  neglecting and deliberately forgetting the truth from which they must be governed.  Truth, by the way, is not only written in the bible, but, written on our hearts, our conscience – the knowledge of God  “so that man is without excuse.”  Romans 1:20

Our greatest scientific advances without moral truth from which to govern them easily mutate into our worst fears.  Advanced health care, but, for whom?  Those who can afford it?  Those who are deemed worthy?  Unborn children, with the window to the womb, ( the ultra sound), we can see them, but, do we want them?  Stem Cell research and the use of  fetal cells and embryos, should one die that another might live or benefit?   And now, on the cutting edge of science – transhumanism, the blending of species –  (if you’re not up on this, you might want to check out my link to Raiders News Network. You will be greatly astonished, if not horrified!

With out God’s truth to guide us, we wield the very sharp and deadly double edge sword that contains both blessing and curse, rights without responsibility is destined to utterly fail;  a tower of Babel that will collapse under its own weight.

May God help us all!

I have a necklace I wear every day.   For me, wearing it makes a statement, kind of like having my own personal bumpersticker.  Bumper stickers are kind of an interesting cultural phenomenon, in using them, we have found a  way of letting the world know exactly what we think, without saying a word!    To see me on the freeway is to know me!  I was once called for jury service for a murder trial.  In the selection of the jury, the judge ask the potential jurors, what kind of bumper stickers they have on their cars. Evidently, even the courts agree,  a bumper sticker goes along way in telling  people  who you really are.  For one thing, you can be sure the owner of the bumper stickers believe in their cause, they must, –  because once you apply the darn things, you can never get them off!!!!   Bumper stickers, they’re a real art, kind of entertaining on that mundane drive into the city every day.  You know, you’ve seen them.  The patriotic bumper stickers, the ones that proliferate  faster than bunnies at election time,  the gastronomical bumper stickers, the kind  that tell the world along with our expanded stomachs that we “love to eat at Joe’s”  and last but, not least, those  bumper stickers that if their slogans were deleted, would say “bleep, bleep, bleep!“   But for all this talk of bumper stickers, I have to admit, I don’t have a single one, at least,  not on my car.    But what I do have is my own personal bumpersticker, a small turquoise and silver star of David that I wear every day.

The Star of  David, is centuries old and dates back to King David in Old Testament times.  This six sided star also sometimes referred to as the shield of David, symbolizes God’s rule over the universe in six directions – north, south, east, west,  up and down and is representative of how King David had to rely on the might of God for fighting his battles rather than relying on his own strength.  Since that time, the Star of David has become synonymous with the Jewish people.  In Hitlers Europe during the second world war, all Jews were required to have this emblem sewn on to their clothing for identification.

For the most part when I wear the star it goes unnoticed.  Occasionally some one will notice it and ask me if I’m Jewish and of course the answer  is no, because I’m a gentile.  Why then do I wear the star?   I guess quite simply put, its for God to see.  If others see it and remark about it, that’s fine, and I welcome the opportunity to talk about why I wear it.   But, most of all its a tangible way for me to show God that I recognize and respect the eternal covenant he has made with the Jewish people and the land of Israel.  Its also a way for me show my greatfulness for the Messiah Jesus who by God’s design came to us through the Jewish people.  And lastly, its for showing  my support for Israel in these troublesome days which will culminate in the return of  Messiah Jesus himself.

What we,  (individuals and nations)  think about Israel and how we treat her people matters, in fact, it matters a great deal!   The Bible says that nations and people will be judged by how they have treated God’s people, Israel.  In this century two of the greatest fulfillments of Bible  prophecy have occurred.  The restoration of the nation of Israel in 1948 and the restablishment of Jerusalem as the capital in 1967.  At the end of September, a plan will be brought before the UN General Assembly by President Obama for dividing Israel into what is being called “the two state solution”.  This proposal includes not only a plan for dividing  the land, but, a plan to place the temple mount under arab sovereignty and  muslim control.  If  this decision is carried out, there will be serious repercussions for all nations involved.   By a miracle, God brought back the Jewish people from the four corners of the earth to re-establish the state of Israel and by a miracle in spite of her many foes, God will keep her there!  And anyone who tries to do otherwise has been forwarned:    “I will make Jerusalem an  immovable rock for all the nations, all who try to move it will injure themselves”  Zechariah 12:3  

Lastly,  God’s promise from Genesis 12:3  remains:  “I will bless them that bless thee (Israel) and curse them who curse thee”   Join with me won’t you and  “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, they shall prosper who love  thee”  Psalm 122:6

I ran across a story today from one of my favorite websites, (Raiders News Network) concerning the Shroud of Turin.  It’s been quite some time, since I had put any thought into this ancient relic that some say contain the image of Christ.  According to the article, there are the images of 28 types of flowers imbeded  on the shroud along with that of a crucified man.   This was quite interesting, because if the species of flowers could be identified, it would provide an important clue as to the origin of the shourd, something which as long been the subject of debate. 

Eventually all of the flowers were identified and it was determined that all 28 flowers are known to grow in Israel – 20 of the flowers grow in the Jerusalem area and 8 in the dead sea area.  And 14 out of the 28 are known to be native to mid-eastern countries alone.  With that discovery, the origin of the shroud is indeed, most likely Israel.  *Links for this story listed below.

Author and researcher David Flynn had this to say regarding the shroud. “There is no pigment on the image itself, rather it seems to have been produced through the degeneration of the fibers at different rates. In other words, fibers closest to the image on the shroud have aged more than those further away. This apparently occurred instantaneously.  It is as if a burst of eternity eminated from the figure within the shroud itself ….”    (Click here to see some very clear images of the shroud and a couple of very interesting youtube videos:http://watcher.boardzero.com/the-watcher-forum-f3/face-of-the-turin-shroud-enhanced-updated-t2578.html)

As I thought about the words he used in describing the formation of the image on the fabric,  “burst of eternity” simultaneous no doubt with burst of energy.   I thought of that other sudden burst of energy described in the Bible in Genesis 1:1 –  “In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth.  In that moment, the awesome power of God was demonstrated!   The Bible says, that by the power of his word, everything came into existence.   And it is by this same power, that Jesus the crucified man was brought back  from the lifeless state  of the crucified man to the fullness of  His resurrected glory!

The resurrection of Jesus!  It is the foundation on which all of Christianity stands.  Whether or not the Shroud of Turin contains the image of the crucified Jesus of Nazareth is really here nor there, because for some skeptics there can never be evidence enough.  Jesus himself walked and talked in Galilee and for some, even a face to face encounter was not enough.  Yes, the heavens declare the glory and power of God.  A God, who according to the Bible will call forth the living and the dead someday to stand before his throne, in a divine appointment we all must keep. 

 If you’re reading this today and you have not yet accepted Jesus as your Savior, I urge you to do it now.  Jesus loves you, he paid the price for you, he wants a relationship with you, but, it is a decision that must be made now, in this life.   By the time we reach that divine appointment at the throne of God,  the decision of where we spend eternity will have already been made.   Realize no decision is a decision, so don’t put off today, making the most important decision of your life.   Jesus said, ” Behold, I stand at the door and knock, if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in.”  Revelation 3:20

**Last night, I went forward at the altar call after hearing evangelist Greg Laurie speak and watching the film Lost Boy.  I went forward as a public demonstration of my re-commitment to Jesus Christ.  Its something I actually did in my heart over a year ago, but, I wanted to take the opportunity to make a public statement last night.  Thank you Jesus!   For those of you who have never heard the Greg Laurie story, check  this out http://blog.greglaurie.com/?p=97

      *Read here the fascinating story of the flowers found on the shroud –http://www.shroud.com/danin.htm, http://www.shroudstory.com/pollen.htm

                                                                                                                                                                                                      *up-dated 8/22/09

“I’m a wimp!”  There, I’ve said it out loud – well, at least in print, I’m a wimp!   Its something I’ve known about myself since I was first old enough to stand on two legs and run from the little girl who was pulling my hair!    I have a long history of  going out of my way by any means possible to avoid a conflict.  Standing my ground was never a problem for me, I guess that’s because my knees always hit the ground first, right after my spine buckled!    Kind of reminds me of a charachter from one of my favorite child hood movies,  who had the same kind of problem.  The Cowardly Lion  from “The Wizard of Oz“.    I love this quote from the movie ” – “Courage!  What makes a King out of a slave?   Courage!  What makes a flag on the mast to wave?  Courage!  What makes the elephant charge his tusk in the misty mist, or the dusky dusk?  Courage!”  Ah, yes, Courage! 

Right now, we live in a country, a world, of unsettling changes.  The day is fast approaching, when we who live our lives for Jesus may be required to stand up and be counted for in ways we cannot imagine;  to have courage!    But, life isn’t a movie and we don’t have a pseudo wizard behind a curtain manipulating smoke and mirrors to give us what we need.   What we do have though, is the reality of a God in heaven, who loves us and who knows the future.  A  God, who in spite of the outward circumstances, knows the future and is in complete control.   Jesus knew the future we, his followers would have to  face and he comforted us with these words. “But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it.  At that time, you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.”   Matthew 10:19,20.   In other words, don’t worry when those times come,  God will tell you what to speak and you will be given courage!    This reminds me of a quote by one of this centuries most inspirational Christians, Corrie Ten Boom.  Corrie said,  “If God sends us on strong paths, we are provided with strong shoes”.   And she should know!!!   Risking her life in world war II for hiding  Jews from extermination by the Nazi’s, ultimately, ending up in a concentration camp herself, she knew first hand what those words meant!    

Around the world today, many Christians are facing intense persecution for their faith.  Please read this story and pray for these two incredible women in Iran, for whom these promises of scripture are more than just mere  words.  Please read this whole post from Jihad Watch, you will be inspired and blessed!  http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/027192.php 

Courage!   Maryam and Marzieh, we are encouraged by your courage, your strength and your faith!   We  see in you, the living  reflection of these words from Deuteronomy 31:6, “Do not be afraid or terrified, because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you, He will never leave you nor forsake you.”   You have His promise on that, Maryam and Marzieh, and so do I.

*Up–date:  I inadvertantly came across this news story today which ties into my posting from last night.  There is a very courageous 17 year old girl in Florida, who is in danger of losing her life at the hands of her parents; her crime – leaving Islam to become a Christian.  By Sharia law, it is the duty of the family to take the life of the apostate in order to restore the family honor.  Right now, the young girl Fathima is in foster care in Florida with Christians, but, hearings have begun which could by order of the court force her return to her parents.  You can read her story and see video of her begging for her life and for her right to worship Jesus   http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=107483   This isn’t far off Iran, this is the United States and the reality is that the impact of radical Islam is affecting us all.  Please pray for Fathima and the many others world wide who are suffering daily for their faith.   May our prayers be many reaching up to  the throne of grace on their behalf.    Cindy

This article caught my eye the other day when it appeared in the news, “Mermaid sightings claimed in Israel.”  In case you missed this unusal story you can read it here :http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20090814/sc_livescience/mermaidsightingsclaimedinisrael.   Fishy as it may seem, the unusual combination of Israel and Mermaids immediately drew my attention.  Israel in the news these days is always something to pay attention to, but, mermaids?  I have to admit that is a combination, that  I would never have thought of putting together!  Israel and King David, yes,  Israel and Stars out of the East, yes,  but, mermaids?  –  that  was a new one to me!

As it turns out, there is a quite famous location near Jaffa known as the Mermaid’s Rock or Andromeda’s Rock.   On this rock, mythological  Andromeda, was said to have been chained  to be sacrified to a sea monster due to her mother’s bragging (bragging about what, I’m not sure).  Anyway, she was apparently rescued by her husband to be, Perseus and thus survived the ordeal to live forever after in legendary lore.   You can see a photo of this famous rock here:http://www.travelpod.com/travel-photo/laorfamily/israel-2007/1189452780/the-andromeda-rock.jpg/tpod.html

I have to admit, I began thinking about this story a little bit more in depth after reading JRed’s blog at Look Up Fellowship today.  Check it out, he makes such fascinating correlations to the subtle things happening in the news today and Bible prophecy.  I didn’t quite get the connection at first, as I had always thought of mermaids, for what ever reason to be whimsical figaments of an over active imagination.  Too much grog, on the part of most sailors, most likely!    But, after reading Look Up Fellowship, I realized that mermaid sightings are most often viewed as a “bad omen”.  I never knew that, I guess if you had asked me before, I would have guessed them to be more of a lucky charm.  But, I went on-line and verified at several sources, that it is indeed a bad omen to see a mermaid.   Tie that together with this tasty bit of information regarding  the vaccine for the H1N1 virus and you have a “bad omen” indeed.   Apparently, the vaccination is derived from a product of a company called Crucell, which utilizes the cells of an aborted baby in the production of some vaccines.  The cells used in this production are referred to as  Per.C6, a shortened version of the full names, which is Persius,  the latinized form for Perseus.  Could the meaning be any more in your face, as JRed might say, when you realize the name Perseus means “destroyer“!”     To read more about this, go to one of my other favorite blogs called “New Wineskins” – you can get to it by clicking onthe link on the side bar.

In these last days, the spiritual war that is being waged is going to intensify in ways that most of us could never have imagined.  The battle rages, but, the VICTORY has been won!  Hold fast to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith!