THE "END TIMES" !
john roy bohlen & John 5:30
I saw a book recently, that had the title, I'm Glad I Got Left Behind! The title was smiling at the idea of the "any minute, imminent rapture" Left Behind series.
ALMOST FICTION
END-TIME PROPHESY (POSSIBLY)
The Rapture is not going to take place any time soon. The proof for this is to be found in Matthew 24:14; Revelation 12; and Ephesians 4; Acts 3:20-21; 1 Cor.15:52, etc. Would you like to know what will happen in the days ahead? Are you sure? I'm not sure you want to know. There are a number of disaster movies made, that express the idea that if something bad is going to happen, like an earthquake, super volcano, tsunami, etc., that many people would not want to know about it ahead of time. In fact, the Christian world, if it did not have "head-buried-in-the sand", "feather bed and fur lined cradle theology", an "ice cream and cake future", (rapture flavored), they would invent one.
Actually, bad or good is going to happen in your future, depending upon your relationship with God - the better the relationship, the brighter the future.
The word "pre-tribulation rapture" or "rapture" is not found in the Bible, nor was this new and strange doctrine taught in the history of the Church, until the last 150 years. It is an escapist invention of the devil, designed to put the Church to sleep. The words "caught away" are used, but, at the time of the "Last Trumpet", after 6 other "Trumpets" have been trumped, that is, after the "Great Tribulation of those Days"!
Nor is the phrase "eternal security" or "once-saved-always-saved" found in the Bible. This is also a doctrine of demons, designed to encourage all who believe it, to back-slide, to not live on fire for God, to not prepare for the future.
Socially, and economically, everything is going to get worse, and, very soon, we, here in America, are going to experience the most horrible financial collapse this country has ever imagined. When this happens, Christians will be forced to take the mark of the beast, or be martyred, or be supernaturally provided for.
THE WORLD-WIDE, NATION-WIDE COLLAPSE OF THE ECONOMY
On one of my plane rides to Africa, I asked a high ranking American banker, "If I put $100 into a savings or checking account, how many times would the financial institution be legally allowed to loan that money out to others?" His dramatic and alarming answer was emphatic; "If less than 1 % of the people in the United States went to the bank at one time to collect their money, the bank would be forced to close their doors!" Instead of the any minute rapture, the United States, and the World is due for an imminent collapse of the economy!
What will happen when the economy collapses, and we have a depression far worse than the great depression that occurred here in America from 1929 into the early 30's. There was starvation, rioting, suicide, and the general inability to buy or sell. Yet, the United States is in a far worse state, financially, now than she was then.
The national debt is far, far worse now. Personal indebtedness is far worse now. At that time, the American dollar was backed by silver and gold, whereas now, our paper money is nearly worthless.
In 1930, the vast majority of the United States was a rural society, which meant that there was food storage and growth, water supply and utilities available to the farmer, to the average citizen, as compared with today, when most people do not have basic food staples enough to last them longer than a week, or less. In the 30's, most people had potatoes and apples, etc., in the root cellar, and had a vast selection of canned, salted, dried, smoked or otherwise stored and prepared food. Most people, even in the city had gardens. Most people had their own water supply, could use wood or coal for heating. Most were not even electricity dependent. Most could fix their own cars. Many had horses, and thus had an alternate means of travel or working the fields. Much of the industry was operable on steam, coal or wood. Most were not deeply in debt. Many people had guns, and could shoot game for meat. Now, today, most of the food sold in grocery stores, was brought in, the night before. In less than 1 day's time, most of the available food will be gone from the stores. Most people do not have enough food to last them more than a few days, and not enough water to last them even one day. There is a wide-spread mentality that people have a right to food, etc., and often, there is a mentality that says that where there is a need, it is o.k. for people who do not have, and cannot otherwise obtain, (they think) that it is justified for them to steal it from others who have, if it is a matter of survival. You have starving children, your neighbor has food. He cannot be otherwise persuaded to give you his food. What are you going to do?
In the prosperous 2000's, the Federal Government sporadically keeps closing its doors and shutting down, because of our need financially. What will the government do when they have no money to operate? There will be no money for food stamps, medical assistance, social security, fire fighting, law enforcement, defense.
We lived in L.A. in the 70's when a major earthquake contaminated the water supply. Almost immediately, people began fighting over bottled water in the stores. We have known where people were hurting each other at the gas pumps, during our petroleum shortages. Can you imagine what it will be like to be in the middle of Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Phoenix or, for that matter, in any large city, when they run out of water? Right now, in L.A., 12 million people receive their water from a slender canal that runs precariously through hundreds of miles of wilderness country.
During the "Great Depression" of 1929, and on into the early 30's, many people had their money in the banks. The banks had loaned this money to other people. When more than a few of the first people came for their money, the banks were empty, and, many people found that they had lost all of their life's savings. Today, if even a small percentage of people wanted to withdraw their money at the same time, this "run on the bank" would cause people to discover that their life's savings, and the money in their checking account had disappeared, and would never be available.
Without money, food, water, heat, electricity, police protection, or fire fighting capability, the cities are going to turn into a madhouse, and there will be immediate and wide spread looting, rioting, raping, vandalism, burning, robbing, pillaging, starvation, disease and terror. People will have no place to go, and will flee from the city, in most cases, on foot. Bridges will be blocked or broken, and rivers will be difficult to cross. Jesus commanded us to pray that when we flee the city, that we don't even take time to go into our home to retrieve what we can carry, as there will be too little time. Jesus commanded us to pray that our flight would not be in the winter time, or on the week-end. He spoke of the drastically increased difficulty for those who are pregnant, or have small children.
Most of our friends live in the city. Even the ones who live in the country are thinking rapture escape, or hyper-faith, and are not prepared for the hard times to come. Nearly everyone will be looking for food and shelter. Domestic animals will run wild, become disease ridden and dangerous. Pests, such as rats and mice, and insects will increase, disease and plagues will become a major problem. New strains of sickness will appear. There will be a critical lack of medical treatment.
There will have been no rapture! At this critical time, what will happen to the faith of those who have been leaning heavily on pre-trouble-rapture expectations? What will happen to those who do not believe in healing? What will happen to the millions of people who have come to expect that godliness will guarantee them a cushy or comfortable or country club life-style? There will be those, who, by the multiplied millions, lose, abandon, or give up their "faith".
Into this scene will arise the "not-particularly-in-favor-of Christ" - the anti-Christ. He will be seen as one who can provide food, clothing, shelter, protection, peace and safety. This "savior", will be one who can save you and your loved ones from starvation, etc. He will be able to meet your needs. All you need to do is take his encoding credit card type of number with which you will be able to buy and sell and live. Without this "credit card number", you will not be able to purchase food, gas, utilities, a home, travel, anything. Will you take the number? Or starve, or watch your family starve. You have been taught to believe that God does not want you to starve.
Revelation 12 is a good description of our times and of what will be happening. It says that "the Woman", (I believe that she represents the Church, the Body of Christ at large, or, possibly, the intercessors), will be taken into the wilderness where she is provided for, for 3 and 1/2 years. There will be many places that God will be preparing for His people to come to during the difficult days ahead, when their homes and savings and possessions are gone, and they have no place else to go. But, then it says that the devil goes off to persecute "the rest of her children". These are the Christians in general - the wide spread body of Christ- the nominal, luke- warm "Christians".
We have a place in the wilderness, where people can come for retreats, camps, conferences and preparation for ministry. Many of our friends know where we live, and will be able to come here in difficult days ahead.
Should we adopt a policy in which people will be able to benefit from our place here, only to the extent that they made an investment now, in either finances, or in sweat equity?
THE SONS OF GOD!
Revelation 12 says that the Manchild is caught up to the throne of God, where he rules over the nations with a "rod of iron". Yet, Revelation 2:26-27 says that this is "the overcomers".
CHRISTIAN DEAR ONES
Please allow me to introduce you to a new and different group of (human) beings This group is in many different places in Scripture. There is one characteristic that is common for every place that they are mentioned - they DO THE WILL OF GOD! Here are some of the terms by which they are known, and where they are mentioned in the Bible:
Joel's Army - Joel 2
The Man-child (Company) - Revelation 12
The Saints, or the Godly Ones - Psalm 149
The Anointed - Psalm 2
The "mothers", "brothers" or "sisters" of Jesus - Mt.12:48, 49; Mk.3:33-35; Lk.8:19-21
The Friends of Christ - Jn.15:14
Those who love Jesus - Jn.14:15, 21
Loved of the Father (and of Jesus) - Jn.14:21
Great in the Kingdom of Heaven" - Mt.5:19
The Manifested Son of God to (and in,) the Manifested Sons of God" - Jn.14:21; Rom.8
The "Spiritual" - I Co.14:21
The "Knowers of God" - 1 Jn.2:3; Dan.
The "Dwellers in Christ" - 1 Jn.3:24
Those who "have a right to the Tree of Life" and have access to the Holy City - Rev.22:14
Those who are allowed to "enter the Kingdom of Heaven" - Mt.7:21
The Sons of God - Rom.8:14
The "Manifested Sons of God" - Rom.8:19
The "saviours on Mt Zion" - Obad.1:21
Any one can be a part of this group of people. All that is necessary to be included in this group of people, is that we do God's will. Be led by the Holy Spirit. Only those who are mature, spiritual, Spirit led, spiritually discerning people can qualify.
Question: What percentage of your time and life and words and actions and decisions are the leading of the Holy Spirit, the will of God? Do you know the voice of God on a "name and address basis", that is, in such a way, that God could tell you, like He did to the man of God who first ministered to Paul? God told him:
the name of the man needing ministry,
what had happened to him,
what ministry needed to be done,
the address where he was located,
and the man with whom he was staying. (Acts 9:10-19)
Do you know the voice of God that well??? This is the extent to which we must learn and come to know God's voice, immediately! I call this level of knowing God's voice, the "Name and address leading."
GUNS, KNIVES, AMMUNITION AND KARATE
For years, I enjoyed guns, knives, ammunition and karate. But, in 1979, Daddy Yahweh redirected my focus and priorities to "seeking first The Kingdom of God", with the promise that, if, in everything, and if, at all times, I sought first to do God's will
and delight in Him, that He would "take care of me, and of all my needs!" The will to survive (on God's terms) is stronger than ever, but survival must be on God's terms, by His means, and in His time. My mentality now is "if God wants me to survive, He can enable me to survive." and, "If God wants me to be dead, persecuted, hungry, or imprisoned, then, that's what I want." We do not have the money or the time to buy big enough guns or to store enough food, or to build the right kinds of shelter, etc. God, as in the days of old, is going to have to care for us, or others, if, in fact, He wants us to survive.
We have no other choice than to reach into God, to be able to move into His supernatural power and supply. We will have to reach into God to be able to practice, on a practical level, verses like:
What ever you bind, will be bound.", and, "What ever you loose, will be loosed." and, "The weapons of our warfare, though not carnal, are mighty, through God, to the tearing down of strongholds.", and, :"I can do some things through Christ Who strengthens me." "If two shall agree on anything, it
shall be done.". And, from Psalm 149: "This honour have all His saints" =
"To bind the kings with chains,
the nobles with fetters of iron,
to execute upon them the judgement written -
vengeance upon the nations, and
punishments upon the people - - "
If these things are true, and if we can ask anything in Yahshua's Name, according to His will, then, perhaps, it is our responsibility to rule and reign, to "take the Kingdom by force", and see the Kingdom of God established, and the Great Commission fulfilled, instead of being wimpy Christians, and a sleeping giant.
At the time Elijah was being fed by ravens, the other prophets were subsisting on bread and water in caves, while the rest of God's people were being killed by the thousands. Perhaps it is true that, if the people of God and the prophets of God had known the voice of God the way Elijah did, perhaps they would have had directions to where the ravens were delivering their hamburgers by the gentle brook!!!
Romans 8 tells us that all of creation is waiting for the unveiling, the manifestation, the revealing, the coming forth of the sons of God (those who are led by the Holy Spirit).
Try to imagine what it would be like if some of the Dear Ones would get hold of promises just mentioned, and come to appropriate concepts like "the King's Greatest Secret!", "The Throne-Room Mentality", and "Kingdom Glory" !!!!!!!
There are some people who believe that the second coming of Christ will only be His coming within His saints. It is` true that God wants to come and live within us AS our Life, but the Word also says that "every eye shall see Him", and that His coming will be as "from the east to the west! Thus, Precious Yahshua Jesus WILL come within us, and He WILL come FOR us Amen.
In conclusion, please read and memorize Joel 2:1-11. I believe that this passage tells the story of a group of saints that have entered into the power of God, simply because they have learned to be led by the Holy Spirit. Though there is some debate as to who this Joel's Army really is (some people think it is the Russians, while others think that it is insects, verse 11 tells us plainly who is this "great and mighty people". Yahweh (the LORD) utters His voice before His army, surely His camp is very great and strong is he who carries out His Word"!!!
The Bible tells us that God is returning for a Bride that is without spot or wrinkle. Is the Bride of Christ in that state as of yet? The Bible tells us in Matthew 24:14 that the end will NOT come, until "this Gospel of the Kingdom is (first) preached in ALL the world for a witness to ALL of the nations"!!! There are literally thousands upon thousands of people groups around the world, who have never heard the Gospel of the Kingdom"!!!!!!! We have our work cut out for us! Amen?!!
For more information about this or related subjects, please see our articles or books, including:
The Glory of God
How To Know The Will of God
How To Rule The World, or, "Seek First the Kingdom of God"
Now, let us use our imaginations: Let us suppose that the promises of God are true, and that they are practical and possible in the realm of the every day nitty gritty of life.
STORY # 1
A simple, humble, gentle obedient brother or sister in the Lord, is awakened by an angel, and is told to get dressed. Then, like Phillip of the Book of Acts, George or Jane is gently taken by the Holy Spirit to the jungles of Columbia where a gang is planning to kidnap some missionaries and hold them for ransom. Just when the missionaries are surrounded, you walk into the clearing and announce in Spanish by the power of the Holy Spirit, that the criminals must repent or be judged. They refuse. In the Name of Yahshua, you bind them, and they are paralyzed, frozen on the spot. The missionaries continue on their way, and you are invited along to share a meal with them. You stay with them just long enough to hold some minister's seminars in the area, The King's Greatest Secret is shared with them, and the Gospel of the Kingdom, etc,. before being returned by the Holy Spirit to your home in America.
Use your imaginations, write your own stories: If the promises of God are real, then the saints should be able, in God to do any of the following things, and more, by the sweet leading of the Holy Spirit:
* still storms
* call down lightning or fire or hail stones or comets or paralysis
* travel from place to place by the Holy Spirit
* turn waste paper into money
* turn stones into bread, or other food
* strike people blind, dead, paralyzed, etc,
* raise people from the dead
* put new body parts back on or into people
* move heavy objects by the Holy Spirit
* see gas tanks, fuel tanks, water tanks, be filled and kept filled
* ditto food pantries, shelves, refrigerators, milk cartons, etc.
* be made invisible when necessary
* have fire issue forth out of our mouths
* have people fall down by the power of God within us
* have our faces and bodies shine like the sun, with God's glory
* have fire come out of our eyes
* have our voices be as the sound of many waters
* see lightning strike anyone or anywhere at will
* see electricity supplied supernaturally
* see any kind of healing or sickness take place
* know what people are thinking, saying, or doing
* have our voice amplified to whatever volume
* be as strong as we need to be
* gain entrance or escape to or from any place
* appear in any group and command their attention
* have any kind of money or provision for any kind of need
* be as healthy as we need to be
* be always pleasing to the Lord
* always do the perfect will of God
* always be led by the Holy Spirit