The Sealed Book- Opened.

 A book was closed and sealed by God. Why? Why would God close and seal a book? Logic dictates that he didn't want us to understand what was written within. We could still read what had been written but to comprehend the meaning behind what was written was another story. God didn't want us to understand until the 'time of the end'.

Dan 12:4  But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. 

Even to the time of the end.  Why not until the time of the end? Because the words within were specifically for the time of the end.

In 1844 something happened - 178 years ago - NOT a long time. I know you may disagree, because in some respects- it is a really long time ago, but in the grand scheme of things- it really is not a long time. Almost 6000 years this world has been around, 178 years out of 6000 is very little.  When sin entered the world and God told Adam and Eve there would be an enmity put between Satan and them - the plan for Salvation was fully underway. In the year 31AD Jesus was sacrificed on the cross, God's only begotten son was sacrificed for our salvation. About 4000 years after the prophecy of God was given in the Garden of Eden.  Think about that for a moment, the Savior was predicted- 

(Gen 3:15  And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.) 4000 years before He came and bruised the head of Satan! For perspective 178 years truly is not a long time.  

Jesus told us during His ministry that He would return, and He gave various signs for us to note. He even mentioned Daniel the prophet.

Mat 24:15  When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) 

Jesus referred to Daniel's prophecies. Jesus knew that in those prophecies there was information we'd need.  The book was still closed at that point- it wasn't the time of the end just yet. As mentioned above - in the early 1800's there was a great religious revival, not just in the United States but elsewhere, independent of each other. Suddenly the Book of Daniel and the Book of Revelation were being understood after much in-depth studying! Their mysteries were unfolding…  the time of the end was at hand.  178 years ago. And how long would the time of the end last? We don't know. But to say it's gone on too long when we know how time can be in the grand scheme of things, is to be impatient. And yes, I long for my Savior to return! I long desperately for this! But I'm told this too…

2Pe_3:9  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Our Savior isn't SLACK in returning, He is LONGSUFFERING! He wants all that will come to repentance to do so before mankind's probation is over. 

Jesus wanted us to look to Daniel, and 178 years ago a prophecy came to pass from the Book of Daniel! A very important prophecy, but how many today know this even occurred? Satan wants us blinded to truth, we can't let him keep us blind!  We will be studying more on the Sanctuary being cleansed…

Dan 8:14  And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed. 

This is what we'll be studying more on because we need to know what the unsealed Book of Daniel means for us in the end times. And whether or not those end times extend a 1000 more years or just 3 more years… we must be prepared and by the grace and mercy of our LORD we will be. 

All through Jesus Christ our LORD and SAVIOR now and forever!!!!!!!

Amen!

May the Cup Be Full Soon.

 You see a sign of something to come and you expect it to come. You study the signs and believe them, and yet year after year what you expected has not come to pass. Why?

Biblically there are situations that have occurred that have prolonged things that were supposed to happen. The most commonly known occurrence is the Israelites and their journey through the desert for forty years. They weren't supposed to journey for forty years. 

Num 32:13  And the LORD'S anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, that had done evil in the sight of the LORD, was consumed. 

Because the Israelites coming out of Egypt committed evil over and over again, breaking the covenant they'd made with God, He grew angry with them and didn't lead them straight to the promised land. FORTY years He had them wandering until the majority of the adults who left Egypt were dead, never seeing the promised land.

God wanted Jonah to go to Ninevah to warn them to repent of their ways. Jonah didn't want to go but God used very unique ways to persuade him to do so. Jonah warned them and they repented and God's wrath was stayed.  148 years later after their repentance they'd turned to evil ways again and this time Ninevah was destroyed. God's wrath against evil - all evil - is a very real thing and it hasn't lessened over time. God's wrath hasn't diminished against evil as some would believe because Jesus advocates for sinners. ALL evil is punished, for those whose hearts are given wholly to Jesus, for those who repent of their evil ways and seek forgiveness in all sincerity, Jesus died and took on their punishment, He took on the wrath of God for all those who are saved through Him. All evil is punished. For the many wicked who choose not to seek forgiveness, repenting of evil, God's wrath will fall upon them. 

Gen 15:16  But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. 

God talking to Abram (Abraham), telling him that when the iniquity of the Amorites was full … then the children of Israel would be freed from their bondage, but it wasn't full just yet.

Clearly God has established various standards for His will to be done with mankind. We look at the history of evil and think surely Ninevah, Sodom and Gomorrah, the Amorites and so on and so forth can't be as evil as the world has been in so many instances since then, and we wonder why God hasn't destroyed more and more cities and people. Truthfully we can't know the mind of God, but we can surmise from what we read that perhaps, God's forbearance with mankind is long suffering. We are told it is actually…

2Pe 3:8  But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 

2Pe 3:9  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 

When God next destroys a people, a city, it will be in connection with the end of this evil world entirely. No longer will destructions serve as warnings to people as He used them for in the past, the final destruction is what is coming next. And as we just read above, a thousand of our years is as one day to the Lord- meaning our time isn't the same for God. Eternity is the at the end of this world, and when that eternity comes ALL the human beings that will belong to God will be- all there will be. God would save as many as possible. 

I cry out often for God's cup to be full because of the horrors of this world we live in, and I know He hears my cries. Only He knows when the long suffering has been enough, I don't. Only He knows when the cup of iniquity is full and can take no more. I must trust in Him. I believe, Lord, help Thou my unbelief!

All through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior! May we be ready at all times for Him- whether it's for the day of Salvation, or the day we enter death's temporary sleep, let us be His, now and forever!

Amen!!!!!!!

(Excerpt)

EXPOSITION OF MATTHEW XXIV  24  (((Written in 1890 - remember when reading the excerpt 131 years have passed since it was written. History does matter.))))

PARABLE OF THE FIG-TREE 

Verses 32, 33: "Now learn a parable of the fig-tree: When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh. So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it ["He," margin] is near, even at the doors." The parable of the fig-tree is probably the most forcible figure that could be used by our Lord to illustrate this subject. When the trees of the field begin to put forth their leaves, and the tender grass springs up, and the 

ground is being covered with its green velvet carpet, we know that summer is nigh. It is a certainty with us that summer is coming when we see these signs in nature.

We know that summer is nigh. "So, likewise," or with the same certainty, we may know that Christ's coming is at the doors when the signs in the sun, moon, and stars, are fulfilled. Our Lord has stated the object of these signs, which is that we may know when his coming is at the doors. But we are told by some that the church is not to know anything of the period of Christ's second advent. Then we inquire, Why did our Lord give signs of the event? Are they given to deceive us, to lead the honest Christian to look for Christ's coming when, in fact, nothing is to be known of the time of the event?–Certainly not. 

The fact that Christ foretells signs of his coming, and then states the object of those sighs, that the church may know when the event is near, even at the doors, is sufficient proof that it is the will of Heaven that the church should understand the period of the second advent. Our Lord says (Luke 21:28), "And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh." The signs began to come to pass with the dark day of 1780. Then it could be said that redemption draweth nigh, and from that time the humble follower of Jesus might look up in expectation of witnessing his glorious appearing. But (verse 31) when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand."

The signs in the sun, moon, and stars are all that were given to base faith upon. All the other events mentioned in connection with these, have their fulfillment after the faith of God's people is perfected, and  the doom of all sinners is fixed; therefore their cannot be embraced in the phrase, "all these things," of Matt. 24:33. The three signs having come to pass, we may now learn the parable of the fig-tree, and know that Christ's coming is near, even at the doors. The phrase, "all these things," does not embrace the mourning of the tribes of the earth, and the sign of the Son of man. Neither does it embrace the shaking of the powers of the heavens; for that does not take place until the seven last plagues are poured out. But the faith of God's people is perfected, and the doom of all sinners is forever fixed, before the pouring out of the first plague. The parable of the fig tree was given to inspire faith in the minds of those who hear the reasons of Christ's soon coming. But it is most absurd to suppose that this parable is to be learned after it is said, "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; . . . and he that is holy, let him be holy still." No! The phrase, "all these things," in verse 33, embraces the three great signs in the sun, moon, and stars, given to strengthen the faith of God's people while merciful warnings are being given to the world. Here, then, since the falling stars of 1833, the parable of the fig-tree has force, and we may know that Christ's coming is near, even at the doors, with all the certainty that we know that summer is, nigh when the trees put forth their tender buds and leaves. 

I Cry Out! Forgive Me!

 Eph 4:29  Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. 

 

Does corrupt communication come from my mouth? What denotes corrupt communication? Perhaps it is anything that can't be used to edify a person, ministering grace to the hearers. If this is true, then I suppose a lot of what I speak is corrupt communication, doing no one any good.  The tongue is a wicked thing, the Bible tells us so and I believe we all comprehend the truth of the matter. Who has not been hurt by the tongue at some point in their lives? Who hasn't been whipped bloody by the tongue? Who hasn't been stabbed through the heart, with the tongue? Is it any wonder we aren't to let corrupt communication come out of our mouths? That we need to be mindful of our words? Vain babblings, murmuring, gossiping, these are all indicative of ungodliness. We make excuses for them, I make excuses for them because it has become a way of life to complain, to despair, to seek sympathy, to want to hear soothing words, to receive pity, to cry out woe is me. How much easier it is to spout worst fears while hoping for the best and preparing for the worst, and yet in such behavior where is faith, where is hope?

The fiery furnace is burning so hot all around my life and it is exposing my many, many faults! The fire is burning away any pretense I've covered myself in and is revealing the horrors of my sins daily.

My outward man is clothed in filthy robes of unrighteousness and the fires are burning away the layers upon layers of fine robes I've donned to disguise the filth upon my flesh.  

Corrupt communication- If you have nothing nice to say… say nothing at all. My mother's words, and I believe a lot of mother's have tried to teach these words to their children. Nothing nice to say… say nothing at all…. No corrupt communication is to come out of our mouths. When our mothers were trying to teach us to only speak nicely, they weren't trying to limit our speaking of our sadness, our worries, our pains,  they were telling us not to hurt anyone with our words, not to say anything about anyone that we couldn't say in their presence, not to be evil in our speaking.  But such wickedness has come from my mouth, I've hurt many with my wicked tongue. The words of corruption flow forth from me so naturally it's as if I'm trying to turn the tide when I attempt to keep from spewing forth vain babbling, murmurings, corruption, wickedness, gossip, and so on and so forth.  

I CRY OUT…    KEEP THE DOOR TO MY LIPS, LORD!  I can't seem to keep it myself at all.  

You've revealed my corrupt communication to me by burning away the many layers of finely spun silky justifications I've made to excuse it, that which I've tried to hide my sins in, and now they're exposed and I fall at Your feet….

Forgive me, please, forgive me, FORGIVE ME! I cry out! FORGIVE ME!

(Excerpt)

EXPOSITION OF MATTHEW XXIV  24  (((Written in 1890 - remember that when reading- 131 years have passed since this was written. History does matter.))))

VERSE 12: "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." 

It is evident that both the abounding of iniquity and the waxing cold of the love of many, are fulfilled in the professed church of Jesus Christ. Men must first experience the love of God and of heavenly things before that love can grow cold.

Hence, common, unconverted sinners are not here referred to as apostatizing. And, again, the prevalence of iniquity in the unconverted world alone, should stimulate the church to greater

diligence and more godliness, instead of being a cause of apostasy. Hence, the iniquity here mentioned is in the very heart of the professed church, diffusing its chilling influence through the whole body. As the result, the love of many has grown cold. With this agree the words of the apostle:–

"This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady,  high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof; from such turn away." 2 Tim. 3:1-5. 

Here is a catalogue of eighteen sins, all resting upon those who have a form of godliness. These are not infidels and common worldly sinners, for they have not a form of godliness; but they are men and women professing to be followers of Jesus Christ. And although they make a profession of piety as high as heaven, these very sins lie at their doors. And by reason of their example, and their chilling influence, many are led from the humble path to heaven, and their love waxes cold.'  (End Excerpt)