End of the World.

 The End of the World. You might be interested in this, but so were the apostles of Jesus. Yes, 1,990 years ago those closest to Jesus as He went about His three year ministry were interested in the end of the world. They even asked Jesus about the end of the world, and Jesus had quite a bit to say about it. The excerpt following this blurb of mine will begin the study of Matthew chapter 24, known for the end of the world prophetic discourse of Jesus.

Since we as mankind abdicated the rulership of the world to Satan when we sinned, restoring mankind to a world void of sin has been the ideal. We want Satan dethroned from his princely duties to our world. 

Because Satan lives behind the scenes in the spirit realm of our existence, mankind has regulated him to myth status at best.  

Jesus was confronted by Satan, as Satan appeared to Him in our world. Jesus knew the reality of Satan's existence. Jesus comprehended that His followers would need this same understanding of the reality of Satan.  The evil that permeated the world surrounded Jesus on every side. His apostles were not perfect by any means, and He needed to show them the way of this world. The way to live in this world without being of this world. The way of comprehending that you can live in this world but know that it's not the world your heart is truly longing for.

As soon as we learn of the injustice of this world we lash out, we begin a struggle. We want to comprehend the whys and wherefores, but are told that it's just the way it is, life isn't fair. We hear those words, all the while a longing deep inside of us screams that it should be fair! We rail against the many agonies of our existences as they intermingle with its joys- almost as if they are laughing at us for allowing ourselves moments of joy, wanting to allow us new heights of joy so the agonies are that much worse when the joy is stolen from us. A series of highs and lows with a lot of in-betweens make up our existence. We would love a world of highs, of fairness, of peace, of happiness, of joy and we know this world is possible, just not this world.

God watched mankind descend into depths of evil so dark He prepared to end the world, but one man and that man's ability to recognize the hope found only in Christ, had that man finding grace in God's eyes.  He found grace, and he found it because he was searching for it. That man had God determine to start over once more. Rid the world of the horrors sin wrought, but allow the basic elements of the world to remain. The flood came and did this erasing and renewing.

After time mankind still exposed to the evil influence of Satan, once more descended into dark depths and God decided to split up the group of mankind. Suddenly people couldn't understand each other.  One moment they were all able to speak the same language and the next…  there was no ability to comprehend what each other was saying.  People divided themselves into groups that spoke the same language and they separated from each other. What did this great separation do? It caused confusion and it stopped mankind from wholescale carnage.  Each group on its own being much smaller than the one large group wasn't nearly as able to cause the evil of the whole.  Separating the groups spread out the evil, allowing for those who would, to have a chance to find grace with God as Noah had at one time. 

We all know how easy it is to get caught up in a group consensus, the old following the crowd, agreeing with your peers and so on and so forth. This was God's way of giving mankind more of an opportunity towards the knowing Him, and not just the evils of Satan.

The end of the world.

The end of sin.

The end of one world, the beginning of another.

The end of evil and the beginning of love.

We, just like our forefathers thousands of years ago, are longing for the world to come, as we seek to live in this world but not belong to it. Our hearts are with God, not this world and all its offers of temporary peace and joy. We need to know more of the end of the world … we need to know what Jesus had to say about it, because we just might be those who are living in the very end of the world, we just don't know 100%.

God help us as we seek wisdom and understanding of Your prophecies to us so that we are able to be all, and do all, that You would have us to do to be Yours, wholly Yours! ALL through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, now and forever!!!!!!!

Amen!

*******

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

–––

Disciples–"What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?"

Jesus–"When ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors."

Probably there is no chapter in the Bible which speaks more fully and more definitely on the second coming of Christ, than Matthew 24; and there is no chapter in the entire Bible which has been the subject of greater controversy. But the nature of the controversy has almost entirely changed within the last forty years. Forty years ago the controversy was between the Universalist and orthodox Christians. The Universalists denied that there is to be, any future judgment and punishment. Of course they referred the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew altogether to the destruction of Jerusalem–to the past. Evangelical Christians then denied that it referred solely to the destruction of Jerusalem; they affirmed that it taught a personal coming of Christ, to reward his saints and to justly punish his foes. Those commentators who referred it in general to the destruction of Jerusalem in their expositions, still admitted that it had a further reference to the second advent and the end of the world. They uniformly applied a part of the Saviour's discourse in chapters 24 and 25 to the latter event. The Universalists now take a different position; they have mostly become restorationists, admitting that there will be some punishment, even in the future. But they contend that it will be disciplinary or reformatory. They still maintain their former position that Matthew 24 has no relation to that future punishment, but refers to the destruction of Jerusalem.

The opponents of Universalism, in the churches, have also changed their base, in part. While they yet contend that there will be a future judgment and eternal punishment, they now deny that Matthew 24 proves anything in regard to that day; or event, and affirm that it was all fulfilled at the destruction of Jerusalem. They are also extensively changing their position in regard to the nature of the second advent, many of them agreeing with the Universalists, saying that the advent is figurative or spiritual and has already taken place. From present indications we think that this will very soon be the prevailing opinion in all the popular churches. Many of their ablest and most influential men now advocate this view. A little more change in the same direction will unite them fully with the Universalists in a denial of the future coming of Christ, of a personal, literal advent, and of any real tangible punishment of the wicked. They find it no more difficult to spiritualize the judgment and punishment, than the coming of the  Lord. Very many of them now assert that the Bible expressions concerning the perdition of the wicked, such as those in 2 Thessalonians 1, and 2 Peter 3, and Revelation 20, are to be taken figuratively–not at all literally. 

We are very confident that Matthew 24 reaches to matters beyond the destruction of Jerusalem, and into time yet future; and that it refers to a literal, personal, visible coming again of our glorified Saviour. But the instruction which it contains was not given to prove this truth–that his coming will be personal or literal.

This, now, has become the chief point of controversy on the chapter, whereas if it is not made a point at all in the chapter. To this we shall call further attention hereafter.

VERSE I: "And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple; and his disciples came to him for to show him the buildings of the temple."

Jesus had been addressing the multitude, in the presence of his disciples. He had reproved the scribes and Pharisees for their sins, and had declared the doom of the Jews, their city, and their temple.

Chapter 23. The disciples supposed that the temple would stand forever. And they called the attention of Christ to its magnificence and strength, as if to convince him that he was mistaken.

VERSE 2: "And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? Verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down."

This statement from the Master could but deeply interest the disciples. And whether they supposed that the destruction of the temple, the coming of Christ, and the end of the age, would all occur at the same time, or at different periods, it matters not, since Christ, in his answer in this chapter, has distinctly spoken of each separately, and has given each its place in

the prophetic history of events.

VERSE 3: "And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?"

These questions relate, first, to the destruction of Jerusalem; and second, to Christ's second coming at the end of the Christian age. Both were distinctly answered by our Lord. Jesus did not censure the disciples for desiring to look into the future, but answered their questions fully. As Christ was here speaking to his disciples, and not to the promiscuous multitude, his words in this prophetic discourse are addressed to the church.

Two questions were asked by the disciples:–

I. "When shall these things be?" On this no controversy has ever been raised. It is universally conceded that it refers to the destruction of Jerusalem, or the overthrow of the temple, of which he had but recently spoken.

2. "What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?" This is but one question. The coming of Christ and the end of the world are so closely related that they may

properly be embraced in one statement. See a parallel case in the first letter to the  Thessalonians. The writer speaks of the coming of the Lord (the Lord himself), and adds: "But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night." The "times and seasons" of the advent, and the resurrection of which he had just spoken, are identical with those of the day of the Lord. This phrase, "the day of the Lord," covets a period immediately subsequent to "the day of salvation," this latter being applied to this present dispensation.

Several points of query, must be noticed:–

I. "The end of the world." It is asserted that this is a wrong translation; that it should be, "the end of the age," and that it refers to "the Jewish age." But, allowing that it should be rendered "end of the age," it does not follow, by any means, that it refers to the Jewish age, or past dispensation. It certainly does not in Matt. 28:20. The promise that he will be with his ministers "until the end  of the age," certainly refers to that age in which they are to preach

the gospel, for these words are in the gospel commission. It is the end of this same age to which Matt. 24:14 refers. The question was in regard to the end of the world (or age, if preferred). He said, "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for

a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end came." This is decisive on the point for (I) they were to tarry at Jerusalem, after receiving their commission, until the day of Pentecost, and then they were to be his witnesses to the nations; (2) the Jewish age ended before the

preaching to the nations commenced; therefore it is impossible that Matthew 24 and 28 should refer to that age.

An effort has been made to put forward the ending of the Jewish age to the destruction of Jerusalem. But it is exceedingly lame. To prove that, it will be necessary to show that the Christian dispensation was not fully opened until the destruction of Jerusalem! This is

disproved by the whole body of the teachings of the New Testament. Paul settles the question in affirming that the peculiarities of that age were taken out of the way,–nailed to the cross." Col. 2:14. If the gospel dispensation was not opened by the preaching of the apostles on the day of Pentecost, and afterward by turning to the Gentiles to preach the gospel to them, then it has not yet been opened. That is a settled question. The end of the age, or end of the world, in Matthew 24, is the utmost limit of the gospel dispensation. And we shall offer proof most positive that the second coming of Christ is at the end of this dispensation:–

In connection with the claim set forth in regard to "the end of the world," another is presented, as follows:– 

2. The disciples associated together all that the question contained, and placed "these things," that is, the overthrow of the city, with the coming of Christ and the end of the world, or age.

But that is only conjecture. No one has a reason for affirming that such was the idea of the apostles. Here we might safely leave the affirmation, for no one is bound to disprove a conjecture. But we will further notice it.

If it, were something more than conjecture,–if it were possible even to prove that such was their idea the order of events then future,–that fact would not be evidence that they were or are to be fulfilled at the same time. For we know that at that time the disciples were laboring under mistakes in regard to the time and order of the fulfillment of future events. Take as proof of this the parable which the Lord spake when he was going into Jerusalem. Luke 19. They thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear. To correct this impression, the parable of the nobleman was spoken. If they understood the parable at the time when it was spoken, it did not fully do away with the impression in their minds, as is proved by what they did when they entered Jerusalem. We cannot believe that they would have hailed him as

the Son of David, and rejoiced before him as a King in his triumph, if they had realized that he was going into the city to be condemned and crucified, and malefactor. Palm branches and

shouts of trim did not attend the steps of the lowly and the condemned.

Again, after his resurrection, he reproved two of his disciples, who, though they had trusted that he would redeem Israel, were then sad and disheartened. They did not then understand that Christ ought "to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory." The suffering part was still a mystery to them. And some of the apostles were so slow to realize that which he had spoken to them, that they could hardly be persuaded that he was indeed risen from the dead. And after he had been with them full forty days, speaking to them of the things pertaining to the kingdom, they did not yet understand "the times and the seasons," and therefore asked him, "Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?"

Would it, then, be surprising if they had been mistaken in the order of the events of which the Saviour spoke, at the time of his speaking, as recorded in Matthew 24? It would be quite natural for them to suppose that the holy city and the temple of the Most High would stand until the judgment and the final consummation. As we now see, had such been their opinion, it would not be proof that such was the chronological relation of these events. But, we repeat, that cannot be proved; it is only conjecture.

3. It is necessary to notice that prophecy is not always fulfilled in the order in which it is given. This is often seen in the Old Testament, where the two advents are sometimes spoken of in such close connection that the reader might suppose they would occur nearly together. It is seen in the book of Revelation, which contains several lines of prophecy, each reaching down to the close of the present dispensation. So in Matthew 24, and parallel chapters; we

can only learn the correct application of some of the statements contained therein by comparing them with other scriptures. There is no dispute that they refer to the destruction of the temple and the overthrow of the city as well as to the second coming of the Lord. (To be continued)

Head to Toes- History

 Our history WAS Biblical prophecy-

Yesterday we were discussing a bit of the Book of Daniel- a prophetic book. In this book of prophecy the prophet Daniel gives a prophecy that spans from Babylon to Christ's Return.  Yes, we are in there, living before Christ's return.

We mentioned yesterday that the king of Babylon had a dream and wanted his soothsayers and the like to tell him his dream. They wanted him to tell them the dream and then they'd interpret it. He didn't want that, he'd forgotten the dream and wanted them to tell him the dream. They said it was impossible and he ordered them all killed. Daniel, one of the Jewish slaves that had been taken captive was among those considered to be wise men, and he too was ordered to be killed with the others.  Here's where we pick up…

'Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the captain of the king's guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon:  He answered and said to Arioch the king's captain, Why is the decree so hasty from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel. Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would shew the king the interpretation."

Daniel didn't want to die, understandable so. Daniel went into the king after finding out why he'd order his death, and asked for some time and then he would give the kind what he wanted. Daniel wasn't a Satan serving man, he was a God-fearing man. Daniel didn't profess to have any sorcery or magic, he didn't tout and ability of his own.

"Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions: That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.  Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding: He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him. I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king's matter."

Praise to GOD! Daniel and his companions prayed and that night as he slept, Daniel was given a dream of what the king's dream was about. God answered Daniel's prayer spectacularly. Daniel praised and thanked God, glorifying Him wonderfully!

"Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch, whom the king had ordained to destroy the wise men of Babylon: he went and said thus unto him; Destroy not the wise men of Babylon: bring me in before the king, and I will shew unto the king the interpretation. Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus unto him, I have found a man of the captives of Judah, that will make known unto the king the interpretation."

In a hurry the king's guard went to the king to tell him he'd found someone who could give the king what he wanted. So many lives would be spared because of Daniel, because of God.

"The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof? Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king; But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these"

Daniel was quick to give GOD all the glory for what the king was about to hear. Daniel didn't seek any glory of his own at all, none, not a bit. Daniel didn't go on and on saying that he had the answers, he didn't have them, GOD had them and that is what He wanted the king to realize. No other god, and there were plenty that were worshiped by others, could do what the God of heaven could do.

"As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass. But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart."

How amazing, Daniel is very quick to push the limelight off himself. He wasn't gaining wisdom by doing what he was doing. Daniel did not want to take a single bit of glory, not the tiniest bit. He was doing this to save the lives, because truly a lot of lives were at stake.

"O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible. This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth. This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king. 

Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold. And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise. And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.  Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure."

Wow, right? Wow! From Babylon, the king ruled 605 – 562 BCE,  and the statue of his dream has his kingdom at the top and at the bottom of that statue is the LORD's RETURN.  We live in the time of the toes. Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, Rome and all the divisions that stemmed from conquered Rome… we live in the time of the divided Rome, the ten toes time. There are NO more great kingdoms to rule the vast lands - from England to Egypt and completely surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, no one entity has ever ruled it all since Rome, and never will. Christ will return. Just as each of those kingdoms came to pass, Christ will return and nothing will stop that from happening, nothing. Yes, 2500 or so years ago the prophecy began and it will have an end. The Roman empire fell around 395 AD, 1626 years ago that empire began to be divided and has remained so. There were about 870 some years from Babylon to the fall of Rome, and the toes of that statue have existed the longest, not quite double the years of those four kingdoms prior to the toes, time will end though. A lot has occurred during all those kingdoms, and all those years. The Book of Daniel has many prophecies that occur during this time, many have come to pass, all but a very few in fact- but those few WILL occur.

Now, let's continue tomorrow with the Matthew 24 study we started yesterday. Prophecy and the end times, and the question-- 

Do you think Jesus has delayed His return or is long-suffering? Think about that for a long while, the answer is important. 

Mat 24:48  But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; 

Mat 24:49  And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; 

Mat 24:50  The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of

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.

May God bless us, and may the Holy Spirit open our understanding as we study.  All through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, now and forever! Amen!!!!!!!

Does He Delay or Suffer Long?

 Do you think in your heart that the Lord is delaying His return, or do you believe that He is longsuffering, not wanting to lose any?

This is an important question. 

Mat 24:48  But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; 

Mat 24:49  And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; 

Mat 24:50  The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of

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.

I imagine there were some who one year after Jesus' ascension, were thinking He was taking too long to return.  Now, some 1990 years later I imagine there are A LOT of people who believe He's taking just a little bit too long to return. 

What has to happen before Jesus returns? So many Bible scholars through the years have believed all prophecy was fulfilled - in its own incomprehensible -for the most part- way. Because if they did comprehend the all of prophecy they'd know the historic timeline that has unfolded throughout time, and that it hasn't been completed as of yet. So much of prophecy has found completion though, did you know that? Were you aware that the great prophecy of the book of Daniel has occurred for the most part? That huge statue, do you remember that in your Bible lessons? Your pastor's sermons? Do you recall the more famous history of Daniel in the Lion's Den? That same king who had Daniel thrown into the Lion's den, had much earlier had become acquainted with Daniel through the revealing of a dream he'd had. Have you read that part of the Bible, it's truly fascinating. 

'And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar ,Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him.'

The king had a dream and because of that strange, far from ordinary dream, he couldn't sleep. 

'Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king. And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream.'

The very important king had lots and lots of very special people on his payroll, and these special people were called magicians, astrologers, sorcerers and such… seriously, the king had these people under his command and they weren't without powers. NO, this isn't fiction, this is fact, BIBLICAL fact, you'd do well to realize this as truth. Too many people dismiss those who claim to be magicians, soothsayers, sorcerers etc. The thing is, they get their power from Satan and this is where some people who do believe in them veer off and claim that there is no way they're all satanically influenced, God would say otherwise. Satan deceives and he's done a fantastic job of deceiving the masses. A good witch? God would say there is no such thing. He may have prophets, prophetess', but God does not use witches, warlocks, sorcerers etc, Satan does. God has ministering angels to His will by their own choosing. The evil angels possess men and women to use them as sorcerers, witches, etc all through Satan's influence. You can say you're a good witch, but you can't be of God and say that. You can say you're a healer, a prophet of God, but not the other, not if you're God's child.  I digress, the king called his masses of Satanically ruled men, but God would not allow Satan to give them the answers the king was looking for, and Satan didn't have the answers himself to give them.

'Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriack, O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation.'

They wanted to hear what the dream was about so they could spin their tales about its possible meanings, but it wasn't going to be so easy this time.

'The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill.  But if ye shew the dream, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honour: therefore shew me the dream, and the interpretation thereof. '

Ha! The king forgot his dream! How many times have you know you've had a dream and it nags at you that you can't quite remember it, but you want to? I know it's happened to me. The king had a troublesome dream that slipped from his recall, but he knew the dream was very troublesome enough to that he just couldn't go back to sleep until he knew what it had been. Surely all his wise people had that ability, they were supposed to be special, right? They were supposed to have powers to do things like this. In fact, if they couldn’t, what good were they to the king? If they couldn't help the king in his great hour of need, he had no use for them and told them as much- he was going to kill them and their families.

'They answered again and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation of it.'

Obviously they weren't listening the first time, they told the king once more that he had to tell them the dream so they could interpret it, that they couldn't interpret what they didn't know. How could he expect them to know the king's dream? They didn't dream it, he did. The king was being unreasonable, right?

 'The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would gain the time, because ye see the thing is gone from me.  But if ye will not make known unto me the dream, there is but one decree for you: for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed: therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can shew me the interpretation thereof. '  

No, the king wasn't haven't any of it! He knew they were stalling for time. He reiterated that the dream was gone from his mind, he had no memory of it. And if they did not tell him what he forgot, he had only one things to say- that which he'd already said. He told them yet again, that he knew they were trying to lie to him hoping he would just forget everything, but he wanted them to tell them his dream and then and only then he'd know they could tell the interpretation of that dream. He wanted them to prove their worth, live up to their hype.

'The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king's matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean. And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh. '

Finally a Chaldean spoke the truth of the matter- without any stalling or trickery with words. That man answered and said there isn't ANY man on earth that could do what the king was asking.  No one! No other king, no lord, no rulers dared to ask for such a thing because they ALL knew it was in impossible thing. Only the gods, who aren't living among them, could do what the king wanted. And yes, the Babylonians had their false gods a plenty- there were idols for them, temples for them, but no one ever really communicated with those supposed gods. The truth was now out there, the king would not get any answers from his people.

'For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain.'

FURIOUS, yep, that's what he was, the king was furious and ordered ALL his wise men in all his kingdom be destroyed!  

Among those wise men- were the slaves from Jerusalem, and among those slaves- Daniel, a man of God. 

(More tomorrow, just know that the prophecy Daniel interprets shortly HAS almost all come to pass, and is our REAL HISTORY!

God be with us all, by the mercy and grace of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, now and forever!!!!!!! Amen!

(Excerpt)

An Exposition of Matthew Twenty Four on the Second Coming of Christ

"What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?"–DISCIPLES.

"When ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.–JESUS.

_____

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1890, by PACIFIC PRESS PUBLISHING CO.,

––

NO truth of Inspiration is more clearly stated than that God reveals his designs to his prophets, so that men and nations may be warned of coming events before their accomplishment. "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets." Amos 3:7. Before visiting the world with judgments, God has uniformly sent forth warnings sufficient to enable the believing to escape his wrath, and to condemn those who have not heeded the warning. This was the case before the flood. "By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world." Heb. 11:7. 

In the days of Lot, when the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah had become so sunken in idolatry and crime that the destruction of these cities was determined, the Lord revealed to

Abraham, his righteous servant, what he was about to do. Gen. 18:17-33. Lot also was warned, that he might escape. And through Lot the ungodly inhabitants of Sodom were warned, but they made light of the warning. Gen. 19:14. 

Thus also when the Lord determined to overthrow Nineveh, he sent Jonah with a message of

warning. The people in this great city took an opposite course to that of the men of Sodom. They humbled themselves before God, and repented of their wickedness; therefore the Lord spared them, and their city was not destroyed until a later time, when the people had returned to their wicked ways.

John the Baptist was raised up by a special providence, at the first advent of Christ, to announce his immediate coming, and thus prepare the way before the Lord. The righteous in

that generation were not only expecting him to come soon, but they knew that that generation would not pass away till he did come. Read Luke 2:25, 26, 36-38.

Before the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus, its inhabitants were warned, and the way of escape was pointed out. Jesus had said, "When ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh." And, "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), then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains." Luke 21:20; Matt. 15, 16. All who accepted the warning, and gave heed to the sign given them by Christ, improved the opportunity given them for escape by the providential withdrawal of the Roman army, after it had for some time surrounded the city, and fled in haste to a place of safety. 

Such has been the dealing of God in past ages, in reference to all important events; and so has he promised to deal with his people. Then we may inquire, Can anything be learned from the

Bible relative to the time of the second advent? This is a grave inquiry, and, from the very nature of the subject, is worthy of close and candid investigation. We accept the Bible as a revelation from Heaven. What God has made known in that book ceases to be a mystery. "The secret things belong unto the Lord our God; but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever." Deut. 29:29. If the Sacred Scriptures have revealed nothing concerning the time of the coming of our Lord, then we can know nothing concerning it. But if they have definitely informed us that we may know when "it is near, even at the doors," then these things belong to us and to our children. Believing that he has given all the Holy Scriptures for a wise purpose,–for our learning and benefit,–we consider it not merely our privilege, but our duty, to search the Scriptures, with an earnest desire to know the whole revealed will of God.

By careful and prayerful attention to the prophetic discourse of the Son of God, given in answer to the inquiry of the disciples, the reader will, we trust, receive light upon this important question. And as he reads the following pages, may the Holy Spirit open to his mind the beautiful harmony of the subject in its several parts, as fulfilled in the experience of the church from the time of the first advent of Christ to the close of human probation. (End Excerpt- To be continued)

Unclean Spirits.

 Jesus interacted with unclean spirits during His three year ministry upon earth. The first encounter we are aware of is directly after Jesus' baptism. Jesus goes off to the wilderness and there He fasts for 40 days and night. After the 40 days, He is confronted by Satan- an unclean spirit. It's true. Satan was the first unclean spirit to exist. Angels are ministering spirits, evil angels- those who chose to follow Satan - the first fallen angel- became unclean spirits. These unclean spirits are NO longer ministering spirits sent to help those who have faith in God. The unclean spirit do the work of their leader- Satan. 

Jesus had unclean spirits come out of many people during the days of His miracles before His death and resurrection.  The unclean spirits were IN people. Think about that for a short while, really think about what that means.  We have a few descriptions in the word of God that tell us that the unclean spirits took control of some of those they inhabited and made them do horrible things. 

One of the most memorable events of this kind we are told about has to do with a legion (MANY) of unclean spirits inside two men. So not only can a single unclean spirit inhabit a person, more than one can do so at the same time. Is it possible that the more unclean spirits that inhabit a person the worse off they are? It stands to reason on some level. Having a single unclean spirit within could perhaps be troublesome, but not so that it makes you harm yourself- that's possible, right? I don't know if it's true, but possible. When Jesus healed some of unclean spirits they were healed from various ailments afflicting them- the cause obviously being the unclean spirit. We know not all ailments are from unclean spirits, but some can be.

The reality of the unclean spirits should have us all on guard. We are told that unclean spirits will affect governments and ultimately bring the world to its destruction. It's true. The evil in our world is not simply people being bad, but people agreeing to be used by unclean spirits, and by agreeing I mean as long as they do not choose Christ as their Savior and live clothed with the whole armor of God they are vulnerable to being used. Will they know they are being used by unclean spirits? Honestly, I don’t know- I imagine some know, while others do not.  Just like a person believing themselves sick from some ailments and they Jesus told an unclean spirit to come out of them, it's possible that person just wanted to be healed of the effect of the unclean spirit without knowing it was the source of that ailment. Jesus eliminated the source, and the ailment disappeared. 

In the last days people are going to be ruled by unclean spirits, maybe not possessed by a legion, but led by the unclean spirits which will incite them towards all kinds of evils. Remember, people will call evil good-  so think about that too. If some of the evils that surround us are called good- how can we keep ourselves from evil? We'll think it's good and therefore there is no reason to keep ourselves from that thing we think is good. We live in terrifying times. Remember- people are going to be doing what they believe are Jesus' works-  healing, casting out demons and so on, but they aren't! 

God help us not to live as the world lives, let us truly come out of the world and set our affections on the HEAVENLY.

Protect us LORD, Father God please, KEEP US FROM EVIL as Jesus asked You to do for us, please!  Thank you, Father, thank you!  

All through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, now and forever!!!!!!!

Where Is Your Trust?

 Trust.

Our trust must be in the LORD, not in any thing, or anyone else. 

Psa_37:5  Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

Psa_56:3  What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.

Psa_71:1  In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion

Psa_118:8  It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man

Psa_118:9  It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.

Psa_143:8  Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee

Pro_3:5  Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

Isa_26:4  Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength

2Co_1:10  Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us

1Ti_4:10  For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.

*******

Excerpt  A.T. Jones "Come Out of Her My People" 1895

Let us look, then, a little further at how much is embraced in Babylon. In other lessons you remember we read certain texts which from this side, as it were, showed that all the world is going to honor the beast, the papacy, and do her bidding--all except those whose names are written in the book of life. But there are some further texts on this subject that we can read. Turn to Rev. 17:8, particularly the last part of the verse. I shall read all the verse, however:

The beast that thou sawest was and is not and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit and go into perdition, and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was and is not and yet is.

They shall wonder when they behold the beast that was and is not and yet is. Now there are going to be some people that will not wonder at that a particle. All the world will be wondering at it, surprised at it, astonished at it, and considering it in wonder, but there is going to be a set of people who will not be in any way concerned about that and these are going to be the ones whose names are in the book of life.

They are the ones who do not worship the beast and his image. I read that verse particularly to connect with the thought of the other evening, that "all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life"; all kingdoms of the earth committed fornication with Babylon; the inhabitants of the earth are made drunk with the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and this showing also that all the world is connected with her and out of this wonder she will, and indeed by means of it, raise herself to the place where the scripture shall be fulfilled.

Let us just here ask a question: Taking this just as these scriptures speak it, "All the kingdoms of the world" are joined to Babylon in fornication, in illicit connection. The inhabitants of the earth are made drunk with the wine of her fornication. What is it then, what alone must it be, to come out of Babylon? Nothing short of coming out of the world itself.

There is another word here, too. Turn to Revelation 18, and we will read and see how much there is connected with it. We read up to the 10th verse Friday night. Now begin with the 11th verse: And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her, for no man buyeth their merchandise anymore.

Now I am going to read this slowly, and when it is ended, I want you to see how much of the traffic of mankind she does not control.

The merchandise of gold and silver and precious stones and of pearls and fine linen and purple and silk and scarlet and all sweet wood [that would be fine, fancy, costly, decorative woods], and all manner of vessels of ivory and all manner of vessels of most precious wood and of brass and iron and marble and cinnamon and odors and ointments and frankincense and wine and oil and fine flour and wheat and beasts and sheep and horses and chariots and slaves and souls of men.

That is controlled by Babylon. How much then of the traffic of the world is left? None. Then when the time comes for the general boycott to be set up, it is going to be easy enough for her to say a man shall not buy or sell, because all the traffic of the world is under her hand. 

Nobody can buy or sell who does not do as she says. But when she controls all of this and God says, "Come out of her," it is plain that obedience to that call will carry us right to the place where His will is accomplished in a complete separation from her. 

The very fact that our names are in the book of life and our refusing to do the bidding of Rome, brings us out absolutely and sets us in such a place that we shall have no sort of connection with her, not so much as for anything to eat.

Let us study this a little further. When our allegiance to the truth of God, our giving ourselves to God, leads to that place where we are absolutely separated from anything on the earth to eat or drink, how in the world are we going to live

Ah, there is the promise: "Bread shall be given him; his water shall be sure." Well, then, as in our allegiance to God we will be forced to absolute separation of every kind from the world and all that is in it; is it not now high time when we ourselves by our own choice shall be utterly separated in heart and affection from the world and all that is in it?

Further, here are the kingdoms of earth that are connected with her too, and they are going to be used by her to execute her will upon the people of God. Then, when that thing is done, it will force a separation from all connection with them or any dependence upon them for anything. But when that time comes, how in the world will we get along? How will we be protected, what shall we do, when mobs attack us and people commit outrages upon us? 

What in the world shall we ever do for protection?

How can we live in the world then? Would it be safe to be so separated from the governments of earth that we could not prosecute any who offer violence to us? 

That we could not hold the law with its penalties as a menace over the heads of those who would stone our churches or tear down our tents or do us harm in other ways? Well, that time is going to come anyway, when we shall be outlawed and all these kingdoms under the power of the beast will be simply tools for executing her wrath upon us. Not only is this time going to come, but it is now at hand.

But when the very shaping of things by Babylon shall force us into that position, what shall we do? How shall we ever live? 

Well, from our side of the issue, what is it that is to bring us there? It is only allegiance to God that will ever put us there.

Very well, then, will allegiance to God help us when we get there? Will allegiance to God furnish us the protection that we shall need when that time comes? You all say, yes. Well, if allegiance to God should in heart bring a man to that place now, do you think it would be too much of a risk for him just to break loose and put his trust altogether in God right now?

Do you think anyone would be going too far just now to put his allegiance upon God and his trust in him for protection, just as fully as though there was no government on the earth at all.

Everybody whose name is in the book of life is going to be forced there by the very powers of earth themselves. Then why should not we let the word of God and His power lift us there now? 

I would rather have the work of God and His power put me in a place than to have the course of evil and the powers of the earth force me into it by the very force of circumstances. I would far rather cheerfully choose wholly the Lord and His way at once, than to linger and linger with my affections and trust and dependence upon the powers of earth, perfectly willing to have it this way longer, but because I cannot have it so and get into heaven, I will finally allow myself to be broken loose and take the consequences--and go to heaven. 

No, sir. I would far rather "cut loose" from the world and everything in it or about it and put my trust steadfastly upon God, just as though there was nobody in this universe but God.

I believe there is a text that covers this whole ground. Turn to Jeremiah 17:5:

Thus saith the Lord: Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord.

If my heart leans for support in any confidence toward something or somebody that is not God, where is my heart? Surely it is departing from the Lord. Now look at the next verse:

For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh.

Brethren, we want to be able to see when good cometh. But what will hinder a man's seeing when good comes? Trusting in man, making flesh his arm. Looking to any man, to any invention of men, to any combination of men, will do that. "Maketh flesh his arm." Depending upon any organization of flesh, any combination of flesh, and making that my arm, will keep me from seeing when good comes? Why? Because my heart is leaning on somebody besides God. I may try to satisfy my conscience that I can use that as an instrument of God to hold me up, but the Lord does not put it that way.

He makes a clear distinction between God and man, and between trusting in the Lord and trusting in the arm of flesh.

I would rather lean altogether upon God and have him use flesh if he wants to, to hold me up, than to lean upon the flesh to be held up and expect God to do it that way, for when we lean upon the flesh, on the organization of flesh and the power of this world and of man and expect to give God the credit for it--the truth that is we will give the combination or whatever it is we are leaning on the first place. 

But God must have the first place. 

And therefore when we lean altogether upon him, He can use whatever instrument he pleases to hold us up or to do whatever He chooses with us. But the one important thing in it is that he that trusts in man and makes flesh his arm shall not see when good comes. And that is an awful risk to run in our time.

He shall be like the heath in the desert and shall not see when good cometh, but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land, and not inhabited.

And that scene of desolation--a salt land and not inhabited--will be about the place where Babylon finds herself at last.

But ah! Look at the other side: "Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord." In the Lord through man? No. In the Lord through the arm of flesh? No, sir. In the Lord Himself, and whose hope the Lord is.

For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters and that spreadeth out her roots by the river and shall not see when heat cometh but her leaf shall be green and shall not be careful in the year of drouth, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

There is going to come a dreadful drought. But God has fixed it so that a man need not be afraid of the year of drought, nor careful at that time. He has been careful before the drought comes; his trust is in God, and when the drought comes, his trust is in God still. But note the difference. The one who trusts in man and makes flesh his arm shall not see when good cometh, and this man that trusts in the Lord shall not see when heat cometh. This is the better way. Let us take it. When calamities come, they will not affect this man; he will not care for them at all. (End Excerpt)

Satan Destroys, Jesus Refines.

 We are all the time making snap judgments about others, it has become second nature to us. We just have to see someone to start the process. How often we are surprised to find out our snap judgments are wrong. We get to know someone and they turn out to be very nice, or unfortunately we may get to know someone whom we thought would be nice only to find out they aren't. Snap judgments go either way. That kindly appearing person might have a bitter soul, while the grungy appearing person might have a heart of gold.

Even so, we formulate opinions of people- those was barely know at all, and those we've known for years. Once our opinion is made though, we can often be surprised because people don't usually remain stagnant during their lives, they grow, they change- and no, not always for the better, but then again, not always for the worse.

Have you labeled people to be a certain way? You know- that person is Mr. Grumpy, that other person is Super Drama, and that person is Too Sensitive, while the other is No Compassion, you get the picture. There goes Miss Bubbly with Mr. Joker, and not far behind them are Shy Guy and Blunt Girl. Mrs. Sweetheart is talking with Giggling Girl, and…. Yes, I know, I can shut up now, you really do know what I'm talking about.  I'm sure you know your own personality and might even be aware of a label that's been placed on you, or you might have several labels.

What we have to realize is that our Lord tells us not to judge others. As we pass our judgments on people perhaps being overly critical at times, we are being judged in the very same manner because every single judgment we make has a boomerang affect, it comes right back at us instantly.

You might feel justified to be critical against people who commit evil atrocities and are found out, but even then we need to take it all the way down to the source. I hear you now saying that's just making excuses for people. I'm not saying people who embrace evil don't deserve any punishment or to be locked up away from harming others, I'm saying the source, the well spring if you will, of ALL evil any person can ever commit is from Satan. 

You can throw the names of several very evil people at me, and yes, I'll agree they are evil. They've chosen an evil life, and because I know the evil in my own life (outright acts, to even my thoughts) I have to believe all are capable of being forgiven. I judge their action to be awful, but I cannot judge their eternal life, not ever. I don’t have the knowledge of the Holy Spirit to give me the final outcome of a person's life. We can read that Judas Iscariot was lost to eternal life and the source of that knowledge is heavenly, not from man. 

We are told that we will be judged and we are going to be judge based on how we judge others- how do YOU want to be judged? With compassion, fairness, understanding, truth, hope? If you are reading this and believing you need to be judged in truth and the truth is you are an awful person deserving of punishment, then that honesty is amazing. All have sinned, all of us are worthy of punishment and death, ALL of us. However, Jesus wants to offer us LIFE, salvation, hope that all that we can hope for isn't death eternal. We need to offer all others the same hope we have ONLY through Jesus, not through any act of our own! 

Having said all that, we also know it wasn't Jesus' way to badger anyone into believing His truths. Jesus didn't slap salvation on everyone He came in contact with when they blatantly did not want salvation. The offer was there, and is still there for all to accept, but Jesus will never force anyone and as our greatest of all example, we too cannot force any truth on anyone. We are to make truth available. We are to be as loving as Jesus would have us be even to those who despise us, but far as it goes we are to offer truth but if it's rejected we are to be on our way. 

Truthfully, there will be many who do not want truth and even if you did badger them day in and day out forcing them to listen to you as you try to bring truth to them, they would only harden their hearts against you. 

We all face daily obstacles, as Satan attacks us in ways we never even dream of- health, family, money, self. Satan will use any and all things that he can to derail our walk with Christ. Satan doesn't want us surrendering daily to Jesus Christ. Satan wants our personal demons to rear up foremost in our lives so he can beat us down into despair. Despair of ever truly belonging to Christ. We have to believe by FAITH! And faith tells us we will NOT have tangible proof! Faith that Jesus will do as He tells us He'll do, save us even from ourselves! 

Everyone we encounter is a child of God. Everyone we encounter has their origin in God, just as we do. Everyone we encounter is in a spiritual warfare, just as we are. Everyone, Jesus died for everyone. No one is worthy of Jesus' death. No one can be good enough to deserve salvation. You can commit no good deed that will warrant you salvation. You can't keep from sin and think that enables you to deserve eternal life. You can't celebrate not succumbing to a cherished sin by feeling right with Jesus, as if YOUR abstaining from that sin was by your OWN power! We get caught up in that, we get caught up in believing we can keep ourselves from sin, simply because we are told not to sin by Jesus Himself. The thing is, Jesus enables us to keep from sinning and all glory goes to HIM. And IF we succumb, it's because we are weak, and we have no power of our own, and we will be TRIED IN FIRE. We must trust that the fires we are put through are refining us, not destroying us! This is trusting in our SAVIOR. Satan destroys, Jesus refines!

May Jesus guide us in every single encounter we have with other people. May He be our source of witness, may He use us for His will, may we heed the words of our Savior and allow the Holy Spirit to live in us- our hearts, our minds, our whole being. All through the love of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, now and forever!

Amen.

Mat 7:1  Judge not, that ye be not judged. 

Mat 7:2  For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 

Mat 7:3  And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 

Mat 7:4  Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 

Mat 7:5  Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye. 

Mat 7:6  Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you. 

Counterfeit or Real?

 If I hand you a stack of hundred dollar bills, a very large stack, and I tell you in that stack there are genuine currency and counterfeit, and I want you to separate the good from the bad, do you think you could do it? What if I tell you that if you separate them correctly you get to keep all the genuine currency? I imagine you would at least try to separate them, wouldn’t you? You'd start by examining the bills one and a time, looking for differences. Suppose you look at every single one and can't find any differences, what would you do? You know there are counterfeits in there, but you have to be able to spot the minute differences. The only way counterfeiters get away with what they're doing is by doing it convincingly. It is any wonder we see cashiers holding the currency up to the light, running a highlighter over it, etc? They are looking for watermarks, for things that the government has added to their genuine money to help make it easier to detect the counterfeit. So, having picked up a few tricks of the trade through real life and movies, tv shows, documentaries and so on, do you keep trying to distinguish between the two? How long would you try? I mean that's a really large stack of 100 dollar bills, and there's no telling how many are counterfeit, could be only five, or ten. I think it's safe to say we'd all try very hard to figure out the real from the fake, especially if there is no time limit on your separating them, and you can use all kinds of resources, just shy of anyone else doing it for you- you have to do it yourself. 

So, why don't we examine our religions the same way? Why don't we examine our beliefs with the same intensity? Why do we skate by assuming as long as we believe, as long as we are good people, as long as the good outweighs the bad, as long as no one is hurt, so on and so forth- that it doesn't really matter what you believe. There are so many different religions, so many different beliefs, and you know what… this is the big point… MANY are going to think they are following Jesus, truly following Him and doing His will, but they won't be. They are duped. They are going to be blindsided when Christ tells them to get away from Him, that He never knew them. Didn't you read that in your Bible…

Mat 7:21  Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 

Mat 7:22  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 

Mat 7:23  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

They are using Jesus' name to do all their wonderful things, happy, safe, secure believing all is well with their eternal life. The thing is, they are following a counterfeit religion set up by Satan, not God. And the counterfeit appears so close to the real thing most people cannot tell at all which is which, or think it even really matters.

Satan has set up our world- or rather his world- just as he wants it, and it's a world filled with deception. Study, study, study and study some more. Don't ever be afraid to be told something you are shocked to hear - take it to your Bible, take it to prayer and let God guide you, let the Holy Spirit work in you to bring you to only the truth. Don't be ashamed to need a lot of time to delve into a deep study of the word of God, before giving an answer to someone posing hard truths, or what they perceive to be hard truths. 

Our eternal life is worth digging deep into God's word, our eternal life is worth praying constantly, our eternal life is worth so much more than we can imagine or want to imagine. We'd rather just get on with our lives and let come what may. Serious studying? We'll leave that for others who are inclined towards that. We'll leave our field of treasure alone, we won't dig up the whole thing just to find truth, and still more truth. We'll content ourselves with knowing enough already. We'll just sit back and relax and let the pastor, priest, minister, etc do the studying and give us what we need when we go to see them. 

Our eternal life is worth KNOWING the true from the counterfeit, no matter how many years you've invested in your particular religious beliefs. You may be in the same religious organization as your mom and dad, and even your grandparents and great grandparents- it's a tradition to follow that organization- a family thing. You may be brand new to a religion and like all its shiny new ideas. It doesn't matter old or new, you need to follow truth!

God would have us know truth! All will be given an opportunity.  Just as you'd take that very large stack of 100 dollar bills and do your best to find what's true and what isn't, invest that much and more energy and effort in your eternal salvation- it's worth far more than all the money in the entire world, if you believe that then act on your belief- prove it!

May God bless us and keep us, may His peace, mercy and grace be with us all as we seek Him in all TRUTH! Open our hearts and our minds to truth, keep us from ALL the evil that would deceive us in any way whatsoever! All through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior we pray, now and forever!

Amen!

*******

(Excerpt) 

A.T.Jones

1895 lecture

COME OUT OF HER MY PEOPLE

Let us look, then, a little further at how much is embraced in Babylon. In other lessons you remember we read certain texts which from this side, as it were, showed that all the world is going to honor the beast, the papacy, and do her bidding--all except those whose names are written in the book of life. But there are some further texts on this subject that we can read. Turn to Rev. 17:8, particularly the last part of the verse. I shall read all the verse, however:

The beast that thou sawest was and is not and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit and go into perdition, and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was and is not and yet is.

They shall wonder when they behold the beast that was and is not and yet is. Now there are going to be some people that will not wonder at that a particle. All the world will be wondering at it, surprised at it, astonished at it, and considering it in wonder, but there is going to be a set of people who will not be in any way concerned about that and these are going to be the ones whose names are in the book of life. 

They are the ones who do not worship the beast and his image.

I read that verse particularly to connect with the thought of the other evening, that "all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life"; all kingdoms of the earth committed fornication with Babylon; the inhabitants of the earth are made drunk with the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and this showing also that all the world is connected with her and out of this wonder she will, and indeed by means of it, raise herself to the place where the scripture shall be fulfilled.

Let us just here ask a question: Taking this just as these scriptures speak it, "All the kingdoms of the world" are joined to Babylon in fornication, in illicit connection. The inhabitants of the earth are made drunk with the wine of her fornication. What is it then, what alone must it be, to come out of Babylon? Nothing short of coming out of the world itself.

There is another word here, too. Turn to Revelation 18, and we will read and see how much there is connected with it. We read up to the 10th verse Friday night. Now begin with the 11th verse: And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her, for no man buyeth their merchandise anymore.

Now I am going to read this slowly, and when it is ended, I want you to see how much of the traffic of mankind she does not control.

The merchandise of gold and silver and precious stones and of pearls and fine linen and purple and silk and scarlet and all sweet wood [that would be fine, fancy, costly, decorative woods], and all manner of vessels of ivory and all manner of vessels of most precious wood and of brass and iron and marble and cinnamon and odors and ointments and frankincense and wine and oil and fine flour and wheat and beasts and sheep and horses and chariots and slaves and souls of men.

That is controlled by Babylon. How much then of the traffic of the world is left? None. Then when the time comes for the general boycott to be set up, it is going to be easy enough for her to say a man shall not buy or sell, because all the traffic of the world is under her hand. Nobody can buy or sell who does not do as she says. But when she controls all of this and God says, "Come out of her," it is plain that obedience to that call will carry us right to the place where His will is accomplished in a complete separation from her. The very fact that our names are in the book of life and our refusing to do the bidding of Rome, brings us out absolutely and sets us in such a place that we shall have no sort of connection with her, not so much as for anything to eat.

Let us study this a little further. When our allegiance to the truth of God, our giving ourselves to God, leads to that place where we are absolutely separated from anything on the earth to eat or drink, how in the world are we going to live? Ah, there is the promise: "Bread shall be given him; his water shall be sure." Well, then, as in our allegiance to God we will be forced to absolute separation of every kind from the world and all that is in it; is it not now high time when we ourselves by our own choice shall be utterly separated in heart and affection from the world and all that is in it?

Further, here are the kingdoms of earth that are connected with her too, and they are going to be used by her to execute her will upon the people of God. Then, when that thing is done, it will force a separation from all connection with them or any dependence upon them for anything. But when that time comes, how in the world will we get along? How will we be protected, what shall we do, when mobs attack us and people commit outrages upon us? What in the world shall we ever do for protection? How can we live in the world then? Would it be safe to be so separated from the governments of earth that we could not prosecute any who offer violence to us? That we could not hold the law with its penalties as a menace over the heads of those who would stone our churches or tear down our tents or do us harm in other ways? Well, that time is going to come anyway, when we shall be outlawed and all these kingdoms under the power of the beast will be simply tools for executing her wrath upon us. Not only is this time going to come, but it is now at hand.

But when the very shaping of things by Babylon shall force us into that position, what shall we do? How shall we ever live? Well, from our side of the issue, what is it that is to bring us there? It is only allegiance to God that will ever put us there. Very well, then, will allegiance to God help us when we get there? Will allegiance to God furnish us the protection that we shall need when that time comes? You all say, yes. Well, if allegiance to God should in heart bring a man to that place now, do you think it would be too much of a risk for him just to break loose and put his trust altogether in God right now? Do you think anyone would be going too far just now to put his allegiance upon God and his trust in him for protection, just as fully as though there was no government on the earth at all.

Everybody whose name is in the book of life is going to be forced there by the very powers of earth themselves. Then why should not we let the word of God and His power lift us there now? I would rather have the work of God and His power put me in a place than to have the course of evil and the powers of the earth force me into it by the very force of circumstances. I would far rather cheerfully choose wholly the Lord and His way at once, than to linger and linger with my affections and trust and dependence upon the powers of earth, perfectly willing to have it this way longer, but because I cannot have it so and get into heaven, I will finally allow myself to be broken loose and take the consequences--and go to heaven. No, sir. I would far rather "cut loose" from the world and everything in it or about it and put my trust steadfastly upon God, just as though there was nobody in this universe but God.

I believe there is a text that covers this whole ground. Turn to Jeremiah 17:5:

Thus saith the Lord: Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord.

If my heart leans for support in any confidence toward something or somebody that is not God, where is my heart? Surely it is departing from the Lord. Now look at the next verse:

For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh.

Brethren, we want to be able to see when good cometh. But what will hinder a man's seeing when good comes? Trusting in man, making flesh his arm. Looking to any man, to any invention of men, to any combination of men, will do that. "Maketh flesh his arm." Depending upon any organization of flesh, any combination of flesh, and making that my arm, will keep me from seeing when good comes? Why? Because my heart is leaning on somebody besides God. I may try to satisfy my conscience that I can use that as an instrument of God to hold me up, but the Lord does not put it that way. He makes a clear distinction between God and man, and between trusting in the Lord and trusting in the arm of flesh. I would rather lean altogether upon God and have him use flesh if he wants to, to hold me up, than to lean upon the flesh to be held up and expect God to do it that way, for when we lean upon the flesh, on the organization of flesh and the power of this world and of man and expect to give God the credit for it--the truth that is we will give the combination or whatever it is we are leaning on the first place. But God must have the first place. And therefore when we lean altogether upon him, He can use whatever instrument he pleases to hold us up or to do whatever He chooses with us. But the one important thing in it is that he that trusts in man and makes flesh his arm shall not see when good comes. And that is an awful risk to run in our time.

He shall be like the heath in the desert and shall not see when good cometh, but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land, and not inhabited.

And that scene of desolation--a salt land and not inhabited--will be about the place where Babylon finds herself at last.

But ah! Look at the other side: "Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord." In the Lord through man? No. In the Lord through the arm of flesh? No, sir. In the Lord Himself, and whose hope the Lord is.

For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters and that spreadeth out her roots by the river and shall not see when heat cometh but her leaf shall be green and shall not be careful in the year of drouth, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

There is going to come a dreadful drought. But God has fixed it so that a man need not be afraid of the year of drought, nor careful at that time. He has been careful before the drought comes; his trust is in God, and when the drought comes, his trust is in God still. But note the difference. The one who trusts in man and makes flesh his arm shall not see when good cometh, and this man that trusts in the Lord shall not see when heat cometh. This is the better way. Let us take it. When calamities come, they will not affect this man; he will not care for them at all.

Now let us turn to the 16th chapter of Revelation and read another thought that seems to me to be expressive of how much Babylon covers. Rev. 16:13, 14. I am not reading this for the point of time when the verse applies; I am reading it simply to get the limit of Babylon's dominion, how much is covered by her, how much is under her dominion:

I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world to gather them to the battle of the great day of God Almighty.

16th verse: "And he gathered them."

19th verse, after the seventh plague, when the end comes: " The great city." What great city? Babylon, all the way through.

The great city was divided into three parts and the cities of the nations fell and great Babylon came into remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.

So then, the great city, Babylon, is divided into three parts. Now do those three unclean spirits that come out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet have anything to do with these three parts into which the great city is divided? I believe they have. I believe that they definitely point to that. I believe that the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet express these three parts into which she is divided when the time of her ruin comes. And we all know what the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet are, and the three unclean spirits working miracles coming out of their mouths, going forth to the whole world to gather them. Therefore, from this it is also clear that Babylon controls the world, the whole world. Then what does it mean to come out of Babylon?

Another situation: 2 Tim. 3:

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemous, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy[--and through the whole category there of nineteen sins] having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof.

Now what made Babylon the mother? I mean what produced her first? The church leaning upon the arm of another, separated from her own husband, turning to another, leaning upon the arm of another than her rightful Lord--that is what made Babylon. The church, pretending to be the church of Christ, joining herself to another lord, makes the adulteress, the harlot. And thus came Babylon the great. and as she is the one that has led in all that wicked course and set the wicked example for all the rest to follow, she is described as "the mother of harlots."

Then when God in the Reformation would have healed Babylon and she would not be healed, Christianity started in the world independent of her again. But when the professed Protestant churches have followed her ways and turned away from their rightful Lord and put their trust, their hope, upon earthly governments, earthly kingdoms, and joined themselves to these, they are the daughters; then there is Babylon and the daughters, the beast and the false prophet. So that you see the profession of religion without the power of God, the profession of godliness without the power of it, and those professing it, seeking and depending upon the kingdoms and nations of the earth for the power that they know they lack themselves--all this is fitly described as the combination of the form of godliness without the power. Babylon, the mother and daughters, embraces the world in the last days, and Babylon, the mother and daughters, is the form of godliness without the power.

Therefore it is plain that the third chapter of second Timothy does describe Babylon. The third chapter of second Timothy is in that place a description of Babylon, just as much as Rev. 18 is in that place a description of it. And when the passage from 2 Tim. 3 closes by saying, "Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away," that cry, "From such turn away" is in that place the call out of Babylon just as "Come out of her my people" is in its place the call out of Babylon.

The form of godliness without the power is the bane of any profession of religion. And now it is the bane of all of them in the world. And the success of this grand scheme to bring about the union of all denominations and the unity of the faith, which is being diligently worked from the pope of Rome up to many professed Protestants is only to put the seal of completeness upon it.

Down in Ohio last August at the camp meeting of another denomination the leading minister of the camp, preaching the Sunday sermon to thousands of people on the millennium and the hope and the prospect of its coming, giving as one of the great signs of the millennium the patent fact that "Protestants and Catholics are all wheeling into line," and hundreds of the people responded, Amen.

Now that is an actual fact, not only a fact as to that meeting but that sort of scheme that has been framed in the minds of those who are going more and more into Babylon, is a fact, and the scheme will be worked by them in all its parts to bring the millennium and the kingdom of God at last by preparing the way for the king. And thus when the Savior comes, He will find the whole combination of the kingdoms and churches of the earth gathered together into one body, professing to be Christianity, yet with none of the power of Christianity, and promising themselves and the world the grand, glorious millennium that has been for so long looked for over all the earth and the speedy coming of the kingdom of God. We know well enough also that then their king really will come, presenting himself as Christ and will be received as Christ. There will be some though who will be disconnected from that whole system--those who have obeyed the call, "Come out of her, my people," those whose names are written in the book of life. These will not receive the king of Babylon to reign over them. And then, as was proposed by the National Reformers away back in 1886 even, that scripture will be used against these: "These, mine enemies, that would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before my face." That brings logically enough the death penalty, as in the 13th chapter of Revelation, upon all who will not worship beast and image. The whole combination under the dominion of the earth and the dominion of evil spirits--the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet--Satan and all the instruments of Satan in all the earth, in combination---will be set up as one grand system of Christianity, when it is all one grand system of deviltry.

What then could show a more universal reign of the form of godliness, not only without the power but denying the power? For this form of godliness will deny that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, that is the Spirit of God. Every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come--not that he did come, but now is come in my flesh--Christ in you the hope of glory, Christ abiding within, God reigning in the kingdom of God that is within you--that is what this signifies. Every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God. And this is that spirit of antichrist. And ye have overcome them, little children, because greater is He that is in you, in you, in you, than he that is in the world.

Therefore, all this shows as plainly as A B C that in the last days the whole system of the world and worldliness, will be combined into this one grand system of the form of godliness, without the power and denying the power also, and growing worse and worse. And the cry, "From such turn away," is simply another form of the cry, "Come out of her my people." And wherever this cry is heard, it means simply, Come out of the world, separate from the world and from the things that are in the world, in heart and in mind, as completely as though the world had already vanished away. "Come out of her, my people."