It's going to be Biblical

Is there a culling event at the end times prior to the tribulation and second coming? I have always read these passages as pertaining to the time when Christ returns to the earth when we rule and reign with him during the 1000 year millennial period.

Observing the current events thru scripture is it possible that this current event is biblical?

Matthew 13:41-43 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will weed out of His kingdom every cause of sin and all who practice lawlessness. 42 And they will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.

In Revelation 2 is another passage that speaks of this:

·        2:20 But I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads My servants to be sexually immoral and to eat food sacrificed to idols. 21 Even though I have given her time to repent of her immorality, she is unwilling. 22 Behold, I will cast her onto a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her will suffer great tribulation unless they repent of her deeds. 23 Then I will strike her children dead, and all the churches will know that I am the One who searches minds and hearts, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds. 24 But I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned the so-called deep things of Satan: I will place no further burden upon you. 25 Nevertheless, hold fast to what you have until I come. 26 And to the one who overcomes and continues in My work until the end, I will give authority over the nations. 27He will rule them with an iron scepter and shatter them like pottery —just as I have received authority from My Father.

Note: does this passage indicate that after “a time to repent” there is an event that casts some into a bed of sickness and gives another opportunity to repent and then to continue in His work before He comes?

I think so.

Lord we repent of her immorality. Let us shine like the sun.

Theory about Trump

Theory about where we are on an “end times” timeline:

2020

We are before this event as described in:

·        Daniel 11:4 but as soon as he is established, his kingdom will be broken up and parceled out toward the four winds of heaven.

·        Daniel 8:8 …. But at the height of his power, his large horn was broken off, and four prominent horns came up in its place, pointing toward the four winds of heaven.

2017 – 2025

·        Daniel 11:3 Then a mighty king will arise, (Trump) who will rule with great authority and do as he pleases.

·        Daniel 8:5 as I was contemplating all this, suddenly a goat with a prominent horn between his eyes came out of the west, crossing the surface of the entire earth without touching the ground. 6 He came toward the two-horned ram I had seen standing beside the canal and rushed at him with furious power. 7 I saw him approach the ram in a rage against him, and he struck the ram and shattered his two horns. (Iran) The ram was powerless to stand against him, and the goat threw him to the ground and trampled him, and no one could deliver the ram from his power. – this is happening now but is not fully complete

·        8 Thus the goat became very great, (MAGA)(KAG)

·        Daniel 8:21 The shaggy goat represents the king of Greece,* and the large horn between his eyes is the first king**.

* Descendent of Javan son of Japheth son of Noah

** Chief = leader of a world power – kingdom = leader of the free world

2025 – 202?

Daniel 7:23 The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on the earth, different from all the other kingdoms, and it will devour the whole earth, trample it down, and crush it. 24 And the ten horns are ten kings who will rise from this kingdom. After them another king, different from the earlier ones, will rise and subdue three kings.

Daniel 8:19 “Behold, I will make known to you what will happen in the latter time of wrath, because it concerns the appointed time of the end.

Daniel 7

·        Four beasts = four kingdoms of the earth

·        Fourth beast crushes (Islam)

·        A little horn from the ten horns of the fourth beast is the anti-christ

Daniel 11

·        11:2-Three more kings will arise in Persia, and then a fourth, (Mohamed = Islam) who will be far richer than all the others. By the power of his wealth, (oil) he will stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece. (the west)

·        3 Then a mighty king will arise, (Trump) who will rule with great authority and do as he pleases. 4 But as soon as he is established, his kingdom will be broken up and parceled out toward the four winds of heaven. (same account as in Daniel 8)

·        The kings of the north and the south interlude then the anti-christ

Google - The politics of Iran take place in a framework that officially combines elements of theocracy and presidential democracy. - There have been only two Supreme Leaders since the founding of the Islamic Republic, and the current leader (Ali Khamenei), has been in power since 1989.

Daniel 8:3 … saw a ram with two horns standing beside the canal. The horns were long, but one was longer than the other, and the longer one grew up later.

THIS is HAPPENING now:

Daniel 8:5…suddenly a goat with a prominent horn between his eyes came out of the west, crossing the surface of the entire earth without touching the ground. (Trump) 6 He came toward the two-horned ram I had seen standing beside the canal and rushed at him with furious power. 7I saw him approach the ram in a rage against him, and he struck the ram and shattered his two horns.- 21 The shaggy goat represents the king of Greece, (US) and the large horn between his eyes is the first king= chief (leader of the free world)

·        Ancient Greek democracy heavily influenced the design of the United States government

o   Javan =son of Japheth and his descendants – they did not all stay in the region – migration west to US can’t be discounted as GOD surely knew this would happen before the end times.

o   Descendants of Noah >"Germanic peoples"- Trump

o   In the bible “the Greeks” are the gentiles

o   New Testament written and studied in Greek

Lord come and wage war with the sword of Your mouth.

I’ve spent a lot my Bible reading over the past year increasing my understanding of the prophecies in the book of Daniel most notably Daniel 8:17 “it pertains to the time of the end’ -- as does my studies in Revelation.

I believe we are in the “end times” but there is a lot that has to happen before “the Great Day of the Lord” and also before “the seven year tribulation”. Will these things happen in the next three, thirty or three hundred years? I don’t know - probably not three hundred.

I believe the letters to the seven churches in Revelation is where we find ourselves now and they are important to study and understand.

Revelation 1:3 “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear and obey what is written in it, because the time is near.”

reads aloud = anaginóskó: to know certainly, know again, read

Taking them as a whole all seven letters, what teachings are NOT found in them?

·        Common grace  
·        Church government
·        Wealth management

What are the common themes?

·        Hearing the Spirit
·        Repentance
·        Purity
·        Victory
·        Consequence and Reward
·        Urgency of time

Who/what are the enemies?

·        Nicolaitans – Ephesus and Pergamum
·        False teachers
·        Satan
·        Jezebel - Thyatira
·        Fear - Smyrna
·        False security and self-reliance – Ephesus, Sardis and Laodicea  

Explained in the letters to Pergamum and Thyatira, the teaching of Balaam, the teaching of the Nicolaitans and Jezebel who by her teaching misleads are all defined as leading to sexual immorality.

Sexual immorality is the largest tool of the enemy. It leads to a progression of evils “the so-called deep things of Satan”.

Repentance and purity is the victory.

The largest tool of Christ is the “sword of His mouth”.

Praying the sword of His mouth is how we overcome.  

Lord come and wage war with the sword of Your mouth.

Study on agapé love and the seven churches

In the beginning of Revelation following the letters to the seven churches John is summoned to heaven by a voice that says “… I will show you what must happen after these things.” Revelation 4:1

In all the modern translations the Revelation 4:1 Greek word “meta” is translated as “after” but in 473 occurrences elsewhere it is translated as “with”. I submit that it should be translated as “with” here also.

I believe the letters to the seven churches are a representation of the church body universal and their condition entering into the tribulation and the instructions given to them are the road-map to overcome, as stated clearly in the letters themselves.  They are not veiled or hidden in symbolism.

Christ is warning some of them they have believed a lie.

Here’s where the lie began -- agapé love means perfect love that is “unconditional” or “God loves us unconditionally”

Untrue.

Agapé = Short Definition: love Definition: love, benevolence, good will, esteem; plur: love-feasts.

It is true that we are not worthy of God’s love “all have sinned” and that “God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son that who so ever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” John 3:16, but even here there is a condition to receive the benefit of God’s love, it is to believe. Certainly believing a lie would not count as “believe” since He is “the way, the TRUTH and the life.” John 14:6

The definition of  Love given in 1 Corinthians 13 in verse 5 -- all newer translations says something like “keeps no record of wrongs” while the King James says “thinketh no evil”. In this instance the King James is closer to correct. A better translation might be “does not first assume evil motivation in another” or something to that effect because in the very next sentence it says “does not rejoice in evil”. You cannot know something is evil unless you are able to discern it by taking note or keeping a record. Simply, it is not where you start but you may end up there.

So removing the absolute of logizomai = “keeps no record” of wrongs ...

Logizomai = Short Definition: I reckon, count, decide   Definition: I reckon, count, charge with; reason, decide, conclude; think, suppose.

... it is harder to promote the lie that agapé love is unconditional.

Why does this matter? When someone believes that God’s love is unconditional it is easier to believe the lie that sin does not matter. Clearly if you read the Bible at all you know this is not true. God gives us the blood of Christ as remedy but not a license. Jude 1:4.

This is the condition the church finds itself in now.  This is what we are being warned about in the letters to the seven churches in Revelation.

Here’s how that theory looks in each of the seven letters:

1. Ephesus “you have abandoned your first love.” = your definition of love has changed

2. Smyrna “you got this” * but they will make you suffer for it.

3. Pergamum “some of you” are promoting a false love that causes people to believe sin doesn’t matter. *

4. Thyatira “you are tolerating” openly false teachers teaching you to love sin.

5. Sardis  “you have a reputation” of love but you don’t love -- you want to be loved *

6. Philadelphia “well done” you know what love means *

7. Laodicea “you are not interested in love” *

*loosely paraphrased

A note to encourage

Yesterday morning I was reading the scripture and praying – 

rereading 2 Corinthians 10:4 -- I posted in our prayer group “we will pray to demolish strongholds at 6:30 tonight” I was filled with spiritual fervor.

Later in the day I felt I needed to look up commentary on that passage and a lot of what I read tamped down my zeal.

Less than an hour before the group arrived as I was cleaning up pizza mess I heard an audible voice

“The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the world”

I didn’t know where it was coming from and I did not recognize the voice. It was still speaking

“Instead, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We tear down arguments, and every presumption set up against the knowledge of God; and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, as soon as your obedience is complete.”

Then I realized it was my phone in my pocket. The Bible app was on audio. 

I hadn’t used that app this week since I downloaded the Biblehub app which I prefer for reading. Truly there is no explanation how that could have happened since my phone was locked and I hadn’t had it out for hours.

I knew God was encouraging me to be bold.  Praise God our group was bold and impassioned last night. 

Continue to pray.

LURING CHILDREN

LURING CHILDREN OR PERSONS WITH MENTAL ILLNESS

      NRS 201.560  Definitions; exceptions; penalties.

      1.  Except as otherwise provided in subsection 3, a person commits the crime of luring a child if the person knowingly contacts or communicates with or attempts to contact or communicate with:

      (a) A child who is less than 16 years of age and who is at least 5 years younger than the person with the intent to persuade, lure or transport the child away from the child’s home or from any location known to the child’s parent or guardian or other person legally responsible for the child to a place other than where the child is located, for any purpose:

             (1) Without the express consent of the parent or guardian or other person legally responsible for the child; and

             (2) With the intent to avoid the consent of the parent or guardian or other person legally responsible for the child; or

      (b) Another person whom he or she believes to be a child who is less than 16 years of age and at least 5 years younger than he or she is, regardless of the actual age of that other person, with the intent to solicit, persuade or lure the person to engage in sexual conduct.

      2.  Except as otherwise provided in subsection 3, a person commits the crime of luring a person with mental illness if the person knowingly contacts or communicates with a person with mental illness with the intent to persuade, lure or transport the person with mental illness away from his or her home or from any location known to any person legally responsible for the person with mental illness to a place other than where the person with mental illness is located:

      (a) For any purpose that a reasonable person under the circumstances would know would endanger the health, safety or welfare of the person with mental illness;

      (b) Without the express consent of the person legally responsible for the person with mental illness; and

      (c) With the intent to avoid the consent of the person legally responsible for the person with mental illness.

      3.  The provisions of this section do not apply if the contact or communication is made or attempted with the intent to prevent imminent bodily, emotional or psychological harm to the child, person believed to be a child or person with mental illness.

      4.  A person who violates or attempts to violate the provisions of this section through the use of a computer, system or network:

      (a) With the intent to engage in sexual conduct with the child, person believed to be a child or person with mental illness or to cause the child, person believed to be a child or person with mental illness to engage in sexual conduct, is guilty of a category B felony and shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for a minimum term of not less than 1 year and a maximum term of not more than 10 years and may be further punished by a fine of not more than $10,000;

      (b) By providing the child, person believed to be a child or person with mental illness with material that is harmful to minors or requesting the child, person believed to be a child or person with mental illness to provide the person with material that is harmful to minors, is guilty of a category C felony and shall be punished as provided in NRS 193.130; or

      (c) If paragraph (a) or (b) does not apply, is guilty of a gross misdemeanor.

      5.  A person who violates or attempts to violate the provisions of this section in a manner other than through the use of a computer, system or network:

      (a) With the intent to engage in sexual conduct with the child, person believed to be a child or person with mental illness or to cause the child, person believed to be a child or person with mental illness to engage in sexual conduct, is guilty of a category B felony and shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for a minimum term of not less than 2 years and a maximum term of not more than 15 years and may be further punished by a fine of not more than $10,000;

      (b) By providing the child, person believed to be a child or person with mental illness with material that is harmful to minors or requesting the child, person believed to be a child or person with mental illness to provide the person with material that is harmful to minors, is guilty of a category B felony and shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for a minimum term of not less than 1 year and a maximum term of not more than 6 years and may be further punished by a fine of not more than $10,000; or

      (c) If paragraph (a) or (b) does not apply, is guilty of a gross misdemeanor.

      6.  As used in this section:

      (a) “Computer” has the meaning ascribed to it in NRS 205.4735.

      (b) “Harmful to minors” has the meaning ascribed to it in NRS 201.257.

      (c) “Material” means anything that is capable of being used or adapted to arouse interest, whether through the medium of reading, observation, sound or in any other manner.

      (d) “Network” has the meaning ascribed to it in NRS 205.4745.

      (e) “Person with mental illness” means a person who has any mental dysfunction leading to impaired ability to maintain himself or herself and to function effectively in his or her life situation without external support.

      (f) “Sexual conduct” has the meaning ascribed to it in NRS 201.520.

      (g) “System” has the meaning ascribed to it in NRS 205.476.

      (Added to NRS by 2001, 2786; A 2003, 431, 1376; 2007, 183; 2013, 1155)

Love your enemies Turn away evil

An enemy is one opposed to us (our faith) or one we know is an enemy and not a friend or a brother because it is in some way obvious. This is who we are commanded to love. This is undeniable.

Enemy = exthrós – properly, an enemy; someone openly hostile

I submit that love your enemy does not mean embrace or protect a deceiver or one who claims to be one of us (believers) but practices evil.

Note: the definition of Love in 1 Corinthians 13 includes “does not rejoice in evil” vs6 Love takes no pleasure in evil, but rejoices in the truth.

I believe we do not protect evil because of the following scriptures.

·       2 Timothy 3:1-5 ... a form of godliness but denying its power. Turn away from such as these!

·       Ephesians 5:11 Have no fellowship with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.

·       Ephesians 5:6-7Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be partakers with them.

·       2 John 1:11 Whoever greets such a person shares in his evil deeds.

·       1 Corinthians 5:11 … not to associate with anyone who claims to be a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a verbal abuser, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.

Romans 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

DO NOT BE OVERCOME … BUT OVERCOME!!!

How do we overcome evil with good?

1.     Deny fellowship -- Ephesians 5:11 et al. see the above

2.     Expose the evil  -- Ephesians 5:11

3.     Ask for the good  -- Matthew 7:11

4.     Speak the truth -- Ephesians 4:25

5.     Protect the innocent -- 1 Corinthians 13:7 stegó = to protect or keep by covering

6.     Ward off the evil   -- 1 Corinthians 13:7 stegó = Definition: I cover, conceal, ward off

7.     Demolish strongholds  -- 2 Corinthians 10:4