Edition 484: August 27^th 2019

Deadly doctrines developing:

Introduction:

These are words of life!

Biblical doctrine, unlike other dogmas is spiritually charged. It is the safe, steady, secure foundation of our faith. Its source is our Lord Himself, His Spirit, His word and His teachers. But it can easily be hijacked by those led by the spirit of error, demons and false teachers.

We are exposed to many false doctrines on our growth-journey, but they normally hit the garbage can soon, as the Spirit of truth leads us forward. However doctrine is fast becoming the main playground of end-time enemies of our Lord. It is predicted to get steadily worse.

We must be aware of it, how it operates, why it is intensifying now, through whom it comes and how to deal with it.

I have touched on some of these things before, but the entire spiritual environment is in a state of flux right now. It’s time to put on your armour and use your spiritual gifts.

Don’t become a false-doctrine hunter:

Never make chasing false doctrine a priority. Chase the truth as a priority and deal with false doctrine when necessary, and then move on.

Many people are insecure in their faith, full of the fear of rejection and other psychological problems. The spiritual environment is an easy place to look for and find acceptance. False doctrine attracts many people like flies!

Often proponents of false doctrines are looking for self-importance and affirmation. When they find it they “imprison” it becoming ultra-protective over their “catch” so as not to be left out in the cold again. Control gives them a false sense of security.

You must also be aware that in dealing with false doctrine you are often open to the transfer of spirits, so you have to have your armour on!

In most cases false doctrine rises to a point where you can identify it clearly, and cut its head off.

Be well aware of the real purpose and great danger in false doctrine or biblical error:

• It leads to erroneous living.
• The aim of false doctrine is to lead you to a false spirit and a false Messiah.

How does false doctrine arise?

In almost every case, pride is the root of false doctrine. The world is now exalting itself against God in almost every imaginable way. This is just like Lucifer exalting himself above God with his string of “I will” statements. (Isaiah 14:12-14) And the fall of Adam and Eve as they bought into the great lie – “You will be as God.” (Genesis 3:5)

Pride is the fuel of much evil. It is the fuel of ultimate discontent! It is the fuel and root of rotten fruit in the believer’s life.

Be careful out there! False doctrine is grows and spreads. It knocks on to other doctrines like wildfire. It is far more difficult to get out of than to get into!

It is a deadly plague in the church with consequences, especially for young believers.

False doctrine can discourage believers from moving on. Seeking Christians tend to get inoculated against the truth, when constantly bombarded with the next, new big, pile of garbage camouflaged as good food.

The problem with getting into false doctrine is it makes you a betrayer. Only deep repentance can fix that, otherwise you become totally untrustworthy in our Lord’s kingdom.

By their fruit and their doctrine you will know them!

Deadly, developing doctrines:

Because of the time period we are in, many false doctrines will arise related to the main, specific issues of these end-times. Some are old and maturing false doctrines, with a new evil face, some are developing now and some will fully manifest in the tribulation period.

The big issues of these end-times are:

Attempts at a one-world government. (Revelation 17:13) ●Attempts to break down borders between nations. (Isaiah 10:13, Acts 17:26) ●Attempts at a one-world currency. (Isaiah 10:14) ●Attempts at a one-world religious order. (Revelation 18:3) ●Attempts to “sanctify” the world. (Luke 16:15, Proverbs 21:2) ●Attempts to control the masses. (Isaiah 10:14, Revelation 13:4) ●Attempts to get rid of godly virtues, holiness and truth. (Isaiah 5:20, Ezekiel 22:26 Hosea 4:1-2) ●Attempts to bring in the antichrist. (1 John 2:18, Revelation 6:2-4) ●Attempts to get rid of Israel. (Psalm 83:4)

(Please hover your mouse over the verses above and read them. There are many more on each subject.) Now, you tell me how many new false doctrines are emerging in direct relation to all these points above?

Beware of new doctrines. Beware of doctrines with fancy new interpretations. Beware of doctrines glorifying and exalting man. Beware of doctrines with “private interpretation.” (2 Peter 1:20)

A powerful key in identifying false doctrine is to look to the final presupposition of the doctrine. What is its ultimate goal? Many times that goal is hidden.

All false doctrine is alive with an anti-God agenda.

The biggest false doctrine of all:

This, the biggest false doctrine of the lot is nothing new. It has been around in the church since its inception. But it now has a new evil face!

It is the belief that you do not need to be born-again to be saved. It is the belief that a loving God will not send anyone to hell. It is the belief that your inherent, basic good will save you.

This is the doctrine taught and believed in by thousand of churches and billions of people!

You may be surprised at what follows – read on!

The events that we collectively call the cross, includes the death burial and resurrection of our Lord. It was during these events that our Lord descended and defeated Satan and his host, triumphing over them and making a show of them. (Colossians 2:15)

Please remember that as a born-again believer, you were crucified with Him. You were and are in Him. Your salvation includes victory over the very source of mans problems – the enemy.

This is why the self-ruled world can never be right for heaven. They have in their hearts the undefeated enemy – Satan and a host of demons. Man can’t save himself because he did not die for himself. Man can’t save himself because he never defeated the devil in his own heart.

Self has a sin-splurting “engine” within its heart, which is in Satan’s service, by birth into Adam’s family.

It was our Lord, exclusively who defeated the enemy and we are in our Lord!

Those not born-again have an undefeated foe in their heart, called “self” or the “sin-nature” and they can never get rid of it. They can be good but they will go to hell.

Those not born-again have an undefeatable foe in their hearts!

This undefeatable foe changes like a chameleon, but bear in mind that even its good is unredeemed! With an undefeated enemy in your heart, even your good times are bad in God’s view.

This undefeatable foe can only be defeated by the full work of the cross! 

The new deadly doctrine is that self is a god. Self does not need to die on a cross. Cross-death is meaningless and powerless they say. It is you, you, you that counts. You can do it, yes you can!

They believe that the resurrection is in fact you arising to a new socio-political order and direction in life.

All the new “self” orientated doctrines attempt to justify the sin-nature with a flavouring of self-esteem and self importance.

A very good measuring stick of your growth in the Lord is seen in how much of the world you have and are overcoming? (John 16:33, 1John 5:4)

You will often find that the real counterfeit Christian (even in leadership) is one who has a secret love for the world. It always goes hand in hand with pride and a secret love for the self-life. It eventually manifests, normally bringing many people down too.

So, billions of people think they’re good enough for heaven. They have been taught by false teachers!

You can’t go to heaven or into the Millennium without being saved. To be saved you need judgment. The cross is the believer’s judgment and the tribulation period is the judgement that turns those who will enter the Millennium, to our Lord.

Godly holiness and victory over the devil is required for salvation. In Messiah, it’s all a done deal! But man without Messiah can’t do it, so he invents new doctrines to accommodate him and his devil.

Here we see the deep meaning and extent of salvation.

Through Adam, Satan polluted the self-life, but also the whole world-system.

The world can never be truly holy for the same reasons as above. It cannot defeat the devil in its heart. Man cannot get rid of his own devil in his heart. The world can’t get rid of the devil in its heart! If they could, that would be like lifting themselves up by their own shoelaces. It doesn’t work.

If you are on the right road, the world will hate you, because you have the world’s enemy in your heart. (John 15:18-22)

What a wonder our salvation in Messiah is!

Damnable dangerous doctrines:

One of the modern damnable doctrines is that doctrine itself is not important. Of course, doctrine on its own is dead letter, but Spirit-filled doctrine is alive and well and goes hand in hand with love, mercy and joy and all the fruits of the Spirit.

What do you think – God gave us glorious doctrine for us to say we don’t need doctrine!

Those who reject or downplay the importance of Spirit enlightened doctrine, by default replace it with the doctrines of the world and self.

Because you reject God and His word, changes nothing except you. It turns you into a slowly morphing beast.

Another powerful key in identifying false doctrine is: What is its effect on the plan of God for Israel?

All doctrines that are not consistent with God’s place and call for Israel are false. There are many new one just emerging now.

Sometimes you would be surprised at just how stupid and ignorant some people are!

I recently saw a woman present what must be the world’s top, stupid false doctrine. She was predicting the hour of the coming of the Lord last month (which didn’t happen). She said: “No man knows the day or hour. So that means that a woman will know”! (Unfortunately, I can’t write what I think!)

The terrible thing about that is that she has followers!

As we look at the establishment of the early church, we see the monstrous attacks against it and what the early disciples did about it. We need to bear this in mind now.

Counteracting false doctrine:

Acts 6:10 “They were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he (Stephen) spoke.”

Do you realise that your Spirit-filled words and wisdom of God, shuts people up. Obviously not all people, but it does dramatically affect some people. Notice from the verse above that resistance to our Lord crumbled by the confrontation!

Have a look at this shocking picture:

Simon the sorcerer apparently got saved and the people said of him: “This is the great man and power of God and they heeded him.”

Acts 13:8-12 “Elymas the sorcerer withstood them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. Then Saul (Paul) filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said, “O full of deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all unrighteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord? Now, indeed the hand of the Lord is upon you and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a time.” And immediately a dark mist fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand. Then the proconsul believed...”

Note the very strong words and attack by Paul on those trying to mess up the building of the early church. We are now in much the same situation again.

Acts 20:27-30 “I have not shunned declaring to you the whole counsel of God...Also, from among yourselves men will rise up speaking perverse (lit=misleading) things to draw away the disciples after themselves.”

Mark 4:24 (Amp) “He said to them, ‘be careful what you are hearing. The measure of thought and study you give to the truth you hear, will be the measure of virtue and knowledge that comes back to you.”

Romans 16:17 “Now I urge you brethren, note those who cause divisions and offences, contrary to the doctrine which you learned and avoid them.”

These verses above are very insightful. They are words of warfare.

Be equipped for today’s onslaught:

Much of the church is in fact the true church’s great enemy, in that they deny the gifts of the Spirit, the supernatural weapons of warfare and the full armour of God as provided in the scriptures for believers. Walk away from them.

What we need to complete the church and create fully balanced believers in this particular time is: Gifts, armour, weapons, and doctrine. Here they all are in a nutshell:

►Gifts of the Spirit: Prophecy, serving, teaching, exhortation, leadership, mercy. The word of wisdom, word of knowledge and special faith. Healings, miracles, discernment of spirits, tongues, interpretation of tongues. (Romans 12:6-8 1 Corinthians 12: 8-10 1 Peter 4:11)

►Armour to stand in battle:  Belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, shoes of the gospel, shield of faith, helmet of salvation. (Ephesians 6:11)

►Weapons: Sword of the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 10:4-6)

►Doctrine: Hebrews 6:1-2 reveals the full seven doctrines of Messiah: ●Going forward to perfection, ●repentance from dead works, ●faith towards God. ●The doctrine of baptisms (plural), ●of laying on of hands, ●of resurrection of the dead and ●of eternal judgement.”

Finding a church:

Look at the points above from “Gifts” down to “Doctrine.” In those short few words you will find everything required of a church. A church does not have to be called a “church” as such. It does not need to be an organisation contained in a building. It can be a “congregation,” or even a smaller group of believers.

It’s often very insightful to look for what they won’t preach. If it is out of line with what I have mentioned above, all sorts of problems will be evident in that ministry.

All error knocks on to other doctrines down the line and leads to an error in lifestyle as well as a loss of eternal reward for those involved.

Going down with the ship:

Today churches are failing, falling away and sinking at an alarming rate. Of course there are many doing very well too.

It might be an admirable act for a ship’s captain to go down with the boat, but don’t take an analogy too far! If the ship is sinking – get off fast!

When people are being shaken to the core they look for stability. Multitudes are and will be looking for stability and salvation. (Joel 3:14)

The Bible warns of “another gospel” and “another Christ”. And although the church will not encounter the antichrist, they will and are encountering the spirit of antichrist in many instances.

The Bible has some deadly warnings for those who teach and spread false doctrine, intentionally or not! False doctrine has the power to shipwreck the faith of new believer, starting out on their journey!

Jeremiah 14:14 “The Lord said to me, ‘The prophets prophesy lies in my name. I have not sent them...”

Deuteronomy 27:18 “Cursed is he who makes the blind to wander out of the way of God.”

So the real big specific end time false doctrines developing now relate to the false Messiah, the false gospel, the false cross and the place of Israel and the Jews.

Check your food and clean the house out!

False doctrine blinds you to the truth and you need the truth like you need your necessary food. (Job 23:12, Jeremiah 15:16.)

Our spiritual food is the sustenance of our spirit and soul.

Tradition and culture are often like far reaching tentacles of a nasty beast that won’t let you go. Throw out traditions that do not exalt God.

What you repeatedly consume and give yourself to, will influence your entire spiritual life. It will also be the licence for error and false doctrine to get under your skin.

I love this verse below. It speaks volumes, which we can extend to our spiritual food.

Proverbs 24:4 “By knowledge rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.”

We are not in a static environment. We are in spiritual warfare. Be careful who you receive from! There are some out there trying to feed you birdie num nums!

Finally

Doctrine that is really effective is that which has become a reality in your life.

A lot more than war drums are beating right now! The Middle East is on the verge of going bang! Much of the church is under attack too. The church is very close to its completion and rapture. False doctrine is an ongoing attack. It’s like the devil having his last throw at Christians.

As Israel nears her appointed time, much false doctrine surrounds her. Only true Spirit led doctrine will guide you safely through these critical times.

Stand strong, don’t waver, seek the truth and love the truth, be holy, and glorious days are just ahead!

I took the background picture in the beautiful Moremi Reserve in Botswana. I inserted one of my pictures of a black eagle.

Shalom and grow in His Grace!

Edition 483: August 20^th 2019

A preview of heaven:

Introduction:

These are words of life!

No human on earth knows the full extent of all the glorious mysteries of heaven and the eternal state that lies ahead. Many have had dreams and visions of heaven, most are simply imaginations, some are lies and perhaps a few are true. We can’t rule out the true, because of the liars.

So, what I have done for your benefit, is draw together, the teachings of numerous Bible verses on the subject and added some thoughts. It is only the Bible that contains the full truthful authority.

There are a number of heavens.

Through the many wonders of the Bible, studied prayerfully, we get many glimpses of eternity, which offer us a great anchor and future hope.

The Bible speaks of the heavens above, which would be the visible sky, clouds, stars moon and astronomical goodies.

The Bible speaks of the heaven in the north of the sky. That would be the current dwelling place of God, a physical place for now, but with qualities that transcend the physical, which in many respects are beyond our understanding.

The Bible speaks of an eternal heaven still to be created which will be the ultimate, final eternal abode of all creation. This new heaven will include a new earth, and in fact many new earths! It will include everything that constitutes the kingdom of God, under the rule and reign of our great King.

John 18:36 “My kingdom is not of this world.” It is a kingdom of supreme power (1 Corinthians 4:20)

Our future headquarters are in heaven!

2 Timothy 4:18 “The Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever.”

Isaiah 9:7 “Of the greatness and increase of His government and peace there will be no end.”

There is no soul-sleep as taught by some, and there is definitely no soul annihilation either.

2 Corinthians 5:8 “We would rather be absent from body present with Lord.”

Shake rock and roll:

Don’t bother spending much effort working and praying for peace in the world. If you could attain it in this world, that will be a deception. Magnificent new world peace is coming on the wings of war and the destruction of all that is not of God. (Revelation 19:11-16, 19-21)

Obviously we must pray for peace in our immediate world and as required by scripture, but we will end up as the odd ones in a world headed for destruction.

We are now entering a time of worldwide shaking, but the kingdom is unshakable! (Hebrews 12:25)

Everything will be shaken by judgment. Only that which has the work of the cross and shed blood of the Lamb in it and on it will survive.

Revelation chapter six begins with the opening of the seal judgements. It sets off the tribulation period on earth. It begins with the release of the four riders of the apocalypse. As these riders ride – great judgements fall in their wake.

Revelation 6:4 “And another horse fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth and that people should kill one another; and there given to him a great sword.”

This verse above occurs right at the start of the tribulation. Don’t tell me that the first half will be a time of peace! The exact opposite is the truth!

Please note that four riders, ride throughout the tribulation – all four for all seven years.

Are you on the right course?

If you are on the right course spiritually, and your focus is heavenly, it will be seen in your focus away from the world. (2 Corinthians 4:18) The application of the cross is to self and the world. You simply just can’t love the world like before when you see it crucified, and you and understand heaven and eternity.

You are born into this world and into Adam. The way out is death to the Adamic life and the world. (Galatians 2:20) Nothing of the old life is raised. It’s all new and heaven-ready. Yes you can sanctify certain things of the world, but that is for a godly purpose.

It’s not by becoming freaky spiritual hermits that we overcome the world. It is by seeing the world under death-sentence and the new world set before us!

We have been made the light of the world with the light of our Lord in us – not to light up the world like some flashy, attractive theme park, but to direct the light of eternity and the glory of God’s great future kingdom to the world.

We are the lights of the path to heaven!

How can you as a God-lit believer still light up the Satan’s masterpiece, the world, with Satan’s light which is really darkness?

1 John 5:4 “He who is born of God overcomes the world.”

We are now seeing the simultaneous arising and mixing of good and evil. We are in absolute need of discernment and exposure to truth – the real truth full of its hard sayings, goodness and severity!

Perhaps the most powerful way and method of knowing that you are on the right track, comes from the inner witness in your heart, measured against the word. In these critical days you must know that you have used your God-given spiritual weapons to defeat Satan.

Our Lord said: “Satan has nothing in Me.” (John 14:30) We are in the same boat spiritually. Satan can’t defeat us except when we ourselves let him in!

We must gain victory in our choices.  We must choose between: ●The exalting pride of Lucifer, or the humility of God, ●The lies of Satan in Eden or the truth of God, ●The cross-less Barabbas or the crucified Yeshua, and God in Him. ●It must be the love of the world, or of the kingdom of God.

Nothing will be concealed at judgement, good or bad. (Luke 8:17) “If you are not with Me you are against Me.” said our Lord. (Matthew 12:30) Only those two categories exist. There is no middle ground or neutrality.

We will all be judged according to truth, according to the word and according to our life’s work for the Kingdom. We will be judged for every thought, for every idle word and for all our deeds. (Matthew 12:36) Our Lord, in judgement is seen as the One with “eyes of flame and fire.” Who can withstand that glare of fire! (1 Corinthians 3:11-15)

Over and over again people say that we as believers have nothing to fear in the coming judgement. That is true from a salvation point of view, but not from a rewards point of view.

My friends the loss of reward that would have been yours – forever is a very big deal!

Think about this:

God placed in you His perfect, holy and clean Spirit by new-birth for a purpose, which is not only your time on earth! He has mighty plans for you that run into eternity. Of those that are saved, only some will be fully ready, even though they were destined for much greater things.

Eternity will be sin-free. You and I will be pure, holy, righteous forever, in a pure, clean and holy eternity! No one can even imagine that. Don’t give up!

In many ways the absolute best the world has to offer is nothing more than filthy rags in the sight of our Lord. We too are in sackcloth now. But robes of glorious righteous royalty are coming. Yes they are already here in terms of our position in Messiah, but the final manifestation is still coming.

When we see into eternity in faith, it causes dramatic changes in our life.

Job 42:6 “Therefore I abhor myself and I repent in dust and ashes.”

The Kingdom of God:

The completion of prophecy and the wrapping up of this world order, has unimaginable results and changes as revealed in the Bible:

Daniel 9:24-25 “Seventy weeks are determined on thy people (Israel) and for your holy city, to ●Finish transgression. ●To make an end of sins, ●To make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, ●To seal up the vision and prophecy and anoint the Most Holy.”

Ephesians 5:5 “This you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous person who is an idolater has any inheritance in the kingdom of God.”

Here, in these verses above, we see a new world with no wickedness, no sin, because it has all been paid for and removed by the cross. We see everlasting righteousness, which would include peace and rest.

The only access to the eternal kingdom is through the cross. That is just the beginning! We then go through to what most people just can’t imagine: Ruling and reigning with Messiah in the universe forever!

2 Timothy 2:12 “If we endure, we also shall reign with Him.”

Revelation 3:21 “To him who overcomes, I will grant to sit with Me on My throne...”

Philippians 2:21 “He will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body.”

Daniel 7:27 “Then the kingdom, dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under all heaven shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him.”

The end for the believer is not salvation or resurrection. It is ascension to the throne of God.

The characteristics of heaven:

Matthew 18:4 “Whoever humbles himself as a little child is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

In some ways we could call the soon coming Millennium a dimension of heaven. It most certainly will be a dispensation that is totally different and very much part of the kingdom of God. Here are a few characteristics of the Millennium. There are many more.

Isaiah 11:6-8 “The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard lie down with the young goat, the calf and the young lion and the fatling together – the young child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze together; the lion shall eat straw like an ox. The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole...”

Isaiah 35:1 “The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as a rose.”

Hosea 2:18-19 “In that day I will make a covenant for them, with the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and with the creeping thing of the ground. Bow and sword of battle, I will shatter from the earth, to make them lie down safely. I will betroth you to Me forever. Yes I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and justice, in loving kindness and mercy...”

An often overlooked characteristic of the Millennium, and of heaven is that they are full of animals of all types, some incredible by description.

I often sit in my glass studio / conservatory with a water feature at each end and birds hopping around (inside too) Massive tree-ferns and towering strelizia’s hang above the glass roof, with keyboard, headset and the ongoing thought of the very close presence of many readers, far away, but right with me in spirit, mind and prayer – and I just know that this is family and a little glimpse of heaven now.

I have been extremely fortunate to experience many situations out in the wilds of Southern Africa. Many of these places are just like a heaven on earth. Today, I’m barely mobile!

The Millennium is not the end of the age. It is the next dispensation after the tribulation. Then only comes the final eternity of eternities.

Appearance of majesty:

Our Lord gave us glimpses of great wonders in His appearances after His resurrection.

We saw a Man glowing with purity, separate from other people, yet very much with them. We saw a Man who could appear through walls at will and disappear as quickly. He could be touched, He could eat. We saw a Man who knows everything. We saw a Man who could travel at the speed of thought, but also within the dimension of space and time. This was on the Mount of Transfiguration where He appeared with saints of antiquity, Moses and Elijah, introducing them to saints of the day, still alive: Peter, James and John.

After the resurrection, our Lord appeared only to believers! This hints at the tribulation period in which our Lord will not be freely accessible to people on the earth in the tribulation.

Everything about a dead man raised three days and nights later, and still walking around is so totally out of this world, miraculous and supernatural!

1 Peter 1:16 “Be holy, for I am holy!”

The new you:

There will be no more death, no more tears except of joy, no more suffering. Your new body will be perfect. It will be just like that of our Lord in supernatural character. We will know all things. We will all have a new name. (Revelation 2:17, Isaiah 62:2)

1 John 3:2 “Now are we the children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” (1 Corinthians 13:12, 2 Corinthians 3:18, Colossians 3:4)

2 Peter 1:11 “So an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour, Yeshua the Messiah.”

2 Corinthians 5:1 “We know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”

Hebrews 12:1 “We also, since we are surrounded by such a great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay every weight aside, and the sin that so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”

We shall be like Him! Some will have an abundant entrance, seen by a great cloud of witnesses as we enter heaven, and to a house made by supernatural, miracle command! What a future!!

Or you can go to hell:

To get to hell you have to resist God and the call of His servants and cast down His word.  It’s easy if you try! Just do nothing! To get to hell just follow the mass-media, the entertainment world, and the customs of modern man. Listen to the modern minister.

Romans 2:5 “In accordance with your hardness of heart and impenitence, you are treasuring up for yourselves wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God.”

Matthew 13:11 “It has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.”

Hell is an eternity as well. It is the place of unimaginable regret and sorrow. I cannot imagine the incredible regret of those who made that choice. It is a choice that God will honour.

The opinions of man will be destroyed. The mass-media will be on their way to hell.

I think at the end of the day (in heaven) the most thankful people will be those who were warned of hell and heeded the warning!

Warning:

False doctrine comes in many forms and intensities. Many times, people just come right, because they have the Spirit of truth in them. Sometimes they go further of course.

But false doctrine will always affect the fullness of what you are supposed to be. It will and does affect your actions and lifestyle. It will and does affect your eternal reward!

If you were called to be a success at something particular that is of the Lord, and you spend half your time battling false doctrine, you will lose out in eternal reward!

False doctrine, pursuing the spirit of error, and being all messed up does have consequences, which are eternal!

Colossians 3:15 “Let the peace of God rule (as an umpire does) in your hearts.”

Finally

Having a correct and fully as possible understanding of heaven, and our eternal state is absolutely required for strength and stability in these days. It will and does affect how you live now! It empowers you with a lot more than political will!

Once you have arrived, you will be in a new world overflowing with peace and rest. Your purpose for existence will suddenly become manifest for all to see and know.

Proverbs 8:23 “I (wisdom) have been established from everlasting, from the beginning before there ever was an earth.”

Psalm 113:4 “The Lord is high above all nations, and His glory above the heavens.”

I took the picture of the Fish Eagle in the Okavango Delta and blended it into a picture I did from a chopper over the Drakensberg Mountains.

Shalom and grow in His Grace!

Edition 482: August 13^th 2019

Stop in your tracks!

Introduction:

These are words of life!

Stop – take stock! Take heed. Check yourself, examine your faith. Are you a Christian? Are you standing solidly and securely with our Lord in these days of shaking? Or are you blindly following the masses and the opinions of man and the traditions and culture of society?

John 11:25 “I am the resurrection and the life whoever believes in Me shall never die.”

“You will never die.” What an incredible statement!

Yes “You will never die.” But – “You will be changed.” (1 Corinthians 15:51) And “You will be like Him.” (1 John 3:2) What a difference that makes!

The implications of never dying are far above all we can even imagine with our own intellect. Do you know that it is above your ability to even imagine the glory of what lies ahead for true believers? (1 Corinthians 2:9)

We will not all be the same in the resurrection. We will, in terms of foundation, but what each one has built on the foundation of salvation will vary as the stars in brightness.

There are some very sobering facts about what lies ahead in resurrection for believers.

“God will judge the secrets of men. Every man’s work will be manifest”. (Romans 2:16) “God will bring every secret, hidden deed into judgement.” (Ecclesiastes 12:14)

Everything will be manifest, even our secret thoughts, then will come great reward and the new super-clean, super righteous you – forever!

Time is running out. We will all stand before the Lord in judgement for reward, or loss of reward. (2 John 1:8, 1 Corinthians 3:12-15, 2 Corinthians 5:10) The Bible also warns of “No one taking your crown.” (Revelation 3:11)

You can lose your potential reward now, by giving in the devil, but not once it has been issued in heaven. (Colossians 3:23-24, Hebrews 10:35)

Please get your head around the wonderful fact – “Your reward will never fade!” (1 Peter 5:4 Matthew 6:20)

I know I have spoken a lot about these things of late, but it is for a very powerful reason. You are on the doorstep of your eternal state! You can’t change it once done. You can change things now!

Peter said, “I will not cease to put you in remembrance of these things, though you know them.” (2 Peter 1:12)

Some personal testimony:

I’m always cautious of personal testimony, because pride sneaks in. So, I share this with you cautiously!

Many years ago I realised that the sin issue begins in the thought realm and then through to actions. To my amazement I discovered that it was not very difficult to control thoughts. In fact I can show you how now:

Cast down imaginations that exalt against God (without argument or reasoning) (2 Corinthians 10:5) do it whenever needed. Replace those thoughts with godly thoughts and do it whenever needed. (Philippians 4:8) Pretty soon clean thoughts become habitual.

Clean thoughts lead to clean hands. That then extends to your whole life.

Of course it all needs to be done with determination and prayer.

Psalm 18:20 “The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands, He has recompensed me.”

1 Corinthians 9:25 “I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”

When you stand before the Lord, you will not be able to blame those that influenced you the wrong way. You are guilty for your own thoughts and actions.

Today, I can safely say that my life’s passion is to walk in holiness with our Lord, to know Him more and the power of the coming age.

Why now?

These issues are for all time, but the Bible stresses them with greater urgency and importance as the end-time battle for the mind and the hearts of the believers goes into high gear. As the end of the age nears, these things are all magnified greatly.

This is the time when so many of these things are being thrust into frontline battle, through the media, the entertainment world and multitudes of invisible evil spirits.

Revelation 12:12 “Rejoice O heavens and you who dwell in them, but woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”

You must know your enemy. You must how he works, to be victorious over him. Satan operates through the world, the flesh-nature and the demonic.

You can’t separate the world and man’s flesh or self-nature. They are inextricably linked.

People always say, “Go to the root of the problem.” They are right. But when you get to the root of self and the world, there sits the devil, and you are stumped!

The flesh or sin-nature is drawn to the world-system. The command of God to us as believers is not to try and conquer them, but to die to them. That is the way to victory! (Galatians 2:20)

So, with these things in mind, we do not have much time left. Time for the church may well run out on The Feast of Trumpets this year. That’s the end of September. (Note I said “may”) Either way time is short to change your Christian act!

Comfort My people or kill My people! (Isaiah 40:1)

Israel is stirring, with many Jews coming to spiritual life now ahead of the tribulation. It’s in the air!

On this subject, here’s a thought to think: If God is finished with Israel as all those in replacement theology claim (and a growing number of others), that means the church goes through the tribulation and remains God’s agents of work and evangelism in the tribulation.

So what do you then do with the hundreds of verses showing that Israel is God’s chief agent in the tribulation. What do you do with all the verses about the importance of Jerusalem, a coming temple and more? Why would there have needed to be a return to the land?

The answer (for them) is, just change those verses and insert the church where you see Israel! Yet the Bible itself forbids changing even one word of the Bible!

So, you just get rid of the Jews with a fancy theology and spread it around. The churches of replacement theology do that systematically in their “respectable” neat suits.

If the church goes through the tribulation, Israel’s only function would be to disappear as a prophetic entity and become part of the church.

If God is finished with the Israel, His word can’t be trusted! Guess who is the author of that?

True Christians are the greatest friends the Jews have. Are you a friend of God’s work in this regard?

If the objective of Satan was to get rid of the Jews because out of them would come the Messiah and His church, why then does this eternal hatred still continue, now that Messiah has already been?  What purpose would the Jews have to deserve being Satan’s enemy number one?

It’s simply because God has not finished with Israel! We ought to take the gospel to the Jew first and to make them jealous. We ought to stand with them and let them see that their Messiah is our Messiah too. We ought to present to them the good news of their coming salvation.

False teachers and prophets have one major characteristic. Their failed doctrine produces discouragement. They are the discouragers of the people. They encourage the lack of watchfulness and awareness.

The shining sign: (Daniel 12:3)

Isaiah 11:12 “He will set up a banner for the nations...”

We will all be displayed and known forever by the brightness of our eternal reward state. (1 Corinthians 15:41) We will be revealed without sin.

If all is to be manifest and all revealed, to whom will we be revealed in our full perfect glory?

It will be to all the family of God who know us, including those of our own personal family. We will be revealed to all believers of all ages. Abraham, Moses, David, Paul, the prophets, and all who are in heaven. The real, deep, inner you, fixed, changed and glorified will be on God’s banner for all in the universe to see and know.

All the devils, demons, fallen angels, witches, Jezebels and the entire unsaved world will see us in our complete full, rewarded, glorified state. All who have been cruel to animals and intentionally harmed the environment, will see us. They will see us with great trepidation from the wrong side of the impassable gulf!

All of creation will see us, as full completed loving true tree-huggers. All animals will see us fully revealed in shining, warm, friendly glory. (Romans 8:19) 

The shocking truth:

There is so much glory that lies ahead, too much to comprehend, but what if the very basic foundational presupposition of what a Christian is, is wrong?

What constitutes a true Christian? It is not one who claims to be so. It is one who claims to be so, which is seen in his obedience to the Lord and His word.

It is one who has spiritual authority.

Obedience to our Lord also means disobedience to the word of Satan operating in the world and sin-nature of man. Disobedience to the world only needs to manifest when in direct contradiction of the word of God.

Many people say that they are believers. A true believer is one who obeys the Lord!

Obedience is pro-active and not just an academic belief. A powerful example affecting billions of people is seen particularly in the rural areas of the world’s nations. It is clearly evident in Africa. Out in the rural communities witchcraft is often predominant.

Many of these people believe in Jesus and believe that they are Christians, but they will not forsake their witchcraft beliefs and practices as well. They want both!

►Witchcraft plus Christianity = a curse!

Wherever you see a prominence of poverty in a community, you can be sure curses are at work.

Modern Christianity has sold its soul to the flaky church. They have sold their soul to deceived and ignorant teachers, and sold their soul to the opinions of modern man. For them to break free is like moving a mountain! Yes it can be done in faith, but why make your life difficult for yourself?

Many Christians only want the shallow, superficial things of God, because they won’t break with the world and its influences. That is one of the curses of today.

How difficult it is to obey our Lord when you have the modern world’s low view of Him. Vision of the true, high and exalted God, full of authority and glory, must cause you to fall down as dead before Him. All our arguments and reasoning’s must fade away in the light of His glory.

The more we live in His glory, the less we live for self, the world and its fancy reasonings.

Don’t trivialise your eternal potential and value. Don’t underestimate your importance.

These things should be a wake-up call to you!

►The way to know God is not intellectually or academically. It is in obedience to Him. Only the obedient know Him! Others are the great pretenders! Disobedience to God is replaces His wisdom with human reasoning, and pride.

Even true worship is lost and meaningless when there is no obedience.

Eve fell into the trap of reasoning rather than obedience. Your own human reasoning can easily become a stronghold of the devil, multiplying and expanding its rebellion as it goes.

Obedience to our Lord goes hand in hand with a number of synonymous doctrines. Brokenness is one of them.

The doctrine and experience of brokenness is so important in these days. It is a precursor to walking in obedience to our Lord. We need to be broken to the power of sin in us.

In many ways brokenness is like a baptism. Baptism is a type of death, burial and resurrection. This baptism of brokenness breaks open the outer-shell of man releasing the Spirit of God within, in a wonderful undefiled manner.

The unbroken cannot release the life of God effectively. On top of this, the unbroken are often still full of internal problems and tend to be distant and unapproachable.

►Brokenness releases light and the glorious aroma of the perfume that is contained in the alabaster box! (Mark 14:3) It is this perfume of God that also speaks of and even spreads holiness.

Before anyone can work for our Lord he must be broken by the authority of God. We are then stripped of our rights and self-effort and we encounter and obey His glorious authority. Then we will see sin as He does, and undergo a drastic change. We will see the rebellion of man’s heart.

Salvation under the microscope:

To be saved you must be 100% perfect and holy in every respect. All religion, including Christian religiosity, tries to make you good and right with God. Go and study they say, do this and don’t do that, try and try again.

Then along comes Jimmy the idiot, and some pastor in a beautiful shirt says, you need to be born-again, it’s as simple as ABC. So Jimmy gets saved and viola – he is no more an idiot! Now, he is perfect! But that perfection is on the inside. Now, he moves on and grows and matures in his faith, and the perfection in him, begins to work from the inside to his whole being. He correctly started with ABC and now everyone finds out that his name really is Jimmy Wiseman!

His friends are now amazed at his wisdom and they go to him for spiritual advice.

True, biblical spirituality is active, alive, and visible and can be encountered. Above all it results in growth, real growth in glory!

Only the new-birth kills you dead and re-births you – perfect. No religion can do that!

As your salvation matures, you must be growing in love and in hatred. Of course we don’t hate people themselves, but there is a great difference between hating people and the fruits – their sin!

Salvation today is far too soft on sin, which is why it is comfortably accommodated in so many churches.

Sin weakens you and specifically weakens your prayer. Your sin can also weaken others. If you are standing in the gap for others or praying for someone who needs your help, while you are in known unrepentant sin – you will not be heard. When one is weakened, so is the whole body, it knocks on!

Yes sin damages you, but have you thought of the extended damage it does to the whole body of Messiah?

The most important ingredient of your salvation is determined faith. It is almost blindly believing and lining up your life in obedience.

The verse below is totally shocking. To me it’s so simple and so profound.

Isaiah 46:10 “God declares the end from the beginning and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand.’”

What is this verse above really saying? It is saying: “Shut up news media. Shut up world”

Yet today the world and so many in the church have opted for the ways of the world instead. You tell me, is this verse below an incredibly accurate description of today’s world?

Isaiah 3:5 “The people will be oppressed, everyone by another and everyone by his neighbour. The child will be insolent towards the elder, and the base towards the honourable.”

Armour for today:

The biblical armour of God is closely related to the gifts of the Spirit. The two are essentials in these troubled end-times.

The Bible likens the armour of God to that of a soldier.

Ephesians 6:14-18 “Stand, having girded your waist with the truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness , and shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer in the Spirit...”

Here is a list of the various gifts of the Spirit:

Prophecy, serving, teaching, exhortation. Leadership, mercy. Word of wisdom, word of knowledge, special faith. Healings, miracles, discernment of spirits, tongues, interpretation of tongues. (Romans 12:6-8 1 Corinthians 12: 8-10)

So if we put the armour and the gifts together, we are well equipped for these end-times. We are a formidable foe to the enemy! But Satan has been successful in neutralising much of the church by keeping certain of these items away through false teaching!

It’s interesting to me that the churches that are falling away are those who have rejected much of these things of the Spirit, and those that are and will still stand strong are those who receive and practice the above.

The test of error:

Does the presenter have a track record of truth? Does it harmonise with all scripture. It must not be of private interpretation? Does it come to pass if it is predictive? Does it glorify and exalt our Lord? Does it contain legalistic bondage? Does it bear witness within? It must in no way cause hero worship of the presenter? Does it contain God’s complete plan for Israel?

Finally

Philippians 3:14 “I press towards the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Messiah.”

You must stop in your tracks and note the focus of your life. Do you look more and more at the unseen than at the seen things of the world? The more you focus on what you can’t see the brighter you will be! (2 Corinthians 4:18)

I took the picture of the black rhino in the Umfolozi Game Reserve and combined it with a giant baobab tree at sunset.

Shalom and grow in His Grace!

Edition 481: August 6^th 2019

Missing from action!

Introduction:

These are words of life!

A journalist, editor or artist often omits certain things – to emphasise or stress other things.

The Bible does just the same thing sometimes. It’s not a mistake. It shines a mysterious light on other important truths.

There is informative power in words, but also great instruction in “missing” words or phrases.

In this edition I will look at a few “missing” words and phrases that absolutely require a pre-tribulation rapture of the church.

The rapture is referred to as one of the great mysteries of the Bible. (1 Corinthians 15:51) The church age itself is also called a “mystery.”

Revelation 3:10 “Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.”

The term “keep you from” is Strong’s G1537: “Ek” Meaning “Clean out away from.”

Now, isn’t this interesting? The word “Church” is the original word: “Ekklesia” which comes from the same root word as “Ek.” In other words the church is a separate body out, away and distinct from unsaved Israel or any other body.

But within these word meanings we see the church itself and the rapture of the church linked with the same root meaning. The church is destined for the rapture – it’s in the name!

Missing churches:

The book of Revelation contains seven letters to the seven churches of Asia Minor in that day. These seven are distinct in that all churches throughout history may find their identity somewhere in the descriptions of at least one of the seven.

We see our Lord walking magnificently around the seven lamp stands which are the seven churches, as the Revelation opens in chapter one. John then records the messages to the seven churches.

Then suddenly John is caught up into heaven where he receives the rest of the book of Revelation and sees many incredible things, mostly in chronological order. (Revelation 4:1) This is where the tribulation period begins on the earth.

From here onwards the church is not seen again on earth while the tribulation is on the go. It is seen in visions by John in heaven.

Does the absence of the church in the Revelation after chapter four, and the presence of the rewarded 24 elders in heaven, and believers in heaven, prove a pre-tribulation rapture? It most certainly does.

Israel suddenly becomes God’s chief agent of evangelism on earth during the tribulation.

Many people use the “so what” argument for the church being missing during the tribulation action on earth. They come up with all sorts of reasons, proving only that they have a few screws missing!

Whichever way you look at it, the conclusion drawn by the missing churches in the Revelation is very powerful indeed. They are not here on earth. Those being saved on earth in the tribulation are not the body called the church.

A most dramatic missing phrase:

All seven of the letters to the seven churches conclude with the phrase: “Let him who has an ear, hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

That’s a kind of obvious statement meaning the churches are the focus.

What is most interesting is that after Revelation 4:1, we see the tribulation on earth and saints in heaven. But as we go deeper into the tribulation that same phrase occurs again: “Let him who has ears hear.” But it stops right there. The words, “What the Spirit says to the churches”, are absent, or should we say – missing from action!

Revelation 13:9 “If anyone has an ear, let him hear.”

This is a great omission, or is it?

It would seem very odd that the remainder of the earlier-used phrase is just left out. It’s not a translational error because it is the same in all Bibles.

What does this mean?

It means that the rest of that phrase, “What the Spirit says to the churches,” is no longer valid, relevant or true for the church. Why? You guessed it – because the church is missing. It is in heaven at this time during the tribulation period on earth.

This means that this verse (Revelation 13:9), is addressed to the tribulation saints, and to Israel, God’s new saints, but who are distinct from the church.

►Also please note that the chronologically of this missing phrase places it well before mid-tribulation, placing the rapture well before mid-trib!

So, the simple “omission” of the term, “What the Spirit says to the churches” after Revelation 4:1 offers great insight.

Let’s turn it around and see what would happen if the opposite were true. If the term, “Anyone who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” was the discourse of Revelation 13:9, it would most certainly mean that the church is being addressed, on earth during the tribulation!

My friends, this is no small issue!

Others who are missing in action:

Many Christian leaders today are missing in action, because God has sidelined them.

Many have no input of value in the Lord’s army. They are friends of the enemy and silent in their ignorance of battle strategies. They don’t even know the basics of the Bible, and some stand in a stolen “presumed” pulpit. Their authority is a lie.

Before you can work for our Lord you must be radically overturned by His authority. Only then do we see things His way!

There is some excellent preaching and teaching out there, but it just seems that the majority have no authority of God anymore. Some preach total hogwash. Some preach deafening silence. Some preach wonderful glorious truth setting people free indeed.

Remember that your silence especially on major issues of the day, announces you loudly!

Jesus has become nothing but the sponsor of ideologies and theologies, and philosophies. He is the back-pocket sponsor of many beliefs, customs and traditions. He is modern man’s agent and rubber stamp. And this is all from a low, worldly view of our Lord.

The world today is speaking, singing, shouting and screeching for Satan and they don’t even know it!

Do you know that deception is the greatest end-time plague and danger – according to our Lord, not the A-bomb! (Matthew 24:4)

Galatians 6:7 “Be not deceived”– That is a command. It is in the continuous, imperative tense. This means it is present and ongoing. So not being deceived is more radical that you can imagine. Rooting out deception must go right to the very root and continue.

I warn many of you messing with terrible false doctrine right now. You are in danger! (you know who you are!)

Too many Christians today are of the spirit of raving riff raff, and the two-step dancer of compromise. They are of the flaming flamenco and of the tango, going every which way that there is. They are the wizards of the waning world!

To adjust your life to the measure of God’s Spirit-enlightened word becomes more and more difficult the further away from God you move, and the world is moving fast – the wrong way! It is on course!

The kingdom of God is righteousness and peace – not unrighteousness and peace. That is the way of the world’s kingdom. In fact, to qualify for the world’s kingdom you must be unrighteous and full of sin, it is the licence to be a fully fledged participant of the world.

Here is a great piece of legal logic:

The tribulation is a sin judgment, upon those of this evil world that have finally rejected our Lord’s salvation offer and plan.

True Christians were judged for all sin on the cross of Calvary. Christians cannot be judged twice for the same thing. That is called the law of “double jeopardy,” and it is almost universal. Our Lord was found guilty of the sins of the world! He became sin for us.

And we are in Him. We were crucified with Him. (Galatians 2:20)

If you are truly saved, you have been declared not guilty and set free.

You cannot be judged twice. The tribulation is a judgment on all who have rejected the judgment of the cross on our Messiah.

The tribulation is the coming judgement on all who are guilty! As a Christian, you are free, my friend – free forever and ever!

The chameleon and the butterfly:

You had better be a butterfly rather than a chameleon!

One changes colour to blend in with, and identify with the changing surroundings. But nothing within the chameleon has changed. It changes superficially, externally at will.

The butterfly changes totally, from the inside out, not only in appearance, but in form also. It is changed by suffering – the suffering of death. Only then does the beauty emerge from the pupa.

Sin is like a chameleon. (Apologies to chameleons) It alters its appearance and blends in with the changing times. It changes colour according to whatever beast it is riding. Even a white chameleon is still a chameleon! It is Satan who masquerades as an “angel of light.” (2 Corinthians 11:14)

You need to be crushed like a worm before mutating to a beautiful new species – a butterfly. Chameleons don’t like that. They say – “No need to die and No need of the cross” Just come and play happy rainbow coloured games with us in our church.

• Suffering is involved in the production of new life. Ask any woman who has had a baby.
• It was the suffering of the Holocaust that brought Israel out to be a winning nation. Israel will soon see her “pierced” Messiah and understand His suffering, leading them to a new Promised Land!
• It was the suffering of the cross that produced the resurrection and the ascension and all the glory that is to come for believers. (Hebrews 5:8-9)

Can a chameleon become a butterfly? Can a leopard change its spots? The answer is no – not in the natural, but yes, very much so in the world of the supernatural.

Today’s spineless, shallow Christians are in a blurred twilight zone of indifference and compromise, riding the beast to what think is victory! Their lives are propped up with the lie of self-esteem, taught by their worldly host. Truth cannot enter such a person and if it could, it is soon surrendered to the world and its billions of lies.

True peace comes when self is on the cross and pride on the floor. The secret of saintliness is surrender to the living God, His ways and plans for you.

We need to learn how to stand in peace now. Big troubles are coming very, very soon.

The ways of war:

We are on the brink of massive world upheavals and war. It’s on the doorstep! Demons are gearing up for war. There is an order of military rank in the demonic realm, just like in the natural.

We have: The private, the corporal, the sergeant, the lieutenant, the captain, the major, the colonel and the general. This rank is evident in the demonic realm. The Bible outlines it. Most Christians are totally unaware of the enemy.

War consolidates opinions and brings them to the surface, it shows sides and takes sides, and reveals hearts. War gets things moving fast.

The military order of the spirit realm wants Israel to join its circus of the dammed.  What Satan is doing now is trying to break the bonds between Jews and Gentile Christians. Satan is doing it with the help of the media and many churches, and YouTube ministries.

The Kushner “Deal of the Century” has not got off to a good start. It already has a whole lot of resistance, before even being fully announced.

►I am now more convinced this entire peace plan will amount to nothing much more than a big zero.

►I am more and more convinced that a peace plan will arrive suddenly on the wings of massive war, as people clamour for peace and a new peace treaty. It will not be this deal.

This “Deal of the Century” may be the vehicle to start WW111, or it may even start up before then.

Bear in mind that the biblical peace treaty (Daniel 9:27) does not bring peace. It brings war on a massive scale, drawing Israel in.

The four riders of the apocalypse ride for all seven years. Yes, the last half is the worst, being the “wrath of God”, but that does not make the first half a time of peace.

Many don’t speak of Israel, Jerusalem and the Jews, some out of ignorance, and some who are out of their depth, some because they are enemies of God in their support of Palestinian claims.

How will Israel be brought into the soon coming war of Gog and Magog? Iran has already decided that. Iran says that if it is attacked by the US, They will “destroy Israel within days”. Well, what’s so surprising about that? Iran has said just that a dozen times before, only to be met with deep, stupid, stunning silence by the mass media and their demon-inspired friends.

How can you have a peace treaty made with the “father of lies,” which violates God’s already existing eternal peace treaty? This peace treaty breaks God’s treaty and is the very cause for His anger, fury and wrath.

Warning: The progression of error:

In these days you had better not believe anything and everything that people spew out.

Note in the familiar verse below that we are to be protective over any crown of reward that may be due to us for our work for Messiah. In other words, take heed you are not deceived or led astray.

Revelation 3:10-11 “Because you have kept My word to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. Behold, I come quickly, hold fact what you have, that no one may take your crown.”

Have you ever wondered why it’s the same people who fall into the same traps of false doctrine and grave error? Many have not repented of previous error. Many have no depth of experience with our Lord and don’t know better. Many are just looking for fame.

Beware of those transmuting, transforming into replacement theologians. It is often evident in a few minor things, but then the Jew hatred grows and becomes dominant.

Finally

The greatest decision you can ever make as a Christian is to humble yourself and get off your throne of pride. That is the way to grace. The greatest sin for the believer is to continue in pride. This is the generator of all sin, which turns that which is of God to that which is of Satan.

In every heart there is a throne of pride and a cross of humility.

When things really heat up, your focus changes! You care less about entertainment and fun in the sun. You priorities shift fast and you bind together in unity with the like-minded.

I encourage you to keep a note book or some record of the main points of revelation which our Lord brings your way, from this ministry or others. It is important to measure and mark the milestones of your spiritual life.

Job 19:23-24 “Oh that my words were written! Oh, that they were inscribed in a book, that they were engraved on a rock with an iron pen and lead – forever.”

Habakkuk 2:2 “Write the vision, make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it, for the vision is but for an appointed time. At the end it will speak.”

This is one of my paintings representing organic and ethnic elements. I’ve used mixed media, gold leaf and stained glass. It is entitled, “V” for Victory!

Shalom and grow in His Grace!

Edition 480: July 30^th 2019

Great glory to come!

Introduction:

These are words of life!

Isaiah 43:7 “Everyone who is called by My name, whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him and made him.”

Glory: Strong’s (Hebrew) H3519 – “Kabowd”. Meanings: Glory, honour, riches, abundance, splendour, dignity, purity, reverence.

Glory: Strong’s (Greek) G1391 – “Doxa”. Meanings: Judgement, splendour, brightness, magnificence, majesty, excellence, pre-eminence, perfection.

The Judgement seat of Messiah is also be called the glory seat. It is the seat of the handing out of glorious, eternal, incorruptible rewards.

The word “glory” has really been cheapened these days, so it is of great importance to understand it from a biblical point of view. As you see from these definitions, “glory” relates strongly to our future, rewarded, position in Messiah. The outworking of it now in our lives is just as important.

Glory is revealed in us slowly as we mature and move from perfection to deeper perfection.

An atomic explosion “atomo” is coming, which will transform our lowly bodies into a new body just like that of our Lord. (1 Corinthians 15:52). Right now we have, “this treasure in earthen vessels”. (2 Corinthians 4:7)

The spectacular, earth shattering revealing of the great glory of God which He ordained for us before the foundation of the world, comes together with the great forgetfulness of God – of all our sins! (Ephesians 2:10)

You do not just drift into God’s glorious plan for your life. It is a calculated choice, and decision based on the revelation of His plan for you. It comes as a response to Him. Do you think you will be rewarded because you thought of running a race? You must run the race and finish it well.

I once saw a dog running an obstacle race, and get sidetracked because someone put a piece of steak next to a jump. Do you think that dog got a reward? – Not a chance!

The contraposition:

To get the complete picture we must also look at the opposite side of the coin.

Obviously, we can just take the words of definition of glory and apply the opposite. But there is more to it. The glory to be revealed involves defeating the enemy and destroying the sins that so easily “beset and befall us”!

The glory to be revealed involves the manifestation of truth in us - His truth, His way, tailor-made for us, as part of our calling! All things must get out of the way that stand in the way of us fulfilling God’s plan for us.  That’s the difficult thing in these days!

It’s easy to “put on” all the rubbish of the world, but far more difficult to “put off” the world, once we have “put it on.”

You will need to give an account to God of how diligent you were in removing the obstructions to God’s call on your life? It’s not an inconsequential question! It will affect your eternal future.

We must understand that there are almost always two sides to our obedience to Messiah. One is doing His will and the other is not doing the will of the enemy, and Christians are so good at hiding the works of the devil!

True, biblical Christianity involves drastic change in your life. The longer you delay it, the harder it becomes. Just do it – now!

We must clearly identify the works of darkness. These are: The works of Satan himself, all demons, fallen angels, witchcraft, Jezebels, warlocks, wizards, people of pride, false prophets, and false teachers and preachers. You can add to the list sin, evil, unrighteousness, wickedness, and error.

In fact, as the full glory of God is revealed it necessitates the destruction of the entire universe, and every “corner” into which Satan, and his demons had access. A new universe will be created then.

The coming glory of Israel:

A military attack, or the continuous verbal attacks on Israel from the UN and others is one thing, but the sick, spineless attacks of many ministries on Israel is a stench in the nostrils of our God.

We are seeing more and more of these subtle, anti-Israel attacks coming from the church.

Just listen to a minister with little or nothing to say on Israel, and I tell you that very soon he will be a minister of replacement theology, under the auspices of the spirit of Hitler! Silence in a spiritually charged environment means you need to get out of ministry.

We all know how Israel missed her calling. We all know the consequences. But many even with a teaching ministry, want to keep Israel down, out and under their cursed wings. They think God now has His church, and is finished with Israel.

God has a great, great plan. He is going to glorify Israel! He will bring Israel to her knees, clean her up, save her and use her as an instrument of His own, to bring salvation to the world, after the rapture, in the tribulation period.

The verses below all relate to Israel’s grand, soon-coming glory, to be revealed:

Isaiah 60:1-3 “Arise shine, for your light has come! For the glory of the Lord has risen upon you (Israel) The glory of the Lord will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your brightness, and kings to the brightness of your rising.”

Isaiah 49:3 “You are My servant O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.”

Deuteronomy 30:7 “The Lord God will put all these curses on your enemies and all those that hate you and persecute you. And you (Israel) will again obey the voice of the Lord...”

Zephaniah 3:13 “The remnant of Israel shall do no unrighteousness and speak no lies, nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth...”

Isaiah 66:19 “I will set a sign among them (Jews)...they shall declare My glory among the Gentiles.”

By the way, there are hundreds of verses similar to these few above, in the Bible.

These three verses below could only be addressed to God’s other people – the Gentile church:

Isaiah 57:14 “...Prepare the way, take the stumbling block out of the way of My people.”

Romans 1:16 “Salvation is for the Jew first and also the Greek...”

Romans 11:11 “I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not, because through their fall, to provoke them (Jews) to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles.”

So, has God finished with the Israel?

Salvation is of the Jews and salvation will be of the Jewish Messiah in the tribulation period.

►What would be the motivation of the Bible ‘teacher’ who supposedly knows the word, and is silent on Israel, when God says that we are to make the Jew jealous, and take the gospel to the Jew first? It’s obviously to get rid of the Jews.

What follows is most important. Don’t underestimate this:

The attack upon the glory of Israel:

If the prophetic word and plan of God for Israel can be stopped or hindered, Satan would have a legitimate right to prevent his own judgement, because, legally, he will say, “God did not bring His word to pass for Israel.”

This is one of the dangers of replacement theology. It plays right into the hands of the devil.

Today, I warn you afresh! There are many ministries out there who are openly into replacement theology. But there are many just awakening to their inglorious, detestable, reprehensible role. They have no Spirit of God leading them, only spirits of ancient dictators and antichrists.

If you receive from the teaching of some, of these spiritually deceived tricksters, trying to prove themselves right and everyone else wrong, especially relating to Israel, you will come under their spirit, and your eternal reward and glory will go up like a puff of smoke.

►When you try to get rid of the Jews theologically, you are Hitler without the gas ovens – yet! You are Hitler in the pulpit and on YouTube - just firing up.  You are the protagonist and champion of the “new” eternal hatred. (Ezekiel 35:5)

Jeremiah 31:1-3 “I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be My people...Yes I have loved you with an everlasting love.”

Hatred is in fact supreme love of self in action, which will not share its glory. But when it comes to the replacement or removal of Israel, it is a satanically inspired! Run away from it!

The prayer of glory:

There is great power in prayer, but there is more in the power of the prayer of agreement, where two or more pray and stand together in unity. It is greater still when accompanied with fasting and the gifts of the Spirit.

Effective prayer obviously necessitates insight and discernment, so that we know the strategies of the devil and be effective in combat.

Prayer within disagreement or no spiritual insight produces a big zero and leaves many doors to the enemy wide open.

In my own prayer life, I always like to begin with a time of simple exalting and uplifting our Lord. I declare to Him, His own word. This is not a prayer for things. It is to simply reflect on who our Lord is.  When possible, I like to make my prayer demonstrative, by bowing down, lying down on my face, raising arms and hands, and the like.

There is something special about verbalising the glory of the Lord!

Don’t ever lose sight of the importance of the coming glory and the rewards that will be given to those who earned them. Make sure it is a part of your prayer life.

We must always remember that as we come before our Lord it has consequences. If most people could have just a small peek behind the veil of glory into eternity, their lives would forever be drastically and radically changed.

When you see who really are and what you are going to be – forever, it can only slay you!

The crowns of reward are most amazing and awe-inspiring! They are exclusive and not for all believers. All true believers will be saved, but not all will be rewarded.

The Bible has so many wonderful, rich descriptions of the eternal state – some of these are seen in these crowns of reward.

The crowns are: ●The Incorruptible crown, given for conquering the flesh. (1 Corinthians 9:24-27) ●Rejoicing and soul winning. (1Thessalonians 2:19-20) ●The crown of life, given for endurance of trails (James 1:12, Revelation 2:10) ●The crown of glory, given for those who disciple and steward God’s people. (1 Peter 5:2-4) ●The crown of righteousness, given for those who long for His appearing. (2 Timothy 4:8)

The effect of persecution:

In most cases when the church is under attack, it causes people to come together in a new unity. It causes many niggly little differences to evaporate!

Persecution is a form of judgment on the church. It has the effect of revealing the glory within!

Very often when a church is under attack you see real miracles taking place. I’m not talking about all sorts of unverifiable circus-type claims!

Persecution consolidates your beliefs, and reveals in you what you are really made of! It identifies you with the others as well. It also awakens the Lion in the church! (It’s a bit risky getting too near a lion that has just woken up – you don’t know what side of the bed he got out of)!

I don’t believe we will see the intense form of persecution of the tribulation period, but even now, the church is under growing attack. So, I believe that this will be one of the factors causing unity in the church in these days.

It will be limited, as some of the die-hards and those deeply ingrained in their anti-Israel stance harden their hearts even further.

The great wild glory to come:

Personally, I’m a lover of nature and all things wild, although I haven’t been able to hug a tree much these day. But I can already begin to imagine the glory that awaits us out there. Romans 8:19 speaks of the great manifestation and revealing of the glory of the saints.

Perfect, new, holy environment is coming. Renewed animals with a new nature are about to stomp the earth.

Imagine a Spiny Lumpsucker that doesn’t suck your blood, or a grove full of raspberry armadillos?

Finally

Our Lord, God and King is the artist of all artists and He doesn’t have a bad day!

One of the passions that led me into the art world many years ago was the ‘allure’ and ‘mystery’ behind artists, in that they created something beautiful out of nothing, a glory still to be revealed!

You can assist in the glory of others, which will be manifest, or you can be to them a hindrance and stumbling block.

Tragically, the horror of hell is also going to be revealed!

Ezekiel 22:30 (Due to Israel’s wicked leader) “So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall and stand in the gap, before Me on behalf of the land; that I should not destroy it; but I found none.”

The Prophetic Scroll will stand with and for Israel and God’s pure and perfect plans for them in their coming troubles. I will stand (increasingly) against those who come against Israel. And as always will stand with and for the true church of the living God.

Glory in the highest, glory in the highest!

I took this picture hanging out of a chopper early one frozen morning, flying over the Dragon’s Back in the Drakenberg Mountains, with cascading, whirlpools, and falls of mist. Interestingly, the circular rainbow around the chopper’s shadow is called the “Pilots Glory!”

Shalom and grow in His Grace!