Author: Michael Young, Sr.

I am a practicing Christian, a disciple of Jesus, a husband of over 50 years, a father and a grandfather, a business man, a veteran and a friend to all who will have me. I have served or am serving, at various times, as an Evangelist, a Pulpit fill pastor, an Associate Pastor of Evangelism and as Senior Pastor of a church plant. My passion is for practicing and teaching the Bible, building small groups, reaching the lost with the message of the Gospel of Jesus, recovering the straying Sheep of God and the gathering together the Called of God, in neighborhoods, business settings and in churches by equipping other Christians. I have authored a few small books and I have a background in professional business management, finance and investments. I am glad to meet you, even if it is virtually. Write me at any time and let's become friends.

WEARY AND BURDENED?

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

“Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.”

Matthew 11:28-29

AN URGENT PROPHETIC WORD

Do you ever feel worn down and worn out? Your spirit is so downcast that you wonder if you will ever be able to get up again? Do you just feel like crying from spiritual, emotional and physical exhaustion, sometimes? Perhaps, you have tried everything you know to do and yet you hunger for some relief? Then, this is for you.

For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands.

There are times that we grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh – but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us – Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life.

God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee He has given us His Holy Spirit.

So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. For we live by faith and not by sight.

Yes, we are fully confident, even though we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, so we would be at home with the Lord. But whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please Him.

For we know that we must all stand before Christ to be judged and we will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.

It is good to know this, but knowing it alone is not enough. We must understand it. We must put it on. It is our calling.

We Are God’s Ambassadors

“Because we understand our fearful responsibility to the Lord, we work hard to persuade others. God knows we are sincere, and I hope you know this, too.

“So, are we commending ourselves again? No. But, we are giving you a reason, so you can answer those who brag about having a spectacular ministry rather than having a sincere heart.

“This may seem crazy, but it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for everyone’s benefit.

“Either way, it is because Christ’s love controls us.

“Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that, we too, have all died to our old life. He died for everyone so that those who receive His new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.

 A Heavenly Perspective

“So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

“And all of this is a gift from God, Who brought us back to Himself through Christ.

“God has given us this task of reconciling people to Him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And He gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation.

 We Fix our eyes on what is Eternal

“So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.” (Taken from 2 Corinthians, chapter 5)

  1. Our present journey through life is temporary – but as a Christian, it is with a great purpose.
  2. We may long to be home with God, but we have a task, a calling, now, in this life.
  3. We do not live or work for ourselves but we live for Christ and His Cause.
  4. We are working to persuade a few that God has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ
  5. We see things and people from a heavenly perspective – that is, from God’s point of view.
  6. Our task is to reconcile people to God through Christ.
  7. We are Ambassadors for Jesus, pleading with others to, “Come to God” through faith in Jesus.

We must take our eyes and our minds off of ourselves and earthly matters and spend ourselves on The Call of Christ. The things which ensnare us also hold us captive. If you want to be free, give yourself away, to Him.

Your Brother and Friend

Mike Young

Although we are strangers and sojourners, scattered throughout , we are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ.     

(1 Peter 1:1,2)

IT AIN’T EASY – THE TEMPTATION OF JESUS

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry.  And the tempter came”  Matthew 4:1-3

Jesus showed us how we would be tested if we choose to follow Him, that is after becoming a Christian. He has shown us the way to resist the devil and to overcome his testing and temptations. There is nothing easy here.

The word “Temptation” as used here describes a “trial,  a testing, a proving trial.

It is the trial of man’s fidelity, integrity, virtue, constancy;  the enticement to sin, arising from personal desires or from the outward circumstances;

In this case, it is the temptation by which the devil sought to divert Jesus the Messiah from his divine errand; It is also the way the devil will attempt to divert you, and it AIN’T EASY!

It also shows the condition of a person, a mental state, by which we are enticed to sin, or to a lapse from the faith and holiness;

It comes from adversity, affliction, trouble, sent by God and serving to test or prove one’s character, faith, holiness.

Jesus set the example and showed us why God sends trials and temptations our way.  He tested His own son to show us what to expect and how we are to react.  Notice:

1. Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit – God initiates the trials.

2. Into the wilderness – No food, no water, no resources, no earthly help for 40 days.

3. To be tempted by the devil – In a weakened state, alone.

This part of the Judean desert or wilderness could be arid, fiercely hot and waterless.  There were predatory animals prowling and roving bands of thieves.  Imagine how the dangers of geography, climate and the barren landscape could affect and test your body, mind and spirit.

This actually happened. It also serves as a type of metaphor for you, today: There will be ‘predatory animals’ prowling and roving bands of thieves lying in wait for you.  Imagine how the dangers of geography, climate and the barren landscape will affect and test your body, mind and spirit. IT AIN’T EASY, Brothers and Sisters!

Then, “after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. And the tempter came”  Matthew 4:1-3

This is the condition, and these are the type of circumstances which will truly prove a disciple.  Jesus deliberately and willingly followed The Spirit into a hostile wasteland to be tested. This is also a choice you will have to make to follow Jesus.

In a desperate physical condition, Jesus was tempted by Satan, first with His physical need of food.

Next, His soul was tempted with pride of life.

Finally, His Spirit was tempted with glory and honor.

Jesus was tried, tempted and tested, and He overcame the temptations of the Body, the Soul and the Spirit.  He has shown us the way! (Matthew 4:1-11).

We would do well to study this and commit it to memory so that anytime you are tested and tempted you will say,

1. ‘I SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.’”

2. ‘I SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD MY GOD TO THE TEST.’”

3. ‘I SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD MY GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.’”

And then, and only then, the devil will leave you; and even the angels will come and minister to you.  (Matthew 4:11).

If someone told you about an “easy salvation” or some kind of “cheap grace”, don’t believe it. This is tough. But, have you ever found anything in life that is cheap or easy that had any lasting value?

Are you getting the idea that being saved is not easy, and it is not supposed to be easy?  Following Jesus is not easy, but there is no adventure like it. Rather than a temporary pleasure on earth, then an eternity in darkness and fire, you will find both purpose in life now and then eternal peace with God; things the eye has not seen, and the ear has not heard — the things God has prepared for those who love him!

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

COMING NEXT:  IT AIN’T EASY – MAKING DISCIPLES FOR JESUS

Previous: IT AIN’T EASY – THE PREACHING OF JOHN THE BAPTIST

PS: Please stay with me. This ends really well! You have to see this at the end!

IT AIN’T EASY – THE PREACHING OF JOHN THE BAPTIST

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

A wild looking man, who came to be known as ‘John the Baptist’ , was found in the Judean wilderness, (an extremely dangerous, hot and arid desolate wasteland), preaching a message of repentance.  “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” John was the consummate evangelist and follower of Jesus.

John wore a garment made of camel’s hair. His diet consisted of locusts and wild honey, preaching a message, which at that time would have been considered both odd and unheard of.  People began to think that perhaps this man was the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet.

People from all over Jerusalem, Judea and the region around the Jordan and were coming to John, questioning him, asking, “Then what are we to do?”  And he would answer and say to them, “The one who has two tunics is to share with the one who has none; and the one who has food is to do likewise.”

Now even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what are we to do?” And he said to them, “Collect no more than what you have been ordered to.”

And soldiers also were questioning him, saying, “What are we to do, we as well?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone, nor harass anyone, and be content with your wages.”

Now while the people were in a state of expectation, and they all were thinking carefully in their hearts about John, whether he himself perhaps was the Christ. John responded with a hard message to them, saying, “As for me, I baptize you with water; but He is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the straps of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in His hand to thoroughly clear His threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

John’s reputation, his activities and the crowds drew the attention of the Jewish Pharisees and Sadducees, whom John challenged, calling them ‘offspring of vipers’ and daring them, asking, ‘who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?’.  John also challenged their authority, saying, “Produce fruit consistent with repentance; and do not assume that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father’; for I tell you that God is able, from these stones, to raise up children for Abraham. And the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore, every tree that does not bear good fruit is being cut down and thrown into the fire.“

John the Baptist’s courage and confrontational style earned him the reward of being beheaded by King Herod Antipas around A D 28.  Not easy!

There was nothing easy here. Nothing that would seem even remotely pleasant to an individual in our 21st century postmodern church, although this was the early pattern for the Church.

Why were so many coming to John in a desert wilderness and to the Jordan River to be baptized? It was not easy!  But so few come to be baptized in our comfortable and easy postmodern churches today?

The true seeker of God, the one who wants to be changed and saved; those who want to follow Him and to be His disciple, knows that Jesus and the Gospel of Christ changes people and circumstances – and they know It Ain’t Easy – but it is worth it!

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

PS:  PLEASE stay with me! This is going to get ‘really good’.  Wait until you see what is coming!  Honestly, I hope this changes all of our minds about how we approach God and our response to Him! I pray this leads us on the Adventure He always promises!!

COMING, NEXT:  THE TEMPTATION OF JESUS – IT AIN’T EASY.

PREVIOUS:  IT AIN’T EASY GETTING TO HEAVEN.

 

IT AIN’T EASY GETTING TO HEAVEN

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

“IT AIN’T EASY TO GET TO HEAVEN WHEN YOU ARE GOING DOWN”

“Just whisper this prayer after me”, they said. “Right where you are, right where you are seated, repeat this little prayer after me and you will be saved”, they said. “It’s easy”.

Yeah, right! But you forgot to tell me…

I have watched as the Christian Church has turned aside from the clear teaching and example of Jesus to find a better way, an easier way, a fun way, a way to fit the desires and passions of men and women, boys and girls.

Let me tell you, there is no other way than what Jesus taught and demonstrated, and the way is clearly recorded in the Bible, and IT IS NOT AN EASY PATH!

If you call yourself a Christian, please read and consider what is presented, and ask yourself, is the “hard road” worth it?  If you are not a follower of Jesus, you too, please read, think and consider, could it be worth it?

THE BIRTH OF JESUS – It was not easy!

We are told amazing stories, we see magnificent plays and hear beautiful music about the birth of Jesus – especially around the Christmas holiday.

But let me tell you, nothing about the birth of Jesus was easy. It was hard. Very hard. Consider this:

A young Jewish woman named Mary was betrothed to a young Jewish man named Joseph. Beside satisfying the tradition and the law surrounding marriage at that time, complications arose when Mary discovered she was pregnant; but she had not been with any man. The ramifications of this discovery could have been devastating. Besides the humiliation, the shunning and rejection by Jewish society, Jewish law proscribed severe penalties. This would not be easy.

Joseph, upon hearing about Mary’s condition, decided to keep matters private and to send her away, secretly.  But Joseph, upon hearing from an angel sent from God, through a dream, was told the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit and that she would give birth to a Son; and Joseph was told not to be afraid. He was to name Him Jesus, for The Child will save His people from their sins.

Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded. He took Mary as his wife, kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and named The Child, Jesus.”  This was not easy, either.

Next, a census was ordered by Caesar Augustus, requiring all Jews to travel to their hometown to register. Joseph and Mary went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, in order to register.  If the trip would not be hard enough, Mary was near the end of her pregnancy and had to travel by foot and from the city of Nazareth in Galilee, to Bethlehem in Judea, a trip of about 70 miles. This trip would have taken between four and five days.

It never gets easier, in fact, things seem to get worse. While they were in Bethlehem, the time came for her to give birth. The Bible tells us that there was no room at the inn, so they had to go to a barn, or as it was called in those days, a manger, to give birth.

Finally, word of the birth of a “King of the Jews” reached King Herod, so he began a search for this child with the intention of killing him. God forewarned Joseph to run to Egypt with Mary and Jesus to be saved. Herod was so thorough, that he had every boy child under the age of two years killed, in all of Bethlehem. Finally, when Herod died, Joseph, Mary and Jesus returned to Nazareth.

There was NOTHING easy about any of this! So, maybe the question we should ask: “Was It Worth It?  Is It Worth It?”.

Please stay with me as we hear more about what it takes to be saved, and we can try to decide: IS IT WORTH IT? WOULD IT BE WORTH IT?

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

NEXT:  THE PREACHING OF JOHN THE BAPTIST – IT AIN’T EASY

ENGAGING THE ANTICHRIST IN BATTLE – TODAY!

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

AND THEY OVERCAME SATAN BECAUSE OF THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB  AND BECAUSE OF THE WORD OF THEIR TESTIMONY, AND THEY DID NOT LOVE THEIR LIFE EVEN WHEN FACED WITH DEATH. – Revelation 12:11

I have written a myriad of articles about this world’s present Biblical tribulations, the coming Great Tribulation, The Great and Terrible Day of the Lord and the End of this Age. Now, I am presenting a Biblical Answer:  What must our response be if we are to endure to the end to be saved!

There is a war which has been raging in the heavens for untold centuries. Isaiah 14:12-14 tells us of Lucifer being cast out of heaven. Daniel 10:12 tells of the Angel Michael at war with Kingdoms of Persia, and Ephesians 6:12 tells us that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

There have been wars and deadly personal conflicts on earth, even before recorded history. The Old Testament of the Bible tells of numerous wars and Holy wars. All of these wars and conflicts have been leading us to the great and ‘final battle’.

The book of Revelation tells of a coming war, the final war, that will be fought both from the Heavens and on the earth. It is known as the war at Armageddon. Revelation 16:12–16 is the record of what will happen toward the end of the tribulation, when an angel pours out the sixth bowl of judgment on the earth, which marks the mid-point of the Great Tribulation.

Revelation 19:11–20 records a final battle which occurs during the period of Christ’s second coming. Jesus will return as ‘the conquering Christ’, and will defeat the forces of the Antichrist. This is a description of the Battle of Armageddon as mentioned in Revelation 16.

These wars on the earth are a ‘reflection’ or a result of the wars being waged in the heavens. These wars are both distinctly separate, yet they are mysteriously one and of the same.

 WHAT IS SEEN HAS NOT BEEN MADE OUT OF THINGS THAT ARE VISIBLE – Hebrews 1:3

How can this be? Reading Hebrews 1:3 we discover that it is “By faith we understand that the world has been created by the word of God so that what is seen has not been made out of things that are visible.

Again, in 2 Corinthians 4:18 we read that, “while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

Finally, Hebrews 1:1 tells us, “Now faith is the certainty of things expected, the proof of things not seen.”

What does this have to do with you and me?

We have read about or have heard about these wars, but until we are touched by them, they are just distant tragedies in the minds of most people. But listen dear friend, there is a war coming, and it is already on the horizon, spilling over the borders of heaven and onto the earth, sweeping toward you like a swelling wave with the destructive fury of a terrifying tsunami.

Jesus warns, in Revelation 12:7-12, that this “war in heaven, with Michael and his angels, waging war with ‘the dragon’. The dragon and his angels will wage this war, but they will not prevail, and there will no longer a place found for them in heaven. And the great dragon is to be thrown down, that is the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he is thrown down to the earth, and his angels are thrown down with him. Then John heard a loud voice in heaven, saying,

“Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down, the one who accuses them before our God day and night.

“And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death. For this reason, rejoice, you heavens, and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you with great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time.”

It is difficult to imagine a war being fought in heaven which is also being played out on earth. The final battle will be fought by Jesus and the armies of heaven. It is a mystery that while all of this comes to pass on the earth, it has already taken place in the heavens. Jesus is already the conquering King and Satan is the vanquished foe. But we must still endure this battle in our earthly existence.

Just as mysteriously, our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Our battle is fought by being strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Our battle is fought with the full armor of God.  We will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil by having belted our waist with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having strapped on our feet the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all of this we take up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And we must take the helmet of salvation and wield the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

We will engage this battle with our fervent prayers and requests; praying at all times in the Spirit. With all this in view, we must stay alert with all perseverance and every request for all the saints.

TO TESTIFY TO THE TRUTH

John 18:37,says, “Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this purpose I have been born, and for this I have come into the world: to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to My voice.”   This, too, is our calling and our method of resistance in these Last Days!

TO BRING A SWORD

Matthew 10:34, Jesus said, “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. Verse 35 For I came to TURN A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; Verse 36 and A PERSON’S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD.”  This, too, is our calling and our method of resistance in these Last Days!

 TO FULFILL THE LAW

In Matthew 5:17 , “Jesus said, “Do not presume that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill the Law and the Prophets.”   This, too, is our calling and our method of resistance in these Last Days!

TO CALL SINNERS

Mark 2:17  says, “And hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”  This, too, is our calling and our method of resistance in these Last Days!

TO SAVE THE WORLD

John 12:47 , Jesus says, “If anyone hears My teachings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.”   In a very real sense, This, too, is our calling and our method of resistance in these Last Days, lifting the Name of Jesus, telling others and leading them to Him.

TO CAST FIRE & BRING DIVISION UPON THE EARTH

In Luke 12:49 , “Jesus says, “I have come to cast fire upon the earth; and how I wish it were already kindled! Verse 50 But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished! Verse 51 Do you think that I came to provide peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather to create division;” This, too, is our calling and our method of resistance in these Last Days!

  “WHAT HE REALLY MEANT?”

John 14:12, “Jesus says, “Truly, truly I say to you, the one who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I am going to the Father. Verse 13. And whatever you ask in My name, this I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. Verse 14. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.”

This is what the Bible says. It is the method and model of Jesus. It is our calling and our duty. Please, brothers and sisters, anything less is failure.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

PERFECTION – Chapter 18 – Science says ‘NO’

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

SCIENCE SAYS

“NO”.

IS NATURE WARNING US?

  • Red Alerts – Arctic Lands Grow Greener.
  • Scientist Find Record Warm Water in Antarctica, Cause of Glacier Melt.
  • Sea Level Rise could Reshape the United States, Trigger Migration.
  • Climate researchers can now detect the fingerprint of global warming in daily weather observations at the global scale.
  • Groundwater depletion in America’s West.
  • Climate warming disrupts tree seed production.
  • Climate warming, speeding up earth’s ocean currents.
  • A worldwide push toward One World Government (Globalism).
  • Worldwide anarchy, wars and rumors of war.
  • Climate changes of historic proportions.
  • Strange new and threatening diseases.
  • Global Pandemics.
  • Droughts, famines and increasing frequency of earthquakes.

With all that is going on in the news, it is easy to overlook a recent article appeared on a Fox News feed, (excerpts)

“The Arctic is figuratively and literally on fire — it’s warming much faster than we thought it would in response to rising levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, and this warming is leading to a rapid meltdown and increase in wildfires,” University of Michigan environmental school dean Jonathan Overpeck, a climate scientist, said in an email.”

“The record warming in Siberia is a warning sign of major proportions,” Overpeck wrote.

“Persistently warm weather, especially if coupled with wildfires, causes permafrost to thaw faster, which in turn exacerbates global warming by releasing large amounts of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that’s 28 times stronger than carbon dioxide, said Katey Walter Anthony, a University of Alaska Fairbanks expert on methane release from frozen Arctic soil.”

“Methane escaping from permafrost thaw sites enters the atmosphere and circulates around the globe,” she said. “Methane that originates in the Arctic does not stay in the Arctic. It has global ramifications.”

“That seems to weaken and sometimes even stall the jet stream, meaning weather systems such as those bringing extreme heat or rain can stay parked over places for days on end, Cohen said.”

FEAR-MONGERING or FACT?

The weather channel has an article saying “A new study has found the Gulf Stream is circulating at its slowest rate in at least 1,600 years, contradicting reports to the contrary. Climate change is to blame for the slowdown, the study concluded. If the circulation stops completely, it would have catastrophic impacts on our weather.”

The article briefly states that “some scientists who weren’t involved in the study agreed with the findings, but others said a lack of data left them skeptical of the study. MIT professor Carl Wunsch said the study’s “assertions of weakening are conceivable, but unsupported by any data” in an interview with the AP.

“A separate study, also released in the journal “Nature“, claims the 150-year slowdown of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, (AMOC), is a result of natural changes, not man-made climate change. But both conclude the slowdown is occurring, and it could impact our weather in the coming years.”

Most leftist Politicians, liberal politically-progressive scientists and meteorologists like to blame humans and modern technology for the variations in the weather and climatological changes, pronouncing these meteorological variations as a dooms-day for earth. They have alternately called it ‘global warming’ or ‘climate change’, predicting catastrophic effects for the earth and humanity.

Their solution, of course, is to limit technology, raise taxes, redistribute our national wealth to underdeveloped countries, implement Socialist-Marxist ideologies and practices of the U.N.’s “Agenda-2030”. It is the Socialist-Marxist’s grandest plan of subterfuge, deceit and lies.

Because their doctrines and belief systems forbid it, they exclude two-thousand-year-old warnings from the Bible about the weather:

A 2000-YEAR-OLD WEATHER FORECAST:

“Revelation 7:1, says, “After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind would blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree.”

Here is an example of the manifest effects of the God’s judgment on the world, through nature and what would happen if the winds stopped blowing, (and the Bible says, at a given and specific point, the winds are going to stop blowing):

“It would rarely rain in inland locations (wind moves moist air over dry spots and falls as rain). All land not near a body of water would turn into a desert.

“There would be more extreme temperatures (the warm/cold air over the ground would not be replaced by the steady temperature air of the oceans and seas).

“The trade winds would no longer exist, and ocean stream currents would eventually stop. This would to serious climate changes. (The Gulf Stream keeps Europe warm).”

“After a few days the problem arrives. Without wind systems, warm, moist air won’t move around. Water might still evaporate, but it won’t travel, meaning anywhere away from a large body of water will dry up. Lakes might be alright as the evaporating water will fall back into them and the sea will be fine but anywhere else will get very dry, very quickly. Plants, animals and humans will slowly die from dehydration with most water inaccessible as salt water or ice. Even if we survive this, the problems don’t stop. The equator will no longer shed its heat as quickly, so it will become very warm, mountains may remain cool enough to be habitable but nowhere else will. At the same time, the poles, deprived of heat from the equator, will freeze solid.”

NEXT:  PERFECTION – Chapter 19 – ‘God Says – The Bible Says’.

PREVIOUS:  PERFECTION – Chapter 17 – Natural Order

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ALSO, THE JOURNEY TO PERFECTION – PDF FORMAT.

ALSO, THE JOURNEY TO PERFECTION – AN ONLINE BOOK

Cometh the Horsemen – Pandemics, Wars, Famines – Dr. Jordan Peterson and Michael Yon

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ 1 Comment

First, let me say that I have written, over the last ten years, about the present and unfolding events of the ‘Biblical Tribulation Period’ foretold in many Old Testament prophetic scriptures and in the New Testament.  These events will find their fulfillment in the future; and that future is now!

​​Isaiah 2, 9, 11, 13        Matthew 24,         Zechariah 8       2 Peter 3:3.

Micah 4                       Hebrews 1:2,         Ezekiel 30          Revelation 6:1 – 16:21

Jeremiah 30, 33, 50  Hebrews 9:26,      Amos 5

Hosea 3                       Acts 2:14-17,          1 Peter 1:20,

Joel 2, 3,                      2 Timothy 3:1,       1 Peter 4:7,

These events are leading us through the judgment Seals, and to the judgment Trumpets and Bowls (found in the books of Matthew and The Revelation and), leading us to The Great Tribulation, God’s Wrath upon the earth and the End of this Age.

Secondly, if you don’t know about him, I want to introduce you to Dr. Jordan Peterson, a clinical psychologist and professor emeritus at the University of Toronto. From 1993 to 1998 he served as assistant and then associate professor of psychology at Harvard. He spent fifteen years writing Maps of Meaning: The Architecture of Belief (1999; released in June 2018 as a now bestselling author-read audiobook). Maps of Meaning is a scholarly investigation into the nature of narrative and religious thought, the structure of perception, the regulation of emotion.

Dr. Peterson has become one of, if not The Leading Voice and thought for the Conservative movement, worldwide. He is hated and reviled by many on the Left, Globalists, Marxists and progressives, but they have been unable to contend with his brilliance.

Here is a recent video of Dr. Peterson as he interviews Michael Yon, an American writer and photographer. He served in the Special Forces in the early-1980s, and he became a writer in the mid-1990s. He focused on military writing after the invasion of Iraq. Yon has been embedded on numerous occasions with American and British troops in Iraq, most prominently a deployment with the 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment (Deuce Four) of the 25th Infantry Division in Mosul, Iraq that ended in September 2005.

This video is an interview and discussion between two experienced, studied, accomplished, dedicated and brilliant men that borders the prophetic.  Michael Yon, one of America’s youngest Green Berets at 19 years old, has traveled and lived over half of his life abroad in more than 80 countries . Author of three books in the United States and three others in Japan, he is America’s most experienced combat correspondent. Michael Yon joins Dr Jordan B Peterson to discuss the current state of affairs across the globe.

Dr. Peterson says, “We are heading into one of the most epic famines in world history, where the poor will freeze in the dark and burn in the sun while they starve.”

Stay on the alert. Jesus is coming, soon!

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

The 7 Churches of Revelation – Part 2

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

WHAT DOES IT SAY?

WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO ME?

The Revelation of Jesus Christ – PART 2.

These messages are from God, given to Jesus to show His bond-servants the things which must soon take place. Jesus sent and communicated these messages by His angel to His bond-servant, John the Revelator. John then gave these messages to the seven churches in Asia.

Please, for your own sake and for the sake of those around you, DO NOT diminish the importance, the accuracy nor the profound impact these messages and these Words of God will have on you and your life.

They are describing what is coming soon, how  you will be affected and how you are to respond to escape the Day of His Wrath. Please heed the instruction of these messages to the Church.

If these messages were solely and exclusively to and for the churches in Asia, the message would have ended there. However, God’s Word is eternal and these messages in particular are prophetic and are therefore written to all people who call themselves Christians, of all the ages as a warning, a teaching and as instruction.

These messages were written to you.

Revelation 1:1, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John, verse 2,who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, everything that he saw. Verse 3. Blessed is the one who reads, and those who hear the words of the prophecy and keep the things which are written in it; for the time is near.

Message to the Seven Churches

Verse 4. “John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before His throne, verse 5, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood— verse 6, and He made us into a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. Verse 7. BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen.

Verse 8. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Message to you and to the Church at Smyrna

Revelation 2:8 “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write:

The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life, says this:

Verse 9. “‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the slander by those who say they are Jews, and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Verse 10. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. Verse 11. The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.’

Those in the Church at Smyrna,

(1). Are suffering tribulation and poverty, but are rich (also see 1 Peter 1:3-8).

(2). Are slandered by Jews what are ‘a synagogue of Satan’.

(3). Are to suffer prison, more tribulation and death.

(4). They will get the crown of life from Jesus.

(5). They will overcome and will not be hurt by the second death.

 

((NOW, ASK YOURSELF, (INSERT YOUR NAME HERE):

Are you, (YOUR NAME HERE), suffering tribulation and poverty, but are rich because of Jesus?

Are you slandered by ‘Christians’ for your commitment to Christ Jesus and His Gospel?

Is your service to God bringing a threat of prison, tribulation and even death?

 

Message to you and to the Church at Pergamum

Revelation 2:12 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write:

The One who has the sharp two-edged sword says this:

Verse 13. ‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is; and you hold firmly to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. Verse 14. But I have a few things against you, because you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit sexual immorality. Verse 15. So you, too, have some who in the same way hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Verse 16. Therefore, repent; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will wage war against them with the sword of My mouth. Verse 17. The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows except the one who receives it.’ “

We can know that the Church at Pergamum,

(1). Dwells where Satan’s throne is yet holds firmly to God’s Name and do not deny faith in God. (I.e., The Pergamene believers lived in a difficult place, surrounded by pagan influences, yet they held fast to Christ’s name and did not deny Him during difficult times.)

(2). Held to the teachings of Balak, eating things sacrificed to idols and to commit sexual immorality.

(3). Held the teachings of the Nicolaitans, (eating things sacrificed to idols and to commit sexual immorality).

Some in the Church at Pergamum denied what Biblical prohibitions against sexual immorality, (homosexuality, fornication, adultery), to their own harm and judgment, much like many professing Christians, today.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

NEXT: The Message to the Church at Thyatira

PREVIOUS: The Message to the Church at Ephesus.

More Reading: What Does It Say? What Does it Mean?

1. What do the seven churches in Revelation stand for? | GotQuestions.org
What do the seven churches in Revelation stand for? Do the seven churches in Revelation predict seven eras of church history?
2. Are the “angels” of the churches in Revelation 1-3 real angels, or are they human messengers? | GotQuestions.org
Are the “angels” of the churches in Revelation 1-3 real angels, or are they human messengers? Why were the letters in Revelation 2-3 written to an…
3. What are the seven candlesticks / lampstands of Revelation? | GotQuestions.org
What are the seven candlesticks of Revelation? How are the seven lampstands related to the seven churches of Revelation?
4. What do the seven stars represent in Revelation? | GotQuestions.org
What do the seven stars represent in Revelation? How are the seven stars related to the seven churches?
5. What are the seven spirits of God? | GotQuestions.org
What are the seven spirits of God? Do the seven spirits of God refer to the fact that God is complete and perfect?

The 7 Churches of Revelation

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

WHAT DOES IT SAY?

WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO ME?

The Revelation of Jesus Christ

Revelation 1:1, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and [a]communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John, verse 2,who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, everything that he saw. Verse 3. Blessed is the one who reads, and those who hear the words of the prophecy and keep the things which are written in it; for the time is near.

Message to the Seven Churches

Verse 4. “John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before His throne, verse 5, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood— 6and He made us into a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. Verse 7. BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen.

Verse 8. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

The Patmos Vision

Verse 9. “I, John, your brother and fellow participant in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. Verse 10. I was in the [i]Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet, verse 11, saying, “Write on a scroll what you see, and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”

Verse 12. “Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And after turning I saw seven golden lampstands; Verse 13. and in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and wrapped around the chest with a golden sash. Verse 14. His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire. Verse 15. His feet were like burnished bronze when it has been heated to a glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters. Verse 16. In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun [m]shining in its strength.”

Verse 17. “When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, verse 18, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.

Verse 19. “Therefore, write the things which you have seen, [o]and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things. Verse 20. As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

The Message to the Church at Ephesus

Revelation 2:1. “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:

“The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands, says this: 

Verse 2. ‘I know your deeds and your labor and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil people, and you have put those who call themselves apostles to the test, and they are not, and you found them to be false; verse 3, and you have perseverance and have endured on account of My name, and have not become weary. Verse 4. But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Verse 5. Therefore, remember from where you have fallen, and repent, and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and I will remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent. Verse 6. But you have this, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. Verse 7. The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who overcomes, I will grant to eat from the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God.’

Pastor Alistair Begg, in his opening remarks when preaching on Revelation 3:1-6 & 3:14-22, correctly said,

“In the material that was sent to me and to the other speakers—but the passage that relates directly to my task—I was directed as follows: “The Bible reader will expound the text but will also focus on Christ as revealed in the text.” “The Bible reader will expound the text and focus on Christ as he is revealed in the text.” What an immense privilege, to have the opportunity to take the Bible, to study it, and then to be able to share it with others, and in all of that to have our gaze turned again and again to the Lord Jesus! “I love to tell the story of unseen things above, of Jesus and his glory, of Jesus and his love.”[2] Therefore, it is an immense privilege for us. For of all the places we could be on this morning, all the circumstances that we might face, in the providence of God, he has ordered our steps—none of us is here by chance—in order that we might hear from the risen Lord Jesus Christ himself.

“Now, I used that little chorus purposefully in prayer, asking that God would show himself to us in the reading of the Word. There is an inherent danger in it though. If you know it, or if you listened carefully as I said it, it says, “Make the Book live to me.” And the great, inherent danger in the study of the Bible is that we want to move immediately from our reading of the text to personal application.

“And so, from time to time, especially in a small group context, after you’ve read a portion of Scripture like this, it’s not long before somebody in the group will say, “Let me tell you what this means to me”—which, of course, is of interest but is of secondary importance. Because what the individual may be about to say may actually be true to the text, may be actually helpful to the rest of the group, and in actual fact, it may be completely bizarre. And the only antidote, then, is to come to the text of Scripture not saying, “Let me tell you what this means to me,” initially, but coming to the Scripture saying, “Let me find out what this means.” And once I understand what it means in the context in which it has been delivered, then and only then may I begin to make points of personal application.

“So, it’s important for us this morning to recognize that what we’re dealing with here is history and geography, as real as any history and geography that we may have done for our GCSEs. We’re dealing with real churches in real places, real men and women, real families, living at a certain point in time. And from the passages we know that Jesus understands their condition, he understands their circumstances, and he writes to them expressly in the awareness of the context in which they’re living.”

What I appreciate in Jesus’ message and Alistair’s remarks, is that The Revelation is about real churches in real places, real men and women, real families, living at a certain point in time. And from the passages we know that Jesus understands their condition, he understands their circumstances, and he writes to them expressly in the awareness of the context in which they’re living.” I will go on to say that people don’t change. People may be different, one from another, but people do not change. So, in a very real and accurate way, Jesus is talking to, not just those people in those churches in Revelation chapter 3, but He is talking to all people, everywhere, of all times. He is talking to you and to me.

I will leave it to you, the reader, to satisfactorily study and come to understand WHAT THESE VERSES ARE SAYING, and WHAT THEY MEAN, which is no easy task. Reading various commentaries will give you as many opinions, which are varied and complex. But the one I like for brevity and accuracy is found at GotQuestions.Org, “What are the Seven Candlesticks – Lampstands of Revelation?”

However, I will move on to the application of these verses – WHAT DO THEY MEAN TO ME (or, what Am I To Do with What I Know?).

It has always been a difficult task to apply these verses since there are so many differing views of what they say and what they mean. We know that God speaks in a language unique to the hearer, one thing we can discern is the characteristics of the churches and the people receiving these letters. Read and decide which attributes, characteristics and personalities you possess.

Revelation 2:1. “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:

“The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands, says this: 

Verse 2. ‘I know your deeds and your labor and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil people, and you have put those who call themselves apostles to the test, and they are not, and you found them to be false; verse 3, and you have perseverance and have endured on account of My name, and have not become weary. Verse 4. But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Verse 5. Therefore, remember from where you have fallen, and repent, and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and I will remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent. Verse 6. But you have this, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. Verse 7. The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who overcomes, I will grant to eat from the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God.’ “

Those in the church in Ephesus, like some other people,

(1). Are known by their good deeds, labors and their perseverance, (endurance);

(2). Cannot tolerate evil people, and

(3). They have put those, who call themselves apostles, to the test,

(4). and have found them to be false;

(5). The Ephesians have perseverance and have endured on account of Jesus’ name, and have not become weary.

(6). But they have left their ‘first love’ of Jesus and the things of God.

(7). They have fallen, from the deeds they did at first;

So, I will suggest a more novel approach. Let’s assume that God has written these letters, not only to real churches in real places, and to real men and women with real families, living at a certain point in time, but He has also written to you and to me.

You and I would do well to decide which of these characteristics describe us, and to describe those characteristics in greater detail. (I.e., “What is meant by ‘good deeds’ and which have I done? Etc.)

Let’s begin…

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, addressed to: (YOUR NAME GOES HERE).

Revelation 1:1 “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servant, (YOUR NAME GOES HERE), the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John, verse 2, who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, everything that he saw. Verse 3. Blessed are you (INSERT YOUR NAME), when you and others read, and hear the words of the prophecy and when YOU keep the things which are written in it; for the time is near.

Message to you and the Seven Churches

Verse 4. John to (INSERT YOUR NAME), and the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before His throne, verse 5, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood— verse 6. and He made us into a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Verse 7. BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So, it is to be. Amen.

Verse 8. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

The Patmos Vision

Verse 9. “I, John, your brother and fellow participant in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. Verse 10. I was in the [i]Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet, Verse 11, saying, “Write on a scroll what you see, and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”

Verse 12. “Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And after turning I saw seven golden lampstands; Verse 13, and in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and wrapped around the chest with a golden sash. Verse 14. His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire. Verse 15. His feet were like burnished bronze when it has been heated to a glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters. Verse 16. In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength.

Verse 17. “When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, Verse 18, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades. Verse 19. Therefore, write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things. Verse 20.  As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.”

Message to you and to the Church in Ephesus

Revelation 2:1 “To:   The angel of the church in Ephesus, write:

The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands, says this:

2 ‘(INSERT YOUR NAME), I know your deeds (which are?), and your labor (which is?), and your perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil people, and you have put those who call themselves apostles to the test, and they are not, and you found them to be false; 3 and, (INSERT YOUR NAME), you have perseverance and have endured on account of My name, and have not become weary.

Verse 4. “But, (INSERT YOUR NAME), I have this against you, that you have left your first love.

Verse 5. “Therefore, remember from where you have fallen, and repent, and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and I will remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.

Verse 6.But you have this, (YOUR NAME), that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

To the one who overcomes, I will grant to eat from the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God.’

((NOW, ASK YOURELF (INSERT YOUR NAME):

1.  What are my deeds Jesus is referring to? (If you cannot answer this, beware.)

2.  What are my labors Jesus is referring to? (If you cannot answer this, beware.)

3.  What is my perseverance Jesus is referring to? (If you cannot answer this, beware.)

4.  What is it I cannot tolerate (about evil people) Jesus is referring to? What have I done about that evil? (If you cannot answer this, beware.)

5.  How did I test those who call themselves Apostles? How did I find them false? (If you cannot answer this, beware.)

6.  What is it I hate about the Nicolaitans? (Do you even know about the Nicolaitans? If you cannot answer this, honestly, beware.)

7.  How did I not become weary? (You never will weary if you are not doing anything. Right?)

8.  From where have I fallen? (If you cannot answer this, beware.)

What were my ‘first deeds’? (If you cannot answer this, beware.)

This is a ‘reality check’. The postmodern church in America is unfortuatley striving to keep us comfortable while we wait on the rapture. (Big mistake). Jesus said we are to be found doing what He commanded  us to do when He returns, or?

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

NEXT: THE CHURCHES AT SMYRNA AND PERGAMUM.

More Reading: What Does It Say? What Does it Mean?

1. What do the seven churches in Revelation stand for? | GotQuestions.org
What do the seven churches in Revelation stand for? Do the seven churches in Revelation predict seven eras of church history?
2. Are the “angels” of the churches in Revelation 1-3 real angels, or are they human messengers? | GotQuestions.org
Are the “angels” of the churches in Revelation 1-3 real angels, or are they human messengers? Why were the letters in Revelation 2-3 written to an…
3. What are the seven candlesticks / lampstands of Revelation? | GotQuestions.org
What are the seven candlesticks of Revelation? How are the seven lampstands related to the seven churches of Revelation?
4. What do the seven stars represent in Revelation? | GotQuestions.org
What do the seven stars represent in Revelation? How are the seven stars related to the seven churches?
5. What are the seven spirits of God? | GotQuestions.org
What are the seven spirits of God? Do the seven spirits of God refer to the fact that God is complete and perfect?

PERFECTION – Chapter 19 – The Bible Says

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

(You can listen to this article on audio, and you can pause the audio to follow important page links which give details on this study; then resume the audio when you are ready. NOTE: I use page links in lieu of references and footnotes, which are important to this study. )

GOD SAYS – THE BIBLE SAYS

THE BIBLE IS ALSO WARNING US

Why is knowing the timing and sequence of a Biblical explanation of the tribulation period important in relation to a historical timeline. The answer is that it is because historical events, both which have already occurred and those which are yet take place,

(1), will be the direct results of Bible prophecy unfolding in this natural realm, and,

(2), we will have a physical historical timeline which we can identify, and finally,

(3), we will be greatly affected by these coming events and advanced knowledge of them and their approximate timing gives us the opportunity to respond as the Bible teaches so we can endure and survive these calamitous and catastrophic events.

Matthew chapter 24 and Revelations chapters 6 through 16 of The New Testament of the Bible, tells of a period of time known by various names such as “The Tribulation”, “The Last Days  or the “Latter Days”, and warns and gives great details of a coming period of Great Tribulation, cataclysmic and scope, both cosmic and terrestrial in nature, followed by “The End The Age”. (Also see Studylight.org; Also see Revelation 19-22).

This has been a great mystery throughout history. But it no long needs to be.  Here is the Tribulation Timeline, in summary (Pre-Wrath-tribulation):

Section A.1.

The Last Days began in our around AD 30 to AD 69 as confirmed by Jesus and several Apostles found in

(One of the first, most accurate, and most persistent advocates of the Pre-Wrath Rapture of the Church can be found at Zion’s Hope, with videos on this site).

Finally, in this 21st century, there are a few prominent Bible teachers who are now arriving at this same conclusions (John Piper, and Corrie Ten Boom).

The opening of Tribulation Seal ONE began between AD 60 and AD 30, and perhaps as early as AD1.   Seals ONE through FIVE have been broken, progressively, up until this day. We are now standing at the precipice of the breaking of the 6th Tribulation Seal .

Section A.2.

With the breaking of the 6th Tribulation Seal we will see that THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. “And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. “And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.” (Matthew 24:29-31 & Revelation 6:12-16)

Section A.3.

Sometime after the rapture of the church, which occurs at the 6th Seal, the Antichrist enters a treaty with Israel. This begins the seven-year tribulation.

Section A.4.

At the midpoint of the tribulation (1,260 days later), the Antichrist breaks the treaty, desecrates the temple, and begins to persecute the Jews.

Section A.5.

At the end of the tribulation (1,260 days after the desecration of the temple), Jesus Christ returns to earth and defeats the forces of the Antichrist.

Section A.6.

During the next 30 days (leading up to 1,290 days after the desecration of the temple), Israel is rebuilt and the earth is restored.

Section A.7.

During the next 45 days (leading up to 1,335 days after the desecration of the temple), the Gentile nations are judged for their treatment of Israel.

Section A.8.

The dispensation of the millennium begins, and it will last for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:3, 5–6).

Here is a more complete and detailed description of the Tribulation Timeline. Concern yourself with the first SIX SEALS.

Section B.1.

The ‘tribulation period of birth pangs‘ (Matthew 24:8 & Revelation 6) begins with the breaking of the 1st Tribulation Seal and continues through the 5th Tribulation Seal, during which time we will see the

    • Apostasy,
    • the great persecution of Christians,
    • the revealing of the man of perdition and
    • the signing of a peace treaty between Israel and her enemies.

The 1st Seal of the tribulation was being broken just after the death and resurrection of Christ and the succeeding seals (Seals 2 – 5) have been broken at various periods of time since AD 30 and that we have now entered the time of the breaking 5th Tribulation Seal. Jesus refers to this period, the breaking of the tribulation Seals ONE through FIVE as “the beginning of the birth pangs”, and He points out that “this is not yet the end”.

Section B.2.

Then, with the breaking of the 6th Tribulation Seal , THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE DAY OF THE LORD, THE GREAT TRIBULATION, BEGINS. (Matthew 24:29, & Revelation 6:12)

As witnessed by, Matthew 24:29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Verse 30. “And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. Verse 31. “And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET, and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.”

Section B.3.

The “7 years of Great Tribulation”, (also known as Daniel’s 70th week,) begins with the breaking of the 6th tribulation seal, and, will reach the mid-point of the tribulation period, (after 3.5 years) with the sounding of the 6th Trumpet of the Great Tribulation.

Section B.4.

Then, the Great Tribulation will end with the pouring out of the 7 Bowls of Wrath.

– THE TRIBULATION JUDGMENTS LEAD TO THE END OF THE AGE –

The world has endured, and is enduring, the first 4 tribulation seals, and is now experiencing the beginning of the 5th tribulation seal.  Concern yourself with being ready before the breaking of the Tribulation 6th Seal and the Great and Terrible day of the Lord!

Here is a short outline comparing Jesus’ account of the Tribulation period both in the Book of Revelation and in the Book of Matthew:

 

Revelation Ch. 6 – as corresponding to – Matthew Chapter 24

the 1st Tribulation Seal  –  Global conquest and political intrigue. (This Seal was broken between A.D. 1 and A.D. 95, has been ongoing and has been overlapping the other Seals, and has been intensifying.)

the 2nd Tribulation Seal –  Wars and Rumors of War. (This Seal was broken between A.D. 1 and A.D. 95, has been ongoing and has been overlapping the other Seals, and has been intensifying.)

the 3rd Tribulation Seal  –  Famine. (This Seal was broken between A.D. 1 and A.D. 95, has been ongoing and has been overlapping the other Seals, and has been intensifying.)

the 4th Tribulation Seal  –  Death. (This Seal was broken between A.D. 1 and A.D. 95, has been ongoing and has been overlapping the other Seals, and has been intensifying.)

the 5th Tribulation Seal  –  Martyrs, persecution, Anti-Christ, falling away. (This Seal was broken between A.D. 1 and A.D. 95, has been ongoing and has been overlapping the other Seals, and has been intensifying.)

The 6th Tribulation Seal  –  Cosmic disturbances, blood moon, darkened sun. (The Opening of the 6th Tribulation Seal is yet to come. It is The BEGINNING OF the 7 years of “THE GREAT TRIBULATION” period, also known as The Great and Terrible Day of the Lord or the Wrath of the Lamb.)

  • Sealing of the 144,000
  • The Rapture
  • Multitude from the tribulation before the Throne of God

All of these things and this historic time had been recorded, in various books of the Bible and is foretold in great and frightening detail, particularly in the Book of Revelation. You simply need the “eyes to see” and “the ears to hear”.

THE ENTIRE EARTH IS GROANING (link).

“For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

“For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.  And not only this, but also, we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.   For in hope, we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees?   But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.” (Romans 8:19-25)

Previous Chapter: PERFECTION – Chapter 18 – Science says

Next Chapter: PERFECTION – Chapter 20 – The Socialist-Marxist Movement.

(Go here for the complete Online Digital Book: THE JOURNEY TO PERFECTION

THE JOURNEY TO PERFECTION.pdf

The Oracles of the Book of Mark – Chapter 1

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

The Book of Mark – click the image above or this text for a video

New American Standard Bible

Preaching of John the Baptist

Mark 1:1 “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God”,

Mark begins at the beginning: The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ; the Good News of Jesus the Messiah, the Anointed One, Who, was in the beginning with God, and was God, the Son of God.

Please note that Mark does not start with a ‘warm up speech’ or an interesting lead-in or a joke. He does not give us an outline or a sociopolitical background. He omits the geography, traditions and customs of both the Jews and of Jerusalem around 65 A.D.. (That comes later.) Mark simply begins with what the reader needs to know, first: The Prophetic Truth, the historic Truth and the Eternal Truth of God, and he does that in just eleven words: “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God”.

The Prophetic Truth emanates from Isaiah 40:2-3,

Isaiah 40:2 just as it is written in Isaiah the prophet:

“Behold, I am sending My messenger [a]before You,
Who will prepare Your way;
Verse 3 The voice of one calling [b]out in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
Make His paths straight!’”

(1). The Purpose to be fulfilled is God’s perfecting of His people in preparation for the End of The Age through purging, cleansing, and refining. Then the destruction of the wicked, the Beast, Satan, the heavens and earth, making way for a new and perfect heaven and earth where His Chosen will live in perfection with Him forever.

(a). Isaiah 40:3-5. A voice is heard calling on unseen agencies to prepare a way for Jehovah through the desert. The idea expressed is that already the spiritual and supernatural forces are in motion which will bring about the return of the captives and a revelation of the Divine glory to all the world.

(b). Isaiah 40:6-8. A second voice calls on the prophet to proclaim the fundamental truth on which the realization of his hope depends,—the ‘perishableness’ of all human power, and the enduring stability of the word of the Lord.

(c). Isaiah 40:9-11. The prophet himself now takes up the strain; he summons a company of ideal messengers to announce to Zion and the cities of Judah the advent of Jehovah with His ransomed people.

(2). The Promise to be fulfilled that is Jehovah will return with His people to their ancient abode. This second division contains three sections:

Now, Mark turns our attention to the ‘voice heard calling out in the wilderness’,

Mark 1:4, “John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins”, and this prophecy is being fulfilled.

(Please note, these verses and this passage is deeply Prophetic, mysterious and is for our instruction. Prophecy can be a ‘one time event’ or it can be an ‘ongoing event’ which is not completed until the consummation of a period of time or the consummation of the age.

This is distinguished by the context and the tense of the verb used:

Present Tense is an action completed in the present.

Perfect Tense is an action completed in the past and need not be repeated.

Future Tense is an event which has not yet occurred.

Aorist Tense is an action which has no regard for the past, present or future – it is repeated until it is consummated. A continuing action or act.)

NOTE: As part of the mystery of this Word, ALL FOUR of these tenses are used in these few verses.  Here is an example of each tense being used.

This is complex, but I will simply as much as possible.

(Red lettering unedited and is from the New American Standard version of the Bible; Purple lettering is an explanation of the use of each tense by way of commentary and Strong’s Bible Concordance):

Mark 1:2, “just as it is written (Perfect Tense) in Isaiah the prophet:

(I.e., (in the Perfect Tense), Mark 1:2, “just as it is  written in Isaiah the prophet, and does not need to be repeated:

“BEHOLD (Aorist Tense), I AM SENDING,

(I.e., (in the Aorist Tense), BEHOLD FROM THE PAST, BEHOLD NOW, AND CONTINUE TO BEHOLD UNTIL THE AGE IS CONSUMMATED”,

(Present Tense) MY MESSENGER BEFORE YOU,

(I.e, in the Present Tense), “I HAVE SENT, AND THIS IS A COMPLETED ACTION,”

“WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY (Future Tense);

(I.e., (In the Future Tense), “WHO, IN THE FUTURE, WHEN THE TIME COMES, WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY”,

Verse 3. “THE VOICE OF ONE CALLING OUT (Present Tense) IN THE WILDERNESS,

Verse 3. (I.e, in the Present Tense),“THE VOICE OF ONE CALLING OUT an action completed in the present). (Present Tense) IN THE WILDERNESS,

‘PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD (Aorist Tense),

(I,e., the Aorist Tense),‘PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD FROM THE TIME IT WAS SPOKEN, PREPARE THE TIME TODAY, AND CONTINUE TO PREPARE THE TIME UNTIL THE AGE IS CONSUMMATED”,

MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT!’” (Present Tense)

(I.e., the Present Tense), MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT TODAY!’”

————————————————

Mark 1:2-3, The text transliterated using the VARIOUS TENSES:

Mark 1:2, “just as it is  written in Isaiah the prophet, and does not need to be repeated – it is permanent, until the Consummation of The Age:

BEHOLD FROM THE TIME IT WAS SPOKEN, BEHOLD NOW, AND CONTINUE TO BEHOLD UNTIL THE AGE IS CONSUMMATED”, “I HAVE SENT, AND THIS IS A COMPLETED ACTION, WHICH WILL BE FULFILLED IN THE FUTURE, WHEN THE RIGHT TIME COMES, WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY”,  Verse 3. “THE VOICE OF ONE CALLING OUT TODAY, IN THE WILDERNESS,

PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD FROM THE TIME IT WAS SPOKEN, PREPARE THE TIME TODAY, AND CONTINUE TO PREPARE THE TIME UNTIL THE AGE IS CONSUMMATED”,

MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT TODAY!’”

————————————————

This is the message. It is prophetic and very mysterious. There are actions taken at one time which either remain in the present, or are spoken in the present-past but are destined to be fulfilled at a future date, or are spoken in the present-past and will begin at that time and will continue until the consummation of the age!

WHY IS THIS RELEVANT AND IMPORTANT?  This message is written to those of that age and to people of all the ages to come. This is written to you and to me. We are to follow Jesus, and Mark is telling us how, when and where we follow Him. This is not optional for a Christian. It must be done if you are truly His disciple.

INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE TEXT (WITH COMMENTARY).

Mark 1:5 ” And all the country of Judea was going out to him (THIS IS UP TO YOU and ME, TODAY), and all the people of Jerusalem (THIS IS UP TO ALL JEWS, TODAY); and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins (THIS IS WHAT WE DO, WHETHER IN THE JORDAN RIVER, OR WHERE YOU LIVE NOW). 6 John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist, and [d]his diet was locusts and wild honey. 7 And he was [e]preaching, saying, “After me One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to bend down and untie the straps of His sandals. 8 I baptized you [f]with water; but He will baptize you [g]with the Holy Spirit.” (JOHN IS GIVING US INSTRUCTIONS. THIS IS NOT OPTIONAL FOR A CHRISTIAN, THAT IS, A DISCIPLE OF JESUS. YOU ARE HEARING WHAT IS TO BE DONE TODAY AND WHAT WILL COME TO YOU NEXT.)

Believe it in your heart by the Spirit of God. Let it seep up into your soul – your mind, will and emotions – and live it out!

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

(Next:  Mark 1:9-12 – The Baptism of Jesus.)

THE WAR OF THE SAINT (CHRISTIAN)

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

Pastor David Wilkerson (now deceased) delivered this sermon and prophetic warning 15 years ago, on July 29, 2007.

This is URGENT. Be edified, encouraged and informed.

“Christians all over the world are facing their own private war. These are trials and afflictions comparable to war zones and bloody battlefields. Often, these painful experiences can seem so overwhelming they hinder our ability to communicate the situation with others. These wars can be struggles of finance, battles with lust, or seasons of heaviness where we become so weary of the fight, we want to give up. God wants us to know there is a way to victory, but that he leaves us in the battle to strengthen us. By doing so, we become a benefit to all those around us. If we cry out to God during these times, He will give us the strength to endure and so that His name is magnified, He gives the grace to praise Him.”

(Go here to download this in mp3 or mp4 format)

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

CONCURRENCE AND CONVERGENCE AUDIO

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

“CONVERGENT CONCURRENCE”

“Tending to move toward one point or to approach each other; The simultaneous occurrence of events or circumstances”

It is a thin line Bible teachers walk when they associate current events with Bible prophecy, especially in regard to the End of Days.

Repeatedly and prematurely linking current events and prophecy can dull the senses of those waiting and watching for these events to unfold. They tend to become complacent.

Jesus warns, “But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. For this reason you must be ready as well; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.”Matthew 24:43-44. (Also see these warnings: Matthew 24:42 – Matthew 25:46),

There is a convergent concurrence of events and prophecies as never before.  Alarming events have, from time to time, caused people to wonder if the End of Days as spoken of in the Bible had arrived.  But, never, have events coincided with prophetic fulfillment as we now see.

When people read the Bible about eschatology, that is the matters about the End Times and the Tribulation period (the books of Matthew chapter 24 and the book of The Revelation), most tend to read it as one would read a ‘story’ or a novel.  Most assume it is written in chronological order, a sequence of events, one event beginning as the previous event is ending.  THIS IS NOT CORRECT.

For example, when a Tribulation Seal is broken, an event or a series of events occur and will last for certain periods of time.  Most events will continue until the “Consummation of the Age”. It is ONLY when you see the convergence of events of the first Five Tribulation Seals, that is when they are concurrent, will you know with certainty that we are at the precipice of the breaking of the Sixth Tribulation Seal which marks the beginning of Daniel’s Seventieth Week, also known as the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord. It is at this time we will see what Jesus spoke of in Matthew 24:29 when He said, “But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Verse 30. And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. Verse 31. And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET BLAST, and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect, (see footnote [x]), from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.”

It will be at this time that “The four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth so that no wind would blow on the earth, or on the sea, or on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, holding the seal of the living God; and he called out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, “Do not harm the earth, or the sea, or the trees until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads.”

The 144,000

“And I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel. (Revelation 7:4)

The Multitude from the Tribulation

Revelation 7:9,  “After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all the tribes, peoples, and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; Verse 10. and they *cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” Verse 11. And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, Verse 12. saying, “Amen, blessing, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power, and might belong to our God forever and ever. Amen.”

Secondly, the book of Revelation is not written in chronological order.  Description of events and timelines are repeated in various chapters and are not in a linear order.  For example, Revelation chapters six and seven tell us about the breaking of the Sixth Tribulation Seal, cosmic disturbances, great earthquakes, the Rapture and the Sealing of the 144,000 thousand from the Tribes of Israel.  THEN, in Revelation chapters 12, 13 and 14 we read the details and outcomes of these events.

In other words, once a Tribulation event from the first Five Seals begins, it may continue for days, weeks, months,  years or decades.  Then, as a second or third event occurs, events may overlap and occur simultaneously.

Revelation 1:8, says, “I Am The Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come”.  This mean that ACCORDING TO BIBLICAL ESCHATOLOGY, WHAT HAS ALREADY HAPPENED; AND IS NOW HAPPENING; AND IS YET TO (will continue to) HAPPEN.

It is only when the Sixth Seal is broken and the Seventieth Week of Daniel begins, do we know that the final Seven Years of Tribulation has begun.

 

Part 2: THE PROPHECY –  The “Forewarning”, in 8 B.C.

Joel 1:1 tells us,  “The word of the LORD that came to Joel, the son of Pethuel:

Verse 2.  “Hear this, O elders, And listen, all inhabitants of the land. Has anything like this happened in your days, Or in your fathers’ days?

Verse 3.   “Tell your sons about it, And let your sons tell their sons, And their sons the next generation.

Joel 2:1.  “Blow a trumpet in Zion, And sound an alarm on My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, For the day of the LORD is coming; Surely it is near,

Verse 2.  “A day of darkness and gloom, A day of clouds and thick darkness. As the dawn is spread over the mountains, So there is a great and mighty people; There has never been anything like it, Nor will there be again after it To the years of many generations.

Joel 2:28 continues with, “It will come about after this That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and daughters will prophesy, Your old men will dream dreams, Your young men will see visions.

Verse 29.  “Even on the male and female servants, I will pour out My Spirit in those days.

Verse 30.  “I will display wonders in the sky and on the earth, Blood, fire and columns of smoke.

Verse 31.  “The sun will be turned into darkness And the moon into blood Before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.

Verse 32.  “And it will come about that whoever calls on the name of the LORD Will be delivered; For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem There will be those who escape, As the LORD has said, Even among the survivors whom the LORD calls.

Joel 3:9 says,  “Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare a war; rouse the mighty men! Let all the soldiers draw near, let them come up!

Verse 10.  “Beat your plowshares into swords And your pruning hooks into spears; Let the weak say, “I am a mighty man.”

THE SIGNS: The Prophecy – The Announcement  (1 A.D.).

Acts 2:1 -21.  “When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.   And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. “And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them.  And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance. “Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven.  And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together, and were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language. They were amazed and astonished, saying, “Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans?  “And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born?  “Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,  Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs — we hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God.” “And they all continued in amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, “What does this mean?”  But others were mocking and saying, “They are full of sweet wine.” “But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them: “Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and give heed to my words. For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only the third hour of the day; “but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel: ” ‘AND IT SHALL BE IN THE LAST DAYS,’ God says, ‘THAT I WILL POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT ON ALL MANKIND; AND YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY, AND YOUR YOUNG MEN SHALL SEE VISIONS, AND YOUR OLD MEN SHALL DREAM DREAMS; “EVEN ON MY BONDSLAVES, BOTH MEN AND WOMEN, I WILL IN THOSE DAYS POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT And they shall prophesy. ” ‘AND I WILL GRANT WONDERS IN THE SKY ABOVE AND SIGNS ON THE EARTH BELOW, BLOOD, AND FIRE, AND VAPOR OF SMOKE. ‘THE SUN WILL BE TURNED INTO DARKNESS AND THE MOON INTO BLOOD, BEFORE THE GREAT AND GLORIOUS DAY OF THE LORD SHALL COME. ” ‘AND IT SHALL BE THAT EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.’ “

 

Part 3: BEHOLD, I AM COMING QUICKLY – THE REVELATION OF FUTURE EVENTS – The testimony of the Apostles about the LAST DAYS and the END OF TIMES.

Revelation 1:1, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John, Verse 2, who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, everything that he saw. Verse 3. Blessed is the one who reads, and those who hear the words of the prophecy and keep the things which are written in it; for the time is near.”

The Book of The Revelation was written around 95 A.D.  Jesus had already ascended to the Father and had put the End of Days into motion.

Revelation, chapter 1, verses one through three tell us:

  1. This is a revealing by God to His Son, Jesus, so He could show us, His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place, which mean it will happen soon, and it will happen quickly. (This has to do with the speed with which something happens.)
  2. This message and these words were communicated to John by His angel, who then testified to this word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, everything that he saw.
  3. The time for the fulfillment of these things is near, which has to do with the passage of time; it is very soon; the time is near; the time is at hand! (this was as of A.D. 95).

Revelation 3:11, “I am coming quickly; hold firmly to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. Verse 12. The one who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name.”

John has testified and written what Jesus has announced:

  1. Jesus words are actually a warning and a threat. He is saying that He is coming speedily, without warning, without delay, suddenly and by surprise.

Jesus warns, again, that His coming will occur as fast as ‘the blink of an eye’.  (Matthew 24:25), “Behold, I have told you in advance, if they say to you, ‘He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe them. For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man.”

The time to prepare is NOW. There will be no time to prepare in that day.

PLEASE NOTE: Please do not think that the Bible is saying, “that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day” in these verses, (found in 2 Peter 3:8). When Jesus said “Behold, I am coming quickly”, it is not His intention to say it could be a day, or it could be a thousand years. He is saying it could happen at any time. His coming is imminent.

“For a thousand years in Your sight Are like yesterday when it passes by, Or like a watch in the night”, found in 2 Peter 3:8, which is a reference to Psalm 90:4, is a reference to God’s POINT OF VIEW or FRAME OF REFERENCE and NOT a reference to the actual passage of a specific period of time.

He IS SAYING that that time has come. It is not coincidental that we find the Apostles teaching that ‘The Last Days’ had begun as early as A.D. 30:

There is, however, a sequence of events which must occur, in order, and may overlap in time:

Matthew 24:9. “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake.”

(This is so clear and in such plain language, I regret having to point it out:  “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death”.  So, “YOU  WILL BE DELIVERED UP TO TRIBULATION”.  How much more intense can this be, than being put to death for Jesus name’s sake? The tribulation, Seals 1 through 4 have been described as having started, by Jesus, Himself, in the year AD 30.)

Verse 10. “And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another.

(First – This is the hallmark of the Great Apostasy, found in these verses and 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4. Furthermore, “And then” translates from the Greek word, “tote”, in this case means of the future, also in consecution, i.e., the act of following, or the condition of being in a series; that which is consecutive; succession; sequence.

 (Secondly – “fall away” is the Greek word ‘skandalizó’ and means to entrap, i.e., trip up (figuratively, stumble) or entice to sin, apostasy or displeasure).

This is further explained in the following verses and can also be found in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4. For more detail see“Has the Great Apostasy begun?”)

Verse 11.  And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. Verse 12. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. Verse 13. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. Verse 14. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

(Verses 11 through 14 give us a major time line identifier through a concurrence of events: (1) many false prophets will arise and lead many astray; (2) lawlessness will be increased; (3) the love of many will grow cold.)

(“The one who endures to the end”, must be kept in context of the surrounding verses.  So, the one who endures to the end of these events – Which Events? – The tribulation seals ONE through FIVE)

(“And then the end will come”.  Once again, this is clear, plain, face-value language. After these first FIVE TRIBULATION SEALS, which began in or around AD 30, and have continued progressively to overlap and gain in intensity, THE END WILL COME.)

Matthew 24:29, says, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light.”

(Perhaps it would be a good idea to read this verse again. It begins with “IMMEDIATELY AFTER the tribulation of those days”.  This is rich with information.

( “The tribulation of THOSE DAYS” are the days from around A.D. 30 through the current day; This includes tribulation Seals ONE through FIVE.)

(“Immediately after the tribulation of those days”, should explain itself.  But, just in case, let me say, “THOSE DAYS” refers to the days already discussed (tribulation Seals One through Five). 

Now , Jesus is moving our attention to what follows the first 5 Seals of the tribulation:  THE SIXTH SEAL.)

(“The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light” is also found in Revelation 6:12-16, and uses the exact language.  It is the SIXTH SEAL of the tribulation, which is yet a FUTURE EVENT.)

NOTE:  ANYONE, SUCH AS THE ‘PRETERSITS’ , WHO SUGGESTS OR SAY THAT THESE VERSES ARE SIMPLY METAPHORICAL OR HAVE ALREADY OCCURED AND WILL NOT PLAY OUT AS DESCRIBED, ARE FALSE PROPHETS, FALSE TEACHERS AND ARE AIDING THE SPIRIT OF THE ANTICHRIST. (Other places in Revelation, you will find metaphors, allegories, imagery and similes to describe what was indescribable, such as, “The Lamb of God” to describe Jesus, “The Dragon” to describe Satan, or “The Four Beasts” to describe Satan, Babylon and Lucifer. The reader must learn to distinguish the difference.)

Many protestant pastors, preachers and Bible teachers adhere firmly to the John Nelson Darby version of the pre-tribulation rapture. These people with good intentions and most are good men and women, yet, they are sorely misinformed; or, perhaps, some are lazy in their study of scriptures or they could be ignorant about what scriptures say and mean. None-the-less, they are guilty of false teaching and of teaching a false prophecy. (I know this sounds harsh and perhaps even arrogant, please forgive me. But this matter is so very urgent that I believe strongs words and a stronger empasis is needed.)

What I have described is generally known as the Pre-Tribulation, Pre-Wrath Rapture of the Church. Here is a link and several videos and teachings explaining the Pre-Tribulation Pre Wrath Rapture of the Church. PLEASE watch.

Please hear me, friends. Things are getting worse, even as I write this, and, things are going to get a lot worse as the time of the Rapture (The 6th Tribulation Seal) draws near.  You and I need to prepare, both Spiritually and physically, for these difficult times.

I have presented the Spiritual side of the coming day of the Great Tribulation and of the coming day of God’s Wrath in this article.

 Please go to these links, “New World Order”, also, “Agenda-21, Cover of the U.N., One World Government”, and Agenda 2030, find the physical and earthly manifestation of this cosmic battle and of the spirit of anti-Christ, which is already at work.

The Bible tells us to be ready, for we do not know the day nor the hour when the Lord will return, and if you did know, you would be on the alert, “and would not have allowed your house to be broken into”. For the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.

In conclusion, let me ask you, if you knew a hurricane or a major destructive storm was coming, what would you do to get ready?  (Please answer this.  Make a short list using these lines).  I would:

 1. 

 2. 

 3. 

 4.                                                                                                                          

Well, A Major ‘Storm’ is Arriving as I write these words.  We must be ready!

 Your Brother and Friend

 Mike Young

Additional resource:  When does the 7 Years begin?

PS:  What we should be doing while we expectantly await His Return to take us to our Eternal Home?:

IMPORTANT FOOTNOTE:  Don’t be deceived.  There is only ONE Second Coming of Christ.  There will be only ONE Rapture.  There will be only ONE Armageddon.

Know your Bible.  Know the sequence.  Be Ready, found doing as He has said.  Endure to the end and be saved !!

The 2nd Advent of Christ (the second coming of Jesus) is one event which can be seen from TWO PERSPECTIVES:  One perspective as seen from the earth;  the other perspective, from John’s prophetic vision, is seen as it unfolds  – a Spiritual and Heavenly perspective!

Look at it this way:   When Hurricane Irma hit the U.S. it was a category 5 storm;  As Irma progressed up the peninsula of Florida, it became a category 4 storm;  then as it entered Alabama it became a category 3 storm;  and finally as it entered Georgia, Irma became a tropical storm; and later as it entered Tennessee, it became a rain event.

To those in the various states which hurricane Irma entered, it would have appeared to them that Irma might have been 5 different storms, occurring consecutively; first a Category 5 storm, then, a Category 4 storm, then, a Category 3 hurricane, then, a Tropical storm, and, finally, a rain event.  But if viewed “From Above” it was ONE CONTINUOUS STORM, progressively unfolding to its conclusion.

SO IT IS WITH THE ‘LAST DAYS’ AND THE 2nd COMING OF JESUS as seen in the breaking of the ‘Seven Seals of the Book’ as recorded in Revelation chapters 5,6,7 and 8; although, the breaking of each Seal may seem like seven different events, if viewed “from above” it is ONE CONTINUOUS EVENT (eschatological STORM), progressively unfolding to its conclusion.

  • Breaking of the 6th Seal of the Tribulation,
  • The beginning of the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord,
  • The beginning of Daniel’s 70th Week also known as the final 7 years of the Great Tribulation,
  • Jesus’ SECOND ADVENT,
  • The Rapture of the Church,
  • The heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True,
  • From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and
  • He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty

Why does it matter?

  • Jesus tells us that it matters because we must ‘endure to the end’ and know the sequence of events will help us to ‘not lose heart and faint’.
  • The apostle Paul tells us that it matters, because “God takes no pleasure in the one who shrinks back”, and knowing that our ‘salvation draw near’ will help us endure to the end.
  • Jesus tells us it matters and that we must stay alert be found doing what He has commanded when He returns, or we may be “assigned a place with the hypocrites”. Knowing the day is near will help us stay focused and ready for His return.

 

Part 4: THE PROPHECY – Past, Present & Future Fulfillment.

The First Seal —Rider on White Horse – Political Intrigue & Conquest (Ongoing since AD 1) All of these events were prophesied in the book of Joel 3 and confirmed by the Apostle Peter in Acts 2.  We have seen these events progressively occurring since AD 1.

Matthew 24:7  “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. 8 “But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.”

Correlating verses:

Revelation 6:1  “Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, “Come.” Verse 2.  I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.”

The Second Seal—Wars and Rumors of War  (Ongoing since AD 1) Revelation6:3  “When He broke the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come.” verse 4. And another, a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that men would slay one another; and a great sword was given to him.

The Third Seal—Famine  (Ongoing since AD 1 – growing in intensity) Revelation 6:5.  “When He broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, “Come.” I looked, and behold, a black horse; and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. verse 6. And I heard something like a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the wine.”

The Fourth Seal—Death  (Have been occurring since AD 1 – growing in intensity) Revelation 6:7. “When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come.” verse 8. I looked, and behold, an ashen horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death; and Hades was following with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth.

The Fifth Seal—Martyrs  (Have been occurring since AD 1 – The great Apostasy, the great Falling Away from the faith, has now begun) verse 9. When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; verse 10. and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” verse 11. And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also.

The Sixth Seal—Terror (coming soon) Verse 12.  I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood; verse 13. and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. verse 14. The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. verse 15. Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; verse 16. and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; verse 17. for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”

An Interlude Revelation 7:1  After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind would blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree. verse 2. And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God; and he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, verse 3. saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads.”

THE PROPHECY –  Globalism and The Tower of Babel

Do not be deceived.  These are events that must come to pass.  They have been foretold, foreshadowed and are coming to pass in our days.  They are of a supernatural nature which is manifest in this natural world, and they must be dealt with on both the natural and supernatural levels.  IF YOU SCOFF AT THIS, YOU DO SO AT YOUR OWN PERIL.

 

Part 5:  WHAT ARE WE TO DO TO GET READY?

“Therefore, be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.  But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.

“For this reason, you must be ready as well; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.”  (Matthew 24:42-44).

This is ‘forecast’ or what is Prophesied in the Bible.  It will occur.  It is underway.  You and I must PREPARE.

1. Surrender to Jesus as Lord and for Salvation, and He will give you wisdom, strength, courage and knowledge.

​ 2.  Repent and enter the Kingdom of God.  “From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”  Matthew 4:17  This Kingdom is a very real place.  It is described by metaphor, but it is no metaphor.  It is a real place we must possess in these last days. Jesus centers His teaching to His disciples around this Truth, telling them they must enter the Kingdom of God and continue His Works until He returns. (more on this in an upcoming article).

  1. Educate yourself. Become Bible literate. “Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. This calls for wisdom…” Revelation 13:16-18.
  2. “Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near;  so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door.  Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.”  “Therefore, be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.  For this reason, you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.”
  3. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”These are real and serious matters, and you must know that…

​​Economics may or may not help, but they will not save you.

  • Stockpiles of food and water may help and shelter will help for a while but they will disappear and will not save you.
  • Medicines may help for a while, but, they will run out and will not save you.
  • Guns and politics may help or hurt your efforts, but they will not save you.
  • Technology may help in some ways, but it will not save you.

​Understanding the power of Knowing Jesus as your LORD and your Savior will give you strength and confidence when and where you need them, guidance and wisdom along the way, and eternal security.  Please, just do it.

These are exciting times in which we live!  But, we must be prepared and ‘endure to the end’ (most likely the end of the 5th Seal of Revelation) as Jesus said in Matthew 24.  And by all accounts, it would seem we are at that stage!

 

Part 6:  HOW ARE WE TO RESPOND IN THESE LAST DAYS?

We must Gird up for War. This is our calling.

This will not be popular nor will it be readily accepted by many postmodern believers, especially by the postmodern pastor, preacher and Bible teacher, but Jesus set this example for us:

JESUS CAME INTO THE WORLD.

  1. TO TESTIFY TO THE TRUTH. John 18:37, “Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this purpose I have been born, and for this I have come into the world: to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to My voice.”  
  2. TO BRING A SWORD. Matthew 10:34, “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. Verse 35,For I came to TURN A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; verse 36, and A PERSON’S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD.”  
  3. TO FULFILL THE LAW. Matthew 5:17,“Do not presume that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill the Law and the Prophets.”    
  4. TO CALL SINNERS. Mark 2::17,“And hearing this, Jesus *said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”   
  5. TO SAVE THE WORLD. John 12:47, “If anyone hears My teachings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.”
  6. TO CAST FIRE & BRING DIVISION UPON THE EARTH. Luke 12:49,“I have come to cast fire upon the earth; and how I wish it were already kindled! Verse 50,  But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished! Verse 51, Do you think that I came to provide peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather to create division;  “  

“WHAT HE REALLY MEANT?”

Jesus has told us, in John 14:12, “Truly, truly I say to you, the one who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I am going to the Father. Verse 13. And whatever you ask in My name, this I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. Verse 14. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.”

I have heard so many preachers, bible teachers and detractors alike, try to justify or explain away these Words of Jesus because they just cannot fathom the gentle and sweet ‘dashboard Jesus’ saying such things as we find in the verses cited.  These same confused preachers really get tied in a knot over John 14:12.  They will begin their commentary of teaching it with, “what this really means is…”.

Jesus said what He meant and meant exactly what He said.  He is our model for our counter cultural resistance to the growing global threat of Communist-Marxist-Globalism, And we need to get on with it.

Jesus’ time on earth was spent fulfilling the purpose, and will of His Father (Matthew 5:19, Matthew 5:39). Jesus was on a singular mission (John 6 :38) and nothing would stand in the way of accomplishing that mission: “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Jesus had a divine appointment with a cruel Roman cross. Read what He said when Peter proposed to get in the way of His mission:

Matthew 16:21– 23, “From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day. Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You.”But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”

This is our Calling and our Mission: To be found doing as Jesus did and said:

GIRD UP YOUR LOINS. (YouTube video).

This is ‘forecast’ or what is Prophesied in the Bible.  It will occur.  It is underway.  You and I must BE PREPARED and doing as He has commanded

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

CONCURRENCE, Part 3

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

Revelation 1:1, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John, Verse 2, who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, everything that he saw. Verse 3. Blessed is the one who reads, and those who hear the words of the prophecy and keep the things which are written in it; for the time is near.”

The Book of The Revelation was written around 95 A.D.  Jesus had already ascended to the Father and had put the End of Days into motion.

Revelation, chapter 1, verses one through three tell us:

  1. This is a revealing by God to His Son, Jesus, so He could show us, His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place, which mean it will happen soon, and it will happen quickly. (This has to do with the speed with which something happens.)

2. This message and these words were communicated to John by His angel, who then testified to this word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, everything that he saw.

3. The time for the fulfillment of these things is near, which has to do with the passage of time; it is very soon; the time is near; the time is at hand! (this was as of A.D. 95).

Revelation 3:11, “I am coming quickly; hold firmly to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. Verse 12. The one who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name.”

John has testified and written what Jesus has announced:

1. Jesus words are actually a warning and a threat. He is saying that He is coming speedily, without warning, without delay, suddenly and by surprise.

Jesus warns, again, that His coming will occur as fast as ‘the blink of an eye’.  (Matthew 24:25), “Behold, I have told you in advance, if they say to you, ‘He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe them. For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man.”

The time to prepare is NOW. There will be no time to prepare in that day.

PLEASE NOTE: Please do not think that the Bible is saying, “that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day” in these verses, (found in 2 Peter 3:8). When Jesus said “Behold, I am coming quickly”, it is not His intention to say it could be a day, or it could be a thousand years. He is saying it could happen at any time. His coming is imminent.

“For a thousand years in Your sight Are like yesterday when it passes by, Or like a watch in the night”, found in 2 Peter 3:8, which is a reference to Psalm 90:4, is a reference to God’s POINT OF VIEW or FRAME OF REFERENCE and NOT a reference to the actual passage of a specific period of time.

He IS SAYING that that time has come. It is not coincidental that we find the Apostles teaching that ‘The Last Days’ had begun as early as A.D. 30:

There is, however, a sequence of events which must occur, in order, and may overlap in time:

Matthew 24:9. “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake.”

(This is so clear and in such plain language, I regret having to point it out:  “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death”.  So, “YOU  WILL BE DELIVERED UP TO TRIBULATION”.  How much more intense can this be, than being put to death for Jesus name’s sake? The tribulation, Seals 1 through 4 have been described as having started, by Jesus, Himself, in the year AD 30.)

Verse 10. “And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another.

(First – This is the hallmark of the Great Apostasy, found in these verses and 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4. Furthermore, “And then” translates from the Greek word, “tote”, in this case means of the future, also in consecution, i.e., the act of following, or the condition of being in a series; that which is consecutive; succession; sequence.

 (Secondly – “fall away” is the Greek word ‘skandalizó’ and means to entrap, i.e., trip up (figuratively, stumble) or entice to sin, apostasy or displeasure).

This is further explained in the following verses and can also be found in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4. For more detail see“Has the Great Apostasy begun?”)

Verse 11.  And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. Verse 12. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. Verse 13. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. Verse 14. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

(Verses 11 through 14 give us a major time line identifier through a concurrence of events: (1) many false prophets will arise and lead many astray; (2) lawlessness will be increased; (3) the love of many will grow cold.)

(“The one who endures to the end”, must be kept in context of the surrounding verses.  So, the one who endures to the end of these events – Which Events? – The tribulation seals ONE through FIVE)

(“And then the end will come”.  Once again, this is clear, plain, face-value language. After these first FIVE TRIBULATION SEALS, which began in or around AD 30, and have continued progressively to overlap and gain in intensity, THE END WILL COME.)

Matthew 24:29, says, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light.”

(Perhaps it would be a good idea to read this verse again. It begins with “IMMEDIATELY AFTER the tribulation of those days”.  This is rich with information.

( “The tribulation of THOSE DAYS” are the days from around A.D. 30 through the current day; This includes tribulation Seals ONE through FIVE.)

(“Immediately after the tribulation of those days”, should explain itself.  But, just in case, let me say, “THOSE DAYS” refers to the days already discussed (tribulation Seals One through Five). 

Now , Jesus is moving our attention to what follows the first 5 Seals of the tribulation:  THE SIXTH SEAL.)

(“The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light” is also found in Revelation 6:12-16, and uses the exact language.  It is the SIXTH SEAL of the tribulation, which is yet a FUTURE EVENT.)

NOTE:  ANYONE, SUCH AS THE ‘PRETERSITS’ , WHO SUGGESTS OR SAY THAT THESE VERSES ARE SIMPLY METAPHORICAL OR HAVE ALREADY OCCURED AND WILL NOT PLAY OUT AS DESCRIBED, ARE FALSE PROPHETS, FALSE TEACHERS AND ARE AIDING THE SPIRIT OF THE ANTICHRIST. (Other places in Revelation, you will find metaphors, allegories, imagery and similes to describe what was indescribable, such as, “The Lamb of God” to describe Jesus, “The Dragon” to describe Satan, or “The Four Beasts” to describe Satan, Babylon and Lucifer. The reader must learn to distinguish the difference.)

Many protestant pastors, preachers and Bible teachers adhere firmly to the John Nelson Darby version of the pre-tribulation rapture. These people with good intentions and most are good men and women, yet, they are sorely misinformed; or, perhaps, some are lazy in their study of scriptures or they could be ignorant about what scriptures say and mean. None-the-less, they are guilty of false teaching and of teaching a false prophecy. (I know this sounds harsh and perhaps even arrogant, please forgive me. But this matter is so very urgent that I believe strongs words and a stronger empasis is needed.)

What I have described is generally known as the Pre-Tribulation, Pre-Wrath Rapture of the Church. Here is a link and several videos and teachings explaining the Pre-Tribulation Pre Wrath Rapture of the Church. PLEASE watch.

Please hear me, friends. Things are getting worse, even as I write this, and, things are going to get a lot worse as the time of the Rapture (The 6th Tribulation Seal) draws near.  You and I need to prepare, both Spiritually and physically, for these difficult times.

I have presented the Spiritual side of the coming day of the Great Tribulation and of the coming day of God’s Wrath in this article.

 Please go to these links, “New World Order”, also, “Agenda-21, Cover of the U.N., One World Government”, and Agenda 2030, find the physical and earthly manifestation of this cosmic battle and of the spirit of anti-Christ, which is already at work.

The Bible tells us to be ready, for we do not know the day nor the hour when the Lord will return, and if you did know, you would be on the alert, “and would not have allowed your house to be broken into”. For the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.

In conclusion, let me ask you, if you knew a hurricane or a major destructive storm was coming, what would you do to get ready?  (Please answer this.  Make a short list using these lines).  I would:

1.

2.                                                                                                                              

3.                                                                                                                              

4.                                                                                                                              

Well, A Major ‘Storm’ is Arriving as I write these words.  We must be ready!

 Your Brother and Friend

 Mike Young

Additional resource:  When does the 7 Years begin?

PS:  What we should be doing while we expectantly await His Return to take us to our Eternal Home?:

IMPORTANT FOOTNOTE:  Don’t be deceived.  There is only ONE Second Coming of Christ.  There will be only ONE Rapture.  There will be only ONE Armageddon.

Know your Bible.  Know the sequence.  Be Ready, found doing as He has said.  Endure to the end and be saved !!

The 2nd Advent of Christ (the second coming of Jesus) is one event which can be seen from TWO PERSPECTIVES:  One perspective as seen from the earth;  the other perspective, from John’s prophetic vision, is seen as it unfolds  – a Spiritual and Heavenly perspective!

Look at it this way:   When Hurricane Irma hit the U.S. it was a category 5 storm;  As Irma progressed up the peninsula of Florida, it became a category 4 storm;  then as it entered Alabama it became a category 3 storm;  and finally as it entered Georgia, Irma became a tropical storm; and later as it entered Tennessee, it became a rain event.

To those in the various states which hurricane Irma entered, it would have appeared to them that Irma might have been 5 different storms, occurring consecutively; first a Category 5 storm, then, a Category 4 storm, then, a Category 3 hurricane, then, a Tropical storm, and, finally, a rain event.  But if viewed “From Above” it was ONE CONTINUOUS STORM, progressively unfolding to its conclusion.

SO IT IS WITH THE ‘LAST DAYS’ AND THE 2nd COMING OF JESUS as seen in the breaking of the ‘Seven Seals of the Book’ as recorded in Revelation chapters 5,6,7 and 8; although, the breaking of each Seal may seem like seven different events, if viewed “from above” it is ONE CONTINUOUS EVENT (eschatological STORM), progressively unfolding to its conclusion.

  • Breaking of the 6th Seal of the Tribulation,
  • The beginning of the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord,
  • The beginning of Daniel’s 70th Week also known as the final 7 years of the Great Tribulation,
  • Jesus’ SECOND ADVENT,
  • The Rapture of the Church,
  • The heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True,
  • From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and
  • He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty

Why does it matter?

  • Jesus tells us that it matters because we must ‘endure to the end’ and know the sequence of events will help us to ‘not lose heart and faint’.
  • The apostle Paul tells us that it matters, because “God takes no pleasure in the one who shrinks back”, and knowing that our ‘salvation draw near’ will help us endure to the end.
  • Jesus tells us it matters and that we must stay alert be found doing what He has commanded when He returns, or we may be “assigned a place with the hypocrites”. Knowing the day is near will help us stay focused and ready for His return.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

NEXT – Part 4: THE PROPHECY – Past, Present & Future Fulfillment.

Additional Reading:

THE END OF THE AGE?

THE JOURNEY TOWARD PERFECTION – Prophecy, World History, The Tribulation.

 

PERFECTION – Chapter 18 – Science says

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

 SCIENCE SAYS

“NO”.

IS NATURE WARNING US?

  • Red Alerts – Arctic Lands Grow Greener.
  • Scientist Find Record Warm Water in Antarctica, Cause of Glacier Melt.
  • Sea Level Rise could Reshape the United States, Trigger Migration.
  • Climate researchers can now detect the fingerprint of global warming in daily weather observations at the global scale.
  • Groundwater depletion in America’s West.
  • Climate warming disrupts tree seed production.
  • Climate warming, speeding up earth’s ocean currents.
  • A worldwide push toward One World Government (Globalism).
  • Worldwide anarchy, wars and rumors of war.
  • Climate changes of historic proportions.
  • Strange new and threatening diseases.
  • Global Pandemics.
  • Droughts, famines and increasing frequency of earthquakes.

With all that is going on in the news, it is easy to overlook a recent article appeared on a Fox News feed, (excerpts)

“The Arctic is figuratively and literally on fire — it’s warming much faster than we thought it would in response to rising levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, and this warming is leading to a rapid meltdown and increase in wildfires,” University of Michigan environmental school dean Jonathan Overpeck, a climate scientist, said in an email.”

“The record warming in Siberia is a warning sign of major proportions,” Overpeck wrote.

“Persistently warm weather, especially if coupled with wildfires, causes permafrost to thaw faster, which in turn exacerbates global warming by releasing large amounts of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that’s 28 times stronger than carbon dioxide, said Katey Walter Anthony, a University of Alaska Fairbanks expert on methane release from frozen Arctic soil.”

“Methane escaping from permafrost thaw sites enters the atmosphere and circulates around the globe,” she said. “Methane that originates in the Arctic does not stay in the Arctic. It has global ramifications.”

“That seems to weaken and sometimes even stall the jet stream, meaning weather systems such as those bringing extreme heat or rain can stay parked over places for days on end, Cohen said.”

FEAR-MONGERING or FACT?

The weather channel has an article saying “A new study has found the Gulf Stream is circulating at its slowest rate in at least 1,600 years, contradicting reports to the contrary. Climate change is to blame for the slowdown, the study concluded. If the circulation stops completely, it would have catastrophic impacts on our weather.”

The article briefly states that “some scientists who weren’t involved in the study agreed with the findings, but others said a lack of data left them skeptical of the study. MIT professor Carl Wunsch said the study’s “assertions of weakening are conceivable, but unsupported by any data” in an interview with the AP.

“A separate study, also released in the journal “Nature“, claims the 150-year slowdown of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, (AMOC). is a result of natural changes, not man-made climate change. But both conclude the slowdown is occurring, and it could impact our weather in the coming years.”

Most leftist Politicians, liberal politically-progressive scientists and meteorologists like to blame humans and modern technology for the variations in the weather and climatological changes, pronouncing these meteorological variations as a dooms-day for earth. They have alternately called it ‘global warming’ or ‘climate change’, predicting catastrophic effects for the earth and humanity.

Their solution, of course, is to limit technology, raise taxes, redistribute nation’s wealth to underdeveloped countries, implement Socialist-Marxist ideologies and practices of the U.N.’s “Agenda-2030”. It is the Socialist-Marxist’s grandest plan of subterfuge, deceit and lies.

Because their doctrines and belief systems forbid it, they exclude two-thousand-year-old warnings from the Bible about the weather:

 A 2000-YEAR-OLD WEATHER FORECAST:

Revelation 7:1, says, “After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind would blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree.”

Here is an example of the manifest effects of God’s judgment on the world, through nature and what would happen if the winds stopped blowing, (and the Bible says, at a given and specific point, the winds are going to stop blowing):

“It would rarely rain in inland locations (wind moves moist air over dry spots and falls as rain). All land not near a body of water would turn into a desert.

“There would be more extreme temperatures (the warm/cold air over the ground would not be replaced by the steady temperature air of the oceans and seas).

“The trade winds would no longer exist, and ocean stream currents would eventually stop. This would to serious climate changes. (The Gulf Stream keeps Europe warm).”

“After a few days the problem arrives. Without wind systems, warm, moist air won’t move around. Water might still evaporate, but it won’t travel, meaning anywhere away from a large body of water will dry up. Lakes might be alright as the evaporating water will fall back into them and the sea will be fine but anywhere else will get very dry, very quickly. Plants, animals and humans will slowly die from dehydration with most water inaccessible as salt water or ice. Even if we survive this, the problems don’t stop. The equator will no longer shed its heat as quickly, so it will become very warm, mountains may remain cool enough to be habitable but nowhere else will. At the same time, the poles, deprived of heat from the equator, will freeze solid.”

A reminder:

The Purpose of God’s Eternal Plan is Perfection.  He is maturing and perfecting His people into His image, ultimately to live in Perfect harmony with Him and with one another, in a New and Perfect heaven and earth.

Each and every chapter, verse and word in the Bible, when viewed within this context of  God’s Eternal Plan of Perfection, begins to make perfect sense.

Previous Chapter:  PERFECTION – Chapter 17 – The Natural Order.

Next Chapter coming: PERFECTION – Chapter 19 – “GOD Says – The Bible Says”

(Go here for the complete Online Digital Book: THE JOURNEY TO PERFECTION

THE JOURNEY TO PERFECTION.pdf