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.

MARK OF THE BEAST

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

Seemingly, the most popular and most prevelant view of “the Mark of the Beast” is some sort of a seal for the followers of Antichrist and the false prophet (the spokesperson for the Antichrist). The false prophet (the second beast) is the one who causes people to take this mark. The mark is literally placed in the hand or forehead and is not simply a card someone carries.

“Recent breakthroughs in medical implant chip and RFID technologies have increased interest in the Mark of the Beast spoken of in Revelation chapter 13. It is possible that the technology we are seeing today represents the beginning stages of what may eventually be used as the mark of the beast. It is important to realize that a medical implant chip is not the mark of the beast. The mark of the beast will be something given only to those who worship the Antichrist. Having a medical or financial microchip inserted into your right hand or forehead is not the mark of the beast. The mark of the beast will be an end-times identification required by the Antichrist in order to buy or sell, and it will be given only to those who worship the Antichrist.

“Many good expositors of Revelation differ widely as to the exact nature of the mark of the beast. Besides the implanted chip view, other speculations include an ID card, a microchip, a barcode that is tattooed into the skin, or simply a mark that identifies someone as being faithful to the Antichrist’s kingdom. This last view requires the least speculation, since it does not add any more information to what the Bible gives us. In other words, any of these things are possible, but at the same time they are all speculations. We should not spend a lot of time speculating on the precise detail”.  (GotQuestions.org)

A common erroneous perception and is that this “MARK” will be available before the “tribulation period”* begins and before the “Rapture”* occurs, so everyone, including professing Christians will have to make a decision about taking this “MARK”.

I will show the reader, in the next several pages, the Biblcial facts (not suppositions or denominational presuppositions)

 1.  The WHAT, WHEN AND WHERE of the “Mark of The Beast”.

 2.  Anyone on earth after the mid point of the Great Tribulation cannot be saved

 3.  The Mark of the Beast will come much later than you might have previously thought

The main passage in the Bible that mentions the “Mark of The Beast” is Revelation 13:15-18. Other references can be found in Revelation 14:9, 11, 15:2, 16:2, 19:20, and 20:4 but, we need to start at the beginning.  Please, bear with me and read to the end.

THE TRIBULATION JUDGMENT SEALS

(As I have written on many times *The tribulation of the “Last Days” began in or around A.D. 1 and have continued progressively until this day.  It would appear that we are experiencing an intensification of the 5th tribulation seal).

The First Seal—Rider on White Horse

      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.” 2I 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—War

      

      3  When He broke the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come.” 4And 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

      

      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. 6And 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

      7When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come.” 8I 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

      

      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; 10and 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?” 11And 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

      

      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; 13and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. 14The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. 15Then 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; 16and 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; 17for 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. 2And 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, 3saying, “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

      

      4  And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:

5from the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand, from the tribe of Gad twelve thousand, 6from the tribe of Asher twelve thousand, from the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand, from the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand, 7from the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand, from the tribe of Levi twelve thousand, from the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand, 8from the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand, from the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand, from the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand were sealed.



*A Multitude from the Tribulation



 1.  (As found in the Bible, there is only one second advent of Christ, there is no secret 2nd appearing. 

 2.  As found in Matthew 24:29  “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.

 3.  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.

 4.  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.“

There is only ONE example of “a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; 10and they cry out with a loud voice, saying,
 “Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”  This is the Church, raptured, and in heaven”.

      Revelation 7:9  After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; 10and they cry out with a loud voice, saying,
      

“Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” 11And 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, 12saying,
 “Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”
      

      Verse 13. “Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?” Verse 14. I said to him, “My lord, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

      Verse 15. “For this reason, they are before the throne of God; and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them. Verse 16. “They will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any heat; Verse 17. for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”

The Seventh Seal—the Trumpets

Revelation 8:1 says, “When the Lamb broke the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. Verse 2. And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.
      

Verse 3. “Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, so that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne. Verse 4. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel’s hand. Verse 5. Then the angel took the censer and filled it with the fire of the altar, and threw it to the earth; and there followed peals of thunder and sounds and flashes of lightning and an earthquake.

THE TRIBULATION JUDGMENT TRUMPETS

      Verse 6. “And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound them.
      Verse 7. “The first sounded, and there came hail and fire, mixed with blood, and they were thrown to the earth; and a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.
       Verse 8.  “The second angel sounded, and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea; and a third of the sea became blood, Verse 9. and a third of the creatures which were in the sea and had life, died; and a third of the ships were destroyed.
      Verse 10. “The third angel sounded, and a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of waters. Verse 11. The name of the star is called Wormwood; and a third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the waters, because they were made bitter.
      Verse 12. “The fourth angel sounded, and a third of the sun and a third of the moon and a third of the stars were struck, so that a third of them would be darkened and the day would not shine for a third of it, and the night in the same way.
      Verse 13. ” Then I looked, and I heard an eagle flying in midheaven, saying with a loud voice, “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!”

The Fifth Trumpet—the Bottomless Pit

Revelation 9:1 Then the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and the key of the bottomless pit was given to him. Verse 2.  He opened the bottomless pit, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit. Verse 3. Then out of the smoke came locusts upon the earth, and power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power. Verse 4. They were told not to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. Verse 5. And they were not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment for five months; and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a man. Verse 6. And in those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death flees from them.     

Verse 7.  “The appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle; and on their heads appeared to be crowns like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. Verse 8. They had hair like the hair of women, and their teeth were like the teeth of lions. Verse 9. They had breastplates like breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, of many horses rushing to battle. Verse 10. They have tails like scorpions, and stings; and in their tails is their power to hurt men for five months. Verse 11. They have as king over them, the angel of the abyss; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek he has the name Apollyon.

      Verse 12/ The first woe (Bowl) is past; behold, two woes are still coming after these things.




The Sixth Trumpet—Army from the East—Mid-Point of The Great Tribulation

      

      Verse 13. Then the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, Verse 14. one saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” Verse 15. And the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released, so that they would kill a third of mankind. Verse 16. The number of the armies of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them. Verse 17. And this is how I saw in the vision the horses and those who sat on them: the riders had breastplates the color of fire and of hyacinth and of brimstone; and the heads of the horses are like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths proceed fire and smoke and brimstone. Verse 18.  A third of mankind was killed by these three plagues, by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which proceeded out of their mouths. Verse 19. For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents and have heads, and with them they do harm.

     Revelation 10:20 – The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; (v21) and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts.

NOTE:  No one will be saved after this point; after the midpoint of the Great Tribulation.

The Two Witnesses

      Revelation 11:1 Then there was given me a measuring rod like a staff; and someone said, “Get up and measure the temple of God and the altar, and those who worship in it.

Verse 2. “Leave out the court which is outside the temple and do not measure it, for it has been given to the nations; and they will tread under foot the holy city for forty-two months.

Verse 3. “And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.”

Verse 4. “These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. verse 5. And if anyone wants to harm them, fire flows out of their mouth and devours their enemies; so if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way. verse 6. These have the power to shut up the sky, so that rain will not fall during the days of their prophesying; and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire.

      Verse 7. “When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them. verse 8. And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which mystically is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. Verse 9. Those from the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations will look at their dead bodies for three and a half days, and will not permit their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb. verse 10. And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and celebrate; and they will send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.

      Verse 11. But after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God came into them, and they stood on their feet; and great fear fell upon those who were watching them. verse 12. And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” Then they went up into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies watched them. verse13. And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell; seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

      Verse 14.  The second woe is past;  behold, the third woe is coming quickly.




The Seventh Trumpet is Sounded—Christ’s Reign Foreseen



Revelation11:15 says,  “Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.”
verse 16. And the twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, verse 17. saying, “We give You thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who were, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign.

Verse 18. “And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth.”

Verse 19. And the temple of God which is in heaven was opened; and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple, and there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder and an earthquake and a great hailstorm.”

The Woman, Israel

      Revelation 12:1 says, “A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; verse 2. and she was with child; and she cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth.

The Red Dragon, Satan 


      Verse 3.  “Then another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems. verse 4. And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child.




The Male Child, Christ

      

      Verse 5.  “And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne. verse 6. Then the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, so that there she would be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days.




The Angel, Michael

      

      Verse 7.  “And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war, verse 8. and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. Verse 9. And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. Verse 10. Then I 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 brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night.

Verse 11. “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.

Verse 12.“For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time.”

Verse 13. “And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. Verse 14. But the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, so that she could fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. Verse 15. And the serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood. Verse 16. But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and drank up the river which the dragon poured out of his mouth. Verse 17. So the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.

The Beast from the Sea—Between the 7th Trumpet and the 1st Bowl

Revelation 13:1 says,  “And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore.
      Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names. Verse 2.  And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority. Verse 3.  I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast; Verse 4. they worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?” Verse 5. There was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him. Verse 6. And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven.

      Verse 7.  “It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him. Verse 8. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain. Verse 9. If anyone has an ear, let him hear. Verse 10. If anyone is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; if anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints.


The Beast from the Earth

      

      Verse 11.  “Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke as a dragon. Verse 12. He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. Verse 13. He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men.”

     Verse 14.  “And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life.

NOTE:  The placement and timing of Revelation 13:15-17 and the Mark of the Beast occurs AFTER the 6th Tribulation Woe (Bowl) which is at the Mid Point of the final 7 years of the Great Tribulation period (aka, Daniel’s 70th Week).

Revelation 13:15 – And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed. verse 16. And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, verse 17. and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name.

Verse 18. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six.

The Lamb and the 144,000 on Mount Zion

      Revelation 14:1  Then I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads. Verse 2. And I heard a voice from heaven, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder, and the voice which I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps. Verse 3. And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one could learn the song except the one hundred and forty-four thousand who had been purchased from the earth. Verse 4. These are the ones who have not been defiled with women, for they have kept themselves chaste. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These have been purchased from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb. Verse 5. And no lie was found in their mouth; they are blameless.”

      Verse 6. “And I saw another angel flying in midheaven, having an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people; 7and he said with a loud voice, “Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters.”

      Verse 8. “And another angel, a second one, followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who has made all the nations drink of the wine of the passion of her immorality.”



Doom for Worshipers of the Beast

      

      Verse 9.  Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, Verse 10. he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.

      Verse 11. “And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.”

      Verse 12.  “Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.

      Verse 13.  “And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, “Write, ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!’” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them.”



The Judgment Reapers

      

      Verse 14. “Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud was one like a son of man, having a golden crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand. Verse 15. And another angel came out of the temple, crying out with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, “Put in your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe.” Verse 16. Then He who sat on the cloud swung His sickle over the earth, and the earth was reaped.


      Verse 17. “And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle. Verse 18. Then another angel, the one who has power over fire, came out from the altar; and he called with a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Put in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, because her grapes are ripe.”

Verse 19.  “So the angel swung his sickle to the earth and gathered the clusters from the vine of the earth, and threw them into the great wine press of the wrath of God. 20And the wine press was trodden outside the city, and blood came out from the wine press, up to the horses’ bridles, for a distance of two hundred miles.

THE TRIBULATION JUDGMENT BOWLS

A Scene of Heaven

      Revelation 15:1 says,  “Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels who had seven plagues, which are the last, because in them the wrath of God is finished.
      Verse 2.  “And I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, holding harps of God.

      Verse 3. And they sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying,


            
      “Great and marvelous are Your works,
 O Lord God, the Almighty;
 Righteous and true are Your ways,
 King of the nations!

      Verse 4.  “Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name?
 For You alone are holy;
 For ALL THE NATIONS WILL COME AND WORSHIP BEFORE YOU,
 FOR YOUR RIGHTEOUS ACTS HAVE BEEN REVEALED.”

      Verse 5.  After these things I looked, and the temple of the tabernacle of testimony in heaven was opened, 6and the seven angels who had the seven plagues came out of the temple, clothed in linen, clean and bright, and girded around their chests with golden sashes. Verse 7. Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever. Verse 8. And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power; and no one was able to enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished

 1.  The “Last Days” began around AD 1

 2.  The first through the fourth tribulation seals have been progressively broken since AD 1 and are overlapping.

 3.  The Fifth Tribulation seal is now being broken and all the events of the 5th seal have been manifest except the revealing of the ‘man of lawlessness’, which is the antichrist.

4.  The Sixth Seal will mark

      • The the final 7 years of the Great Tribulation Period
      • Cosmic disturbances, darkned sun, blood moon
      • Sealing of the 144,000
      • The Rapture
      • Multitude from the tribulation before the Throne of God

5.  The antichrist will require people take “The Mark of the Beast” sometime after the 6th Trumpet or between the 6th Trumpet and the 1st Bowl judgment.

Unless you would endure the horrors of the Great Tribulation period, now is the time to accept Christ Jesus as your Lord and your Savior.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

Link to more on this matter, The Antichrist and the Mark of the Beast

FOOTNOTES

Revelation 13:7
and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name.

Revelation 14:11
“And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.”

Revelation 16:2
So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth; and it became a loathsome and malignant sore on the people who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image.

Revelation 19:20
And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone.

Revelation 20:4
Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

IMAGINE

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

#I.   IMAGINE with me, if you will, standing in the community square, talking with neighbors on just another ordinary, sunny day, when suddenly there is a rumbling beneath your feet. Then, without warning, the skies turn dark. You are blinded by a flash of light in the heavens. Then a deafening sound cracks above you, and thunder continues as a roar with an intensity that shakes you and your surroundings.

But this is only the beginning of this living terror. Drops of water, the size of which you have never experienced, slowly begin to crash into and all around you. Water begins to rise on your feet and within minutes you are knee deep in angry swirling flood waters.

A fierce wind begins to blow and spray the surging waters. Your mind is in a panic. You search frantically for your family and look about for high ground. The waters are now shoulder-deep and lifting you off the ground.

Your mind flashes back to a warning you had heard, but had ignored: “A flood is coming”.  No one had ever heard of such a thing. It was as ridiculous as it was fantastic.

All the fountains of the great deep burst open, and the floodgates of the sky were opened. The rain is falling upon the earth.  You scan the horizon for Noah’s Ark.

You think, with deep sorrow and panic, “If I had just believed, I could have been saved”. It’s too late, the waters overcome you. You are lost.

Then God said, (Genesis 9:11). “I establish My covenant with you; and all flesh shall never again be cut off by the water of the flood, neither shall there again be a flood to destroy the earth.” 12God said, “This is the sign of the covenant which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all successive generations; 13I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth. 14“It shall come about, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow will be seen in the cloud, 15and I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and never again shall the water become a flood to destroy all flesh”

The date is now sometime after Sunday, December 6, 2020.

#II.  IMAGINE with me if you will, that you are talking with a neighbor on what appears to be just another ordinary, sunny day, when suddenly, there is a great earthquake; and the sun becomes black, and the whole moon became like blood; and asteroids and meteorites fall to the earth, like a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. The sky appears to split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island are moved out of their places. (Revelation 6:12-14)



Then, hail and fire, mixed with blood fall to the earth; and a third of the earth is burned with fire, and a third of the trees are being burned, and all the green grass is burned.

Something which looks like a mountain, burning with fire falls into the sea; and a third of the sea becomes blood, and a third of the creatures in the sea, die; and a third of all the world’s ships are destroyed.

A great meteor falls from heaven, burning like a torch, and it falls on a third of the rivers and on the springs of waters. The name of the star is called Wormwood; and a third of the waters become wormwood, and many men died from the waters, because they were made bitter.

A third of the sun and a third of the moon and a third of the stars are struck, so that a third of them would are darkened and the day does not shine for a third of it, and the night in the same way.

Then you look, and hear a loud voice in the heavens saying, “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth”. (Revelation 8:7-12)

Your mind flashes back to a warning you had heard, but had ignored: “A Great Tribulation and the ‘End of Days’ is coming”. No one had ever heard of such a thing. It was as ridiculous as it was fantastic.

You think, with deep sorrow and panic, “If I had just believed, I could have been saved”. But, it’s too late, the terror overcomes you. You are lost.

Are the examples ridiculous and too fantastic to believe?

Please consider this: The odds against – yes, AGAINST – Jesus Christ having fulfilled just 48 of the over 450 prophecies written about Him, is a ratio of 1 to 100,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. (This is 1 to 10 to the 157th power)

To give you a perspective, electrons are very small objects. They are smaller than atoms. It would take 2.5 TIMES 10 to the 15th power of them, laid side by side, to make a strand one inch long.

Even if we counted 250 of these electrons each minute, and counted day and night, it would still take 19 million years just to count a line of electrons one-inch long. 19 MILLION YEARS!

These “IMAGINE” stories are not just ‘stories’.  These are real events which have been proven by the incredible accuracy of God’s Prophetic Word.

IMAGINE #1 has already come to pass.  IMAGINE #2 is at our doorstep.

I pray that you take them as seriously as they are given.

An Urgent Prophetic Word

Is Another Kind of Flood Coming?

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

BIBLE PROPHECY HAS COME TO PASS

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

 

 

This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the Prophet:

The odds of 1 to 100, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000 is 1 to 10 to the 157th power)

These are the odds against – yes, AGAINST – Jesus Christ having fulfilled just 48 of the over 450 prophecies written about Him.

In order to give you some perspective, electrons are very small objects. They’re smaller than atoms. It would take 2.5 TIMES 10 to the 15th power of them, laid side by side, to make one inch. Even if we counted 250 of these electrons each minute, and counted day and night, it would still take 19 million years just to count a line of electrons one-inch long.  19 MILLION YEARS!

Read that again, please.  Why is that significant?

It is significant because it gives us evidence that the Bible is true and correct when it says that Christ Jesus came to earth and is the Savior of the world.

It gives YOU evidence, if you choose to pay attention, that your life can be eternal with the only LIFE source which gives eternal Peace, Safety, Security, Joy and fulfillment the universe has ever known or ever will know.

Just think about it: It is a scientific and a mathematical impossibility that HAS COME TO PASS! 

No odds can defy the REALITY of Jesus Christ

Despite the mathematical probabilities, the greatest and most definitive proof is that Jesus Christ lived on our earth – and the world has never been the same! He proved the Word of God, in living colors. The entire world admitted it as true. Now, over two thousand years later, and the sacrifice of His life and the cost of millions of other Christ followers’ lives to bring this Good News to you, you would dare stand in judgement of Him and His Word – the Bible? Is that simple ignorance? Gross hubris? Or is it the pinnacle of arrogance? Either way, it is dangerous to your quality of life now, and fatal in eternity. Please, just consider the facts, and if that falls short, use faith!

So, here we stand at the PRECIPICE.  Only a few prophecies are yet to be fulfilled.

This is the “final yard”, so to speak. But, it is going to be the FINAL and the TOUGHEST of eschatological yards. Some so-called theologians or Bible teachers say, “It’s already happened”. 


Some theologians or Bible teachers say “It won’t happen”


But, the evidence says, “It is in the process of happening”.


LOOK AT WHAT HAS ALREADY OCCURRED:

Matthew 24:3 As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”
Verse 4. And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. Verse 5. “For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many. Verse 6. “You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end, Verse 7, for nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. Verse 8. “But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.
Verse 9. “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. Verse 10. “At that time, many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. Verse 11. “Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. Verse 12. “Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold. Verse 13. “But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. Verse 14. “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.”

LOOK AT WHAT IS COMING, SOON, and VERY SOON:

Matthew 24:29 “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, and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.”

Are you ready?

Do you know what to do in preparation?

Is another type of flood coming?

Your Brother and Friend

Mike Young

GRACE

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment


χάριτί – chariti

Grace:  A gift or blessing brought to man by Jesus Christ; favor, gratitude, thanks, a favor, kindness.

It was the bottom of the ninth inning, the score is 4 – 1 in favor of the away team.

Little Johnny, of the home team, watches the next pitch cross the plate – the umpire cries, “STEEEEE-RIKE”! The count is now 3 balls, 2 strikes, with two men out and the bases are loaded.



The hefty twelve-year-old pitcher rubs the baseball with his bare hands, adjusts his cap, leans forward and eyes the catcher for a signal. The batter, eleven-year-old Johnny, takes a couple of slow, rhythmic practice swings and eyes the gap in between center field and right field.

  The pitcher winds up and fires a fastball dead center to the catcher’s mitt.  Johnny sees the gift of a fastball and doesn’t hesitate.  He throws his weight into his swing and connects with the baseball in the sweet spot of his bat – CRACK!  The ball soars toward right-center field, up, up and away it sails, over the fence for a grand slam home run! The home team wins 5 – 4 and the crowd goes wild!!



Johnny is so excited he runs straight to the dugout to the congratulations of his team.  A few minutes pass and the umpire reluctantly calls Johnny OUT for running out of the baselines. The crowd is stunned, moans and calls the umpire ‘unfair’. But, to no avail. The game would end in a tie.

You see, even your best efforts can go unrewarded if you don’t finish!

*I just now, read this story to my wife, Betty. She looked at me like she had bitten into a lemon! “Ewwwww. That’s awful! That’s depressing. I don’t like that at all.”

I agree with her, it is awful and depressing – and dumb!

So it can be with God’s Grace.  It is not enough that God extends His Amazing Grace to us if we don’t respond to Him, the results are awful and depressing.

There is a “cheap grace” being preached in some churches now-a-days. Dietrich Bonhoeffer said it this way, 

“Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves.  Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism, without church discipline, Communions without confess.  Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.”

“Cheap grace” costs nothing, it is easy to do and has little lasting value.

God’s Grace, on the other hand is costly but the results and permanent, eternal and AMAZING!

Now, The Rest of the Story,,,

Johnny’s coach and team plead with the umpire to change his mind. Still, to no avail. His call stood.  Johnny was called out and the score is 4 – 4.

Then Johnny, with a sad expression, a tear in his eye and cap in his hand, humbled himself and admitted to the umpire that in his excitement he had forgotten the ‘baseline rule’.   “I am out”, he admitted.



Johnny turned to his coach, the team and the people in the stands and said, “I messed up. Don’t blame the umpire. Blame me. I am sorry.”



The ump glanced at the away-team coach. The away-team coach looked at his players. The away-team, in unison, cried out, “Aw come on ump! Give ‘em a break! Let him run the bases!!”

The crowds in the stands stood to their feet and applauded for both teams as Johnny rounded the bases. The home team won the game 5-4 with an asterisk, because GRACE matters!

Ephesians 2:8 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”

What should be our response to God’s Amazing Gift of Grace? The Bible says, “That we should walk in His Works”.

GOD’S GRACE is His gift to you and to me.  But, there is a response found in the Bible that tells us how we get from where we are to “there”:

 1.  YOU MUST BELIEVE:

Romans 10:4 “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
      5″ For Moses writes that the man who practices the righteousness which is based on law shall live by that righteousness. 6But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: “DO NOT SAY IN YOUR HEART, ‘WHO WILL ASCEND INTO HEAVEN?’ (that is, to bring Christ down), 7or ‘WHO WILL DESCEND INTO THE ABYSS?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).”
8 “But what does it say? “THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, 9that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;

10 “for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness…”

2.  YOU MUST CONFESS

Romans 10:10 “…and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

11 For the Scripture says, “WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; 13 for “WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.”

3.  YOU MUST REPENT

Matthew 4:17. “From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

4.  YOU MUST RECEIVE

Hebrews 4:16 ”Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

5.  YOU MUST FOLLOW

Matthew 16:24  “Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. 25 “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”

6.  YOU MUST OBEY

Matthew 14:23. “Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. 24“He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me.

Matthew 8:51. “Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he will never see death.”

Matthew 7:21. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22“Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23“And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’

7.  YOU MUST GO

Mathew 28:18. “And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

“Cheap grace” is like a gift that goes unopened and lies dormant beneath the Christmas tree.  That would be sad, and like Betty said, “Ewwww. That’s awful. That’s depressing!” 

TAKE THE GIFT AND OPEN IT! NOW, REJOICE!

Let’s all receive God’s Gift of Grace and live amazed!

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

THE UNSEEN WAR

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

Feeling inspired or convicted from a sermon had become a rare thing for me.  Especially for that conviction or inspiration to last for weeks at a time.  But, to weep from a sermon had become nonexistent, until lately.

I encourage you to listen to the video below, absorb it and then act!

Daniel 10:1 – Daniel 11:1
Pastor Trent Casto, Covenant Church of Naples, FL – PCA                              (Excerpt reprinted, with permission)



“We are engaged in a cosmic spiritual conflict that has been raining for ages, and the events we see playing out in our world are reflections of the unseen war taking place in the heavenly places.”



“We see the effects of this spiritual conflict playing out in the world all around us. Governments are telling churches they cannot meet for worship in person, Christians are telling pastors they will leave the church if they have to wear a mask. Pastors are leaving their churches because of the extraordinary pressure and levels of conflict occurring in this season. Our news and newsfeeds are filled with so much disinformation that few people know who they can really trust, effectively unraveling the very fabric of our society.



“Real racism is a present reality as is real injustice in the halls of power.  Kids are committing suicide at an alarming rate. Depression and anxiety feel like the norm for our teens, rather than the exception. Human trafficking, the pornography industry and legalized abortion have ravaged countless lives. Of course, responsible human agents are involved in all these situations, but Christians must not forget that these are also the effects of the unseen war that is raging.

“Only when we understand the true nature of our conflict in this world can we engage in it appropriately and effectively. The Apostle Paul writes, in Ephesians 6:12…”

(For the message only, click on the video above here.  For the entire church service, click on the image below here)

What shall we do?

        1. We need a hunger for God
        2. We need a Fresh Vision, Word and Touch form God
        3. We need an Unshakable Confidence in God

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

I pray that ‘the LORD bless you, and keep us;  The LORD make His face shine on us, And be gracious to us;  The LORD lift up His countenance on us,  And give us peace.’

 

THE BUMMER LAMB

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

Every once in a while, a ewe will give birth to a lamb and reject it. There are many reasons she may do this. If the lamb is returned to the ewe, the mother may even kick the poor animal away. Once a ewe rejects one of her lambs, she will never change her mind.

These little lambs will hang their heads so low that it looks like something is wrong with its neck. Their spirit is broken.

These lambs are called “bummer lambs.” Unless the shepherd intervenes, that lamb will die, rejected and alone. So, do you know what the shepherd does?

He takes that rejected little one into his home, hand-feeds it and keep it warm by the fire. He will wrap it up with blankets and hold it to his chest so the bummer can hear his heartbeat. Once the lamb is strong enough, the shepherd will place it back in the field with the rest of the flock.

But that sheep never forgets how the shepherd cared for him when his mother rejected him. When the shepherd calls for the flock, guess who runs to him first?
That is right, the bummer sheep. He knows his voice intimately.

It is not that the bummer lamb is loved more, it just knows intimately the one who loves it.

It’s not that it is loved more, it just believes it because it has experienced that love one on one.

So many of us are bummer lambs, rejected and broken. Go to almost any church in your area, and you can find scores of these lambs. People show up, shake hands at the appointed time and then leave after an hour or so of religious lectures, entertaining music and announcements – having been alone in a crowd.

The pastor will greet a few with a brief head nod and a smile and then after doing this ‘pastoral public relations duty’ he goes to hang out with his favorite “sheep” away from the flock. The other lambs, inwardly, hang their head and think, “Oh, well. Maybe someday”.

Why should any child of God have to settle for this?

“Prophesy and say to those shepherds, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Woe, shepherds who have been feeding themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock?

“You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat sheep without feeding the flock.

“Those who are sickly you have not strengthened, the diseased you have not healed, the broken you have not bound up, the scattered you have not brought back, nor have you sought for the lost; but with force and with severity you have dominated them.

“They were scattered for lack of a shepherd, and they became food for every beast of the field and were scattered.

“My flock wandered through all the mountains and on every high hill; My flock was scattered over all the surface of the earth, and there was no one to search or seek for them.”’”

“Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: “As I live,” declares the Lord God, “surely because My flock has become a prey, My flock has even become food for all the beasts of the field for lack of a shepherd, and My shepherds did not search for My flock, but rather the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock;

“Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will demand My sheep from them and make them cease from feeding sheep. So th shepherds will not feed themselves anymore, but I will deliver My flock from their mouth, so that they will not be food for them.”’”

I know that Jesus is the good Shepherd and that He cares for our every need and holds us close to His heart, so we can hear His heartbeat. I know that the broken are deeply loved by the True Shepherd, but, until that day when we are with Him, those who take on the name of “pastor” have a covenant duty, to care for His Sheep!

May God Bless and strengthen you faithful shepherds who watch over, care for, love and feed His Flock, day after day – caring for even the most needy and least lovely.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

(adapted)

Experience God’s Will

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

Romans 12:2 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Have you heard this ‘funny definition’ of Insanity: “Doing the same thing over and over, but expecting different results.”  I guess it is sort of funny, but because it bears so much practical truth, it’s really not that funny, especially if you are struggling with an issue. Sometimes it seems, the harder we try, the worse it gets. We might have success for a while, but then we slip back into the same old patterns. We try to lose weight, or we try to stop a habit, over and over and over, we keep using the same old methods, and nothing changes, permanently.

But, since “there is nothing new under the sun” what NEW thing can you expect? That “there is nothing new” has been said by a lot of different people, as a sort of sigh of resignation. But the phrase actually comes from the bible. Ecclesiastes 1:9 says, “That which has been is that which will be, And that which has been done is that which will be done. So there is nothing new under the sun.”

So, how do I change what I am doing if it is all anyone has ever known or if it is what people have always done? And, it is what everyone is always teaching? And the results are always the same?

How can change what I know, so I may KNOW AND EXPERIENCE GOD’S WILL? Again, the Bible says to “…be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

The 1st Life Truth:  To know and Experience God’s Will for your life is to DO RIGHT as a constant of your life.

The 2nd Life Truth: To know and Experience God’s Will for your life is to BE TRANSFORMED BY RENEWING YOUR MIND.

If you really want to know and experience GOD’S WILL for your life, you have to know it won’t come easy. The farther you want to go with God and the more you want to know of God, the more it will require of you.

– WARNING –

ONLY THE MATURE AND SINCERE SHOULD PROCEED BEYOND THIS POINT

“Be transformed by the renewing of your mind”.

The word “transformed”, here, comes from the Aramaic Greek in the bible, ‘metamorphoo’ from which we get the English word, metamorphosis. It more literally means to ‘change into another form, or transfigure’. It means to become something you are not so you can be conformed to the WILL OF GOD. (Sounds like something from a science fiction movie, doesn’t it?)`

Renewing your mind is a renewal, a renovation, and a complete change for the better. It is synonymous with a new birth; a regeneration, referring to God’s act of causing the sinner to pass from the death of sin into spiritual life in Christ.

This renewal of your mind is a continuous process through which you become more fully Christ-like, in which process you are a worker together with God.

To KNOW GOD’S WILL for my life, I must

(1) DO RIGHT as a constant in my life, and

2) Undergo a metamorphosis. I must become irreversibly transformed by the renewing of my mind.

Are you kidding? Are we saying I have to DO this to KNOW GOD’S WILL for my life?

The answer is, YES. A thousand times, YES! You can no more KNOW and EXPERIENCE GOD’S WILL for your life without

      • intending to DO RIGHT as a constant in your life and by

      • BEING TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND

than you can think without a brain, see without eyes or walk without legs and feet.

Anything less than DOING RIGHT as a constant in your life, and BEING TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND is just a good try at the same old thing you’ve always done. It’s insanity.

Before we move on to the next Truth, I can just hear someone asking these two questions:

(1) Are you saying I have to DO something in order to be saved? (The answer to that is NO. Salvation a free gift of God. We are saved by His Grace through our faith in Christ. Not be works)

(2) Are you saying I have to be ‘perfect’ to know God’s Will for my life? (The answer to that is NO. We are told to strive toward ‘perfection in Christ’, “be perfect even as I Am perfect”. And God’s perfection or maturity is our aim. But, we will stumble, so we have the provision of confession, repentance and God’s forgiveness to see us along our way. But, our heart’s desire is to attain to God’s perfection.

In fact, read 1 John 1: 8-10, “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.

1 John 2:1-6, continues, saying, “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;  and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.

“By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him;  but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him:   the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.”

Please hear me when I say that this is not a lecture or a sermon. It is not a platitude or an experiment in spiritual matters. THIS IS THE TRUTH. WE WOULD DO WELL TO TAKE HEED.

IF YOU WANT TO KNOW AND EXPERIENCE GOD’S PERFECT WILL IN YOUR LIFE:

  • DO RIGHT as a constant in your life

  • BE TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND, that you may prove what THE WILL OF GOD IS, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Click this text for the next article, we will see what and how the Bible says we shall DO RIGHT and BE TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF OUR MINDS.

It is a discipline. Very few will attempt it. Fewer yet will finish and succeed. But the few who do will KNOW AND EXPERIENCE THE WILL OF GOD IN THEIR LIFE. An experience unparalleled in this lifetime.

Until then, let’s Remain in His Grip!

Your brother and friend,

Mike Young

Knowing God’s Will

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

 

It is recognizing and continually doing God’s Will in the course of my life that determines the outcome of His Will for my life.

Do you ever wonder about “The Will of God for your life” or for your life’s circumstances?

I frequently hear people say “I want to know the will of God” when making important or difficult decisions or trying to find their way out of difficult or trying situations.

I often hear people finish their prayers with “IF it is your will” as a polite guess.  You get the sense that a person who prays this way is saying, “I really don’t know Your Will, God, but, here’s what I think” as if we can bring God to our point of view.

Or is it a reluctance because the person praying feels like they are imposing on God?

I see some folks wearing a rubber bracelet or sporting a sticker which reads “WWJD?” (What would Jesus do?) I guess that is supposed to make us stop and think about what He would do before we make important decisions or misbehave?

My experience has been that most people, including MOST preachers, are not ready to give a definitive answer to this all important question for their lives: “What is God’s Will for my life” or in this situation?

The phrase “the will of God” and “God’s will” is used a total of twenty-five times in the Bible (“The Authorized version”).

The frequency of the use of a word or phrase in the Bible potentially tells us is the importance or uniqueness of that word or idea communicated by that word or phrase.

But, regardless of the frequency of this phrase, I would say that the “Will of God” is a pretty important idea.

Here is a novel idea, “why not use the Bible to decide what God says about GOD’S Will and go with that”?

Here are four instances of the twenty-five occurrences of the phrase “God’s Will” from the Bible where the Bible clearly explains God’s Will:

        • 1 Peter 2:15 “For such is the will of God, that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men.”
        • Romans 12:2 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”
        • 1 Thessalonians 4:3 “For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality;”
        • 1 Thessalonians 5:18 “in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Do you want to see the power of God’s Word and His Spirit work for good in your life? Does using these three verses sound too simple? Well, you can expand on these verses. But, just try these for a start.

        • DO RIGHT.
        • RENEW YOUR MIND TO THAT WHICH IS GOOD AND ACCEPTABLE AND PERFECT
        • ABSTAIN FROM SEXUAL IMMORALITY.
        • IN EVERYTHING, GIVE THANKS

Interesting, huh? God’s Will produces a life that is RIGHT, GOOD, ACCEPTABLE, PERFECT and produces THANKSGIVING. Isn’t that what you want for every circumstance in your life?

Think about it.

Also, it is almost impossible to escape from these three ideals in your daily living.

Let’s look at the first requisite for God’s Will in your life: DO RIGHT.

We are constantly faced with the opportunity to DO RIGHT. The choices usually come in the form of a temptation, whether mild or severe.

      • “Should I clean up my mess before I leave?”
      • “Should I buy that new car?”
      • “Should we go to church this Sunday?”
      • “Should I take the petty cash for my personal use?”
      • “Should I pay what I owe or spend my money on something I would enjoy?”
      • “Should I carry on that flirtatious relationship, even though I am married?”

We somehow have the idea that “God’s Will” for my life is unique for MY needs or wants.

It is recognizing and continually doing God’s Will in the course of my life that determines the outcome of His Will for my life.

God’s Will for my life doesn’t just kick in when things get tough or when I need something. God’s Will for my life is a constant.

Another way of looking at God’s Will for my life is that I wouldn’t need to ask (“what is God’s Will for my life) regarding the various circumstances if I have been doing His Will for my life all along. That is, have I been DOING RIGHT all along?

Here’s another great example: A friend asked me and my wife if she should continue dating a certain man she had met because she wasn’t sure of God’s Will. She says she is looking for a husband.

We asked her to tell us about this man. Turns out this man is married (separated) from a difficult and unfaithful woman with whom he has children.

“So” I said, “he is a married man, fighting with his wife and dating around in front of his children? And you have been dating this man? And you want to know God’s Will regarding this matter?”

In other words, do you want a life that is RIGHT, GOOD, ACCEPTABLE, PERFECT and produces THANKSGIVING? Isn’t that what you want for every circumstance in your life?

To which she replied, “Yes, but, I am lonely”.

Yeah? That can be tough. But, the question isn’t ‘how do you feel today’ but DO YOU WANT GOD’S WILL FOR YOUR LIFE? Then,

1. DO RIGHT.

2. RENEW YOUR MIND TO THAT WHICH IS GOOD AND ACCEPTABLE AND PERFECT.

3. ABSTAIN FROM SEXUAL IMMORALITY.

4, IN EVERYTHING, GIVE THANKS.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

Mike and Betty Valentines 2018.jpg

(Click here for more on KNOWING and EXPERIENCING GOD’S WILL FOR YOUR LIFE.

COVID-19 VACCINE?

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

There are several pharmaceutical companies vying to produce a Covid-19 Vaccine.  One has emerged as a potential leader, AstraZeneca, but not without controversy and serious ethical issues.

This webpage, titled, THE CULLING OF THE HUMAN RACE BEGINS: See the Horrifying Ingredients in AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 Vaccine with attached video.

The culling of the human race begins. (see the horrifying ingredients in astrazenecas covid-19 vaccine).

Secondly, this next video is ‘homemade’ and taken from a FB page.  It is informative, but, watch and then do your own research of the information provided. Consult with a medical professional. Decide for yourself.

But, do watch it, for your own welfare.

Facebook.com-messenger.

Finally, here is an article from The Catholic News Agency, dealing with the reports that the leading contender as a Covid-19 vaccine which is being produced by AstraZeneca, containing cells from an aborted male fetus. (a British–Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical company with its headquarters in Cambridge, England.   AstraZeneca has a portfolio of products for major disease areas including cancer, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, infection, neuroscience, respiratory and inflammation. (Wikipedia))

Catholic news agency.com news.  The coronavirus vaccine made from fetal cells.

(This website and it’s author and owner neither confirms nor denies the accuracy of the information contained in the featured video. It is presented for informational purposes only.)

LOOK BACK in order to see THE FUTURE?

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

Can we learn from past prophecies?

The prophecies from Ezekiel are specifically for Israel and should not be applied to any other specific future Nation, state or people. The book of Ezekiel does, however, contain prophecies relating to the Last Days and The Great and Terrible Day of the Lord.

Since we are now well into the Last Days, and it would appear we are approaching the breaking of the 6th Seal, the Great and Terrible Days of God’s Wrath, America and all Christians would do well to take heed.

We can learn from God’s methods and ways of punishing evil, rebellion and disobedience toward Him. We can learn about God’s continuing mercy and loving kindness toward those who come to Him in humility and surrender.

(Notice the eerie similarities of the imagery of eagles, nations, rebellion and punishment used in relation to Israel around 593 BC and 571 BC, in comparison to contemporary America. Although not written specifically to America nor about America, the similarities are striking and God’s methods are consistent).

Parable of Two Eagles and a Vine

Ezekiel 17: 1  “Now the word of the LORD came to me saying, 2“Son of man, propound a riddle and speak a parable to the house of Israel,

V3 saying, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “A great eagle with great wings, long pinions and a full plumage of many colors came to Lebanon and took away the top of the cedar. 4“He plucked off the topmost of its young twigs and brought it to a land of merchants; he set it in a city of traders. 5“He also took some of the seed of the land and planted it in fertile soil. He placed it beside abundant waters; he set it like a willow. 6“Then it sprouted and became a low, spreading vine with its branches turned toward him, but its roots remained under it. So it became a vine and yielded shoots and sent out branches.

 7“But there was another great eagle with great wings and much plumage; and behold, this vine bent its roots toward him and sent out its branches toward him from the beds where it was planted, that he might water it. 8“It was planted in good soil beside abundant waters, that it might yield branches and bear fruit and become a splendid vine.”’ 9“Say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “Will it thrive? Will he not pull up its roots and cut off its fruit, so that it withers—so that all its sprouting leaves wither? And neither by great strength nor by many people can it be raised from its roots again. 10“Behold, though it is planted, will it thrive? Will it not completely wither as soon as the east wind strikes it—wither on the beds where it grew?”’”



Zedekiah’s Rebellion

      

11Moreover, the word of the LORD came to me, saying, V12 “Say now to the rebellious house, ‘Do you not know what these things mean?’ Say, ‘Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, took its king and princes and brought them to him in Babylon. 13‘He took one of the royal family and made a covenant with him, putting him under oath. He also took away the mighty of the land, 14that the kingdom might be in subjection, not exalting itself, but keeping his covenant that it might continue. 15‘But he rebelled against him by sending his envoys to Egypt that they might give him horses and many troops. Will he succeed? Will he who does such things escape? Can he indeed break the covenant and escape? 16‘As I live,’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘Surely in the country of the king who put him on the throne, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke, in Babylon he shall die. 17‘Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company will not help him in the war, when they cast up ramps and build siege walls to cut off many lives. 18‘Now he despised the oath by breaking the covenant, and behold, he pledged his allegiance, yet did all these things; he shall not escape.’” 19Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, “As I live, surely My oath which he despised and My covenant which he broke, I will inflict on his head. 20“I will spread My net over him, and he will be caught in My snare. Then I will bring him to Babylon and enter into judgment with him there regarding the unfaithful act which he has committed against Me. 21“All the choice men in all his troops will fall by the sword, and the survivors will be scattered to every wind; and you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken.”
      22Thus says the Lord GOD, “I will also take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar and set it out; I will pluck from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one and I will plant it on a high and lofty mountain. 23“On the high mountain of Israel I will plant it, that it may bring forth boughs and bear fruit and become a stately cedar. And birds of every kind will nest under it; they will nest in the shade of its branches. 24“All the trees of the field will know that I am the LORD; I bring down the high tree, exalt the low tree, dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish. I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will perform it.”

A summary of this prophecy tells us of God’s method throughout history:

I.     “I will plant it: “After the failure of the two great eagles to make a success of establishing the state of Israel under their extensive and powerful patronage, God says, I myself (emphatic) will plant it upon a high mountain where it will grow and be conspicuous and attract the birds of the air to shelter under its protection.” (Taylor)

II.    Under it will dwell birds of every sort: “All nations, the Gentiles as well as the Jews, shall build, breed, and multiply under the kingdom of Christ; it shall be no more confined to the Jews, but extend to the Gentiles also. There they shall find peace and safety; and this repeated confirms the certainty of the promise.” (Poole)

III.   All the trees of the field shall know that I, the LORD, have brought down the high tree and exalted the low tree: Through God’s dealing with kings such as Zedekiah, and His future work through the Messiah, God would exalt Himself among all the nations.
“God is governing, and there is no escape from Him. Eagles, and vines, are under His control. Happy are they who frame their policies by consulting Him, and order their ways in fear.” (Morgan)

IV.    Brought the high tree down: “Look over history, and you will see that everything gigantic in stature and colossal in dimensions, whatsoever has been great to human apprehension, grasping at earthly fame, has become an object for God’s penetrating arrows, and a subject for his withering blight.” (Spurgeon)

V.     Exalted the low tree: “You remember Joseph in the dungeon, Israel in Egypt, Hannah in the family of Elkanah, David when Samuel would have passed him by, Hezekiah when Sennacherib rebuked him. Are not all these instances of God exalting the low tree?” (Spurgeon)

VI.    Yahweh remains sovereign over history. When his people experience calamity, his hand is in it. When foreign nations sweep down on them, they come as his agents. No nation has ever become so powerful that he cannot bring it down in a moment; and no people is so low that he cannot exalt it.” (Block)
VII. “The chapter began with judgment and punishment; it ends with mercy and grace. The dethroned and blind Zedekiah is overshadowed by God’s King who is full of power and glory. Kingdoms are but the lengthened shadows of kings.” (Feinberg)

VII.   “The chapter began with judgment and punishment; it ends with mercy and grace. The dethroned and blind Zedekiah is overshadowed by God’s King who is full of power and glory. Kingdoms are but the lengthened shadows of kings.” (Feinberg)

Read these Judgments and Mercies of God and know that He is God and you can find safety as His own child and be at peace.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

THE LAST DAYS – Part 2

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Are we living in the LAST DAYS?

I have been writing on this matter for about 13 years.  I am amazed at how times have ‘suddenly changed’ from speculative to appearing alarmingly realistic as the LAST DAYS.

I have been saying, for over 13 years now, that scriptures clearly tell us that the LAST DAYS began in or around AD 1, and that the DAYS OF DISTRESS, also known by names such as the tribulation, end of days, times of trouble.  

I have been saying, for 13 years now, that over these past 2,000 years we have seen and are seeing the progressive opening / breaking of the first 5 Tribulation Seals.

The Last Days

When do the final 7 years begin?

There are others saying these things, but they are the minority – until now. Now we are seeing more clearly.

One substantial example of this ‘awakening’ can be found on a video sermon / teaching by pastor John Piper.

(John Piper is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. He has served as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, for more than thirty years. He is author of more than fifty books, and his sermons, articles, books, and more are available free of charge at desiringGod.org.)



Piper begins his teaching on the subject of “How to Live in History’s Last Days” taken from 1 Peter 4:7 – 9, Reading verse, 1 Peter4:7 “The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.”, Piper asks, “What does that mean? “The end of all things is at hand.” That was 2,000 years ago.

“The end of all things, (as found) in the New Testament, (is) the period of time that begins with the coming of the Messiah (His birth) and ends at the second coming (Matthew 24:29-31) .”

(John Piper video sermon on: “How We Should Live In These Last Days”:  Below)

      • 1 Peter 1:20 “For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you.”
      • Acts 2:16-17. “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.
      • Hebrews 1:1-2. “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, v2 in these last days has spoken to us [b]in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.
      • Hebrews 9:26, “Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
      • 2 Peter 3:3, “Know this, first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, 4and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming?”

      • The Apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians 10:11, tells us, “Now these things happened to them as an example and warning [to us]; they were written for our instruction [to admonish and equip us], upon whom the ends of the ages have come.”

2.  How Should We Live in These Last Days?

Should we hunker down? Dig in? Hide away? Run to a mountain retreat with stockpile of food, water and weapons?


1 Peter 4:7-9 “The end of all things is near; therefore,

      • be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of [b]prayer.
      • Verse 8. Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.
      • Be hospitable to one another without complaint.
      • Verse 10. As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
      • Verse 11. Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God;
      • whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

 

3.  What should we expect in these Last Days?

      • 1 Peter 4:12 “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; 13 but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. 14 If you are reviled or the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.

      • Verse 15. “Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; 16 but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name.

      • Verse 17. “For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God;”

The LAST DAYS began with the birth of Christ. The 5th Seal is being broken / has been broken. The final Seal (The 6th Seal, The Great and Terrible Day of the Lord) will happen next.

In order to ‘be saved’, you and I must “endure to the end” and we shall overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the Word of our Testimony!

So, fear not! It is written in His Blood and by His Breath and cannot be amended. Now, let’s get this thing finished and be ready to meet Him in the air!

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

Other important pre-tribulation Pre-Wrath sources:

THE GREATEST VICTORY

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

THE GREATEST VICTORY

Jesus tells the *Churches, that until the breaking of the 6th Tribulation Seal, they must OVERCOME. This term, “OVERCOMES”, is used 7 times in Revelation chapters 2 and 3. (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 26, Revelation 3:5, 12, 21)

*(Note: “The Churches” referred to by Jesus are the Followers of Christ – You and Me)

DO AND BE

The following are the verses from Revelation which tells us, The Church, what we are to DO and to BE while we wait for His return.  (This is what we are to DO with what we know and in preparation for His return.)

1.  THE VERSE: Revelation 2:7 ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.’
To him who overcomes, Jesus made these promises – but what does this “Overcomer”, overcome?

OVERCOME: We usually think of overcoming in dramatic terms of overcoming sin and in spiritual warfare, but here Jesus is speaking of overcoming coldness of heart and lack of love marked by leaving their first love of Jesus.

THE PROMISE: I will give to eat from the tree of life: The promise for these “Overcomers” was a return to Eden, a restoration to God’s Presence, and eternal life. This was meant, first in the eternal sense of making it to heaven, which was no small promise to a people threatened with the removal of Jesus’ presence.
It is also meant in the sense of seeing the effects of the curse cancelled in our own lives though Jesus’ redeeming act of love.

2.  THE VERSE: Revelation 2:11 ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.’

OVERCOME: He who overcomes: Those who overcome the threat of persecution, and the presence of persecution.
We might say that we overcome by our close association with Jesus, but, it is that very association that brings both persecution and salvation. Jesus is the ultimate “Overcomer”, as He says, In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.

THE PROMISE: Shall not be hurt by the second death: Those who overcome by the power and presence of Jesus within them, will never be hurt by the second death. The second death is hell, the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14 and 21:8). Though Satan will threaten and attack your life, Jesus promises His “Overcomers” that death is conquered for them.

THE VERSE: Revelation 2:17 ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him 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 but he who receives it.’

OVERCOMES: To him who overcomes: The one who overcomes this spirit of accommodation to false teaching and living will receive hidden manna. This is God’s perfect provision, the true bread from heaven (John 6:35).

THE PROMISE: And I will give him a white stone: In the ancient world, the use of a white stone had many associations. A white stone could be a ticket to a banquet, a sign of friendship, evidence of having been counted, or as a sign of acquittal in a court of law. Jesus may have any one of these meanings in mind, but at the very least we know that it has the assurance of blessing.

THE VERSE: Revelation 2:26-29 ‘He who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, TO HIM I WILL GIVE AUTHORITY OVER THE NATIONS; AND HE SHALL RULE THEM WITH A ROD OF IRON, AS THE VESSELS OF THE POTTER ARE BROKEN TO PIECES, as I also have received authority from My Father and I will give him the morning star. ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

OVERCOMES: He who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end: Even when there is the immoral and idolatrous influence of a Jezebel, Christians can overcome and keep Jesus’ works until the end. We must not become overly discouraged at immorality and idolatry around us, even among Christians. God’s work will still go on through His “Overcomers”.

THE PROMISE: To him I will give power over the nations: Jesus promised that His people will reign with Him. Here, there is a special promise to those who overcome the threat of immorality and idolatry. To them, Jesus offered a share in His own kingdom. “The word for ‘rule’ (Gr. poimanei) means literally ‘to shepherd.’ Their rule will not be simply that of executing judgment, but also that of administering mercy and direction.”
Jesus offered them a reward greater than the kingdom. He offered them the reward of Himself, because He is the Morning Star (Revelation 22:28).

THE VERSE: Revelation 3:5 ‘He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.

OVERCOMES: He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments: Jesus identified the “Overcomers” with those few names who have not defiled their garments (Revelation 3:4). These “Overcomers” would wear white garments, received from Jesus.

THE PROMISES: Jesus explained the absolute necessity of this being clothed by God with His garments of purity and righteousness in His parable of the wedding feast (Matthew 22:11-14).

Real righteousness is receiving God’s covering instead of trying to cover ourselves. Adam and Eve tried to cover their own sin (Genesis 3:7) but God provided them with a covering that came from sacrifice (Genesis 3:21).
“I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life”: By this, the “Overcomers” were assured of their heavenly citizenship. In the ancient world, death or a criminal conviction could blot out the name of an ancient citizen from the city’s book of the living, which was the city register.

But I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels: This was an amazing promise. It simply makes sense that we should be willing to confess the name of Jesus, but it is amazing that He would not be ashamed to confess us!

THE VERSE: Revelation 3:12 ‘He 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.”

OVERCOMES: He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar:

THE PROMISE: “Overcomers” were told that they would be as a pillar in the temple of My God. Pillars were pictures of strength, stability, and dignified beauty.
He shall go out no more. The “Overcomer” would have a place of permanence and stability with God, in contrast to an uncertain place in this world.
I will write on him the name of My God… I will write on him My new name: The “Overcomer” also received many names – of God, the New Jerusalem, and the new name of Jesus. These names are marks of identification because they show who we belong to. They are marks of intimacy, because they show we are privileged to know Him in ways others are not.

THE VERSE: Revelation 3:21 ‘He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.”

OVERCOMES: To him who overcomes: Jesus’ promise to the “Overcomer”, even at Laodicea, showed that we don’t have to be Christians who are compromising and lukewarm. If we are, we can change and become one of Jesus’ overcomers.

THE PROMISE: I will grant to sit with Me on My throne: Those who overcome the battle against indifference, compromise, and self-reliance, receive a special reward. They enjoy a place with the enthroned Jesus (as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne).

THE VERSE: Revelation 21:5 “And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.” 6 Then He said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost.
7 “He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son.
8 “But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

OVERCOMES: Jesus is telling you and me, His Followers, that WE Must “Endure to the end”.

THE PROMISE: We shall “Overcome” and we have the Victory!

Jesus tells us the can know the “seasons”, so now we know WHERE ARE WE IN HIS “TIME”!

Peter validates, in Acts 2:14-21 that “the beginning of birth pangs”, that is the breaking of the tribulation Seals one began in AD 1 – and the successive breaking of seals two through five have been ongoing to this day – We are now seeing the Breaking of the 5th Tribulation Seal and the Church must Endure to its completion.

With the coming day of the Breaking of the 6th seal we will see…

  • Jesus’ return ‘in the sky and gather His elect from the four corners of the earth’
  • God will seal the 144,000 from the Tribes of Israel
  • The Church Raptured and all Believers will be standing at the Throne of God, clothed in the white robes.
  • God’s succeeding Judgments poured out on earth
  • Jesus and His armies defeat Satan.

WHAT IS NEXT? (click link)

Jesus is telling you and me, His Followers that WE Must “Endure to the end”, WE must “Overcome”. We are now in those days!

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

THE GREAT SQUEEZE

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

“What do you get when you squeeze an orange?”

Answer: Orange juice

“What do you get when you squeeze a  lemon?”

Answer: Lemon juice

“What do you get when you ‘squeeze’ a Christian?”

Answer: Whatever is “inside them”

God chooses to use the stress of trials in our lives to develop perseverance. We know that because the book of James 1 says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you face trials of many kinds”. This is the same phraseology as found in 1 Peter, interestingly—“because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.”

God uses the stress of trials to prove the quality of our faith which results in praise, glory and honor of Christ., in 1 Peter 1:6. says, “In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, verse 7, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;”

God uses distress to purge, purify and refine us and to give us understanding in these Last Days. Daniel 12:1, says, “Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; 10 “Many will be purged, purified and refined, but the wicked will act wickedly; and none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand.”

Jesus has told us these things would occur.  Pandemics, anarchy, terrorism, diseases, wars and threats of wars…

the 1st Tribulation Seal  –  Global conquest and political intrigue

the 2nd Tribulation Seal –  Wars and Rumors of War

the 3rd Tribulation Seal  –  Famine

the 4th Tribulation Seal  –  Death

the 5th Tribulation Seal  –  Martyrs, persecution, Anti-Christ, falling away

WE ARE BEING SQUEEZED – WHAT IS COMING OUT OF YOU?

The stress of these days are part of God’s plan, in order:

        • To give us perseverance
        • To prepare us as His Bride for His return
        • To prove our faith
        • To purge, purify and to refine us
        • To give us insight and understanding

Take heart, friends, and pray that the fruit of the Spirit will pour out of you and out of each one of us,as we wait for His return!!

HE IS COMING SOON!

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

Truth for Life, Pastor Alistair Begg:  God’s Faithfulness in Affliction, Pt 2, November 23, 2020

THE GREATEST PRIORITY

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

Most of my adult life, I have been tasked with setting priorities and making and prioritizing choices. I would like to give you three examples and see what you think.  (Read to the end to see the spiritual application).

1. Business Priorities

I have been in the business of running an insurance agency, dealing with agents, customers and insurance companies. In order to be efficient and successful, setting priorities was very important. I had to decide who serve first, our agents, our companies or our customers.

A. My choice was to always serve the customer first. They were my top priority.

How did I decide this? (a). Nobody got paid until the customer bought something. And, in order to have a loyal customer, I had to make sure they got the best products, the best service and fair treatment. (b). Besides, ethically, it is the right thing because they had put their trust in me, my agents and my business.

Then came the question of the customer’s ‘wants and needs’. Customers (clients) would often say “I want such-and-such” but my evaluation suggested their “need was greater or less than their wants”. So, how did I decide what to sell my customer? Ask questions and seek a balance. I had to make sure they could afford the product and get the proper amount of coverage so the benefits could meet their survivor’s needs, if required.

B. Our agents were as important as our customers, but I had to place them in second place of priority.

How did I decide this? (a). Nobody got paid until our agents sold something; but that, notwithstanding, unless the customer bought, the agent could not make that sale. (b). I provided my agents training, good companies and good products and leads to customers so they could sell. There was a shared expense: my money and expertise, the agent’s sales abilities and expertise.

Then came the question of the agent’s ‘needs and wants’. Our agent’s wants almost always were greater than their needs, especially in the case of lower cost products and higher commissions. So, how did I decide what to give our agents? Ask questions and seek a balance. I had to make sure they could sell our products and make enough money to support themselves their families and have money left over; in other words, so they could make a great living.

C. Our Companies were very important to our success, our agent’s success and or our customer’s needs. But, they come in third.

How did I decide this?

(a). The companies were well financed, had great leadership and were experts at dealing with risk, money, agents, agencies and the insurance buying public. Insurance companies know how to take care of themselves.

(b). I needed to find companies who would meet our market and marketing demographics,

(c) who would partner with us and

(d). Had great products and great commission structures.

Then came the question of the Company’s ‘needs and wants’. I had to decide if the company’s products and sales support was sufficient for our agent’s and our agency to meet the minimum sale quotas and if we could reach levels of sales which would produce bonuses for our agent’s and our agency. 

How did I do this? By asking questions and finding a balance between the ‘needs and wants’ which would require commitment, loyalty and hard work.

Our Agency and our Agents held top spots in production, customer retention and personal incomes for many years. In other words, the holding the right priorities bring great results.

2. Youth Soccer coaching

The business of coaching and running a soccer team, dealing with parents, players and the Soccer organization or school was much like running a business. In order to be efficient and successful, setting priorities was very important. I had to decide a priority of whom to serve first, our players, the player’s parents or our organization.

As I thought about this, I realized coaching and running a team was similar to running a successful business. Good planning, the right priories and great results! Our teams consistently place in the top echelon of our programs and leagues.

THE CHURCH

3. Church Priorities

Many churches have adopted working business models over the last twenty-five years. And, my experience is that far too many churches and church leaders have modeled their priorities similar to that of a business.

I have been in the position as an Associate pastor in a small to medium-sized church as wells as running a small ministry, dealing with Christians and visitors, staff members and the corporate-political-organizational church.

In order to be efficient and successful, setting priorities was very important. I had to decide who to serve first, the church staff, the members and visitors or God’s Word.

A. My first choice is to always serve God and His Word. God and His Word are always top priority. This is not a difficult decision.

How did I decide this?

(a) The Bible instructs us to serve God first and only.

Leviticus 18:4 says, ‘You are to perform My judgments and keep My statutes, to live in accord with them; I am the LORD your God. Verse 5. ‘So you shall keep My statutes and My judgments, by which a man may live if he does them; I am the LORD.”

Matthew 4:8  says, “For it is written, ‘YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.’”

(b) The Bible instructs us that the Bible is a “Lamp unto our feet”, is without any error and is dependable.

Psalms 119:105, tells us, “Your word is a lamp to my feet
            And a light to my path.”

(c) Understanding what the Bible says and what the Bible requires, makes prioritizing clearer.

Joshua 1:8, says, “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.”

(d) By being faithful in my service to God.

 Psalms 119:106, says, “I have sworn, and I will confirm it,
That I will keep Your righteous ordinances.”

Matthew 25:21 says, “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’

Then comes the question of ‘wants and needs’.

A.  There really is no question here. I may have some preferential wants and supposed needs, but what God wants and needs (requires) of me is all that matters IF I WANT TO PLEASE HIM AND IF I WANT SUCCESS.

Joshua 1:8  says, “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.”

B. The Christian’s (The Church) priority, between worldly needs and wants / personal needs and wants, is always present. In the postmodern world, the church has become a consumer oriented. You can shop for the church of your choice, meeting your specific needs. So, how do you balance a Christian’s needs and wants versus God’s Word and His model for His Church?

How do I decide this?  There is only One choice. It’s all about God. His Word is perfect, and Jesus has already demonstrated the model. We follow Him and His Ways, so, I need to be a good and faithful servant to God, His ways, His methods and His plans.

So, the second priority is to God and His Word. Why? Because God always has His Priorities right. His priorities must be my priorities.

C. Priority of the Organizational church. There are duties and tasks in the ministry of organizing the Body-politic of the church. But, that is only for human convenience and efficiency. God’s Word directs us on our service to the organization structure.

How do I determine this? The third priority in ministry is the same as the FIRST PRIORITY and the SECOND PRIORITY: God and His Word – always.

GOD has already set all our priorities in order, whether in business, church, worship, sports, marriage, child rearing, social constructs, politics, matters of health, education, etc.

Priorities in Ministry to God, His Church and the ‘organizational church’ begin and end with God alone as priority. Then, He tells us:

  1. Sola scriptura: “Scripture alone”
  2. Sola fide: “faith alone”
  3. Sola gratia: “grace alone”
  4. Solo Christo: “Christ alone”
  5. Soli Deo gloria: “to the glory of God alone”
    (Gotquestions.org on the five Solas)

What have we learned?

 1.  God has set the standard and the priority and given us “The Model”, which is Jesus. Anything less is evil.  (Yes, I’ve said it:  Anything less is evil)

2.  Ministry to God and His Church cannot be compromised and must not be run as a business model because that just will not reach His Desired Results of making disciples who, in turn, make disciples for His Service and His Glory.

3.  Any deviation, any compromise is an abhorrent departure from God’s Perfect Ways, His Perfect Will, His Perfect Method and His Perfect Plan.

So, if you are ever in doubt: Just Don’t!

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

I am simply pointing out what God says will bring Him success in your service to Him.  You can do it your own way and think you have found a better way.  But, again, GOD SAYS, “There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.”  Proverbs 14:12.  So, you choose.

Knowing and Doing God’s Will

THE GREATEST LIE

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

What was the greatest lie every told?

Treated fairly, this question could spark an endless debate. That is, if it weren’t for this one lie: “Surely, you shall not die”.

¶ Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’? The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’”

The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

The Greatest of all lies was hidden in plain sight among what was true.
Deceiving all who will listen.  This is important to know.

This greatest of all LIES is still having a subtle yet widespread influence because it is still lurking, hiding behind what is true, waiting to infect.

Oswald Chambers reminds us that “Jesus Christ did not say, “Go and save souls” (the salvation of souls is the supernatural work of God), but He said, “Go…make disciples of all the nations….Yet you cannot make disciples unless you are a disciple yourself.”

Oswald Chambers is on the mark. I would like to add…

BEING A CHRISTIAN IS BEING A DISCIPLE.  You cannot be a Christian and not be a Disciple of Jesus.

Being a Disciple of Jesus is a Prophetic fulfillment and a supernatural act. You cannot be a Christian and escape the role and calling of a Disciple.

So, where does this lead?


You see, Jesus said Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations… —Matthew 28:19.  Jesus Christ did not say, “Go and save souls”, nor did He say
“put your major emphasis on a new building program”, or “get a vision that works” (for we all know we’ll perish without a good vision) nor did He say to go and “train staff members”.

These all may be good things, but He did not say these or a myriad of other very good things we attach to His command to “Go, therefore, and make disciples”.

 Everything we do as Christians, everything we do in the Church, everything we do in Jesus name, should culminate in the Great Commission: Making disciples of Jesus Christ.

Jesus calls all people unto Himself and tells us to take up our cross on follow Him. He shows us the way:

  • When Jesus was feeding the hungry: He was calling and making disciples.
  • When Jesus was healing the sick: He was calling and making disciples.
  • When Jesus was preaching the Gospel: He was calling and making disciples.
  • When Jesus was teaching the multitudes: He was calling and making disciples.

  • When Jesus was casting out demons: He was calling and making disciples.
  • When Jesus cared for the orphan and the widow: He was calling and making disciples.
  • When Jesus sent His disciples into the world: He told them to make disciples.
  • 
Disciples follow Jesus. Disciples do what Jesus does. Disciples make other disciples.


  • Disciples feed the hungry.
  • Disciples lay hands on the sick.
  • Disciples preach the Gospel.
  • Disciples teach the ways of Jesus.
  • Disciples cast out demons.
Disciples care for the orphan and the widow.
  • Disciples make disciples.

There have been many who followed Jesus for a time, but when it became apparent that it was not something they could do, they left Him. (John Scriptures tell us that many stopped following Him. They were never disciples. They were never Christians.

If you and I are disciples of Jesus who call ourselves Christians and we are doing things in addition to what Jesus does, that is good.

But, if we are not putting our emphasis on the things Jesus does, we err.

And, if we are not making disciples, we are not following Jesus because we are not His disciples and should not call ourselves Christians.

The greatest Lie ever told? “You surely shall not die.” But, we all know that is a lie. Being told that you can follow Jesus without doing what He said, is part of that lie.

“For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

But, then, you will die.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

“Though He slay me,
  I will hope in Him.
         Job 13:15