The Bridegroom and His Bride

A picture of Jesus and His Church
(Extract from harvardhouse.com)
Understanding ancient Jewish wedding practices makes the meaning of Scripture clear. The wedding is a picture of the covenant Jesus made and reveals His plans to return for His bride, the church. The people of ancient Israel understood what Jesus was going to do because they understood the model of the wedding. The analogy between a wedding and Christ and the Church is described in Ephesians 5:31-32.

Let me show you the practices of an ancient Jewish betrothal and wedding and how Jesus has fulfilled the betrothal portion of the wedding and how He may fulfil the remainder when He comes again for His bride, the church.

Playing Chess with the Devil

(Written by Todd Strandberg)
I have always been terrible at the game of chess. It's not that I don't understand how the game is played--I perfectly understand the rules and moves. The problem is my inability think ahead. If I make a move on the board that seems to be prudent, three moves later, it usually turns out to have been a fatal mistake.

When I play against a computer, I normally get beaten like a rented mule. The only way I've been able to win at the game is by cheating. I have one program that allows me to turn one of my pawns into an extra queen. Sadly, even with this unfair advantage, the devilish program still finds a way to overcome the shortfall and checkmate me.

Chess is often depicted as a sport for wimps, but this label is incorrect. A son once asked his dad why chess is not an Olympic game. His father’s response was brief and to the point: "Chess is not a noble sport. When you play chess, your object is to crush the opponent's mind. In today's world, a man's mind is his most precious commodity. Proving to your opponent that his most precious commodity is useless can be devastating for him."

Will the USA stab Israel in the back?

(from Bare Naked Islam)
BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA reportedly plans to stab Israel in the back by voting with Israel’s enemies at the UN

In keeping with the administration’s apparent strategy of alienating the one real ally his country has in the Middle East, reports are surfacing that Barack Hussein Obama is close to stabbing the Jewish state in the back in international diplomacy.

Breitbart  Several cabinet ministers inside Israel’s government claim that Obama has formally notified Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the U.S. may plan a major break in relations with the Jewish state.

The U.S. would reportedly start voting with Israel’s enemies at the United Nations if the Jewish state does not capitulate to various Obama administration diktats. Such demands would pose existential risks to the survival of the Jewish state, such that no elected Israeli leader could possibly accept them.

The Return Of The Medes

(Written by Jack Kelley)

"See, I will stir up against them the Medes, who do not care for silver and have no delight in gold. Their bows will strike down the young men; they will have no mercy on infants nor will they look with compassion on children. Babylon, the jewel of kingdoms, the glory of the Babylonians' pride, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah. She will never be inhabited or lived in through all generations; no Arab will pitch his tent there, no shepherd will rest his flocks there." (Isaiah 13:17-20)

 If you've been following the news in the Middle East, you know the Kurds are having a very difficult time lately.  Although the majority of Kurds are Muslim, the Islamic State considers them to be idolatrous and has threatened them with extinction.  An example of their plight is the city of Kobani on Syria's border with Turkey.  Surrounded on three sides by IS fighters, the Kurdish city desperately needs help.  But Turkey, whose army is camped just across the border on Kobani's fourth side, won't help because, for reasons you'll see below, they don't like the Kurds.  And since the Kurds have been on Syria's side against IS other countries won't help for fear of inadvertently helping Syria. This is the latest in a long line of struggles the Kurdish people have endured in their effort to reclaim the national identity and homeland they had in ancient times.

Are Roman Catholics Christians?

(Written by Matt Slick)

Are Roman Catholics Christians? They are if they have trusted in Jesus alone for the forgiveness of their sins. However, if they believe they are saved by God's grace and their works, then they are not saved--even if they believe their works are done by God's grace--since they then deny the sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice.

Being a Christian does not mean being a member of the Roman Catholic Church. It means being a member of the body of Christ, which is accomplished by faith and trust in Jesus alone for the forgiveness of your sins. It means you do not add your works to His work. Sincerity doesn't forgive sins. Membership in a church doesn't forgive sins. Doing works of penance doesn't forgive sins. Praying to Mary doesn't forgive sins. Forgiveness is received in the faithful trust and acceptance of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. You must trust Jesus, God in flesh, for the forgiveness of sins--not a man-made ritual and certainly not the catholic saints. Even though the Roman Catholic Church affirms the Trinity, the deity of Christ, and His physical resurrection, it greatly errors in its doctrine of salvation by adding works to salvation.

The Second Coming

(Written by Jack Kelley)
At the time of the 6th Bowl judgment, Satan will send 3 demonic emissaries with miraculous powers to persuade all the Kings of the Earth to gather their armies at Har Megiddo, known to us as Armageddon (Revelation 16:14). Mt. Megiddo overlooks the plains of Jezreel in central Israel, where the world's armies will come together for the battle of Jerusalem, less than 100 miles to the south. The anti-Christ will invade Israel and set up headquarters in Jerusalem (Daniel 11:41-45).

According to Zechariah ….the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city. (Zechariah 14:2)

Then the Lord will go out to fight against those nations as He fights in the day of battle (Zechariah 14:3).

In Revelation 16:14 John called this the battle on the great day of God Almighty, and it will all be over in less than one day. Jesus said, "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.” (Matthew 24:42) Let's see if we can piece the various scripture references together to make some sense of the chain of events.

The Connection between the 3rd and the 4th Trumpet

The Third Trumpet

Revelation 8:10-11

And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; and the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.

As the star enters our atmosphere, it begins to burn, to break up, affecting a very large area of land and especially the lakes, rivers and streams. This will cause a chemical change making the waters bitter. The star is called “wormwood.” Wormwood was a type of wood growing in the Middle East that had a very strong and bitter taste. The star is called wormwood because of the affect the star has on the water. It makes the water like wormwood, bitter, but it appears that while the wormwood is not poisonous, this star will poison the water because those who drink this water die. Thus one-third of the fresh water supply of the Earth is made unfit for human consumption.

The Condemnation of Israel

(Written by Tucker Whitaker)
Quite frankly, as a preacher-teacher of God’s Holy Word and a student of biblical eschatology, even though I am fully aware of end-time prophecies and God’s plans for the church, Israel, and the nations—I am sickened by the anti-Semitism which daily grows more virulent in the world. Merely about one month ago  in my article titled, “Anti-Semitism”  I established biblically Israel’s covenant right to exist in the land—which God promised to them for eternity. I will not here repeat that article, but invite you to revisit it, or read it for the first time.

In response to what is now thousands of rockets fired on Israel and its citizens by the terrorist organizations Hamas, and the Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) have made a military incursion into Gaza to eliminate that continued threat. In the most unusual display of humanitarianism in the annals of warfare, the IDF announced by telephone, and leaflets, where their airstrikes would take place, and since the incursion, have repeatedly warned civilians and non-combatants to move away from the areas of attack. Hamas however has given no such warnings of their rocket attacks on the citizens of Israel, and continually use their own women and children as human shields. For this incursion in defence of its citizens and sovereignty, the Nation State of Israel is being vilified around the world.

The Ultimate Con 5

(Written by Donna Wasson) 
1 Thessalonians 2:8-12 “And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”

Matthew 24:23-26 “Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.”

The Ultimate Con Part 4

(Written by Donna Wasson)

“The spirits of the giants shall be like the clouds, which shall oppress, corrupt, fall, content, and bruise upon the earth. They shall cause lamentation. No food shall they eat; and they shall be thirsty, they shall be concealed, and shall rise up against the sons of men, and of women; for they shall come forth during the days of slaughter and destruction.” Book of Enoch 15:9-10

Let’s continue looking at how the New World Order Globalist elite will explain the sudden disappearance of millions and millions of people from all over the planet. All of the missing will be Christians, also known as the Bride of Christ.

The Bible explains what really occurred in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore, comfort one another with these words.” This magnificent event is known as the rapture of the Church. Again, we were NOT taken by aliens! I don't care what the authorities are telling you.

Did MH370 land on Diego Garcia?

SITTING like a misshapen wishbone in the vast expanse of the Indian Ocean, Diego Garcia is one of the world’s most remote locations.

Administered by the United Kingdom but home to a US Naval Base, the island has had no indigenous inhabitants since they were forcibly relocated to other islands in the Chagos Archipelago, as well as Mauritius and the Seychelles, in 1971.

The island is so little-known that it has been rumoured that the US authorities have used it as a base for a secret prison. Even its name is suggestive of a Bond villain.

Will God's Judgment come upon the USA?

A possible Yellowstone volcano eruption in 2014 has some people pointing to how animals have been spotted fleeing the national park in recent days.

In a related report by The Inquisitr, it’s claimed that the recent Yellowstone earthquakes won’t trigger a volcano, but scientists have acknowledged that if a Yellowstone volcano were to erupt the resulting super-volcano could kill everyone in the United States:

“The Yellowstone volcano erupting could release enough magma and ash to bury whole cities underneath kilometres of destruction. The good news is that the super-volcano at Yellowstone isn’t in danger of exploding any time soon. The last time it occurred was before the dawn of civilization. While it’s believed stopping an eruption is impossible, researchers say they should be able to predict an eruption by monitoring the pressure of underground magma.”

The Ultimate Con Part 3

(Written by Donna Wasson)

This is the 3^rd in a series written for those who have been left behind after the rapture of the church; that sudden disappearance of millions of people all over the world. Again, your government officials will probably tell you we were evacuated by aliens for whatever reason, but this is a blatant lie. Let me continue explaining why.

As I detailed in Part 2 of this series, Jesus stated in Matthew 24 that the days right before His return would be like the days of Noah. The thing that differentiated that time from other eras was the presence of Nephilim—the offspring from the fallen angels, called Watchers, and human females.

These Nephilim were not only giants, but were demonic hybrids who feasted on human beings in addition to animals, and enjoyed drinking their blood, which is expressly forbidden by God. The life of any creature is in its blood and is not to be consumed as a dietary item. This was just one more reason the Nephilim were especially abominable in God’s eyes, and He ordered them to be put to death in front of their angelic fathers and human mothers.

The Ultimate Con Part 2

(Written by Donna Wasson)

This is a continuation of information I want to leave for those left behind after the rapture of the church. It’s apparent from where I sit today on 3/23/14, that when the Lord evacuates His Bride from this planet, the world powers will have to have a very convincing explanation lined up ahead of time, to account for the sudden disappearance of millions of people.

This must be in place for several reasons. First, they will need to rapidly quell the panic and grief of those whose family members and children are missing. The New World Order globalist elite, who worship and serve Lucifer, will know what they present to the public is a lie. Plus, if what they tell you isn’t convincing, the public will remember what their Christian family and friends warned them about, and will come to the realization that the Bible is absolutely true. Heaven knows The Powers That Be can’t have that! People who believe what the Bible says will never accept the New World Order.  

The Ultimate Con Part 1

(By Donna Wasson)

If you’re reading this, you’re one of the unfortunate souls who were left behind when millions of people all over the earth, suddenly disappeared. Today’s date is 3/22/14, and I want to tell you the truth about what happened to us before this event so when it occurs, you’ll know you can trust what I have to say.

I’ve always wondered what explanation world leaders will offer to the quivering, freaked out masses just after the rapture of the Bride of Christ.  As time progresses, the answer is becoming more and more obvious. I’m gonna take a wild stab in the dark and guess they’re telling you it was ‘aliens.’ Am I correct?

The fact that you’ve been left here to face the most horrific era of mankind’s history is really a shame. It didn’t have to be this way, but you were obviously too busy to listen to the warnings of your Christian family or friends; too busy watching football or Dancing with the Stars. Maybe you thought you had more time to get yourself right with God; maybe you just plain didn’t believe something so outlandish would ever occur. Well Scooter, you were wrong. 

A Jewish Boycott!

A short time ago, Iran's Supreme Leader Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei urged the Muslim World to boycott anything and everything that originates with the Jewish people.

In response, Meyer M. Treinkman, a pharmacist, out of the kindness of his heart, offered to assist them in their boycott as follows:
 "Any Muslim who has Syphilis must not be cured by Salvarsan discovered by a Jew, Dr. Ehrlich.  He should not even try to find out whether he has Syphilis, because the Wasserman Test is the discovery of a Jew.  If a Muslim suspects that he has Gonorrhea, he must not seek diagnosis, because he will be using the method of a Jew named Neissner. "A Muslim who has heart disease must not use Digitalis, a discovery by a Jew, Ludwig Traube. Should he suffer with a toothache, he must not use Novocaine, a discovery of the Jews, Widal and Weil.

What Does The Bible Say? Part 3

Everything is permissible – but not everything is beneficial.  Everything is permissible – but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others (1 Cor. 10:23-24)

Having shown the Lord’s clear promise that once we became a believer all the sins of our life were forgiven, we now turn to the logical follow up question.  How should we respond to such an incredible gift? How shall we live?

Paul devoted much time to describing the appropriate response to the free gift of eternal life and it’s summed up in his admonition to “Only let us live up to what we’ve already attained” (Phil 3:16). By the wording he used we know this is not something we do to achieve or maintain our salvation. He said we’ve already attained that.  We do this as an expression of our heart felt gratitude for having been given this gift.  Because there’s no doubt it, before receiving it we were “dead in our transgressions and sins” and “objects of God’s wrath” (Ephes. 2:1-3).

What Does The Bible Say? Part 2

(Written by Jack Kelley)

In this series we’re taking a look at the most important issues relating to our relationship with our Creator.  In each case we begin from the perspective that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, and as such cannot be self-contradictory.  So if we think we see a contradiction, the problem is with our understanding, not God’s Word.  Our topic in this study is the durability of our salvation.  What does the Bible say about our security in Christ?  Is it conditional based on our post salvation behaviour, or is it guaranteed from the beginning.  And could we give it back even if we wanted to?

What School Did You Attend?

Among those Christians who even consider the issue (tragically many don’t, but just accept what they’ve been taught) there are essentially two schools of thought, commonly called Election and Agency.

What Does The Bible Say?

(Written by Jack Kelley)

I appeal to you brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and in thought (1 Cor. 1:10).

For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear (2 Tim 4:3). 

I don't believe there's ever been a time in history when we've been subjected to a wider variety of opinions on what the Bible says. Some of these opinions have actually been around for a long time,  while others are new to the scene.  But all are now gaining a wider audience due to the advent of mass communications, especially the internet.

The Doctrine of Election

The Doctrine of Election is a misapplication of Scripture that began by confusing Israel and the Church. It’s clear that Israel was chosen by a sovereign act of God. There was nothing to commend Abraham and his descendants above the other nations. In Deut. 7:7-8 Moses told the Israelites: “The LORD did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath he swore to your forefathers that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt.”

But when it comes to the Church, the Bible has this to say,

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Matt. 7:7-8)

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

“For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:40)

“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:13)

The Old Rabbi’s Vision

(Written by Cynthia Nuara)

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There is a buzz in the Christian world concerning a rabbi who died almost eight years ago. He claimed to have seen the Messiah in a vision, and what the Messiah supposedly had to say to him.

A book and video documentary were released in November about this Rabbi Yitzhak Kaduri and his vision, which Kaduri said would come to pass after the (then) prime minister of Israel’s death. That prime minister was Ariel Sharon, who was just pronounced to be close to death on January 1, 2014 after kidney failure and given no more than a few days to live. Sharon has been in a comatose state for eight years, as long as the rabbi has been dead.

The Bible does say in Acts 2:17, “And in the last days it shall be,” ‘God declares,’ “ that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.'"