Ransom of the Rams

Watching my Rams in Nature, I realize God is teaching me.

"The Two Rams in the Field" by Bill Hunt c 2011

 

The World is cruel to Jesus, the most loving

and true man who ever lived.

Those in darkness always hate the light.

Man is born in such rebellion of sin.

So only by Love,

I am bought, paid for, ransomed, and redeemed by the Blood of Jesus.

I watched the Rams spend long years in the fields with each other as brothers. They grazed in the grass and lay in the shade of hot days. They sheltered in the hutch at night or when the weather turned inclement.

One day, two men came, orchestrated by God.

They paid the ransom for the Rams.

They caught them and took them away to a new home.

There is a herd, a ram family, lots of friends,

field, water, and good shepherds.

I see God loves my Rams.

They go to a far, far better place.

Jesus is my Shepherd.

He takes me to a far, far better place.

Though I am a sinful man,

God forgives perfectly, and God forgets perfectly.

I lift my eyes to him.

God loves perfectly.

That's why he sent his Son.

The angels come suddenly one day without warning

and take us away

to a far, far better place.

To Jesus the King, with wounds in his hands and feet.

This is the cost paid for our ransom

from sin.

The King of the Universe ransoms me.

He is the kinsman redeemer for the family of God.

He takes me to his Father,

the Ancient of Days,

the Alpha, the Omega,

the Great I AM, ONE.

I was slandered. I was reviled like him

by those with wicked hearts.

Women, with cold iron who connived evil.

Men, with extinct hearts and blind eyes and deaf ears.

No love, honesty, integrity, or truth lay

within their chests. Only darkness.

But God called me, his Witness.

“Father, forgive them, for they know not

what they do.”

Through the years, through history, daily, over and over and over again.

The Good Shepherd came and found me.

He breathed life with the Ruha into my bones,

into my spirit, and raised me up.

“You are my Prince,” he said.

He raised me up and dressed me as a Warrior King

with a battle crown.

“You are my coheir,” he said.

“With rank of king, authority, power, and rule.

Except these wounds.

These are mine alone.”

I fell on my face before him.

I found my self in Great Light at his Father's throne.

With all my being, I cried,

GLORY!

– a monologue by Bill Hunt

– Christmas & New Year Blessings to You!

"The LORD* will bless you and He will keep you.

The LORD* will make His face to shine upon you

and He will be gracious to you.

The LORD* will lift His countenance to you

and He will establish Shalom for you"

(Num 6:24-26 One New Man Bible, from the Hebrew).

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One Christmas Jesus Returns

“Therefore, keep watch, you know not the day nor the hour.”

“It's JESUS returned to finish my Faith!”

(ChristiansUnite.com)

 

 

T'was the Night of the Rapture,

And all through the Land,

Not a creature was praying,

Nor lifting a hand.

The Bible was laid on the shelf with due care,

Not a thought the KING would ever come near.

The children undressed to slip into bed,

No one kneeled in prayer or bowed his head.

Then from the East there rose such a sound,

I sprang from my bed to peer all around.

I blinked my eyes to see light so bright

And sought the Spirit to give me sight.

As there to my wondering eyes did appear,

A Host of Angels proclaiming, "He's here!"

With lights like the sun in brilliant array,

I knew in a moment, it must be the Day!

The sheen of his Person made me cover my face,

It's JESUS returned to finish my Faith!

Although I possessed human wisdom and wealth,

I cried when I saw him in spite of myself.

The Water, the Blood, and the Spirit agree,

They witness to him through all Eternity.

With the Gift of Love, his Death, and his Grace,

He brought white garments for the whole human race.

In the Book of Life, which was held in his hand,

Was written the choice of every saved man.

He spoke not a word as he sought each Name.

When he said, "It's not here!" eyes hung in shame.

Each person whose Name was written in Love,

He gathered to him enthroned up above!

With these on the list, he rose with great sound,

While those without faith were sadly uncrowned.

Some raised their hands, but timed too late,

They had lived in fear and sealed their fate.

Most just watched as he rose out of sight,

If only they'd waited for this night.

In the words of the Book, the meaning is clear,

The Coming of JESUS is drawing still near.

We've only one life when the KING comes to call,

We'll find his Word Truth, after all!

– Bill Hunt c. 2008

– Christmas Blessings to You!

‘The LORD* will bless you and He will keep you. 

The LORD* will make His face to shine upon you 

and He will be gracious to you. 

The LORD* will lift His countenance to you 

and He will establish Shalom for you" 

(Num 6:24-26 One New Man Bible).

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How did Mary Pray?

In the Christmas Story, Mary shows us how to respond to God.

Annunciation by Carl Heinrich Block

Mary presented herself as a well liked young woman in her village, attractive, smart, wise. She has a great devotion to God. She's a tremendous caregiver and servant. She's gentle and appreciates gentleness in return. She's engaged to a worthy young carpenter.

Then her life changed. The Angel Gabriel came unexpectedly to speak with her.

v28 “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”

Mary was troubled, the Angel reassured her.

v30 “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”

Being a virgin, she was most concerned by his words.

v34 “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”

Gabriel gently explained.

v35 “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. The Angel presented her with evidence of this Truth.

v36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing will be impossible.”

Mary humbled herself before God and consented.

v38 “Behold the maidservant of the Lord!

Let it be to me according to your word.”

And the angel departed from her.

Mary traveled to visit her favored cousin Elizabeth who experienced a miraculous intervention and spoke through the gift of knowledge.
v41 And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, 


“Blessed are you among women, and 
blessed is the fruit of your womb!

v43 But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. 45 Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.”
Mary responded with her own great prophetic word, first humbling herself before God. 
 
“My soul magnifies the Lord, 
 
v47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. 48 For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. 49 For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name.
With supernatural perception, seeing the significance of God's works for her nation, she glorified Him.
v50 And His mercy is on those who fear Him From generation to generation. 51 He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. 52 He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly.
She could see that God in bringing the Messiah exalted the common man, the poor of Israel.
v53 He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich He has sent away empty. 54 He has helped His servant Israel, In remembrance of His mercy, 55 As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and to his seed forever” (Luke 1:28-55 NKJV).
Mary spoke with unabashed sincerity, humbling herself and yielding to God. She believed and manifested her faith with obedience. She perceived the significance of this message of the Messiah to her nation, and she spoke wisdom through her heartfelt perception, glorifying God. Should we not follow her example in prayer?

– Christmas Blessings to You!
    Bill Hunt

“The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make his face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift his countenance upon you,
And give you peace” (Num 6:24-26).

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Joseph, a Godly Husband

In the Christmas Story, Joseph shows men how to be 

a godly husband.

Joseph protects his family.

(ChristiansUnite.com)

Being a husband is not easy; it takes a man's responsibility. Life proves it takes grit. Joseph served Mary as patriarch, partner, provider, protector, and priest.

As a Patriarch, the husband is both leader and father to this family. He makes the decisions as co-manager with his wife. Did you also know? He is an instructor, disciplinarian, and play coach to his children. University research shows fathers, more than mothers, primarily influence the spiritual practice and also the play activity of their children. So, likewise, what happens when the husband is missing from the family? It's not just a matter of child discipline failing.

Husbands and wives are intended

by God to be Partners.

She is not a subservient maid, but a care giver. The Hebrew language of the Bible constantly supports this concept of equality with different roles. The husband is intended to be a servant head, manager-guide, emotional support, and sounding board for her.

The wife in response is the strong advisor and co-manager of the home. My Dad told me, women are the natural nest builders of the home, let them be such. She is spouse, sister, best friend, prayer partner, caregiver, and playmate to her husband. Women need men as fathers and brothers even in society outside of the home. In many ways, no man can keep up with a woman; she is the multi-tasker.

Men must take their position 

as Provider.

The Bible basically says a man that does not provide for his family is an unbeliever. A man that does not work, should not eat. I've always said to those without a job: finding a job is a full-time job. Even this hunting for provision becomes his work. Of course, the wife can help her husband, but the first responsibility belongs to him. Joseph worked as a carpenter who taught his craft to his son.

Protector. A man protects his family from violence, from danger, from threatening situations. His very body is built for work and battle. Joseph protected his fiancée from life threatening religious tradition. He protected and cared for her on the long eighty-mile foot journey to Bethlehem, a trip imposed by governmental regulation. He protected her from Herod's horrific slaughter of the Bethlehem babies. He protected her on the exodus and exile into Egypt.

Prophet & Priest. Is this where 

men are failing?

The most bonding glue in marriage is the husband washing his wife with the Word (Eph 5:25-28). This means daily prayer and scripture together. The husband constantly cares for his wife as Jesus cares for his church, his body. The husband and wife lay hands on and pray blessing and healing for each other and their children.

“The Lord bless you in the wonder and power of his love and give you a peaceful sleep in the Name of Jesus." 

In the evening, I blessed my children with these words. My children did not suffer from bad dreams. The family must see the husband as God's leader and defender.

– Christmas Blessings to You!

   Bill Hunt

“The Lord bless you and keep you;

The Lord make his face shine upon you,

And be gracious to you;

The Lord lift his countenance upon you,

And give you peace” (Num 6:24-26).

Join Scrooge? Why shop stores who War on Christmas? Don't deny the Reason for the Season.

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Joseph, Husband with Backbone

In this world of diminishing husbands, Joseph exemplified a man with backbone.

“Rest on the Flight into Egypt”

by Arnold Houbraken, 1660-1719, Dutch

 

The Christmas Story renders some great lessons, not the least is the example of Joseph. You remember, Joseph served Mary as patriarch, partner, provider, protector, and priest. All, good qualities for a husband. Ask any woman.... In this world of diminishing husbands, Joseph exemplified a man with a backbone.

Right off, Joseph was faced with a serious dilemma; his fiancée was pregnant with child (Matt. 1:19). Two horrible choices confronted him. He could expose her to public disgrace and death by stoning to meet the standards of religious regulation. Or he could divorce her quietly and put her away.

Mary's goodness stopped Joseph in his tracks. In reality, his heart was broken; his most beautiful and virtuous fiancée was with child. The situation was beyond his belief, beyond his understanding, but not beyond the deep anguish and torment of his crushed heart.

That's when the angel showed up!

(Matt. 1:20-21). Have you ever experienced a spiritual dream more real than life? Angel Gabriel presented Joseph a third choice not thought of. And this choice is supported as God's word hundreds of years earlier (700 BC) through the Prophet Isaiah.

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel”(Is 7:14 NKJV/Matt 1:22-23).

This solution was more practical. Joseph took Mary home as his wife (Matt. 1:24-25). Would this divine solution not solve many broken and dysfunctional relationships in today's society?

Joseph protected and cared for Mary on the long eighty-mile foot journey to Bethlehem, a trip imposed by governmental regulation. He protected her from Herod's horrific slaughter of the babies in Bethlehem. He protected her on the long desert exodus and exile into Egypt.

Always Keys for Marriage!

Over some forty years as a husband in one marriage, I have learned a few “Always Keys” to relationship in marriage. I see these reflected in Joseph's life and the lives of godly men. I advise young women to seek a godly husband.

To Husbands.

Key: tender love. “Try a little tenderness.” Always.

Key: interested communication. When your wife or offspring speaks, stop whatever you're doing, and listen.

Key: sensitive to needs. Your antenna should always be up like “My Favorite Martian.”

Key: washing of the Word. Yes, bathe your wife daily in prayer and the Word.

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself (Eph 5:25-28 NKJV).

Key: family prayer. Bless and pray with your children each evening. Always be ready to minister to your family in prayer.

Key: unconditional forgiveness. First forgive, it matters little who's at fault.

Key: yield to each other consistently. “Yes, dear.”

Key: financial stewardship--balanced, strong, stable, sharing, tithing, and generous.

Key: secret weapon, respect. Each person needs the freedom of self-sovereignty, to follow God's call on their daily lives.

Key: God-Husband-Wife. “And a threefold cord is not quickly broken” (Ecc 4:12 NKJV).

Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life which He has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity; for that is your portion in life, and in the labor which you perform under the sun (Ecc. 9:9 NKJV).

– Merry Christmas Blessings!

   Bill Hunt

“The Lord bless you and keep you;

The Lord make his face shine upon you,

And be gracious to you;

The Lord lift his countenance upon you,

And give you peace” (Num 6:24-26).

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End Times Glorious Messiah Enters Jerusalem, III

The World will meet the Wrath of God. It will be a Great Battle with a Great Victory. The believers, dressed in invincible glorified bodies, gather from the rapture to fight the End Times battle in the Middle East.

The Messiah King Leads the End Times Battle.

  ChristiansUnite.com

The Day of the Lord brings the defeat of all evil from the face of the Earth. Through the rapture, the armies of the Messiah King are separated from the World and gathered. The believers are dressed in an invincible glorified body. They will not fear.

Those who chose to live in rebellion to the True God against morality and conscience are punished. Those who are victims of evil are avenged. Those who devour others, will themselves be devoured. Those who chose to live in God's ways will live with God for eternity. The believer's imagination can not fathom the Eternal Paradise God prepares for those who love him.

The End Time Army destroys everything in its path 

like an avenging firestorm. God's divine justice prevails.

The Prophet Micah (5:9-15 NKJ) declares:

Your hand shall be lifted against your adversaries,
And all your enemies shall be cut off.

10 “ And it shall be in that day,” says the LORD,
“That I will cut off your horses from your midst
And destroy your chariots.
11 I will cut off the cities of your land
And throw down all your strongholds....

The idols of all false religions are destroyed.

14 I will pluck your wooden images from your midst;
Thus I will destroy your cities.
15 And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury
On the nations that have not heard.”

The Messiah King leads his army assembled from the rapture. But they are now blessed with invincible glorified bodies. The Bible emphatically shows the End Times Battle is fought in the Middle East Nations. The Messiah's garments are stained with his own blood of Redemption for all mankind and now with the victory of the End Times Battle.

Isaiah sees the Messiah King in battle (63:1-6 NKJ):

Who is this who comes from Edom,
With dyed garments from Bozrah,
This One who is glorious in His apparel,
Traveling in the greatness of His strength?—
“I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.”
2 Why is Your apparel red,
And Your garments like one who treads in the wine press?...
Their blood is sprinkled upon My garments,
And I have stained all My robes.
4 For the day of vengeance is in My heart,
And the year of My redeemed has come.

Zechariah's description (14: 12-14 NKJ) could well match this conflict as comparable to a nuclear conflagration.

And this shall be the plague with which the LORD will 

strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem:
Their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet,
Their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets,
And their tongues shall dissolve in their mouths....
14 Judah also will fight at Jerusalem.
And the wealth of all the surrounding nations
Shall be gathered together:
Gold, silver, and apparel in great abundance.

The Messiah King enters Jerusalem as conqueror 

defeating the enemy invasion of Israel.

Amos proclaims (1:2 NKJ) “The LORD roars from Zion, And utters His voice from Jerusalem; The pastures of the shepherds mourn, And the top of Carmel withers.”

The Messiah King stands victorious on the Mount of Olives. A great valley opens by earthquake and the Armies of the Lord assemble. At the end of the Day of the Lord, darkness dissolves, and the blessing of the divine dawn returns to glorious light.

Zechariah concludes (14:3-7 NKJ):

Then the LORD will go forth
And fight against those nations,
As He fights in the day of battle.
4 And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives,
Which faces Jerusalem on the east.
And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two,
From east to west,
Making a very large valley;
Half of the mountain shall move toward the north
And half of it toward the south.... 

Thus the LORD my God will come,
And all the saints with You.
6 It shall come to pass in that day
That there will be no light;
The lights will diminish.
7 It shall be one day
Which is known to the LORD—
Neither day nor night.
But at evening time it shall happen
That it will be light.

The Glorious Son of God, the Messiah King, reigns over Jerusalem and the Earth for Eternity (Zech 14:9 NKJ).

And the LORD shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be— “ The LORD is one, And His name one.”

– Bill Hunt

“The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make his face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift his countenance upon you, And give you peace” (Num 6:24-26).

FMI: Voluntarily, I most highly recommend Walid Shoebat and Joel Richardson's book “God's War on Terror: Islam, Prophecy, and the Bible” <http://www.shoebat.com>. It is 500 pages of intensive biblical and historical research, showing why a paradigm shift in biblical prophecy is necessary. Showing, how God declared war on an Islamic and not a Western Coalition as commonly thought.

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From Liturgy to Life

My Search for God, or Vice Versa....

Jesus with his Disciples

(ChristiansUnite.com)

God's calling of the human spirit can be a series of steps. That's why we call him “The Hound of Heaven” <www.houndsofheaven.com/thepoem.htm> as described in the famous poem by Francis Thompson, 1859-1907.

I fled Him, down the nights and down the days;

I fled Him, down the arches of the years;

I fled Him, down the labyrinthine ways

Of my own mind....

It's to God's Glory that he relentlessly pursues us. At the age of eight, I was the littlest altar boy. I bowed and touched my forehead all the way to the first altar step as I clearly and piously recited the Latin my father taught me.

"Introibo ad altare Dei, ad Deum qui laetificat juventutem meam" (Ps 42:4). And I will go to the altar of God: to God who gives joy to my youth.

At the age of fourteen, I picked up an old Douay Rheims Bible and began reading from Genesis. By the time I made it to Joshua, I prayed and gave my life to the Lord. I found the Bible fascinating and spiritually powerful.

At the age of eighteen I enjoyed worshiping privately in my room near my window with no one else knowing. I discovered “God's Grandeur” <www.sparknotes.com/poetry/hopkins/section1.html> as described by Gerard Manley Hopkins (1877).

The world is charged with the grandeur of God.
It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;
It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil
Crushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod?

Suddenly, deep in prayer, I broke into a strange language with strange sounds. I had no idea what this meant. I suppressed it, but many years later I discovered it was the Holy Spirit's gift of tongues.

In our early days of marriage and walking in the Lord, I remember my new wife, Mary, experienced the frustrations of rote religion. She strongly proclaimed to one Monsignor:

“There has to be something more!”

She was right, and God soon brought the Gift to us. As a young couple, Mary's friend, a former coed from Syracuse University, came to visit us on the first three days of the New Year, 1973. She excitedly told us all about the Holy Spirit and the miracle working power of Jesus in believers lives. We stayed up until 3:00 am each night listening amazed in our living room to the wonderful wonders of God.

This young lady discovered I related to Jesus only as my friend. She instructed me on the importance of Jesus' atoning sacrifice for my sins. As I raised my arms to Heaven, this beautiful girl led me in the prayer of salvation for repentance and trust in Jesus, not just as my friend, but as my Savior.

“Lord Jesus, I repent of all my sins and give myself to you, past, present, and future. 

I thank you for suffering on the Cross and shedding your blood for me that I can belong to You and the Father, forever.”

My dear wife, Mary, strongly insisted we visit a prayer meeting. She started both of us on a path to receive the Gift of the Holy Spirit that year. I'm so grateful to my wife for walking with me together as a couple to seek the Glories of God.

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6 NIV).

--Bill Hunt

“The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make his face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift his countenance upon you, And give you peace” (Num 6:24-26).

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End Times Firestorm Battle II

In the World's End Times Battle, God uses a Firestorm Attack and His Invincible Weapon to Destroy the Kingdom of Evil.

Michael the Archangel by Luca Giordano, 1663.

One night I worried about all the women and children, even men, who are abused in the worldwide sex trade and other forms of horrible persecution. It seems so grossly unfair. I prayed for them. Early in the morning, the Holy Spirit spoke back to me about the justice of God the Father. “I will devour all those who devour others.”

To Rid the Kingdom of Evil

The End Times Battle between Good and Evil must take place. The ultimate strongholds must be overcome. God would not fail to conquer the kingdoms of evil. The societies of Satan that pit destruction against creation, death vs. life, hate vs. love, Antichrist vs. Messiah, lust vs. holiness, evil vs. good, will be annihilated.

The War will fight between ultimate evil and ultimate good, between darkness and light, between those who do good for God and evil for Satan. In Heaven, the martyrs are waiting for the justice of God. (The scriptures are New King James Version.)

Rev 6:9-11 NKJ.
v10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”

God's Wrath Against Sin

God is angry at the wicked who intentionally sin upon the Earth. Led by the Messiah King, God's wrath will flow in a Great Battle to rid the World of sin.
Rev 19:15.
Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the wine press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

The Messiah King gathers a Great Army to attack evil.
Isa 13: 3-9.
I have commanded My sanctified ones; I have also called My mighty ones for My anger—Those who rejoice in My exaltation.” 4 The noise of a multitude in the mountains, Like that of many people! A tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together! The LORD of hosts musters The army for battle.

The Firestorm Attack

The Book of Psalms reports the army will firestorm in battle attack upon evil.
Ps 50:3-4.
Our God shall come, and shall not keep silent;
A fire shall devour before Him,
And it shall be very tempestuous all around Him.

The Prophet Joel reports the same mode of attack. Devastation will clean like a firestorm as the Great Army moves forward. Before it may be a garden, but behind it will remain a wasteland. From this, God will create a New Earth.
Joel 2:3.
A fire devours before them,
And behind them a flame burns;
The land is like the Garden of Eden before them,
And behind them a desolate wilderness;
Surely nothing shall escape them.

God's Invincible Weapon

Joel 2:8-11 Messiah's Army marches forward. Like  victorious armies always sought, God has an invincible weapon, the army has glorified bodies that can not be destroyed.
They do not push one another;
Every one marches in his own column.
Though they lunge between the weapons,
They are not cut down.
9 They run to and fro in the city,
They run on the wall;
They climb into the houses,
They enter at the windows like a thief. 
10 The earth quakes before them,
The heavens tremble;
The sun and moon grow dark,
And the stars diminish their brightness. 
11 The LORD gives voice before His army,
For His camp is very great;
For strong is the One who executes His word.
For the day of the LORD is great and very terrible;
Who can endure it?
– Bill Hunt

“The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make his face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift his countenance upon you, And give you peace” (Num 6:24-26).

FMI: Voluntarily, I most highly recommend Walid Shoebat and Joel Richardson's book “God's War on Terror: Islam, Prophecy, and the Bible” <http://www.shoebat.com>.

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Rapture for End Times Battle

Jesus is Coming Again. What to Understand About the Rapture.
                                           

“Come Lord Jesus, Come!”

(Photo by Bill Hunt c. 2011)

Early one morning in the twilight moments as the Spirit wants to speak, I knew there is going to be a Rapture, a Battle, and a Feast. I could see his words in my spirit.

As we consider the Rapture, there are many who do not want to believe such. If so, just cut out these verses with your scripture scissors. Read the complete scriptures (all New King James Version), not given here due to space limitations.

Many times I've seen the vision or dream of Jesus on a magnificent snorting white charger, the horse eagerly quaking for the Great Battle to come. The Messiah King excitedly beckons, “Come on, get on! We are going!” He hands me a flashing sharp sword and the reins to my own charger. On his robe is written visibly, King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Rev 19:16).

God, the Messiah King, is coming.

Psalms indicates the coming of a battle using the term “a fire”. We will see this term again.

Ps 50:3-4 NKJ: Our God shall come, and shall not keep silent;
A fire shall devour before Him,
And it shall be very tempestuous all around Him....

Zechariah the Prophet supports that Day will be a day of darkness as a day of tribulation.

Zech 14:5-9: Thus the LORD my God will come, And all the saints with You. 6 It shall come to pass in that day That there will be no light....

He will come! The Middle East Nations are lining up as listed in our recent post: Midian, Arabia, Moab, Yemen, Edom, Bozrah, Seir, Ammon, Assyria, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Sudan, Somalia, and others.

God's people will be taken and others not, explains Jesus.

Matt 24:39-44: So also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left....

The Lord is gathering a Great Army.

The Prophet Isaiah tells us the Lord of Hosts will come on the Day of the Lord with his people, his army for battle, to rid the land of sinners.

Isa 13:2-9: I have commanded My sanctified ones; I have also called My mighty ones for My anger— Those who rejoice in My exaltation. 4 The noise of a multitude in the mountains, Like that of many people! A tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together! The LORD of hosts musters The army for battle....

Jesus forewarned his disciples, the sons of the kingdom will be separated from the sons of the evil one.

Matt 13:37-40: He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one....

The Day of the Lord will begin with a loud trumpet blast , sounding throughout the heavens. Throughout the Earth God's people will be gathered.

Matt 24:31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other....

With Glorified Bodies.

We will immediately change to glorified bodies, relates the Apostle Paul. Our glorified bodies will be like the body of Jesus after the Resurrection. It's physical, Mary hugged him outside the tomb. Yet, it's spiritual, he passed through the locked doors to the upper room, yet the disciples could touch his sacred wounds. His identity was as at first hidden from the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, but later he ate with them. On the beach, he started a fire and cooked breakfast for the apostles, and he walked with them.

1 Cor 15:51-55: Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality....

The word “rapture” is not used in other than a derivation of the Latin Scripture. Rather the Hebrew word means “caught up”. The people of God will be “caught up” in preparation for the coming battle and feast.

1 Thess 4:16-17 NKJ: For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. (All scriptures from the New King James Version.)

– Bill Hunt

“The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make his face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift his countenance upon you, And give you peace” 

(Num 6:24-26).

FMI: Voluntarily, I most highly recommend Walid Shoebat and Joel Richardson's book “God's War on Terror: Islam, Prophecy, and the Bible” <http://www.shoebat.com>.

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Ticket to Heaven, Forgive!

But the world, the flesh, and the devil don't forgive sins and they don't forget sins. In this, there is real danger.

“Every heart needs godly repentance, forgiveness,

and love. It's the narrow road we seek....”

(Woman's Portrait cc. Petras Gagilas)

“God forgives perfectly and God forgets perfectly.” I like to tell this to my friends who confess they are bothered by the guilt of past sins. But the world, the flesh, and the devil don't forgive sins and they don't forget sins. In this, there is real danger.

Daily, we see politicians, the establishment, the world, the media, government, business, even the church, seek out the sins or alleged sins of a target to proclaim--for excitement, sexual intrigue, or character assassination. No matter, how true or false. No matter the details. No matter how deep in the past. No matter how previously resolved, or forgiven, or paid for. No matter the consequences.

It's too easy a task to condemn others!

For there is none sinless. No, not one. And it's just as much fun to go into a feeding frenzy over someone else's sins, be they true or totally contrived.

“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and and the truth is not in us,” says John the Apostle (1 John 1:8 NIV). Have you ever met some goodly persons who claim to be without sin? There's nothing more nauseating.

God has a reply for the contrite.

“I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite” (Isaiah 57:15 NIV).

Jesus told us about the tax collector who prayed beating his breast, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner” (Luke 18:13 NIV).

Forgiveness demands repentance.

Think of the repentance of King David, (politician) who committed adultery and murder, (2 Sam 12); the sinful woman (unwed mother) who washed and kissed the feet of Jesus in repentance (Luke 7); the woman (harlot) taken in adultery, about to be stoned (John 8); the last minute thief (criminal) on the cross who accepted Jesus (Luke 23).

Think of the denial of Peter (church leader) (Matt 26); of Paul (evangelist), guilty for the persecution, arrest, and death of the early Christians (Acts 8:3, ch 9, 22:4, 26:10). All these are forgiven.

Those who accuse falsely or even seek out the resolved sins of others are guilty of slander. People create their own slander, and they believe their own slander they create.

God has a reply for slander.

“Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Cor 6:9-10 NIV).

Jesus warns us to forgive.

Jesus wants us to look on others with the same love as he looks on us. The same love, that we want for ourselves.

“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matt 6:14-15 NIV).

It is a serious mistake with eternal consequences not to forgive others with the love of Jesus. There's no one in Heaven who bears a grudge!

--Bill Hunt

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