BOOK REVIEW - Rapture Ready …Or Not?

Rapture Ready... Or Not?  Written by Terry James, Copy-write 2016

I am an avid reader of end times, last days books, magazines and articles. I have lost count of the huge volume of writings I have consumed not only in the field of research based eschatology, but also in Christian end times fiction as well as secular dystopian books. Needless to say that the end of days has been a fascination of mine for as long as I can remember. Eschatology is the theology concerned with the final events of history, or the ultimate destiny of humanity. Christian Eschatology is a ‘science’ in every sense of the word. It should be logical, understandable through a biblical worldview, verifiable through scripture and reasonable to an open minded secular mentality.

Written by acclaimed author, Terry James, Rapture Ready… Or Not?  just may be the culmination of all modern end times books. It is Christian Theology at its best. Factual, doctrinally accurate, up to date, easy to understand and persuasive. James has laid everything on the line concerning what will happen to the world, including the church, in the final days of history as we know it….. and he gives us 15 in-depth reasons which prove just how very close to that end we truly are! Terry James is partner and general editor in the www.raptureready.com website which was recently rated as the #1 Bible prophecy website on the Internet. Once your interest has been totally piqued by Rapture Ready…Or Not? you will definitely want to visit that site. Be prepared to be amazed by the wealth of information concerning Bible prophecy in these last days.

One of the things I was most impressed about James’ book was the way he finally convinced me that the Rapture of the Church will be a pre-Tribulation event. I say finally because over the years my thoughts concerning the timing of the Rapture have at first flip-flopped, then later evolved in a more mature fashion. Rapture Ready…Or Not? was the icing on the cake for me to stabilize and solidify my belief in a pre-Tribulation Rapture. You see, I grew up in the United Methodist Church where questions about how would Jesus return were typically not tolerated. I came to the conclusion that most of the clergy must not believe in a Rapture of the church at all due to their reluctance to discuss the issue. Terry James was able to share Jesus’ words in Matthew 24:38 “For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,” with such conviction and clarity of understanding that I am now also convinced (no flip-flopping anymore) that the Rapture of the church will be a pre-Tribulation event…. and it will occur in this generation. James further explains why it is imperative to be ready for the return of Jesus so when He calls out, “Come up here” you won’t be left behind. I must warn you though, this book is not for the faint of heart. James deals with the sobering reality of what life on this planet will be like for those who chose not to heed Jesus’ words to watch for Him and to be ready for His return. In an effort to drive home the concept of the horrors that must take place after the Rapture of the church as illustrated in Matthew 24:21 “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be,” James lists in great detail some of the horrors that man has perpetrated upon man. Yes, the Tribulation period will be even worse.

It is time to wake up folks. If you have a voice in your head telling you “No, this is disturbing stuff. You don’t want to know about the end of the world as we know it.” I urge you to tell that voice to shut up! Jesus loves us so much that He has made a way for us. We have HOPE in His return because He has promised us to be spared from God’s wrath upon an unbelieving and wicked world, IF we believe what He has said is true and IF we are ready. Are you ready to be caught up into the glorious reality Jesus has waiting for us or will you be left behind?
You can find more information on Rapture Ready…Or not? At www.raptureready.com or purchase it at Amazon.

Additionally, New Leaf Press Publishers have graciously offered to provide a free copy of Rapture Ready…Or Not? to one of our readers here at The Herald of Hope. Joanne and I will randomly select the name of the winner of the hard copy of the book on July 13th. If you would like to be entered for a chance to win, please send a note to burlincat@gmail.com with the title Rapture Ready… Or Not? in the subject line and your name in the body of the message. Once a winner has been selected you will be contacted via e-mail. You will then need to supply your mailing address so the publisher of the book can send a copy to you directly. Best wishes!

~ Sarah

An Antidote to Terrorism

Last week we wrote to our readers about Terrorists of the Mind. Little did we know that the day our post came out in e-mail form, would be the same day as the horrific terrorist attack on a nightclub in Orlando, FL. We would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere condolences to the survivors and families of the victims of that horrible tragedy. We are deeply saddened to see yet another violent attack by a terrorist upon innocent people. We understand that people may becoming increasingly nervous about their safety in a world that continues to spiral out of control. With this said, we want to encourage you by sharing an antidote to terrorism whether that terror is in your mind or in the physical environment around you. There is hope in the Name and the Blood of Jesus Christ!

Philippians 2:9-11 (NKJV)
Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

There is power in the name of Jesus Christ!  When your thoughts are under attack by the enemy, say out loud, “In the name of Jesus Christ be silenced!” Jesus Christ is our heavenly lawyer or Advocate (1 John 2:1) who speaks for us to the Father.

Hebrews 9:24 (AMP)
For Christ did not enter into a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but [He entered] into heaven itself, now to appear in the very presence of God on our behalf;

When you call upon the name you will be saved!  (Romans 10:13) However, this is not just salvation from the darkness of the world into the heavenly kingdom of God, by grace (Ephesians 2:8).  In the original Greek text, the word, saved is sozo, which means: to save, rescue, deliver, heal, preserve.  When you call out the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ, darkness must flee from you and from your mind. We know that Jesus is concealed in the Old Testament. What a comfort to know that His name has been revealed to us in Psalm 91. We encourage you to read and declare this psalm for yourself and your family often.

  Psalm 91 (MEV)
1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
    my God in whom I trust.”
3 Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the hunter
    and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He shall cover you with His feathers,
    and under His wings you shall find protection;
    His faithfulness shall be your shield and wall.
5 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
    nor of the arrow that flies by day;
6 nor of the pestilence that pursues in darkness,
    nor of the destruction that strikes at noonday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side
    and ten thousand at your right hand,
    but it shall not come near you.
8 Only with your eyes shall you behold
    and see the reward of the wicked.
9 Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge,
    even the Most High, your dwelling,
10 there shall be no evil befall you,
    neither shall any plague come near your tent;
11 for He shall give His angels charge over you
    to guard you in all your ways.
12 They shall bear you up in their hands,
    lest you strike your foot against a stone.
13 You shall tread upon the lion and adder;
    the young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.
14 Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;
    I will set him on high, because he has known My name.
15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;
    I will be with him in trouble,
    and I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
    and show him My salvation.

Unfortunately, most mainline churches (both Protestant and Catholic) fail to teach on the name and blood of Jesus to extent of revealing their power. Friends, you don’t need to abandon your churches but you do need to look beyond their often limited teachings in order to have victory in this world. You can be a Methodist even if you are the only one in your congregation declaring God’s promises out loud. You can be a Catholic even if you pray in tongues. God doesn’t care about your church affiliation; He cares that you have and use the authority that has been given to you through Jesus Christ.

We overcome the evil one (satan) by the shed blood of Jesus Christ on Calvary. (Revelation 12:11)  There is power in the blood of Jesus Christ!  The old hymn, “There Is Power in the Blood,” by Lewis E. Jones (1899) has a repeating refrain:
There is pow’r, pow’r, wonder-working pow’r
In the blood of the Lamb; and clearly proclaims:
Would you o’er evil a victory win?
There’s wonderful pow’r in the blood.

Now, Sarah remembers how her dad used to complain about singing songs about blood. He used to say, “Boy, I don’t like these songs about blood and gore.”  It wasn’t effectively taught in her family’s church. It made an impression on her and it wasn’t until many years later that she understood why the blood of Jesus is so precious. That understanding finally came with learning how to hear His voice. See our article on He is Speaking, Are You Listening.

Exodus 12:13 (NASB)
The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

“It was the blood that saved the children of Israel from the destroyer on that Passover night and it is still the blood that saves today. And all you need to do for the blood to avail is to say, “Father, I thank You that the blood of Jesus alone covers me and my family. No evil, plague or disaster will befall me or my family because of the blood!” (Joseph Prince, Daily Grace Inspirations, June 13, 2016)

“As Christians, we are marked by a covering that no evil force can remove – the blood of Jesus.  Under the protection of the blood, we find a safe retreat.  We can remain steadfast in a position of strength through the blood of Jesus Christ…. By pleading the blood of Jesus over your property, possessions and family, you can put worry to rest.” (The Blood and The Glory, by Billye Brim, 1995, Preface)

Hebrews 9:11-12 (NKJV)  But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, … Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.

Hebrews 10:19 (NASB) Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus,

His Word is clear. The name and blood of Jesus Christ are given to us as a help (tools) to live in this world without being victim to every malicious circumstance or experience to which we may be exposed. If you are not already calling upon His name and applying His blood over your life, then we encourage you to do so now! We are confident the Lord Jesus Christ will be faithful; but don’t count on our confidence. Go to Him yourself. You will not be disappointed.

Hebrews 4:16 (NKJV) Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

~Joanne & Sarah

Hidden Terrorists of the Mind

The news is full of reports about terrorists; both Islamic and domestic. They incite fear in the masses and immobilize thousands due to their brutal attacks on civilized society. However, there are other terrorists able to thrust the same immobilizing ability upon its victims. These terrorists live in the minds of people BUT, they are not merely imagination. The Bible teaches us that we are Spirit beings (Genesis 1:26; John 4:24) and as such our minds perceive information from the spiritual realm. We know that the spiritual realm is the home of God, Jesus, His Spirit and His heavenly hosts. By the way, it is our real home too, but that is a topic for another post. However, the spiritual realm is also the dwelling place of spirits who have rebelled against the One true God. We know them by names such as: demons, fallen angels or evil spirits beings.
Modern science would have us believe that everything that goes on in our minds is the byproduct of some life experience. Most in the field of psychiatry and psychology believe in the tabula rasa theory which defines a new human mind (as in an infant) as a blank slate with no innate ideas. To an extent, this is true since humans are clearly shaped by their upbringing and their environments. Yet, as with many modern scientific theories, this belief is only part of the big picture. Clearly, God knew us and we weren’t just blank slates!

 Jeremiah 1:5 (MSG)
 “Before I shaped you in the womb,
    I knew all about you.
Before you saw the light of day,
    I had holy plans for you……

 All humans have a connection to the spirit realm even though most are not cognitively aware of this connection. Furthermore, just because people tend to not be aware, does not mean that they are not constantly inundated with images, perceptions, senses or communications from the spiritual realm….. which brings us back to terrorists of the mind.

Have you ever been bombarded with thoughts concerning a relationship that has gone sour?

 Has your mind been going over and over a conversation you’ve had with someone who didn’t really understand what you meant?  Or have you received a text message or email that was irritating due to a miscommunication? How can our minds ‘hear’ possible scenarios ‘played out’ with results that are often not what you would want to happen at all!  These are thoughts that are coming from the evil spirit realm: from divisive, offensive, disruptive, punitive, unforgiving, fill in the blank _____ , with all negative influencing spirits, who love to cause strife and contention.

Our thoughts operate on both physical and spiritual levels. We believe that when you understand how to be victorious over the evil entities in the spiritual realm, you can live a victorious life in the physical realm here on the earth. Jesus’ model prayer demonstrated that we can have it here, “on earth as it is in heaven”, when we go to the Father with forgiveness in our hearts. (Matthew 6:10-14)
God’s Word gives us clear instruction on the validity of this whole concept and He shows us how to overcome terrorists of the mind.  We can bring our thoughts to the Lord Jesus Christ, Whose obedience on the cross, gave us the victory.

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (NKJV)
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,  casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, …

We can put on the whole armor of God so we can stand against the wiles of the devil.  These wiles (Greek- methodia) are the schemes that he uses to manipulate our response to situations, both mental and physical.

Ephesians 6:11-13 (NRSV)
Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.

There is an infestation of evil (demonic) ‘pests’ that are infiltrating our minds’ eye: in the media, television, advertising, etc.  We can ‘stand against the wiles of the devil’ and in these evil days, STAND FIRM on the truths in the word of God.
This is from a Word of the LORD received on June 6, 2016:  “hidden terrorists of the mind… do not allow them to compromise the Truth of Who I AM and what I have accomplished at the cross.  My PEACE is your inheritance.  I have bequeathed it to you.  It is a true shield from the deception that is prevailing in the world…”
May we remain strong in the Lord Jesus Christ and the power of His resurrection.

1 Thessalonians 5:23 (NKJV)
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

~Sarah & Joanne



 

Can You Turn Back Time?.....

There is certainly a fascination with what many people consider The Good Old Days. Our society is ripe with nostalgic sentiment. There is a longing for a place and time of more simple pleasures and ease of life. There is a homesickness amongst many for the past and what it represents in the minds of those who want to return to a less complicated life. Original Twilight Zone fans will remember the episode of the tired, stressed out businessman who hates the pressures of his modern world and just wants to check-out of reality and escape to the idyllic town of Willoughby. That episode aired in 1960. Imagine how many more many people desire to escape the disorder of today! Facebook users are increasingly inundated with the “A Look Back” feature on their news-feed which displays photos and posts from up to as much as 5 years ago. There have been many times when I have sensed the longing in other’s comments regarding their glimpse into these posts especially when reminiscing about their children who have grown up far too fast. We all feel it, time keeps on ticking into the future. 

What time is it today on God’s calendar?  Can we look at the news, political unrest, social issues changing almost daily and not have a ‘sense’ that things are rapidly changing and not for the better?  Is this the time spoken of in:

2 Timothy 4:3-4 (NLT)

For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths.

From a Biblical perspective, the answer is “Yes!”  Can time be turned back? Or does it repeat itself?  Jesus said of a coming time when it would be like the depravity of Noah’s time. (Some of your bible translations may spell his name as Noe.) 

Luke 17:26-27 (NKJV)

And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.

Noah’s generation was considered evil by God, and He decided to destroy both man and all of creation from the earth.

Genesis 6:5 (NIV)

The LORD saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.

Genesis 6:8-9 (AMPC)   But Noah found grace (favor) in the eyes of the Lord. 

This is the history of the generations of Noah. Noah was a just and righteous man, blameless in his [evil] generation; Noah walked [in habitual fellowship] with God.

Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.  He was a righteous man who was blameless, whose blood line had not been tainted by the giants roaming the earth and terrorizing the population.  [The ‘giants’ in Gen. 6:4 (Hebr. Nephilim) were the progeny of the ‘sons of God’ (angels who left their former estate) and bore children with the daughters of men.] The fact of these part fallen angel/part human offspring is a truth that is not being taught in many churches around the world. The Nephilim were part of the lost antediluvian (pre-flood) world.

Genesis 6:4 (TLB)

In those days, and even afterwards, when the evil beings from the spirit world were sexually involved with human women, their children became giants, of whom so many legends are told.

Genesis 6:4 (AMP)

There were Nephilim (men of stature, notorious men) on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God lived with the daughters of men, and they gave birth to their children…

But are these giants again roaming the earth? Have they perhaps reappeared in different form? Are the thoughts and inclinations of the human heart “only evil all the time”?  Who can determine if this is true?  

These are questions we must ask in order to glean truth from Jesus’ earlier statement that in the last days it will be like it was in the days of Noah. 

1 Chronicles 28:9 (NKJV) says: “…for the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts.”  

What more do we need to understand in order to not only survive but also to thrive in these last days? Please follow along as continue to explore the “time” in which we are now living from Jesus’ revelations to us through His Word. 

We are now the “righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe”.  (Romans 3:22 NKJV)  We can find favor (grace) with God because of our faith in His Son.  

Can we turn back time?  NO.  What then, can we do in this present time in order to remain “strong in the Lord and in the power of His might? (Ephesians 6:10)

We can “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

(2 Peter 3:18 NKJV) and keep “looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” (Titus 2:13 NKJV) 

To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.