Signs of the Times

[*Zion*]

Another sign of the times:

2 Thessalonians 2:3

Let no one deceive or beguile you in any way, for that day will not come except the apostasy comes first [unless the predicted great falling away of those who have professed to be Christians has come], and the man of lawlessness (sin) is revealed, who is the son of doom (of perdition),

Major scale backsliding. This one scares me the most. I don't want that to be me.

Matthew 24:4-14 (provides the order in which it's all going down...)

⁴ Jesus answered them, Be careful that no one misleads you [deceiving you and leading you into error].

⁵ For many will come in (on the strength of) My name [^[a]appropriating the name which belongs to Me], saying, I am the Christ (the Messiah), and they will lead many astray.

⁶ And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not frightened or troubled, for this must take place, but the end is not yet.

⁷ For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in place after place;

⁸ All this is but the beginning [the early pains] of the ^[b]birth pangs [of the ^[c]intolerable anguish].

⁹ Then they will hand you over to suffer affliction and tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.

¹⁰ And then many will be offended and repelled and will ^[d]begin to distrust and desert [Him Whom they ought to trust and obey] and will stumble and fall away and betray one another and pursue one another with hatred.

¹¹ And many false prophets will rise up and deceive and lead many into error.

¹² And the love of ^[e]the great body of people will grow cold because of the multiplied lawlessness and iniquity,

¹³ But he who endures to the end will be saved.

¹⁴ And this good news of the kingdom (the Gospel) will be preached throughout the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then will come the end.

[MorningGlory]

Consider man's potential to be "like" God -- present everywhere all the time via this "All-seeing Eye" surveillance. Mankind reaching this "Godlike" potential must definitely be a sign of the time. While Big Brother has gained the potential to spy on everyone -- past, present and future -- everyone they're spying on has the potential to help them as they did in the Boston bombing. This kind of power in the hands of corrupt people, or just people prone to both good and evil motivations, is not healthy.

Consider also these "hunter-killer" drones the US has set to prowling the skies looking for suspected enemies to assassinate by delivering "death from above" in the form of "hellfire" missiles.

Interestingly, when Christ's disciples wanted to call fire down from heaven on those they deemed to be "enemies" of Christ, Jesus had this to say:

Luke 9

51When the days were approaching for His ascension, He was determined to go to Jerusalem; 52and He sent messengers on ahead of Him, and they went and entered a village of the Samaritans to make arrangements for Him. 53But they did not receive Him, because He was traveling toward Jerusalem. 54When His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” 55But He turned and rebuked them, [and said, “You do not know what kind of spirit you are of; 56for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.”] And they went on to another village.

So with this in mind, what spirit is this growing potential for knowing everything about everyone on Earth of?

You present some very good points here, Little One. I had not thought in these terms before but I think we should all consider what you brought up. And welcome to Worthy, btw.

[Little One]

Another sign of the times:

2 Thessalonians 2:3

Let no one deceive or beguile you in any way, for that day will not come except the apostasy comes first [unless the predicted great falling away of those who have professed to be Christians has come], and the man of lawlessness (sin) is revealed, who is the son of doom (of perdition),

Major scale backsliding. This one scares me the most. I don't want that to be me.

Matthew 24:4-14 (provides the order in which it's all going down...)

⁴ Jesus answered them, Be careful that no one misleads you [deceiving you and leading you into error].

⁵ For many will come in (on the strength of) My name [^[a]appropriating the name which belongs to Me], saying, I am the Christ (the Messiah), and they will lead many astray.

⁶ And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not frightened or troubled, for this must take place, but the end is not yet.

⁷ For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in place after place;

⁸ All this is but the beginning [the early pains] of the ^[b]birth pangs [of the ^[c]intolerable anguish].

⁹ Then they will hand you over to suffer affliction and tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.

¹⁰ And then many will be offended and repelled and will ^[d]begin to distrust and desert [Him Whom they ought to trust and obey] and will stumble and fall away and betray one another and pursue one another with hatred.

¹¹ And many false prophets will rise up and deceive and lead many into error.

¹² And the love of ^[e]the great body of people will grow cold because of the multiplied lawlessness and iniquity,

¹³ But he who endures to the end will be saved.

¹⁴ And this good news of the kingdom (the Gospel) will be preached throughout the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then will come the end.

Amen! And don't forget Christ's teaching about the wise and foolish builders -- including the builders of a nation or global community and the economies on which they operate. How does the American Way measure up to Christ's words?

Matthew 6:24

"No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

Matthew 7:24-27

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Sad to say, the American economy has been built by greedy people through the arousal, temptation and exploitation of its citizens' fleshly (lustful) natures at the expense of their Godlike nature, thereby undermining and eroding the morality of society. And people wonder why there are so many violent acts of bloodshed in this day and age -- as their must also have been in the days of Noah, when:

"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. ...Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. So God said to Noah, 'I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth.' " (Genesis 6:5, 11-13)

And this just refers to the inner condition of the human mind and heart -- from which external words and actions before long come.

Edited May 3, 2013 by Little One

[*Zion*]

Amen! And don't forget Christ's teaching about the wise and foolish builders -- including the builders of a nation or global community and the economies on which they operate. How does the American Way measure up to Christ's words?

Matthew 6:24

"No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

Matthew 7:24-27

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Sad to say, the American economy has been built by greedy people through the arousal, temptation and exploitation of its citizens' fleshly (lustful) natures at the expense of their Godlike nature, thereby undermining and eroding the morality of society. And people wonder why there are so many violent acts of bloodshed in this day and age -- as their must also have been in the days of Noah, when:

"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. ...Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. So God said to Noah, 'I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth.' " (Genesis 6:5, 11-13)

And this just refers to the inner condition of the human mind and heart -- from which external words and actions before long come.

I totally agree, this applies to every person - regardless of which nation/culture they come from.

[Little One]

I think another SIGN OF THE TIME is the movement to remove the daily sacrifice, of praise and other acknowledgment of God, from our public gatherings.

Hebrews 13:15

Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.

Through the practice of prayer -- whether in private or public -- or pledging as one our allegience to the flag of our "one nation under God," we acknowledge and reassert our common Creator's place and priority daily in our thoughts, motivations and actions. By "putting an end to the daily sacrifice" of prayer in public, are we not fulfilling the words of Daniel:

Daniel 8:13-14

Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to him, "How long will it take for the vision to be fulfilled--the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that causes desolation, the surrender of the sanctuary and the trampling underfoot of the LORD's people?"

He said to me, “It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be reconsecrated.”

Daniel 12:11-12

"From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days.Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days."

Edited May 3, 2013 by Little One

[Little One]

So many only see the outward fulfillment of prophecy -- the spoken words and outward actions. But Jesus points us to the "inside" of the physical "cup," container, or temple that each of our bodies are (or are not). This is the "mystery" of the Gospel that is only revealed to those who "hear these sayings of mine and put them into practice" within themselves (Matthew 7:24-27). This theater of "practice" is WITHIN -- in the "innermost" realm of one's thoughts, emotions, attitudes and the all-important beliefs currently "held". In this way one and all who put Christ's teachings into practice in the inner realm of their thoughlife have begun a process of being "transformed by the renewal of your mind".

In this way The Lord's sayings brings every thought attitude and belief held by our "innermost" thinking, believing beings into the light of our awareness so we can see where we are and are not in line with Christ's words.

From the abundance of the heart [WITHIN a person, hidden from others but not from The Lord] come one's speech and behavior [outwardly].

Scriptural foundation:

Romans 12:1-2

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Ephesians 4:21-24

"...when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old

self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Ephesians 3:14-21

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love,may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

1 Corinthians 10:3-5

For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy [iNNER]strongholds. We destroy arguments [LOGIC] and every lofty opinion [ATTITUDE] raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ ...

Luke 6:45

A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

This one-on-one work within is the most important work one does in cooperation with the Holy Spirit. This is the "hidden" inner realm of first-cause, or first-sowing. This ultimately results in outward speaking or acting (sowing) and becomes another theater in which impacts the larger external world around us.

Matthew 5:21-22; 27-28

“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder,and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell."

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Genesis 6:5

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.

This SAME internal scenario is the way Jesus said it will be when He comes. The external scenario was-will be quite different:

Matthew 24:36-39

“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark;and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man."

Genesis 6 says absolutely nothing about the outward actions of people -- only the inner goings on.

[BlessedByTheBest]

http://brostef.typep...h-is-worse.html

Condoms or Bibles?

Isaiah Chapter 5:20-21

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, And prudent in their own sight!

[Little One]

The Weather Channel seems to be prophesying lately with its series, Hacking the Weather, Forecasting the End and now Deadliest Space Weather. What caught my attention was the mention, during this show's promotion, of space tornadoes. This takes Hosea 8:7 to a whole new level of potential fulfillment:

“They sow the wind

and reap the whirlwind."

http://www.weather.com/tv/tvshows/deadliest-space-weather/main

[BlessedByTheBest]

http://gracethrufaith.com/ikvot-hamashiach/mid-east-update/

 

 

excerpt:

 

Mid East Update

 

This Week’s Feature Article by Jack Kelley

 

Recently several events in the Middle East have taken place that should be putting students of prophecy on high alert.

 

In Syria, the opposition is fragmenting as newly arrived Taliban fighters from Afghanistan have joined with alQaeda in what looks like an attempt to hijack the rebellion against the Assad government. In the short term this means the Syrian opposition is focused more on the infighting among its own factions than on defeating the government forces. The Taliban and alQaeda alliance seems to be gaining the upper hand, which means any hope for a “moderate Muslim” government to replace Assad is quickly evaporating.

 

A report that Israel is considering going it alone in an effort to put a halt to Iran’s nuclear arms development is also in the news. According to high ranking officials, Israel is concerned that because of North Korean help Iran is about to cross Prime Minister Natanyahu’s famous red line, and could be only months away from having a “nuclear device”. According to them that means a warhead or bomb is less than a year away. These officials are saying that something must be done before the end of 2013 to stop Iran. It has been reported that a majority of Israel’s security cabinet is now prepared to vote for war with or without help from others.

 

Accordingly, Israeli officials have begun preparing the world to expect some kind of action against Iran later this year. PM Netanyahu pledged on national television that he will not wait until it’s too late to act.

[missmuffet]

I do not believe that we are in the End Times right now because I think that is the tribulation but we are getting there fast.