I'm Nobody!

I ’M nobody! Who are you?
Are you nobody, too?
Then there ’s a pair of us—don’t tell!
They ’d banish us, you know.

How dreary to be somebody!
How public, like a frog
To tell your name the livelong day
To an admiring bog!
-Emily Dickinson

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly...

Psalm 1
1Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
3And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
4The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
5Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Ezekiel 47
1Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar.
2Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side.
3And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles.
4Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins.
5Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over.
6And he said unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen this? Then he brought me, and caused me to return to the brink of the river.
7Now when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other.
8Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed.
9And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh.
10And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it from Engedi even unto Eneglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many.
11But the miry places thereof and the marishes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt.
12And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.

Revelation 22
1And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
2In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
3And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:
4And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.

King James Version

Some keep the Sabbath...

SOME keep the Sabbath going to church;
I keep it staying at home,
With a bobolink for a chorister,
And an orchard for a dome.

Some keep the Sabbath in surplice;
I just wear my wings,
And instead of tolling the bell for church,
Our little sexton sings.

God preaches,—a noted clergyman,—
And the sermon is never long;
So instead of getting to heaven at last,
I ’m going all along!
-Emily Dickinson

*******
Who has not found the heaven below
Will fail of it above.
God’s residence is next to mine,
His furniture is love.
-Emily Dickinson

Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins...

7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;
8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;
9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold,
Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
11 Moreover by them Your servant is warned,
And in keeping them there is great reward.

12 Who can understand his errors?
Cleanse me from secret faults.
13 Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins;
Let them not have dominion over me.
Then I shall be blameless,
And I shall be innocent of great transgression.

14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.
-Psalm 19:7-14

Besides Him, There is No Other Savior...

25 Of old You laid the foundation of the earth,
And the heavens are the work of Your hands.
26 They will perish, but You will endure;
Yes, they will all grow old like a garment;
Like a cloak You will change them,
And they will be changed.
27 But You are the same,
And Your years will have no end.
28 The children of Your servants will continue,
And their descendants will be established before You.”
-Psalm 102:25-28

6 “For I am the LORD, I do not change;
Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.
-Malachi 3:6

8 [Yeshua (YHVH Saves/Salvation) the Messiah]
is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
-Hebrews 13:8

10 “You are My witnesses,” says the LORD,
“And My servant whom I have chosen,
That you may know and believe Me,
And understand that I am He.
Before Me there was no God formed,
Nor shall there be after Me.
11 I, even I, am the LORD,
And besides Me there is no savior.
12 I have declared and saved,
I have proclaimed,
And there was no foreign god among you;
Therefore you are My witnesses,”
Says the LORD, “that I am God.
13 Indeed before the day was, I am He;
And there is no one who can deliver out of My hand;
I work, and who will reverse it?”
-Isaiah 43:10-13

57 Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?”
58 Yeshua said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”
-John 8:57-58

Messiah Revealed in the Passover... the Feast of Unleavened Bread...

...For indeed Messiah, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. - 1 Corinthians 5:7c-8

Happy Passover!

I want to share the wonderful meaning of Passover... the very special day that the Lamb of God died for the world so that all who look upon Him will receive eternal life with God.

As Moses led the people of Israel through the first Passover, so too, the Messiah – the One greater than Moses and of whom Moses foretold – has led Israel and the Gentiles (nations, goyim) through the ultimate Passover, the one foreshadowed by the first Passover in Egypt. The first Passover was an act of God's mercy for the Hebrews - saving them but bringing judgment upon unbelievers - when the time to execute judgment upon an idol worshiping, hardhearted Pharaoh did not believe it was necessary to place the blood of an unblemished lamb on the doorpost of Egypt's homes as Moses had instructed.

God demonstrated His unchanging ways when He showed mercy for the Hebrew slaves when they were passed over by the angel of death during that judgment.

Through Moses and other prophets, God foretold of the Messiah, whom He would be sending. Through Messiah, God would once and for all remove the sins of His chosen people and redeem them if they would look upon Messiah as they were going to soon look upon serpents raised upon Moses' staff in the wilderness to cleanse them from their unrighteousness. As foretold by the prophets, God would extend His great gift of mercy to the Gentiles (nations, goyim) as well. God's gift of salvation to the world, Jews and Gentiles, would come by way of the blood of an unblemished Lamb of God upon the doorposts of our hearts, which will allow God to pass over us during the final Day of Judgment. The first Passover served as a foretelling of what God had planned before the foundation of the world: as he had provided a ram in the thicket for Abraham when Abraham had been so obedient as to be willing to sacrifice his son, Isaac, so too God would provide His own Son as the ultimate Passover Lamb for His Hebrew children and anyone else who chooses to believe Yeshua (Jesus) is God come in the flesh. The Angel of Death cannot enter in to steal the breaths of those who believe; for by their obedience in turning from their unbelief to believe in the Lamb of God and the necessity of placing His blood upon their hearts and minds, they will be passed over during the final Judgment and given the promised eternal Sabbath - an unending life of rest - with God.

Happy Passover!

19 For seven days no leaven shall be found in your houses, since whoever eats what is leavened, that same person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a stranger or a native of the land. 20 You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwellings you shall eat unleavened bread.’” 21 Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Pick out and take lambs for yourselves according to your families, and kill the Passover lamb. 22 And you shall take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. And none of you shall go out of the door of his house until morning. 23 For the LORD will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you. 24 And you shall observe this thing as an ordinance for you and your sons forever. 25 It will come to pass when you come to the land which the LORD will give you, just as He promised, that you shall keep this service. 26 And it shall be, when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ 27 that you shall say, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice of the LORD, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians and delivered our households.’” So the people bowed their heads and worshiped.

- Exodus 12:19-27

19 Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22 Then they said to him, “Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?”

23 He said: “I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

“Make straight the way of the LORD,”’as the prophet Isaiah said.”

24 Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees. 25 And they asked him, saying, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 John answered them, saying, “I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know. 27 It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.” 28 These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
- John 1:19-29

32 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 Then they said to Him, “Lord, give us this bread always.” 35 And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39 This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. 40 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”

- John 6:32-40

1 Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him. 3 He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. 4 Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth. 8 He was taken from prison and from judgment, And who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken. 9 And they made His grave with the wicked— But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth. 10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand. 11 He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.

-Isaiah 53

5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned." - John 15:5-6

"Children, have you any food?"

13 So it was that quails came up at evening and covered the camp, and in the morning the dew lay all around the camp. 14 And when the layer of dew lifted, there, on the surface of the wilderness, was a small round substance, as fine as frost on the ground.

15 So when the children of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was.And Moses said to them, “This is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat. 16 This is the thing which the LORD has commanded: ‘Let every man gather it according to each one’s need, one omer for each person, according to the number of persons; let every man take for those who are in his tent.’”

17 Then the children of Israel did so and gathered, some more, some less. 18 So when they measured it by omers, he who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack. Every man had gathered according to each one’s need.
- Exodus 16:13-18


8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.
- Matthew 6:8


19 Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes. 20 So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained. 21 Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
-Matthew 14:19-21


5 Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?”
They answered Him, “No.”
6 And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish.

7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from land, but about two hundred cubits), dragging the net with fish. 9 Then, as soon as they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread.

10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have just caught.” 11 Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not broken. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and eat breakfast.” Yet none of the disciples dared ask Him, “Who are You?”—knowing that it was the Lord. 13 Jesus then came and took the bread and gave it to them, and likewise the fish...
- John 21:5-13

Contend for the Faith...

Contend for the Faith
3 Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. 4 For certain [persons] have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly [persons], who turn the grace of our God into lewdness[1], and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.

[1] lewd
adj. lewd·er, lewd·est
1. Preoccupied with sex and sexual desire; lustful.
2. Obscene; indecent.

Old and New Apostates
5 But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day; 7 as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. 8 Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries. 9 Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” 10 But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves. 11 Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.

Apostates Depraved and Doomed
12 These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; 13 raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever. 14 Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, 15 to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”

Apostates Predicted
16 These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage. 17 But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: 18 how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. 19 These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.

Maintain Your Life with God
20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. 22 And on some have compassion, making a distinction; 23 but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.

Glory to God
24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling,
And to present you faultless
Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
25 To God our Savior,
Who alone is wise,
Be glory and majesty,
Dominion and power,
Both now and forever.
Amen.
– Jude 3-25

When the Son of Man Returns, Will He Find Faith On the Earth?

The prospect of the LORD returning today or at any time during or after the tribulation provokes no fear in me whatsoever. Across my friends, who are godly Saints in the LORD on all counts, I find a mixed bag of preferences concerning the rapture doctrines.

My preference is that Yeshua (Jesus) returns for us before the tribulation and that as many as possible and be found worthy of escape from it all!

My concern, however, is that Yeshua will return later than expected and that as many as possible be found having the utmost trust and faith in the LORD and are worthy to escape those things coming upon the unbelieving and rebellious ones.

Scripture and historical writings (letters and commentaries, esp. Irenaeus (AD 120-202), disciple of Polycarp who was a disciple of John, and Hippolytus (AD 170-236), disciple of Irenaeus) can be used to support any one of the rapture doctrines; therefore, I refuse to plant myself in a rapture doctrine because of the concern I have for engendering or teaching error.

If we are going to argue over Scriptures and their meaning in an effort to keep each other out of error, let’s start with the things which are plain and simple to understand, but ignored and contorted every day; such as, divorce and remarriage, reconciliation and forgiveness between the brethren, daily repentance and crucifying the flesh, etc.

Regardless of one’s preference, we are called to be found worthy of escape, vigilant and sober, at peace with one another, without spot and blameless, and encouraging one another in the hope of Yeshua’s very soon return. We are to stand still in the LORD in faith… with complete peace and trust… to ‘stay-the-course’ of our faith in Him during difficult times, no matter how pressing. Can we call anyone a heretic who holds to these encouragements rather than to one man’s doctrine about the rapture over another man’s?

For me, my heart’s cry is “Repent! For the Kingdom of God is at hand (now is the day of salvation). Make your hearts ready and keep them conditioned for Yeshua’s return, or for your pending physical death, whichever comes first. Repent from sin and sinful lifestyles! We must turn our hearts toward God, continually repent from sin that we trip into (that so easily besets us), and do all we can and must do to avoid willful sin! We must overcome the Accuser of the Brethren by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony, and love not our [worldly] lives even unto death (Rev. 12:11)!

In each of His addresses to the seven Churches in John’s vision, Yeshua said it is the over-comers who will receive their rewards. The use of the word “over-comers” is definitely indicative of struggle. No matter how light or pressing the struggle, we struggle to die daily in overcoming our fleshly desires, Satan, who is the spirit of this world, and his plots against us via principalities and powers, the rulers of darkness of the age (the era), and wicked spirits in heavenly places (spiritual realm).

God’s people MUST understand and teach the ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE! We must take our eyes off this world, our VERY temporary abode! We must stop teaching, expecting, and demanding comfort in this world (now, that is heresy)! Instead, let us encourage one another to live peaceful and godly lives and to keep our eyes on Yeshua, the Author and Finisher of our faith, because we may be required to look up to heaven in full expectation of seeing Yeshua waiting to receive us as we’re being martyred!

The disciples and apostles took great care to communicate the very imminent return of our LORD and spoke often of the condition of our lives and hearts… “peaceful, without spot or blemish.” We should not do any less! No doubt, we should all be ready to assemble tonight at the trumpet’s call and/or be ready to stand firm in the LORD during tremendous trial and tribulation!

This we all know and can agree upon: Messiah has not yet returned, but His return is imminent! Let us cease from arguing over exactly WHEN the Messiah is returning – pre, mid, or post tribulation. We need to be more concerned about living peaceful lives without spot or blemish… today. Each “today” turns into a tomorrow. As long as we are ready for His coming today, we will be ready when He returns! We absolutely need to encourage one another in our hope of the Messiah’s return. There’s no doubt, however, that He can return at any moment (Mark 13:32-37) or He can linger a bit longer (Matthew 24:48-51). For sure, He will come in an hour we think not!

When Yeshua returns, will He find faith on the earth (Luke 18:18)? Is your heart given completely to God? Will you be found worthy of escape, whatever form escape will take?

Watch, Be Aware of the Times, and Pray that You May Escape

Recently, my very large financial institution issued a new debit card to me – without explanation and without my request! Because my new debit card got mailed to my branch bank and my branch bank did not contact me, I was totally unaware that I had a new debit card and that my existing debit card now had been set to automatically deactivate 30 days after the mailing of my new debit card. It was only when I got online to pay bills one morning that I discovered my existing debit card had been deactivated. When I called my bank via the toll free number, they told me that a new debit card had been issued and I should have followed instructions to activate the new card. After looking into the matter and finding that my new card had been mailed to my branch bank, not my home, they instructed me to pick up my new debit card as soon as possible.

So I headed off to my branch bank. Since my new debit card had a new number, I was infuriated because I now had to take the time to contact the companies that automatically debit my account and update them with my new card number. I asked my "banker" to reorder a debit card and give me back my old number so I would not be inconvenienced. They proceeded to tell me that my old card and number had to be deactivated because it lacked the new "security chip." There was nothing they could do or wanted to do to rectify the situation for a longtime customer, who had just politely threatened to take her banking business elsewhere. All this happened in October… so as I researched other banks, I found that many were unstable and becoming insolvent. My financial institution remained relatively sound by comparison; I opted to stay with one of the few "financially sound" institutions.

For me, however, the REALization that access to my money could be 'turned off' at the whim of my financial institution was truly a "wake-up call!" And, oddly enough, I am one of the few people on earth who need to be reminded of the pending Mark of the Beast. Regardless of my hopes for an early rapture, a rapture occurring sooner than later, I am resolved in being vigilant in my watchfulness of the signs that proceed His coming – the famines, earthquakes, wars, pestilences, deceptions, false teachers and prophets, persecution and hatred toward the Saints – as my LORD and Messiah forewarned me to do. They fact that the LORD told us that some would finally give up on His coming and begin to partake in drunkenness and begin to beat others (physically, emotionally, spiritually?), tells me that the rapture may not occur as soon as we think it should… as we will witness, and have witnessed, the beginning of sorrows: The homes of believers blown or washed away by Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Ike. The homes of believers burned up in the large and multiple wild fires in California. The homes of believers steeped in 3 – 6 feet of water then mud in the mid-west last summer. Thousands of believers losing their jobs in the U.S. and all over the world. The empty bellies of believers in Africa and Asia for the lack of rice and other grains. The believers in 3rd world countries who are sick and dying from the precipitous rise of diseases born from unsanitary conditions. The physical torture and killing of believers in Africa and Asia by corrupt, ungodly governments or Muslim guerillas who commit them to genocide, ethnic and religious cleansing, because they bear the name of our LORD.

Remember, the LORD told us to store our treasuries in heaven, where moth and rust cannot destroy. Remember, this life is but a vapor, whether we live 10 years or whether we live 95 years, this life is a vapor compared to the timeline of eternity. Our home, our ultimate reality, is in heaven… with our LORD Yeshua and heavenly Abba. We need not sell our inheritance for a bowl of porridge as did Esau; in other words, we need not sell our eternal hope and inheritance to gain a temporal reprieve in this world. Now, more than ever, we need to encourage one another in the LORD, in the reality of our inheritance, in the hope of soon seeing our Messiah and heavenly Abba. Mind-over-matter techniques will not deliver anyone from the reality of these birth pains… all of creation is in travail. We need to be so prepared, so ready in our minds and spirits, that we react as Stephen reacted when he was being stoned to death… we need to be able to look beyond the circumstances that may strip us of our worldly goods and beyond our persecutors who can kill the body… and see Yeshua, see the reality of our inheritance with Yeshua:

"To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God." – Revelation 2:7

"He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death." – Revelation 2:11

"To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it." – Revelation 2:17

"…He who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations—
' He shall rule them with a rod of iron;
They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter's vessel'—
as I also have received from My Father..." – Revelation 2:26-27

"He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels." – Revelation 3:5

"He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name." – Revelation 3:12

"To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne." – Revelation 3:21

We need not tell each other that there will be peace when there is no peace. We need not encourage each other to turn a deaf ear toward brethren who are finding themselves caught in the rain that comes upon the just and the unjust. We need not get caught up in false doctrines that lie in telling people of worldly wealth that God desires to bestow upon His children. You see, in God's economy, we should careless for this world and the things of this world… we are to conduct ourselves as heirs of His kingdom, which is not of this world. In so doing, we introduce and bring others into His glorious kingdom through our testimony.

Above all, we are to retain our love for one another – love is the tell-tale sign of a true believer. Lawlessness is going to abound during this 'beginning of sorrows' coming upon the world, resulting in the love of many waxing cold. Many will be offended… they will betray and hate one another. Be aware of your love or waning love, dear ones… do all you can do to remain in love. As times become more difficult for all upon the earth, as our rights as are increasingly trampled because we bear the name of YHVH and our Messiah Yeshua and as our senses are offended for the lack of justice, we must fight the urge to feel contempt toward others. Should any of us recognize contempt and hatred is trying to set up within our hearts, we must immediately cry out to the LORD and ask Him to create in us a right spirit and a clean heart, full of love and compassion! If we say we love God but hate our brother, we would be lying. God is love.

Now, some who we believe to be our brethren will choose the world and will revel with the world as did happen in the days of Noah… either out of ignorance, because they will not be watching as we've been told to watch, out of rebellion, or out of idolatry. What has light to do with darkness? As we are told, we are to have nothing to do with such people. However, I caution you: although these so-called brethren may betray us, let us not be found to be the betrayers. Should you be offended by these so-called brethren or by professing unbelievers, remember, "Vengeance is Mine!" saith the LORD. If you believe that they are truly believers, and you do not rebuke them gently, then their blood will be required at your hand. But if you rebuke them gently… tell them of their waywardness with a most humble approach... and they listen, you will save yourself and the righteous man or woman from sinning. If they refuse to listen, you will have saved yourself and need to remember that their end will be determined by God. (Ezekiel 3:18-21) Quietly remove yourself from their presence and be on your way, walking in the path of righteousness for His Name's sake.

Brothers and Sisters, I don't care what stance you take on the timing of the rapture, the fact is that the Mark of the Beast can be implemented, or be very, very near implementation, before the rapture… so you need to be watchful, be aware, and be ready to stand firm for the LORD. I bring it to your attention for this passage:

4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Messiah for a thousand years. – Revelation 20:4

RFID chips are already being placed in passports - this we know as a fact! The U.S. government is very close to issuing a national ID card with an RFID chip containing all personal information known to them among the various government agencies. The implementation of the national ID card was supposed to have begun in August 2008. Should we be told this year, in 2009, or next year that we must have this ID card to access our money and to buy goods and services, will you accept?

I suppose I could have reverted to writing checks versus using my debit card. Perhaps I will. I think I will throw away my debit card with the new "security chip." But the mere thought of having to write and mail checks to pay my bills aggravates me further. You see, I am already very spoiled by the convenience of being able to pay my bills online, within 5 to 10 minutes, without having to go to the post office. I suppose I need to open a savings account at another bank instead of depositing all my money in savings and checking accounts in the same financial institution; but it is so easy to transfer money from my checking to my savings. Agh… although the inconvenience pains me, I will do so this week.

All this being said to lead up to these questions: What if I, and a couple of other believers, had been some of a few thousand selected and forced to accept debit cards with this new security chip or there would be NO way to access our paychecks that had just been automatically deposited? No checks, no cash withdraws, no account-to-account transfers, no wires transfers. What if I called you and told you that I only had $30 cash and I'd soon be out gas? Okay, so we get me and two other believers through the next two weeks. But then, when we try to switch the direct deposit of the next paycheck to other banks, we are told that all new bank accounts require the use of these debit cards with these new security chips. I mean what if the banks and the government agencies are basically telling us, "You cannot buy, sell, or trade unless you accept this new card." Would you encourage us to accept the card because it's not a "mark?" Would you encourage us to accept the card, because despite the varied doctrines surrounding the timing of the rapture, you're quite sure that believers will be out'a here before governments and financial institutions cut us off from our money… our ability to buy, sell, or trade?

Now, fortunately, access to my money was temporarily cut off until I accepted the new card with the new security chip, and the situation not as dire as I describe above since I could have opted to access my money with checks and cash withdraws – I think. (Actually, I did have to do a cash withdrawal the other day and I WAS asked for my debit card by the teller… so maybe I wouldn't have been able to make a cash withdrawal had I not activated the new debit card. I'm sure I could have written a check… yes?) Quite honestly, the minute the government or financial institutions tell me that I cannot access my money by any means unless I accept a new "card"… that basically I cannot "buy, sell, or trade" without the card, I'm folding my hands and with every ounce of God-given strength in me and will politely tell them, "In God I trust. Keep my money, for God will keep me."

Shalom aleichem!

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4 And Jesus answered and said to them: "Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Messiah,' and will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
9 "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved." – Yeshua, Matthew 24:4-13

36 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 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, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, 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. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. 42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." – Yeshua, Matthew 24:36-44

34 "But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. 35 For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to ESCAPE all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man." – Yeshua, Luke 21:34-36