ONE-YEAR JOURNEY OF THE BIBLE
Day 272 - Matthew 1-6 (Jesus' First Message of His Ministry)
(To View Past Posts Click: http:/tonyvicreyes1-yearbible.blogspot.com/ )
"From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." (Matthew 4:17-19)
A person's first words bears a lot of weight. For example, the first words of the inaugural address of a new president would reveal a lot about his agenda and leadership. If I had only one minute to address a very important person such as the monarch or the Pope, the first words that would come out of my mouth would largely determine the outcome of our meeting.
As I read the Sripture passage for today, I became curious and did a quick research on whether or not the message of Jesus in our text above was indeed His very first in His officlal ministry as the Messiah. I was rewarded to find out that I was right about my thought regarding the first message of our Lord's ministry.
So, what is the first message of the Lord as the Messiah? The very first public appearance of Christ as an adult was at His baptism by His cousin John the Baptist. The Bible records that immediately after His baptism, the Spirit led Him into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan for forty days and nights. Our text above begins by saying, "From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
The first message of Jesus to the world, therefore, is "Repent." We have already established that the first message bears the most weight in most cases especially when the situation matters deeply. The wisest thing any person could ever do would be to take heed of Jesus message of repentance in order for him or her to inherent the kingdom of God.
To repent simply means to make an about face on sin; it means to acknowlege that you are a sinner as God says and to ask God for His forgiveness through His Son Jesus Christ. The result of repentance is salvation for God promised, "Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out... (Acts 3:19)" Conversely, not repenting of your sins would mean that your sins remain to condemn you to everlasting punishment in hell.
As an added blessing of revelation from the Bible, I discovered the second message of Jesus in His official ministy. Actually, it is more of the same message but with two-fold nature much like a coin with two sides. If the one side of Jesus' message is repentance, the flip side is discipleship: "Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men (Matthew 4:19)."
Jesus not only called all people to repentance but also to follow Him. To follow Jesus is what discipleship is all about. A disciple is someone who follows Jesus in everything. Are you a disciple of Jesus? It is not enough for us to repent of our sins; we must also obey Jesus in all of His teachings and commandments if we are to be His disciples.
Why is it important to be a disciple? For one, Jesus commanded all Christians to make disciples: "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations (Matthew 28:19)." You cannot fulfill Jesus' command for you to make disciples unless you are one yourself - makes sense?
Another reason why it is very important for us to become disciples or followers of Jesus is His grave warning regarding the fate of those who are not His followers or those who are not His disciples. Consider very carefully the words of our Lord:
"Not everyone who says to Me, "Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, "Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, "I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!' " (Matthew 7:21-23)
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Day 270 - Malachi
ONE-YEAR JOURNEY OF THE BIBLE
Day 270 - Malachi (God Hates Divorce)
(To View Past Posts Click: http:/tonyvicreyes1-yearbible.blogspot.com/ )
"...the LORD has been witness
Between you and the wife of your youth,
With whom you have dealt treacherously;
Yet she is your companion
And your wife by covenant.
But did He not make them one,
Having a remnant of the Spirit?
And why one?
He seeks godly offspring.
Therefore take heed to your spirit,
And let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth.
"For the LORD God of Israel says
That He hates divorce,
For it covers one's garment with violence,"
Says the LORD of hosts." (Malachi 2:14-16a)
God rebuked the priests of Israel who were divorcing their wives in order to marry younger women thus breaking the goal of marriage (she is your companion) and the bond of marriage (she is your wife by covenant). Married couples today must not ignore a foundational truth about marriage from our Scripture text.
The Bible teaches that a man and a woman becomes united as one in marriage (Genesis 2:18-25). God's purpose for this mystery of the marriage union is to raise godly offspring for Himself (Malachi 2:15). It is totally repulsive to God for a married person to have more than one partner. It is for this same reason that adultery breaks "the LORD's holy institution which He loves(Malachi 2:11)." Consequently, Jesus said that adultery is the only legal grounds for divorce.
If someone does not have Biblical grounds for divorce, God regards them as still married and any subsequent relationship is considered adultery (Matthew 19:8-9). God's will and plan for married couples is to stay together for life. In fact, "the LORD God of Israel says that He hates divorce (Malachi2:16)."
Couples with serious marital differences must work out a solution to their problems and seek counseling. God tells all who are married to "take heed." This means that both husband and wife must do everything in their power to save their marriage.
One excellent godly resource that has a remarkable success rate of 85% helping heal marriages is Focus on the Family’s National Institute of Marriage. Below is the link to their website:
http://www.nationalmarriage.com/?utm_source=focusonthefamily&utm_medium=internal&utm_campaign=nim_broadcast_placement
Your marriage may be healthy but perhaps you may know of a couple whose marriage is on shaky ground. Please forward this post to them or at least tell them about the National Institute of Marriage and pray that they will seek help to restore and save their marriage.
Day 270 - Malachi (God Hates Divorce)
(To View Past Posts Click: http:/tonyvicreyes1-yearbible.blogspot.com/ )
"...the LORD has been witness
Between you and the wife of your youth,
With whom you have dealt treacherously;
Yet she is your companion
And your wife by covenant.
But did He not make them one,
Having a remnant of the Spirit?
And why one?
He seeks godly offspring.
Therefore take heed to your spirit,
And let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth.
"For the LORD God of Israel says
That He hates divorce,
For it covers one's garment with violence,"
Says the LORD of hosts." (Malachi 2:14-16a)
God rebuked the priests of Israel who were divorcing their wives in order to marry younger women thus breaking the goal of marriage (she is your companion) and the bond of marriage (she is your wife by covenant). Married couples today must not ignore a foundational truth about marriage from our Scripture text.
The Bible teaches that a man and a woman becomes united as one in marriage (Genesis 2:18-25). God's purpose for this mystery of the marriage union is to raise godly offspring for Himself (Malachi 2:15). It is totally repulsive to God for a married person to have more than one partner. It is for this same reason that adultery breaks "the LORD's holy institution which He loves(Malachi 2:11)." Consequently, Jesus said that adultery is the only legal grounds for divorce.
If someone does not have Biblical grounds for divorce, God regards them as still married and any subsequent relationship is considered adultery (Matthew 19:8-9). God's will and plan for married couples is to stay together for life. In fact, "the LORD God of Israel says that He hates divorce (Malachi2:16)."
Couples with serious marital differences must work out a solution to their problems and seek counseling. God tells all who are married to "take heed." This means that both husband and wife must do everything in their power to save their marriage.
One excellent godly resource that has a remarkable success rate of 85% helping heal marriages is Focus on the Family’s National Institute of Marriage. Below is the link to their website:
http://www.nationalmarriage.com/?utm_source=focusonthefamily&utm_medium=internal&utm_campaign=nim_broadcast_placement
Your marriage may be healthy but perhaps you may know of a couple whose marriage is on shaky ground. Please forward this post to them or at least tell them about the National Institute of Marriage and pray that they will seek help to restore and save their marriage.
Monday, September 28, 2015
Day 269 - Zechariah 9-14
ONE-YEAR JOURNEY OF THE BIBLE
Day 269 - Zechariah 9-14 (Key Evidence Proving Jesus is the Messiah)
(To View Past Posts Click: http:/tonyvicreyes1-yearbible.blogspot.com/ )
"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your King is coming to you;
He is just and having salvation,
Lowly and riding on a donkey,
A colt, the foal of a donkey." (Zechariah 9:9)
Fulfilled prophecy remains the strongest evidence for the validity of the Bible and in particular, the validity of Jesus as the Messiah of Scriptures. There are over 300 prophecies about the Messiah that Jesus fulfilled. The mathematical probability of all those fulfilled prophecies happening by chance is absolutely impossible and anyone who denies it is simply out of touch with reality.
One great example of those hundreds of fulfilled prophecies is found in our text above concerning the triumphal entry of the Messiah as prophesied by the prophet Zechariah written about 550 years before it actually occurred.
An impostor who wanted to "fulfill" the triumphal entry would have simply fetched a donkey but not Jesus. As the three gospel writers record, Jesus instructed two of His disciples to go into a certain village and there there will find a donkey which has never been sat on and if the owner asked why they were taking it, they just had to say "the Lord has need of it." Jesus not only fulfilled a the donkey part of the prophecy about the triumphal entry; He made the process miraculous in itself!
Here's something an impostor would have found impossible to do - unless the one riding on the donkey was Messiah Himself, the other prophecies associated with the triumphal entry such as the huge crowd welcoming Jesus and shouting "Hosanna! Blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord!" in fulfillment of Psalm 118:26.
"So what?" you might say. I'm glad you asked. Here's where this whole prophecy thing really applies to everyone of us. Because Jesus fulfilled every prophecy about Him until the day of His death and resurrection, it is absolutely certain that He will also fulfill all the remaining prophecies about Him that has yet to be fulfilled including His second coming into Jerusalem, this time not on a humble donkey to be sacrificed as the Lamb that takes away the sins of the world, but as conquering King who will destroy His enemies into everlasting punishment in hell.
Who is Jesus to you - just another religious leader among many or the Messiah of the Bible who alone is the only God and Savior? Your relationship or lack thereof with Jesus will determine your eternal destiny.
Day 269 - Zechariah 9-14 (Key Evidence Proving Jesus is the Messiah)
(To View Past Posts Click: http:/tonyvicreyes1-yearbible.blogspot.com/ )
"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your King is coming to you;
He is just and having salvation,
Lowly and riding on a donkey,
A colt, the foal of a donkey." (Zechariah 9:9)
Fulfilled prophecy remains the strongest evidence for the validity of the Bible and in particular, the validity of Jesus as the Messiah of Scriptures. There are over 300 prophecies about the Messiah that Jesus fulfilled. The mathematical probability of all those fulfilled prophecies happening by chance is absolutely impossible and anyone who denies it is simply out of touch with reality.
One great example of those hundreds of fulfilled prophecies is found in our text above concerning the triumphal entry of the Messiah as prophesied by the prophet Zechariah written about 550 years before it actually occurred.
An impostor who wanted to "fulfill" the triumphal entry would have simply fetched a donkey but not Jesus. As the three gospel writers record, Jesus instructed two of His disciples to go into a certain village and there there will find a donkey which has never been sat on and if the owner asked why they were taking it, they just had to say "the Lord has need of it." Jesus not only fulfilled a the donkey part of the prophecy about the triumphal entry; He made the process miraculous in itself!
Here's something an impostor would have found impossible to do - unless the one riding on the donkey was Messiah Himself, the other prophecies associated with the triumphal entry such as the huge crowd welcoming Jesus and shouting "Hosanna! Blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord!" in fulfillment of Psalm 118:26.
"So what?" you might say. I'm glad you asked. Here's where this whole prophecy thing really applies to everyone of us. Because Jesus fulfilled every prophecy about Him until the day of His death and resurrection, it is absolutely certain that He will also fulfill all the remaining prophecies about Him that has yet to be fulfilled including His second coming into Jerusalem, this time not on a humble donkey to be sacrificed as the Lamb that takes away the sins of the world, but as conquering King who will destroy His enemies into everlasting punishment in hell.
Who is Jesus to you - just another religious leader among many or the Messiah of the Bible who alone is the only God and Savior? Your relationship or lack thereof with Jesus will determine your eternal destiny.
Saturday, September 26, 2015
Day 268 - Zechariah 1-8
ONE-YEAR JOURNEY OF THE BIBLE
Day 268 - Zechariah 1-8 (How to Defeat Satan)
(To View Past Posts Click: http:/tonyvicreyes1-yearbible.blogspot.com/ )
"Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him. And the LORD said to Satan, "The LORD rebuke you, Satan! The LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?" (Zechariah 3:1-2)
I have witnessed too many Christians who tried to rebuked Satan apart from the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. They think that they have been given authority on their own to rebuke the devil and his demons. There is, however, no biblical basis for such a belief.
In our text above, we read God Himself using His own name, the LORD, to rebuke Satan. If God Himself decided to use His name instead of directly rebuking Satan (not that He never did so since Jesus said, "Get thee behind me, Satan!), how dare we think that we could rebuke the devil on our own authority? When Christ empowered His disciples to cast out demons, He specifically instructed them to do so in His name.
Instead of rebuking the devil, Christians are called to resist him. James 4:7 says to "submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." Zechariah 3:2 tells us that it is the Lord who rebukes Satan. Even Michael, one of the most powerful of the angels, did not dare to accuse Satan, but rather said, "The Lord rebuke you" (Jude 1:9).
It is true that he Bible says, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12) and that Satan prowls around like a lion in search of prey, looking for victims to devour (1 Peter 5:8). We must not forget, however, that "the battle is the Lord's and not ours."
It is not necessary for us as Christians to rebuke Satan because God has given us His full armor to stand against evil (see Ephesians 6:10-18). Our most effective weapons against the devil are our faith, wisdom, and knowledge about God and His Word. Christ, when tempted by Satan, answered him with Scripture (see Matthew 4:1-11).
Born-again Christians are no longer enslaved to Satan or to sin (Romans 6:6-7), but this does not mean we are immune to the temptations that he puts before us. To overcome the devil, we must maintain a clear conscience, have control over our thoughts, and live right with God. Anyone who is not under the control of the sovereign God is under the control of the devil (Acts 26:18; 2 Corinthians 4:4).
Do you know the Lord Jesus as your personal Savior? Are you certain that the Holy Spirit is in you and that you have been delivered from sin's power and wages? If not, you stand no chance against the devil and you need to ask God to forgive you of your sins and give you His Holy Spirit to deliver you from Satan and give you eternal life. I pray you do so today if you have not done so yet.
Day 268 - Zechariah 1-8 (How to Defeat Satan)
(To View Past Posts Click: http:/tonyvicreyes1-yearbible.blogspot.com/ )
"Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him. And the LORD said to Satan, "The LORD rebuke you, Satan! The LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?" (Zechariah 3:1-2)
I have witnessed too many Christians who tried to rebuked Satan apart from the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. They think that they have been given authority on their own to rebuke the devil and his demons. There is, however, no biblical basis for such a belief.
In our text above, we read God Himself using His own name, the LORD, to rebuke Satan. If God Himself decided to use His name instead of directly rebuking Satan (not that He never did so since Jesus said, "Get thee behind me, Satan!), how dare we think that we could rebuke the devil on our own authority? When Christ empowered His disciples to cast out demons, He specifically instructed them to do so in His name.
Instead of rebuking the devil, Christians are called to resist him. James 4:7 says to "submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." Zechariah 3:2 tells us that it is the Lord who rebukes Satan. Even Michael, one of the most powerful of the angels, did not dare to accuse Satan, but rather said, "The Lord rebuke you" (Jude 1:9).
It is true that he Bible says, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12) and that Satan prowls around like a lion in search of prey, looking for victims to devour (1 Peter 5:8). We must not forget, however, that "the battle is the Lord's and not ours."
It is not necessary for us as Christians to rebuke Satan because God has given us His full armor to stand against evil (see Ephesians 6:10-18). Our most effective weapons against the devil are our faith, wisdom, and knowledge about God and His Word. Christ, when tempted by Satan, answered him with Scripture (see Matthew 4:1-11).
Born-again Christians are no longer enslaved to Satan or to sin (Romans 6:6-7), but this does not mean we are immune to the temptations that he puts before us. To overcome the devil, we must maintain a clear conscience, have control over our thoughts, and live right with God. Anyone who is not under the control of the sovereign God is under the control of the devil (Acts 26:18; 2 Corinthians 4:4).
Do you know the Lord Jesus as your personal Savior? Are you certain that the Holy Spirit is in you and that you have been delivered from sin's power and wages? If not, you stand no chance against the devil and you need to ask God to forgive you of your sins and give you His Holy Spirit to deliver you from Satan and give you eternal life. I pray you do so today if you have not done so yet.
Friday, September 25, 2015
Day 267 - Zephaniah - Haggai
ONE-YEAR JOURNEY OF THE BIBLE
Day 267 - Zephaniah - Haggai (Are You Ready for The Day of the Lord's Wrath?)
(To View Past Posts Click: http:/tonyvicreyes1-yearbible.blogspot.com/ )
"The great day of the LORD is near;...
That day is a day of wrath,
A day of trouble and distress,
A day of devastation and desolation,
A day of darkness and gloominess,
A day of clouds and thick darkness,
A day of trumpet and alarm
Against the fortified cities
And against the high towers.
"I will bring distress upon men,
And they shall walk like blind men,
Because they have sinned against the LORD;
Their blood shall be poured out like dust,
And their flesh like refuse."
Neither their silver nor their gold
Shall be able to deliver them
In the day of the LORD's wrath;
But the whole land shall be devoured
By the fire of His jealousy,
For He will make speedy riddance
Of all those who dwell in the land." (Zephaniah 1:14-18)
I do not think it is a co-incidence that the Scripture reading for today falls on the passage above concerning the end of all days on earth. We are living on the most exciting of all times in history when everything that the Bible prophesied about the end times is literally unfolding right before our eyes. Consider the following events that have already taken place or about to take place which the holy Scriptures predicted must happen before the terrible day of God's wrath falls upon the earth:
1. Messiah would have come and be cut-off (killed). We all know the the Messiah, Jesus Christ, came two thousand years ago and was rejected and killed by His own people as predicted by the prophet Isaiah.
2. The Temple would have been destroyed. This happened in 70 AD when General Titus came to Jerusalem and destroyed the temple.
3. Israel would have been gathered back as a nation from exile from around the world. This happened in May 14, 1948 when Israel became a sovereign nation.
4. Russia, Iran, and its allies prepare to attack Israel. As I write this, Russia is pouring in weapons and soldiers into Syria under the excuse of defending the Assad government from Islamic terrorist. Iran has being doing it for many years. Israel is on high alert for a possible attack from Russia and Iran from her northern borders adjoining Syria.
5. Israel is in crisis and a world ruler (anti-Christ) will broker a peace treaty between Israel and the Palestinians. There is not a day that passes when world leaders are not working towards their ultimate goal of forcing Israel to make peace with the Palestinians. Very recently, the world thought that the Obama administration's peace initiative led by Secretary of State Kerry had their objective in the bag; but, as it turned out, it wasn't the time yet.
6. There will be economic, political and religious instability in the world which will call for a strong leader to unite all peoples. As I write this, economic experts are talking about a world recession and world leaders are preparing for war with one another. Religious intolerance and fanaticism is being blamed for most of the world's problems including terrorism and hate-based violence. The world is looking for a religious leader who will unite all religions in the name of peace and goodwill to all mankind.
7. The gospel will be preached to all the world. With the advent of the internet and advance technology as well as an unprecedented surge in missionary efforts, the gospel is now able to reach every person on the planet.
8. The Temple in Jerusalem is being prepared to be built. Insiders of the Temple re-building project in Jerusalem will say that everything has been prepared for the temple to be constructed according to Biblical specifications. All that is needed is a go signal.
9. Christians are being persecuted around the world. Christians have always been persecuted but, for a very long time, the world has not witnessed the level which we are witnessing today especially within the Islamic regions. Even here in the US, Christians are mocked and persecuted for their faith even at the cost of losing their jobs.
10. True Christians will be raptured or taken to heaven without dying. The rapture of the true Christian Church itself is not dependent on any sign and is imminent; however, the day of God's wrath will not come before the believers are taken away.
Are you prepared for the day of God's wrath? Do you know for sure that you will not be appointed among those who will suffer the wrath of God because of their sins? There is only one way of escape which God has provided and it is through the perfect sacrificial Lamb who was offered on the altar of Calvary. Those who choose to repent of their sins and call on the name of the Lord Jesus will not be appointed for the day of God's wrath but rather will be saved and be taken up to heaven to be in the presence of God forever.
Day 267 - Zephaniah - Haggai (Are You Ready for The Day of the Lord's Wrath?)
(To View Past Posts Click: http:/tonyvicreyes1-yearbible.blogspot.com/ )
"The great day of the LORD is near;...
That day is a day of wrath,
A day of trouble and distress,
A day of devastation and desolation,
A day of darkness and gloominess,
A day of clouds and thick darkness,
A day of trumpet and alarm
Against the fortified cities
And against the high towers.
"I will bring distress upon men,
And they shall walk like blind men,
Because they have sinned against the LORD;
Their blood shall be poured out like dust,
And their flesh like refuse."
Neither their silver nor their gold
Shall be able to deliver them
In the day of the LORD's wrath;
But the whole land shall be devoured
By the fire of His jealousy,
For He will make speedy riddance
Of all those who dwell in the land." (Zephaniah 1:14-18)
I do not think it is a co-incidence that the Scripture reading for today falls on the passage above concerning the end of all days on earth. We are living on the most exciting of all times in history when everything that the Bible prophesied about the end times is literally unfolding right before our eyes. Consider the following events that have already taken place or about to take place which the holy Scriptures predicted must happen before the terrible day of God's wrath falls upon the earth:
1. Messiah would have come and be cut-off (killed). We all know the the Messiah, Jesus Christ, came two thousand years ago and was rejected and killed by His own people as predicted by the prophet Isaiah.
2. The Temple would have been destroyed. This happened in 70 AD when General Titus came to Jerusalem and destroyed the temple.
3. Israel would have been gathered back as a nation from exile from around the world. This happened in May 14, 1948 when Israel became a sovereign nation.
4. Russia, Iran, and its allies prepare to attack Israel. As I write this, Russia is pouring in weapons and soldiers into Syria under the excuse of defending the Assad government from Islamic terrorist. Iran has being doing it for many years. Israel is on high alert for a possible attack from Russia and Iran from her northern borders adjoining Syria.
5. Israel is in crisis and a world ruler (anti-Christ) will broker a peace treaty between Israel and the Palestinians. There is not a day that passes when world leaders are not working towards their ultimate goal of forcing Israel to make peace with the Palestinians. Very recently, the world thought that the Obama administration's peace initiative led by Secretary of State Kerry had their objective in the bag; but, as it turned out, it wasn't the time yet.
6. There will be economic, political and religious instability in the world which will call for a strong leader to unite all peoples. As I write this, economic experts are talking about a world recession and world leaders are preparing for war with one another. Religious intolerance and fanaticism is being blamed for most of the world's problems including terrorism and hate-based violence. The world is looking for a religious leader who will unite all religions in the name of peace and goodwill to all mankind.
7. The gospel will be preached to all the world. With the advent of the internet and advance technology as well as an unprecedented surge in missionary efforts, the gospel is now able to reach every person on the planet.
8. The Temple in Jerusalem is being prepared to be built. Insiders of the Temple re-building project in Jerusalem will say that everything has been prepared for the temple to be constructed according to Biblical specifications. All that is needed is a go signal.
9. Christians are being persecuted around the world. Christians have always been persecuted but, for a very long time, the world has not witnessed the level which we are witnessing today especially within the Islamic regions. Even here in the US, Christians are mocked and persecuted for their faith even at the cost of losing their jobs.
10. True Christians will be raptured or taken to heaven without dying. The rapture of the true Christian Church itself is not dependent on any sign and is imminent; however, the day of God's wrath will not come before the believers are taken away.
Are you prepared for the day of God's wrath? Do you know for sure that you will not be appointed among those who will suffer the wrath of God because of their sins? There is only one way of escape which God has provided and it is through the perfect sacrificial Lamb who was offered on the altar of Calvary. Those who choose to repent of their sins and call on the name of the Lord Jesus will not be appointed for the day of God's wrath but rather will be saved and be taken up to heaven to be in the presence of God forever.
Thursday, September 24, 2015
Day 266 - Nahum - Habakkuk
ONE-YEAR JOURNEY OF THE BIBLE
Day 266 - Nahum - Habakkuk (Ten Things You May Not Know About God)
(To View Past Posts Click: http:/tonyvicreyes1-yearbible.blogspot.com/ )
"God is jealous, and the LORD avenges;
The LORD avenges and is furious.
The LORD will take vengeance on His adversaries,
And He reserves wrath for His enemies;
The LORD is slow to anger and great in power,
And will not at all acquit the wicked....
The LORD is good,
A stronghold in the day of trouble;
And He knows those who trust in Him.
Are You not from everlasting...
You are of purer eyes than to behold evil,
And cannot look on wickedness."
(Nahum 1:2,3,7; Hab 1:12,13)
Theology simply means the study of God and God can only be known through His revelation about Himself as written in His Word, the Bible. In reading through the short books of Nahum and Habakkuk, I have found at least eight attributes of God that the student of the holy Scriptures would profit well from knowing and understanding:
1. God is jealous (Nahum 1:2). Contrary to what some may think, God's jealousy is not at all bad; in fact He would not be God if He were not jealous of His own. If a husband becomes jealous when his wife shows affection towards another man, how much more would God be jealous when His children, whom He begat through the death of His only Son, be much more jealous when they become unfaithful to Him?
2. God avenges His enemies (Nahum 1:2). God hate sin and wants us to hate sin as well. Those who rise up in rebellion against Him will not escape His holy wrath. We cannot compare ourselves to God when it comes to avenging our enemies for God said, " Vengeance is Mine, I will repay" (Romans 12:19).
3. God is slow to anger (Nahum 1:3). We should all be very thankful that God is slow to anger otherwise none of us would even be alive today because of our sins and how we have angered God.
4. God is great in power (Nahum 1:3). We all know that God is great in power but do you know that God is all-powerful or almighty? That means there is nothing that He cannot do except that which is contrary to His nature which is why we need to know who God is. For example, God cannot look on sin.
5. God will not acquit the wicked (Nahum 1:3). God cannot acquit the guilty because of another attribute He has - that He is a just God. Imagine a judge in court who lets a child rapist off the hook because it was his first offense; that would be a wicked judge! Man's sense of justice is completely derived from God's justice that will not acquit the guilty. This is the heart of the gospel: that Jesus Christ took the penalty for our sins upon His own body in order that those who believe in Him would be acquitted or pardoned for their sins and receive eternal life.
6. God is good (Nahum 1:7). God is good all the time; and, all the time God is good. God is so good that the Bible says "He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust (Matthew 5:45)."
7. God is a stronghold in the day of trouble (Nahum 1:7). A stronghold is a safe refuge from an attacker. I don;t need to convince you that there are enough attacks on all of us from all sorts of adversaries including our own family members and even from our own selves. God invites all to come to Him and " you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28)."
8. God knows who those who trust Him (Nahum 1:7). God is all-knowing and He certainly knows those who trust in Him and He will by no means forsake them. None is more worthy of our trust than God because none loves and cares for us more than our heavenly Father.
9. God is everlasting (Habakkuk 1:12). God's exclusive attribute is his that of being eternal. The Bible says that God has no beginning nor end. In fact, God cannot be God if He had a beginning. Because God is everlasting, He can promise eternal life to those who belong to Him through faith in His Son Jesus.
10. God cannot look on sin (Habakkuk 1:13). This is one thing that God cannot do; why? Because it is contrary to all His other attributes especially His attribute of holiness or purity for "He is of purer eyes than to behold evil (Hab 1:13)."
I hope that this simple lesson of theology has whet your appetite to know more about our great and awesome God. Your life will be transformed if you begin to know who God is and conform your life according to His character. But only through the help of His Holy Spirit can anyone be changed into God's image and so I urge you to ask God to give you the gift of the Holy Spirit right now and begin to experience the abundant life He intended for you when He created you.
Day 266 - Nahum - Habakkuk (Ten Things You May Not Know About God)
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"God is jealous, and the LORD avenges;
The LORD avenges and is furious.
The LORD will take vengeance on His adversaries,
And He reserves wrath for His enemies;
The LORD is slow to anger and great in power,
And will not at all acquit the wicked....
The LORD is good,
A stronghold in the day of trouble;
And He knows those who trust in Him.
Are You not from everlasting...
You are of purer eyes than to behold evil,
And cannot look on wickedness."
(Nahum 1:2,3,7; Hab 1:12,13)
Theology simply means the study of God and God can only be known through His revelation about Himself as written in His Word, the Bible. In reading through the short books of Nahum and Habakkuk, I have found at least eight attributes of God that the student of the holy Scriptures would profit well from knowing and understanding:
1. God is jealous (Nahum 1:2). Contrary to what some may think, God's jealousy is not at all bad; in fact He would not be God if He were not jealous of His own. If a husband becomes jealous when his wife shows affection towards another man, how much more would God be jealous when His children, whom He begat through the death of His only Son, be much more jealous when they become unfaithful to Him?
2. God avenges His enemies (Nahum 1:2). God hate sin and wants us to hate sin as well. Those who rise up in rebellion against Him will not escape His holy wrath. We cannot compare ourselves to God when it comes to avenging our enemies for God said, " Vengeance is Mine, I will repay" (Romans 12:19).
3. God is slow to anger (Nahum 1:3). We should all be very thankful that God is slow to anger otherwise none of us would even be alive today because of our sins and how we have angered God.
4. God is great in power (Nahum 1:3). We all know that God is great in power but do you know that God is all-powerful or almighty? That means there is nothing that He cannot do except that which is contrary to His nature which is why we need to know who God is. For example, God cannot look on sin.
5. God will not acquit the wicked (Nahum 1:3). God cannot acquit the guilty because of another attribute He has - that He is a just God. Imagine a judge in court who lets a child rapist off the hook because it was his first offense; that would be a wicked judge! Man's sense of justice is completely derived from God's justice that will not acquit the guilty. This is the heart of the gospel: that Jesus Christ took the penalty for our sins upon His own body in order that those who believe in Him would be acquitted or pardoned for their sins and receive eternal life.
6. God is good (Nahum 1:7). God is good all the time; and, all the time God is good. God is so good that the Bible says "He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust (Matthew 5:45)."
7. God is a stronghold in the day of trouble (Nahum 1:7). A stronghold is a safe refuge from an attacker. I don;t need to convince you that there are enough attacks on all of us from all sorts of adversaries including our own family members and even from our own selves. God invites all to come to Him and " you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28)."
8. God knows who those who trust Him (Nahum 1:7). God is all-knowing and He certainly knows those who trust in Him and He will by no means forsake them. None is more worthy of our trust than God because none loves and cares for us more than our heavenly Father.
9. God is everlasting (Habakkuk 1:12). God's exclusive attribute is his that of being eternal. The Bible says that God has no beginning nor end. In fact, God cannot be God if He had a beginning. Because God is everlasting, He can promise eternal life to those who belong to Him through faith in His Son Jesus.
10. God cannot look on sin (Habakkuk 1:13). This is one thing that God cannot do; why? Because it is contrary to all His other attributes especially His attribute of holiness or purity for "He is of purer eyes than to behold evil (Hab 1:13)."
I hope that this simple lesson of theology has whet your appetite to know more about our great and awesome God. Your life will be transformed if you begin to know who God is and conform your life according to His character. But only through the help of His Holy Spirit can anyone be changed into God's image and so I urge you to ask God to give you the gift of the Holy Spirit right now and begin to experience the abundant life He intended for you when He created you.
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Day 265 - Micah
ONE-YEAR JOURNEY OF THE BIBLE
Day 265 - Micah (What Does God Require of You?)
(To View Past Posts Click: http:/tonyvicreyes1-yearbible.blogspot.com/ )
"He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the LORD require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?" (Micah 6:8)
Micah, along with his contemporary prohets, Isaiah and Hosea, were sent by God to call His people to repentance and righteousness. God told the Jews that He wasn't looking for their sacrifices of animals or oil but rather the sacrifice of doing justice and loving mercy and walking humbly with their God.
I am almost sure that none of us reading this short devo would wake up every morning and ask ourselves, "Now, who could I treat unjustly today?" No, what we are all guilty of as far as injustice is a lot more subtle such as lying to save face or cheating on our taxes or projecting an impression about ourselves before others which we are not. We need to confess and repent of those as sins of injustice and begin to do justly.
Do we love mercy as God requires us to? One of the greatest need of the majority of people in the world is material and physical help due to their poverty. I confess that I have not done even remotely close to what I should and could be doing to alleviate the suffering of the poor. I am grateful to God for giving me and my wife a vision to help poor pastors and their families in the Philippines through introducing and enabling them to have a livelihood that can help then with their daily sustenance.
Perhaps the greatest need we all have is to walk humbly with our God. We are not walking humbly with God whenever we fail to bring our needs before Him in prayer and allow Him to fight our battles. Instead, because of our pride, we always fight our own battles in our relationships, finances, physical illnesses, etc. and lose whether or not we win in our struggles. We lose even when we win because we end up taking the credit rather than giving credit to God.
"Dear God, please forgive us for our injustices. Help us to love mercy starting with caring for the poor of this world. Forgive us for our foolish pride and help us to walk humbly with You by bringing everything in our lives before your throne in prayer and we will give you all the glory and praise. In Jesus name, amen."
Day 265 - Micah (What Does God Require of You?)
(To View Past Posts Click: http:/tonyvicreyes1-yearbible.blogspot.com/ )
"He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the LORD require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?" (Micah 6:8)
Micah, along with his contemporary prohets, Isaiah and Hosea, were sent by God to call His people to repentance and righteousness. God told the Jews that He wasn't looking for their sacrifices of animals or oil but rather the sacrifice of doing justice and loving mercy and walking humbly with their God.
I am almost sure that none of us reading this short devo would wake up every morning and ask ourselves, "Now, who could I treat unjustly today?" No, what we are all guilty of as far as injustice is a lot more subtle such as lying to save face or cheating on our taxes or projecting an impression about ourselves before others which we are not. We need to confess and repent of those as sins of injustice and begin to do justly.
Do we love mercy as God requires us to? One of the greatest need of the majority of people in the world is material and physical help due to their poverty. I confess that I have not done even remotely close to what I should and could be doing to alleviate the suffering of the poor. I am grateful to God for giving me and my wife a vision to help poor pastors and their families in the Philippines through introducing and enabling them to have a livelihood that can help then with their daily sustenance.
Perhaps the greatest need we all have is to walk humbly with our God. We are not walking humbly with God whenever we fail to bring our needs before Him in prayer and allow Him to fight our battles. Instead, because of our pride, we always fight our own battles in our relationships, finances, physical illnesses, etc. and lose whether or not we win in our struggles. We lose even when we win because we end up taking the credit rather than giving credit to God.
"Dear God, please forgive us for our injustices. Help us to love mercy starting with caring for the poor of this world. Forgive us for our foolish pride and help us to walk humbly with You by bringing everything in our lives before your throne in prayer and we will give you all the glory and praise. In Jesus name, amen."
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
Day 264 - Obadiah - Jonah
ONE-YEAR JOURNEY OF THE BIBLE
Day 264 - Obadiah - Jonah (What America Can Learn From the Ninevites)
(To View Past Posts Click: http:/tonyvicreyes1-yearbible.blogspot.com/ )
"And Jonah began to enter the city on the first day's walk. Then he cried out and said, "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!" So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them... Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it." (Jonah 3:4-10)
Sadly, non-believers consider the story of Janah and the big fish as a fairy tale. It is sad because they miss the blessing that could only come to those who believe that the story is true. When you really think of it, if God was able to create the universe out of nothing, why would it be so difficult for God to call a big fish to swallow a person and then vomit him out after three days?
Although there are many spiritual lessons I love about the book of Jonah, I want to focus today on the deliverance of the city of Nineveh (probably about the size of New York City) from total destruction like Sodom and Gomorrah. Jonah's message to the people of Nineveh, as we read from our text above, was that God would overthrow it after forty days.
Amazingly, the inhabitants of Nineveh, who were Assyrians, repented with fasting and sackcloths at the command of their king! As a result, we read that when "God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it (Jonah 3:10)."
O how I pray to God that the people of America would do as the Ninevites did. I pray that God would so convict president Obama of his own sins as well as the sins of his country that he would plead with the American citizens to repent with fasting and humility in the hope that God would relent from judging the nation just as He relented from judging Nineveh.
There could not be any national repentance, however, apart from individual repentance and only when individual citizens of a society repent and humble themselves before God could we even begin expect a national revival. But we don't need to wait for president Obama to call Americans to repent; we must do so right now and begin to fast and ask for God's forgiveness for our sins and for the sins of this nation.
May God help us all to humble ourselves before His throne and cover our hearts with ash and sackcloth through fasting and prayer with all humility and may God have mercy on this land of America and relent of His judgment that is sure to come upon us unless we do as the Ninevites did.
Day 264 - Obadiah - Jonah (What America Can Learn From the Ninevites)
(To View Past Posts Click: http:/tonyvicreyes1-yearbible.blogspot.com/ )
"And Jonah began to enter the city on the first day's walk. Then he cried out and said, "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!" So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them... Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it." (Jonah 3:4-10)
Sadly, non-believers consider the story of Janah and the big fish as a fairy tale. It is sad because they miss the blessing that could only come to those who believe that the story is true. When you really think of it, if God was able to create the universe out of nothing, why would it be so difficult for God to call a big fish to swallow a person and then vomit him out after three days?
Although there are many spiritual lessons I love about the book of Jonah, I want to focus today on the deliverance of the city of Nineveh (probably about the size of New York City) from total destruction like Sodom and Gomorrah. Jonah's message to the people of Nineveh, as we read from our text above, was that God would overthrow it after forty days.
Amazingly, the inhabitants of Nineveh, who were Assyrians, repented with fasting and sackcloths at the command of their king! As a result, we read that when "God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it (Jonah 3:10)."
O how I pray to God that the people of America would do as the Ninevites did. I pray that God would so convict president Obama of his own sins as well as the sins of his country that he would plead with the American citizens to repent with fasting and humility in the hope that God would relent from judging the nation just as He relented from judging Nineveh.
There could not be any national repentance, however, apart from individual repentance and only when individual citizens of a society repent and humble themselves before God could we even begin expect a national revival. But we don't need to wait for president Obama to call Americans to repent; we must do so right now and begin to fast and ask for God's forgiveness for our sins and for the sins of this nation.
May God help us all to humble ourselves before His throne and cover our hearts with ash and sackcloth through fasting and prayer with all humility and may God have mercy on this land of America and relent of His judgment that is sure to come upon us unless we do as the Ninevites did.
Monday, September 21, 2015
Day 263 - Joel 1 - Amos 9
ONE-YEAR JOURNEY OF THE BIBLE
Day 263 - Joel 1 - Amos 9 (Hate Evil, Love Good)
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"Seek good and not evil,
That you may live;
So the LORD God of hosts will be with you,
As you have spoken.
Hate evil, love good..." (Amos 5:14-15a)
In all nine chapters of the book of Amos, almost all pertained to God's pronouncements of judgments on the northern kingdom of Israel except in chapter 5 where the prophet calls the people to repentance and righteous living providing a glimmer of hope to an otherwise dark message of condemnation upon the people.
Day 263 - Joel 1 - Amos 9 (Hate Evil, Love Good)
(To View Past Posts Click: http:/tonyvicreyes1-yearbible.blogspot.com/ )
"Seek good and not evil,
That you may live;
So the LORD God of hosts will be with you,
As you have spoken.
Hate evil, love good..." (Amos 5:14-15a)
In all nine chapters of the book of Amos, almost all pertained to God's pronouncements of judgments on the northern kingdom of Israel except in chapter 5 where the prophet calls the people to repentance and righteous living providing a glimmer of hope to an otherwise dark message of condemnation upon the people.
The nation was at that time experiencing an unparalleled time of success but rather than seeking out opportunities to do good, the people embraced their arrogance, idolatry, self-righteousness, and materialism.
In our text above, Amos pleads with the people to "seek good and not evil" so that they may live and not die from God's wrath and so that God would once again dwell with them. Then Amos declares what is my favorite prayer phrase: "hate evil, love good." I especially love saying that phrase whenever I pray with my wife and children because I want them to adopt it as their utmost goal in life as well.
But how does one practically hate evil and love good? For me personally, I apply it in my life by carefully choosing what I look at with my eyes and not allow my feet to bring me to a place where God would not be pleased with me. I try to say a prayer whenever I hear or read about a gross evil such as abortion or lewdness and ask God to give me a righteous hatred for the sin.
With regards to loving good, I choose to dedicate my time and resources to things that will last forever such as reading God's Word and sharing it, serving at my home church, practicing hospitality both towards friends and family and first-time aquaintances, and even returning to my native country in order to serve the Lord in full-time ministry.
How about you? How can you practice "hating evil and loving good"? If you are not sure, ask God to help you and He will.
Day 261 - Hosea 1-14
ONE-YEAR JOURNEY OF THE BIBLE
Day 261 - Hosea 1-14 ()
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"Sow for yourselves righteousness;
Reap in mercy;
Break up your fallow ground,
For it is time to seek the LORD,
Till He comes and rains righteousness on you." (Hosea 10:12)
Day 261 - Hosea 1-14 ()
(To View Past Posts Click: http:/tonyvicreyes1-yearbible.blogspot.com/ )
"Sow for yourselves righteousness;
Reap in mercy;
Break up your fallow ground,
For it is time to seek the LORD,
Till He comes and rains righteousness on you." (Hosea 10:12)
Contrary to what many believe and teach, man is not basically good; rather, the Bible teaches that man is inherently bad. Paul wrote, "There is none who does good, no, not one (Romans 3:12)." The prophet Hosea was sent by God to call the divided nation of Israel and Judah to repentance and to righteousness because the people have forsaken the God of their fathers and turned to idols.
The book of Hosea makes clear that God will bring judgment on sin but He will always bring His people back to Himself. In our text above, God calls His people to "sow" righteousness and promises that they will reap in mercy if they obey Him. He tells them to break their "fallow ground" referring to their hard hearts because it was time for them to seek the Lord and to continue to seek Him until He "comes and rains righteousness on them."
Friday, September 18, 2015
Day 259 - Daniel 8-12
ONE-YEAR JOURNEY OF THE BIBLE
Day 259 - Daniel 8-12 (Timeline of History Until Christ's Return)
(To View Past Posts Click: http:/tonyvicreyes1-yearbible.blogspot.com/ )
24"Seventy weeks are determined
For your people and for your holy city,
To finish the transgression,
To make an end of sins,
To make reconciliation for iniquity,
To bring in everlasting righteousness,
To seal up vision and prophecy,
And to anoint the Most Holy.
"Know therefore and understand,
That from the going forth of the command
To restore and build Jerusalem
Until Messiah the Prince,
There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks;
The street shall be built again, and the wall,
Even in troublesome times.
"And after the sixty-two weeks
Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself;
And the people of the prince who is to come
Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary.
The end of it shall be with a flood,
And till the end of the war desolations are determined.
Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week;
But in the middle of the week
He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering.
And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate,
Even until the consummation, which is determined,
Is poured out on the desolate." (Daniel 9:24-27)
I believe that it is but fitting that the prophet Daniel has been given the honor by God to receive, arguably the most significant prophecy in all of Scripture - that which pertains to the events from the time of the command to rebuild Jerusalem during the time of Nehemiah until the second coming of Christ after the seven-year great tribulation.
I will lean on the side of being labelled simplistic in the hope that most of my readers in this blog will continue to read my short exposition of our passage above. The seventy weeks are seventy seven-year cycles that are determined upon the nation Israel, its people and upon the city of Jerusalem. Therefore, this is a prophecy that relates to God's dealing with the nation of Israel. It will be accomplished in seventy times seven years.
The prophecies of Daniel wewre based upon the Babylonian calendar of 360-day years and so transposing seventy times seven years would equal to 173,880 days or 483 years. According to records that were found by Sir Rawlinson in the Palace of Shushan, the order to rebuild Jerusalem was given in March 14, 445 B.C. And so from the year March 14, 445 B.C., according to the prediction here, the Messiah should have come in 483 years from the time of this commandment.
Day 259 - Daniel 8-12 (Timeline of History Until Christ's Return)
(To View Past Posts Click: http:/tonyvicreyes1-yearbible.blogspot.com/ )
24"Seventy weeks are determined
For your people and for your holy city,
To finish the transgression,
To make an end of sins,
To make reconciliation for iniquity,
To bring in everlasting righteousness,
To seal up vision and prophecy,
And to anoint the Most Holy.
"Know therefore and understand,
That from the going forth of the command
To restore and build Jerusalem
Until Messiah the Prince,
There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks;
The street shall be built again, and the wall,
Even in troublesome times.
"And after the sixty-two weeks
Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself;
And the people of the prince who is to come
Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary.
The end of it shall be with a flood,
And till the end of the war desolations are determined.
Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week;
But in the middle of the week
He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering.
And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate,
Even until the consummation, which is determined,
Is poured out on the desolate." (Daniel 9:24-27)
I believe that it is but fitting that the prophet Daniel has been given the honor by God to receive, arguably the most significant prophecy in all of Scripture - that which pertains to the events from the time of the command to rebuild Jerusalem during the time of Nehemiah until the second coming of Christ after the seven-year great tribulation.
I will lean on the side of being labelled simplistic in the hope that most of my readers in this blog will continue to read my short exposition of our passage above. The seventy weeks are seventy seven-year cycles that are determined upon the nation Israel, its people and upon the city of Jerusalem. Therefore, this is a prophecy that relates to God's dealing with the nation of Israel. It will be accomplished in seventy times seven years.
The prophecies of Daniel wewre based upon the Babylonian calendar of 360-day years and so transposing seventy times seven years would equal to 173,880 days or 483 years. According to records that were found by Sir Rawlinson in the Palace of Shushan, the order to rebuild Jerusalem was given in March 14, 445 B.C. And so from the year March 14, 445 B.C., according to the prediction here, the Messiah should have come in 483 years from the time of this commandment.
On April 6, 32 A.D., exactly 173,880 days from the commandment of Artaxerxes to Nehemiah to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey, for the first time officially claiming His rightful place as Messiah to the nation of Israel; "but not for Himself," literally, "and receive nothing for himself." We know that Jesus was killed without receiving the kingdom at that time because He was, as predicted by Isaiah, despised and rejected by His people.
From the time of the command to rebuild Jerusalem until the time when Messiah was cut off or killed was sixty-nine seven-year cycles. Now, we have one seven-year cycle that is not yet transpired. It is as if at that point, God's prophetic clock has stopped because the last seven-year period is yet to be fulfilled.
The last "week" or seven years is what Bible scholars call the Great Tribulation. It will begin with the anti-Christ, who at that time will rise up as the supreme ruler of the revived Roman empire, master-minding a peace treaty with Israel and her enemies so that she is able to rebuild the temple.
In the middle of the seven years, the anti-Christ will break his treaty with Israel and sit in the temple to desecrate it and declare himself as God at which time will mark the series of terrible judgments from God on the world culminating in the return of Christ to rightfully re-claim that which belongs to Him.
The Bible teaches that the Christians will be raptured or taken up to heaven without dying before the second coming of Christ to judge the world. It makes most sense that the rapture takes place before the great tribulation because the Bible also teaches that believers are not appointed for God's wrath which is what the great tribulation is.
Are you ready should the anti-Christ reveal himself tomorrow? Will you be among those raptured before the wrath of God is poured out on the world? If not, there is still time for you to escape judgment; but you need to humble yourself before God and repent of your sins and ask for His forgiveness and He promises to forgive you through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ who paid for your sins and mine.
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