Wednesday, October 5, 2022

MYSTERIES REVEALED TO PAUL, THE APOSTLE

 










By Pastor Mike Taylor



It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.

I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.

And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)

How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.” (2nd Corinthians 12:1-4)


Saul of Taurus, who became Paul the Apostle to the Gentiles, (Romans 11:13) was a remarkable man who lived a remarkable life in the service of Almighty God. Being transformed from the greatest enemy of Jesus Christ, Paul became the greatest evangelist and God's greatest servant at a point in God's timing where God's focus and plans took on a dramatic shift from focusing on Israel as the source of blessing to the world, to focusing on a mostly Gentile body, known as the Church.


It was Paul's God given mission to establish this church, and the church began with him. To him, we owe a debt of gratitude that he was sold out to God and God used him to bring us the truth of God's Word. In the verses above, Paul speaks of a time when a man, (I believe Paul was referring to himself) was caught up to heaven and heard revelations and what Paul spoke of as “mysteries” that were not revealed to any other prophet, or even the twelve apostles of our Lord. It was not spoken of in the Old Testament, and was not spoken of in the New Testament until Paul arrived and was given the mysteries of the plan for mankind that were revealed to him alone by the risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. You ask, “When did this happen?”.


Remember what happened after Paul was given his sight by Ananias? According to the account of Paul's conversion in Acts 9 the Lord stated twice that He would show Paul what to do and what would happen to him for the Gospel's sake. However, Paul immediately began to show from scripture that Jesus was the Christ and apparently displaying his capability to communicate well to the Jew, but his ministry ultimately was to the Gentiles. This was something that would not go down well for some one trained in the sect of the Pharisees and the Jews did not receive the message Paul preached.


So if Paul was to go Arabia how do we understand what is written in Acts 9. Verse 23 states that "After that many days were fulfilled" the “after that” would refer to Paul's showing the Jews that Jesus was the Christ many days past? This would work in very well with Paul's traveling to Arabia when rejected by the Jews.  Here we will discuss a few of those mysteries, that God gave Paul, and the Apostle Paul gave to us.

God in the form of the Risen Christ, instructed Paul by revelation on the “mysteries” that had not been revealed in times past, but only hinted at when Isaiah wrote similar language as did Paul, about what we can expect in the near future.


19 “Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.

20 Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.

21 For, behold, the Lord cometh out of hplace to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.” (Isaiah 26:19-21)



Many people read right over this passage above and don't see what Isaiah was telling us. The Apostle Paul fleshed it out for us in 1st Corinthians and 1st Thessalonians, when he made known the “mystery” that was hidden from the understanding of those in Old Testament times. Paul made known to us, many mysteries of God.

Paul was being commissioned to take the Gospel of salvation through faith in the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus and that it was by grace that we are saved:

8 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
 
Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)



Paul stayed for three years in the Arabian desert. Paul didn't go to the Apostles, but was led, much like Jesus was led into the wilderness, to be instructed by God Himself on “secrets” that had not been revealed prior to the calling of Paul on the road to Damascus.

THE MYSTERIES OF GOD

The word “mystery” is a confusing translation, as it can mislead the reader of what mystery means and what Paul is talking about. Is it “weird, strange, or an enigma” which is the common interpretation of the word in the English language? No, the word is Greek (μυστήριον ) It means a “secret”–something kept hidden, something previously not revealed. Paul used the term to describe the body of doctrines the risen, ascended, glorified Lord revealed to him. God alone can keep a secret and He had kept these revelations hidden until He chose to disclose them. I believe God waited until Jesus had ascended on High with God our Father and chose Paul as His minister to share this truth of God's Plan for Mankind. Paul called these doctrines “secrets” for this was what they were. What were these secrets that Peter and the other apostles knew nothing about?

As the opening scripture speaks of, Paul was taken away, translated via the Spirit of God into the Third Heaven, and heard words that were not lawful for a man to hear. At least not in regular Judaism, as they were Holy and revealed by the most Holy God, Jesus the Christ. Let us briefly touch on a few of these mysteries, or “secrets” that our risen Lord revealed to Paul and to him alone to change the focus of the Lord's plan for the redemption of mankind, by setting aside Israel for a predetermined span of time, until the fullness of the Gentiles had come in which has been going on for the last 2000 years.



25 “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
 
26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
 
27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.”(Romans 11:25-27)


THE SECRET GOSPEL OF THE GRACE OF GOD

Paul preached what he called “his Gospel” that focused on the mercy and grace of God, instead of the coming Kingdom of God. He said it many times in his epistles to the churches of his day. Did not the Apostles preach this Gospel? No, not until Paul taught them as a new revelation, that salvation came but by grace.



Paul declared his gospel was, “kept secret for long ages past, but now is manifested.” Paul wrote that by revelation he went to Jerusalem to communicate the gospel that he preached:

2 “And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain.” (Galatians 2.2).



It was a “secret” until the ascended Lord revealed it to Paul. What was the gospel John the Baptist, Jesus, and the Twelve proclaimed? They preached the “gospel of the kingdom of God” (Matthew 4.239.35Mark 1.14-15) The focus of the Gospel before Jesus was risen and ascended back to the Father in heaven was to preach to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. This was the content of the Gospel preached by Jesus and the 12 apostles. It was even preached upon the conversion of Paul for a time, as he declared that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. Each of the apostles believed that the Kingdom of God was imminent in their life-time and they would be a part of that Kingdom. No where in the scriptures do the Apostles preach the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, until Paul came and taught them upon returning from the wilderness experience with our Risen Lord, Jesus our Messiah. Read the scriptures for yourself, and you will find that no one but Paul introduced salvation through faith. Beforehand, the apostles preached salvation through repentance and baptism which is what Peter proclaimed in Acts chapter 2 on the day of Pentecost:



37, “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
38, Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” (Acts 2:37-38)



But even Peter did not emphasize the finished work of the cross through the blood of Jesus Christ, as the cross was deemed a curse. Now each are necessary that Israel believe that Jesus was the Messiah, to be baptized out of obedience to the example of Jesus Christ, but Paul preached a “mystery” that there is nothing we can do by doing this or that, as salvation comes only by faith and the pardon of our sins is a gift of God. It is a bestowing of the mercy and grace and unmerited favor that is imparted to those who believe on Jesus Christ and His finished work when crucified, resurrected and ascended back into heaven's realm to sit at God the Father's right hand. There is no action, no work, no tradition, no ceremony that one can do what is required for the remission of our sins, but the blood sacrifice of Jesus for payment of the sins of the world and our justification, finalized with the Lord's resurrection, leading to our sanctification that takes our whole lives to be refined into the image of Christ, and for our future glorification along with Him.
 Paul wrote the Corinthians,



1 “Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, 
 
2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. 
 
3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 
 
4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, (1 Corinthians 15.1-4)



This “secret” mystery was a total change in the concept of salvation as Paul preached salvation through faith alone


THE SECRET OF THE BLINDING OF ISRAEL



God laid the groundwork for His creation of a new race of people, the Jews, with His calling of Abraham. Through the line of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, God began to reveal Himself. From that point until the time when the ascended Lord commissioned Paul, God dealt with mankind through the nation of Israel. To the Jews belonged the adoption, glory, and covenants, etc.



I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,

That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.

For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:

Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;

Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.” (Romans 9:1-5)

11 “Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;

12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.”(Ephesians 2:11-13)



24 “Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.

25 Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.

26 Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities."(Acts 3.24-26).



God revealed His prophetic plan through the Jewish prophets. But because Israel rejected the timing of the visitation of their Messiah, the Kingdom would be given to another to bear the fruits thereof. But at the end of the Age, all Israel would be redeemed.

What had been unknown was the when and the how. Paul revealed that following Israel’s rejection of their Messiah that the nation’s salvation would not occur “until the fullness of the Gentiles is come in.” Jesus proclaimed to them prior to Paul, when the apostle Matthew wrote about Jesus scolding the Pharisees:



42 “Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?
  
43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.
 
44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
 
45 And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.” (Matthew 21:42-45)



No where in scripture does it make mention of the temporary blinding of Israel and God’s creation of the Church, the body of Christ, during this blindness. These truths are found nowhere in the Old Testament. Why? Paul declared these things were a secret of God. A partial hardening–not total and not forever–would last until the fullness of the Gentiles occurred, and until the body of Christ was complete.

24 “For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?

25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.

28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the father's sakes.”(Romans 11:24-28)


After that, all Israel, the entire nation, every single Jew alive on earth who will recognize Jesus as the Messiah, will be saved ...so much for Replacement Theology. This heresy of Replacement theology flies in the face of what Paul revealed to the world through his Gospel that the Jews, all of them alive would be saved.
At the end of the Tribulation, at the end of the great Day of the Lord, all Jews will believe Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. They will go into the promised kingdom



14 “If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.

15 For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?

16 For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.

17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;

18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.” (Romans 11:14-18)


.7 “Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child.

Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.

Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the Lord: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God.

10 Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her:”(Isaiah 66:7-10)

(also see Matthew 6.10). Unlike the generation of Jesus’ day who failed to repent and experience the kingdom, the Tribulation generation will respond and believe Jesus is Messiah (See Matthew 23.39, cf. John 10.16). God is sovereign and has promised through his prophets that Israel would enjoy the kingdom (Romans 9.29 cf. Deuteronomy 28.1-14). God will keep His word.



THE MYSTERY OF THE HARPAZO OF THE CHURCH.


 This mystery of the return of Jesus Christ for His church was something that no one in all of the pages or verses of your Bible was given this revelation. It was given to Paul the Apostle exclusively through Jesus Christ our Lord when Paul as previously mentioned, was in Arabia and experienced the “translation” into the third heaven to hear words that should not be uttered quoted at the beginning of this message. Why was it a “secret”? Because the return of Jesus Christ, our Lord after the Day of the Lord, called His Second Advent, was common knowledge in the Old Testament prophets. Like the prophet Zechariah:


“3, Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.
4, And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.
5,  And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.” (Zechariah 14:3-5)


 Not only Zechariah, but many of the minor prophets like Amos, Joel, or Haggai, and the major prophets made mention of the coming of the Lord to set up His Kingdom at the end of the age. So this was not something new...this was not a secret, as it had been clearly revealed prior.


This snatching away, (the before not mentioned revelation of the removal of the church, some call “rapture”) is the resurrection of the Church, the body of Christ. In this divine event members of the body of Christ will receive their resurrection bodies. When the body of Christ has been made complete God will take His body unto Himself. Paul called this occurrence the “fullness of the Gentiles” (
Romans 11.25) since the body of Christ is composed primarily of Gentiles. The word Paul used for the Rapture was ἁρπάζω which is the word HARPAZO, which literally means “to seize” or “to snatch away by force.” Our English word “rapture” comes from the Latin “rapiemur” which is the word Jerome used in the Latin Vulgate to translate  ἁρπάζω. Paul revealed the secret of the Rapture when he wrote the church at Corinth:


 
51 “ Behold, I tell you a mystery [secret]; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed,
 
52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
 
53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.”(1st Corinthians 15-51-53)

Paul went on to elaborate when he wrote the church in Thessalonica about the order of this resurrection:


 
13 “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.
 
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.
 
15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.
 
16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
 
17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.
 
18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4.13-18).


 IN the passage above Paul gives the sequence of the “catching away” of the body of Christ. The dead in Christ will rise first, then those who are alive and remain will be changed “in the twinkling of an eye”...both groups will meet the Lord in the air, meaning those who are alive and changed and will never experience physical death, but given immortal spirit bodies right along with the resurrected saints who have died in faith and belief in the Lord Jesus Christ.

The words for “moment” and “twinkling” are 
ἄτομος and ῥιπή. The thought here is that this will occur instantaneously. 


This return of the Lord is an entirely different event from His return to save Israel and the nations at the end of the Tribulation. As Jesus told us that the end of the age will be as in the days of Noah, or people going about their everyday routines of life, not knowing that their destruction is at hand. At the end of the Tribulation, men and women will NOT be going about their everyday lives, but trying to survive in a world gone mad. It will be no secret that judgment has come and Jesus will not come as a Thief in the night. In the first return, the Lord will meet the body of Christ in the clouds (a heavenly return for a heavenly people, (
Ephesians 1.3). Some scoff and label is an “escape hatch” from the coming Tribulation, but I prefer to call it “victory in Jesus” over this world. In the second return, the Lord will return to earth, (an earthly return for an earthly people,( Zechariah 14.4). God our Lord Jesus will claim what is His and bought with His own blood, and will rule the world with a rod of iron. The Rapture is the “blessed hope” of the body of Christ


13 “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
14, Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” (
Titus 2.13-14)


 And the coming of the Lord was Paul’s personal hope:


 “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
10, That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
11, If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.” (Philippians 3:9-11)


 Concerning this doctrine, Paul had to correct false teaching, when one posing as Paul or preaching a different Gospel proposed that the Day of the Lord had already happened, and that Nero was the Ant-Christ. This false prophet refuted Paul's teachings concerning this “catching away” of the saints and the people were sorely afraid, as they thought and believed erroneously that they had missed the return of Christ and were heading into the Tribulation. Paul wrote them to admonish and refute this false notion in the second letter to the Thessalonians:


 
1 "Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,

That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?”(2nd Thessalonians 2:1-5)


Even today, people try to rationalize what God is going to do and that Bible prophecy is a non-starter and everything has been accomplished. They are what are known as Preterist and have a problem explaining what the book of Revelation has to reveal.

No one spoke of this “secret”, this mystery of the “catching away” of the church, the fullness of the Gentiles, until Paul revealed what Jesus had told him alone in revelations, being taught by Jesus personally. Jesus never mentioned it in his earthly ministry and the Twelve Apostles never mentioned it in their writings. That changed when the glorified Jesus Christ told the Apostle John in Revelation 3:10 that we would be taken “OUT OF” the coming Tribulation, not experiencing the event or going through and enduring the time of God's wrath, which I have covered in past messages. All non-Pauline writings of Christ’s return speak of His return to earth at the end of the Tribulation found in the Old Testament, that is unless you discern what John wrote in Revelation, and the Lord God revealed to him about 30 years after Paul was slain by Emperor Nero.

All the prophets from Ezekiel, Isaiah, to Zechariah, Malachi, Amos and the rest of the minor prophets spoke of the coming “Day of the Lord” where God would come in wrath to take revenge on a God rejecting world, in favor of worshiping a false god, the Anti-Christ during the Tribulation.


THE DAY OF JESUS CHRIST


 But the Apostle Paul spoke of a different day. He called it the “day of Christ” or the day of the Lord Jesus. The “day of Christ” is a day of deliverance, not a day of judgment. The “day of Christ” is the return of Christ for his body, the Church, or the Rapture (the HARPAZO). Associated with this day of deliverance is judgment of the believers works. Paul wrote the Corinthians about this :


10 “According to athe grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder  laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it.
11 For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12 Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,
13 each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is 
to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work.
14 If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward.
15 If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet as through fire.”(1
st Corinthians 3:10-15)

This is the Bema Judgment seat of our Lord Jesus Christ. Not a day of judgment , but a day of rewards for the saints of God that have done deeds for Christ and are receiving rewards for their service, or the lack thereof, but “being saved as though by fire”.


 Paul spoke of many more mysteries, “secrets” that I will address in a part 2 of continuing this message, but I'll leave it there for this time.
 As you read these “secrets” that Paul shared with you and I today, our time of the soon coming of our Lord is an event that Paul looked down the annals of time and knew not when they would happen. All he knew is that Jesus had commissioned him a preacher of the Gospel of the risen Lord and to establish His church on this earth. His work survives and the words he wrote from what he saw and heard, are with us for our own salvation through faith and belief in the Son of God, crucified, buried, and resurrected the third day according to the Scriptures. What I have witnessed to you, is a salvation message in a nutshell and a rewards banquet that is fast approaching.

Will you be at that Bema Judgment seat along with all of have believed by faith, not of works, lest any one of us should boast? Will you stand with me, as we all hold hands and raise them in worship to the King of kings, and Lord of lords, my God and yours, Jesus Christ, the Lord God Almighty? It all is encapsulated in the whole point of this message and the point of the whole of the Bible:


16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Begotten Son,
That whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life.
 17, God sent not His Son into the world, to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved,

18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. ” (John 3:16-18)


 I've given you three powerful, witnessed mysteries (secrets and there are more) that was revealed only to Paul and no one else. He wrote the major portion of the New Testament of the Christ who changed him from Saul, the persecutor of the saints, into Paul, the faithful, powerhouse witness of the saving Grace and Mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ and God our Father. Now my last witness (plea) I want to leave you with “What will you do with these mysteries (secrets) given to us by the Apostle Paul? Will you embrace them for the salvation of your soul, or will you put it off and think you can do it another day, or if at all? Don't wait another day, as you are not promised tomorrow.


8 “But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.” (Romans 10:8-11)



This is Pastor Mike Taylor, praying you receive the Lord Jesus as personal Savior today. If you need counseling, prayer, or just a listening ear, drop me an email to 
pastormiketaylor@yahoo.com, OR visit me online for more on Bible based teaching on Prophecy and the Salvation through no other than Jesus Christ, the Way, the Truth, and the Life. God bless you all,


TILL WE MEET AT JESUS FEET

PROPHECY UPDATE ...............10/3/2022

 








Beam Me Up, Lord - By Daymond Duck - https://www.raptureready.com/2022/10/01/beam-me-up-lord-by-daymond-duck/

 

I am not a psychiatrist, but I have been told more than once that some mentally ill people think everyone else is mentally ill, and I am beginning to wonder if more and more people are mentally ill or if it is me.

 

  • On Sept. 19, 2022, it was reported that the Dutch city of Haarlem will consider a proposal to prohibit companies from advertising meat for sale because cattle impact the climate in a way that is harmful to the environment.
  • On Sept. 20, 2022, Stacey Abrams, Democrat candidate for Governor of Georgia, said six-week fetal heartbeats detected by ultrasound are manufactured (invented, or faked) sounds that are “designed to convince people that men have the right to take control of a woman’s body.”
  • On Sept. 21, 2022, it was reported that men attending an American Political Assoc. (APSA) conference were asked to urinate in commodes instead of urinals out of respect for women who think they are men, but they can’t urinate while standing up like biological men.
  • On Sept. 22, 2022, it was reported that Air Force cadets are being trained not to say mom, dad, boyfriend, girlfriend, etc., and our leaders think this is “a warfighting imperative.”

 

Is mental illness spreading on earth, or is it just me (or are we witnessing a widespread increase in reprobate minds)?

 

Can a sane person really believe:

 

  • People will own nothing and be happy?
  • People will be better off eating bugs and insects?
  • People will be better off under a government that can seize their bank account if their government doesn’t like something they said, something they did, someone they voted for, etc.?
  • Drag queen shows, gender transition surgeries, and cross-sex hormones are good for children?

 

Beam me up, Lord. I am ready to be with sane, godly-minded people that never sin, get sick or die.

 

Here are some recent prophecy-related events.

 

One, on Sept. 20, 2022, it was reported that with more than 3 months to go, Pres. Biden has welcomed more than 2 million illegal aliens into the U.S. this year (not counting getaways).

 

He seems to have a double agenda:

 

  • Weaken America and surrender its sovereignty to the New World Order (Biden’s Build Back Better agenda; a borderless world government).
  • Increase the Hispanic population of America by many millions of people to promote the merger of the U.S., Mexico and Canada (USMCA; one of the Ten Kings).

 

Two, concerning hyper-inflation and the coming economic collapse during the Tribulation Period: on Sept. 21, 2022, the head of the U.S. Federal Reserve warned that inflation is still too high (even though Biden is lying to the American people or willingly ignorant of it), interest rates will keep rising, and a recession is likely on the way.

 

Three, concerning a 7-year covenant of peace and safety, the division of Israel, and the Battle of Armageddon: on Sept. 22, 2022, Israel’s interim Prime Min., Yair Lapid, told the UN General Assembly he endorses the Two-State Solution.

 

Canadian Prime Min. Trudeau tweeted, “Israelis and Palestinians living in peace, security, and dignity (peace, safety and dignity) is in everyone’s best interest.”

 

U.S. Pres. Biden welcomed, and agreed with, Lapid’s statement.

 

Lapid didn’t just ignore the Scriptures; he defied God, endangered Israel, encouraged Israel’s enemies to push harder for a worthless covenant of peace, and may have moved the world closer to the Battle of Armageddon (Joel 3:1-3).

 

Four, concerning hyperinflation, a global economic collapse and famine: as I understand what I read, the global energy crisis has the EU economy in shambles (and it may be what Biden and other globalists want).

 

Most EU banks, businesses, industry, farmers, etc., may survive this winter by curbing their activities, but some are already on the brink of collapse, and the longer this problem drags on, the worse the situation will get.

 

Tens of thousands of EU citizens (perhaps more) are likely to die this winter.

 

A large fertilizer company (BASF) in Germany is threatening to shut down over insufficient gas supplies (without enough fertilizer, food production will drop).

 

Farmers are threatening to shut down because of high fertilizer and fuel costs (less fertilizer will cause food prices to soar and famine to spread).

 

Germany has a lot of stored natural gas, but that is rapidly being depleted and will run out in a matter of weeks.

 

This EU crisis will impact the whole world.

 

Obviously, I can’t predict the future or set dates, but if this crisis keeps dragging on, the world will keep moving closer to the prophecies in Revelation chapter 6, and the cries for a world government to solve the problem will grow loud and hard to ignore.

 

No one knows, but the Rapture or this crisis could trigger a world government before 2030.

 

Globalists think they are in control, but they are not.

 

God’s Word will be fulfilled whether this crisis is a globalist plot or the judgment of God.

 

Major global problems and changes are on the horizon.

 

Five, on Sept. 26, 2022, a very large underwater leak was reported in the Baltic Sea on Russia’s Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to Europe.

 

Seismologists in Denmark and Sweden reported powerful explosions that appeared to be explosions, not earthquakes, near where the leak occurred.

 

The next day, on Sept. 27, 2022, two more very large underwater leaks were reported in the Baltic Sea on Russia’s Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea to Europe.

 

At the time of this writing, the cause of the explosions was unclear, but Amir Tsarfati and leaders in several nations expressed the opinion that it was sabotage, but they offered no proof.

 

This appears to be a disaster for Europe, Russia, and the whole world.

 

  • For Europe because there is no hope of resuming the flow of gas through the pipeline from Russia to Europe anytime soon, and the price of gas is now surging (this means more inflation).
  • For Russia, because Russia wanted to cut a deal with Europe to resume the flow of gas in exchange for European concessions on Ukraine, but Russia has lost her bargaining chip, and concessions are now out of the question.
  • For the whole world, because the global energy shortage has just gotten worse, the price of gas has already started climbing, and it will be harder to bring inflation under control.

 

This appears to be an advantage for Israel.

 

Israel’s gas is now more valuable and needed more than ever.

Europe is more dependent on Israel than ever.

 

Putin is angry and threatening revenge.

 

Keep an eye on this because it could lead to the hook in Gog’s jaw.

 

Six, concerning a digital currency: on Sept. 27, 2022, the RAIR Foundation USA reported on an interview of a well-known German economist, journalist, and author named Ernst Wolff.

 

According to Wolff:

 

  • Under the Great Reset, the World Economic Forum (WEF) is planning to cause big trouble for middle class businesses and people with assets.
  • The goal is to create panic and a call for a new economic system (a CBDC, a social credit score system, etc.).
  • A person’s bank account will be like an app on their cellphone.
  • The Federal Reserve Bank carrying one’s account can withdraw taxes from the account, charge interest for keeping the account, penalize people for some of their purchases, and require people to spend their money (say in 3 weeks) or lose it.

 

Seven, concerning the ashes of a red heifer: on Sept. 27, 2022, it was reported that:

 

A plot of land that meets the requirements for an animal sacrifice has been purchased on the Mount of Olives.

 

A qualified red heifer could be sacrificed on the Mount of Olives as soon as 13 months from now.

 

It doesn’t mean the Temple will be built then, but it does mean the rabbis could have the ashes of a red heifer by then.

 

At this point, the five red heifers that were moved from Texas to Israel are out of quarantine, and they still meet the requirements for sacrifice.

 

According to Byron Stinson, the Christian rancher that raised the red heifers in Texas, Christians can support the sacrifice and rebuilding of the Temple because the blinding of the Jews will cease when the Antichrist defiles the Temple, and all Israel will hear the gospel and get saved.

 

Finally, are you Rapture Ready?

 

If you want to be rapture ready and go to heaven, you must be born again (John 3:3). God loves you, and if you have not done so, sincerely admit that you are a sinner; believe that Jesus is the virgin-born, sinless Son of God who died for the sins of the world, was buried, and raised from the dead; ask Him to forgive your sins, cleanse you, come into your heart and be your Saviour; then tell someone that you have done this.

 

duck_daymond@yahoo.com





'Biden Bucks': The Dangers of Digital Currency – Patrice Lewis - https://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=5628

 

Of the many horrors introduced by the Biden administration - open borders inviting millions of unvetted illegal immigrants, including human traffickers, criminals, and terrorists; untold quantities of fentanyl and other dangerous drugs flooding the nation; shutting down pipelines and otherwise making our nation energy-vulnerable; inflation due to rampant money printing - one of the most horrifying is coming down the pipeline. I refer to digital currency.

 

In Biden's vision, digital currency will "advance democracies to lift people up, not to hold them down." Naturally, digital currency is being offered as a "solution" to problems we never realized we had. It's touted as far more efficient, easy, environmentally beneficial and even more sanitary than paper currency. With digital currency, gone are the troublesome days when cash must be printed or minted. Now the government can flood the system with untold trillions of digital dollars at the push of a button. Now that's efficiency!

 

But despite whatever pretty words they use, there is no question digital currency is a horror show waiting to happen.

 

There are many risks. Digital currency would be vulnerable to hacking, technological glitches and power outages. Any hiccup in the system would mean your funds are not available "at this time." When regional disasters happen (such as Hurricane Ian) with widespread power outages, no one in the affected areas would be able to exchange currency, adding additional distress on top of existing misery.

 

When traditional currency is phased out, everyone will suffer. You can no longer tip your hairdresser or drop a few bucks into a homeless person's cup. You can no longer sell unneeded items at a yard sale or send your grandkid a $10 bill in a birthday card.

 

Bitcoin expert Anthony Pompliano calls digital currency "one of the greatest violations of human rights in history." He writes, "Once a central bank digital currency is in the hands of a population, the central bank has solidified complete control. They will no longer have to go to the court system or invoke emergency powers to tell you who you can transact with. This can all be implemented through remote, digital technologies.

 

These central bankers will be able to see what is in your bank account, who you transact with, what you purchase, and anything else they are curious about in your financial life. That full transparency with the state removes all elements of privacy, while also giving the institutions the ability to censor any and all transactions, regardless of whether they have a legitimate reason or not."

 

No wonder the current administration is slavering to introduce the so-called "Biden Bucks."

 

Increased government control over the monetary system goes hand-in-glove with the social score concept famously wielded by the Chinese Community Party and rapidly being adopted in other nations, including America. Anything and everything that requires an exchange of currency can be monitored, and transactions can be denied for such things as firearms, meat, or other (currently) legal but politically incorrect purchases. Already the World Economic Forum is launching a coalition to reward people with "carbon credits" for using fewer resources. Digital currency makes this all possible.

 

From sociopolitical commentary to romance writing! Patrice Lewis branches into the world of Amish inspirational fiction. These clean romances are wholesome enough for Grandma to read. Check out Patrice's available titles.

 

The fact is, digital currency is being introduced for one reason, and one reason only: so it can be weaponized against political enemies. And as Biden himself has made abundantly clear in the last few weeks, his political enemies include anyone and everyone who doesn't wholeheartedly support his growing reign of terror.

 

Digital currency will allow the government to seize assets at will. Forget those middle-of-the-night FBI raids; just click a button, and the victim has nothing. The mere threat of this possibility will be enough to bring all but the most die-hard rebels into line with the régime.

 

Catherine Austin Fitts, former assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, said in a recent interview: "If you can move every human into a digital concentration camp, empty their bank account any time you want, and tell them what they can and cannot spend money on, you've got complete control."

 

If you think the term "digital concentration camp" sounds extreme and over-the-top, think again. If the government decides to punish you, you're toast. You can't pay your power bill, so your electricity is shut off. You can't pay your water bill, so your water is shut off. You can't buy gas, so you can't drive. You can't pay your rent or mortgage, so you're evicted. You can't pay your property taxes, so your (paid-for) home is seized. You can't buy food. Forget medical care; that's out of the question.

 

This cascading series of events can happen literally at the push of a button. You won't be jailed, but you won't have to be. Your life will become a living hell.

 

"When Biden Bucks are rolled out, many experts - myself included - believe they will begin an era of total government control and surveillance," says former CIA official Jim Rickards. "This is not hyperbole. This would dramatically expand the power and influence of the federal government ... essentially acting as a new type of 'spyware.' With Biden Bucks, the government will be able to force you to comply with its agenda. Because if you don't, they could turn off your money. This won't be like freezing a bank account, it will be so much easier."

 

You might claim this is mere conspiracy theory, but imagine this: Had digital currency been around two years ago, would it have been tied to mandatory COVID vaccines? Short answer: Yes. No vaccine, no access to your money. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

 

The launch of this horror story occurred in March with the signing of Executive Order 14067, which laughably claims (among much else), "Any future dollar payment system should be designed in a way that is consistent with United States priorities." Oh please. Digital currency is the antithesis of American priorities, and certainly goes against everything in our founding documents.

 

The creepy thing about digital currency is there is no evading it. It would permeate literally every aspect of every person's life, no matter how off-grid or remote they may be. Some say a barter society will spring up - and indeed, I expect that to happen almost instantly - but you can't barter for car insurance or property taxes or other government requirements.

 

A digital currency would, in effect, be the end of America. When this occurs, be sure to thank the people for whom the "Biden buck stops here." 






Days of Offense - By Hal Lindsey – www.hallindsey.com

 

When giving the signs of His return, Jesus listed something you may not have spent much time thinking about — offense. In Matthew 24:10 (NKJV), the Lord said, “And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.”

 

There has never been a time when more people were more offended over more things than right now. Offense is everywhere in our day. People are offended by things both real and imagined; by words spoken and words unspoken. They are not only offended by your political affiliation, but even by the kind of car you drive. They are offended by names and by whole regions of the country. Most people today have a highly honed, well-developed sense of offense. And they keep it ever on alert, just in case.

 

Beware of this. Jesus said, offense is followed by betrayal and hatred. Those are happening, too.

 

Most of our society has been infected. We have made taking offense a sign of virtue, and we have shaped it into a fine art. It is one of the main things now taught in public schools, even though it harms both society as a whole and the individual children being taught. It infuses the music of our age, as well as other entertainments. Society reinforces it in the news media (left and right), in the home, and, yes, even in the church. What a sad thing!

 

The original language takes this verse even further. The word here translated offense comes from the Greek word, “skandalizo.” That’s where we get the English word “scandalize.” We are scandalized by the attitudes and behaviors of others. The root word has to do with trapping and ensnaring. Don’t be ensnared.

 

Please understand that there are times when people’s words or actions should shock, insult, or upset us. That’s normal, even healthy. But we should never live there. Neither should we be on the lookout for things in which to find offense. And we should never, ever try to find our self-esteem there. Increasing numbers of people try to bolster their own sense of self-worth by being scandalized by someone else. “They are mean, but I am good. They are not smart, but I have things figured out.”

 

We live in a time when to find something offensive about a political opponent, or a famous person, has become one of the most sought-after feelings. But that rush is not happiness, and it is not even in the vicinity of joy. It may give a moment of satisfaction to find that a wealthy or famous individual is, for instance, a terrible racist. It might even make a person feel briefly superior. But it will never bring lasting joy.

 

At other times, people use “offense” as an excuse. “I would have succeeded, but the world is not fair.” Nobody ever said the world was fair. Don’t let your offense at perceived unfairness fool you into not working hard. God wants you on His side. When you are on His side, forces will come against you, but He will help you become an overcomer. He wants us to be like the Apostle Paul in Acts 20:24-25. “But none of these things move me,” he said, “neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.”

 

The disease of finding offense in everything is a sign of the times. Jesus said it would be among the constellation of signs that His coming is near. So, don’t be discouraged when you see it. Instead of bringing discouragement, may it help all of us to realize that our work is great and our time short.

 

Also, remember that the disease of offense is highly contagious. Be careful not to let it infect you. God has much work left for you and me. We must avoid getting bogged down in offense.

 






(The Hunt For) RED OCTOBER – A.V. Rauf - https://bibleprophecyfortoday.com/2022/09/30/the-hunt-for-red-october/

 

Matthew 24:6-8-–6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.8 All these are the beginning of sorrows

 

In the 24th Chapter of the Book Matthew Jesus describes in detail the many events that would occur prior to the end of the age. We know that this generation ALONE has witnessed practically every sign mentioned in the 24th Chapter.

 

Here in the U.S., our country was hit by one of the worst natural disasters in the history of the country! It is being reported that when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, it was just a Category 3 storm. I’ll talk about that Hurricane in a moment…. The current Hurricane from this past week, Hurricane Ian was a very strong Category 4 storm when it finally made landfall, very close to qualifying to be a Category 5 storm! Several media outlets were reporting that Hurricane Ian had maximum sustained winds of 150 -155 mph.

 

As was the case with Hurricane Katrina, note that when our government is involved in an effort to divide the land of Israel, our nation is hit by some sort of a major disaster almost immediately afterwards. If you recall in 2005, Former President George W. Bush convinced Israel that it was necessary to remove all of the Jewish settlers out of Gaza and turn it over entirely to the Palestinians. According to the New York Times, the last settlers were evacuated on August 23, 2005 and that precise day, Hurricane Katrina started forming over the Bahamas. The city of New Orleans still has not fully recovered from the damage that storm caused, and it ranked as the costliest natural disaster in all of U.S. history up to that time. Hurricane Ian may have changed that.

 

Just last week, U.S. President Joe Biden delivered a major speech in front of the United Nations General Assembly in which he boldly called for the creation of an independent Palestinian state.

 

See here: https://www.breitbart.com/middle-east/2022/09/21/at-un-biden-calls-for-palestinian-state-they-are-entitled-to-it/

 

1 Timothy 2:1-4—I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

 

Although it is our responsibility to pray for the leaders of our nation(s), it appears as if the leaders of the nations ultimately are going to continue to push for the land of Israel to be formally divided. I have discussed this in the past in a series of separate posts going as far back as 2016:

 

https://bibleprophecyfortoday.com/2016/12/29/endgame-jerusalem/

 

https://bibleprophecyfortoday.com/2016/06/24/the-fig-tree-prophecy/

 

https://bibleprophecyfortoday.com/2017/01/02/au-revoir-monde/

 

I want to mention that what we are witnessing is not just one event as prophesied by Jesus Christ in Matthew 24 coming to past. Rather we are seeing a convergence of multiple events taking place simultaneously!

 

Which brings me to my next point. It is being reported that as of today that Russian Federation president Vladimir Putin delivered a speech in the Kremlin in which he announced the annexation of four occupied/partially occupied, Ukrainian political subdivisions( Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia ) de facto Russian territory, as well as the defense of which from external attacks from any source can be met with the use of Russian nuclear weapons. The question one must ask is what will be the response of NATO?

 

NATO had already vehemently condemned Russia’s unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine which has now past SEVEN months. We already are aware of the fact that the United States, the European Union AND ISRAEL have unilaterally rejected the Russian annexation.

 

Let us not forget that this week , European and NATO officials are claiming sabotage for three leaks in the Nord Stream 1 & 2 pipelines running from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea. Each of the pipelines, Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2, are actually a pair of pipes officials did not accuse anyone directly, but the allegation underscored the uncertainty around Europe’s energy standoff with Russia, and how volatile the continent’s energy security is as winter approaches.

 

Putin has retaliated and claims that the United States is responsible for the sabotage. See here:

 

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2022/09/30/putin-declares-russias-annexation-of-occupied-ukraine-lashes-out-at-west-a78937

 

So………..Russia blames the United States, and the United States blames Russia, as does Poland and Ukraine. The European Union is officially silent, and as of now no one is blaming Israel. According to the West, the damage and escaping gas are too dangerous to repair. One might want to ask just exactly where does Europe get its gas supply from?

 

By 2021, Russia was supplying around 40 percent of the European Union’s natural gas, with some smaller countries, such as Latvia, almost completely reliant on Russia for their supplies. Germany, with its heavy steel industry and gas-powered heating, relied on Russia for just under half of its natural gas.

 

Now consider this: Thanks to major offshore discoveries over the last decade, ISRAEL has more natural gas than it can use or readily export.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/05/business/energy-environment/israel-natural-gas-offshore.html

 

The Ministry of Energy is the governmental body responsible for the supply of energy and management of natural resources of the State of Israel. They recently held a summit in which it was decided that an Israel-Europe gas Pipeline will be built to enable Israel gas to reach every home in Europe. The planned 2,000-km pipeline will cost approximately 20B ILS and expected to be completed by 2025. We are currently 3 months removed from 2023 so this is not too far off win the distant future. See here:

 

https://www.energy-sea.gov.il/English-Site/Lobby/Articles/Pages/The-Israel-Europe-Gas-Pipeline-Agreed-on-in-The-Energy-Ministers%27-Summit-Hosted-by-Minister-Steinitz.aspx

 

As the Russian energy monopoly Gazprom continues to cut off the gas pipeline from Europe and if Europe becomes more dependent on gas from Israel in the near future…….could it be that as we enter the month of October we are literally looking at the prophetic fulfillment for the “hooks in the jaws of Magog” to to be inserted and will the spoil Magog seeks to seize be natural gas????

 

Ezekiel 38:1-12–And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him,3 And say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal:4 And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:5 Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:6 Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee.7 Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.8 After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.9 Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.10 Thus saith the Lord God; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:11 And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,12 To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.

 

As we head into the month of October and close out the year 2022 A.D., things are about to get very, very interesting…………

 

MARANATHA!

Daily Jot: The Farm Chronicles: Autumn on the rise - Bill Wilson – www.dailyjot.com

 

Along about the end of August in Northeast Ohio there is a noticeable change in the weather. By the end of September, the short season of autumn is moving through its paces. The nights are crisp, sometimes near freezing. The days are cooler and the warmth of the sun is a welcome relief to the dampness of the cloud cover, which occurs about 80% of the time. Feeding the animals in both the morning and evening is a good deal more brisk than it was just a few weeks before. And they appear as if they are eating more, are more hungry, and are storing up for the winter ahead. The trees are turning bright fall colors and the ground is undergoing a metamorphous of near freeze and thaw every night.

 

This was always a great time of the year to go on a horseback ride. We had a 100 acres and a lot of it was wooded. The spotted-winged deer flies that menace both the horse and rider were far more scarce in the cool autumn air, making the ride much more pleasant than those hot humid summer rides. It’s a relief knowing that you don’t have to anticipate one or more of those blood-sucking insects taking a hunk of skin out of your neck or sleeveless arm. And the horse won’t be shaking his head in an effort to keep them from swarming his ears and neck. It’s a pleasant time of the year to ride the backwoods, and the pressure of training for horse shows is off because the show-season is mostly finished as school starts.

 

 It was a peaceful time. Things were winding down. Walking through the woods, you could appreciate the finer things of God’s great creation. The squirrels gathering their nuts for the winter, climbing along the trees as if to follow us through the woods, gliding along the canopy. The creek is still flowing gently through the farm. We kick up into a nice lope down the path of trees that were arched to make a hallway sometime long before the Wilson family settled this homestead, and it ends in a clearing where there was once a sugar shack in the late 1800s where maple syrup was processed, overlooking what we thought were Indian burial mounds. Didn’t know for sure, but didn’t want anyone to disturb them.

 

This was the site of many a camping adventures. My best friend Sonny and I would pitch our tent throughout the summer weekends when we were mere lads. Later, the Wandering Riders 4-H club would ride the 16 miles from Rootstown to our farm and camp out with the horses. Lorraine Linton, Lori Dunn, the Lewis Brothers, the Hensley sisters, Gary Urchek and many more would settle the horses and then play capture the flag or flashlight tag before settling in around the campfire. Yes, autumn was upon us once again. The memories of summers gently stirring my mind like a subtle breeze. Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” The days of autumn, on the back of a horse, riding through an Ohio woods discovers the simple joy of God’s creation and the memories of fellow sojourners.






Daily Devotion: Filled, Refilled, and Filled Again - by Greg Laurie – www.harvest.org

 

God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit. —2 Corinthians 5:5

 

https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/filled-refilled-and-filled-again/ Listen

 

Let’s say that you just bought a brand-new car and were enjoying everything about it, from the new-car smell to the beautiful new paint. But it suddenly started sputtering and then stopped completely. You have it towed to the dealership, where you demand an explanation. A technician gets into the car and turns on the ignition. Then he informs you that you’re out of gas.

 

The Christian life can be like that. Sometimes, we run out of gas, or we start shutting down because our batteries are low. I can barely make it through an entire day without my cell phone going dead. I need to plug it in and recharge it periodically.

 

If you’re losing momentum in your walk with God, maybe you need a recharge. You need to be filled, refilled, and filled again with the Holy Spirit.

 

In the Book of Acts, we read about God’s outpouring of the Holy Spirit onto a group of believers gathered in Jerusalem in what we now know as the Pentecost. This outpouring on that day set the Church in motion.

 

But what does being filled with the Holy Spirit mean? Sometimes, we think it means that we’ll have an emotional experience. Maybe we will, and maybe we won’t. It would be nice if, at the start of each day, we could get a zap of sorts that fills us with energy and passion. However, I think that our being filled with the Holy Spirit may not even affect us emotionally. If we want this to happen, we will have to ask for it.

 

Lastly, the Holy Spirit isn’t an “it”; the Holy Spirit is a He. The Holy Spirit is God and a member of the Trinity. He has a will and a purpose, and He wants to accomplish something in your life and mine.