Monday, March 4, 2019

AS SILVER IS REFINED IN THE FIRE, PART 2





by pastor Mike Taylor

“And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. “(REVELATION 13:7)


Continuing our discussion of the coming Tribulation and picking up where we left off in Part 1 of this message, we are in the middle of the Tribulation and death and destruction is all around about this planet.  Divine wrath has consumed 3/4 of mankind on earth, and the Anti-Christ and his one world government has slain as many Jewish people that he can find.
14:1  “And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads.
14:2  And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:
14:3  And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.” (Revelation 14:1-3)

Note the emphasis on the number again of 144,000 standing on mount Sion that we discussed in Part 1. Coincidence? No, it shows that these are the men and women of Jewish birth who have died in belief of their Messiah. Only these people can sing this song. They are the tribulation saints, the nation of Israel who have embraced their Messiah at long last and have died for that belief, much like the 12 apostles before them. They died preaching the Gospel to all who would listen. The church cannot sing this song, as we are not Israel. We are not of the 144,000 saints as a symbol of the martyred nation of Israel. Some will say, in error I might add, that we are Israel. That is Replacement Theology and Israel has never been cast away. God has not replaced Israel, just set them aside till this time in history to turn His attention to them solely, as the church has been completed and glorified at the rapture of the Bride of Christ . But God has promised that He would save ALL of Israel, not losing one!

10:15  “Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,
10:16  This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;
10:17  And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.”(Hebrews 10:15-17)

Again in Romans,
11:25  “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.
11:26  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:
11:27  For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
11:28  As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the father's sakes.” (Romans 11:25-28)

How will God accomplish this? I don’t know, but God can do pretty much what He wants, as He is God and because He said so, it will be done. It was God's plan so that He would be able to have mercy upon all who call upon the Name of Jesus.

Returning to Revelation:
14:4 “ These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.
14:5  And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.” (Revelation 14:4-5)

Some say, ahah, see? It says being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. It can't mean that we arrived prior to them, as they came as first fruits. What they fail to understand is that I believe, and there is good evidence to support this, that God works in dispensations. Many Christians who scoff at this, do not understand that Jesus, Himself also, was a first fruits offering being born of the dead and when the Wave Sheaf Offering was being given on the Sunday morning after His resurrection, Jesus was before the  Father in heaven as a first fruit offering for the sins of the world. The Bible nowhere indicates that the priests understood the ritual they were performing on Saturday evening when Jesus Christ, the archetypical Wavesheaf, was "harvested" from the material world by being resurrected from the dead. On Sunday morning, as the firstborn of many brethren, He was lifted into and through the heavens to God's throne to be accepted by Him as the  sacrifice for our sins and as our High Priest. As Jesus was a first fruits to God, the Church was a first fruits of the Church Age, and now we see the first fruits of Jacob’s  trouble during the tribulation.

So the church age has ended 7 years before. This is the time of Jacob's trouble and God turning His focus on Israel, as the time of the Gentiles has ended...We are the Gentiles that have been saved out of the earth. We are a people that were not His people, but because of Israel's unbelief and rejection of their Messiah, the Kingdom was given to another...Matthew,
21:42 “ 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?
21:43  Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.”(Matthew 21:42-43)

Paul makes a startling statement by the power of the Holy Spirit in Romans,
9:24 “ Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?
9:25  As he saith also in Osee, (Hosea), I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.
9:26  And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.”(Romans 9:24-26)


We are the first fruits at the coming of the Lord for the Gentile Age, or the age of the Church, a dispensation also called the Age of Grace. When these who stand on Mt. Sion are considered first fruits of the Trials of Jacob, also known as Jacob's troubles and will be called Tribulation Saints.
 This is re-emphasized in chapter 15 in the following:
15:2  “And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.
15:3  And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, (emphasis mine) and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.”(Revelation 15:2-3)

Now this is not to say that some besides only Jewish people will heed the call of the 144,000 evangelist, but the likelihood of that fact grows smaller and less likely, as the focus is on Israel, not on the Gentile nations. Many who did miss the catching away of the Church will fall on their knees and beg forgiveness and accept the Savior they had neglected or refused, even having heard it their whole life. They will know they have made the worst mistake of their life, and now must endure the coming Tribulation and it will cost them their heads and their lives.

THE CHURCH RETURNS WITH OUR LORD IN VICTORY

As we progress into the prophecy and the events that will destroy 3/4 of all mankind by divine wrath, we come near to the end of God's judgment and John's vision of the marriage supper of the Lamb and the revealing of the bride of Christ. Until this time, the church and it's saints have not been mentioned, not one time since beginning chapter 6. Here John writes so of the bride by these words:
19:7  “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
19:8  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
19:9  And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.”(Revelation 19:7-9)

Then at the culmination of the great feast in Heaven, where the bride is presented in linen white and clean, one final judgment is still in need of fulfillment. We, His chosen bride, and saints of the most High, come back to earth with our Husband, our King, our God which comes in full war cry and as a roaring Lion of the tribe of Judah to avenge the earth for treatment of His people and squelch the rebellion on earth.
19:11  “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
19:12  His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
19:13  And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
19:14  And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. (a sign of the saints and the bride, emphasis mine)
19:15  And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.”(Revelation 19:11-15)


Almighty God, our Savior and King, will make short work of rebellion on this earth of the final battle called Armegeddon. Why is His vesture dipped in blood? I believe, it is not His blood, but the blood of those He has slain in divine wrath for the last 7 years. Here He will finish the slaying of unrepentant, lawless mankind till blood rises to the bridles of the horses they ride in a valley that is several miles long. This is how John described it, as modern weapons of warfare had not been invented yet, but it describes blood 6 feet deep that covers this valley. This is His final coming to rule and reign with a rod of iron. He will rescue His people Israel that have endured to the end.

Matthew 24, as Jesus had said over 2000 years ago,
24:22 “ And if those days were not shortened, no flesh would have been saved; but because of the chosen, shall those days be shortened.”(Matthew 24:22)

Near complete destruction of rebellious mankind has nearly been completed at this point, but our Savior, our King, makes short work of destroying all who have come to this valley with the intent of making war with Israel and wiping her out. Instead, they are the ones who are wiped out.

12 “And this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.”(Zechariah 14-12)
Israel as a nation has cried out, believing in their Messiah they had rejected over 2000 years ago, as Jesus said,

For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.”(Matthew 23:39)
Jesus has come and fought for Israel, as in the day of battle. Our Savior, now their Savior will deliver them from sure destruction at the hand of sinful men and it will be complete.
“Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.
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.”(Zechariah 14:3-4)

Then all of Israel will be reconciled unto their King and Lord, Savior and Almighty God.
21 “And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land:
22 And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all.
23 Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God.
24 And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them.
25 And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children's children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever.
26 Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore.
27 My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
28 And the heathen shall know that I the Lord do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore.”(Ezekiel 37:21-28)


TRIBULATION LOOMS ON THE HORIZON


With the news full of the battle that has happened and will happen again, in Israel between Hamas, Hezbollah, the surrounding Arab nations and the Jewish people,(not withstanding Russia, Turkey, and Iran in Syria on the borders of Israel) I believe we inch ever closer to wars of Psalm 83 and Ezekiel 38-39 and following on it’s heels, the coming of the Anti-Christ to be revealed. Will this war ignite a cascade of events that will spiral out of control of the international community? Will the Prophecy of the Blood Moons and eclipses in our recent past give us pause of something big and startling happening in Israel? Will these coming wars bring an international outcry for peace in the region and a silver tongued politician that will confirm an existing peace treaty of 7 years? Who is this politician who will make such a pact? By our bible study, we know that this man, who is alive even today, will come out of the shadows and propose a plan for the security of Israel and the surrounding nations. Your Bible says, this is the Anti-Christ. Israel will temporarily embrace this man, to the point of believing he is their “political savior” of the Jewish nation that will propose “peace and security”, UNTIL the prophecy spoken by Jesus comes to pass and confirms what Daniel spoke of in Daniel chapter 12, Jesus said:

"Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. . . . For then there will be 
great tribulationsuch as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened." (Matthew 24:15-16)

Israel will realize that they have made a pact with the devil and reject this man as an abomination. The next 3.5 years will see a campaign of attempted annihilation of the Jewish people, because of the rejection of the AC as a “god” and he will set about for their complete destruction. Satan wants all Jewish people dead to make God out a liar and His prophecy null and void, but he will fail.

Many of the nation of Israel (bible says 2/3) and those of Jewish heritage will die, for nothing else but being Jewish. And those who profess Jesus Christ during this time, will be marked for martyrdom as they will not take his “mark of loyalty and worship” in their foreheads or right hand. The Bible says it will be so and those slain will as the sands of the seashore standing upon Mount Sion

Jesus made a promise to Israel to loose not one, but save them all. If you are reading this, can you say the same? If you be Gentile, meaning not of Jewish heritage or birth, have you the same promise? No, you do not. The end of a dispensation of the church comes quickly. Tribulation is at our doorsteps. Jesus is right now still at the door knocking waiting for those who hear to open the door to His call. When that final call comes out, and He proclaims, “Come up here”, then time for the church will have stopped and the Tribulation begins, as spoken of beginning in Revelation chapter 6, as we have entered eternity.

6 “And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.
And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.(the Anti-Christ, my explanation)
And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.
And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword. (wars cover the earth)
And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.
And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.
And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.” (Revelation 6:1-8)



We, the Church, the Bride of Christ) are not part of the coming Tribulation, as our sins have been washed away by the blood of Christ and we do not need to be refined, as we were saved by Grace and God's Mercy through Jesus Christ. Won't you join us? When Tribulation comes in earnest  it will makes these hard times we live in pale in comparison, then hope of an eternal reward in Heaven to be with our Lord and Savior becomes less and less likely. I want to repeat this fact. Tribulation is designed to do two things, and two things only. That is to purify Israel to prepare them for their coming Messiah, and to destroy all aspects of lawlessness and rebellion of a sinful Gentile nation. Will you be in that number, the ones destroyed for eternity and cast into the Lake of Fire? Don't let that happen. Make that decision for Jesus Christ to come into your life right now. Pray the Holy Spirit to guide you into believing on the Name that is above every Name, Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God.



“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son. That whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting (eternal) life.
17 For 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)


You must internalize this within your spirit and confess with your mouth, the belief in your heart, that Jesus was raised from the dead and is alive forevermore, and is coming again, soon.
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.
12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:8-13)


Tribulation and the coming refining Israel as silver is refined in the fire is close at hand. The rest of the nations will be near completely destroyed in their rebellion against God. My friend, you don't want to endure what is coming, or be cast away from God's presence for all eternity into outer darkness where there is “weeping and gnashing of teeth”...those who are will be in eternal torment and lament their failure to accept the only payment available for their sins, the Lord Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on a Roman cross for the sins of the world and all who believe upon His Name. You may only have a short window of opportunity to become a follower of Jesus Christ and accept what He paid for in His own blood 2000 years ago.
We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.
(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)” (2nd Corinthians 6:1-2)
There is only ONE unforgiveble sin and that is refusing the calling of God's Holy Spirit to repent and believe on the Lord Jesus...the Bible calls it “blaspheming the Holy Spirit”, as you have rejected and profaned the call of God....All who have rejected it will pay an eternal price. Make that decision for Christ right now.

This is pastor Mike Taylor, praying God's salvation come into you life today. If there be any need for prayer, counseling or just a listening ear, then email me at 
realteam1999@sbcglobal.net or visit me online for more biblical messages from the Word of God at www.pastormiketaylor.blogspot.com . God bless you,


till we meet at Jesus Feet.

Friday, March 1, 2019

WHEN WILL YOU BOW?





- Nathele Graham -

"Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:" Philippians 2:9. 

Jesus is the second person of the Holy Trinity and, in fact, is God. It's not easy for us to wrap our human understanding around the fact that God loved us so much that He put aside His deity to become human in order to give us the one and only way to eternal life. If you stop and really think about it you'll be in awe of what He did. He gave His life so that sinners such as you and me can live eternally. Unfortunately, many of us take that act of love for granted. Many who claim to be Christians fail to bow before Him and live as if sin is no big deal. Wrong. Sin separates us from God. Reconciliation was important enough to God that He gave His life to pay the price for our redemption. Can you think of anyone you might sacrifice your own life for? Maybe your child, or a husband may be willing to protect his wife with his life, but most people wouldn't lay down their life for a stranger. 

"For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die." Romans 5:7. 

Self preservation is in our nature. Jesus Christ laid down His life so you and I can live. Most people won't even set aside time to study Scripture, let alone help other people. We need to put our pride aside, bow our knees, humble our hearts, and confess Jesus as Lord.

Jesus is the example Christians are to follow. If anyone had something to be prideful about, it was Jesus. He was God incarnate. He walked on water, healed many who were sick, and fed thousands with only a small amount of bread and fish. Did He boast or brag? No. 

"But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man." Hebrews 2:9. 

God chose to walk among sinners because of His love for us. Even though He was tempted in the same way all people are tempted He never sinned. Jesus Christ set aside the glory He had in Heaven and laid down His life for us. When we think of laying down our life for someone else, we usually think of an act of heroism. The example Jesus gave was that of daily choices to set aside our own comfort in order to care for the needs of others who don't deserve grace and mercy. When the time was right He did shed His blood, but His example of walking daily in humbleness is a Christian's guide. Pride is a sin and keeps us from serving the Lord. Marriage is a model of Christ's love. The husband is the head of the family, but he is to love his wife as Christ loved us. Jesus humbly set aside His exalted place in Heaven to give His life for His bride. A man needs to follow Christ's example and be the leader of his household and unconditionally love his wife. It's easier for the wife to submit to her husband if he bows before the Lord. When Christ is first in our life we will yield to His authority.

Christians should have no problem bowing before Christ because we love Him. Sadly, many Christians live our own way instead of bowing our knees before Him. How many of us choose our words and actions in order to honor Christ?

"Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up." James 4:10. 

A Christian shouldn't live their live to gain the approval of men. It's God we need to please. In every part of our life we need to humbly bow before our Lord and behave in a way that honors Him. 

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me, and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20. 

There are many human actions that are motivated by our sin nature. Our sins were nailed to the cross when Jesus shed His blood and we need to crucify our will to His. When you have a desire to seek revenge for a wrong that's been done to you, yield your will to Jesus and choose His way instead. 

"Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots." Luke 23:34. 

Jesus forgave those who crucified Him. He took the sin of the whole world upon Himself when He went to the cross and He forgave those who pounded the nails, but He also bore your sins and will forgive you. When temptation comes your way, crucify the carnal desires of the flesh and submit to the way of Christ. Scripture is clear about what constitutes sin and no matter how you try to justify your choices, it's still sin. Following Christ means turning away from sin.

Jesus gave us the example of how to be humble but many of us choose to ignore that example. We get so caught up in our own pride that we forget to put Christ first. We say we're Christians but we don't follow His ways. When you set your heart to understand what the God of all creation did for you, you should be very humbled. If we call ourselves Christians we need to follow Him. 

"Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you and example, that ye should do as I have done to you." John 13:13-15. 

Jesus spoke those words to His disciples not long before He laid down His life and willingly went to the cross. Those men had followed Him, but didn't really understand God's plan, but their lives had been changed. Jesus would be arrested and crucified. His blood would pay the price for their sin as well as yours and mine. How did Jesus spend that last night? He washed the feet of His disciples. He knew what was about to happen, but set the example of humility. In order to wash their feet He had to bend His knees before them. Why is it so difficult for us to bow before Him? If you claim to be a Christian you need to think about that. Instead of following the ways of the world, follow Him. 

"And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again." 2 Corinthians 5:15. 

When you accept Christ for salvation you no longer belong to yourself.

People who don't recognize Jesus as Lord can't be expected to bow before Him and follow His ways. Christians need to be the example to show them a better way...the way of Jesus. 

"Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn by myself the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return. That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear." Isaiah 45:22-23. 

This is an Old Testament verse that speaks a New Testament truth. How can this fallen world learn to bow before God if Christians don't? If we don't give a true picture of Christ through our life we misrepresent Him to the world. Brothers and sisters, let's humble ourselves before Him and confess Him before men by words and deeds. 

"Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God: but he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God." Luke 12:8-9. 

There's more than one way to deny Him. The words you use can praise Him or deny Him and you can also deny Him with your way of life. When you're faced with a choice in life, be sure to choose to bow before Jesus. The simple act of obedience to Jesus will speak loudly and show the world that you're a Christian.

There will come a time when saint and sinner alike will see Jesus. Some of us will feel unbounded joy because we chose to follow Him. Others will face the consequences of their choice to reject Him. 

"That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father " Philippians 2:10-11. 

Everyone will die one day. Judgment will come after death. There's no possible way for a human being to be good enough to merit eternal life with God. Only faith in the death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ will bring eternal life. As a Christian, you'll be judged by His righteousness, not your own. The things you've done for Him will earn rewards, but things done when you didn't submit your will to His will be burned. If you humble yourself and bow before Him now you'll be very glad you did. People who've rejected Christ will also see Him. Sadly it will be an "Oops" moment when they realize too late that Jesus was, is, and forever will be Lord. Those who refused to accept His death, burial, and resurrection for their salvation will know too late that they should have bowed before Him in this life because the choice must be made while living on this side of Heaven. After death it's too late.

When will you bow? Will you wait until you stand before that White Throne awaiting judgment? You'll know without a doubt that Jesus Christ is Lord, but your eternity will have been sealed. You will have condemned yourself to eternal death. You would be wise to accept Him as your Saviour today. Bow your knees now and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

God bless you all,
Nathele Graham

Wednesday, February 27, 2019

AS SILVER IS REFINED IN THE FURNACE FIRE





BY PASTOR MIKE TAYLOR

"And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,
Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.” (Revelation 7:2-4)


Of all the books of the Bible, Revelation gives the Christian the most problems with its symbols, word pictures, and prophetic message of the time we are fast approaching. One must divide the books into two distinct  populations. I believe that God is speaking of the Church at the beginning of the book, and then makes a dramatic shift of focus to the rebellious Gentile nations and the nation of Israel. I see a common thread that flows through the whole of Revelation and that is, God putting down all rebellion during this period of 7 years and the refining of Israel and making her ready to accept her Messiah, at long last.


After chapter 5, the churches and the redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ, are not mentioned again till chapter 19. Suddenly, the focus is turned to judgment of a world devoid of God and violating willfully His commandments. Then in chapter 7, God by His Holy Spirit reveals to John the main characters of this book. Let us take a look at a common thread that follows in the coming chapters that point to only one set of people....the nation of Israel in its borders and scattered around the world.

144,000 EVANGELIST ORDAINED BY GOD

In chapter 7, God names the tribes of Israel that are symbolically 12,000 coming from each of the 12 tribes of Israel. In the bible, numbers are used as signs of perfection. Three is the sign of Divine perfection, seven is spiritual perfection, ten is the sign of ordinal perfection, and the number 12 is the sign of government perfection and is used throughout the bible as that sign of perfection. The number 144,000 from 12 tribes is 12x12 or 144 and thousand is given as a great number. Will it be just 144,000 when Israel and the scattered Jewish people amount to approximately 13 million people? This symbolism is carried out numerous times within your bible, to emphasize that the focus of this book is on Israel. Apart from Israel, during the coming Tribulation, the rest of the nations are in divine judgment and we read horrific descriptions of the devastation brought on by this Divine wrath. Notice in the latter parts of chapter 7, we find these words:

9 “
After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
10  And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.
11  And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,
12  Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
13  And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?
14  And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
15  Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.
16  They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.
17  For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.” (Revelation 7:9-17)

Notice that they will serve in the Temple of God, night and day, and He that sits on the throne shall dwell among them. They are not kings and priests unto God noted in chapter 4 and the 24 elders as the glorified Church saints are, but are to serve God in His temple unlike what John then writes in chapter 5 about the church saints ruling and reigning on the earth,

FOCUS ON ISRAEL DURING THIS PERIOD


In verses noted above, John was just introduced to the nation of Israel and the evangelist that were being sealed with the seal of God, 12,000 from each of the twelve  tribes. He then sees a great multitude that are standing in white robes and “palm fronds” in their hands. They speak different languages and come from all portions of the earth. These are the martyred Tribulation  saints of God from all the people of earth, with emphasis on the nation of Israel that have believed in their Messiah through the seven terrible years, called the Tribulation.

2 “But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap:
And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.
Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord, as in the days of old, and as in former years.
And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the Lord of hosts.
For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.” (Malachi 3:2-6)


As God has called Israel “a people with stiff necks” that would not follow after what God had commanded, but God will have mercy on a remnant of modern day Israel when the last of the Gentiles have come in and are part of the Church, the Bride of Christ. This has been Israel's demise down through the ages, but God will preserve a remnant for His Glorious Name.
9” And he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us; for it is a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance.” (Exodus 34:9)


God emphasizes that God will have mercy on Israel as He has brought a multitude of Gentiles to a saving knowledge of what Jesus did on a cruel Roman cross of torture and death, but He will bring them through much persecution and 2/3 of the Jewish people will die for their witness of Jesus Christ during this awful time....Jesus proclaimed that He would NOT come to their defense, or see them again until they proclaimed one thing.......
37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.” (Matthew 23:37-39)

WE MUST KNOW THE DIFFERENCE


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)

As I have identified in past sermons, palms in the hands of these saints are a sign noted of Israel and obtaining victory. Palm fronds, fig trees, and olive branches are all interpreted in the Bible as pointing to Israel as a people. But their salvation came with a very high price paid.
As noted in the past messages, the Tribulation is designed for two reasons, to destroy all rebellion upon this earth and wiping it clean, and to bring Israel to the knowledge of their Messiah that they rejected 2000 years ago and crucified out of ignorance and being used to bring salvation to the world by the shedding of the blood of Jesus Christ.

KINGS AND PRIESTS

Then the Book of Revelation speaks of a different subset of people redeemed, and that would be us, the Church, the Bride of Christ.
9  “And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
10  And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.” (Revelation 5:9-10)
Notice the difference? They have different functions and are a completely different subset of the redeemed.


Proceeding on into chapter 8 and 9 and into chapter 10, we see plague after plague coming down on a rebellious mankind. Here we see the two witnesses. Again the focus is on Jerusalem and the nation of Israel, as these men stand in front of the rebuilt temple and prophesy 3.5 years or 1260 days until they are slain by the Beast  that comes up out of the pit. Some hypothesize, and it is not revealed, that these two witnesses are symbols of Elijah and Moses. Elijah is the only prophet who called fire out of heaven to accept the offered sacrifice to God in front of the Ba’al priest, and Moses who spoke plagues upon ancient Egypt preceding the Exodus. But both are Jewish, or to be more correct, Hebrew men of the nation of Israel clothed in sack cloth. Then there is this curious chapter twelve that many feel was just dropped in as a subset chapter, out of order. I believe God was identifying who the saints of this period would be and the focus of the book, Israel being refined as silver is in the fire.

ISRAEL DEPICTED AS WOMAN CLOTHED WITH THE SUN
1  “And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:
2  And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
3  And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.”(Revelation 12:1-3)

God goes all the way back to the beginning, to Genesis, where Jacob fully understood that he was the symbol of the sun, Rachel his wife was the moon, and the twelve stars were the sons of Jacob who became Israel renamed during wrestling with the Lord. When Joseph had a dream that the sun, the moon and twelve stars would bow down to him, Jacob knew who he was speaking of. This sign was the root of the nation of Israel. Israel as depicted is a woman in a glorious way, as her beginning was glorious, and her ending will also be glorious.


Verse two speaks of this woman with child, which we understand is the nation of Israel who gave birth to our Messiah and their Messiah. Notice the symbolism here of the red dragon? It is the same symbol used to speak of the beast power, 7 heads/crowns or empires with 10 horns being kingdoms within that final empire. Satan thought he had won when Jesus was crucified and killed, but his victory became his greatest defeat, as Jesus rose from the dead and ascended to the Father in Heaven with the keys to death, hell and the grave having re-purchased His creation.


Satan knows of the promises made to Israel and if he can just thwart God's plan, then God is a liar in his warped thinking. He embarks on a campaign to destroy the seed of Abraham. During this time of the coming tribulation, many of the children of Israel will be slain for their testimony of Jesus Christ, but God saves a remnant and sends them into the wilderness on the wings of a great eagle.
6  “And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.” (Revelation 12:6)

Notice the time element, 3.5 years or 1260 days? During the destruction of Israel's temple during the Babylonian invasion it is said that those who believed God, escaped Jerusalem and went to Petra, a mountain stronghold in what is now modern day Jordan. Why Petra? From an excerpt from bible-guidance.com,

“Although the Bible does not explicitly state that a remnant in Israel will escape to Petra, this possibility is strongly implied by historical events, circumstantial evidence, and a prophecy about Jordan’s position in the tribulation period. Jews who would flee by foot from Jerusalem to the mountains will, in the interest of their own safety, not go in the direction of Egypt, Lebanon, Syria or the Mediterranean Sea. The invading forces of the Antichrist will come from these directions, and be easily able to encompass and destroy fugitive Jews who might venture into these regions. They will also refrain from going east in the direction of Amman in Jordan, as this area has good access roads on which enemy forces will be able to move quickly in pursuit of the “rebels.” The only reasonably safe area to move into would be the mountains along the shores of the Dead Sea – the highest and most inaccessible mountains being south of the Dead Sea at Petra.

According to the Jewish historian, Josephus, groups of Jews fled to Edom and Petra during the Babylonian invasion of Judah in the sixth century BC, when Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed. When the Romans destroyed the city and the temple in 70 AD, many Jews fled to the mountains along the Dead Sea. A number of them made a futile last stand on a mountaintop at Masada. Others moved further to Bozrah and Petra south of the Dead Sea.”


Sandwiched between verses of Israel fleeing into the wilderness, we see this about Satan and his legion demons being cast to the earth.
7 “ And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
8  And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
9  And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
10  And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.” (Revelation 12:7-10)


God has cast out Satan and his demons where they are bound to the earth for the final play of this dramatic scene. Satan is frantic as he knows that his time is quickly running out and he rushes frantically in an attempt to destroy the children of Israel.
11  “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.(tribulation saints/Israel and a minority of Gentiles)(My emphasis)
12  Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
13  And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.”(Revelation 12:11-13)

Satan must kill every man, woman and child that is human with emphasis on the children of Israel and any believer in his nemesis, Jesus Christ. He must make God out a liar, but Satan will be ultimately defeated.
14  “And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
15  And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.
16  And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
17  And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”(Revelation 12:14-17)

One can only speculate what this passage means but obviously, it is supernatural and can only be attributed to God's power. But two wings of a great eagle reminds me of a verse in Isaiah,
28  “Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.
29  He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
30  Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
31  But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”(Isaiah 40:28-31)

I believe this is divine intervention and God's protection of a remnant of the nation of Israel. During this time, a holocaust will be inflicted on the Israelite people scattered across the world, even into Israel, where it is written that 2/3 of the Jews would be martyred for their belief in Jesus Christ OR just being Jewish by birth, but a small portion in comparison to the whole of Israel, God will save from death to enter into the 1000 reign of the Kingdom of God to repopulate the earth. Those that profess Jesus Christ will cause the dragon to be wroth with this remnant of her seed and for their testimony they will be slain. Why did some survive in a mountain fortress for 3.5 years and others are slain? These who fled, believed the testimony of the 144,000 evangelist from the 12 tribes of Israel, and when they saw the abomination of desolation, they fled. They got out of dodge, so to speak. Those who believed not, where slain in martyrdom for being Jewish, being a late believer in their Messiah, or were intent on holding onto Jewish tradition. Possibly it is a combination of all three.

In the next installment of Jacob’s Trouble, we will further discuss why Israel is the focus of the Tribulation, along with unrepentant Gentiles. Now that is not to say that many people will believe their testimony preached by the 144,000 evangelist ordained by God from the 12 tribes of Israel, but the possibility of anyone who is not Jewish by birth receiving salvation becomes exponentially more difficult as it will cost you your life, and your head. If anyone thinks that they can postpone making a decision to accept Jesus Christ, as Lord and Savior of their life, and be so foolish to wait until things get really bad, then my friend, those folks play a form of “Russian Roulette”, as Gentiles are not promised that they will even be able to make that decision for Christ, as God will send a strong delusion to deceive them that they believe a lie, as Paul wrote in II Thessalonians:

“And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”(2
nd Thessalonians 2:10-12)

But as the bible proclaims, all who are found in Jesus Christ will in my humble opinion and biblical interpretation, not see any of the carnage that will befall mankind, as God gives us plenty of evidence that the Church is removed when the Holy Spirit is drawn back and “THEN” the man of sin will be revealed:

6 “And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” (2nd Thessalonians 2:6-10)


But those who belong to Jesus Christ will be taken in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, as the Holy Spirit has been removed, and because we have a deposit of God's Spirit within us, God will remove the last barrier to Satan having full sway over rebellious mankind, by removing His Church who He promised never to leave alone without the Comforter, the Holy Spirit.


50 “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” (1st Corinthians 15:50-55)
Know this my brethren, and all who read this message, there is a way that is found in verses that are the microcosm that explains the focus of the whole Bible which is found in one Person, as it is all about Jesus and can save you and all who believe to not be subject to what is coming upon the earth (and possibility very soon, as the signs of the soon return of Jesus are all around us)
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 For 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)
Believe and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord of your life........


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.
12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”(Romans 10:8-13)








When the Bride of Christ, is suddenly and without warning is removed from this earth, then the Tribulation known as Jacob’s Trouble will begin. Woe to the person who is alive to see these coming events. See you next time for part 2 of this bible study....Israel and all who finally believe in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, being “refined, as silver is in the fire”.

This is Pastor Mike Taylor, praying that you accept God’s grace of eternal life, through Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God. If you have any needs for prayer, counseling, or need just a listening ear, then email me at
realteam1999@sbcglobal.net, or visit me online for more biblical lessons from the Word of God at www.pastormiketaylor.blogspot.com, God bless you all,

till we meet at Jesus Feet.