WHEN THE RAPTURE?

by pastor Mike Taylor

 ''These things have I spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.'' (John 16:33)

According to the publication of the “Word Christian Encyclopedia” which is a comparative survey of churches and religions, that from AD 30 to 2019 “There are 19 major world religions which are subdivided into 270 large religious groups, and many other smaller ones..

For eighteen of the world's major religions and its 270 sub-divisions, the concept of the sudden and instantaneous translation of millions of adherents from one form of existence into the next is completely unheard of. It is even a controversial doctrine within Christianity. There are entire huge subdivisions, or denominations within Christianity that totally dismiss the concept of the Rapture or harpazo as spoken of by the Apostle Paul in his epistles.

I read on the internet a column which is appropriately named “Againstdispensationalism.com” that argues that the rapture is nothing more than the “arrogance of the West”. So we are the ones who came up with this theory of the instantaneous removal of the Church of the Living God and it was never spoken of until the 1880s by one, John Darby from the rantings of a mentally disturbed young girl, Margaret McDonald....I chose this article because it focuses on why the rapture is so controversial.

In another article, a one Jerry Johnson who is president of some so called Nicene Council, the rapture is nothing more than “paperback theology” and a recent concoction that was never taught by the historic church.

For context, the so called “historic church” is the one that embraces replacement theology and Anti-semitism and my bible is the paperback. Why do I say that? Because it can be easily proven that the 1^st century church did indeed teach a sudden “catching away” of the Church of the Living God. I will address that momentarily.

Note this Johnson fellow lashes out that “one is hard pressed to link all of the great minds from St. Augustine, Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Charles Spurgeon about the so-called coming rapture of the church. As each read 1^st Thessalonians 4 and 1^stCorinthians where Paul spoke of this “mystery” that had not been revealed to the OT prophets, Paul reveals a teaching that had not been taught, but was learned by revelation of Jesus Christ who taught Paul in the Arabian desert for 3 years after his conversion. Reading the Gospels, Jesus did not teach it, nor any of the apostles, till Paul revealed this information, and modern “theologians” failed to understand the important teachings of a pre-millennial, pre-Tribulation rapture of the church, called the “Harpazo” in scripture when read in Greek. It was Jesus our Lord and Savior's revealing to Paul to tell the world how the redemption of mankind would be accomplished and our Lord coming for His bride at the rapture, before the Tribulation and the outpouring of His wrath on a rebellious world.

This Johnson fellow further denigrates the doctrine of the rapture, calling it “a foundation of conceited theology”. Amazing how those who fail to understand Bible prophecy lash out at things they do not understand. But he gave it his best “Sunday punch”. 

3 'Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,

4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:

6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:

7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men' (2^nd Peter 3:3-7)

Looking at this Johnson fellow, his main objection, and frankly, the objection of many nay-sayers of the opponenets of this doctrine, is the misconception that the rapture is nothing but a “Great Escape”. They reason why do Christians of this age get to escape the Tribulation and the Great Tribulation while others do not? They site that this is not fair, and this would make God unfair.

I wonder sometimes, if they find it equally unfair that some go to heaven and others go to hell. Not being a betting man, but I would wager that they find it totally unfair that God would send anyone to such an awful place called hell, but all would agree that murdering dictators of this age, such as Hitler, or Pol Pot do not deserve to go to heaven. What they fail to realize, God does not send you to hell, you do by rejecting His offer at salvation through Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son. God just gives you what you want because of that rejection. Oh, the conflict in their arguments as I go on will prove.

That's why God is God and theologians are not.

LET US DISCUSS WHERE THIS DOCTRINE CAME FROM

As noted, no other religion has anything resembling a Rapture doctrine, including whatever 'historic church' Jerry Johnson was referring to.  So where did it come from and why is it there?

The first thing nay-sayers will do is to hopelessly complicate the issue so that whatever they come up with, is practically impossible to decipher.

First let us address where the doctrine actually came from and it wasn't by John Darby, but he did revive the belief that had been squashed during the Dark Ages by none other than the ruling theocracy of the Roman Catholic Church. It was the purpose of this ruling theocracy to blind the population and make them totally dependent on them, not God the Father, or Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

PROPONENTS OF THE HARPAZO

In the first Century, men like Irenaeus (130 A.D. – 202 AD) was a bishop of the church in Lyons, France. He was an eyewitness to the Apostle John (who wrote the Book of Revelation) and a disciple of Polycarp, the first of the Apostle John’s disciples. Irenaeus is most-known for his five-volume treatise, “Against Heresies” in which he exposed the false religions and cults of his day along with advice for how to share the Gospel with those who were a part of them.

In his writings on Bible prophecy, he acknowledged the phrase “a time, times and dividing of times” in Daniel 7 to signify the 3 ½ year reign of the Antichrist as ruler of the world before the Second Coming of Christ. He also believed in a literal Millennial reign of Christ on earth following the Second Coming and the resurrection of the just. In his writings noted above. Irenaeus writes:

““Those nations however, who did not of themselves raise up their eyes unto heaven, nor returned thanks to their Maker, nor wished to behold the light of truth, but who were like blind mice concealed in the depths of ignorance, the word justly reckons “as waste water from a sink, and as the turning-weight of a balance — in fact, as nothing;”(1) so far useful and serviceable to the just, as stubble conduces towards the growth of the wheat, and its straw, by means of combustion, serves for working gold. And therefore, when in the end the Church shall be suddenly caught up from this, it is said, “There shall be tribulation such as has not been since the beginning, neither shall be.”(2) For this is the last contest of the righteous, in which, when they overcome they are crowned with incorruption.”

Irenaeus in this passage describes the church leaving the sinful world just before unprecedented disasters. Note his use of the term “caught up” which is Rapture terminology as that is the meaning of harpazo, the term for “caught up” in the King James Bible describing the Rapture in 1 Thessalonians 4. He then quotes Matthew 24:21 where The Lord Jesus Christ says: “

“For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.”

And it is during this time that those who convert to Christianity during the final years will receive the incorruptible crown mentioned by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 9:25. In Irenaeus’ belief, the Rapture took place prior to the end times GreatTribulation.  (beginningandtheend.com)

This is but one of the early church fathers who believed in the doctrine of a pre-tribulation rapture or “catching away” of the Church, as others such as Cyprian and Ephraim the Syrian which wrote:

“With a sense of urgency and strong warning, Ephraim writes that the end times are upon this world and could start at any moment. This text very clearly states the saints and elect of God, all born again believers in The Lord Jesus Christ, will be “taken to the Lord” before the Great Tribulation. Ephraim also identifies the Old Testament “Day of The Lord” and the end times Great tribulation as the same event (in line with the teachings of the Beginning and End Rapture Series). Ephraim quotes Amos 5:18 which says: “

​”Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light.”

TWISTING SCRIPTURE TO YOUR OWN END

But if you ignore these early church fathers, that some say was not taught during this period, and their writings disprove this absurd position of the church going through the Tribulation, you can take enough verses from the different places throughout the bible, and taking them out of context, make a case for Rapture, against a Rapture, for Pre-Tribulation, Mid-Tribulation, Post-Trib, amillennial, premillenial, or post millennial, with or without the 1000 year reign of Jesus Christ.

If you do enough research, you will find that there are scholars that adhere to each and every position I have quoted and they have names for them, and I refuse to believe that they hold these varied views without hanging some sort of scripture to hang from them. But of course, they must take them out of context, and twist them to fit their preconceived notions that their position is the true one.

If one disbelieves in the rapture of the Church and believes that it is some kind of “Great Escape,” then it is easy to take verses from all over the Bible to refute it. Not because the Rapture is false doctrine, but because that isn't the purpose of the Rapture and knowing why provides valuable clues to when and how.

THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL NEVER LEAVE US

Two thousand years ago, Jesus Christ promised His disciples that when He ascended into Heaven, the Holy Spirit would come upon them and indwell them and empower them.  That indwelling Power would come upon and indwell all who believed.

16 “ And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” (John 14:16-18)

Jesus promised that “the Comforter” would be with me and those He indwells forever and would never leave us.

SO DID JESUS TELL A WHOPPER? NO!

Let's examine the simplest questions first.

What does it mean when Jesus Christ makes a promise to the Church? Is it reliable? What does "forever" mean?  Is there a time constraint on forever? When would forever run out?  Does abide forever mean "abide forever for every generation but one?" Meaning our generation as the tribulation begins?

Houston, we have a problem. According to my paperback theology, the Comforter is:

"Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you."  (John 14:7)

So the Comforter, known as the Holy Spirit of God is the Spirit of Truth and He indwells me. That's what the Bible, my “paperback” theology teaches me which is part one of that promise. Part two of that promises is again in the Gospel of John repeated here:

"I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you." (John 14:18)

Jesus plainly told the Apostle John in Revelation 3:

10 “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.” (Revelation 3:10-11)

As I have spoken time and time again, the phrase in that preceding verses is the phrase “KEEP THEE FROM the hour of temptation”...which in Greek is the small, descriptive word “EK”...which if you do a Google search of that word, you will find this definition:

ἐκ • (ek) (governs the genitive)

1. (of place)
   1. (of motion) Out of, from
   2. from, with the source of
   3. to denote change from one place or condition to another
   4. to express separation of distinction from a number
   5. (of position) outside, beyond
2. (of time)
   1. from, since
   2. (of particular points of time) just, after
   3. during, in
3. (of origin)

That is a long definition that was taken from a secular publication, but it gives the thought of being separated from the time and place of an event, even as “Harpazo” means being taken by force as Paul spoke of in 1^st Corinthians 15 and 1^st Thessalonians chp. 4 and ....Jesus told us plainly that we will be removed from the time and place of His coming wrath.

Do you as you read this message, see a contradiction in scripture from what the main stream religions spue out as their version of the Truth? So how do we resolve this obvious contradition? There is only one way. First one way, is the Holy Spirit indwells me throughout the Tribulation period. Therefore, by the authority of God's Holy Spirit and the Word of God, specifically 1^st John that covers that authority:

4 “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.

6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.” (1^st John 4:4-6)

Since the indwelling Holy Spirit is greater than the powers of this world, and since He will never leave me or forsake me during the Tribulation, (if that position were true), then it is not possible that the Anti-Christ to overcome me and the Spirit of Truth indwelling in me, and making me pledge allegiance to him.

But that contradicts Revelation 13:

7 “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.

8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.” (Revelation 13:7-9)

For the antichrist to overcome an indwelt child of the Living God, he must defeat the Indweller.  Unless the Holy Spirit no longer indwells me.  And if He doesn't, did He ever? And if He did, and we know from scripture that all who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, receive the Holy Spirit, then where did He go? And if He left me, how then can He do that and not break the promise of our Lord Jesus Christ to not leave us Comfortless? Remember that the Tribulation will be the greatest spiritual trial in all of human history.

And all through the history of the Church Age from those thrown to the lions in the Coll0sseum in Rome, to those that were massacred by ISIS and other terrorist groups in the Middle East today, had the benefit of the Holy Spirit and I have to go through the Tribulation without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and God will leave me Comfortless when I need Him the most?

Talk about contradictions. How does that work? If the rapture is the “great escape” from Tribulation for Christians, then wouldn't the opposite be when I need God and His support the most in all of human history and my mortal life and is suddenly without warning taken away?

For argument sake, if I am in the Tribulation and indwelt by God's Holy Spirit, then why are there 144,000 Jewish evangelist, the two witnesses at the temple in Jerusalem, and the angels of God preaching the Gospel to mankind during this time? Is that not my job? What's wrong with using me and others like me who have God's Holy Spirit also? That was the Great Commission delivered to the Apostles by Jesus before He ascended back to the Father:

18 “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

SO WHAT IS THE SOLUTION?

If you take the positions noted above, the only one that makes sense and does not contradict what I just spoke of, in that the Holy Spirit will be with me always...and when God pulls His Holy Spirit from holding back rampant evil on this earth, then those who have God's Holy Spirit as a deposit of future glorification, will be removed at the same time. THEN, and only then will God reveal the Anti-Christ as Jesus opens the 1^st seal of the title deed of His creation that He has bought with His own blood.

6 “And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.

7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

8 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:

9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,” (2^ndThessalonians 2:6-9)

The only Power that is holding back rampant evil being loosed on this world during the coming Tribulation, is God's Holy Spirit, and He dwells in every born again, washed in the blood Christian on this planet. And If God's Holy Spirit is being pulled back so that evil on this world can have full sway on an unbelieving, rebellious world, then those who have that deposit of God's Spirit dwelling within our own, will be removed as well. Either that then the Lord Jesus lied, and we know He cannot lie. SO HOUSTON to ground control, we are outta here when Jesus comes for His bride at the rapture.

THE GAP PERIOD BETWEEN RAPTURE & TRIBULATION

How long will the period be between the removal of the Church and the beginning of the Tribulation? It could be immediate, it could be days, or even years, as we are not plainly told. All we k now from Revelation chp. 4 forward, that the Saints of God are not called the Church, not one time. They are called the elect or elders. That means, if that amount of time is months or years, then we have less time than what Jesus spoke of in parable of the fig tree.

29 “And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees;

30 When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.

31 So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.

32 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.” (Luke 21:29-32)

We are that generation that saw the fig tree bloom, which is Israel in 1948. And the Psalms say that a generation is 70 years, 80 years by strength then we fly away,  written in Psalm .90....Note that Israel is 74years old  this year

The Lord literally, as I believe He was speaking as such, then 80 years is just around the corner. But we must subtract the coming 7 year Tribulation that I believe, the church will not see or go through. Simple math tells us we are in the last of the last days, and if there is a “gap period” we could be even closer than that. Only God knows.

Repeating that verse for emphasis about the church being removed:

10 "Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.” Revelation 3:10-11)

Remember all these verses and hold onto them in faith with both spiritual hands and never let go, never waver, but believing.

Note that God will KEEP us from this hour of temptation, or tribulation that will try all who dwell upon the earth....these are called the nations, and they are separate from God's people.

SUMMARY OF WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED

The age of Grace began at Pentecost with the indwelling of God's Holy Spirit on those who accept Jesus as Savior and Lord of their life. That's a given.

God will remove His Holy Spirit back to Pre-Pentecostal times and the Anti-christ will be revealed as scripture reveals.

Those who have God's Holy Spirit will be removed at the precise time that God pulls back from holding evil at bay and Satan will have full sway over the destiny of mankind to destroy them and those who worship the Beast.

Jesus promised He would never leave us Comfortless, or leave us forever.

Israel is the door to end time prophecy and Jerusalem the key per the fig tree parable Jesus spoke of.

The Anti-Christ, will overcome the saints of the Tribulation, as God's Holy Spirit has been pulled back. The AC cannot overcome the Church, as he can't overcome God, so it is another point for confirmation of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church.

The Promise to the Church is kept precisely as it was given by the Lord Himself.

Now, if one really works at it, one can find creative ways to portray the Rapture as the Great Escape and from there, all kinds of creative ways to dismiss it as paperback theology.  

But the simplest answer is still the only one that makes sense using Occam's razor as the simplest answer is probably the most correct. What does the idea of Occam razor tell us? Definition follows:

 “Occam's razor. : a scientific and philosophical rule that entities should not be multiplied unnecessarily which is interpreted as requiring that the simplest of competing theories be preferred to the more complex or that explanations of unknown phenomena be sought first in terms of known quantities.” Sum it up as “keep it simple”...you know the rest.

One other point to consider. We all know that when Jesus comes to rule and reign for a 1000 years, that He will destroy all rebellion on earth and change those who are His into immortal/spiritual beings. If those who are in rebellion are destroyed and those who belong to our Lord are changed to spirit beings.. In the Post-Tribulation model, then who is alive to enter the Millennium as mortals? Answer!!..NO ONE...Jesus is not coming back to rapture the Church, as that has been done 7 years prior, but is coming back to set up His kingdom on earth and those who have survived the “holocaust” of the AC and environmental disaster will repopulate the earth for that 1000 year reign and live extremely long lives, as Jesus will restore this planet as it was in the Garden of Eden and those who lived pre-antediluvian lived lives approaching 900 years and beyond...The only model that makes sense and lines up with Bible Prophecy is the Pre-Tribulation rapture of the Church.

SO WILL YOU BE LEFT ON YOUR OWN?

It will be the most trying spiritual time in all of mankind's history upon the earth. Many will take the easy way out and be damned because of them taking the Mark of the Beast. Will you, if you be so unfortunate to endure that time?

“And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. “ (Revelation 14:11)

It will be a time, when one can actually loose their salvation, because of all the trials and the threats of death by the Anti-Christ and his henchmen. With all the delusions that seem right, but are dead wrong, and those who actually have pleasure in their unrighteousness and think it's party time in the beginning at the rapture, as those who stood in the way of their “Utopia” have been removed.. But quickly will realize that the time comes to be “hell on earth” and there is no party, but severe physical, emotional, and spiritual torment that no man or woman should have to live through.

But since the offer is open and the gift is free, why not take God at His Word and accept His mercy and grace? Avoid something we deserve but do not receive because of His mercy, and receive grace or something we cannot earn, but is given freely by a Loving and Righteous Creator, God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ. His mercy and grace is only a prayer away, when you repent of your sins and take Him at His Word.

“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, or 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)

If you believe the above verses, then confess them to God and make that decision for Christ today.

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;

9 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)

In the end, let them scoff that it is a “Great Escape” as you and I know that it is not what God has it designed for, but I believe it can be summed up in three words...not the “Great Escape” but “VICTORY IN JESUS”. All we can do is pray for them and witness while we have time the wondrous glory of God's love for all of mankind. We are His ambassadors and it is up to us to reach those around us, our family, our friends, our co-workers, and the man/woman on the street. Jesus is coming soon, so don't be left behind.

This is pastor Mike Taylor, praying you make that decision for Christ today, and join me and others like me when we stand before our Savior. If you need prayer, counseling, or just a listening ear, email me at pastormiketaylor@yahoo.com, . God bless you all.

TILL WE MEET AT JESUS FEET

PROPHECY UPDATE......................10/14/2022

 

The Juggernaut Constructing The Ziggurat - By Dave Hubley - https://www.raptureready.com/2022/09/29/the-juggernaut-constructing-the-ziggurat-by-dave-hubley/   (There is a special message at the end of this article for those who might happen to read this and do not have Jesus in their life and are looking for peace and a way to better understand the present-day insanity and confusion.)   According to Merriam-Webster: The meaning of JUGGERNAUT is: a massive inexorable force, campaign, movement, or object that crushes whatever is in its path.   Most people have heard of the Tower of Babel (ziggurat) and are somewhat familiar with the “story” of the scrambling of languages that the Lord did there, whether they have read God’s Word or completely ignore it (and everywhere in between).   The account specific to the Tower is recorded in the Book of Genesis.   “1 Now the whole world had one language and a common form of speech. 2 And as people journeyed eastward, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3 And they said to one another, ‘Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.’ So they used brick instead of stone, and tar instead of mortar. 4 ‘Come,’ they said, ‘let us build for ourselves a city with a tower that reaches to the heavens, that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of all the earth.’   5 Then the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the sons of men were building. 6 And the LORD said, ‘If they have begun to do this as one people speaking the same language, then nothing they devise will be beyond them. 7 Come, let Us go down and confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another’s speech.’   8 So the LORD scattered them from there over the face of all the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9 That is why it is called Babel, for there the LORD confused the language of the whole world, and from that place the LORD scattered them over the face of all the earth” (Genesis 1:1-9)   I would call your attention to verses 6-7. For the sake of this discussion, I have emphasized the text above.   Indeed, the “language barrier” has been a formidable force over the history of the world. It has prevented a great deal of harm and (subjectively) “progress.”   It could also be argued (and many will) that it has inhibited the accomplishment of things that are beneficial to mankind.   The question that must then be asked is: Which diametrically opposed result would have outpaced the other? Good or evil?   As God’s Word clearly states:   “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5).   “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9).   If we perform an honest evaluation about the world we live in today, we might be forced to ask ourselves:   What has changed about mankind? Which is “winning,” good or evil?   Now I would call your attention to verse 6 above.   Man has, through diligence and driven by the desire to be “master” of his own destiny, managed to circumvent the language barrier.   He has invented and utilizes modern-day computer technology, and he has turned it to great evil. He has built, and continues to refine, the Ziggurat of modern-day rebellion that is contained within the chips, microprocessors and integrated circuits of modern-day technology: Fueled by evil and Godless greed, it is being wielded like a bludgeon.   Is it fair to say that the “Great Reset” and “Juggernaut” share a common and shared meaning and purpose?   Utilizing this technology, peoples of different nations, ideologies and languages are now able to communicate instantly in spite of their differences.   Man has built this technology into a juggernaut driving the world toward a one-world governance that will possess feet of iron and clay. As the book of Daniel describes:   “Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom as strong as iron; for iron shatters and crushes all things, and like iron that crushes all things, it will shatter and crush all the others. And just as you saw that the feet and toes were made partly of fired clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom, yet some of the strength of iron will be in it—just as you saw the iron mixed with clay. And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle. As you saw the iron mixed with clay, so the peoples will mix with one another, but will not hold together any more than iron mixes with clay.   “In the days of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will shatter all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, but will itself stand forever. And just as you saw a stone being cut out of the mountain without human hands, and it shattered the iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold, so the great God has told the king what will happen in the future” (Daniel 2:40-45). (Emphasis added by me.)   This “Great Reset,” the vehicle by which its purveyors expect to rule the world, is, after all, a product of man’s vanity.   The resulting “New World Order” and “One World Government” will not survive the Sovereign Lord’s plans for His One World Government.   “Behold, a king will reign righteously And princes will rule justly” (Isaiah 32:1).   Important: This article should not be interpreted as claiming that God has been “foiled” or “defeated” by man thus far in the execution of his ongoing and never ceasing acts of rebellion.   That is not even remotely possible.   God declares the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10).   He knows all, and He permits what He will in order to further His plans. In spite of how things appear, we should remind ourselves in the midst of it that God is Sovereign over all His creation, and He will bring about all that He has promised.   The weight of fulfilled prophecy confirms that incontrovertible fact.   “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).   As man has ever done, he has eventually turned good to evil, light to darkness, and sweet to bitter.   Those depraved juxtapositions will be a Woe to the world of unbelieving humans.   “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20).   “Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done Saying, ‘My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure” (Isaiah 46:9-10).   “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Galatians 6:7).   And, a more important question(s) is:   Is the juggernaut really inexorable? Is this human-designed, Satanic juggernaut unstoppable?   I don’t think Merriam-Webster’s definition has it quite right in this case. I don’t believe their definition applies when the will of El Shaddai, God Almighty, is applied to it.   The “juggernaut” will not only be stopped, but it will be crushed by the Lord of Creation when His Son Jesus Christ returns, not as the Sacrificial Lamb for sin as He was on His first advent, but this second and last time He will return as the Lion of Judah come to execute judgment on a world permeated with evil and depravity.   Take heart, brothers and sisters, in the age-old rhetorical question of God Almighty:   “Indeed before the day was, I am He; And there is no one who can deliver out of My hand; I work, and who will reverse it?” (Isaiah 43:13).   Now to the crux of this article.   Throughout God’s Word (both Old and New Testaments), He has made it clear that He does not want anyone to perish. He has, and will again, literally move heaven and earth to save the lost.   These two verses alone make that abundantly clear:   (2 Peter 3:8-9) and (1 Timothy 2:3-6)   You can look them up yourself if you have a Bible.   If you do not, perhaps my friend, it is time to acquire one. For the time being, the Bible is readily available; however, even that will change:   “‘Behold, days are coming,’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘When I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, But rather for hearing the words of the LORD. People will stagger from sea to sea And from the north even to the east; They will go to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, But they will not find it” (Amos 8:11-12) (Emphasis added by me.)   It must also be pointed out that there is a limit to His Mercy and His Grace. He will execute judgment on those who reject His Son Jesus Christ, who sacrificed Himself to pay for the sins of all people.   “And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world” (1 John 2:2).   However, it must be pointed out that, in order to be redeemed, that is, to be saved from the consequences of your own sin, you must repent and ask for forgiveness according to God’s own Word and on His terms. (Please see the special message below.)   I pray that you will open your eyes to the world around you and that reality will cause you to open the “eyes of your heart” to the Mercy and Love of Jesus Christ.   “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20).   The special message I promised you:   For anyone who may read this article and has not trusted in Jesus Christ and therefore has no hope or peace in your life:   You can have hope. You can have the peace that Jesus has promised to all who have made Him their Lord and Savior. The peace that passes understanding.   It requires that you come before God on His terms.   And, what are His terms according to His Word?   Genuine repentance (turning to God instead of continuing to reject or ignore Him). Confession of sins (that you are a sinner and acknowledge that to God). That you understand that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). To acknowledge to God that you are unable to pay that debt. Belief that Jesus Christ paid your death sentence for you on the cross. To believe that Jesus is the Way, the only Way, that God has established by which humans may be saved from the consequences of their sin and rebellion.   God has made it absolutely clear that there is no one who comes before Him, under His terms, that will be refused.   No one: no race, no color, no country of origin, regardless of any previous belief system: no one. No matter what your past sins have been, God can and WILL forgive you because He says He will. Salvation is available to everyone without any exceptions.   If you put all your trust for salvation in Jesus, and Him only, you can follow that prayer up by simply saying, “Thank you, Father God, for hearing my prayer and saving me,” because we can trust Him to keep His Word.   He always has. He always will.   John 5:24: “Truly, Truly, I say to you that he who hears My words and believes the One who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned. He has crossed from death to life.”   There are no answers and there is no hope in the world by governments, organizations, politics or politicians. There are only lies and deception. But you can have the Truth and the peace you seek.   The answers are in the Word of God—The Bible. If you ask God with all your heart, He will hear you. “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).   Pro Salvator Vigilans   To contact me: canoeman96@gmail.com Could The Psalm 83 War Against the Jews be Happening Now? – Olivier Melnick - https://www.newantisemitism.com/antisemitism/could-the-psalm-83-war-against-the-jews-be-happening-now   Few passages in the Bible are as controversial as Psalm 83. The Psalm speaks of a war against Israel led by a coalition of her worst enemies. People have interpreted this short Psalm as a prophetic plea by Asaph to God for protection in a time of conflict. The war of Psalm 83 has been placed before the Rapture or during the tribulation by various respected Bible teachers. Psalm 83 speaks of a conflict, and it is neither before the Rapture nor during the Tribulation, yet it is raging right now. The Psalm 83 war is here, and it is not what you think!   Psalm 83 was written by Asaph (Psalm 73-83), a contemporary of King David. It describes in just 18 verses, a desperate plea to the Lord by Asaph to destroy the enemies of Israel who wanted to wipe Israel off the map completely; they have said, “Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation, That the name of Israel is remembered no more.” (v. 4). The list of ten enemy nations is given later in the Psalm. Still, Asaph tells God that they conspire against Your treasured ones (v. 3). These nations correspond to ten modern nations that are peripheral neighbors surrounding the tiny sliver of land that Israel currently is. The modern nations are Jordan (Edom, Moab, and Ammon), Saudi Arabia (Ishmaelites), Egypt (Hagaraenes and Amalek), Lebanon (Gebal and Tyre), The Gaza Strip (Philistia), Iraq (Assyria) and Syria (Assyria).   When reviewing history, several of these countries or people groups have gone after Israel, some more than once and at different levels of intensity. However, as Asaph claims, the ten countries have never formed a confederation to go after Israel. So, this must be a future war as we get closer and closer to the final chapter of recorded biblical history and are inching our way into the Tribulation. I still firmly believe that the Rapture of the Saints–as a fulfillment of the Feast of Trumpets–will occur before the Tribulation, but when is the Psalm 83 War supposed to take place?   Let’s assume that these ten modern countries decided to team up against tiny Israel; this poses an immediate problem since Egypt has been officially at peace with Israel since 1979 when Anwar El Sadat and Menachem Begin signed the peace treaty at the White House under President Jimmy Carter. Additionally, Jordan has also been at peace with Israel since 1994, when King Hussein and Yitzhak Rabin met again at the White House under President Bill Clinton. While not every Egyptian and Jordanian might share the peaceful behavior of their leaders, the peace treaties still hold.   Some Bible teachers will look at Zechariah 12:3, describing an attack on Jerusalem when all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it. This indicates that, in the end times, the entire world will turn its back on Israel, and we are seeing an increase in international hatred as we speak. The problem here is that Zechariah tells us that the whole world will go against Israel, not just a ten-nation confederacy.   Sticking to the text and only looking at those ten nations, it would seem that the best interpretation of that list would be that Asaph is crying out to the Lord and the list of the ten enemies is a literary device to describe his despair. These people groups pretty much surrounded Israel geographically. It might have been the extent of Asaph’s knowledge of the world around him. It is akin to someone going through a very difficult time, being hit from several different angles simultaneously, and saying “the whole world is against me” as a euphemism to describe that everywhere they look, trouble is coming. Asaph possibly cried out to God about all the countries he knew that were conspiring to destroy Israel. This does not eliminate the real threats against Israel that are currently coming from some of those modern nations.   Yet, there is another aspect of the Psalm 83 war that many people overlook as they are trying to reconcile an attack from the various countries and place it properly on the timeline. I would suggest that the war of Psalm 83 is already happening from verses 3-5: They make shrewd plans against Your people, And conspire together against Your treasured ones. They have said, “Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation, That the name of Israel is remembered no more.” For they have conspired together with one mind; Against You they make a covenant.   The Psalm 83 war is simply a war against the Jews. It is a war fought by Satan and his posse. Each battle is an act of antisemitism coming from the enemy, subcontracting his age-old hatred of God’s chosen people. Asaph pleads with God to stop Israel’s enemies, and he also understands that hatred for Israel equates to contempt for the God of Israel. But Asaph trusts God, who defeated antisemitism in the past, to defeat it again and again (vv.9-12). The Psalm 83 war is going on right now, full speed ahead and on a global scale. Jewish people are increasingly feeling in danger for their lives.   The bottom line is that those who hate God want to hurt those He loves. It is often more successful to hurt someone’s loved ones than that very person. In the case of God, it is a bit different because He is God, but He clearly calls the Jewish people “the apple of my eye” (Zechariah 2:8). The war against the Jews has been going on for centuries, led by Satan who wants to prevent Israel from calling Yeshua back as the long-awaited Messiah (Zechariah 12:10). Satan has won many battles, but he will never win the war (Jeremiah 31:35-37).   The war against the Jews is a real war but it is also a spiritual battle, all Christians should be enlisted to fight that battle against the enemy of Israel. Pray, educate yourself and others about my people and speak up whenever you can to expose the enemy’s lies. We are on God’s side, and it is well overdue for all Christians to form a coalition of truth and conspire against Satan.  An Ominous Turn of Events – By Amir Tsarfati - https://harbingersdaily.com/worldview-w-amir-tsarfati-a-ominous-turn-of-events/   This has been an earth-shaking week, and we are on the verge of an escalation that may evolve into a third world war. Please be careful of irresponsible, misinformed people, particularly those on YouTube, who are giving a wrong understanding of what is really going on. Look at the facts, listen to reliable sources, and draw your conclusions. Now that I am back in Israel, I will continually update you through my Telegram channel with what is going on. Remember, the US and Israeli elections are having a huge bearing on the decisions that are being made in Washington, Jerusalem, and through much of Europe and the Middle East.   The world watched in awe as the Kerch Strait bridge erupted in a fireball on Saturday. The four-year-old, 12-mile bridge was a vital road and rail link to Crimea for Russia’s military. The blast occurred when a semi-truck full of explosives detonated as it was driving across. Yesterday, Russian authorities announced that they had arrested eight people – five Russians and three Ukrainians and Armenians – for the attack.   Russia was quick to retaliate, targeting civilians, energy, and water. Hundreds have been killed in many of the major cities, including Kyiv, and the Ukrainian Ministry of Energy announced Tuesday that one third of its electricity production facilities were wiped out in just two days. The EU will partially pay the price for Russia’s energy targeting. Ukraine announced on Monday that it will stop exporting electricity to the EU because they need to keep for themselves everything they produce.   Also, in the post-bridge-bombing fallout, Russian President Vladimir Putin appointed Sergei Surovikin as the commander of the forces in Ukraine. It was immediately following this appointment that the intentional killing of civilians began. Surovikin has the reputation of being a butcher in his military role. He was greatly condemned for opening fire on pro-democracy demonstrators in Moscow in 1991, and, in his role as commander of Russian forces in Syria, he oversaw the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government. This is an ominous turn of events for Ukraine   The threat against Ukraine from Belarus continues to grow. This toady state of Moscow already serves as a military launching point for Russian missiles. Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko, who seems to spend much of his time fruitlessly trying to prove that he is just as tough as his buddy Vladimir Putin, is accusing Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine of training radicals in his country to carry out terrorist attacks. As a result, he is making threats against Ukraine and is amassing his troops along the border. Ukraine watches this with great trepidation, fearing another front opening in this war.   The weak government of Israel caved to Hezbollah’s threats this week regarding disputed gas fields. In the US-brokered agreement with the terrorist-controlled Lebanese government, Israel gave up their established maritime border with Lebanon, opening the door for Hezbollah and Iran’s IRGC forces to operate dangerously close to Israeli land. The agreement also gave Lebanon veto rights when it comes to further border accords. This is not strength; it is appeasement. As Winston Churchill chastised Neville Chamberlain when the latter appeased Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich after the annexation of the Sudetenland, “You were given the choice between war and dishonor. You chose dishonor and you will have war.”   The political victory over Israel is one of the few positive recent events for Lebanon. Lebanese banks closed their doors beginning last Thursday due to the extreme number of robberies by customers demanding to take their own money out of the institutions. This is just further evidence of the freefall of country’s economy. Then, just yesterday, the Lebanese parliament postponed their election of a new president until October 20 after failing to secure a quorum at the session. The underlying cause of the problem is that there is no candidate that is acceptable to Hezbollah and its allies. The Lebanese people deserve so much better than they are getting.   In a sad move that shocked no one, the Church of England’s Archbishop of Canterbury and the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster have both expressed “profound concern” over the potential move of the British embassy to Jerusalem. This is just part of the weak-willed, anti-Israel ramifications of a Replacement Theology that says that God is done with Israel.   Iran informed the IAEA that it was implementing three new cascades of the high-level IR-2M centrifuges used for enriching uranium. This, along with other centrifuge cascades, are being installed at the Natanz nuclear plant.   While their nuclear enrichment is going well, Iran’s iron-grip control on their people is being tested. Not surprisingly, the only two who believed the coroner’s report that the cause of death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who died while in custody of the morality police for not fully covering her hair, was “underlying disease” and not police brutality were the coroner and Ayatollah Khameini – and even they were a bit iffy. As the number of people who are taking to the streets grows, more are losing their lives. The protests have even spread to the nation’s oil workers, who threatened to “destroy everything they’ve built” if the government forces don’t lay down their weapons against the protestors. Because of the nation’s oil economy, this is a powerful block of individuals who had a huge impact in the fall of the shah’s government back in 1979.   Tension continues to build between the US and Saudi Arabia over oil. After US President Joe Biden told the Saudis that there “will be consequences” following the OPEC+ decision to cut production, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement saying that their decision has no political motives. “It’s an economic decision. We will not accept dictates.”   A recent launch of missiles by Kim Jong Un’s military was a simulation of a nuclear attack against South Korea, North Korean government officials said. The intention of the exercise was to show both the South Koreans and the US that they are vulnerable to the Hermit Kingdom’s nuclear weapons. This Is The Next Stage Of Cancel Culture - by Michael Snyder - http://endoftheamericandream.com/this-is-the-next-stage-of-cancel-culture/   We are rapidly sliding down a very dangerous slippery slope. If we keep destroying lives simply because we don’t like what those individuals are saying, eventually we will end up with a society where most people are afraid to say anything meaningful at all. Such societies already exist in our world today, and they are nightmares. If you want to see a perfect example of what I am talking about, just take a trip over to North Korea. Everyone over there is scared to death of being shipped off to a concentration camp for doing or saying the wrong thing. Unfortunately, if we ultimately decide to stay on the path that we are currently on there is a chance that we could eventually end up just like North Korea.   Freedom of speech is a fundamental pillar of the grand bargain that we have all made with one another that is enshrined in the U.S. Constitution.   I am not supposed to try to shut you up, and you are not supposed to try to shut me up.   The only way that our current system will work is if everyone is allowed to speak freely. If even one segment of the population is muzzled, then our elections are no longer “free” or “fair”, and those with certain views are inevitably pushed to the fringes of society.   Sadly, in recent years we have seen an unprecedented effort to “cancel” those that say things that the politically-correct elite do not like.   The first stage of this movement primarily manifested on the Internet. Those that dared to express dissenting opinions to the dominant narratives of the day were penalized and/or banned by the large social media platforms.   But that was never going to be enough for the politically-correct elite.   So now they are trying to use the legal system to destroy the lives of their enemies.   Perhaps the most prominent example of this is Donald Trump.   In the past, ex-presidents were always left alone no matter what they did.   In fact, an ex-president could literally fly on Jeffrey Epstein’s private jet more than two dozen times without ever being investigated by law enforcement authorities.   But now the politically-correct elite are going after Trump with a vengeance. On Thursday, the House committee investigating the events of January 6th, 2021 made headlines all over the nation when Trump was hit with “a surprise subpoena”…   The House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol issued a surprise subpoena seeking testimony from former president Donald Trump on Thursday, a challenge with little historical precedent that members said was a necessary final act before the panel concludes its work.   The unanimous vote came at the end of the committee’s ninth and likely final public hearing, a session intended as a closing argument to the panel’s 14-month investigation.   Combining a mix of new evidence gathered by the committee since July and testimony played at previous sessions, the hearing aimed to bolster a conclusion that members have hammered again and again: that the violence on Jan. 6 was the direct and predictable result of Trump’s choices in the weeks after he lost his bid for reelection.   But there are other investigations that probably hold even more trouble for Trump.   Attorney General Merrick Garland is probably going to indict Trump for “mishandling classified documents”, and after the midterm elections are over Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is likely to indict Trump for interfering in the 2020 election…   The Georgia prosecutor leading an investigation into efforts by Donald Trump and his allies to overturn the 2020 election is aiming to quickly wrap up the grand jury’s work after the midterm elections and could begin issuing indictments as early as December, sources familiar with the situation tell CNN.   Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has said that her investigation into attempts to subvert the 2020 election will go quiet beginning later this week to avoid any appearance of influencing the upcoming election. But while her investigation will not make any overt moves in the next few weeks, her team is gearing up for a flurry of activity after Election Day.   As I write this article, Trump is the subject of a total of six different investigations around the nation.   In the entire course of U.S. history, we have never seen anything like this before.   The politically-correct elite are literally trying to use the legal system as a weapon to destroy Trump, because they want to make sure that he can never run for president ever again.   The same sort of thing is being done to Alex Jones.   On Wednesday, the mainstream media triumphantly declared that a jury had come up with a 965 million dollar verdict in a Sandy Hook defamation case…   Connecticut officials and victims’ families on Wednesday praised a jury’s verdict, issued earlier in the day, that InfoWars’ Alex Jones should pay $965 million to people who suffered from his false claim that the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a hoax — even as they acknowledged the tragedy and the threat that further conspiracies still loomed.   “The Sandy Hook families deserve every dollar coming to them from Alex Jones,” Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) wrote on Twitter. “But let’s be clear — there is a whole ecosystem of hate and conspiracy and Jones is just one organism of many. Until the political right purges this movement from its ranks, none of this ends.”   This broke the record for the most money ever awarded in a defamation case by about 700 million dollars.   In my entire lifetime, I have never seen a figure that is more ridiculous.   But of course the goal was never to accurately compensate the families for any “emotional harm” that they may have suffered from what Alex Jones said.   The attorneys on the other side made it very clear to the jury that the goal was to destroy Alex Jones.   And if they get away with doing this to Alex Jones, they will inevitably start going after other prominent voices that they deem to be “offensive”.   This is going to have such a chilling effect on free speech.   Everyone is going to start thinking twice about having an independent opinion about any news story, because that independent opinion could get you sued into oblivion.   Financial institutions are starting to fully embrace the “cancel culture” movement as well.   In recent days, a number of individuals, groups and organizations have had their financial accounts suddenly canceled without warning, and that even includes the National Committee for Religious Freedom…   Meanwhile, According to Faithwire, The National Committee for Religious Freedom (NCRF), a 501(c)4 political action nonprofit has just had its account canceled as well.   Sam Brownback, the group’s chairman and the former U.S. ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom under the Trump administration, the bank decided to “end their relationship” with NCRF and close the account after only three weeks.   “We were surprised at being canceled by Chase,” Brownback wrote in an op-ed published in the Washington Examiner. When our executive director called to see if this was an error, he was informed that ‘a note in the file read that Chase employees were not permitted to provide any further clarifying information to the customer.’”   NCRF Executive Director Justin Murff reached out for more information but was told the decision was made at the “corporate” level and was “final and nonrevocable”. “Why the cancellation? Why the secrecy and lack of transparency?   How in the world is the National Committee for Religious Freedom a threat to anyone?   I don’t know, but they must have offended someone somewhere along the line.   Just a single “offensive statement” is all that it takes for these people.   We truly are becoming a little bit more like East Germany with each passing day.   Even though I do not like what millions upon millions of my fellow Americans have to say, I have always been a relentless champion of free speech.   Because if we lose our freedom of speech, America dies.   I hope that more of my fellow Americans start to realize this, because free speech is starting to disappear at a pace that is absolutely frightening. Daily Jot: The Farm Chronicles: My Shootin’ Shell 45 - Bill Wilson – www.dailyjot.com   Of all my favorite toy guns growing up on the farm, the Mattel Shootin’ Shell .45 was the best. It was a realistic pistol modeled after the guns all the cowboys used in the Westerns. Nickel-plated, double action, side-loaded, pretty much like the real thing. It shot these .22-sized bullets. No, not real bullets, but spring-loaded shells accepting a plastic “bullet” that was loaded by pushing the bullet into the shell until it clicked into place. Then there were “greenie stick mini-caps” that were peeled off a stick sheet and stuck unto the shell before loading. When fired, the pistol would sound like a gun, there would be “smoke” from the caps, and you could hit a target with the plastic bullets. How did I know what would happen?   My cousin Steve and I were always playing Cowboys and Indians when we were outside running around the farm. We would have gunfights in the corral. We would hide behind trees in the woods and fight off the bad guys. We would make forts in the hay mow and pretend we were under attack. We even made an old Western town in the back barnyard from some abandoned horse-drawn wagons, an old canvass tarp with poles to make a teepee, and nailed together some boards to make a jail and a saloon. Of course, all this looked much better in our imagination than it did in real life, but it provided hours of fun, work, and entertainment during the summer days.   There was one summer when Dad decided to have the pond dredged out and enlarged. Somehow, he and his Neil Gotham, who had heavy equipment because he owned a sawmill operation, drained the pond and used a bulldozer to widen the pond and create banks. Well, Steve and I thought it was a great opportunity to have a gunfight in the dessert (on the mud-piles that had not yet been pushed to the banks of the pond). I wanted to use my Mattel Shootin’ Shell .45. But the problem was that when you shot the plastic bullets, you would lose them. So I got this idea that I would use .22 shells that were in the light stand drawer in the living room. I loaded up the gun and the shells seemed to fit pretty well.   Steve and I were hiding behind mud piles and he was shooting at me, making the sound of the gun with his voice. I pulled out my Shootin’ Shell and took aim, pulled the trigger and BOOM! That gun went off like a cannon, kicked back so hard it broke the handle, and dirt flew over near where Steve was crouching. We both looked at each other in shock. I didn’t think that it would fire. In fact, I don’t know what I was thinking. Psalm 121:7 says, “The LORD will guard you from all harm, He will watch over your life.” I sure tested that promise. A lesson learned. And my favorite gun, repaired with athletic tape on the handle, was a reminder of God’s protection and how a foolish act could end badly. Like the Mattel commercial said, “Every boy will walk tall when he wears a holster and pistol with a Mattel brand.” That is, if he survives his own stupidity. Daily Devotion: Paul’s Heavenly Experience - by Greg Laurie – www.harvest.org   Then some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowds to their side. They stoned Paul and dragged him out of town, thinking he was dead. —Acts 14:19   https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/pauls-heavenly-experience/ - Listen   When Paul and Barnabas were in Lystra, an interesting series of events unfolded. They encountered a man who was unable to walk, and God revealed to them that He wanted to heal him.   Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Paul told the man to stand up, and the man immediately got up and started walking around. This demonstration of faith and power deeply moved the people in Lystra, who were largely pagan. In fact, they thought Paul and Silas were the Greek gods Zeus and Hermes, and they prepared to offer sacrifices to them.   Paul, however, stopped the people and said, “Friends, why are you doing this? We are merely human beings—just like you! We have come to bring you the Good News that you should turn from these worthless things and turn to the living God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them” (Acts 14:15 NLT).   The religious leaders, who were outraged over Paul’s effectiveness, wanted to kill him and managed to turn the multitude against him. Before long, the people who had wanted to offer sacrifices to Paul stoned him and left him for dead. It was at this point that Paul probably had his Third Heaven experience that we read about in 2 Corinthians 12.   Meanwhile, the Bible tells us that “as the believers gathered around [Paul], he got up and went back into the town. The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe” (Acts 14:20 NLT).   What happened to Paul serves as a reminder for us when we’re grieving a loved one who has died in the Lord. Of course, we feel sorrow that they were taken from us. But now that they are in God’s presence, don’t feel sorry for them because where they are is far better than where we are.