Hold Fast...It's Getting Shaky Out There

Last night, I went to hear one of my favorite authors, Rabbi Jonathan Cahn. If you have not read his book, The Harbinger, I highly recommend it. I believe the message of his book, and the message he’s been sharing since the publication, is a prophetic warning and wake up call for Believers in America. Since the pastor of the church where he was speaking introduced him with a similar sentiment and high praise, I feel like I'm in good company.

Before I went to the event, I got some well meaning, cautionary advice from loved ones.

“Don’t go all crazy. Don’t get all dooms day.”

I told them, “Don’t worry!” and then thought to myself, “Oops! Too late.”

I’m not going to describe the message he shared last night. You can read the book or watch the videos attached below to hear a similar message. Let just say, he shared what has happened, what is happening, and what may happen if our nation does not return to God. You see, God will not be mocked. If, as a nation, we reject and mock God than God says we will reap what we sow. (Galatians 6:7) So during parts of his message, I would whisper to my friend, “I’m freaking out. OK, I am NOT freaking out. OK, I’m freaking out just a little.”

After sharing his prophetic message of warning, he instructed us of 3 key things to do in order to prepare for what is coming:

1. “Ground yourself in the Word of God.” Read it, know it, hold fast to it.
2. “Do not bend the Word of God to fit your life. Bend your life to match the Word of God.”
3. “Do not fear! God is in control.”

His three keys reminded me of a Revelation study I’m currently doing. In Chapters 2 and 3 of Revelation, Jesus tells the Apostle John to write letters to 7 churches. To most of these churches, Jesus would have a commendation but also a reprimand and warning to repent.

To one church, Jesus warned they had lost their first love, the love they had for Him at the very beginning. He instructed them to remember from where they had fallen, to repent, and to do the things they had done when they first received salvation.

To two churches, Jesus reprimanded them because they had allowed sexual immorality and idolatry to be practiced in the church. And He warned them to repent or face judgment. 

To another church, Jesus warned that they were deceived by their good works into believing they were thriving and alive, but Jesus told they were actually dead. They had neglected the foundations of the Gospel. Jesus warned them to repent and hold fast to the truth of the Gospel they had received when they first believed.  

To another church, Jesus said they made him vomit because they were lukewarm, neither hot nor cold. My Tyndale Life Application Bible commentary says, “The believers didn’t take a stand for anything; indifference had led to idleness…the church had become hardened and self-satisfied. They were in-name only Christians.”

Jesus instructed John to write these letters as warnings to the churches of the day but also as prophetic warnings to us. When we read the descriptions of these churches, we should examine our hearts and ask God to point out if there are any lukewarm areas in our own Christian life so that we can repent and get right with God.

Jonathan’s Cahn’s three keys reminded me of Jesus’ letters to the two churches who received only His commendation and promises of blessing.

To the church of Philadelphia:

“I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can close. You have little strength, yet you obeyed my word and did not deny me.  Look, I will force those who belong to Satan’s synagogue—those liars who say they are Jews but are not—to come and bow down at your feet. They will acknowledge that you are the ones I love.

“Because you have obeyed my command to persevere, I will protect you from the great time of testing that will come upon the whole world to test those who belong to this world. I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take away your crown. All who are victorious will become pillars in the Temple of my God, and they will never have to leave it. And I will write on them the name of my God, and they will be citizens in the city of my God—the new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven from my God. And I will also write on them my new name. (Rev 3:8-12 NLT)

To the church of Smyrna:

“‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death. (Rev 2:9-11 ESV)

Through these letters, Jesus was giving us the same 3 keys to prepare for what’s to come:

1. Obey My Word.
2. Hold fast to Me and do not deny Me. Jesus, in turn, promises to hold fast to us and proclaim us as the ones He loves.
3. Do not fear. I'm in control. Be faithful until the end and I will give you the crown of life. 

So, did last night's message freak me out? A little. Am I restocking my earthquake kit? Yes. I would not be me if a powerful message like his did not compel me to action. When the Rabbi prayed over us and gave us a Messianic blessing from God, I raised my hands high and prayed for God’s Holy Spirit to fill me with His strength, courage, boldness, wisdom, and peace. And I’m holding fast to those 3 keys. That’s my battle plan. That’s my survival guide. But God does not intend for us to just survive until He returns. Like the angel told the apostles after Jesus ascended, “What are you doing here just looking up at heaven?” (Acts 1:11)  I can’t just stand here; gazing up into heaven, with my metaphorical bags packed, saying, “Jesus, are you coming yet? I’m really, really ready to go.”

Jesus has commanded us to go out and preach the Word, to share and lead people to salvation through the power of the cross and resurrection, to share the prophetic warnings when we see or hear them.

I’d like to end with my favorite quote from Jonathan Cahn’s book, The Harbinger.

“If the watchman should see the signs of calamity appearing in the distance and fail to blow the trumpet to warn his people, what then would he become?”

“Guilty.”

“Of what?”

“Of their destruction.”

“Correct. He had a chance to save them but didn’t.”

So, I've shared what I've heard. What about you? Will you share?

Love,

Yolanda

Listen to the Prayer of Blessing:

Am I A Christian?

Have you ever had to identify yourself by your race for work, school, or on a government document? The form always has boxes to check like Caucasian, Hispanic, or Native American. Back in the 1980s, Chicano was a choice but I never quite understood that one so I’d pick another. Sometimes I just wanted to write in the margin, “Well, my mom was born in Texas and my dad’s from Michoacán, so I guess I’m half and half.”

Lately, I’ve been reading articles and comments from people who are checking the box “Christian,” but when I read their posts I don’t find any evidence of the Bible. I’m wondering if these people are uninformed or do they just want to write in the margin of their Bible, “I’m half and half?” Half of me wants to belong in heaven and half of me wants to belong in the world. What worries me is that God is clear in the Bible that He wants all of us. There is no half and half with God. A person cannot ride the Christian-World fence. Trust me, I’ve tried and I've fallen off. Here is what Jesus said about riding the fence:

Matthew 12:30 (MSG)
“This is war, and there is no neutral ground. If you’re not on my side, you’re the enemy; if you’re not helping, you’re making things worse.

The word “Christian” means “follower of Jesus Christ.” The definition cannot be diluted to mean just “a nice person” or “my grandparents were Christian therefore I am.”

It’s impossible to follow Jesus wholeheartedly without respecting God’s Word (Bible). Jesus and The Word cannot be separated. One cannot take Jesus and abandon the other because God refers to Jesus as The Word and He exalts The Word above all else.

Christ, the Eternal Word (John 1:1-2,14)
In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.He existed in the beginning with God.God created everything through Him, and nothing was created except through Him…So the Word [Jesus] became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen His glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

I will worship toward Your holy temple and praise Your name for Your loving-kindness and for Your truth and faithfulness; for You have exalted above all else Your name and Your word and You have magnified Your word above all Your name! Psalm 138:2 AMP

When people asked Jesus what they had to do to follow Him, He didn’t say “just be a nice person or your grandpa used to be a Christian so you’re good.” Jesus said, “If anyone of you wants to be My follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, pick up your cross, and follow Me.” (John 16:24) Jesus is not someone we can identify with when it’s convenient or popular. He was warning the apostles and those listening that following Him was going to be difficult. It was going to cost them everything, possibly their very lives, to follow Him. And just like He carried His cross to His death, dying for the sins of mankind, He is also letting us know that in order to follow Him we are going to have to die to self, denying our selfish pursuits.  

Last night, I read a heartbreaking article from a lady who called herself a Christian since early childhood. In that same article, she mocked and misinterpreted the Old Testament, denied the harmful consequences of sin, and lastly, she attacked Bible believing Christians, claiming they were ignorant and must not have read the entire Bible. Yet, I found it odd she never once quoted the Bible. To be honest, I got upset and complained, “God, I need a new identity. If the world is going to take the word “Christian” and distort the definition, then I don’t want to be called that anymore.”

The Apostles in the New Testament identified themselves as “The Way” because Jesus declared, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by Me.” (John 14:6)  Since I probably can’t call myself “The Way” without sounding weird, from now on when anyone asks me if I’m a Christian, I’m going to clarify and say:

• I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. (Romans 1:6)
• I am a believer and worshiper of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the Great I AM. (Exodus 3:14)
• I am devoted to the entire Word of God, from Genesis to Revelation. I believe it is God-breathed, alive, infallible, and has the power to penetrate and change lives. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
• I have received salvation because I have believed and called on The Name of Jesus Christ. Jesus paid the penalty for my sins on the cross. He conquered death and on the third day He rose from the grave. He is now seated at the right hand of the Father. (Ephesians 1:19-20)
• I have been covered by the Blood of the Lamb (Jesus) and made righteous because He is righteous. (1 Peter 1:19, Revelation 7:14)
• I have received a water baptism signifying the death of my old sinful nature, being washed clean, and reborn into the image of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 3:21)
• I have been baptized with the Holy Spirit, who manifests Himself through me via gifts and power for the furtherance of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. (Acts 2:1-4,5,8-9,12-14, 19:5-7)
• I have been adopted into the family of God. I am His child and a co-heir with Christ. (Romans 8:17)
• I pray for the peace of Jerusalem because they are God’s chosen people, the apple of His eye, and I am grateful that out of the tribe of Judah came my Messiah, Jesus Christ. Also, God commands me to pray for Israel for my family and friends sake. (Psalm 122:6)
• I pray for those who do not know Jesus as Savior because God’s heart is that none should perish and all to come to repentance. He has commanded me to go and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 3:9, Matthew 28:19)
• I am the Bride of Christ, being made holy by the purifying work of the Holy Spirit and I anxiously await the return of the Bridegroom, Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 5:25-27, Isaiah 4:5)
• When Jesus returns, He will find me watching for Him because God says those who are found watching for Jesus’ return will be blessed. (Luke 12:37)
• And until Jesus returns or takes me home, I will do my best to uphold and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 2:13-15 MSG)

So, if they ask me if I'm a Christian, and they mean how it's defined above, then I’m a Christian.

I’d like to end with a story. When I graduated from college, three of my friends and I flew to Lake Tahoe. We had to fly from Reno to Tahoe on a tiny plane. The stewardess asked each of us to fill out a form revealing our weight. Now, my weight was something I never, ever revealed. As I’m looking at this form and then at my 110-pound friends, I started to panic. I’m sweating and thinking, “Seriously, how much risk is involved in distorting the truth? Do I really have a life or death responsibility to tell the whole truth? Will I really endanger my friends and myself if I subtract 20-30 pounds? What’s more important, my pride or the truth?”

I’m not going to tell you whether I lied on the form or not. Let’s just say we survived. But let me ask you, is ignoring, neglecting, denying or distorting the Word of God for any reason worth the risk? Because, this time, it really is an eternal life or death decision. Remember, God said if we are not helping bring people to Jesus then we are His enemy and working against Him. (Matthew 12:30 NLT, AMP)
So, brothers and sisters in Christ, we ARE responsible for sharing the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. So help us, God.

John 10:22-30 (MSG)
...“How long are you going to keep us guessing? If you’re the Messiah, tell us straight out.”
Jesus answered, “I told you, but you don’t believe. Everything I have done has been authorized by my Father, actions that speak louder than words. You don’t believe because you’re not My sheep. My sheep recognize My voice. I know them, and they follow Me. I give them real and eternal life. They are protected from the Destroyer for good. No one can steal them from out of My hand. The Father who put them under My care is so much greater than the Destroyer and Thief. No one could ever get them away from Him. I and the Father are one heart and mind.”

Love,
Yolanda

Indendence Day - Bible Study on The Rapture, Antichrist, and False Prophet

I love the movie, Independence Day (1996)! It’s a classic and a “must watch” on the 4th of July. When President Whitmore stands up and declares to a frightened people, “Today, we celebrate our Independence Day!” I want to stand up and cheer.

Do you remember the scene where Jasmine (the dancer) tries to warn her friend, Tiffany, not to go to the “Welcome aliens” party on the roof of a building? Jasmine begs Tiffany, “I have a really bad feeling about this. I don’t want you to go. Promise me you won’t go.” Of course, Tiffany does not listen. She’s dancing and partying, holding her welcome sign, when the aliens show their true intentions and all hell breaks loose.

This scene reminds me of how some in the world will respond when God removes His Believers from this earth and takes them up to Heaven (The Rapture). The Bible says that in a twinkling of an eye, God’s trumpet will sound, and we will be caught up in the sky to reunite with Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) I can imagine a metaphorical party similar to the scene in this movie. The world will be rejoicing that those intolerant, unloving, party-pooping Christians are gone - no one left to bring up hateful words like “sin” or “hell”.

To the world, all this Judgment and Rapture talk makes us sound crazy, like the character “Russell Casse” in the film. He kept warning everyone about the dangers to come because he’d experienced the evil himself but everyone just mocked him. The Bible tells us that this will be the world’s reaction to our warnings.

For the story and message of the cross is sheer absurdity and folly to those who are perishing and on their way to perdition, but to us who are being saved it is the [manifestation of] the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18 (AMP)

And just like the people on the roof were welcoming the aliens, unbelievers are welcoming someone far more dangerous than any alien invasion. You see, soon there will be powerful political figure (Antichrist) on the scene, speaking peace, prosperity, inclusion, tolerance, and people will worship him like he’s the savior of world. But what they wont realize, until it’s too late, is that he will strip them of their freedoms in the name of the better good, forcing them to take an identification marker on their hand or forehead. He will make it mandatory to be marked before anyone can buy, sell, or work. During this time, a religious leader (The False Prophet) will rise and be in cahoots with the Antichrist. The False Prophet will make it mandatory to worship and bow down to an image of the Antichrist and if anyone refuses they will be beheaded. Do any events in the current world news sound like a precursor to these End Time events? They should. (Revelation 13:13-18, Revelation 20:4)

I read in The Bible about King Hezekiah of Judah (2 Kings 18-19). He was 25 years old when he became king. He was one of the few kings of Israel who trusted God completely and did not commit idolatry. He was faithfully devoted to God of Israel and God’s Law. God was pleased by him and blessed him. During his reign, the Assyrians were attacking the land of Israel and conquered Samaria. They led the Israelites into captivity. God allowed this to happen because the Israelites had “refused to listen to the LORD their God. Instead, they had violated His covenant – all the laws the LORD had given through His servant Moses.” (2 Kings 18:12) But King Hezekiah of Judah prayed to God and refused to be a servant to the Assyrian King. So, with God’s help he rebelled against the king’s demand.

The Assyrian king, sent a message to Hezekiah and the people of Judah through his army commander:

“Listen to what the great king of Assyria says! Don’t be fooled by Hezekiah. He can’t save you. Don’t trust him when he tells you that the Lord will protect you from the king of Assyria. Stop listening to Hezekiah! Pay attention to my king. Surrender to him. He will let you keep your own vineyards, fig trees, and cisterns for a while. Then he will come and take you away to a country just like yours, where you can plant vineyards, raise your own grain, and have plenty of olive oil and honey. Believe me, you won’t starve there.

Hezekiah claims the Lord will save you. But don’t be fooled by him. Were any other gods able to defend their land against the king of Assyria…Were the gods of Samaria able to protect their land against the Assyrian forces?  None of these gods kept their people safe from the king of Assyria. Do you think the Lord your God can do any better? (2 Kings 19:28-35)

The Assyrian King was totally mocking the God of Israel. When Hezekiah heard the message, he tore his clothes in sorrow and put on sackcloth in an act of humility before God. He asked others to put on sackcloth and to pray for God’s help to protect the city of Judah. Then He went to the temple of The Lord and spread this insulting letter in front of Him and prayed:

“Lord God of Israel, your throne is above the winged creatures. You created the heavens and the earth, and You alone rule the kingdoms of this world. But just look how Sennacherib has insulted you, the living God.

It is true, our Lord, that Assyrian kings have turned nations into deserts. They destroyed the idols of wood and stone that the people of those nations had made and worshiped. But you are our Lord and our God! We ask you to keep us safe from the Assyrian king. Then everyone in every kingdom on earth will know that you are the only God.” (2 Kings 19:15-19)

The LORD, God of Israel, heard the prayers of King Hezekiah and declared, “For my own honor, and for the sake of my servant David, I will defend it.” So God sent out an angel that night to kill 185,000 Assyrian troops surrounding Judah and the King of Assyria fled back to Ninevah. But God had declared that this mocking king would die by the sword so two of his own sons killed him by the sword.

This Bible story reminded me of the coming of the Antichrist. He will come disguised of as a man of peace but he will be a wolf in sheep’s clothing. He will rise to power and mock God and say, “Listen to me. Don’t listen to what those crazy Christians said. Where is their God now? Where are they now? Listen to me. Surrender to me.  I will let you keep your positions, lives, belongings…for now.”  And before they know it, his true character will come out and it will be too late. You see, God will not be mocked – ever. And this Antichrist will get his comeuppance just like the king of Assyria did.

Galatians 6:7 (AMP)

 Do not be deceived and deluded and misled; God will not allow Himself to be sneered at (scorned, disdained, or mocked by mere pretensions or professions, or by His precepts being set aside.) [He inevitably deludes himself who attempts to delude God.] For whatever a man sows, that and that only is what he will reap.

Many in the world are mocking and ignoring the warnings coming from Christians. They are rejoicing in the fact that we seem to be surrounded by the enemy, like King Hezekiah, and they are yelling their insults and their taunts, “Where is your God? Do you think your God can rescue you?” But just like in the movie Independence Day, Jasmine was escaping the city and heading to her military boyfriend for protection, we are escaping to our Bridegroom (Jesus) for protection.

In these dark and trying days ahead, God will purify and empower His Bride (the Church), preparing us for the great wedding feast. When mocking and persecution comes, God wants to see what His bride will do. Will we be like some of the Israelites who rejected God and His Law and were lead away into slavery or will be like the people of Judah that refused to reject God and His Word. And just like King Hezekiah tore his clothes in sorrow, humbled himself, and prayed to God for deliverance and mercy for his people. We, Believers, must weep in sorrow, humble ourselves, and pray like never before to be purified and empowered by an outpouring of the Holy Spirit so we are ready to meet our Bridegroom. But we must also pray for our people to get ready to meet Jesus. God's heart is that NONE should perish and all come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9) So God's heart for the lost MUST become our heart!

So if this 4^th of July, you are reading this and you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior or maybe you once believed in Jesus but you’ve lost your love for Him, God is calling to you, “Today can be your INDEPENDENCE DAY! Come to me before it’s too late. I will welcome you with open arms. I will unbind the chains that have kept you prisoner and I will lift the veil from your eyes that has kept you blind. Do you want true freedom? In these last days, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. They will prophesy, have visions, and dream dreams. I will cause wonders in the heavens and signs on the earth - blood and fire and clouds of smoke. The sun will become dark, and the moon will turn to blood red before that great and glorious day My Son arrives, but everyone who calls on the Name of Jesus will be saved. The Bridegroom awaits, will you be My Bride?" (Acts 2:17-21, Joel 2:28-32) 

Christ loved the church and gave his life for it. He made the church holy by the power of His Word, and He made it pure by washing it with water. Christ did this, so that He would have a glorious and holy church, without faults or spots or wrinkles or any other flaws. 
The wedding day of the Lamb is here, and His bride is ready.She will be given a wedding dress made of pure and shining linen.This linen stands for the good things God’s people have done.
For your Creator will be your husband; the Lord of Heaven’s Armies is His name!

He is your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, the God of all the earth. 

So we will be glad and happy and give Him praise.

Then the angel told me, “Put this in writing. God will bless everyone who is invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” The angel also said, “These things that God has said are true.” 

Ephesians 5:25-27 (CEV), Isaiah 4:5 (NLT) Revelation 19:7-9(CEV)

I pray you answer God’s call and today you celebrate your Independence Day!

Love,

Yolanda