FROM FAKE NEWS TO FAKE INFORMATION, FAKE CHRISTIANS, FAKE BREAD, FAKE FOOD, AND FAKE GENDERS

So you scroll down your Facebook page allowing your eyes to land on headlines at a glance and come across an amazing story. So, you stop and read the whole thing, even click on the "more" and keep reading. But something's stinky. Something doesn't quite jive or jell.

THE WHOLE ARTICLE WAS A COMPLETE LIE. NOT A WORD OF TRUTH IN IT. AND YOU JUST SPENT ALMOST FOUR MINUTES READING IT! 

What ISN'T fake in our world today? 

Furthermore, when there's so much that's fake, how can you tell what's real? It used to be that we could easily compare the true with the fake and know the difference. If an item of clothing had a name brand on it, it was the real deal. Because there was some kind of law Stateside that required brand names to be authentic. But, China didn't get that memo. They could care less about authenticity. 

Did you notice the low quality of our clothes nowadays? How about our socks? Walmart socks are what I would call "disposable". If you want real honest-to-goodness reinforced toes, you'll pay at least double. The usual socks will get a hole in them right at your big toe within six months. Less, if you walk a lot.

What about fake Christians? Do we want to talk about them? Of course,  nobody wants to judge. But COME ON. Get REAL. We used to say, "Just because you go to a garage doesn't make you a car any more than going to church makes one a Christian."

Maybe the question is: "WHAT IS A REAL CHRISTIAN?"

If you need to ask that question, here's the rule of thumb: A Christian is a follower of Christ. Christianity used to be a cult. And it was a severely persecuted cult at that. And if one desired to become a Christian or a follower of the teachings of Christ, they had to be willing to lay down their life for God.

That takes a little thing called HUMILITY.

And humility is not a bad thing. It's a good thing. In fact, it's a GOAL.

With that in mind, a true Christian doesn't care who gets the credit for their efforts because they believe that God is a Rewarder. In saying that, they believe GOD sees all our efforts in His direction and His direction is HELPING OTHERS. We're supposed to love other people MORE than we love ourselves.

BTW, we ARE supposed to love ourselves. We're supposed to love GOD more but we are supposed to love ourselves because we were EACH ONE OF US created IN THE IMAGE OF GOD.

Life is NOT a competition about "who's got the smartest kids" or "who's got the biggest yard" or "who makes the most money" or "who's the 'coolest' person on social media". It's really not even about winning. If there's a competition, we're competing to be the most generous, the biggest givers, the most sacrificial, the most merciful and forgiving of others. In other words, as stated above, the most HUMBLE. 

God wants to help build our character. And He usually gets a lot of mileage out of people around us who drive us crazy, test our patience to the limit, or make us feel pressured. 

However, quite often these so-called "personality disorders" that we have to deal with in people are not just disorders. Quite often they are bad spirits. Disembodied demons that have wangled their way into a person's every day life and sometimes will even speak right out of their mouth!

And, YES, Christians DO have demons. 

That's why it's so important for a newborn believer to clean his/her house out with the WORD OF GOD and get their mind REWIRED by the HOLY SPIRIT.

WORD + HOLY SPIRIT + PRAYER

Build your spiritual house on the Rock of CHRIST word upon word, line upon line until you KNOW WHAT YOU BELIEVE AND WHY YOU BELIEVE IT.

Now, all this is VERY important for newborn believers.

NEVER ASSUME THAT YOU ALREADY KNOW AS MUCH AS YOU NEED TO KNOW. THAT'S A VERY DANGEROUS STANCE TO TAKE.

You don't have to eat the fake food either. But, if you do happen to eat something you KNOW was bad for you, PRAY OVER IT. Or pray AFTER you eat it. The body can handle a few slip-ups, especially if you don't make a habit of eating garbage. Eat organic when at all possible because it makes a big difference, not only in taste but in all the reasons why we eat food. Low prices don't make junk food good for you. Maybe good for your wallet, but you'll pay the price elsewhere if you keep eating junk. 

No need to go around the grocery store reading labels to find out all the ingredients. Just DON'T BUY PACKAGED FOOD, then you won't need to read the label.

Better yet, GROW IT YOURSELF. Get some good ol' garden DIRT under your nails. Just the way God intended. 

And as far as fake genders --to me that is a very sad, sad story. Lesbians and gays are missing out on the adventure of a lifetime --a heterosexual relationship. God created us male and female. Gender confusion is an illness which causes a lot of harm. 

God created us so that HUMAN BEINGS WILL NEVER BE FULLY HAPPY until they find THEIR CREATOR. AND have a relationship WITH HIM. 

It's AMAZING. It's Transcendent. 

He is the WIND BENEATH OUR WINGS. AND He shelters us WITH HIS WINGS.

OVERCOME FEAR

 Easier said than done, right? 

It's not as difficult as you may think. Basically, it's all in your head but it doesn't need to exist anywhere. Fear is a SCAM. 

Fear is a big black hole. You can see it there but you don't need to fall into it. Satan knows that when you do fall into it, you give him full control. That's why he's laughing at you.

He knows there's nothing to fear if you believe in Jesus Christ as your Saviour, Mentor, Protector, Father, Guide and Provider. He knows that. But, he doesn't know a LOT OF STUFF that we do! He's ignorant. Furthermore, he's DUMB.

Remember, Satan is the Father of Lies, so don't believe him. 

Remember, WE ARE NOT OF THE WORLD. We walk in the Spirit of God. (Romans 8 --the whole chapter tells us how to walk in the Spirit.)

Remember, Psalm 91

Remember the RESURRECTION POWER that rose Jesus from the dead LIVES IN US. LIVES IN YOU! If you were born again and received Jesus into your heart, the SAME POWER that rose Jesus from the dead dwells in YOU.

You are more powerful than all the demons on this planet. 

BECAUSE OF THE BLOOD OF JESUS.

RESIST THE DEVIL AND HE WILL FLEE! WHY? Because he's AFRAID of the POWER of GOD in God's CHILDREN. THAT'S YOU. 

Never fear. FEAR NOT. FALL ON THE ROCK. HE HAS NEVER FAILED US YET!

DON'T BLAME GOD

 Our loving, kind, sympathetic, merciful, understanding God has been misrepresented over and over.

In our minds, we see God as being all-powerful --which He IS but we attribute His all-knowing and all-powerful attributes to mean that He is in control of everything on this planet all the time. IS THAT TRUE?

Is God in control?

We love to say that, don't we? "Don't worry, God's in control." And, "All's well with the planet because God's in His Heaven and all's right with the world."

NO IT ISN'T.

All's NOT right with the world. In fact, a LOT of stuff is happening that is NOT of God, NOT God's will and, in fact, is destructive, unfair, unloving and UNGODLY. Do I need to mention it? It's almost unmentionable and I'm not talking about undergarments. I'm talking about child-molestation, child torture, kidnappings, murders, robbery, mutilation, and on and on and on and we don't really want to talk about it, do we?

MANY THINGS GO WRONG AND MANY THINGS ARE NOT GOOD, NOT OF GOD AND NOT FAIR. BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY ARE OF GOD, PLANNED BY GOD OR INNITIATED BY GOD. 

THINGS LIKE CANCER. COME ON! YOU DON'T REALLY BELIEVE THAT GOD GIVES PEOPLE CANCER, DO YOU?

 I do NOT want to offend anyone who may have cancer but I want you to know (whoever you are, believer or non-believer, Christian, or any other religious believer) GOD DID NOT GIVE YOU CANCER.  That is a fact. How do I know that? Because God doesn't own cancer and carry it around to give to people!

God heals cancer.

No, He doesn't give you the flu "to teach you a lesson". 

You know what I learned when I got a devastating head-ache that lasted for TWO days? I learned that being pain-free is a blessing that I had never appreciated as much as I did after the head-ache went away. 

One might think, "Then, it was worth it." 

If you want to think that way, that's fine. We should gain something for our pain. We should get as much mileage out of our pain as possible --if you find it necessary. Just DON'T GIVE GOD THE BLAME FOR IT OR EVEN THE "CREDIT" FOR IT BECAUSE GOD DOESN'T GIVE US PAIN!

That mindset is not of God. He really doesn't want us to think like that. Yes, we can believe that "all things work together for good to them that love God" and sometimes for those that don't think they love God all that much. (How can you tell how much you love God? God knows.)

Since we're  on the subject, let's talk about war. Is WAR God's will? Does God start wars? 

People look at the Old Testament and it looks like GOD is actually sending His children into war with other nations. Do you want to talk about that? Mind you, this is Old Testament we're talking about. We should dig a lot deeper to understand the BACKGROUND STORY of WHO these nations were that Moses and Joshua were going up against. 

Another thing to consider is that these nations that Israel came into on their way to the Promised Land were IDOL-WORSHIPPERS, BABY-TORTURERS/KILLERS. THEY WERE PARTAKING OF BESTIALITY AND ALL KINDS OF PERVERSIONS --- MUCH LIKE TODAY.

Israel didn't want to go to war with Jericho. They were afraid of the giants. But, God wanted to rid the world of giants because they were not normal human beings. They were WAR MACHINES. And they are on the earth TODAY. 

Okay, so the thing is that we really can't use the Old Testament wars that Israel had to fight as a basis to believe that God is a God of WAR. 

And we can't refer to what happened in Egypt with the plagues and collapse of Egypt during the deliverance of the Israeli slaves to judge God's character as being vindictive and cruel. He gave the Egyptians plenty of warning ahead of every plague that came upon them.

Look at His treatment of the Jews in Goshen. They did not suffer the plagues because of the Blood of the Lamb. Just like TODAY. The Blood of the Lamb protects us now, too.

You may not see the Blood with your physical eyes but SATAN KNOWS it HAS DEFEATED HIM. He was defeated by the BLOOD. He knows that. He also knows that he's going to be judged. He doesn't know WHEN but he knows his time is coming and he's trying to get US to co-operate with him to BUY MORE TIME. 

Good luck with that, Lucifer/Satan/Beasty/Devil. Well, luck isn't going to help him. But OUR KNOWLEDGE of GOD/Jesus Christ/ Yeshua Hamashiak/Yaweh/Jehovah will help US --all of us who believe on the name of the Only Begotten Son of God. WE HAVE OVERCOME HIM. HE IS DEFEATED.

But, apparently, he doesn't want to accept the truth. He's very, very busy going around the planet flapping his gums and babbling in people's ears, trying to convince them that it's all GOD'S FAULT. 

DON'T LET HIM CONVINCE YOU OF THAT. 

DON'T ALLOW HIM TIME TO GET ONE WORD INTO YOUR MIND OR HEART. SHUT HIM DOWN.

Please, by all that is righteous; please don't blame God for anything bad that happens. Can we learn this one lesson? It has taken me years and years to break the habit of blaming God for things or thinking that "God did this for a reason" when something terrible happens, instead of realizing WAIT A MINUTE...

If GOD truly GAVE His only Son to suffer an excruciating DEATH to SAVE US FROM SATAN and HELL, doesn't that indicate that GOD IS A GOOD GOD WHO LOVES US?

 

    

LIVE BY THE BOOK!

 THE BIBLE IS NOT JUST A BOOK. IT'S A MAP. IT'S SPIRITUAL FOOD. IT'S A LIGHT THAT SHINES ON OUR PATH. IT'S OUR DAILY BREAD. IT'S STRENGTH, SANITY, AND A WEAPON. IT'S A SHARP, TWO-EDGED SWORD. 

TO GAIN THE BENEFITS OF GOD'S WORD, WE SHOULD STAY IN IT.

STAY UNDER THE SHADOW OF THE ALMIGHTY. HOW? STAY IN THE WORD.

THE LIFE-GIVING WORD OF GOD WILL GIVE YOU HOPE, BANISH DEPRESSION, CLEANSE YOUR HEART AND MIND AND PREPARE YOU FOR BATTLE.

WE'RE NOT COWARING UNDER THE SHADOW OF THE ALMIGHTY. WE ARE RESTING UNDER HIS SHADOW BECAUSE WE TRUST IN HIM.

FOR EVERYTHING. ALL OF IT. FINANCES, YES, HEALTH, PROTECTION, GUIDANCE.

IT'S COME TO THAT, WE NEED GOD NOW MORE THAN EVER. IT'S COME TO THE POINT NOW WHERE THE WORLD IS IN SUCH A MESS AND SUCH ATROCITIES ARE TAKING PLACE THAT THE ONLY PLACE THAT MAKES ANY SENSE ANYMORE IS UNDER THE SHADOW OF THE ALMIGHTY. 

THAT'S WHERE MOSES TOLD THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL TO HIDE IN THE LAND OF GOSHEN WHEN THE PLAGUES WERE COMING ON EGYPT. 

THE LAND OF GOSHEN. IN THE LAND OF GOSHEN, ISRAEL WAS SAFE, UNTOUCHED BY PLAGUES, SICKNESS, POVERTY, HUNGER, OR DEATH. WHILE EGYPT WAS BEING TORTURED, GOD'S CHILDREN WERE MERELY SPECTATORS. THEY DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE JUDGMENT OF EGYPT.

IN THE LAST DAYS, THE ENEMIES OF GOD WILL BE AFFLICTED AND JUDGED. NOT US.

WHEN GOD TELLS US IN REVELATION THE THINGS THAT ARE ABOUT TO HAPPEN, HE'S NOT SAYING THAT IT'S HIS WILL OR THAT HE ARRANGED IT OR WANTED IT TO HAPPEN. NO.

GOD IS TELLING US THE FUTURE BECAUSE HE CAN SEE IT BECAUSE HE IS NOT BOUND BY TIME. HE IS OMNIPRESENT AND OMNISCIENT --AND OMNIPOTENT. HE IS EVERYWHERE, ALL-KNOWING, ALL-POWERFUL. 

JESUS WARNED US BECAUSE HE LOVES US. HE WANTS TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH US, JUST AS HE DESIRED TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH ADAM AND EVE, THEN WITH ABRAHAM, THEN ISAAC, AND ISRAEL. IT WAS ABOUT RELATIONSHIP AND LOVE AND MERCY.

WE HAVE A MERCIFUL, LOVING, GOOD, GOOD, GOD WHO LAID DOWN HIS SON'S LIFE SO THAT WE COULD HAVE RELATIONSHIP. THE GOSPEL OF SALVATION IS AN INVITATION TO RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.

IF YOU HAVE THAT, YOU HAVE EVERYTHING YOU WILL EVER NEED IN THIS LIFE.

AMEN.

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO PREPARE FOR THE GREAT TRIBULATION

 

Let's take a look at some of the advice that Jesus gave to His disciples, to those who heard His voice at the time and to every Bible-reader throughout the last 2,000 years. To us --all of us who worship the Word.

Matthew 5

43 You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy:

44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,

45 That you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 

46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

47 And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors so?

48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."

This is a radical piece of advice. Or is it a command? Personally, I take all of the suggestions from Jesus as concrete directives. He said,

"LOVE YOUR ENEMIES."

Any questions? 

Yes, there are questions. Let's face it. We want to know WHO is our enemy? And HOW do we love them. Am I right? And besides, "What's that got to do with preparing for the Great Tribulation?"

I will try to answer these two questions and if you have more, please put them in the comments.

As a Spirit-filled, born-again, Bible-believing Christian (I make the distinction because some people think they are Christians because they go to church.) you probably feel that you really don't have many enemies. You may have had discussions with others who don't necessarily believe the same way you do but you certainly don't consider those people your enemies. That's because, as Christians, we don't believe in creating contention with others and our main approach is to avoid friction, arguments, doctrinal disputes, or controversy. 

We believe our enemy is Satan and "we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against spiritual wickedness" and that's all true, of course. So,

WHO IS OUR ENEMY? 

Jesus made it clear when He said in Mark 9:40 "He who is not against us is on our side."

What He didn't say was "He who is not against ME is on MY side." 

To me that simply means that whoever is against Jesus is not on our side. Right? 

Our enemies do not always manifest themselves physically in a physical attack but if they did take out your eye, Jesus said you should not resist them but turn your cheek so they can smite you on the other side. (Let's hope they don't take out both your eyes.)

Further, Jesus added that not resisting evil was only the first requirement. We are to LOVE our enemies. And He gives us practical steps to take in order to do that. He says,

"40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also, 41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain, 42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away."

The thing about being a follower or disciple of Christ is that it's an active, act-it-out, action-based way of life. Yes, it's a way of life and it doesn't stop for a few days and then you get back into it much later sort of thing. It's giving your ear to the Lord and allowing Him to live through you, act through you, help people through you. And since God doesn't just let it rain on the just but He lets the rain fall on the unjust and the wicked, we followers are expected to do the same. We're meant to help people and be an example of the Kingdom of God on Earth. 

You may find out who your enemies are and you may not. And some of those who were vicious enemies may suddenly become your best friend because they were impressed with your example of unconditional love and decided to try out your God.

That explains the wisdom of Jesus in saying we must love our enemies. What better way to defeat the enemy than to make him an ally? Make him a beloved brother in the Lord. That's how to defeat the enemy. Imagine how it annoys Satan when we rescue his prisoners and win them over to our side?

We should probably remind ourselves that Jesus died for all of mankind. EVERY SINGLE ONE. Even the ugliest ones, the most addicted, the thieves, murderers, rapists and even the child molesters. Jesus took deep, bloody, gouges into His skin to PAY for ALL THE SINS OF HUMANITY FROM THE BEGINNING OF LIFE ON EARTH. 

It's the Blood of Jesus that's going to get us through the Great Tribulation. It's the testimony of our relationship with God that's going to bring us out of the worst tribulation this world has ever known. And it's our relationship with Jesus that will protect us, guide us, provide for us and lead us to our destiny.

What more do we need?

How to prepare? It's very simple. TALK TO JESUS. He's the Answer Man. 

You can hear His voice loud and clear when you read the Gospels. They contain very clear advice, advice like "Sell all that you have and give the money to the poor." 

"Lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven where moth and rust do not destroy."

Matthew 6:19 "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for  yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do  not break through nor steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

WARNING: Continue reading only if you haven't been offended so far (or at least you haven't been totally insulted) and only if you are willing to accept the possibility that there is NO PRE-TRIBULATION RAPTURE.

(I mean, isn't pre-tribulation rapture an oxymoron? Because IF we are raptured PRE-trib, that would mean there's NO trib. Wouldn't it? Because, who would be getting tribulated?)

This is another note: I want to make it very, very clear that the Wrath of God (which is NOT called the Great Tribulation) is NOT going to happen to born-again, Spirit-filled believers in Jesus Christ! 

If you read Revelation, you'll see that following a GREAT EARTHQUAKE is the RAPTURE AND THEN THE WRATH. It doesn't say how long AFTER the rapture it will be until the Wrath is poured out but here are the verses I'm referring to FYI.

Revelation 6:12 - 17

"12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; 

13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casts her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. 

14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. 

15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; 

16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; 

17 For the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?"

"Who shall be able to stand?" Not us. We won't need to stand because WE WON'T BE HERE.

The earthquake is going to be a really big deal and it will KICK OFF THE RAPTURE. In other words:

EARTHQUAKE  =  RAPTURE

When we feel the ground from beneath our feet crumbling and breaking up, that's when our feet will no longer touch the ground. Then LOOK UP for your redemption is drawing near. The angels are coming to get us! 

I Thessalonians 4:16 says "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 

17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 

18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words."

Does that comfort you? Does it comfort you to know that ALL of the terrible stuff Revelation talks about is concerning the WRATH OF GOD. NOT the Great Tribulation. 

The people who will have the Wrath of God poured out on them are the very worst enemies of Israel. ALSO 

"If any man worship the beast and his image and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the WRATH OF GOD, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation;..."

I have some more good news for you! Guess what! GOD has prepared a place for a special woman (who most likely is the church). You can decide who you think it is.

Revelation 12:6 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.

You can read that whole chapter to see who that woman is. 

The very specific amount of time referred here (1,260 days) is the same amount of time presented in Daniel and in Revelation for the Great Tribulation which is 3 1/2 years. 

We don't know where the "wilderness" is but it is a place prepared of God where she will apparently be nourished and kept alive while the Tribulation is going on. 

However, Jesus warned us in Matthew 24 that there will be sorrows. 

9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for My name's sake." 

10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 

12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 

13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved."

Jesus gave us the very best advice of all time when He said in Matthew 22:37 - 40

"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 

38 This is the first and great commandment. 

39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 

40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

Love God and love your fellow humans. That's it. That what you can do to prepare for the Great Tribulation.

I'm not being simplistic or sarcastic. This is me doing my best to suggest how we believers can not only GET THROUGH the coming days, but to SHINE. 

We can REMAIN under the shadow of God's wings in the Holy Place and we can reach out from there to the sheep that are scattered abroad: set them free, love on them, provide some of their needs, listen to their heart cries, and share the good news.

GRACE. That's what's going to get us through and onward and UPWARD.

God bless!