Wide Eyed in Wonder said:Day 6 of my free devotional, Powe 4 Life, for the ministry and
discussion of all...The Doctrine of Tribulation
Mark 13:23 - NCV
"I have warned you about all this before it happens."God never said we would have it easy. I know we all wish He did, but
that was not what He said. He never said we'd live without demonic or
other types of attacks. He never said all our days would be problem
free.Jesus did say, in John 16:33, that we'd have tribulation in the world,
but He said to be of good cheer, for "I have overcome the world."
Elsewhere, Jesus said that the servant is not greater than his Lord. If
they persecuted Jesus, John 15:20 says that they will also persecute
us. In Luke 10:3 Jesus says, "I send you out as lambs in the midst of
wolves."No. As much as we'd love for it to be the case, being saved doesn't
mean we will not face evil on the planet. The devil is down here with
us. There are unrighteous men and women all around us. There are ample
opportunities for us to face problems and struggles.However, we have something the rest of the world doesn't. We have God
with us to protect and help us in our struggles. The God that in John
16:33 said, "In this world ye shall have tribulation," also said, "I
have overcome the world."This is a constant theme in scripture. God's solution for tribulation
is rarely an escapist reaction of fear but, instead, lies in
empowerment for victory. If God's answer to the world's evil were to
help us escape it, everyone would immediately go up to Heaven upon
getting saved, but that isn't how God operates.By God's leading, the Israelites faced trials as they stormed the
Promised Land. When telling Joshua to go into the land, God said in
Joshua 1:9, "Be not afraid, neither be dismayed: for the Lord thy God
is with thee whithersoever thou goest."You see, God knew the problems that they would face and stood ready to
help them face their challenges. As part of this Promise Land mission;
however, the people had to "be strong and of good courage" That's
the key. Yes, scripture in Psalms 34:19 says, "Many are the
afflictions of the righteous," but it also says, "...but the LORD
delivereth him out of them all." We will face problems, but we will
face them with God at our side.Is this how you approach your trials? Do you take comfort that God
predicted not only your tribulation but your deliverance? Is your faith
based upon what you see with your eyes, or is it based on the character
of God imprinted on your heart?Tribulation is not a failure of God. It is a confirmation of His
prophecy concerning us. That prophecy also says that we will win in the
end. Trust in the author of the doctrine of tribulation. He shall see
you through.A Word in Season
"Through many dangers, toils, and snares, I have already come; 'Tis
grace hath brought me safe thus far, And grace will lead me home."
- John Newton in "Amazing Grace," vs. 3Confession
I believe that the God that predicted my tribulation also planned my
victory over it. I believe that God hears me when I pray. I believe
that He is with me in trials. I believe God's plan for me is not to
run away in fear but to run to my Promised Land journey battles to
achieve victory.God Bless
Ken Clifton
http://lulu.com/writingken
Amen and amen.
May the LORD help us all to endure the great tribulation when the Lamb
opens the 6th seal possibly a few days before the end of this month
(03/29/06), in Jesus' most precious and holy name.
Amen !!!
If this possibility is realized through the LORD's infinite will, HE
will add new meaning to the popular saying:
"March in like a lamb and out like a lion."
Now this is an advisory just as former FEMA director Michael Brown
issued an advisory about Hurricane Katrina before New Orleans was
devastated in 2005.
What we have been seeing are possibly the works of the four horsemen
from the 6th chapter of the Book of Revelation (we are now in the 6th
year into the third millenium after the birth of the Son of Man):
(1) Crowned rider wielding a bow and riding a white horse:
"See you on the other side. It's not bad. We are just going to
sleep." - missive (missile) from one of 12 born-again Christian miners
who gave up their lives to save the youngest among them after being
trapped by an explosion in a W.Va mine.
(2) Rider wielding a sword and riding a fiery red horse:
Ariel Sharon, the world's hope for lasting peace in the middle east,
has suffered a massive bleeding stroke. Violence and bloodshed in Iraq
and the rest of the Muslim world escalates. Thousands are rioting in
Pakistan. Iran is enriching uranium to build an atomic bomb in
violation of the NPT. U.S. now less likely to pull out of Iraq anytime
soon.
(3) Rider wielding a set of food scales and riding a black horse:
The rate of increase of the number of people worldwide using the
2PD-OMER Approach (which advocates the use of food scales) accelerates
with growing worldwide concerns about the obesity epidemic:
Meanwhile, folks like Bob Pastorio who refuse to use this Approach are
heard muttering that an omer is not a weight measure but a volume
measure somewhere between one and three quarts depending on what the
food is and that liquid foods like milk (essentially emulsified oil)
and wine should not be counted toward daily intake.
(4) Rider on a pale horse given the authority to kill a fourth of the
world's population "by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts
of the earth":
The H5N1 Avian Flu Pandemic seems to be starting in Turkey and Asia:
.... spreading to the middle east, Europe, Africa, India, and back to
Asia where the H5N1 Avian Influenza virus will have many more
opportunities to pick up adaptive mutations making it more infectious
toward humans:
Indeed, in Egypt the waters of the Nile River are now contaminated with
H5N1 virus and there is no other source of water for millions of people
there to drink. There is no Tamiflu either:
Yes, the migratory birds spreading H5N1 virus from Turkey to the Middle
East, Africa, Europe, and back to Asia are wild beasts of the earth:
The 5th seal possibly has been opened and glimpses of "the souls of
those who had been slain because of the Word of GOD and the testimony
they had maintained" (Revelation 6:9) can be seen in the newly released
documentary "End of the Spear." Interestingly, the word "end" is at the
**beginning** of the title of this documentary.
When will the sun "turn black like sackcloth made of goat hair"
(Revelation 6:12b) ?
It will turn black during the total solar eclipse that will happen
**also** in Turkey on Wednesday 03/29/2006 at around 14:00 hrs LT.
The order of darkening of the following ancient cities in Turkey:
(1) Ephesus
(2) Smyrna
(3) Pergamum
(4) Thyatira
(5) Sardis
(6) Philadelphia
(7) Laodicea
Will be the same order that Christ Jesus used to address their
respective seven churches:
"Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to
Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyratira, Sardis, Philadelphia and
Laodicea." (Revelation 1:11)
Here's one plausible scenario:
On March 29th, 2006 as U.S. and Israeli coalition forces invade Iran to
effect the mandate that Iran never have nuclear capabilities, Iran uses
those **missing** WMDs that Saddam has possibly entrusted to Iran for
safekeeping:
This leads to nuclear missiles from coalition forces as a retaliatory
strike that inadvertantly destabilizes the already unstable area where
continental tectonic plates (Europe, Asia, and Africa) converge in the
region thereby causing a global earthquake:
Now read Revelation 6:13-14 slowly and you decide whether there is a
fit. A close up look at a mushroom cloud would look like the "sky
receded like a scroll, rolling up."
Iran seems adamant about getting the authority to use nuclear weapons:
U.S. Nuclear Subs carry Trident II missiles each packing 8
independently precision targeting nuclear warheads which have 475
kilotons of explosive power each. A single warhead has about 35 times
the explosive power of the "little boy" atomic bomb that was dropped on
Hiroshima at the close of WWII. Each warhead would be guided in
inertially exhibiting a freefall pattern with a forward velocity like
"late figs" dropping " from a fig tree when shaken by a strong
wind."(Revelation 6:13) U.S. Forces will likely use these Trident II
missiles if they lose contact with the outside world while being
attacked with WMDs.
Will be available to "glow" and chat about this and other things like
cardiology, diabetes, Bird Flu, cooking and nutrition that interest
those following this thread here during the next on-line chat
(03/02/06) from 6 to 7 pm EST:
For those who are put off by the signature, my advance apologies for
how the LORD has reshaped me:
Prayerfully in Christ's love,
Andrew
http://tinyurl.com/8juld