A Spiritual Prepper--Part 3

Continued from Part 2...

Another group of sins listed in the Galatians passage above talk of the proper relationships with others; “hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions.” God wants us to get along; He desires that the world would live in peace. He wants us to show love toward our fellow human beings. He wants us to treat others, as we want to be treated. The hatred of many in the world seems to be growing steadily and at times escalates to feverish pitches. Unfortunately many Christians are involved in arguing, complaining, verbal attacks, bickering, and most of the time it is over very trivial matters. Many times Christians expect others to be perfect and when they are not many Christians will over react in some childish manner. Many people have left good churches because of the stupidest reasons; like the pastor forgot to shake their hand, or the church didn’t pick the color carpet that they wanted, etc. All of this bickering, fighting, and discontent among Christians needs to stop. These sins grieve the Lord; we need to get along with each other. We need to encourage each other; we need to build each other up.

Our society in general is characterized by much violence, which also grieves the Lord. The court system is clogged with cases of violence of all kinds that people have committed against each other. Such was also the case in Noah’s day; there was much violence on the earth, and that is one of the reasons why God destroyed them. God hates violence, fighting, murders, and the like. The Christian need not be involved in any of this. There is much violence that is being promoted in our society via TV, movies, and video games. Scientific studies have shown that the watching of violence and or playing violent video games causes one to be more violent. I am amazed at how many Christian parents allow their children to be exposed to violence and then they wonder why these children are depressed and or are rebellious and commit violent acts. Violence is characteristic of a hedonistic lifestyle and should not be a part of the Christian’s life.

The next sin listed is “heresies.” I am amazed at how many different so-called “Christian” religious organizations there are. Many of these are in clear disagreement to what the Bible teaches. One example would be the many churches that have women pastors. The scriptures are very clear on the forbidding of women pastors. Yet many churches have chosen to disobey the clear commands of the Bible. This truly grieves the Lord’s heart. Why anyone would want to attend a church that is in clear disobedience to the word of God is beyond me. The Bible is our only standard for doctrine. The Bible needs to be the supreme authority in matters of the church, not pragmatism, tradition, or experience. Find a church that preaches, teaches, and follows the Bible and the Bible alone and you have found a good church. Churches and religious organizations that stray from the Bible should be avoided as heretical.

The next sin listed is “envying.” This is the sin of coveting after “things.” America is consumed with coveting after and getting “things.” Much of what people strive and live for is to attain things for the mere purpose of impressing others. They see something and they are consumed with getting it to the point where they forsake family, friends, morals, and God to obtain it. Some obtain these things and live far above their means through the misuse of credit. As long as they make the minimum monthly payments they are happy. This is a very foolish financial practice that will one day come back to hurt them. These pursuits are all empty and Christians should not waste their time in such frivolous empty pursuits. The accumulation of “things” is what some people base their self worth and happiness on but in the end it has no eternal value. The Christian should take heed to the words of Jesus and live for eternity and seek to obtain true riches that will last forever.

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. (Mt 6:19-21)

The next sin on the list is “murdering”. Surely a Christian would not be involved in murdering. Yet unfortunately some Christians have murdered. They have committed this sin through the grave sin of abortion. Shockingly enough, some Christians have bought into the liberal agenda that an unborn baby is not a person until it is born. This is far from the truth, God considers an unborn baby to be a person from conception. Here is a scripture passage that tells us how God feels about babies still in the womb.

“For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. 14. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. 15. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 16. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. 17. How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! (Ps 139:13-17)

The language in this passage clearly shows that God considers an unborn baby to be a person. Shame on the Christian parents who coerce their teenage daughters into getting abortions to prevent embarrassment. Shame on the Christian young people who do not want to be inconvenienced by birthing a child and kill it instead. Abortion is a great wickedness and grievous sin against the Lord. Severe judgment will fall upon any who participate in the murder of innocent children. It baffles me to hear young people say that it would be too hard to birth a baby and then give it up for adoption, so they choose to murder it so they will not have to put up with the anguish of giving it away. So in effect they are saying that I would rather murder my child than suffer having emotional grief at having to give it away to someone else to raise. That is the ultimate act of selfishness. And they are deceived if they think that it will hurt more to give up their baby than to murder it. In actuality they will suffer far worse emotionally for killing their baby then they would if they gave it up. It is a selfish mother who thinks of herself before her child. This sin grieves God’s heart terribly.

The next sins on the list are “drunkenness and revellings.” Drunkenness would be defined as the result when someone allows himself or herself to come under the influence of alcohol or some other controlling substance. I am sure we have all witnessed the change in behavior of someone under the influence of alcohol. People usually experience mood changes, a loss of physical coordination and control, and a loss of inhibitions. Thus when people come under the influence of alcohol they say and do things that they normally would not do. Many times because of this the person will sin more frequently and or commit sins that they in their right mind would never do. Many millions of people have fallen victim to drunkenness, from DUI accidents, to spouse and child abuse, to loss of jobs, and poor health, and even death. Many families have reaped the terrible results of this abuse.

Let the Christian never be accused of this terrible sin of drunkenness. And I will further say let not the Christian even drink any amount of alcohol. For the scriptures not only say that it is wrong to get drunk but it also says that it is wrong to even drink it. Scripture even goes farther and calls the substance itself evil. “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.” (Prov 20:1) Notice God calls wine itself a mocker. In the next passage, which pretty much gives a summary of what alcohol will do to a person, God says that you should not even look at it.

“Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? 30. They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. 31. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. 32. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. 33. Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things. 34. Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast. 35. They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.”

So if we are not even suppose to look upon it how can we say it is permissible to drink? Do not be deceived in thinking that Jesus turned water into alcoholic wine in the infamous wedding at Cana. He did not; he turned it into non-alcoholic wine, which is commonly known as grape juice. The Greek word oinos, which was used in the wedding of Cana passage, can mean either alcoholic or non-alcoholic juice from grapes. So how do we know that Jesus turned water into grape juice? Because: if He had turned it into wine with alcohol then He would have been violating His own scriptures which forbid drunkenness and the substance itself. And furthermore He would have been violating the scripture that states that God places a curse upon one who gives someone alcohol “Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness!” (Hab 2:15). The admonition concerning drunkenness that we have just talked about would also apply to any substance that can control someone such as illegal drugs, and cigarettes.

Another controlling addictive action many Christians are involved in is overeating or gluttony. How do you think it looks to others when you claim the name of Christ but are grossly overweight—they think HYPOCRITE. You tell others it is wrong to do certain things yet you can’t keep from putting food in your mouth to the detriment of your body.

I would like to bring another passage to light that concerns the manner in which a Christian is to conduct themselves in relation to governing authorities.

Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. 2. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. 3. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: 4. For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. 5. Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. 6. For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. 7. Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour. (Rom 13:1-7)

The above passage makes it clear that the Christian is to obey the government. From paying taxes to obeying the speed limit, the Christian should live in submission to the governing authorities. Right now in the United States we have many freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution. There may come a day when the Constitution is suspended or done away with. If that happens our freedoms that we enjoy as Americans may be invoked through the process of martial law being declared in America. Under martial law it is theorized that authorities will call for guns, food stores, and cash to be turned in and travel will be limited. Soldiers will become the enforcers. If condition ever transpires what should a Christian do? Should a Christian obey the government and turn in the weapons, food, and cash that they have saved up? Or should a Christian adhere to the constitutional guarantees and hold onto their possessions?

The only time a Christian is permitted to disobey the governing authorities is when the government tells you to do something that is contrary to scripture or performs an illegal action against you. For instance, if the government said that you could not pray or read the Bible then of course the Christian would be under no obligation to obey those laws. Or if a police officer tried to rape a lady—of course she does not have to obey. But as long as what the government tells you to do is not against scripture or they are not performing an illegal action against you then you are to obey, and never should a Christian take up arms against the governing authorities. The Jews had been attacked and their country was under Roman occupation their rule and laws had been suspended and Jesus instructed them to obey the governing authorities and pay taxes. I believe it would do us well to remember the words of our Lord concerning those who do evil against us.

“Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.” (Mt 26:52)

“Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: 39. But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak 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. 43. Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45. That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 46. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 47. And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? 48. Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” (Mt 5:38-48)

We have listed several categories of sin that many in our nation have embraced. The Christian need not be involved in any of the above listed sins. Not for the purpose of earning salvation but because God has saved us from our sins and we out of love for the Lord should want to glorify Him by abstaining from sin and living a Godly life. Let us not use our liberty in Christ as a license to sin. Paul gives us a strong admonition if we continue in sin.

“Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; 2. And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. 3. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; 4. Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. 5. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. 7. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. 8. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: 9. (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) 10. Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. 11. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. 12. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. 13. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. 14. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. 15. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, 16. Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. 18. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;”

The way to love the Lord and love people is by obeying the commands in the Bible and living a righteous life. Living a righteous life fulfills the law as stated in Romans 13: 8-10.

Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. 9. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 10. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

Dear Christian as we see the Day of the Lord approaching let us sincerely examine ourselves before the Lord with a humble and contrite heart to make sure that we are in the faith and that we are living a life that is pleasing to Him.

“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 11. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 12. Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?” (II Pet 3:10-12)

“And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. 12. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. 13. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. 14. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.” (Rom 13:11-14)

Let us all strive to hear the words “well done thou good and faithful servant enter into the joy of thy master.” Do not try to claim that you love the Lord if you do not obey His commandments. Jesus said; “He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.” (Jn 14:24) In regards to this matter the apostle John said

“And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 6. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. 7. Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.” (I Jn 2:3-7)

No one is perfect we all sin everyday—unless you are one of those sinless perfection types—yea right! Each and every day we should strive to be more like the Lord Jesus and eradicate more and more sin out of our life. Then we will be spiritual preppers.

There are also physical and mental preparations one should make for the end times. The Coming Epiphany; Your Guide to Understanding End Times Bible Prophecy, has an entire chapter dedicated to preparing for the end times. I have made it available as a FREE download at thecomingepiphany.com

A Spiritual Prepper--Part 2

Continued from Part 1

...In regards to a Christian’s outward relation to his fellow man, a Christian is to love others. As the golden rule states; “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” (Mt 19:19). That basically means that you should treat people as you want to be treated. What does that specifically involve? The most important way to love others is to share the gospel with them. In regards to our actions--a good starting place to love others would be to observe the Ten Commandments. Most all the other commandments in scripture are based upon them.

"Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 4. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; 6. And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. 7. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. 8. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: 10. But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: 11. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. 12. Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. 13. Thou shalt not kill. 14. Thou shalt not commit adultery. 15. Thou shalt not steal. 16. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. 17. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.

The Ten Commandments give us a good starting place for loving others. God, in Galatians 5 also gives us some specific details of what loving God and your neighbor as yourself entails.

“For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 15. But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. 16. This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 18. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. 19. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20. Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21. Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Paul above is saying that in order to love God and your neighbor as yourself one must walk in the Spirit and if one walks in the Spirit he will not carry out the desires of the flesh. He then lists things of the flesh that a Christian should not partake of. The list is pretty extensive and covers just about all the sins that our society is involved in today.

Unfortunately many Christians have fallen into these things knowingly and unknowingly. Thus at this point I am going to start talking about sins that I have seen other Christians involved in for the purpose helping them to remove these practices, to become better spiritually prepared for the Lord’s return.

In the verses above Paul lists adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness. These refer to the many sexual perversions that many are involved in such as pornography, masturbation, sex outside of marriage between a man and woman, etc. These sins are extremely grievous to the Lord, and the Christian needs to flee from these things. I heard one statistic from a Christian conference that 80% of the men in attendance had viewed pornography on the Internet.

Many TV shows and movies glorify sexual perversions and sins and the Christian should not view any of these either. “Be not deceived evil company corrupts good morals.” A sin related to the above sexual sins and can be a cause of some of them is immodest dress. Many women and some men seem to be infatuated with trying to dress in such a way as to sinfully attract the opposite sex. When someone dresses immodestly they defraud other people. To defraud another in this way means to stir up unholy desires in another that cannot be righteously fulfilled.

Scripture speaks specifically to this sin. “In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;” (I Tim 2:9). “Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.” (Mk 10:19). I am shocked at how many Christian adults dress immodestly and or allow their children to dress immodestly. Those who dress immodestly and allow their children to do the same will reap the consequences of such foolish and immoral behavior.

And since we are on the topic of dress let’s talk about the beach and pool. Let me ask you a question if there was a park in your city where just about everyone dressed in underwear, as a Christian would you go to that park? Every time I have asked that question to a Christian they have always answered, No. My next question is then so why do you go to the beach or pool where people are dressed in brightly colored underwear or less than underwear? Bottom line; It’s soft core porn. And then we ask ourselves why our son’s and daughters are getting involved in sexual promiscuity.

The scriptures are clear; sexual perversions are sinful and will bring damage to one’s self. “Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.” (I Cor 6:18) God intended for sexual relations to be kept inside of the bounds of marriage between a man and woman.

The next sin in Paul’s list is idolatry. Most Christians are not tempted with out and out idolatry, though I have seen Christians possessing idols as “artwork,” which is a sin. Scripture makes it clear that God wants all idols to be destroyed, not kept as artwork. For when someone has an evil item such as an idol or a Ouija board, etc. in their possession they in effect give satan permission to reap havoc and destruction in their life.

Even though most Christians are not guilty of the outward worship of another God they can be guilty of putting other things in God’s rightful place. If the Christian puts anything before God then that becomes an idol. God and our relationship with Him should be our number one priority in life. Nothing should come before Him. We are to love the Lord with all our heart mind and soul.

The next sin listed in the Galatians passage is witchcraft. Witchcraft is very prevalent in our society today. There are some blatant forms of witchcraft in our society that are practiced by satanic cults and churches. Some witchcraft is disguised as fun things to do, such as games like dungeons and dragons, Ouija boards, horoscopes, etc. Many adults, and sadly enough children, are unknowingly indoctrinated into aspects of the occult without even realizing it, like The Wizard of OZ movie that is an indoctrination for neophyte witches, that many have watched.

A more recent example would be Harry Potter. The Harry Potter books and movies are pure witchcraft and have introduced many unsuspecting children into the arena of the occult and the devil. Unfortunately many Christians have endorsed these books and movies as being acceptable “fun fantasy” for Christians to partake of. They are being deceived by the devil and great harm is being done to many a young Christian. Here is what a former Satanist, who is now a pastor, the late David Meyer from Last Trumpet Ministries, had to say about these books;

“…Materials such as Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, and other such educational presentations in witchcraft have overtaken not only the minds of the masses of people, but have also captivated the very churches that should be opposing them…. We can see that these spineless religious leaders are perpetuating witchcraft and are destroying many young lives by refusing to take a stand against it. I can tell you that as a former witch, the Harry potter material does teach the principles of witchcraft, and the first principles taught to a neophyte or beginner witch are that there is a continual contest between good and evil, that there is good witchcraft and bad witchcraft, and that there is white magic and black magic. Furthermore, all witchcraft is of the devil even though witches claim that they do not believe in the devil…. The Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien, is likewise an instructional series in witchcraft…. These movies are always released at the time of the witches’ sabat of Yule. (12/19/01, 12/18/02, and 12/17/03). President Bush wears an exact replica of the magic ring from the Lord of the Rings trilogy…. The Elvish runes (on the ring the president wears) are interpreted as follows: ‘One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them, one ring to bring them all and in darkness bind them.’” http://lasttrumpetnewsletter.org/2003/12_03.html

Notice that the quoted author also considers Tolkien’s books to be an instructional series in witchcraft. Unfortunately the Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy in both the movie and book form are also very popular and have been embraced by pagans and Christians alike. I have found several occult bookstores that recommend the Lord of the Rings series as great literature. That’s enough to tell me that it is wrong. Here is a description of a book set to accompany the Lord of the rings trilogy, it strongly shows the occult connection within the Lord of the rings.

“From the Publisher Officially licensed by Tolkien Enterprises, Inc! Middle Earth lives inside each of us--and it can help us access the future! Based on J.R.R. Tolkien's beloved trilogy of wizardry and enchantment, this entirely new divination system uses a runic ring just like the one Sauron forged. Cast it upon a map of Middle Earth, and use the richly illustrated guidebook and 40 tarot-like cards to interpret the answers to your questions. Packaged in a stunningly beautiful slipcase that looks like a book, it contains all the magical elements you need: the ring, map, book, and cards.”

Another strong satanic influence in our country is Halloween. Halloween is a satanic festival. It is the pagan’s highest “holy day” of the year. It is a day when a black mass is performed that includes many satanic rites and animal and human sacrifices. They do this for the purpose of invoking satan’s power, which is strongly manifested on that day. No Christian should participate in any way in a religious festival of another religion, let alone a satanic one—so why do Christians let their kids go trick or treating?

Probably the strongest occult influence on our society is music with a heavy beat. This type of music would come under the general heading of rock or rap music. Rock and rap music and the like are of satanic origin and will incline one’s heart to evil and will call on evil spirits. Some Christians think that putting good words to evil music will make the music good. That would be like putting a Bible verse on a cigarette—the cigarette is still destructive. Oh how the church has swallowed, hook, line, and sinker the lie that music is amoral. There is only one kind of music God commands us to partake in. Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Eph 5:19. Woe to the church that feeds the sheep sensual unholy music under the guise of worshiping God!

Whether it is rock music, horror books and films, UFO’s, Horoscopes, Ouija boards, or satanic fantasy games and books Christians need to stay far away from these things. For when someone has an occult item in their possession or is participating in an occult practice they in effect give permission to satan to control, influence, and or harm them. Unfortunately this is why many Christians are depressed, sick, unable to overcome temptation, and even have died. Remember “For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.” (I Cor 11:30).

To be continued...

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A Spiritual Prepper

Are you a spiritual prepper--are you spiritually prepared for the Lords’ return? I dare say that most people in the world, and most people in the professing church, and some in the real church are not. Obviously the reason that most people in the world and in the professing church are not ready is because they have not been born again into new life in the Lord Jesus Christ. If that is the case with you please read God’s Gift of Salvation.

The reason some in the real church are not ready is because they have allowed all kinds of evil practices into their life. Many who claim the name of Christ have allowed evil into their life because they have freed themselves from obeying “rules” claiming “we are under grace!” It reminds me of the jingle of the Outback Steak House—“no rules, just right.” I am sad to say that is what Christianity has been slipping into. Oh what a sad state of affairs the church has gotten its self into!

God does have a moral code that He wants His children to follow, not to earn salvation, but to live a life pleasing to Him and to receive His blessings. The Christian should desire to live a life pleasing to God in thankfulness for the free gift of salvation that God has given us, not as a license to sin. “Only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. (Gal 5:13b)

So how can a person be spiritually prepared for the Lord’s return? Make sure that they are a Christian, and then make sure that they are living a righteous life. That is that one is living a life that is without offence toward God and man. There are serious consequences for the believer who is not living in obedience to our Lord’s commands.

“For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. 31. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. 32. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.” (I Cor 11:30-32)

These verses suggest that the disobedient Christian will be subject to problems, sickness, and even death for their disobedience. A Christian would certainly not want to be in a disobedient state when the Lord returns. How does one live righteous? Well righteousness is summed up in just 2 commandments.

“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.” (Matt 22:37-40).

Thus the two most important things for a Christian to do is to love God with all his heart and love his neighbor as himself. This is the definition of righteous living. How does a Christian love God? Jesus answered that question succinctly. “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” (Jn 14:15) “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.” (Jn 14:21). So Jesus told us the way that we love God is to keep the commandments.

There are Christians that say to make a list of items that you should obey in the Christian life is legalism. No, to not have a list of things a Christian should obey is licentiousness. Legalism is when you say that one must obey a list of “dos and don’ts” for salvation. To have a list of do’s and don’ts from the Bible in order to show love to God is godly living. Those who say the Christian is free or at liberty to do as they wish are not free but are enslaving themselves to sin at the dictates of their misguided imaginations and fleshly desires.

If one is accused of being legalistic in saying “that in order to love God you must keep the commandments” then Jesus was legalistic when he said, “if you love me you will keep my commandments.” We know that this was not the case therefore it is not legalistic to keep the commandments for the purpose of trying to love God.

So let’s talk about what God wants us to do. The very first thing one needs to obey the Lord in after becoming a Christian is to be scripturally baptized. The Christian is commanded to be baptized immediately after salvation, and there are many examples of this happening in scripture.

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” (Mt 28:19). “And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.” (Acts 10:48). “And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. 38. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.” (Acts 8:37,38).

After obeying the Lord in believer’s baptism, and in many cases goes along with being baptized, is that one should find a Bible believing, Bible preaching, church. Unfortunately there are many churches that do not adhere to the Bible in belief and practice. These churches should be avoided.

In my experience a good barometer of a church is their doctrine of salvation, the version of the Bible they use, their music standards, and their emphasis on evangelism. From what I have found the most Biblically accurate churches believe in salvation by grace through faith, as outlined above, use a conservative translation of the Bible such as the KJV or NASB, have conservative music standards, and participate in evangelistic outreaches to the community on a regular basis. In my experience Independent Fundamental churches are usually a good choice.

Once a good church is found one should attend regularly. “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” (Heb 10:25).

In regards to a Christian’s personal relationship with God; as much prayer, Bible reading, meditation on God’s Word, and fasting—if medical conditions warrant--should be practiced as possible. Those practices are what keep us close to God and enable us to gain strength from Him. Here are some verses that bring these facts to light.

“Pray without ceasing” (I Thes 5:17) “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” (Jos 1:8). “And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.” (Mt 9:15).

Besides putting God first in our life by spending time with Him in prayer, Bible reading, and fasting, the Christian also needs to give God His proper place in his finances. In regards to finances God wants a Christian to at least tithe. Tithing is the practice of giving 10% of your increase to God. If a Christian does not at least tithe then he is stealing from God.

“Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. 9. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. 10. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. 11. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts. 12. And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts.” (Malachi 3:8-12)

Many Christians do not give God His proper place in their finances and thus suffer the devourer reaping havoc on their finances. Some Christians spend more on their pets in a year than they give to God.

I know some say that tithing is from the Old Testament law, and the Christian is not responsible to keep the law, therefore Christians do not have to tithe. It is true that tithing was first introduced in the Old Testament but we must remember that there is a ceremonial, a judicial, and a moral part of the law. The moral part of the law is valid for all time. The moral law involves any commands that affect one’s moral relationship with God or man. If something was morally wrong during the law it was morally wrong before and after the law also. For example lying was morally wrong before the law, during the law, and is still wrong today.

Tithing is part of the moral law and thus is still valid for Christians today. Jesus Himself even reaffirmed this “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.” (Mt 23:23). We must also take into account that tithing first came about before the law was introduced, when Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek.

In regards to a Christian’s outward relation to his fellow man, a Christian is to love others. As the golden rule states; “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” (Mt 19:19). That basically means that you should treat people as you want to be treated. What does that specifically involve?...

To be continued

Learn about what is going to happen during the end times, and what you need to do to get ready--read The Coming Epiphany;Your Guide to Understanding End Times bible Prophecy today for FREE!

Are You a Prepper?

And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares Luke 21:34

What the great God and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ is basically telling us is to be prepared for the end times. Are you a prepper? In other words are you preparing for the end times?

Of course the first and most important preparation for the end times is to make sure that you are saved. If you are not sure that you are saved then read God's Gift of Salvation. Assuming most people who are reading this are saved what other preparations should you make for the end times?

Let's consider some possibilities of what might transpire on the earth during the end times; Nuclear war, financial collapse, Pandemic, large earthquakes and storms, etc.

Let's face it, we are faced with some scenarios that are not too pleasant to think about. What are Christians doing about it? Most Christians I know have done nothing to prepare for the possibility of being faced with infrastructure crippling situations.

Why? Is their heart "overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life," or are they afraid that they might be labeled in an unpleasant way? Or maybe they naievely think that nothing bad will happen before the rapture?

Many have been warning bad times are very possible in the near future and things could go downhill very quickly--just watch the video to get an idea.

Wake up brother and sister, and take heed to yourselves so that day does not come upon you unawares! Be a prepper!

Unawares?

RUE? = Are You Ready? Recently it has been impressed upon me that we are very near to seeing severe troubles in the United States. I am absolutely amazed at all the Christians who think that everything is going to be great till we are raptured. That nothing bad could occur to us because we are going to be taken out of here via the rapture before the bad stuff happens. I guess people forget that Christians in recent times have gone through things like the depression, WWI, WWII, etc.

I believe that Christians in America and all over the world for that matter are going to experience severe tribulation before the rapture occurs. Want to know what is going to happen before the rapture? Here is a partial list; a new world order will arise (seal 1), chaos and war (seal 2), famine (seal 3), death (seal 4), the antichrist will come to power and he will persecute Jews and Christians and no one will be able to buy or sell without the mark (seal 5). All of these will take place before the rapture then the rapture will occur--after the sixth seal is opened, that is when we are taken out of here and God's wrath starts.

Look we are almost out of time we need to get ready for what lies ahead. I care about you and do not want you to be caught unawares, that is the main purpose of this ministry. Please wake up before it is too late. if you want to know why I believe such things you can read The Coming Epiphany in which I prove from scripture that the rapture will not occur until after the 6th seal is opened.

So if the above mentioned things are near to happening what should one do? Some prepping for the end reccomend the following.

1. water filter

2. wood stove

3. dehydrated food stores

4. gold and silver

5. guns and ammo

6. mountain retreat

7. cooking stove

8. learning how to hunt and fish

9. alternative electric source or plan to live without it

10. medical supplies

11. seeds

12. Camping equipment, fishing rod, vitamins, etc.


Christians will not be raptured till after the first 6 seals are opened. R U E? Some to whom I have mentioned that bad things could happen before we are raptured and thus we need to prepare have scoffed at me. Their basic reply "God will take care of me." If that is how you think, think about this. If a strong hurricane were coming your way would you sit in your living room by the big picture window and watch it and say God will protect me? Or would you store some food and water, gather emergency supplies, board up the windows, and move to a safer part of the home or even evacuate the area altogether trusting God in all your preparations?

As Dr Bob Jones senior said "God will not do for you what He has given you the power to do for yourself." Think about this; what would it hurt to have emergency preparations? How could it help? The seals are coming and I can prove it--read The Coming Epiphany today before it is too late. RUE?

And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. Luke 21:34-36

Chapter 13

Chapter 13
Be Prepared

Many years ago, I had the wonderful experience of being a Boy Scout. I learned many important skills and character traits through the Scouts. One of the first things I learned was the Boy Scout motto—“Be Prepared.” There is nothing worse than being faced with an adverse situation and not being prepared. In the Scouts, we were taught to think ahead about situations that we might encounter while camping and prepare accordingly.

Many difficulties that we face in life, likewise, can be overcome if we think ahead and plan and prepare accordingly. In this chapter, we will think ahead to what difficulties we will face in the 70th Week and I will suggest ways that we can plan and prepare accordingly. By the time you read this book, even though I am writing it before the 70th Week starts, you may already be in it. Even if that is the case, it is still not too late to prepare.

In endeavoring to prepare for this time, you must first realize that many people will be deceived and will not recognize the signs of the prophetic times in which we live. For as the Apostle Paul said, Christ’s return to the clouds and the rapture will catch many people off guard and will come upon them as a thief in the night:

But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. (1 Thess. 5:1-3)

When the rapture happens, the people of the world will pretty much be going about their daily routines. Even though the 70th Week will have started and the first five seals will bring about much death and destruction, the majority of the people will be so deceived that they will not be able to recognize the prophetic times in which we live.

But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. (Matt. 24:37-42)

So we see that, even though the first five seals will be opened, and tribulations and sorrows will be experienced by the world, the vast majority of people will not recognize that we are in this prophetic time period and will be caught off guard by the Day of the Lord because they will be deceived by the devil and his cohorts.

But that is not to be the case for the believer. The believer, as Jesus says, is to watch:

Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. (Matt. 24:42-44).

The Apostle Paul also echoes the same idea and further tells us that the Day will not overtake us as a thief:

But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. (1 Thess. 5:1-6)

Note what it says in reference to the Day of the Lord, that it will not overtake the brethren as a thief. Why? Because any serious student of the Bible will recognize the signs of the times and, more specifically, will probably be able to know that the 70th Week has started and will be able to discern the occurrences of the seals. Thus, after seeing the signs, they will know that the Lord’s return is imminent. Hopefully, you will be walking close enough to the Lord that you can recognize His pending return and prepare many years in advance for the difficulties that lie ahead.

The most important consideration in getting ready for the Lord’s return is to make sure you are prepared spiritually. Jesus told a parable that teaches the importance of being spiritually ready for His return:

Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh. (Matt. 25:1-13)

Are you ready for the bridegroom?

Spiritual PreparationThe starting point for being spiritually prepared is to make sure that you are a Christian. “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves…” (2 Cor. 13:5a) Becoming a Christian is a very simple yet profound process. There are four things one must know in order to become a Christian:

1. We are sinners. As the Bible says; “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). Sin is falling short of God’s perfection. Everyone has sinned many times in life. We have all lied, or stolen, or cheated, or done something wrong at some time in our lives. “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one” (Rom. 3:10).

2. We deserve Hell. Realize that there is a punishment for being a sinner, and that punishment is death. “For the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). The punishment for sin is not just physical death, but also spiritual death. The place of spiritual death is Hell. “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death” (Rom. 21:8). We all have sinned and we all deserve the punishment of Hell for our sin.

3. Jesus died for our sins. “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). Jesus willingly went to the cross, shed His blood, and died for our sins. On the cross Jesus paid the price for our sins, He suffered the punishment that we deserve, He suffered Hell for us. Hell is a place of total separation from God. When Jesus was on the cross, God the Father separated Himself from God the Son. That is why Jesus cried out “with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? That is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” While Jesus was on the cross He was experiencing separation from God the Father. In other words He was suffering Hell. He was suffering the Hell that we deserve. While on the cross Jesus paid for all the sins of mankind, past, present, and future.

4. We must receive Christ by faith. In order to receive the forgiveness of our sins and become a Christian it is not enough to know that we are sinners, that we deserve Hell, and that Christ died for our sins, but we must receive Christ by faith. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Eph 2:8,9).

Notice that that verse tells us that we cannot earn our way to heaven. We obtain salvation through faith, not by works. Faith basically boils down to placing your trust in something or someone. If you are sitting down while reading this book, you are placing your faith or trust in the chair that you are sitting upon. Faith requires more than just an intellectual belief; it involves an action of your will. For example, if there were a pond covered with ice, and there were people standing around saying that the ice could hold them up, but they were not willing to walk on the ice, then they would only be demonstrating an intellectual belief and not faith. If they stepped out onto the ice, they would be demonstrating faith.

One can place their faith in Christ by simply calling out to Him in prayer, for the Bible says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

I placed my faith in Christ by sincerely praying a prayer like this: “Dear Jesus, I am a sinner. I deserve Hell. Thank you for dying for my sins. Save me. Come into my life. Make me the kind of person that you want me to be. I thank you that you have and that you will take me to heaven when I die. Amen.”

If you sincerely pray that prayer with all your heart, then the Lord Jesus will come into your life and forgive your sins, and save you from an eternity of Hell. If you were to die tomorrow, you would go to heaven. Not because you are good enough to get there, but because you have received the payment of your sins. It is that simple.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (Jn 5:24)

So the first thing that one needs to do in order to get ready spiritually for the Lord’s return is to make sure that you are a Christian. I would encourage you, if you are not sure of your eternal destiny, to take a moment right now and bow your head and sincerely pray the prayer listed above and place your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Once you are saved, nothing can separate you from the love of God. For more on the security of your salvation, see the article “Eternal Security” at http://www.thecomingepiphany.com/.

Righteous Living
The next step in being spiritually prepared for the Lord’s return is to make sure that you are living a righteous life — that is, a life without offence toward God and man. There are serious consequences for the believer who is not living in obedience to our Lord’s commands.

For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. (1 Cor. 11:30-32)

These verses suggest that the disobedient Christian will be subject to problems, sickness, and even death for their disobedience. You certainly do not want to be in a disobedient state when the Lord returns.

How do you live a righteous life? Righteous living is summed up in just two commandments:

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. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Matt. 22:37-40)

Thus, the two most important things for a Christian to do is to love God with all his heart and love his neighbor as himself.

How does a Christian love God? Jesus answered that question succinctly:

If ye love me, keep my commandments.” (Jn 14:15)

He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. (Jn 14:21)

Jesus told us the way that we love God is to keep the commandments.

There are some Christians who say to make a list of items that you should obey is legalism. No, to not have a list of things a Christian should obey is licentiousness. Legalism is when you say that one must obey a list of “dos and don’ts” for salvation. To have a list of dos and don’ts from the Bible to show love to God is godly living. Those who say the Christian is free or at liberty to do as they wish are not free. Rather, they are enslaving themselves to sin at the dictates of their misguided imaginations and fleshly desires. If someone is legalistic in saying, in order to love God you must keep the commandments, then Jesus was legalistic when He commanded us to keep them. We know that this was not the case. Therefore it is not legalism to obey God.

Here are some of the many things that the Lord, either directly or by application of principle, commands Christians to do:

· Pray and read the Bible daily
· Be baptized
· Attend church
· Give tithes and offerings
· Love our neighbor as our self
· Share the gospel
· Obey authorities
· Forgive others
· Dress modestly

Here are some of the many things that the Lord, either directly or by application of principle, commands Christians to not do.

· Lie
· Steal
· Cheat
· Cuss
· Covet
· Murder and commit acts of violence
· Hate
· Harbor unforgiveness
· Fornicate
· Commit adultery
· Listen to rock and rap music
· Look at unwholesome things

Unfortunately, many Christians have swallowed—hook, line and sinker— the lie of the devil that a Christian is free to live as they please. This philosophy is contrary to the teaching of scripture. I have worked with Christian young people for 20 years, and I have seen a steady progression of worldliness and unrighteousness in the lives of the children and their parents. And sadly enough, many of these young people have fallen into grievous sins and brought great destruction to their lives. For more information on how to live righteously, see the article entitled “Living Righteous” at http://www.thecomingepiphany.com/.

Remember we obey God, not for the purpose of earning salvation, but because God has saved us from a terrible hell and we out of love for the Lord want to glorify Him by abstaining from sin and living a Godly life. Let us not use our liberty in Christ as a license to sin. The Apostle Paul gives us a strong admonition if we continue in sin:

Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. (Eph. 5:1-7)

Dear Christian, as we see the Day of the Lord approaching, let us sincerely examine ourselves before the Lord with a humble and contrite heart to make sure that we are in the faith and that we are living a life that is pleasing to Him. Let us all strive to hear the words “Well done, thou good and faithful servant enter into the joy of thy master” (Matt. 25:21). Do not try to claim that you love the Lord if you do not obey Him. Jesus said; “He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.” (John 14:24)

This may seem difficult, but you don’t have to do it alone. The power and ability to live the Christian life comes through the controlling and empowering of the Holy Spirit. In scripture, this is referred to as walking in the Spirit or being filled with the Spirit.

Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit. (Eph. 5:17,18)

This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. (Gal. 5:16)

How can a Christian be filled with the Spirit? Colossians 2:6 answers that question: “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him.” This verse is basically saying that in the same way that we received Christ, we should also walk in Him. How does a Christian receive Christ? Through faith, thus, we are to walk in Him by faith or be filled with the Spirit through faith. So in order to be filled with the Spirit, we must first desire to be filled. Then we must make sure that we have all sins confessed — for God will not fill a dirty vessel — we must also present ourselves to God as a living sacrifice to be used any way that He may wish, and ask to be filled and believe by faith that we are filled.

Here is a suggested prayer to be filled with the Spirit: “Dear God I present myself to you to be used any way that you desire. Fill me with your Spirit, direct me, control me and empower me. Live your life through me. I thank you that you will. Amen.”

Mental PreparationIn order to be ready for the return of the Lord, we must not only be spiritually prepared, but we must also be mentally prepared. To do this, we need to have a good working knowledge of prophetic truths. The Lord admonishes believers to not be asleep in regards to prophetic matters:

But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is…Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch. (Luke 13:32-37)

Here, Jesus warns believers of being asleep at His return. I believe He is specifically referring to being mentally and spiritually asleep, or unaware of the prophetic times that we live in, and the pending sorrows and tribulations that Christians are going to have to endure during the 70th Week. This description would probably classify the vast majority of sincere Christians that, due to a lack of fervency in seeking after the truth in relation to end times prophecy, have blindly adhered to what their well-respected, but erring pre-trib teachers have taught them.

So I say, wake up, Christian, know that we are very close to entering the 70th Week of Daniel, and by the time you read this we may already be in it. Do not remain asleep to the pending trials that are going to come upon the world with the opening of the seals. Christians who remain asleep and do not prepare spiritually, mentally and physically for those trials will be subject to extreme difficulties and hardships. After the Abomination of Desolation, the antichrist will require all to take the mark in order to buy or sell.

And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. (Rev. 13:16,17)

What are Christians who have not prepared for those times going to do when they are faced with the choice of not being able to buy or sell unless they take the mark? And yes, it will be a choice, and will not be forced upon anyone as was depicted in the popular, but scripturally inaccurate, Left Behind series. Many misinterpret Rev. 13:16, which says, “And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads,” to read “And he forces” instead of “And he causeth.” The Greek word in question here is poieo. Strong’s Greek and Hebrew dictionary defines it as “to produce, construct, form, fashion, to be the authors of, to make ready, to prepare.” The word in no way means, “to force.”

It will be a choice that all alive at the time will have to make, and I fear some nominal Christians will choose the mark, undoubtedly reasoning it away somehow, especially when they are faced with not being able to buy or sell. Some may even be faced with a choice of taking the mark or being put to death. Unfortunately, the threat of death will, along with the many deceptions and persecutions, will be part of the reason there will be a great falling away from the faith. Scripture even indicates that many nominal Christians will fall away to the point where they will even betray family members.

Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. (Mark 13:12,13)

If somebody takes the mark are they really doomed to hell? The answer is found in Rev. 14:9-12:

And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, 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; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: 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.
So yes, those who take the mark are doomed to hell. Do not let any fantasy series convince you otherwise. The Left Behind series portrayed an individual who was forced to take the mark and who later was saved. This is in contradiction to the scripture above. Taking the mark will be an eternal choice with clear ramifications.
 

Physical Preparations

Along with making spiritual and mental preparations for the return of the Lord, one must also make physical preparations. Preparing for the future is a basic life principle. “Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.” (Prov 6:6-8) “A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.” (Prov 22:3) These verses make it clear that a Christian is to prepare for the future. So how can a Christian prepare physically for the 70th Week? We must first consider what we are likely to be faced with. As already discussed, Christians will be faced with living through the first five seals....