By Pastor Joseph Chambers

Paw Creek Ministries

THE CRUSHING OF THE “ROSE OF SHARON,” AND DIVINE HEALING (Believe as you read and be healed)

THE SCOURGING OF THE SACRED BODY OF JESUS CHRIST WAS NOT THE WORK OF HATRED AND REJECTION, BUT A DIVINE RELEASE OF SUPERNATURAL GRACE AND HEALING POWERS. Certainly there were those involved that did hate Him and others that meant to destroy all He represented, but the total life and suffering of the Father’s “Only Begotten Son,” was God’s perfect foundation of all redemption. The powers of those stripes that mutilated that Holy Temple were infallible and supernatural.

His Blood alone redeems the soul, but His scared and wounded Body heals the body. It’s thrilling to read the great prophecy of Isaiah and how plainly He proclaimed the authority that would be manifest in the suffering and death of the Son of God. Only the Holy Spirit could have poured such words into the “Volume of Truth,” as penned this prophet of God. The blindness that had possessed the religious crowd of Christ’s day can only be eclipsed by the blindness of our modern church world. The Spirit plainly removed the human element that our world has assigned to Christ’s sufferings. It was the Father that sacrificed His Son, and every act of His suffering and death was the plan that the Sovereign God had ordained.

Look at the Divine Words written by Isaiah. “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:3-5) His provision for physical healing can only be superseded by His provision for our eternal souls. The Holy Ghost plainly said that He was wounded and bruised for our sin, and He was scourged for our miraculous healing. Certainly He proved both great truths by His life and personal ministry to the multitudes. Then, He clearly stated in St. John, Chapter Fourteen, that we are to continue that ministry.

The scourging of Jesus Christ was a noted part of the preparation to crucify Him. The extent of their brutal treatment to Him has only lately become profound to me. In study, I learned that scourging was a form of flaying or skinning the victim. When the soldiers were scourging a person, the intent was to bring them to the point of death and then back away only to bring them to that point again and again. They were apparently more brutal with Jesus Christ because it was God’s plan to release in His Sacred Temple, possessed of Divine Blood, the ultimate powers of supernatural healing.

Again, Isaiah had prepared us to expect this prophesied Messiah to be treated far beyond the normal. These brutal men were destined to do things to humans absolutely subhuman, but when this sacred Temple stood before them, the worse of the Adamic nature became apparent. The Bible said, “As many were astonished at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men…” (Isaiah 52:14) When they had finished with their scourging He no longer appeared human. His flesh hung like rags all over His Holy Frame.

It’s impossible not to believe that the God/man in this sacred hour did not release indescribable powers into the human stream of life. This ultimate power will be seen in the glorified bodies of His saints, but a glimmer of that life and transformation is now available in His healing virtues. The Body of Jesus Christ and His Church, are the First Fruits of His Redemption, and we are supposed to represent the emerging picture of the heavenly. Every great move of God has included wonderful miracles of healing. The early church was our first example.

Immediately after Pentecost, healing of bodies and deliverance from destroying demons was a fire that testified to Christ’s Resurrection. In Acts, Chapter Three, only days or hours after the upper room outpouring, a crippled man was perfectly healed. He had never walked and was laid at the temple porch. Apostle Peter said, “Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.” (Acts 3:6-8) This was the norm for the early church.

The shadow of one man then, was more powerful than entire denominations are today. “And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women. Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them. There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.” (Acts 5: 14-16) Apostle Peter was moved by the Holy Ghost to put this provision of healing in the “Volume of Truth,” the Holy Bible. “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.” (I Peter 2:24-25)

The Rose of Sharon has been crushed and the fragrance of salvation and healing is undiminished. It was Solomon that penned the words that identified Him as the Rose of Sharon, It was actually the Lord that spoke these words of Himself. “I am the rose of sharon, and the lily of the valleys.” (Song of Solomon 2:1) The Book of Isaiah follows immediately after Solomon’s prophesies. Isaiah states, “Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.” (Isaiah 53:10) It is done, It is finished and it is the church’s heritage. Our duty is to be His Sacred Temple where His Holy Spirit can continue this stream of grace and healing powers. I repeat the words of Jesus Christ on the cross, “It is finished.”

As you read, believe, surrender, and be miraculously healed. Please share this with every suffering believer and give the promise to the unsaved if they will yield their life to Him. I’m praying and believing that a multitude of my friends around the world will be healed as they read this truth from the Heart of God. WE LOVE PRAYING FOR THE SICK OR DEMON TORMENTED SOULS. CALL 1 704 391 0588 AND WE WILL SHARE YOUR BURDEN FOR A MIRACLE!!!!!

The US war on terror is in fact the most massive terror campaign ever, and the invasion of Iraq was the worst crime in recent history, prominent liberal thinker Noam Chomsky told RT, adding that he wants to see Bush, Blair and Obama tried at the ICC.

READ MORE: ‘Obama must be taken before ICC for the war on terror’ – Chomsky to RT — RT Op-Edge.

The Holy Spirit has a very important and distinct role in our lives in these Endtimes. It is to prepare believers for the coming Rapture, by perfecting them and conforming them to the image of Christ. God sent Jesus Christ to save us from our sins Jn3:16. Then after Jesus went back to heaven, He sent the Holy Spirit to complete God’s plan for mankind, and in us! Jesus said ‘My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work’ Jn4:34. Since the work of God was not yet finished on earth, Jesus came to us by filling us with His Spirit. He said  ‘I will not leave you comfortless, I WILL COME TO YOU’ Jn14:18; ‘..It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the COMFORTER will not come unto you; but if I depart, I WILL SEND HIM UNTO YOU’ Jn16:7.

READ MORE: The Important Endtime Role of the Holy Spirit In Our Lives

At least 91 casualties, including children, were reported after a record-breaking tornado swept through the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore, destroying hundreds of buildings and two schools. Meteorologists reported winds of up to 200mph.

MORE PHOTOS, VIDEOS 91 dead as mile-wide tornado flattens Oklahoma City suburbs (PHOTOS, VIDEOS) — RT USA.

“And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear” (Luke 19:11).

As we read through this parable in Luke 19 we need to understand just where Jesus was heading. Soon the Feast of Passover would be celebrated and all able bodied men were required to celebrate that feast in Jerusalem. He was on His way there for a much higher purpose.  He would be hailed as Messiah and then a few days later He would be crucified. He knew what was going to happen and needed to teach one more time about His reason for coming.

People, including His disciples, thought He would come in as the conquering King and save them from the oppression of the Romans…that He would fulfill their idea of Messiah. Was He giving this parable to the Jewish people who would be hailing Him as Messiah or to those who are the Ekklesia? Maybe both. The immediate reason was to show these people that He first had to go away in order to receive the Kingdom. But there are truths in here that cannot be ignored by the Ekklesia.

“He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come” (Luke 19:12-13).

Here, a certain nobleman had ten servants and that nobleman had distributed ten pounds among those ten servants along with the instruction to occupy (keep working) until he returned. Most translations use the word “mina” instead of “pound” and it was a substantial about of money in those days. One mina was equal to about on hundred day’s worth of wages for a common laborer.

While the master was away receiving his kingdom, the servants were expected to keep doing business for him─to use the resources that the master gave them to the utmost.

What a blessing the master of these servants had bestowed upon them. What trust he had in them to use the money: wisely. They were to occupy─stay faithful and invest the money─until the master returned.

We know that the nobleman in the parable is Jesus and He is about to “go away” in order to be made King. He would soon be crucified. He has trusted servants with whom He has left something of value and He expects it to be used wisely. He expects the servants to keep working and to occupy till He comes back. Jesus will return as King at His Second Coming, but before that happens the Ekklesia will be “caught up”.

“But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, we will not have this [man] to reign over us” (Luke 19:14).

The “citizens” are a different group. They are not the servants. The servants didn’t hate the master, but the citizens are another story. They hated him and didn’t want him to rule over them. How sad. The master had given so much to the servants, and presumably the citizens could have also been blessed. Rather than accepting his gifts, these citizens hated him.
As this parable unfolds, the master returns. Just as Jesus will return as Messiah after the Great Tribulation, this nobleman had received his kingdom and was now ready to judge the servants and how they invested that which had been left in their possession. Each one was called before the Master. The first servant had increased the pound from one pound to ten pounds, and the master was pleased. He gave that servant authority over ten cities. Notice the servant didn’t receive an all-expense paid vacation to the tropics for rest and relaxation!

His reward was more valuable than that…it was more trust from the Master. The next servant increased the one-pound to five and was rewarded with authority over five cities. The third servant didn’t do so well. He let unfounded fear stop him from increasing what was entrusted to him, so what he had been given was taken away and given to the servant who had the ten-pound increase. The one who brought no increase was not cast out, but he lost what was entrusted to him and received no reward.

“But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay [them] before me” (Luke 19:27).

Now the focus turns to those citizens who hated the master. Their life would be taken from them. So it will be at the very end when those who chose to reject Jesus must face the Great White Throne judgment.

Jesus gave this parable to drive home a point. He was going away to receive His kingdom. He was leaving servants in charge, but was not leaving them without resources. Each servant was given an equal share, but his rewards were based upon what he did with the pound given to each. Now, let’s take a look at how the Ekklesia can learn from this parable. Although it is about Christ’s Second Coming there is much for the Ekklesia to learn from it before the Harpazō─the catching away of the saints.

Jesus Christ is the Master. Before He departed He left His servants (that’s us) with His Gospel and the Holy Spirit.

“In whom ye also [trusted], after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:13-14).

Each of us is given the treasure of the Holy Spirit, which is sealed within us when we first believe. We are also given our marching orders, which many refer to as the Great Commission. Jesus was going away and yet He was leaving His Ekklesia here on earth to go about continuing the work He began. We are to make disciples of all nations. We are to invest our pound and continue in His stead, fighting the good fight and proclaiming the gospel to all peoples and tongues – and that includes those in our own neighborhood.

Certainly there are times when we feel it is difficult to continue, but we are never told to stop proclaiming the gospel even though the “citizens hated him” and no matter what the hardships may be. Paul is a great example to us. How many jailers do you suppose he converted when in prison? How many fellow prisoners did he share the gospel with? Sometimes we may wish to slack off but there will always be another lost soul who crosses our path who is seeking truth and needs to hear the Good News.

Some of these servants in the parable did well with the responsibilities they were afforded and the nobleman/master rewarded them accordingly. But then there was one who hid his pound.

“For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow” (Luke 19:21).

This is exactly where we see much of the Ekklesia today. Full of excuses for not investing: what has been given. Not understanding the nature of Jesus and fearing an imagined version of Him. How can we serve Him if we don’t know Him?

Invest the pound that the Master gave you in truly studying and spreading God’s Word. “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and [be] ready always to [give] an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear” (1 Peter 3:15).

“Others are better at witnessing than I am, let them do it.”

This is the wrong attitude to have and studying God’s Word will give you confidence and help you overcome your fear. Do you really know why you believe or even what you believe? Practice explaining the reason: For your hope. Practice explaining: Why Jesus came to save us and why: We cannot save ourselves. The reason begins in Genesis and is explained throughout the entire Bible. Too often witnessing never gets done because Christians lack biblical knowledge and are intimidated when confronted with what they think is a tough question. The pound Jesus gave them is wasted.

“But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us” (Luke 19:14).

This is the citizenry of earth as a whole who are not a part of the Ekklesia. They hate Jesus Christ and will have nothing to do with Him nor will they follow His precepts. The servants don’t hate the Master, but the citizens do. Notice that everyone is subject to the Master: whether they love Him or not. What if the servant who had hidden his pound had invested it in teaching the citizens about the Master? That may have made a big difference in the life of at least one citizen.

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things [done] in [his] body, according to that he hath done, whether [it be] good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10).

If you are a Christian you don’t need to be afraid of the phrase, “Judgment Seat of Christ”. Yes, we all will have to stand before Him and tell Him what we did with the pound He gave us. The Greek word “bema” is translated “judgment seat.” This is not a punishment judgment, but a rewards judgment. This is where everything we have done for Christ will be rewarded and all else (wood, hay, and stubble) will be burned up. Just as the servant who did not invest his pound was still a servant but received no reward, so it will be with those who do not invest their pound.

“And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28).

There is another judgment, though. This is the one that the citizens who hate the Master and don’t want Him to reign over them will face.

“And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is [the book] of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written the books, according to their works” (Revelation 20:11-12).

This passage goes on and it is heartbreaking to read. This is where the citizens who did not want the King to reign over them are cast into the lake of fire. If we, the Ekklesia, would only share our gift from God─ the salvation Christ died on the cross to purchase for us─perhaps there would be very few who face this judgment.

Giving up on witnessing just because we perceive we are close to Christ’s soon return for His Church will only result in a loss not a gain. Those who give up at the end, especially when the going gets tough, will lose all they’ve gained as far as rewards are concerned.

“But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal” (Matthew 6:20).

What we do with our “pound” is how we lay up treasures in heaven while awaiting our departure from earth. These treasures are not corruptible nor will they perish, but our rewards can be taken from us and given to another because we refused to be faithful and occupy till He comes, because we don’t use the pound He gave us wisely.

All of Jesus’ parables drive home very potent messages. If given enough thought and study, this parable in particular will convince even the most fearful follower to get back on track. There is still a huge amount of work to do and precious little time. All those who reject the truth of the gospel are our missionary field. They are the citizens who hate Jesus and don’t want Him to reign over them. They are living in danger of facing the Great White Throne Judgment and eternal damnation.

Reaching the lost is not an impossible mission.

“But Jesus beheld them, …with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).

All things are possible with God and the sooner we realize that fact and start investing our pound the sooner we will get back to performing His Great Commission, not even being distracted by the promise of the coming Harpazō.

“Occupy ‘till I come,” means just that. We never stop, we never give up, and we never given in. The enemy of God would have us stop witnessing and hide our “pound” in a handkerchief.  The decision we must make is whether we are going to give in to fear and/or complacency or are we going to persevere in the face of any and all the enemy’s roadblocks?

God’s plan is being laid out before our eyes and He’s only asking that we invest the pound He gave us rather than hide it in a handkerchief. We must share with others and not be afraid of the citizens who hate our Lord.

“Occupy till I come” is a command not a suggestion.

God bless you all,

 Ron Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com

http://www.straitandnarrowministry.com

ron@straitandnarrowministry.com

All original scripture is: “theopneustos” (God breathed).

If you would like to be on my email list to receive the commentaries just drop me a line and let me know. I never add anyone to my email list without their requesting I do so.

This commentary was started by Ron Graham before his death on March 14, 2013 and completed by his wife, Nathele Graham.

By Grant Phillips

The title of this article is a tragedy of all tragedies─because it is true. Apostate ministers, ignorance of God’s Word and a warm, fuzzy, make me “feel good” society, is providing information that is completely antithetical to the Truth.

I cannot begin to count the times that I have heard someone make a statement that basically states that their deceased loved one was with God because…. (You fill in the blank.) I would keep waiting for: “Because they believed in Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and asked Him to be saved.” But that isn’t what is said. Sad, Sad, Sad!

The Bible says:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

“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” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

These are only two verses among many more that make it very clear about what we all must do to be saved. It isn’t rocket science! A child can understand this! Jesus wrote it this simply, so we could all understand!

Then why do they say?

They were so good. They gave so much. She raised us well. He worked hard to support us. He was a good husband. She was a great wife. They loved everybody. They were so well liked. They always paid their bills. They belonged to the church. They were baptized. They walked the aisle. They headed up all these organizations. They donated to various organizations.

This list could go on and on and on infinitum, but only one thing is important at this point. Did they put their trust in Jesus Christ to save them? That’s it!

It amazes me that people will rest the eternal destiny of their soul upon what everybody says, except the One who gives them the correct information. That correct information is called the Truth.

The Bible says:

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).

There you have it! Jesus will tell you the Truth. He even goes on to say that if you want to go to Heaven after you die, He is the only way to get there. We must go through Him by faith or we don’t go at all.

It certainly isn’t up to me, or you, to even attempt to determine if so-and-so is saved when we notice their actions. Christians can be “naughty” too, and the heavenly Father does discipline His children─unlike most earthly parents of today. Nevertheless, I have seen folks live for the devil and think that they’re okay. They think can live for the devil down here, and live for Jesus in heaven, I guess. Where did that idea come from? I don’t know where it came from, but it is widely practiced.

Okay, so I do know where it comes from. Notice this passage:

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

Satan, the devil, is a roaring lion, and I can assure you he isn’t going hungry. Every day people are dying, good people, and going to hell, because they are being swept up in his lies. Satan says, “Live any way you want, there is no hell, your good deeds will out-weigh your bad deeds, there are many ways to God.” Blah, blah, blah… It is all a lie. Only Jesus will tell you the Truth. Listen to Him.

Jesus isn’t out to devour us. Satan is. Jesus is out to save as many as will come to Him. Satan is out to prevent it. One final thought: Are any of us really good? Notice what God has to say about that:

“As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one” (Romans 3:10-12).

“And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God” (Mark 10:18).

We may think our loved one is now in heaven with God because they were “good” but that isn’t what God says. If they are now in heaven with God, it is because they believed in His Son Jesus and Jesus saved their soul.

What about Mark 10:18 above? I suppose someone is thinking, “Jesus wasn’t good either. He said so.”

That is not what Jesus said. He said:

“Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God.”

Is He not God? Notice what He says in the book of John.

“My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one” (John 10:29-30, emphasis mine).

In Mark 10:18, Jesus was trying to get the young man to recognize who was standing right in front of him. He was telling him, “I am God; you must come to the Father through Me.”

If you will read the entire passage of Mark 10:18-22, you will find that this young man was a “good person.” That wasn’t enough, though. It didn’t count. Why did Jesus tell him to sell all he had and give to the poor?

Would that save him? No.

So why did Jesus tell him this? He told him this to change his heart. The young man was all caught up in his good works and possessions. He loved them more than anything else, and wasn’t ready to give Jesus first place in his life. A “good” person walked away from Jesus that day. I imagine that as Jesus watched him walk away, the young man got smaller and smaller as the distance between them became greater and greater, until he was out of sight.

A “good” person walked out into eternity lost.

Nice people go to hell, but they don’t have too.

Grant Phillips

Email: grantphillips@windstream.net

Pre-Rapture Commentary: http://grant-phillips.blogspot.com

Rapture Ready: http://www.raptureready.com/featured/phillips/phillips.html

Paw Creek Ministries

WHY DO WE TAKE JESUS’ WORDS ABOUT THE FIVE FOOLISH VIRGINS SO LIGHTLY? It is foolish for us to be so careless about the great “Catching Away” that may happen before this broadcast is over or before you read these words. Let’s not talk about those we consider unprepared, but about those the Bible leaves no question whom are ready. The Bible is a perfect book and the Lord is speaking excitedly about His Bride.

Here are things Jesus and the Bible says about His Bride being ready to go when he comes:

1. Jesus said the Wise Virgins had oil in their vessel, and fire in their lamps. “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.” (Matthew 25:7-13)

2. Malachi called her His “jewels.” “And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.” (Malachi 3:17)

3. Isaiah says, “She comes out of the grave singing. “Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.” (Isaiah 26:19)

4. John the Revelator called her “overcomers” seven times. (Revelation Chapters 2 and 3)

5. Jesus said to His Bride, “Thou hast kept the word of my patience.” “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.” (Revelation 3:10)

6. Peter said of the Bride, “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 Peter 3:12)

7. Apostle Paul said, “unto them that look for Him shall He appear…” (Hebrews 9:28)

8. Again Apostle Paul said, “That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” (Ephesians 5:27)

9. Jesus said, “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.” (St. Luke 21:36)

You can write it down in your heart that these dedicated Saints described above will go with Him in the twinkling of an eye. Why should anyone buy into the lazy theology of today’s church world, when the promises are so wonderful? The Marriage Supper is the grand celebration of the Lord of His Church and his Bride in waiting. A beautiful wedding is a grand occasion, when a couple is utterly in love and marrying for keeps. Jesus honored a wedding with His first miracle. He turned the water into wine to add the supernatural to the natural.

The Psalmist David described the “Marriage Supper,” in the grandest of fashions. He called it a “Good Matter” and spoke of the Bride in breathtaking terms. “My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer. Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever.” (Psalms 45:1-2) He even described the bridegroom, the Christ, in His lofty position at the Father’s Right Hand. “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre. Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.” (Psalms 45:6-7) The Bride at this heavenly wedding is no cheap matter. She is beautiful, pure and consumed with love for her suitor. “All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad. Kings’ daughters were among thy honourable women: upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir.” (Psalms 45:8-9) David was writing perfect truth by the anointing of the Holy Ghost.

The great Kingdom story of Matthew Chapter 25, speaks clearly of the “Marriage Supper,” and there is only one such event. The wise virgins were not just virgins, but devoted members of the bride in waiting. There was no sense of an immediate summons, yet this company of saints were just as careful to be ready as if they had heard the cry. Because they were living in expectancy, they did not rest without ample oil for their vessels. No one could have convinced them that that very night might not be the time they would hear, “The Bridegroom cometh.” They could not sleep without an extra supply of oil.

God’s Holy Ghost, is the Spirit of Truth and He said, “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.” (St. Matthew 25:3-9) Such language should build a fire in every soul.

We see John’s Vision of this event in the Book of Revelation. “And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” (Revelation 19:6-10) The Marriage of the lamb should be a passion in the hearts of every saint of God.

This is the company of the Blood washed Saints that the splendor of “New Jerusalem” is prepared to welcome. The ultimate reward of Jesus Christ is for His Bride. These are the Blood washed and Cross-bearing that forsake everything and everyone to follow the Lord only. There is no sacrifice too great to win this ultimate prize. The Bridegroom will withhold no honor to heap on His Bride. The city of their dwelling is too priceless to value. The invitation has been extended and you can claim the prize if you are willing to surrender.

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Last January, then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The committee was probing the attack on our diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, that resulted in the deaths of U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three others from the mission.

In a moment of frustration that has already returned to haunt Mrs. Clinton, the Secretary blurted out: “What difference, at this point in time, does it make?”

She was responding to combative questions about “who” the killers were – terrorists or a runaway mob protesting an obscure movie promo on the internet. Obviously straining hard to avoid truthfully answering the question and thus indicting herself and her boss, Mrs. Clinton almost screamed, “What difference… does it make?”

Two things disturb me about that question. First, if our Secretary of State honestly didn’t realize what difference it makes, then she should not have been Secretary of State (or even a Senator as she was previously), much less President (as she wants to be).

Second, if she did realize the difference it makes, then she was scrambling hard to cover up her and her boss’s culpability (and dishonesty) and she thought she could bully the Senators into submission.

Either conclusion is disturbing.

Fast forward to April 17. Present Secretary of State John Kerry appeared before a House committee hearing. During the questioning, the subject of Benghazi came up. When pressed about what he planned to do about rectifying the situation and finding the culprits responsible for the breakdown of security that caused the death of our Ambassador, Kerry also became a bit annoyed and dismissed the questioning with this statement: “We got a lot more important things to move on to and get done.”

Again, two things disturb me about that response. First, for a Secretary of State, who is personally responsible for the safety of the Ambassadors and personnel under his leadership, what could possibly be more important than discovering what went wrong in Benghazi, who was responsible, where the killers are now, and how we can prevent it from happening again?

Second, doesn’t anyone in the Democrat party remember the motto of one of their most respected past Presidents? Harry Truman famously displayed a slogan on his desk that was unequivocal. It read: “The buck stops here.”

Apparently this Administration thinks that slogan means “the male deer stops by here occasionally to graze the south lawn!” (Speaking of ducking responsibility, I see today that Nancy Pelosi is publicly blaming George W. Bush for the IRS scandal. See what I mean?)

I don’t know how anyone could have watched last week’s House hearings and not been incredulous at the way the Administration handled that crisis. How could you not be outraged that those same officials who stood by as our Ambassador and three others were brutally killed, then chose to cover up their incompetence (or worse, it could be their fear of offending Muslims or their fear of offending the American electorate) by lying to the American people for weeks after the tragedy.

On this week’s program, I’ll give you several reasons why I think Benghazi matters to America.

Wired magazine recently revealed that the new immigration bill currently wending its way through Congress may contain a little surprise. Within the 800-page bipartisan bill “is language mandating the creation of… ‘photo tool’, a massive federal database administered by the Department of Homeland Security and containing the names, ages, Social Security numbers and photographs of everyone in the country with a driver’s license or other state-issued photo ID.”

Requiring employers to search this database before hiring anyone, the idea is to stop employers from hiring illegal aliens. But this measure swats that fly with a sledgehammer!

Even the ACLU is uncomfortable with the idea of the government “keeping a record of all things.”

Hey, I know one guy who will be very appreciative if this system is in place when he finally rises to power. I don’t know his name yet, he’s not been revealed, but I’ll bet he’s watching to see what happens to this legislation.

Syria continues to spiral into chaos. I don’t recall there being a regional or national crisis as geopolitically confusing or sensitive as this one. There really aren’t any “good guys” in this civil war. Of course, Bashar al Assad is a brutal dictator (though not as decisively brutal as his father), but the rebels are led by none other than al Qaeda. And though the West doesn’t want Assad to remain in power, neither do we want the rebels to gain control of his chemical WMD arsenal. And, surprisingly, Israel would prefer to deal with the devil it knows (the self-preserving Assad), than the devil it doesn’t (the terrorist rebels with chemical weapons).

As a result, the New York Times is calling southern Syria “an ungoverned area.” Sounds like the Sinai peninsula, doesn’t it? Israel continues to be surrounded by a ring of enemies that are growing increasingly hostile: Lebanon (Hezbollah), Syria, the “rebels” in lawless southern Syria, Jordan (under increasing threat by the Palestinian majority), the jihadists in the lawless Sinai peninsula, Egypt, and Gaza (Hamas). Of course, beyond them are Iraq, Iran, and the other Arab/Muslim states that despise Israel; and within Israel are the Palestinians.

And the Syrian crisis is making for some strange bedfellows. Turkey’s fear of Syria is encouraging a rapprochement with Israel. Even Russia, which stands to lose its Mediterranean naval base at Tartus, is making unusual and disquieting diplomatic overtures to Israel.

Prophetically, we know that Syria will sooner or later fall into tremendous armed conflict. The prophet Isaiah predicts in the 17th chapter of his book that, overnight, Damascus will be utterly destroyed and rendered forever uninhabitable. We know that prophecy has yet to be fulfilled because Damascus is still standing today and is the world’s oldest inhabited city that has never been destroyed and rebuilt.

If nothing else, that unfulfilled prophecy alone should encourage all of us to be ready for Christ’s imminent return to rapture His Church before the awful events of the Great Tribulation begin.

And speaking of Christ’s church, it grieves me to say that I believe the “church” in America in these last days more closely resembles the church at Laodicea described by the Apostle John in Revelation 3. Jesus said that it was blind to its own failures and shortcomings and mistakenly thought it was successful because it was rich and needed nothing. Instead, Jesus said, it disgusted Him because it was “neither cold nor hot,” but “lukewarm.” And because it was lukewarm, He wanted to “spit you out of My mouth.”

Friends, as we rush headlong into the final days of the Church Age, let’s follow Christ’s own advice in the third chapter of Revelation. Humbly ask Him to make us “gold refined by fire” and provide us “white garments (His righteousness) so that you may clothe yourself” and “eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.” As never before, we believers need to be righteous and pure before God and clear-eyed to see the danger around us in these final days.

Do that today. Ask His forgiveness of your “lukewarmness.” Confess the sins you know about in your life and trust Him to forgive you (1 John 1:9). Then He’ll do more than that, He’ll cleanse you of “all unrighteousness,” which means the sins of which you are unaware, but guilty.

And if you’ve never accepted the free pardon that Jesus Christ purchased with His death on Calvary, you can do that right now, too. In fact, in Revelation 3:20, Jesus says that He stands outside the door of your heart and patiently knocks. He promises, “…if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.”

As you read this, many of you “hear” Him knocking at the door of your heart. Don’t leave Him standing there. Open your heart to Jesus and, just as He promises, He will come in and fellowship with you.

Simply invite Him in. Ask Him to forgive you of your sins. Ask Him to become Lord of your life. Believe that He has done so and accept His free gift of pardon. Just like that, if you are sincere, you have become a part of God’s “forever family.” Now, you need not fear what waits for you after this life, you’ve just changed your destination reservation! You are bound for heaven!

Finally, now that you’ve joined God’s family, ask Him to guide you to a solid, Bible-believing church. As we near the end of this Age, the Apostle Paul warned that these would be “perilous times.” You will need the strength and encouragement that comes from fellowship with other sincere believers. And you need to continue to grow in the Word of God. So find a church or fellowship that believes, preaches, and trusts the whole Word of God, not just the “feel good” variety.

Don’t miss this week’s Report on TBN, Daystar, CPM Network, The Word Network, various local stations, http://www.hallindsey.com or http://www.hischannel.com. Check your local listings.

God Bless,

Hal Lindsey
mail: HLMM, P.O. Box 470470, Tulsa, OK 74147
email: comments@hallindsey.com
web: http://www.hallindsey.com

These specially-produced, computer animated videos, hosted by yours truly here at Lamb & Lion Ministries, are designed to be shared all over the Internet, drawing people to the outright amazing promises God has for us all. Our hope is that you’ll learn from, enjoy, and pass these video messages on to family, friends and acquaintances so that they too may know the spiritual richness of Bible prophecy.

Your Bible Prophecy Insight

READ MORE: Was today’s technology foretold in the Bible?
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