Wow! Let me start off by saying that again.....WOW! What a summer!! Busy, busy but full of fun!! I want to post about all of the happenings in our life, complete with pictures but right now I want to share some things that are deeply on my heart!!
I so desperately want somebody, EVERYBODY to pay attention to what I'm about to share. I'm not crazy or delirious or anything like that. Just aware. Very aware. There is a sense of urgency in my spirit and I'd like to share about it. Please don't dismiss this blog. Please keep reading if you will. It is probably the most important blog I have ever written.
The Lord has really been working in my life since about March. I "woke up", so to speak, to the things going on around us in the world. Honestly, before March, I didn't really care much about the turmoil in the Middle East or the economic issues in regards to our country or any other country because I was so wrapped up in my life. Being a mom of 4 kids definitely has it's moments of busyness and it seems as though, the older the kids get, the busier we become. Something changed for me in March.
A friend had posted a link on Facebook of a video from a preacher in Hawaii and the title of the link intrigued me greatly. He has a FB page called "Aloha Bible Prophecy and Aloha Bible Teaching". I clicked on the link of the video and watched the 30 minute video. I was fascinated!!! This pastor was teaching about Bible prophecy and the things that are currently going on in the world. He takes about 30min every Sunday morning before his normal sermon to talk about Bible prophecy and how it relates to the things going on in the world. He has been doing this for at least the last 6 years. He's been studying Bible prophecy for over 20 years. I think he has a pretty good handle on what he's talking about..
Bible prophecy is something I have been interested in for a very long time but didn't understand it or never really heard anyone preach on it, so to hear someone actually put some things in perspective was awesome to me. He started his video off by saying "Don't take my word for it, study the Scriptures for yourself to see if what I'm saying is true. Be a Barean." I liked that! So, I took notes and when I had the time, I searched in the Bible for what he was talking about and everything he said was true. It was there. I continued to watch his videos that were published every Monday and again, took notes and studied the Bible for myself. It made me dig deeper into the Word.
Since I started paying attention to what was going on around the world I have literally seen Bible prophecy unfold. We are living in some very exciting times people!!
Think about all that has happened just since January. There have been record breaking floods not only in America but Australia and other places. Famines. Extreme winter weather in areas of the world. You had the huge earthquake in Japan which was followed by a devastating tsunami. Inactive volcanoes suddenly showing signs of activity. Earthquakes galore in various places. An extreme heat bubble that covered most of the country during the summer. Lets not forget the horrific and deadly tornado outbreak in the South East and in Joplin. And most recently, hurricane Irene which hit the North East and has set historic flood calculations. There is just so much more but those are the ones I can think of right now.
In America alone, the value amount of the dollar is basically non existent and will be only a matter of time before it goes away completely. Housing market stinks, stock market stinks, economy stinks, unemployment stinks. Most of the political influences stink and are only in it for themselves and dot, dot dot. We are a country that is in massive debt and only wants to increase that debt like a credit card instead of doing what really needs to be done, cutting out the junk and start paying off the credit card. Credit score being downgraded which is huge.....See where I'm going? America is no longer the power house it used to be. Corruption is everywhere not only politically but spiritually and morally.
Besides all of that, since January, the Middle East seems to have exploded. There have been massive riots, upheavals and the overthrowing of many governments. A lot of those countries right now don't have a leader in charge. Maybe the Muslim brotherhood, which by the way, has found it's way into the American political system, but that's a whole other story. Basically, no one is in charge. Lots of turmoil and people dying.
Now, honestly, before March, I didn't understand of any it. Never paid that much attention to it because it seems that in all of my 35 years, there has always been turmoil in the Middle East and some might say "They will never have peace". But......it's eye opening.
Something is obviously going on. The worlds just seems a little too crazy in all aspects.
I have been doing a lot of reading in my Bible and trying to search the Scriptures and based on what I have read , I really believe we are living in what the Bible calls, The End Times. I really truly believe in my heart that Jesus is coming back soon. I know He is.
Matthew 24 talks about signs of the end of the age. Verses 6-8 "You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nations will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various (diverse) places. All these are the beginning of birth pains."
Birth pains start out slow and increase in intensity and duration. Which means, earthquakes for example,
will increase and
will be more intense. We've had some pretty severe ones here the last few years. Don't think one won't hit where you live.
If you have or haven't been paying attention to what's been going on in the Middle East, basically, alot of the countries or nations want to divide Israel and give some of the land to the Palestinians. The UN is set to vote in September regarding this matter and it seems as though the majority will rule and Isreal will be divided. That is a huge no no in God's eyes. He says in Joel, chapter 3, that those who seek to divide His land, which is Israel, He will "enter into judgment against them". So, that means that if the U.S. doesn't continue to stick up for Israel, our long time ally, we will be considered in that group of nations that seeks to divide God's land and there will be consequences. Severe consequences.
There is just so much more in regards to the headlines and the Middle East. I don't understand all of it sometimes but I am trying to. All I know is that , things are happening in the world that are seemingly coming together to make way for the Antichrist and his rule on the earth. Revelation talks about a time of God's wrath and tribulation that will be poured out on the earth to those that have rejected God's Son, Jesus. It is going to be a time that the world has never experienced. It's almost unfathomable to think of. The world that we know of right now will be completely different.
I don't write this to scare anyone but my purpose is to ask you to take a good long hard look at yourself. Are you living for yourself or for the Lord? Are you living a life of "I'm going to do what I want because it's my life" or "we'll be here another 100 years" or " I don't believe in that Bible stuff" or "I don't need a Savior" or "I've heard this all my life"?
I know for me, I recognized at an early age that I was a sinner and asked Jesus to live in me and in my heart. But honestly, it hasn't been since I was really an adult to fully understand and comprehend all that that meant. And to realize that I truly needed a Savior to forgive me and one was provided. His name was Jesus. He was a perfect man who didn't sin and yet, He took on the sins of
all the peoples of the world and He died a painful and horrific death for us. He made a way for us. He paid the price for our sin, because our sin causes us to be seperated from God, but Jesus took that for us. He loves us that much, that He died for us!! I can't say thank you to Him enough. Yes, I am still a sinner and yes, I still do things sometimes that grieve the Father, but thankfully , I can approach His throne boldly and ask for forgiveness and I know , without a shadow of a doubt that I have been forgiven. His GRACE is sufficient for me!!! And what an abundant amount of grace He extends to us!!! The very breath that I am breathing is grace that is being extended to. Oh how He loves you and me!!!
I know that there are a lot of people who debate the whole Rapture issue. I personally believe in the Rapture and I believe in a pre-trib rapture which means that the "church", those who have accepted Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior and who are living for Him, will be taken away before the tribulation time. Jesus tells us in several places in the Bible that when you start to see all of these things (things I mentioned earlier about the turmoil of the world etc), to LOOK UP and BE READY because our redemption draws near.
I am looking up!! I am waiting to hear the sound of the trumpet and to be snatched away. I know that sounds like crazy talk to some people, but studying the Bible, that's what I believe will happen. Unfortuanatley, the world will have some excuse and say that millions of people have disappeared because of aliens or something like that. That's NOT what will happen!!
Anyway, my heart is burdened because I know their are people who need Jesus. I know that there are people who already know Jesus but aren't ready for His return because they want to get married, or have a baby, want to see their kids grow up or extend their career or whatever, but I'm asking you to think about what you are living for. Are you living for your kids, your spouse, your career or are you living for Jesus? He tells us to be ready for His return. Are you ready? All of the things of this earth, possessions and such,
WILL pass away. So are you storing up your treasures here on earth or in heaven?
I really believe that a big portion of "the church" is asleep. They are so busy preparing for church programs or activities or are just too busy in their own personal lives to be paying attention to what's going on around us. Jesus said He would come as a "thief in the night". Which implies that He will come at a time when no one suspects. That's why He tells us to be ready. To be looking up. To be waiting for His return. To be living for Him. Making sure we are living the way He tells us to. To make sure we are trying our hardest to live a holy life and if we mistakingly sin, make sure we confess that sin immediately and turn away from it.
I am NOT being judgemental in anyway. I just have this sincere urgency in my heart to let others know that His return in IMMINENT.
Again I ask, what are you living for? What are you holding onto here on earth? Is it something that will pass away or are your treasures in heaven? Because where your treasures are, your heart is there also.
If you don't know Jesus and want to, then all you have to do is understand and accept that we are all sinners in need of grace. Sin is what seperates us from the Father and Jesus made the way for us to be with the Father. He said "I am the way, the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father except through me."
(I love the way this was written so I borrowed it from someone on the Aloha FB page)
The Bible says, "God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life" The problem is that all of us have done, said or thought things that are wrong. This is called sin, and our sins have separated us from God.
The Bible says “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” God is perfect and holy, and our sins separate us from God forever. The Bible says “The wages of sin is death.”
The good news is that, about 2,000 years ago,God sent His only Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins.
Jesus is the Son of God. He lived a sinless life and then died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. “God demonstrates His own love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.”
Jesus rose from the dead and now He lives in heaven with God His Father. He offers us the gift of eternal life , of living forever with Him in heaven if we accept Him as our Lord and Savior. Jesus said "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except by Me."
God reaches out in love to you and wants you to be His child. " As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe on His name." You can choose to ask Jesus Christ to forgive your sins and come in to your life as your Lord and Savior.
If you want to accept Christ as your Savior and turn from your sins, you can ask Him to be your Savior and Lord by praying a prayer like this:
"Lord Jesus, I believe you are the Son of God. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. Please forgive my sins and give me the gift of eternal life. I ask you in to my life and heart to be my Lord and Savior. I want to serve you always. "
Thank you Jesus for your promises!!
I pray Lord that someone, anyone, would read these words and come to know you today. Today is the day of salvation!!!
If anyone has any questions or anything, let me know!!! I would love to talk to you!
May the Lord bless you abundantly!!
Love,
~Amanda :)
