Be Careful What You Pray For ...

Written by Dot McGinnis


Be Careful What You Pray For ...

Inrepparttar Book of Ruth (chapter 2, verse12), Boaz prayed a beautiful prayer for Ruth and blessed her. "Mayrepparttar 135723 LORD repay you for what you have done.

May you be richly rewarded byrepparttar 135724 LORD,repparttar 135725 God of Israel, Under whose wings you have come to take refuge."

Always be careful for what and for whom you pray. Boaz ended up beingrepparttar 135726 answer to his own prayer!

Left Behind!! Who Me?

Written by Paul Griffitts


The popularity inrepparttar past few years ofrepparttar 135629 apocalyptic fiction series Left Behind by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins in indicative ofrepparttar 135630 fact that people would rather believe a lie told to them in a sexy, slick way then believerepparttar 135631 truth ofrepparttar 135632 Word of God that has been staring them straight inrepparttar 135633 face for centuries.

Many Christian groups today propound that one day soon and it seems likerepparttar 135634 more money that is needed byrepparttar 135635 preacherrepparttar 135636 closerrepparttar 135637 day is that all Christian believers will be gathered together and thus disappear fromrepparttar 135638 earth and that all ofrepparttar 135639 unbelievers ofrepparttar 135640 world will be left behind. Is this whatrepparttar 135641 Bible teaches?

With all that is happening inrepparttar 135642 world, wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes, famines, and tsunamis can anyone deny that we are nearrepparttar 135643 end times? So what does God's Word teach us as to who will escaperepparttar 135644 coming tribulation and who will be left behind.

The Book of Revelation one ofrepparttar 135645 most misinterpreted books ofrepparttar 135646 Bible causing many sects and believers confusion speaks in chapter 12 of a great wonder or sign in heaven. This isrepparttar 135647 first timerepparttar 135648 word "sign" (Gk. semeion) occurs inrepparttar 135649 Book of Revelation. The sign is that of a woman "clothed withrepparttar 135650 sun, withrepparttar 135651 moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars".

Revelation 12:1 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed withrepparttar 135652 sun, andrepparttar 135653 moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:

This verse is in direct contrast withrepparttar 135654 woman spoken of in chapter 17 beginning in verse 3 "…and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns."

Revelation 17:4 Andrepparttar 135655 woman was arrayed (same word as in 12:l) in purple and scarlet color, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:

Revelation 17:5 "And upon her forehead {was} a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.".

Babylonrepparttar 135656 great is a city, a physical city that is uponrepparttar 135657 earth and in it is manifestrepparttar 135658 mystery of iniquity.

Revelation 17:18 Andrepparttar 135659 woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth overrepparttar 135660 kings ofrepparttar 135661 earth.

The sign of chapter 12 which is a woman also represents a city (andrepparttar 135662 system for whichrepparttar 135663 city stands). The woman of chapter 12 isrepparttar 135664 true;repparttar 135665 woman of chapter 17 isrepparttar 135666 false,repparttar 135667 woman of chapter 12 is attacked byrepparttar 135668 dragon,repparttar 135669 woman of chapter 17 is supported byrepparttar 135670 beast. The woman of chapter 12 is Jerusalem,repparttar 135671 city of David and of Israel. She is represented as being onrepparttar 135672 eve of giving birth to a child.

There is another sign seen in heaven in chapter 12 that of a great fiery red dragon andrepparttar 135673 dragon stood beforerepparttar 135674 woman, ready to devour her child as soon as it should be born. The sun, moon and stars,repparttar 135675 woman's emblems, seem to indicate a power from heaven. This is in direct contrast withrepparttar 135676 seven heads and ten horns andrepparttar 135677 seven diadems, which plainly indicaterepparttar 135678 powers ofrepparttar 135679 beast that supportrepparttar 135680 woman of Revelation 17.

Revelation 17:3 So he carried me away inrepparttar 135681 spirit intorepparttar 135682 wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

The dragon inrepparttar 135683 sign of chapter 12:4 is said to drawrepparttar 135684 third part ofrepparttar 135685 stars from heaven and cast them torepparttar 135686 earth. This is taken by some to refer torepparttar 135687 fall of Satan butrepparttar 135688 language here is that of an event corresponding torepparttar 135689 time ofrepparttar 135690 tribulation andrepparttar 135691 cities. The reference torepparttar 135692 stars is defined in verse 9 of chapter 17 "and his angels were cast out with him", being at that moment of defeat by Michaelrepparttar 135693 Archangel.

The woman of chapter 17 representsrepparttar 135694 city of Babylon literally;repparttar 135695 city will exist atrepparttar 135696 time ofrepparttar 135697 tribulation so we can continue to understandrepparttar 135698 verses inrepparttar 135699 context ofrepparttar 135700 period or time which is referred to here.

Revelation 12:7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought againstrepparttar 135701 dragon; andrepparttar 135702 dragon fought and his angels,

Revelation 12:8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.

Revelation 12:9 Andrepparttar 135703 great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, calledrepparttar 135704 Devil, and Satan, which deceivethrepparttar 135705 whole world: he was cast out intorepparttar 135706 earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

Revelation 12:5 "And she brought forth a man-child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up unto God and His throne".

The important and most interesting passage here is where we are told thatrepparttar 135707 woman brought forth a man-child. Who isrepparttar 135708 man-child? One might think this first instance is speaking of Christ Himself a fulfillment of a prophecy ofrepparttar 135709 Old Testament but in chapter 2:26, 27 these words are used of an overcomer.

Revelation 2:26,27 "And he that overcometh, and keepeth My works untorepparttar 135710 end, to him will I give power overrepparttar 135711 nations, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; asrepparttar 135712 vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father."

Revelation refers to this man-child being born in a future day. This cannot refer to Christ personally, but it indicates a company of faithful OVERCOMERS who sharerepparttar 135713 millennial reign of Christ.

Who are these overcomers? The overcomers are those who are not just in believing unto life but faithful service to The Lord. Hebrews 11 seems to give an excellent list andrepparttar 135714 key to being amongrepparttar 135715 overcomers is being one who "loved not their lives untorepparttar 135716 death" this does not mean they were killed (but many were) as members inrepparttar 135717 Book of Life in Revelation seems to indicate but a determination to do God's Will not one's own will even if that means to die.

The taking up of this man-child or overcomers to God and His throne is beforerepparttar 135718 persecution, and it makes an escape fromrepparttar 135719 trouble of that day. In Matthew 24:4-8 we haverepparttar 135720 beginning ofrepparttar 135721 birth-pains, which are, wars, famines, pestilence and earthquakes. These have already been indicated inrepparttar 135722 opening ofrepparttar 135723 seals. They leadrepparttar 135724 way forrepparttar 135725 tribulation underrepparttar 135726 Beast and false Prophet, and when they reach their highest point,repparttar 135727 man-child is born.

Cont'd on page 2 ==>
 
ImproveHomeLife.com © 2005
Terms of Use