Are Prophecies Real?

Are Prophecies Real?

“Do not scoff at prophecies, but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good.”

1 Thessalonians 5:20-21 (NLT)

There are so many prophecies being put out there from those who are charismatic that most people don’t know what to believe or who to believe. Over the years I have met many people who call themselves ‘prophets’ and give personal prophecies.  Some even ask for money to have a prophecy given to them. Beware; God would not charge you for the work of the Holy Spirit.  You won’t find anything like that in the Bible.

I have a rule I go by, “If it isn’t in the Bible – it isn’t.” Some give predictions that are possible because they are generally about current events and world affairs.  My rule here is ‘wait and see’.  Now, let’s talk about Biblical prophecies.

Almost every prophecy in the Old Testament has come to pass.  I say ‘almost’ because the time hasn’t come yet.  There are things that were spoken by Daniel, Isaiah and Ezekiel that were for the future.  Isaiah prophesied the coming of Jesus, the Savior and what would happen to him in Isaiah 53.  Daniel prophesied what was to happen to King Nebuchadnezzar in the near future and it came to pass. He prophesied about the end times in chapter 12.  Ezekiel prophesied about Jesus, the Son of Man, which occurs ninety times in the book.  In chapter 37 verse 21, he prophesied that after the Jews were taken prisoner and scattered, that the day would come when the Jews would once again be drawn back to Israel. In verse 22, he said, “They shall no longer be two nations and they shall never again be divided into two kingdoms again.”  The first part of the prophecy took place in 1948 when Israel once again became a country and now our own nation among others wants to divide it with the Palestinians.  In verse 22 God says this will never happen again.  Do you believe the Word of God, or those who want to destroy Israel?

According to the Bible, in Ezekiel, chapter 38, the country who will come against Israel first is Russia.  Russia will join with Iran and they will lead a new coalition and their hatred to destroy the Jews and their greed of Israel’s wealth will drive them.  The world will be in shock and Mideast wars will accelerate.  This prophecy has not been completed yet, but it will be in the near future.

Now let’s go to the New Testament.  It begins with the birth of Jesus, His teachings and explanations of God’s will for our lives and his death.  Then it tells us of what is to come explaining what “the Day of the Lord is”.  Look at I Thessalonians 4:16-17 “The Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God.  The dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and thus we shall always be with the Lord.”

Prophecy is throughout the Bible and the Bible is called “The Word of God”.  God cannot lie, so it seems that the Bible is “Truth”.  Therefore, that leads us to the conclusion that all prophesy in it must come to take place.  The Bible also says to beware of false prophets.  My belief is that the prophets of the Bible gave all the prophecies God wanted us to have and no more prophecy is needed.

‘Prophesy’ also means to preach or have a Word from God for certain people or a church. For those who think they are a prophet, someone with discernment will know if it’s true. I end this by saying that many prophecies in the Bible have already come to pass so will many others as time goes by. I believe we are living in the days just prior to the Russia-Magog war which will take place just before the Tribulation.  Keep close to the Lord and test what is said. 

Oh My Papa

Oh My Papa

“O, My Papa, to me he was so wonderful,

O, my Papa, to me he was so good.

Gone are the days, when he would take me on his knee

And with a smile, would turn my tears to laughter.

“O, my Papa, to me he was so wonderful,

O, my Papa, to me he was so good.”

This very popular song in the 50’s, sung by Eddie Fisher portrays a wonderful father-child relationship.  This is the kind of father everyone would love to have had while they were growing up. If your father didn’t measure up to this ideal, don’t despair.  You are among the majority.  However, if you don’t measure up to this, it’s not too late; you can change.

Father’s Day, although not quite the celebration of Mother’s Day, is a great time for reflection.  It can bring out the best in a man, or the worst.  It can fill him with regrets, or with satisfaction.  At its worse, he may retreat and draw into his shell, but at its best, a father will see he can become better.

In my estimation, there is nothing worse than a father who sexually abuses his child and second place, is the one who physically abuses his children.  Both of these behaviors leave deep scars in a child’s life and most of them grow up believing they are worthless and often display the same type of behavior when they become adults.  This is fatherhood at the depth of the downside.  Only those who experience this will know that God alone can set them free from bitterness, un-forgiveness and a sense of worthlessness. 

You may say, “My father never did those things.”  Then why do you have such mixed feelings on Father’s Day?  When old wounds open up, even after years, they are very sore and need to have First Aid.  Where do we go for First Aid?  To the Red Cross, of course - the cross where Jesus died; the cross stained red with the blood he shed to wash away our sins.

Christians know God is in the restoration business.  Some of you have been restored and have discovered in the eyes of God you are of great worth.  It is then you began to change and you find your rightful place in life.  Reflect on the kind of father you are. Where are you lacking in fatherhood? What kind of memories will your children have of you when Father’s Day rolls around? 

            I have mixed memories of my father.  I remember Sunday afternoon drives and picnics at roadside parks, fishing from a wooden rowboat and listening to the oars dip steadily into the water.  How secure, knowing my father would take me safely back to shore.  I was never afraid when I was with him.  I remember excursions to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and the time he took me down the Indian River in his little trapper’s boat. 

If I close my eyes, I can still see him sitting in the green metal lawn chair under the little maple tree he planted.  When I returned home for visits with my family in the summer, you could be sure that’s where he would be.  The children would jump out of the car and run towards him calling, “Grandpa, Grandpa, we’re here.”  He would hold both arms out and they would cover him with hugs and kisses, but only for a few minutes, then he would say, “All right, that’s enough now.”  They would run and find Grandma to hug. 

In the winter, Dad always wore plaid, flannel shirts with the musky scent of the muskrat and mink pelts he sorted in his garage.  His trade was a trapper and fur dealer of animal pelts.  When I was young he often let me help stretch the pelts on drying boards, or pack them in gunny sacks.

He used ‘Old Spice’ aftershave lotion and liked to wear a heavy flannel bathrobe and alpaca lined slippers in the winter.  He smoked a pipe, drank strong coffee, and had an egg, toast and cornflakes for breakfast every day.  He liked real honeycomb on his toast.  He wore a red cap and liked to hunt, fish and play Euchre at the billiard hall.

            I also remember the time he packed his suitcase and left, but he came home later that night and I was so happy.  I remember he didn’t go to church, or pray. He only once or twice ever came to watch me perform in school functions and when I showed him my report card, he would only glance at it and say, “Yep, that’s all right."  He never asked me anything about what I liked, or what I did for fun.  He and my older brother didn’t see eye to eye.  He never had a best friend.  He complained a lot about money and hated to part with a penny.  I wish, just once, he would have said, “I love you," but he never did.  Neither did he ever say, “You’re pretty”, or smart, or, “you did a good job.”

When Dad passed away at age seventy-two, I was in my late thirties.  It was one of the hardest times in my life.  All I could think about was never again would I see him sitting under the maple tree in their back yard.  After the funeral, I put on his old flannel bathrobe and his fleece lined gloves and sat in my rocking chair crying for a whole day.

            It took a long time for me to get past the grief of his death. It wasn’t just missing his physical presence, which I did; it was as though I felt cheated, because he left me and I had never won his approval.  There was an empty place in my life that had never been filled, even though I always knew he loved me.

         Dads, what will your children remember about you when you’re gone? It doesn’t matter if they are four or forty, they need your approval. They need to know you are interested in them and care what is going on in their life.  Tell them you love them; don’t assume they know.

For those of you who have not known the love of an earthly father, the love of your heavenly Father far exceeds any love you desire. “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!”  (I John 3:1)  How wonderful to know we have a father who constantly watches over us and cares about every part of our lives. 

We are his children and in Romans 8:15, we are told to call him, ‘Abba’, meaning, Daddy.  His arms are always waiting to receive us and he welcomes our love; even desires it.  In Hebrews 13:5, “God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."  What comfort this is for all of us - the children of God.

If you have failed as a father, it’s not too late. Where do you go for guidance?  The Word of God is full of wisdom regarding relationships of father’s to their children.  The book of Proverbs speaks much of the father-son relationship.  The New Testament is full of advice on being a loving, God-fearing father.  Can you improve?  God’s Word says you can change.  Why not try?

Happy Father’s Day

My America

My America

“Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them."  The LORD has done great things for us, and we are glad.             Psalm 126:2-3

I’m sure you may be getting sick of listening or watching the news and seeing such lines drawn between the blacks and the whites in particular.  The news is full of “a black did it, or a white did it”. No wonder our country is being torn apart by “Democrats or Republicans”.  Everything the Press puts out is by divisions.  Everyone wants a better country but, it has to be their way.  What a bunch of babies they are who are crying to have their own way.

We can look back in earlier times of the land of Israel when it eventually was divided into two parts. It split into Northern Israel, which kept the name Israel and Southern Israel was changed to Judah.  The southern kingdom of Judah, which was made up of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin and much of the tribe of Levi.  “During Jehoiakim’s reign, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon invaded the land of Judah.”  [2 Kings 24:1] There is so much more to this lengthy story, but this is not the point which I am trying to make.

What I am trying to say is that because a nation was disobedient to God, they destroyed themselves and their country!  Israel was the apple of God’s eye and yet it wouldn’t obey God.  It had fallen to idols and lack of respect for anything holy.  There was constant killings, hatred for its rulers; great abominable parties of wicked sexual “anything goes.” Evil was made to look good and good was made to look evil. The government was so corrupted it caused the downfall of many good people.

Does this sound familiar?  Is history repeating its self?  I’m looking at the United States of America which is following in the footsteps of ancient Israel.  Our land is so divided today and groups are trying to destroy each other.  Our country is falling apart and it seems to be in utter confusion.  The only thing that can save us is God Almighty!  That is only through Christians uniting and praying that God will save this land.

We who are Christians need to join forces and make a spiritual stand against those who are destroying us.  Christians don’t have a color; we are not black or white, or red or yellow.  We are one in Christ.  America is my country and it’s your country.  If they are trying to take away our faith, they should have their rights taken away. We have the right to stand up against them.

“Remind the believers to submit to the government and its officers. They should be obedient, always ready to do what is good.” Titus 3:1 (NLT) Yes, we should be obedient to the laws of our land, but when a country becomes so evil and threatens everything we believe in, we have a right to make our voice heard.  This is MY AMERICA and hopefully yours. I would encourage you to pray for America every day.

Stand with me.  “The LORD has done great things for us, and we are glad.” [Psalm 126:2-3] Now, let’s obey Him.

When I Lay Me Down to Sleep

When I Lay Me Down to Sleep

“Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.” 

1 Thessalonians 5:6 

I’m going to be point blank and ask you a question, ‘Do you honestly believe that Jesus is coming back to earth someday and take believers to heaven in the blink of an eye, which is called the rapture? Or do you think that it won’t happen in our time?  If you are reading this, be honest and say what you really believe.  No one can hear you except God.  Maybe you think it’s a myth and just forget about it. 

If you don’t believe it at all, then ask yourself this question; do you believe that Jesus died for you on the cross?  How can you believe one and not the other?  Then why is so much written in the Bible about ‘watching for Him to return? I’m going to share just a few verses from the Bible that refer to this.

“Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”   Luke 21:36    I know most of you have heard or read about the end times of horrible troubles across the world. Terrible things are going to happen; if you don’t know what they are, then read Matthew 24^th chapter. It’s pretty hard to deny some of this is already taking place.  You can also read the Book of Revelation.

What can we do about what is coming someday in the end times?  Matthew gives us a hint in chapter 24, verse 44.  “Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” What does that mean?  If you were going to attend a big event, you know you’ll get ready because you don’t want to miss it.  OK, so how do we get ready? Everyone needs to know the answer to that question.

“Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you. [Revelation 3:3]  Notice that the word, ‘watch’ is highlighted? That is because it is written over and over again in the New Testament so many times.  We should keep in mind that this is really going to happen someday whether you believe it or not.  Now, I’m going to share a scripture in Matthew that gives an example of what happens when some people are not ready and not watching.

“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.  And at midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!' Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the wise answered, saying, 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.' And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.  Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!' But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.' Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.”  [Matthew 25:1-13]  It is going to happen someday and I for one do not want to miss going with Jesus because I wasn’t ready.  Only five of the ten above were prepared and ready.  Which of the ten do you think you would be? Ask yourself if you are really waiting and watching.

There is one other thing we must do, if we haven’t already done that and Revelation 3:3 tells us what that is.  It says, “Hold fast and repent”.  What that means is that we must ask God to forgive our sins and then ‘stand firm’.  Don’t give up believing because he will not give up on you. See how many places the Bible talks about Jesus return.  I Corinthians 15:51-52 says this, “Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed-- in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”

The Bible is full of warnings about this time to come.  Listen to this one in Mark 13:33-37: “Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch.   Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming--in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning-- lest, coming suddenly, he will find you sleeping.  And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!”   Let that word ‘watch’ always be a reminder to you to hang on; someday we are going to fly away.