BE BLESSED BY “THE BLESSING AUSTRALIA”

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This project, coordinated by Jessie Skelly and supported by the Canberra Declaration and the National Day of Prayer and Fasting along with many others, is an inspiring anthology of worship from believers all over Australia.

During this time of uncertainty and physical isolation, over 300 local churches united together in Australia to sing a blessing over our nation. This is the first time this has happened. You can find a full list of all churches across who sent in a submission here, we honour every one. https://theblessingaustralia.com/chur…

Our desire is to shine the light of Jesus in a time of darkness. We hope that this song will fill you with peace and encouragement. We pray it blesses you, your children and your children’s children.

“THE BLESSING” Words and Music by Christopher Joel Brown, Cody Carnes, Kari Jobe, Steven Furtick © 2020 Capitol CMG Publishing/Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC “THE BLESSING AUSTRALIA” © Copyright 2020 WorshipCollective.co

The Blessing Australia Music Produced, Mixed & Mastered by http://thelakehausstudios.com

Film Edited & Graded by http://thelakehausstudios.com

ALWAYS PRAY AND NOT LOSE HEART

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And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. Jesus said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’”

And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” Luke 18:1-8

This story by Miguel Lau of International Justice Mission demonstrates the need to persist in prayer, no matter what, until God provides an answer. Check out their website http://www.ijm.org.

Miguel Lau recounts how after a year and a half of opening the Bangkok I.J.M. field office our team had yet to get a first rescue. Our staff had already done everything they could. And then they committed to pray.

FORCED LABOR

I felt like the parable of the persistent widow in Luke 18 was speaking directly to us—to me. So, we decided to pray, every day, until we got our first rescue. We would just keep knocking. No matter what.

One of the spiritual disciplines we follow at International Justice Mission is daily prayer as an office. In the midst of work that can be so heavy, prayer allows us to shine light on even the darkest of challenges. So, every day in prayer I would raise my hand, ask for prayer and sit back down. At the beginning, I tried to come up with something encouraging or exciting to tee up the prayer. But I quickly realized that was mostly for me. And most days I did not have anything exciting to report. I just had the commitment to pray. So, many days all I said was “Please keep praying for breakthrough in Bangkok.”

To be honest, there were a lot of days where I did not want to pray. When I thought about everyone looking at me expectantly as I stood up during prayer—all of the people who worked so hard on the relationship with the grant foundation and the government, all of the people who sacrificed long hours helping us get set up, and all of the people trusting us with each decision to achieve this mission—and all I had to say was “please keep praying for Bangkok,” I did not want to pray. I felt like we were failing. I felt like I was annoying. But we had to keep knocking. God told us to keep knocking.

We did have some victories, including our first two arrests and convictions and a third grant to keep operations going. But we still did not have a rescue. So we kept praying. Every day.

Finally, on Wednesday, July 17, 2019 at approximately 9 p.m. Bangkok time, after four long years trapped and abused, the police and our team rescued a young man from the ship he was trapped on. The first rescue on a ship for our Bangkok team.

We had prayed for 15 months. And God had answered.

Not only that, but a second rescue came a week later. Again, God answered our prayers.

Then let the persistent widow be an encouragement to you. Just knock. Over and over and over and over again. Knock until you get an answer.

FURTHER PROOF OF A YOUNG UNIVERSE

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Age of Ceres

Check out CMI http://www.creation.com for the this story by Jonathan O’Brien.

The dwarf planet Ceres is the largest body in the solar system’s asteroid belt, between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Recently, NASA’s Dawn spacecraft made detailed fly-over inspections of Ceres and beamed back data that shocked many scientists.

Ceres shows clear signs of being very geologically active.1 For such a small body—only 1.28% the mass of our moon—Ceres has long-age-believing planetary scientists shaking their heads in wonder. One can almost hear them asking, “Are you Cerious!?”

Ceres-Surprises
The dwarf planet Ceres 

The mystery for evolutionists is how Ceres, which they believe to be very old, can still be so hot inside.

Ceres is too far away from large planets to receive an influx of energy from gravitational effects/tidal heating, and radioactive decay can’t provide the heat over billions of years either.

Secularists believe that planetary bodies were originally molten and gradually cooled. They predicted that Ceres, a miniature world floating alone in the coldness of space, and believed to be the same age as the solar system, would have become frozen and inactive eons ago.

It appears that tiny Ceres, with its lively, hot interior, is no more than a few thousand years old. This is consistent with the Bible’s record that God formed the earth first, around 6,000 years ago.

GOD ORDAINED MALE AND FEMALE

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The truth is, if someone is born with XX chromosomes, she can never be “he.” And someone born with XY chromosomes can never truly be “she.”

Chromosomes: Definition & Structure | Live Science
X and Y Chromosomes

This does not mean we ignore the very real pain and struggle experienced by those who live with gender dysphoria, feeling as if they are trapped in the wrong body.

The famed author of the “Harry Potter” book series drew the ire of the internet’s social justice warriors when she dared to bring up facts: the immutable nature of sex as male and female, exclusively.

Rowling made a logical case, pointing out the glaringly obvious. “If sex isn’t real,” she wrote in part, “the lived reality of women globally is erased.”

“I refuse to bow down to a movement that I believe is doing demonstrable harm in seeking to erode ‘woman’ as a political and biological class and offering cover to predators like few before it.” — Rowling

And like clockwork, the pile-on commenced. Vicious dissenters quickly pounced on the 54-year-old author, calling her “a transphobic bigot” using her platform “to attack a vulnerable minority.”

Never mind the fact that even some transgender people — members of the very crowd Rowling is presumably offending — agreed with the award-winning novelist. Dr. Debbie Hayton, a transgender-identified female, said many in her community “appreciate” Rowling’s “courage in speaking out against an authoritarian ideology that oppresses women, gay people and trans people.” “We need to return to reality,” added Hayton. “Sex is real and it is immutable.”

According to Scripture, there is no distinction between those who believe in Jesus. The apostle Paul said, “There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). Yet there still remains distinct values to the male and female experiences. Paul’s words eliminated all societal hierarchies: a Gentile didn’t cease to be a Gentile; rather, once a believer, she became an equal heir to Christ as Paul, a Jewish man. The same is true of sex — whether male or female, we who are in Christ are all given unencumbered access to the Gospel. Our divine differences, though, remain.

God, through science, intended there to be two sexes in His image (Genesis 1:27). And because we’re not God, we can’t change that — no matter how hard we try or how many facts we ignore.

WHY ESCHATOLOGY MATTERS

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There are eschatological positions being promoted that are preparing believers to be vulnerable for the Antichrist. Pretribulationism falsely teaches that we will be raptured before the Antichrist’s (beast’s) persecution of Christians. Preterists teach that there is no future Antichrist since he already came and went 2,000 years ago. Idealists believe that the notion of the Antichrist is an idea and not an actual person. Amillennialists, and many posttribulationists, believe that the Antichrist is also not a person but an institution. What does your church teach?

One day, all humanity will be demanded to worship the Beast and his image. To be sure, many willingly will worship him thinking that he is the Coming One to bring “peace and safety.”

This is why eschatology matters and is not some incidental matter. It prepares us to be discerning. Christian leaders who minimize the study of biblical prophecy minimize the severe warnings of our Lord on these matters and thereby render Jesus himself as disingenuous.

The Beast is coming. And he is coming to demand unqualified worship. Will you bow the knee out of fear to save your life? Jesus is the only one worthy to give our allegiance to. Please read the following scripture from Revelation describing the beast (Antichrist) and note the warning; it will require “steadfast endurance and faith from the saints”.

“Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads, and on its horns were ten diadem crowns, and on its heads a blasphemous name.Now the beast that I saw was like a leopard, but its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. The dragon gave the beast his power, his throne, and great authority to rule.One of the beast’s heads appeared to have been killed, but the lethal wound had been healed. And the whole world followed the beast in amazement; they worshiped the dragon because he had given ruling authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast too, saying: “Who is like the beast?” and “Who is able to make war against him?”The beast was given a mouth speaking proud words and blasphemies, and he was permitted to exercise ruling authority for forty-two months. So the beast opened his mouth to blaspheme against God—to blaspheme both his name and his dwelling place, that is, those who dwell in heaven. The beast was permitted to go to war against the saints and conquer them. He was given ruling authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation, and all those who live on the earth will worship the beast, everyone whose name has not been written since the foundation of the world in the book of life belonging to the Lamb who was killed. If anyone has an ear, he had better listen! If anyone is meant for captivity, into captivity he will go. If anyone is to be killed by the sword, then by the sword he must be killed. This requires steadfast endurance and faith from the saints. Then I saw another beast coming up from the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but was speaking like a dragon. He exercised all the ruling authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and those who inhabit it worship the first beast, the one whose lethal wound had been healed. He performed momentous signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people and, by the signs he was permitted to perform on behalf of the beast, he deceived those who live on the earth. He told those who live on the earth to make an image to the beast who had been wounded by the sword, but still lived. The second beast was empowered to give life to the image of the first beast so that it could speak, and could cause all those who did not worship the image of the beast to be killed. He also caused everyone (small and great, rich and poor, free and slave) to obtain a mark on their right hand or on their forehead. Thus no one was allowed to buy or sell things unless he bore the mark of the beast—that is, his name or his number.” (Revelation 13:1–17)

Beast, Image & Mark - Book of Revelation Chapter 13 ...

See full article on Alan Kurschner’s website Eschatos Ministries.

END TIMES PROPHECY BEING FULFILLED IN OUR DAY

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“Brother will hand over brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rise against parents and have them put to death. And you will be hated by everyone because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved!” Matthew 10:21–22

“And then many will be offended , will betray one another, and will hate one another.” Matthew 24:10

Listen to this video on Fox News of what is now happening in the USA. It is already leading to fulfilment of the above “end times” prophecy. Will what children are now being taught lead to racial harmony? Sadly, anything but.

THE RESTRAINER OF THE LAWLESS ONE

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“For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. The coming of the lawless one (Antichrist) is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” 2 Thessalonians 7-12

Many interpreters understand the Restrainer mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 2:6–8 as the Holy Spirit, Satan, or the government. There are good reasons, however, to view the Restrainer as Michael, the Archangel.

1. Contemporary Jewish literature during Paul’s time viewed the characteristics of Michael having eschatological pre-eminence as the chief opponent of Satan and Restrainer of God’s people.

2. Michael is viewed as a celestial restrainer of God’s people in Daniel 10–12, the passage serving as the source for Paul’s exposition in 2 Thessalonians 2:3–8.

3. Daniel’s use of the Hebrew term ʿmd comports with the ceasing activity of the restrainer in 2 Thessalonians 2:6–7.

4. The Greek term parerchomai in Daniel 12:1 of the Septuagint (LXX) means, “to pass by,” which corresponds with the ceasing of restraint in 2 Thessalonians 2:6–7.

5. Early Rabbinic interpretation of Daniel 12:1 perceived Michael as “passing aside” or “withdrawing” just after Antichrist’s establishment near or at the temple mount (Dan 11:45), and just before the eschatological unequaled tribulation against God’s people (Dan 12:1).

6. Revelation 12:7–17 supports viewing Michael as the Restrainer because it links the cessation of Michael’s war against the dragon with the unprecedented persecution of God’s people, which is consistent with 2 Thessalonians 2:6–7 and Daniel 11:45–12:1.

Given these reasons the only candidate which can explain the Restrainer being removed is Michael. Other proposals for the Restrainer are hard-pressed to comport with those roles. Thus, the apostle Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2:6–7 is very likely referring to Michael the archangel as the Restrainer, whose ministry ceases and causes the eschatological temple to be desolated by Antichrist, ensued by his great tribulation against God’s people.

The Michael interpretation is not a new, since there has been about a dozen theologians and scholars over the last hundred years who have taken this position, even Robert Van Kampen a pioneer of the pewrath position held to this view.

But it was not until the year 2000 that a young Thessalonian scholar by the name of Colin R. Nicholl who came along that would, for many scholars, put the nail in the coffin on the Restrainer debate.

In the April 2000 volume of The Journal of Theological Studies, Colin R. Nicholl published the seminal article, “Michael, The Restrainer Removed (2 Thess. 2:6-7),” arguing strongly that Michael is the Restrainer. After his journal article was published Nicholl published it as an appendix in his important monograph (which was his dissertation) From Hope to Despair in Thessalonica: Situating 1 and 2 Thessalonians, Cambridge University Press, 2004.

Alan Kurschner of Eschatos Ministries has just put up a new website devoted to this topic therestrainer.com. Alan is known for his defence of the PreWrath Rapture position which I support. This is his article on the identity of the Restrainer.

TIMING OF THE RAPTURE

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“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole inhabited earth as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come” Matthew 24:14

The event Jesus is referring to hear may well be the angel who God commissions to preach the gospel to those who dwell on the earth – to every nation, tribe, tongue and people –

Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the ...

God sends out three angels before the wrath of God is poured out with the trumpet and bowl judgements. The third angel likewise tells all those who dwell on the earth the consequences of taking the mark of the beast.

“Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.” Revelation 14: 9-10

The church will not be raptured until the three angels deliver their messages to all the world. Five words demonstrate this point: “then the end will come” (Matt 24:14). The church will not be removed until this prophecy is fulfilled. It is simply another prophetic event that undermines an any-moment return of Jesus prior to Christians experiencing the Antichrist and tribulation.

On a related noted, having established that the church will be present on earth up to the end of the age in verse 14, notice in verse 15 Jesus says, “Therefore [oun] when you see the abomination of desolation…” The interpreter should not miss that Jesus has the same audience in view after verse 14. In verse 15, Jesus begins to describe the Antichrist’s great tribulation in more detail. There is no justification to claim that the referent “you” in verse 15 and afterwards is different from the “you” before verse 14. In other words, the disciples, who represent the new community of God (i.e. the church) will be on earth to see the Antichrist declare himself to be god and be the recipients of the tribulation even great tribulation that the Antichrist will inflict on Jews and Christians at that time.

BE COURAGEOUS, PREACH THE GOOD NEWS IN TIMES OF TROUBLE

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We don’t know the name of this young man who was out preaching the GOSPEL to people demonstrating during a George Floyd rally. An officer, Garren Hoskins saw the man sharing his Christian faith with the crowd. “As he was talking, he was quoting Bible verses. I’m personally a Christian and what he was saying is the same things I was raised on and what I believe. As he talked, I kind of talked back with him and carried on a casual conversation. There was a brief moment where he stopped and was just standing there. I felt an opportunity as a police officer and a person so I asked him, ‘Would you like to pray?’ He put his sign down, looked at me, and said, ‘Absolutely’.” 

Image Credit: Metro Nashville PD/Twitter

This image has gone viral and is being spoken about on the news across the country.

Officer Hoskins made the following observation: “Looking at myself and knowing that it was me there kind of touched me in a way – it’s a really powerful image,” the officer said. “At the same time, that gentleman was such a nice guy. I believe it created a solidarity there between him expressing his freedom of speech and me there as a police officer and that’s something the world needs to see.”

These two men were willing to be obedient to the leading of the Holy Spirit and God is using this one act of obedience to impact the lives of many. God uses tragedy, the sacrifice of George Floyd to bring the Gospel to many.

THE FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE

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My friend Nelson does a great job of explaining the meaning of the colours of the four horsemen described in Revelation. As Jesus opens each of the first four seals of the scroll containing the wrath of God (trumpet and bowl judgements), a different coloured horse comes forth into the world and its rider is granted authority to deceive and harm the earth. The video is just 18 minutes long, it will be time well spent. I also urge you to subscribe and watch Nelson’s other videos on the end times.