The Abomination in the Church, Part 2
By admin On September 5th, 2013.
Click on credit links below each pic, for licensing names/details/tags/etc.. Most pics cropped/reduced in size
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This is a continuation of Fleeing to the Mountains: The Abomination in the Church, Part 1
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QUESTION: HOW WILL THE HOLY PLACE BECOME DESOLATE, AS FORETOLD IN MATTHEW 24:15 & MARK 13:14?
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ANSWER: BY THE ABSENCE OF JESUS!
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“When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation,
spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place,
(whoso readeth, let him understand:)
Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:”
Matthew 24:15, 16
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FLEEING TO THE MOUNTAINS:
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THE ABOMINATION IN THE CHURCHES
Part 2
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PART 1: ABOMINATION EXPOSED
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In Part 1 (click here to read), it was shown that the Abomination of Desolation was in the Church, causing the great apostasy during the 20th Century. This abomination was Satan and his minions, coming as an angel of light, working signs & wonders through false brethren (i.e., “ministers of righteousness”) within the Church, to ultimately bring the churches down into an apostate condition. This was the decline and fall of the churches, as foretold in such places as 2nd Thessalonians Chapter 2, and 2nd Timothy 4:3, 4.
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ABOVE PICTURE: Satan, The False Prophet who offers a world-loving gospel – www.signsofheaven.org
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PART 2 SHORT ANSWER: CHRIST HAS VACATED!
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So now that the concept has been discussed (in Part 1), of just what is the “abomination”, there is a need to address just how this abomination has made the churches desolate. Of course, the short answer is quite simple. When Christ’s Spirit, and His true worshippers, and the pure truth has vacated the apostate churches. This would be how the churches have been made desolate.
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ABOVE PICTURE: Satan, The False Prophet who offers a world-loving gospel – www.signsofheaven.org
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LITERAL ISRAEL OR SPIRITUAL ISRAEL?
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“When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:” Mat_24:15, 16
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But one great problem with this idea that this passage is speaking of today’s church-world, is, that in the above passage, it speaks of, “them which be in Judea”? Who is God referring to in the above passage? Many believe thi
s to be speaking of literal Israel. But this cannot be speaking of literal Israel. Israel was left desolate long ago.
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Listen to Jesus speaking to the nation of Israel…
“Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see Me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord.” Luke 13:35. So this statement by Jesus shows us that Israel was left desolate of Christ’s presence, back in the first century AD.
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But now we have a new prophecy, found in the Gospels…. “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place…Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:” But if Israel was left desolate way back in the first Century AD, then to whom is this prophecy directed? Obviously it can’t be speaking of literal Israel, since it says… “Ye shall not see Me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord.” Luke 13:35.
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So who is Jesus speaking to when He makes this statement?
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Photo: Ninth Av Stones Western Wall – wikipedia – public domain
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GOD USES VEILED LANGUAGE AT TIMES
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“And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the
heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed. Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate, And the LORD have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land.” Isaiah 6:9-12
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Now this passage is somewhat difficult to understand. But this passage, when decoded is simply saying this: God has brought blindness upon His disobedient people until His people were carried away into Babylon. But because God so often speaks in parables, this passage also has an application to today.
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One reason we know this, is because, in the Book of Revelation, God proclaims… “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen…” Revelation 18:2. And so history is repeating itself. Just as God’s people were taken captive in literal Babylon prior to Christ’s first Coming, so too, God’s people are taken captive in spiritual Babylon, just prior to Christ’s second Coming.
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The Prophet Isaiah (Bible Card from 1904) – Wikipedia – public domain
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SPIRITUAL BABYLON & “ITCHING-EARS” GOSPELS
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And no, there’s no literal city of Babylon today. But the New Testament fulfillment of Babylon were the apostate churches, who had become engaged in spiritual harlotry, by immersing themselves in worldly desires, which eventually bred false doctrines.
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Listen… “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” 2nd Tim. 4:3, 4.
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World-loving prosperity gospels had taken over the churches in the 20th Century, and wealthy parishioners could no longer endure hearing that they must live a life of self-sacrificing Christ-likeness. Hence the Lord foretold of this day.
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Listen again… “If any man teach otherwise…supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself…And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.” 1st Timothy 6:3, 5, 8.
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Yes, the 20th Century churches began to pursue the things of the world, even encouraging their young to entangle themselves in complicated, high-paying, and prestigious careers. The god of Materialism became a major object of worship in the church-world, and Satan filled up our lives with so many cares, pleasures, possessions, and worldly pursuits, to the point that Christianity became, at best, a secondary pursuit for most.
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ABOVE PICTURE: Satan, The False Prophet who offers a world-loving gospel – www.signsofheaven.org
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JESUS SPEAKS IN PARABLES
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But back up for a moment to examine more closely, this concept of Christ speaking in coded language, i.e., parables. And look at this above passage from Isaiah, comparing it to this next 
similar passage from Matthew… “Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which saith, ‘By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.'” Matthew 13:13-15.
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So Jesus is saying here that He speaks in parables, so that those false brethren in the Church cannot see nor understand these deeper truths. This is the hidden manna which all who are worldly-minded cannot receive…
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“To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna” Revelation 2:17
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Jesus and Pharisees and Sadducees – James Tissot – US Public Domain – Brooklyn Museum – Wikimedia
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CARNAL HEARTS CANNOT SEE MANY PARABLES!
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“To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna” Revelation 2:17
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And so, the bottom line to all this is: those who are spiritually blind and spiritually deaf, just cannot see nor understand that God has placed a veil over the Bible in the form of parabolic language. And just because God does not make many crystal-clear statements regarding the exodus from the fallen, apostate churches, He has used allegorical language, that only those who are exercised in spiritual language can receive the message.
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ADD THOU NOT!
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“For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.” Revelation 22:18, 19
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There is another insidious way that the old serpent, the Devil has deceived Christians, bringing them into even greater apostasy. He has convinced them to add to God’s Word an unbiblical term, and by thus doing, he has diminished a great portion of God’s Word. This above passage warns not to add, nor to take away from God’s Word.
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This is in agreement with the Old Testament, which also warns… “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.” Deuteronomy 4:2.
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ABOVE PICTURE: Adding to or taking from God’s Word, the Bible
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UNBIBLICAL TERMINOLOGY
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Satan has deceived the greater portion of the established church community, in the last decades. Satan has 
drawn a line in the sand, so to speak, regarding just who constitutes the Israel of God. It is to his advantage to diminish God’s Word in the minds of Christians. And so, Satan has successfully closed up much of the Bible by simply convincing Christians that they are not Israel. The unbiblical title, “Replacement Theology” has been invented, to cast aspersion upon anyone who believes that the Church (True Worshippers) is Israel.
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And so Satan has invented this derogatory name, Replacement Theology, to quickly defame those who see the spiritual nature of the Bible. And you may have noticed that this un-biblical term is bandied about all day long by radio Christian teachers, until it is firmly ensconced in the minds of listeners, as a derogatory name, to describe anyone who believes that God’s Elect, both Jew and Gentile alike constitute “the Israel of God” (see Galatians 6:15, 16).
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GOD DOESN’T NEED OUR HELP
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But the Bible warns us, “If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book”.
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It is
a fearful thing to monkey around with the Scriptures. And if mere men had to invent derogatory names to defame and decimate their perceived enemies, then it means that their “opponents” may be more in harmony with the Bible than they are!
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In other words, if they cannot defame their opponents by using the Bible only, then perhaps they need to re-examine their own doctrines. Because if any so-called biblical doctrine cannot stand on its own two legs, and must be propped up by non-biblical terminology, then perhaps that doctrine is just made of straw.
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Magnifying Glass – Wikimedia – Share-alike License
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REPLACEMENT THEOLOGY
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And such is the case of this term, “Replacement Theology” If God wanted to invent that name, He would have. God doesn’t need our help. And anyway, by their own definition, God is, without question, the greatest of all “Replacement Theologians” (if that was indeed a bonafide biblical term, which it’s not!)
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Just listen… “For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.” Romans 2:28, 29.
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Now this above passage is clearly defining just who is a Jew, and who is not a Jew. God is saying here that a true Jew is one who is circumcised in heart. And this includes both those who are descendants of Abraham, and those who are Gentiles. And there are other similar Bible passages as well, which further substantiate this Bible truth.
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So maybe God is really the ultimate “Replacement Theologian”! And there are so many other passages which would fit into the category of “Replacement Theology”, if that were a real biblical term.
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For instance, this next passage… “For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.” Romans 9:6-8.
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The bottom line is, that Satan could not find anything in the Bible to condemn those who understand the spiritual nature of Israel. So he had to invent his own terminology, hence the name “Replacement Theology”.
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And as far as the Church representing Israel, listen to this… “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.” James 1:1. This introduction to the New Testament epistle of James, speaks to the Church as “the twelve tribes”.
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Bible Study Group – cropped image – Wikimedia – Share-Alike License
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SATAN HAS LOCKED UP REVELATION
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Now if a Christian realizes that he or she is a Jew, inwardly, then the Old Testament plus the Book of Revelation begins to make a whole lot more sense! Now the Christian begins to understand that Revelation, plus those Old Testament Books are really about God’s people today! As it now stands, most of the Christian community do not believe that the last 18 chapters of the Book of Revelation concerns them either.
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That is really a tragic situation in the Church!
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Listen… “Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.” Rev. 1:3.
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This above verse doesn’t make sense if only chapters 1 thru 4 concern us! And this is not the only place in Revelation which explains that Revelation was for all the Church, for all times (see: Revelation 1:1, Revelation 1:3, Revelation 1:19, Revelation 22:6, Revelation 22:10).
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Satan has successfully locked out the majority of Christians from the Book of Revelation to a great degree, because they are being misled into believing that Revelation Chapter Four, and onward, concerns only the nation of Israel over there in Palestine. And Satan has successfully locked out Christians from understanding that the Books of Isaiah and Jeremiah and Hosea, and all the rest, are really for the Church today! They mistakenly call those books “Classical Prophecies”, another non-biblical term.
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magnifying-glass-wikimedia-share-alike-license.png
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THE GREAT REFORMERS KNEW
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REVELATION WAS UNFOLDING
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The Book of Revelation has been accepted by the great theologians of the Reformation, as concerning spiritual Israel, and not “Israel after the flesh”. Such great theologians as Matthew Henry and Martin Luther as well as many others, such as John Bunyan, of Pilgrim’s Progress fame, all believed Revelation to concern 
the Church, and not “Israel after the flesh”.
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And the Book of Revelation ends with these words… “And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord of the holy prophets sent his angel to show unto his servants the things which must shortly be done. Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book. And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand. I Jesus have sent Mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches.” Rev. 22:6, 7, 10, 16.
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This passage clearly states that Revelation concerns the churches. This statement warns that “the time is at hand”, and not just for some 7 year period at the end of time. Oh yes, Revelation will have a dramatic fulfillment in these last moments of time.
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Matthew Henry Wikipedia Public Domain
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CARNAL MEN LEADING GOD’S PEOPLE ASTRAY
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The problem is, when carnal men try to interpret spiritual things, this is what you get. 
The Bible is a spiritual book. It must be understood spiritually. But carnal men want to interpret Bible prophecy according to history books or the newspapers, instead of comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But unfortunately, to a great degree, such “natural” men have taken control of the Church.
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Listen… “O My people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.” Isaiah 3:12.
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God warns here, that it is the leaders of the Church who cause His people to err, and destroy the true way of Salvation! And now they have invented unbiblical names for their man-made doctrines, and imply that all others who do not believe their doctrines to be heretics and infidels.
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Bible_paper – dave-bullock – cropped image – wikimedia – share-alike-license.jpg
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NO PLANS TO RESTORE ANIMAL SACRIFICES
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The fact is, God loves Jews. But though God may save many literal Jews, God has no plans to restore that nation, as a whole, to His service, ever again.
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Listen… “And when He saw a fig tree in the way, He came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever.” Matt. 21:19.
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The general co
nsensus even among theologians, is that this prophecy concerns the nation of Israel. God has no intentions of working with “Israel after the flesh”, as a nation, He did in olden times. That nation’s time has come and gone. Nor is God going to bring back animal sacrifices, as many today believe. But God is no respecter of flesh. He will save both Jews and Gentiles alike. But only on an individual basis. God’s Temple today is His people.
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Listen… “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?”. This is God’s true Temple, which will stand forever.
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Brooklyn Museum – The Accursed Fig Tree – James Tissot – Wikimedia – US Public Domain
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“BUT YE ARE THE TEMPLE OF GOD”
2nd Corinthians 6:16
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“If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.” 1st Corinthians 3:17
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So in the above verse, the Lord establishes just who comprises the Temple of God! It is not a brick & mortar structure: it is God’s people! God with His people are the Temple of God. And as 1st Peter 2:5 reveals, Believers are the “living stones” which make up that temple.
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Again, this next verse gives the sign that God’s people are to flee to the mountains.
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Listen… “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:” Mat_24:15, 16.
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Obviously, this can’t be speaking of literal Israel. They were left desolate 2,000 years ago, and still remain desolate until this day… “Behold, your house is left unto you desolate” Luke 13:35.
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So who is Jesus speaking to when He makes this statement?
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theholyofholies- www.thebiblerevival.com -public domain
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NEW TESTAMENT TEMPLE: GOD & HIS PEOPLE
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He’s speaking these words to His Disciples! This New Testament passage is concerned with the Church, as is the entire New Testament! So this prophecy is spoken to the Church! But it’s spoken in spiritual language. Oh yes, it speaks of Jerusalem, and Judea, and the Holy Place. But as previously pointed out at the beginning of this article, this prophecy must be understood spiritually. The only place where the Abomination OUGHT NOT to be is within God’s house, the Church.
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Because Satan is the “god of this world” (2nd Corinthians 4:4) and the “whole world lies in wickedness” (1st John 5:19), then that leaves just one place and one place only where Satan OUGHT NOT be: in the Church!
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And because the Church is the only true temple OF GOD on Earth, then all this must be understood spiritually.
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Just listen to Scripture… “for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean [thing]; and I will receive you,” 2nd Cor. 6:16, 17.
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So does this passage leave any question as to just who is the Temple of the living God? The Temple of God must have God’s Spirit dwelling in it, in order to be the “Temple of God”. And if God’s Spirit is not dwelling there, then it is merely an empty and desolate building! It is definitely NOT the temple of God!
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But concerning the Church being desolate, are we to think that God’s Spirit will be removed from His Elect?
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Let’s explore this.
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ABOVE PICTURE: Satan, The False Prophet who offers a world-loving gospel – www.signsofheaven.org
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NO EARTHLY TEMPLE EVER AGAIN!
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“That the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains. And it came to pass that night, that the word of the LORD came unto Nathan, saying, Go and tell My servant David, Thus saith the LORD, Shalt thou build Me an house for Me to dwell in?…Thine house and Thy kingdom shall be established for ever before Thee: Thy throne shall be established for ever…And now, O LORD God, the word that Thou hast spoken concerning Thy servant, and concerning his house, establish it for ever, and do as Thou hast said.” 2nd Samuel 7:2, 4, 5, 16, 25
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In the above passage, King David desired to build a brick-n-mortar temple, so as to honor the Lord. Well, the Lord answered David, telling him that his seed shall build a house that shall be established forever. So obviously, when God spoke of David’s seed, he wasn’t speaking of Solomon, who by the way, built an incredible earthly temple. No, God was speaking here of Jesus.
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One of the great errors taught in the churches, was the teaching that “Israel after the flesh” would rebuild the temple of the Lord over there in literal Israel. And who knows, maybe someone will attempt to do just that. Yes, the above verse, and other similar passages have given the idea that some temple would be rebuilt over there in Palestine by the Mediterranean.
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But notice that God uses the words “for ever” in connection with that temple to be rebuilt. This is a huge giveaway, as to just what God was referring to. God was not speaking of an earthly temple here. He was speaking of a spiritual temple. Just listen to the very words of Jesus, answering the Jews who were concerned about their earthly temple… “Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this Temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt Thou rear it up in three days? But He spoke of the temple of His body.” John 2:19-21
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Tissot_Solomon_Dedicates_the_Temple_at_Jerusalem wikipedia US public domain
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NO BRICK-N-MORTAR TEMPLE IN NEW JERUSALEM
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This is the temple that was to be rebuilt. Not some brick-n-mortar structure! Christ is that temple, and His body is comprised of every true-worshipper, who will be “living stones” in that temple: both Jew and Gentile alike!
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Just listen to Revelation, speaking of the New Jerusalem… “And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.” Rev. 21:22, 23.
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So this passage from the last part of Revelation describes a New Jerusalem in which there will be no brick-n-mortar temple. The temple on Earth was simply to present an allegorical picture of a heavenly concept. There will be, “no temple therein (the New Jerusalem): for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.”
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Jesus & Heavenly Throng – G. Dore – Wikimedia – US Public Domain
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THE MILLENNIUM: ADDING TO GOD’S WORD!
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Now, the majority of Bible teachers today speak of “The Millennium”, in which a brick-n-mortar temple will be rebuilt. Now the Bible does speak of a thousand year period when Satan will be loosed. But theologians have taken it upon themselves to give this 1,000 year period the name, “The Millennium”. Thus have they added to God’s Word, a name which God has not named!
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Listen… “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:” Revelation 22:18
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Here is a most fearful warning against adding to God’s Word! And yet, if anyone rejects this non-biblical term, “The Millennium”, they will probably be vilified by the theological community, and perhaps even branded as an heretic!
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The fact is, this 1,000 year period cannot be speaking of this future present earth, since very soon, this earth and all sin will be eradicated by fire at the time of Christ’s return!
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Listen… “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,” 2nd Peter 3:10. Does this passage speak of a 1,000 years of peace on earth? Hardly!
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MARTIN John, Great Day of His Wrath – Wikipedia – US Public Domain
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CONFUSING “CHURCH” with “CHURCHES”
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“I will…remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent…He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” Rev. 2:5-7
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In the church-world, there existed much confusion, concerning God’s “Church” and the individual “churches”. Those who were confused, quickly pointed to the Bible passage in which Jesus plainly states… “upon this rock I will build My Church; and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:19.
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And because of a misunderstanding of the dual meaning of “church”, the cry was made, “See! It says right here that God will never forsake His Church!”
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(This 400 year old Painting by Blake shows his rendition of the Gates of Hell.)
Gates of Hell from Dante’s Inferno by Will. Blake Wikgallery Pub.Dom.
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CHURCHES WERE NEVER INVINCIBLE!
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“God will never abandon His Church!”, said they! And it’s true. God will never leave His Church. To His Elect He plainly states… “lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” Matthew 28:20.
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So how does this statement harmonize with the previous statement… “I will…remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent…He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” Revelation 2:5-7?
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And this statement… “Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.” Revelation 3:3?
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And this statement… “So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of My mouth.” Revelation 3:16?
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So, in these above passages, God was warning local congregations that they were subject to losing their connection with God, should they stray too far from His Word!
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Candlesticks of the Holy Place – www.thebiblerevival.com – Public-Domain
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“HE THAT HAS AN EAR, LET HIM HEAR”
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In His letters to the 7 churches of Asia, Jesus ends each letter with… “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches”. These letters are for everybody. No church was above these
warnings. No church had a guarantee of “peace and safety”. The Jewish nation thought they were beyond the possibility of being left desolate by God.
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And yet, in the very words of Jesus… “Behold, your house is left unto you desolate” Luke 13:35. Did that mean there were no more Jews to be saved? Of course not! It just meant that as a nation, Christ had been taken out of her midst. Now, any Jew saved, must be saved individually. But that’s always been the case, in reality. At any time in Israel’s history, only a remnant were saved. Only a remnant were considered true Jews!
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So also, God did not actually save entire churches then, and neither does He save Christians in bunches now. I may have believed that I belonged to a good congregation; but that did not guarantee my Salvation in any way.
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Ear-wikipedia share-alike lic.
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“THE CHURCH” OR “THE CHURCHES”?
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But back to the definition of “a church”, as opposed to “the Church”. What is the answer to this? simple! When God says “church”, He may be speaking of His E
lect, the True-Worshippers of God. Or He may be speaking of an individual congregation, comprised of Believers and non-believers. An individual congregation may have both elements within. But God’s eternal house consists only of those who truly live by faith in Christ.
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To this group, God states… “the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.”
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But an individual church has no such guarantee. To them, Christ says… “If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief…”.
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The angels standing guard to the seven churches of Asia wiki. commons US pub. dom.
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“A TIME TO EMBRACE, AND…
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A TIME TO REFRAIN FROM EMBRACING”
Ecclesiastes 3:5
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So what did this mean to us in relation to our assembling together?
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Let’s see what Scripture says… “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: 
and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Heb_10:25.
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As we read this passage carefully, we see that we were not to forsake the assembling together…but exhorting… ”and so much the more as WE SEE THE DAY APPROACHING”.
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As we see WHAT day approaching?
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“DAY OF THE LORD” WAS THE “DAY APPROACHING”
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The day we were to see approaching was that Day in which we were to flee to the mountains. That was the day 
which was approaching. The Day of the Lord; The Time of Jacob’s Trouble; Armageddon.
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Listen to Scripture… “flee out of the midst of Jerusalem…for evil appears out of the north, and great destruction….I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman.” Jeremiah 6:1,2.
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Notice here that God compares the Daughter of Zion to a delicate and beautiful woman. The sketch here certainly picks up this idea from Jeremiah, of a fleeing woman. Interesting! But the primary reason for presenting the above verse is not to focus on the woman; but to confirm this idea of fleeing Jerusalem (see Galatians 4:22-26, regarding Jerusalem representing the apostate Church). And also to flee from the evil out of the north (Babylon). (For an in-depth examination of Spiritual Babylon, just click here… “Mystery Babylon: Who is this Harlot of Revelation?”)
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“A TIME TO CAST AWAY STONES”
Ecclesiastes 3
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Anyway, God wanted us to assemble together all the way up until the time that God wanted us to flee! And then, when we finally saw the Abomination of Desolation in the Holy Place (the churches), we were to flee. He wanted us to flee from the worldly, apostate Church!
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So, as long as the Church had been faithful and pure, we were to assemble together. And even during times when the Church was somewhat less than faithful, we were still encouraged to attend.
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But listen to Jeremiah… “I sat not in the assembly of the mockers, nor rejoiced; I sat alone because of Thy hand: for Thou hast filled me with indignation.” Jeremiah 15:17. Even back in Jeremiah’s day, Jeremiah separated himself from “the assembly of mockers”.
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But God promised that the time would come when we would see the Abomination of Desolation, where it “ought not to be”…then that was the time to flee to the mountains. That was the day which God was referring to in Hebrews 10:25, when He said… “as you see the day approaching”.
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Listen once again…“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Heb. 10:25_
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Cry of prophet Jeremiah on the Ruins of Jerusalem – Wikiart – US Public Domain
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2nd THESSALONIANS Ch. 2, GIVES SIGNS OF APOSTASY
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“Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him…for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition…For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only He who now lets will let, until He be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,” 2nd Thess. 2:1, 3, 7-9
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This very much debated passage from 2nd Thessalonians tells that the Day of the Lord would not come… “except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition”.
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Now this above passage was not speaking of the Dark Ages, when the Church fled to the literal mountains from the bloody persecution by the apostate churches of Europe. This above passage is speaking of the time of Christ’s Return. And two signs are given here to show just when that Day will be here: 1. The apostasy and 2. The Man of Sin be revealed.
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ABOVE PICTURE: Satan, The False Prophet who offers a world-loving gospel – www.signsofheaven.org
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“THE MAN OF SIN”
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Now it may be readily seen that there would be a great apostasy in the Church-world. But how does one see the “Man of Sin”?
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OK, so it continues on… “For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until He be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming: Even him (ED.-the False Prophet), whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,”2nd Thessalonians 2:7-9.
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OK, so it says here that even in Paul’s day, that the mystery of iniquity had already begun to work. But then it says that… “only he who now lets will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed,” 2nd Thessalonians 2:7, 8.
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So when the Holy Spirit was finally taken out of the way (“the way” is actually translated, “the midst” in the Greek), then shall that “Wicked” be revealed. But how will that “Wicked” be revealed? Paul goes on to say… “Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,” 2nd Thessalonians 2:9. These two signs (The Apostasy & The miracle working Man of Sin) must be present prior to the Coming of the Lord and our gathering together unto Him.
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So is there anywhere in Christendom that combines apostasy with signs and wonders?
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ABOVE PICTURE: Satan, The False Prophet who offers a world-loving gospel – www.signsofheaven.org
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THAT WICKED ONE IS NOW REVEALED
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Now isn’t it interesting that the great apostasy which had occurred in the churches during the 20th Century, had for its centerpiece, signs and wonders?
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Signs and wonders were so commonplace, by the last part of the 20th Century, that one could just about go into any church or perhaps even a coffee shop, and pick up on a conversation concerning signs and wonders. Signs and wonders were as “common as grass” in the church community!
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These signs and wonders came in the form of voices speaking in a person’s mind, and visions, dreams and tongues, healings, and divers other miracles; and all these purportedly coming from God.
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Laying on of hands – wikipedia – public domain
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MANY MIRACLES IN THE BIBLE
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At this point, somebody will say… “But there were miracles in the Bible, and God is the same yesterday, today, and forever”.
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Yes, there were miracles in the Bible. And it’s true, that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. But first, examine the last statement, that God is the same yesterday, to day and forever…
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“JESUS…THE SAME…FOREVER”
Hebrews 13:8
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When it says that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, it is speaking of God’s character, and not his 
methods of dealing with humanity. As a matter of fact, God has changed His mode of operation a number of times in Scripture. For instance, there was the time of the Patriarchs. There were no congregations in those days. Congregations came much later.
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Then there was the Exodus from Egypt, and the wilderness wanderings. Certainly, God is no longer leading His people through the wilderness as He did back then.
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God is no longer working in the synagogues. That time has come and gone.
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Are Christians to celebrate the various holy days? No.
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So when God says that He changes not, He is not speaking of His methods. But He is speaking of His character. God’s character is certainly the same, yesterday, today, and forever.
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Gideon and His Three Hundred (Bible Card) www.thebiblerevival.org – Wikimedia – Public Domain
The Prophet Isaiah (Bible Card from 1904) – Wikipedia – public domain
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“FOR I AM THE LORD. I CHANGE NOT”
Malachi 3:6
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“Every word of God is pure…Add thou not unto His words, lest He reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.” Proverbs 30:5, 6
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Now as to miracles, just take the fact that God spoke to various people at various times. For a number of decades, there has been a growing phenomenon in which people are hearing a voice in their head, claiming to be God. Now this phenomenon was occurring nearly everywhere in Christendom, during the latter part of the 20th Century.
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But there were some real problems with these voices. For instance, those who belonged to the most liberal denominations, that voice may not have been very biblical. Perhaps that voice might tell jokes, or even make sarcastic jests, etc.. But in the more conservative denominations, that voice may not tell jokes, but instead, even quote Bible verses. In other words, the god behind these voices was a very flighty and changeable god.
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ABOVE PICTURE: Satan, The False Prophet who offers a world-loving gospel – www.signsofheaven.org
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TELL-TALE SIGNS
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Such a disparity of behavior alone by this so-called “Holy Spirit”, who joked and jested should have “sent up
red flags” to the Church. After all, even though God may have changed His mode of dealings with humanity from time to time, nevertheless, God changes not in character. And God certainly did not engage in such a low-grade behavior, as many would have had us to believe.
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Yes, there were times in Scripture, when God spoke to people. Very few people! And almost always, God spoke to the holiest people. There were a few exceptions, like Balaam and Cain. But mostly it was only those who were very much holy men or women.
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The Prophet Isaiah (Bible Card from 1904) – Wikipedia – public domain
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SIGNS & WONDERS: WARNING SIGNS
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Now if you were just about to go into a house, but there was a sign on the door of that house that read, “Dangerous radiation inside! Do not enter!”, would you go inside? Of course not! The dangerous radiation warning sign was there to warn you. Just look at this warning sign below. Is the man in the sign complacent about that dangerous situation? Of course not! He’s fleeing! He’s getting away as fast and as far away as he can.
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So likewise, God had, in a sense, put a warning sign on the temple of God. It was the “lying signs and wonders” and other abominations which were occurring in congregations in those days. And we could tell that they were “lying” because there was something very unbiblical about them.
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But Christ did miracles too! And those who advocated signs and wonders were quick to point this out. So how could we discern whether the signs and wonders were from God or from the Devil?
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Actually it was not as difficult as it might have seemed. The one thing which was a dead giveaway was the obvious apostasy and un-Christ-likeness within the Church. Just listen to this verse…
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“For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.” James 1:6, 7
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Notice it says “Let not that (double-minded) man think that he will receive anything of the Lord”. Now the congregations of the 20th Century has become so worldly-minded and Mammon-centered, that they were the very epitome of double-mindedness! So then, considering this above verse, could anyone have possibly imagined that God would ever put His stamp of approval on a worldly-minded Church? God forbid!
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Let’s explore this…
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photo above: New_radiation_symbol_ISO_21482_svg Wiki. Copyrighted Fair Use Rational. “This symbol is included in ISO 21482:2007. ISO International Standards are protected by copyright and may be purchased from ISO or its members (please visit www.iso.org for more information). ISO has not reviewed the accuracy or veracity of this information.”
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A WORLDLY CHURCH IS A DOUBLE-MINDED CHURCH
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“For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.” James 1:6, 7
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Here is a great clue for us to consider… “A double-minded man should not think that he (or she) shall receive anything of the Lord“. So it says here that a double-minded person should not think that they should receive anything from the Lord. And that “anything” obviously includes miracles!
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And as we observed the condition of the churches, we could conclude only one thing: the churches were very materialistic! Oh not everyone; but enough so, that we could safely say that God would never put His seal of approval of such a worldly-minded church. So if God should have performed miracles in the double-minded Church, then He would indeed be showing His approval on a disobedient Church. Listen… “So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of My mouth.” Rev 3:16.
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ABOVE PICTURE: Satan, The False Prophet who offers a world-loving gospel – www.signsofheaven.org
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WE, THE LUKEWARM CHURCH
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Most theologians are in agreement that this statement from Revelation 3 was speaking of the modern-day Church. Oh yes, it could have applied at any time in history. But it seems to have had a great application to the 20th Century Church. We were called “lukewarm”. We were rich, increased with goods.
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Listen… “Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:” Revelation 3:17.
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This warning is spoken to the affluent church today! And if we are not the affluent church, then who is!?! We live in an abundant and opulent society today! Like never before, we are the possessors of earthly Mammon!
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ABOVE PICTURE: Unfunny Judgment Day Cartoon – a party tonight – signsofheaven.org
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BLINDED TO OUR APOSTATE CONDITION
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But on the other hand, it was not uncommon, that we Laodiceans even regarded ourselves as the Philadelphian Church: the church which God totally approved of! Well, such a self-exaltation was a key characteristic of the Lukewarm Church. Listen… “for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.” Revelation 18:7.
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This passage from Revelation 18 speaks of the self-deceived harlot church, Mystery Babylon. And it is amazing that such a presumptuous attitude existed in the 20th Century Church! But it did. Isn’t it interesting that the Laodicean Church had the very same attitude as this Mystery Harlot Church.
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Listen again to Laodicea… “Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:” Rev. 3:17.
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Well, doesn’t this sound like the harlot…“for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.” Revelation 18:7?? Yes, these two statements sound very similar: they are both very presumptuous and proud statements! And this similarity between Revelation 18 Harlot, and the Laodicean Church, is only further confirmation that we are on the right track, as to just who this Harlot really is!
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Woman of babylon color Burgkmair 1523 AD wikimedia US public domain
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WHY WERE WE TO FLEE FROM THE LOCAL CONGREGATION?
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There were two reasons for fleeing from the apostate congregation. One was from the Old Testament and one was from the New Testament:
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1. Being surrounded by worldly Christians corrupts God’s people.
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2. If we didn’t come out of Spiritual Babylon, we would receive the plagues.
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1st REASON: “Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth.” Habakkuk 1:4.
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So this verse tells us that the influence of the ungodly within God’s house had a deleterious effect upon the True-Worshipers. True-Worshipers became confused and spiritually lethargic by the seductive lifestyles and worldliness from the ungodly and worldly influences of the apostate portion within God’s house.
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Listen… “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.” 1st Corinthians 15:33.
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Now that we were at that time to flee, we could no longer allow anything or anyone drag us back down. We had to flee if we were to get to where we are going. There was no more time for God’s people to be dilly-dallying in the world.
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Listen… “Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of (this city cannot be named 
) it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. Remember Lot’s wife.” Luke 17:28-32.
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This passage is speaking in metaphors concerning our day, in which God’s people were to flee from the Abomination of Desolation. The house spoken of here, was God’s House, comprised of the churches.
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2nd REASON: “And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” Revelation 18:4.
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And this verse told us that even God’s people were not immune to the plagues which will be poured out upon Spiritual Babylon in these last days, should we refuse to come out of her (the apostate Church).
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“YE CANNOT SERVE GOD AND MAMMON”
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“Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.” James 5:5
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What an indictment on us! We had become so loaded down with earthly mammon, that our hearts were divided between the things of Heaven and the things of Earth!
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Jesus says… “No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (ie, things of the world).” Luke 16:13.
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We engaged in banqueting… and amusements galore…and careers…and hobbies…and
TV…and radio…and holidays…and on and on and on it goes. It’s not that any one of these were necessarily wrong. The problem came, when all these were added together and began to squeeze out our relationship with God. It was when all these things together began to absorb our thoughts, so that meditating on God’s Word got pushed aside. And we left God’s role model, Paul, to do the work by himself, alone.
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Listen to Paul… “But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, In stripes, in imprisonments, etc, etc…” 2nd Corinthians 6:4, 5.
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Does this sound like the 20th Century Church? Except for some foreign missionaries, this could hardly apply to that modern-day church in America. And what suffered? Our spiritual life! We could just barely make it to church…or to a Wednesday Night Bible study. Our prayer life was anemic at best! We had disputes with family or friends and co-workers. We gossiped. And we were so involved in earthly commitments that we had little or no time in our busy day to meditate upon God’s Word.
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And in light of such materialism (serving Mammon), would God ever do miracles through us?
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“A FRIEND OF THE WORLD IS THE ENEMY OF GOD”
James 4:4
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And in light of such materialism (serving Mammon), would God ever do miracles through us? No, but the Devil did! And he did them to make us think that God was working marvelously through us, when it was not God at all! Listen…
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“And then shall that Wicked be revealed…whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” 2nd Thess. 2:8-10.
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Here was described a frightful condition of the churches. It was foretold that Satan would come with look-alike gospels, that would deceive, if possible, even the very Elect (that is, God’s Chosen ones).
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And as we looked at ourselves and at our worldly un-Christ-likeness, how could we ever think that God would be performing signs and wonders through us? After all, it says in Revelation 3:16 to the Lukewarm Church… “I will spew thee out of my mouth”. Would a God who was about to spew us out of His mouth be placing His seal of approval on us, by the performance of signs and wonders through us? Perish the thought!
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Snakehandling wikipedia public dom.
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“BEWARE OF FALSE PROPHETS…
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BY THEIR FRUITS YE SHALL KNOW THEM”
Matthew 7:15, 19
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“For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall show signs and wonders, to seduce, if [it were] possible, even the elect.” Mark 13:22
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And it was so sad to watch some of the religious TV personalities, who were leading the charge concerning the miracles which were occurring. Quite often they rode in limousines and lived in
mansions! These erring ones had been deceived into equating “gain with godliness” 1st Tim. 6:5. Scripture says that we are to “turn away from such” 1st Tim. 6:5.
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We didn’t realize that in order for God to set His seal of approval upon us, we must live the self-sacrificing life of Jesus. God would never confirm His Word upon us with signs and wonders, while we were living in wanton pleasure and extravagance!
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chauffeur by James Rosie wikimedia share-alike lic.
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JESUS LIVED IN POVERTY
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“For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be (spiritually) rich.” 2nd Corinthians 8:9
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As we compared the modern churches with those from past centuries, it was not difficult to see a vast difference. Those men were willing to live like paupers in order to get out the Gospel. And though we were never to think we were better than than these deceived ones on TV, we were nevertheless commanded to be aware of what was going on in our day…and “flee these things!” 1st Timothy 6:11
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Just look at this painting from the 1800’s. Does this look like a man who rides in limousines? No this painting depicts Jesus at the well, after he had just walked 50 miles or so! Jesus didn’t even own a donkey! much less a limousine! He only owned the clothes on His back. And what does He ask us to do?
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Listen… “So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be My disciple.” Luke 14:33.
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God’s people became so worldly-minded, that Christ was no longer the standard for behavior. We joked and jested, in and out of church, and confused all such giddy behavior with godliness! We lost sight of the purity and holiness of Christ. Our standard became the world. But Christ never joked and jested. While He was filled with peace and hopeful joy of the Cross to come, He never, never engaged in common chatter like we did. So just who are we following? Jesus…or the world?
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Painting: Jesus and Samaritan Woman at the Well by Carl_Heinrich_Bloch wikipedia US public domain
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LOVE IS NOT A PICK-N-CHOOSE BUFFET
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Someone may argue at this point, saying, “Well I don’t want to be part of the ‘frozen chosen’. I just want to show love to the world. I just want to give food baskets, and send used clothing to the needy”.
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Well, it’s fine to do these good works. By all means, send money or food or clothing. But what these kinds of arguments don’t take into account is, that the highest form of love is the Salvation of lost souls. You can give food baskets and send used clothing to the needy, but these will not save their soul. There is no greater love, than to lead starving and thirsty souls to the bread from Heaven, and to the water of life. There is no better way to clothe the spiritually naked, than to cover them with the garments of Salvation. And there’s no better way to visit prisoners, than to pray for, and witness to those who are in Satan’s prison-house of sin. And the whole world is held in bondage in Satan’s prison-house of sin!
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As we behold the manner in which the early Apostles, such as Paul, went into the world, we see the manner in which we are to likewise win the world for Christ. And it is only when a Christian is led by the Spirit of Holiness, that God will work through that person to evangelize the world. And the more we know about Jesus, through His Word, the more intelligently we can be led by God’s Spirit.
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CHRISTIANITY NOT A PICK-n-CHOOSE BUFFET
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Christianity is not a buffet restaurant in which we merely pick-n-choose what we like and refuse what we don’t like. We don’t want to simply take dessert and refuse the rest.
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So also, if we think we can merely do some good works, and still hold on to our worldly ways, we will be sadly 
disappointed on Judgment Day.
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Listen… “Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? and in Thy name have cast out devils? and in Thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity.” Matthew 7:21-23.
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This above passage speaks of a people full of good works, yet void of Salvation! But if we want the blessing of God, we must follow Paul’s exhortation… “But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.” Romans 13:14. Here is the total package: To put on Jesus Christ! To die to self is a total transformation of the heart.
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Vegie_buffet-wikimedia-GNU-Free-Documentation-License.jpg
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ANOTHER DANGER SIGN…
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SO-CALLED “MIRACLE WORKERS”
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“Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.” Romans 2:1
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As we saw these television personalities talking about “money, money” on one hand, and performing signs and wonders on the other, we often shook our heads. “How could these crazy people be so deceived!?”, we asked ourselves. And we looked at all the lawlessness of these false prophets and the “nutty things” they did, and we couldn’t imagine they could deceive so many people. We saw their costly apparel and chauffeured limousines, and servant-laden mansions and it baffled us to how anyone could be deceived by such!
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SIGN OF THE APOSTASY
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But again, God was using these deceived ones for a good purpose: He wanted us to know with certainty, that the long-awaited Apostasy had finally arrived. God was using these “crazy” prophets as a warning sign. It should have been obvious that these so-called signs and wonders performed by these outrageous prophets were what Scripture describes as “lying signs and wonders”. Now it must be stated here, that there were also many false prophets who were a good counterfeit and would, “if possible deceive even the Elect”. So we needed to be very watchful, because we were standing on enchanted ground!
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photo above: New_radiation_symbol_ISO_21482_svg Wiki. Copyrighted Fair Use Rational. “This symbol is included in ISO 21482:2007. ISO International Standards are protected by copyright and may be purchased from ISO or its members (please visit www.iso.org for more information). ISO has not reviewed the accuracy or veracity of this information.”
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JUDGE OURSELVES, NOT OTHERS!
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But there were enough of the “far out” prophets to give us a certain trumpet sound…that the long-awaited Day had finally arrived! So we shouldn’t have been judging them. Most of them possibly didn’t know what they were involved with. Oh yes, they were tools of the Devil. But God was also using them for good. And we needed to keep in mind, that whenever my own behavior is less than Christ-like, I too am in danger of becoming an instrument of deception, in the hands of Satan. That is why it is so important for us to fully consecrate ourselves to the Lord at all times!
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Listen… “But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, LET IT NOT BE ONCE NAMED AMONG YOU, as becometh saints;” Eph. 5:3.
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This is serious business! Those of us who can easily spot false prophets have no excuse for any ungodly behavior of our own! And those of us who have been careless in the past, need to repent and now go forward, striving for complete and total victory!
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Vegie buffet – Wikimedia – GNU Free Documentation License
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PROSTITUTES IN CAMP A PICTURE OF CHURCH APOSTASY
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“And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write… thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication… He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches” Revelation 2:12, 14, 17
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This above passage f
rom Revelation shows us that the story of how Balaam sending in Moabite prostitutes into the Jew’s camp, was really a prophecy of the churches of the 20th Century. Remember how it was impossible for Balaam to curse the children of Israel. But with one failed attempt after another, Balaam at last, taught the evil king to curse them in a much better way. He counseled Balak to send immoral women into the camp, causing the children of Israel to commit fornication. Thus many died in the camp from the judgment of God.
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STORY OF BALAAM WAS TO BE REPEATED
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But the Book of Revelation says this was to be repeated in the last days. No not literally, but spiritually.
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Listen to Revelation again… “I have a few things against thee, because you suffer that woman Jezebel, which calls herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation… and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.” Revelation 2:20-23.
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Notice here that not only is Balaam back, but the above verse shows us that Jezebel is back too! Oh, not literally, but spiritually. This was all about apostasy within the churches. This was all about “doctrines of devils” which had imperceptibly “crept in unawares”.
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Rembrandt_Balaam’s_Ass wikipedia pub.dom.
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“THE HIGH CALLING OF GOD”
Philippians 3:14
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“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,” Ephesians 3:20
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The Bible says that, “A little foolishness destroys a whole lot of wisdom”. Ecclesiastes. We are to perfectly reflect Christ. But the erring ones in the Church kept telling us “you can’t be perfect, so why try?” Well, whether or not we can be perfect, we are nevertheless to try. And God says he can do much more than we can imagine.
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Listen to this… “Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20, 21.
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So this verse raises the bar much higher than our teachers said was possible, on just how high we can go with Christ.
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So the question must be reiterated… “Is God going to put His seal of approval on such a materialistic crowd as we are, by performing signs and wonders through us?” And again the resounding answer comes back from Heaven… “No”.
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Francken Hieronymus the Younger Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins c 1616-wikipedia-pub -dom
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“GOD IS NOT THE AUTHOR OF CONFUSION”
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“I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me. I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good; and my sorrow was stirred.” Psalm 39:1, 2
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Another thing we must consider is this: “God is not the Author of confusion” (1st Corinthians 14:33). While Satan was permitted to perform various signs and wonders, God would never confuse the issue by also performing signs and wonders at the same time. Then we’d really have confusion, wouldn’t we? We wouldn’t know which way to turn, or who’s doing what! Remember the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal? Elijah waited patiently while those false prophets attempted to call fire down from heaven. Then after they were all finished, Elijah prayed, and fire came down from heaven.
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WAITING PATIENTLY FOR PROPHETS OF BAAL
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“And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they (prophets of Baal) prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded. And Elijah said 
unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down.” 1st Kings 18:29, 30
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There was no confusion. God waited until the false prophets were all through, before He allowed Elijah to pray.
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“Elijah the prophet came near, and said…O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that Thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again. Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.” 1st Kings 18:36
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But the point of all this is, that we weren’t to be casting stones at those deluded ones in the Christian Community. The point is that as the Christian saw these things occurring more and more in the Church-World, there came a point when it had to be admitted that truly, these signs and wonders occurring, must be the workings of Satan.
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Elijah and the two altars -1st Kings 18-38 – www.thebiblerevival.com – Public Domain
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MODERN-DAY APOCRYPHA
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What most failed to understand was, that the test for direct revelations from God was infinitely higher, than for some newly-proposed doctrine. In other words, a newly-proposed doctrine is merely an idea from a man, and 
must be in total harmony with all the rest of Scripture, in order to be accepted. And even then, it is subject to scrutiny and re-examination.
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But for someone to claim that he or she has received a direct word-for-word revelation from God, necessitates that revelation to be scrutinized as if it is the very Word of God! In other words, that direct revelation is equal with the Bible, and must be considered apocryphal in quality.
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IS GOD STILL WRITING SCRIPTURE?
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The Bible declares that “But He answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4.
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So if Man is to live by “EVERY WORD which proceeds out of the mouth of GOD”, then that would obviously include these so-called modern-day revelations. And if you have ever heard some of these so-called modern-day “revelations”, it is simply impossible to, even for one moment, consider these to be the Word of God!
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And anyway, the Bible was a completed Book 2,000 years ago. So God is no longer speaking the Word outside of the Bible, as He once did, while writing the Bible.
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ABOVE PICTURE: Holy Bible – cropped image – Wikimedia – Creative Commons Lic.
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“IN THE DAY…WHEN THE TOWERS FALL”
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” And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in t
he midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.” Luke 21:20-22
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The point is, it seemed as if we had reached that day, as Scripture states, “in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall.” Isaiah 30:25.
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No, there was not a literal slaughter. And no, it was not speaking of literal towers. But by searching the Scriptures, comparing spiritual things with spiritual, it is discovered that “towers” represented the churches and congregations (“O daughter of My people…I have set thee for a tower and a fortress among My people,” Jeremiah 6:26, 27). And spiritually speaking, the towers (churches) had been spiritually fallen.
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September 11 Photo Montage – by UpsateNYer & cropped image – Wikipedia share-alike lic.
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BLESSINGS NOW ON MOUNTAINS
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Now if a person wished to attend church, knowing this, the Lord did not stop him or her from doing so. But that person may just have discovered that the Gospel of Jesus Christ had been replaced with, “another Jesus…or…another spirit…or another gospel” 2nd Cor. 11:4. And that person may have found that the worldliness was steadily increasing.
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That is why this passage states… “And there shall be upon every high mountain, and upon every high hill, rivers and streams of waters in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall.” Isaiah 30:25.
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God here was telling us in spiritual terms, to “flee to the mountains”. And God was telling us here that He has provided the water of life on those hills and mountains. And yes, for those who choose to flee, they may no longer enjoy all the times of fun and friendship that they had in the days when they believed the towers had not yet fallen. Nevertheless, God will provide everything necessary for us, “upon every high mountain, and upon every high hill”, to attain rich fellowship with Him and spiritual victory in our lives.
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A Family of Deer in a Landscape with a Waterfall wikipedia public domain
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CHURCHES WERE A HOUSING FOR THE WHEAT
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“And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in Thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for Thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.” Revelation 14:15
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Now we were not to consider the idea of churches as a big mistake. No, the churches were provided by God
as a safe-housing for the wheat, until the time of the harvest. The churches were like the “husk” for wheat. And even though the history of Christianity was filled with violence and corruption for many centuries by the apostate churches in Europe, God still ordained the churches to be the safe-housing for His people. It’s just that God’s people had to worship in the mountains of Europe, far above the apostasy in the cities and villages below.
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The Bible repeatedly compares God’s dealings with His Church to a harvest. And God has patiently worked with His people through the centuries. But there came a time when the harvester had to separate the wheat from its housing. This was done on a windy day, when the breeze would carry away the chaff, and the wheat would fall to the ground.
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Avvakum-burned-1682_by_artist-Myasoyedov-1897-Wiki.-Pub-Dom..jpg
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TIME OF HARVEST
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And so the time came for the great harvest of the end. The winds of various false ideologies began blowing, and the apostate portion of the Church had been carried away with many false doctrines. God’s servants began calling God’s people to vacate the Babylonish churches. The wheat was to be put into the garner where it was to be milled, so to speak.
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Listen… “For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; The daughter of Babylon is like a threshingfloor, it is time to thresh her: yet a little while, and the time of her harvest shall come.” Isaiah 51:53
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Winnowing Vannage_du_riz,_Uttarakhand,_India wikimedia share-alike lic.
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JOHN THE BAPTIST
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John the Baptist came preaching a message of repentance to God’s people. His fiery warnings resonated with the people, partly because he put things in terms that the people could understand.
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Listen… “…but He that cometh…Whose fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His floor, and gather His wheat into the garner; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Matthew 3:11, 12
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Then came Jesus. And He embellished on John’s theme concerning the harvest of God’s people.
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Just listen to Jesus… “the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.” Matthew 13:39, 40.
And so, this concept of the separation of the wheat from the chaff at the harvest was pointing forward to the time of the end, when God was to finish His Salvation program by a separation of His True-Worshippers from the False-Brethren. Listen to Revelation…
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“And he ( the False Prophet of Revelation 13) causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” Revelation 3:16, 17.
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Saint_John_the_Baptist_and_the_Pharisees_-_James_Tissot wikipedia public domain
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WHAT MOUNTAINS WERE WE TO FLEE TO?
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“The LORD God is my strength, and He will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and He will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.” Psalm 3:19
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So the above verse speaks of a vastly different concept than the world can ever know: to walk upon the heavenly mountains…in one’s heart and mind.
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There are many, who had the idea that the Church would have to literally flee into the mountains and live in caves, and hide from black helicopters and bloodhounds. Because during the Dark Ages, many Christians were so persecuted, that they had to literally flee to the mountains! Such groups as the Waldenses, lived for centuries in the Alps, away from the persecuting power of the apostate and corrupt dominant church of Europe.
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The story of the persecuted Church during the Dark Ages is well documented by various men, such as The History of Protestantism by James Wylie. Another much shorter history might be found in Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, and many others.
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ABOVE PICTURE: WALDENSES HUNTED BY THE ARMIES OF ROME courtesy gutenberg.org public domain
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THE BIBLE IS A SPIRITUAL BOOK
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“Which things are an allegory” Galatians 4;24
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But we have a very different situation today. For one thing, our society has all but outlawed anyone who would literally flee to the mountains. God has permitted our governments to make it illegal to literally live up in the mountains, to a great extent. You would probably have to get permission from private land owners to do that!
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Nevertheless, we must not despair. God has not forgotten us! We just need to dig a little deeper into Scripture in order to rightly understand what God has in mind for us in the trial before us.
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Let’s remember the Biblical rule, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 1 Corinthians 2:14. We must compare “spiritual things with spiritual” in order to rightly understand how we are to flee to the mountains.
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“For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched…But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem…” Hebrews. 12:18, 22. So here we see that God speaks of a heavenly Sion! A heavenly Jerusalem!
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Martin, John-The Plains of Heaven-1851-1853 wikipedia public domain
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MOUNT ZION IS THE “HOLY MOUNTAINS”
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“And there shall be upon every high mountain, and upon every high hill, rivers and streams of waters in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall.” Isaiah 30:25
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The above passage promises that there will be “upon every high mountain, and upon every high hill, rivers and streams of waters” in the Day of the Lord. And so, by comparing spiritual things with spiritual, is this next passage 
offered as a proof text. Just listen…
“His foundation is in the holy mountains. The LORD loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God…And of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her: and the Highest Himself shall establish her. The LORD shall count, when He writeth up the people, that this man was born there….all My springs are in thee.” Psalm 87:1-3, 5-7 (condensed for clarity).
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So here it says that God’s people are born (again) in God’s Holy Mountains of Zion. But it also says that “all my springs are in thee.” But also, this Psalm further clarifies just which mountains that God is speaking of, when He says “flee to the mountains” It is Zion to which God’s people must flee. And if all God’s “springs are in thee” (Heavenly Sion), then this is obviously where God’s people are to flee to!
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But God says, “flee to the mountains” in the plural. So how is this reconciled? Simple. Just listen… “As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people from henceforth even for ever.” Psalm 125:2.
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So God here, is comparing Himself to mountains, in the plural sense. And just one more passage to nail down this concept of mountains being a metaphor… “Thy (God’s) righteousness is like the great mountains;” Psalm 36:6
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Elakala Waterfalls Swirling Pool Mossy Rocks – Wikimedia – Share-alike License
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THE HEART…THE TREASURE CHEST OF THE MIND
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So from the above verse, “For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched…But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jer
usalem…”, we now begin to see that the next verse must likewise be understood spiritually and not literally.
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Listen… “And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with Him an hundred forty and four thousand, having His Father’s name written in their foreheads.” Revelation 14:4.
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Do we really believe that God is going to have 144,000 with tattoos on their foreheads? Of course we don’t! God is painting a heavenly picture of His faithful ones. The “name” of God is His Word. And it is His Word that we, His Elect have been hiding in our hearts.
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Listen… “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee.” Psalm 119:11.
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So obviously, God knows where our brain is located. That is to say, this verse, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart” concerns our brain…our mind. This is where God’s name is to be found on a Believer. In the Believer’s mind. That is where our heart is. And it is this treasure chest called the heart, which is where God’s Word is kept safe.
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HEAVENLY ZION
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Likewise, to stand on Mount Sion (Zion) does not refer to that hill over there in Palestine. It refers to the same hill spoken of in Hebrews… “For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched…But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem…” Hebrews 12:18, 22.
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Isn’t God’s Word so marvelous!? God makes it so easy for us to understand these things…if we will just “rightly divide the Word of truth”. Obviously, we are to flee to Mount Sion; Heavenly Sion, that is! Another clue as to just what is Mount Zion, is found in this Psalm… “They that trust in the LORD shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever.” Psalm 125:1.
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Here we see that those who trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion. And this Mount Zion abides FOREVER, as the above passage states. Do you trust in the Lord? Then this verse applies to you too!
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ABOVE SKETCH: Flee To The Mountains: A concept picture, and not a true star-chart.
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HINDS’ FEET UPON MY HIGH PLACES…
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Now there are other verses which tell us just how and to where we must flee. Let’s take for instance this passage from Habakkuk…
“Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth…And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it….The LORD God is my strength, and He will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and He will make me to walk upon mine high places.” Hab. 1:4 & 2:2 & 3:19. So here we see that Habakkuk is a really simple book in one respect…
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1. It tells us the problem: the wicked are surrounding God’s people, causing them to err.
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2. It tells us what to do about the problem: “Run!”
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3. And it even tells us “where to run”. Listen again…
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“The LORD God is my strength, and He will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and He will make me to walk upon mine high places.”
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Thunderstorm in the Rocky Mountains Albert_Bierstadt_wikimedia US public domain
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SO WHERE ARE “MINE HIGH PLACES”?
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So where are the “mine high places” in which we are to run? Listen to Scripture…
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“and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth” Is. 58:14. Tie this verse together with this next verse… “And there shall be upon every high mountain, and upon every high hill, rive
rs and streams of waters in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall.”
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So again, from this passage, we see this same theme of escaping to the mountains. But that doesn’t answer our question of just where are “mine high places”?
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But the above verse gives us a clue as to just what are “mine high places”. It tells us that there will be a place of refuge in the day when the towers fall. What towers? The towers of the wicked. Those are the towers which will fall. But what about God’s towers? Will they fall too? No, no!
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Just listen… “The God of MY ROCK; in Him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, MY HIGH TOWER… He makes my feet like hinds’ feet: and sets me upon my high places.” 2 Samuel 22:3, 34.
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A_Family_of_Deer_in_a_Landscape_with_a_Waterfall-wikipedia public domain
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CHRIST THE SOLID ROCK!
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So God is our “Rock” and He is our “High Places”. God is the Mountain we are to flee to. He is the spiritual Mount Zion. Just listen… “As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people from henceforth even for ever.” Psalms 125:2.
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So God is comparing Himself to the mountains round about His people. So now we’re getting closer and closer to the real meaning behind God’s admonition to “flee to the mountains”.
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And here’s another passage… “And I will make all My mountains a way, and My highways shall be exalted.” Isaiah 49:11. So again, God is using mountains to symbolize the place of refuge for His people.
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Here 
is just one more verse… “But they that escape of them shall escape, and shall be on the mountains like doves of the valleys, all of them mourning, every one for his iniquity” Ezekiel 7:16.
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This verse is very prophetic and will have a dramatic fulfillment in these last days, as God’s Elect, who have departed from Babylon, will take refuge in those spiritual mountains, and mourn for our sins like doves of the valleys.
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“HIDE THYSELF…UNTIL THE INDIGNATION BE OVERPAST”
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“A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished.” Proverbs 27:12
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But let’s explore a little deeper, just where we ought to be in that Great Day of God Almighty. This above proverb gives us a big clue, as to just where God’s people need to be, prior to the soon-coming storm. The prudent (the wise) are not deceived by all the modern-day “peace & safety” preaching, telling them that they don’t need to worry, because th
e Church will be raptured away prior to the soon-coming time of trouble. Yes, the wise are preparing themselves for the great tribulation! The foolish “are at ease in Zion”! But there is much more on this subject.
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Listen to this… “Come, My people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. For, behold, the LORD cometh out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity…” Isaiah 26:20, 21.
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So now we see that we are to hide ourselves in our “chambers”. And we are to stay in our chambers till the indignation be over-past, when “the Lord comes out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth”. Now is God speaking of literal chambers? Here again, is a perfect example just how often God speaks metaphorically. The obvious answer is, of course not! Well, maybe we are to hide in our spiritual storm-shelter!
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ABOVE PHOTO: Hide Thyself – inspired by Tornado Over Kansas by Curry
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“SPIRITUAL THINGS SPIRITUALLY DISCERNED”
1st Corinthians 2:14
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“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 1st Corinthians 2:14
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We need to dig into the Word just like some Sherlock Holmes might do when trying to unravel a mystery. “It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.” Proverbs 25:2.
God has written so many parabolic stories and spoke so many metaphorical statements in the Scriptures, which the “unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.” 2nd Peter 3;16.
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So it is well, if we do not see God’s Word in parabolic metaphors, that we beg and plead for God to open the eyes of our understanding (“Open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law.” Psalm 119:18). And then we need to get out our “magnifying glass” and begin our detective work to solve these Bible mysteries.
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So having said all this, let’s take a look at one more very revealing verse about being hid…
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magnifying glass – wikimedia – share-alike license
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HIDING OURSELVES IN THE DAY OF WRATH
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“Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought His judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD’S anger.” Zephaniah 2:3.
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But let’s look at this next verse… “Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought His judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD’S anger.” Zep 2:3.
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He is here speaking to His true children. Well, who else besides His true children can be called “meek”, which “have wrought His Judgment”? But God here tells these meek and just ones that they must do more… “seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD’S anger.” Zep 2:3.
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So God is exhorting us here to really, really strive to be more Christ-like. This verse is exhorting Christians to not just walk, but run…to flee. But if you are like most of us, then how do you run, when you can hardly walk the Christian race?
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Well this next verse gives the answer… “I will run the way of Thy commandments, when Thou shalt enlarge my heart.” Psalm 119:32.
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So this verse tells us that running the Christian Race requires a larger heart. And this verse from Psalm 119 is an exhortation to pray for such a blessing. And Signs Of Heaven website is dedicated to revealing the things which will put us into a right position to receive such an enlarged heart.
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But just how are we to become more Christ-like? And just what chambers is the Lord speaking of here, when He says… “Come, My people, enter thou into thy chambers?
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ABOVE PHOTO: Hide Thyself – inspired by Tornado Over Kansas by Curry
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“THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS WITHIN YOU”
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The chambers which the Lord is speaking of here, are best illustrated by the following passage… “Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established: And by knowledge shall THE CHAMBERS be filled with all precious and pleasant riches. A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength. For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of c
ounsellors there is safety.” Proverbs 24:4-6.
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So here is the big payoff to where this entire article was taking us. This verse above pinpoints just where are the chambers that we are to hide ourselves. We are to flee to the chambers of our sanctified heart. This is where God is, if we are a true worshipper.
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Listen… “The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” Luke 17:20, 21.
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THE CHAMBERS OF THE HEART
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No, we are not to becom
e some withdrawn monkish introvert! Rather, we are to joyfully fill those chambers with God’s Word. And we are joyfully to let our inner light shine out to all with whom we come in contact with. The chambers of the heart: these are the chambers where we fight the good fight. These are the chambers from which we pray and have communion with God. These are the chambers in which the Word of God comes back to our remembrance, at just the time we need Divine guidance. And even if we are, say, a quadriplegic, we may still carry on our warfare against the forces of darkness. It is in the heart that we may possess an arsenal of artillery more powerful than any nation does possess. That man or woman, locked in a wheelchair or bed, can marshal vast armies through the humble prayer of faith.
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Blue lightweight wheelchair – wikimedia – creative commons license
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THE MOST HOLY PLACE IN THE HEART
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“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” 1st Corinthians 6:19, 20
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As this above passage states, God’s people are the Temple of the Lord. But God wants us to have the heart and mind of Jesus. And the Most Holy Place, containing the Ark, which contained the Law, was a picture of God’s heart, wherein was His Law (that is, His Word). The Most Holy Place in the Old Testament Temple was a picture of, not only the heart of God, but also it was a picture of the heart of Man, who is the Temple of God.
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After all, we have been chosen to be priests unto God, just as it is written… “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness…And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” Revelation 1:5, 6
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You are encouraged to read the Signs Of Heaven article, “Ark of the Covenant Constellation, Pt. 2: Entering Into The Most Holy Place”
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Priesthood – the Holy of Holies – www.thebiblerevival.com – Public Domain
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AN ARMY OF ONE
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And as we listen to God’s Word on our MP3 player or memorize a verse out of a pocket Bible, the chambers of our heart will become filled with all precious and pleasant treasures of wisdom knowledge. And our heart will become an extension of God’s Most Holy Place in Heaven. And then, with our heart filled with God’s Word, we may too be filled with that “peace of God, which passeth all understanding” Philippians 4:7.
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This previous passage (“the kingdom of God is within you.”), unlocks the secret to our featured verse… “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:” Matthew 24:15, 16.
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So, putting these two passages together, we get closer to where God is wanting us to go… This is where God is. “…behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” Luke 17:21.
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When God’s people finally realize that they cannot keep compromising with the world, there will be a revival this world has never seen. When God’s people cast their idols of silver and gold…well… let’s just let Scripture speak…
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“In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats; To go into the clefts of the ragged rocks, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of His majesty, when He ariseth to shake terribly the earth.” Isaiah 2:20, 21.
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This passage from Isaiah is a prophecy concerning today.
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“COME OUT FROM AMONG THEM”
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Unfortunately, the churches, to a great extent, had been fatally infected with the ungodly influence of the spirit of the world. The holiness of Christ had been all but lost sight of. And in His stead, the “nice” behavioral standard of the world had been substituted: back-slapping, joking, partying, giddiness, mundane conversations, and the like, were erroneously thought to be acceptable to a holy and reverent God. Nothing could be further from the truth! And we have all been guilty! And the Lord understood
how powerful was the ungodly influences both in the world and in the Church….
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“Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth.” Habakkuk 1:4
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But many Christians feel that they cannot do without their local congregation. They understand that the current standards are very low. But they feel they and their children would be lost without that connection. But many other families already have rich fellowship at home. They already have morning worship. And perhaps the children are home-schooled. Such families will not be so stressed when it comes time for them to leave the churches.
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But those families who do not have that worship time, and maybe both parents are working and the children attend public or semi-public church-schooling, this will be a great tribulation in itself. Such situations require heavenly wisdom and a complete surrender of self. But these kinds of unruly family situations may ultimately prove to be a great blessing, because they are the kind of cudgel often needed for the Believer to make that entire surrender of self.
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Casting out Money Changers – Carl Bloch – wikipedia – US public domain
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DON’T BE LIKE LOT, NOR LIKE HIS WIFE!
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But when God told Lot to flee, Lot also felt that he could not flee to the mountain. Listen… “I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die:” Genesis 19:19.
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Many Christians had the same problem that Lot had. They felt that they would spiritually die if they left their church. And like Lot’s wife, they looked back. But God wants us to have a rich personal relationship with Him. We need to lean completely on Him, and make Him our refuge during this coming tempest.
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Listen… “For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion: in the secret of His tabernacle shall He hide me; He shall set me up upon a Rock.” Psalm 27:5. God promises to provide springs of living water on every high hill, during this time before us.
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USMC – Prayer before Bible study – Wikimedia – Public Domain
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“TRULY OUR FELLOWSHIP IS WITH
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THE FATHER, AND WITH HIS SON…”
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But the Bible says… “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.” 1st John 1:3.
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But at any time in history, the 
Christian should not have been dependent upon church attendance in order to have fellowship. The Christian can and must be in direct fellowship with the Father and with the Son throughout his or her day, through the power of Christ’s Spirit of holiness. Through prayer and meditation upon the Bible, the Christian can enjoy rich communion with God, at home, at work, at recreation time, even in bed, or confinement.
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And as the Christian separates his or her self from all unnecessary un-Christ-like influences, that Christian will become ever increasingly in-tune to that guiding gentle breeze, known as the Spirit of Holiness, who ever-so-softly guides the Believer through his or her day. And this is how a Believer is to lead in the home, as well: as a gentle guiding breeze. Not a gale force wind!
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Woman with Bible – Braet von Überfeldt – 1866 – Wikipedia – US Public Domain.
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KINGDOM RESTORED
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“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; 
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;” 1st Corinthians 10:5
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From the above passage, it becomes clear that God’s ultimate goal is to restore the human heart back to the condition it was, prior to the fall of Man (“bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ”). All worldly graffiti (worldliness) must be washed off the walls of the soul temple. The human heart must be converted back into the Most Holy Place it was designed to be. The candlestick must be re-ignited, by the return of the Spirit of Holiness. All the worldly idols must be removed, and cast away. The golden bowl (our heart) must be refilled with Heavenly Manna (God’s Word). The Law must become written “upon the fleshly tables of the heart”.
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This is the work before us. It is a work which will require total dedication. There’s no more time for my selfish little desires & pursuits. Only those who are willing to forsake all, and follow Jesus, will victoriously overcome the world! Salvation is by grace alone. But grace is not alone. It is followed by works. God’s works upon the human heart.
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“TIME OF JACOB’S TROUBLE”
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“Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his 
loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness? Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.” Jeremiah 30:6, 7
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But don’t begin to think this will become some group effort. The Time of Jacob’s Trouble is now fully come. But it will grow even more intense. Yet even now, it is a one-on-one wrestling match between the Christian and his or her God: “Mono-y-mono” as the popular phrase goes. It will be a time when God’s fruit will be brought to perfection, within the heart of the wrestling Christian. And God’s Church, His Elect must give birth to Christ. This will be those labor pains, which prophecy foretold would come. Every man’s hands (and every woman’s too) shall be upon his loins (the heart & mind). This will be an excruciating experience, to say the least.
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But then, finally will come the dawning of the day. Then shall that Daystar, the Sun of Righteousness arise in our hearts. Then shall the Church give birth to Christ. And afterward, our great sorrow will turn to joy, after deliverance has been accomplished, and “Mazzaroth (Christ) will have been brought forth in His season.” Job 38:32, 33.
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Jacob – Wikimedia-US – Public-Domain
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THE END
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NEXT ARTICLE:
THE ABOMINATION IN MY OWN HEART
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Well, we’ve discussed the issues of the Abomination of Desolation in the Holy Place (the Church). But there is another Holy Place that must be addressed. The Holy Place of the heart. At least it should be a Holy Place! But is it? And is there a possibility that the Abomination of Desolation is standing in my own personal Holy Place? Well, that is the topic to be explored in Part 3 of “Fleeing to the Mountains”
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A HEAVENLY HOBBY
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“Lift up your eyes on high, and behold Who hath created these things; that brings out their host by number: He calls them all by names by the greatness of His might, for that He is strong in power; not one faileth.” Isaiah 40:26
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The above verse is a plea from God to look up at the Heavens and behold Who has created these 
things.
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In this busy work-a-day world, there are many very interesting things which can occupy one’s time and energy: hobbies, and careers, and entertainments and 
worries, and habits, to name just a few.
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But as the child of God devotes his or her life to God, there should be a jealous guarding of one’s own heart… “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” Proverbs 4:23.
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The Christian wants nothing to get in the way of running that Christian Race.
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New York Times Square – terabass – cropped image – Wikipedia – Share-alike License
Shoppers in Toronto – cropped image – Wikimedia – share-alike license
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“AND WHEN YE SEE THESE THINGS…
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LOOK UP, LIFT UP YOUR HEAD”
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But having said this, there is one hobby which every ‘Noble Berean’ may take up, which only compliments the pursuit of the heavenly Prize.
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Yes, Signs Of Heaven becomes a wonderfully rewarding hobby which, unlike many less meaningful hobbies, pays off with rich, heavenly rewards. Everlasting rewards!
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And unlike the person in this photo with equipment, all you need is fairly good vision, and a dark, starry night.
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And once a person really gets to know these heavenly messengers, it will become very apparent that the message connected with these signs is truly a message to be heeded.
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Thus will the Christian be able to share this message with others. And there are perhaps many nuances and hidden biblical truths to these signs which have yet to be discovered.
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Astronomy Amateur – cropped image – Wikipedia – share-alike license
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“And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;” Luke 21:25
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ABOVE CHART: Summer Constellations with Doves (Sagittarius) & Woman (Ursa Major)
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FIRST FIND ORION & 7 STARS
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The very first step in finding these many constellations, should be to find the two main constellations: Orion, and the 7 Stars (aka, The Big Dipper).
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These two constellations represent Christ (Orion), and His Chur
ch (7 Stars).
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And just as these are the easiest constellations to find, so too, the first place to begin studying the Bible is the Four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John).
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These four books present Christ and His Church, when He walked the earth, just as Orion and the 7 Stars represent Christ and His Church, as seen up in the heavens.
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Then, once you are comfortable finding these two constellations, you can begin to locate the next closest constellations, and so on.
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ABOVE PICTURE: Orion the Soldier and the Revelation 12 Dragon (Hyades & Pleiades, etc.) – winter constellations – www.signsofheaven.org – not for commercial use
ABOVE PICTURE – 7 Stars Constellation as the Cross (aka Big Dipper) – winter – signsofheaven.org – not for commercial uses
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ANOTHER HEAVENLY HOBBY: PRAYER-WALKS
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Now if you’re fortunate enough to be able to go on nightly walks, and you live in an area where you can safely view the stars, here is another Heavenly Hobby which Signs Of Heaven endorses…
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Why not combine star-watching with prayer, as you walk? What a great way to draw closer to God!
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It cannot be over-stressed, just how wonderful it is to walk under the dark canopy of Heaven, while lifting up one’s heart to our Heavenly Father! There is a closeness to God that cannot be described with words!
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(And even if you cannot safely do this, you can always do such prayer-walks in the daytime, in a safe place, such as a mall, which is every bit as effective, prayer-wise.
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And for those who are in confinement, one can view these starry signs on the Internet, or simply listen to Scripture on audio.
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Either way, all such may enjoy God’s richest blessings at this very time in which God is pouring out all Heaven’s treasures upon anyone willing to forsake all, and follow Jesus!)
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Starry Night at La Silla – cropped and latered image – Wikipedia – share-alike license
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THRICE-DAILY PRAYERS
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Now of course, the Bible commands us to, “pray without ceasing“. The Christian is to constantly talk with our Heavenly Father throughout the day.
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But the Bible also holds up the godly life of Daniel, who, when captive in Babylon, still set aside three times daily, in which he knelt for special prayer.
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And furthermore the Bible also says… “Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and He shall hear my voice.” Psalm 55:17.
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Even those who are bed-fast or in a prison cell can begin to imitate Daniel in this way. And if one is fortunate to be able to walk, then this thrice-daily prayer regimen can be combined with three walks daily and even nightly.
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Marines at Prayer by Alex Raymond – Wikimedia – public domain