If Christmas is coming, then Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Wait. What? Wasn’t it summer just a few weeks ago? How can it be time to begin Christmas shopping? But each time I step into a store, I am reminded that Christmas truly is just around the corner. That means we are almost on top of Thanksgiving.

Spring is my favorite season, followed by Summer. Autumn and Winter are at the bottom of my list. I seriously dislike snow, ice, and frigid cold. It would be great if I could slow the passage of time during the warmer months and speed it up during the cold months. But I can’t. So this year, I have asked God to please help me to find joy during the cold of Winter.

I am surprised how quickly I am falling into the coming season. My bah-humbug attitude concerning that four-letter word, SNOW, is being replaced with an inner warmth and anticipation. Christmas is coming!

​Oh, I’m not excited about the shopping and crowds, the cooking and baking, or the possibility of snowstorms or blizzards. No, my excitement is grounded in celebrating the birth of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this”. Isaiah 9:6-7

During this season, our Christmas focus is on the birth of baby Jesus. The Words in Isaiah, however, do not focus on the baby boy born. But rather, the risen King who will return again. “The government will be on his shoulders.” “He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” “Of the greatness of His government and peace there will be no end.” He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.” “The zeal of the LORD (Yahweh) Almighty will accomplish this.”

Isaiah’s prophecy speaks of a time yet to come. Jesus will come again, and we, his followers, will be with him! How glorious! My Christmas excitement and anticipation begin and end in this incredible fact. My Lord and Savior will come again! And we who have asked Jesus to be our Savior will be with Him. We will be in His Glorious presence for Eternity.

But wait! Something vital must happen before Jesus comes back again. That’s where Thanksgiving comes in. The Rapture must happen! Before Jesus comes back to earth again, He will come in the clouds and gather His Bride to Him. We do not know the day or the hour; it could even be while you read this. Wouldn’t that be incredible!

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”

Anyone who knows me well knows how I feel concerning Bible Prophecy. Some understand, some don’t. God did not give us His prophetic Word to scare us but to prepare us. My hope lies in God’s Prophetic Word. And I hope that your does as well.

God placed an urgency in my heart to study His Prophetic Word and share it. And that is precisely what I am doing and will continue to do as long as He leads me. (Just a heads-up for future articles.)

The days and weeks are speeding past, and Christmas will be here before we know it. I pray that we all will take time to celebrate the birth of baby Jesus and the true meaning behind His birth. Yes, Jesus was born to ultimately die on the cross to save us from our sins and to rise again. But the story, as glorious as it is, does not end there. The day will come, soon and very soon, when we, all believers in Christ, will meet Jesus in the air! The dead in Christ will rise first, and then we who are alive will
follow. I can’t wait!!!!

I pray that our hearts will be filled with renewed excitement at the thought of His imminent return.

“Emmanuel, (Emmanuel, Emmanuel), Emmanuel.
Emmanuel, (Emmanuel, Emmanuel), Emmanuel.
Wonderful, Counselor! Lord of life, Lord of all;
He is the Prince of Peace, Mighty God, Holy One!
Emmanuel, Emmanuel, Emmanuel…”
 
Remember, just as signs point to the coming of Christmas, signs all around point to Christ’s second coming. But, also remember that just as Thanksgiving comes before Christmas, the Rapture happens before the Second Coming. And Jesus said that it will be in the twinkling of an eye. Hallelujah and Praise the Lord!

Hu Yavo (Hebrew - He will come)
Sandy Wells
Please take a moment to enjoy Michael W Smith singing "Emmanuel". 

“If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. 4“And you know the way where I am going.”
 
 5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” 
 
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. 7“If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.” John 14:3-7.
 
A few years ago, during the benediction, a former pastor stood before the church and announced, “Yes, you can get to heaven on your good works.” My jaw dropped. His statement went entirely against the Word of God.
 
 4” But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by Grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his Grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by Grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Eph. 2:4-10

To say that we get to heaven because of our good works leaves Jesus out entirely. It says that He died for nothing. It communicates that Jesus and His sacrifice are irrelevant. His death and resurrection were for naught.

We are saved by God’s amazing Grace. As a Believer in Christ, our good deeds are to bring God glory, not to pave our path to heaven. Without Jesus, our good works are an empty attempt to bring ourselves glory.

On another occasion, during the benediction, this pastor waved his hand over the congregation and announced, “None of you will be left behind.” Again, my jaw dropped.

This supposed pastor is not God. He has not looked upon the pages of The Lamb’s Book of Life. A person may come to church every Sunday. They may have been proud members of the church for fifty years. They may serve on every committee. And, yet they could very well be left behind when Jesus comes for His church.

Being a church member does not necessarily mean the person has accepted Jesus as their savior. Their parents and grandparents may have been church members, causing the person to think that they are grandfathered into Christianity. Wrong!

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16

While I write articles concerning prophecy to do with the last days, I would be remiss omitting the truth concerning our need for salvation. Some choose to believe that there are many ways to heaven, performing good works being one way. Placing faith in Jesus as the one and only way seems ridiculous to these people. They choose to create their personal gospel, forming it into a nice, neat package that fits their lives.

Jesus was clear when he said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man comes to the Father but through me.”

How about you?

Have you asked Jesus to forgive you of your sins and to come into your heart? Remember, absolutely nothing must happen before the Rapture. So, the question is—Will you be going or staying?

The choice is yours.

I love clouds. I have met very few clouds that have not caused me to marvel. Even a certain amount of splendor exists in the deepest, darkest storm cloud. The power surging within their billowing masses is both breathtaking and frightening. As impressive as storm clouds are, I am not a fan of the impending tempests.

I must admit that one of my favorite cloud formations is the cumulus nimbus. Those magnificent, puffy, mountainous masterpieces appear to rise from the horizon, overwhelming in their grandeur. Backlit by the sun, they are brilliant; engulfed in the radiance of sunset, they burn like the brightest fire. Only our God could create such all-encompassing beauty.

I love watching the clouds race across the sky on windy days. I am reminded of a verse from the Bible: “Sing to God, sing in praise of his name, extol him who rides on the clouds; rejoice before him--his name is the LORD.” Psalm 68:4. I can envision God with arm raised and hair blowing, riding the galloping clouds—and I rejoice before Him.

How many of us have lain on the grass, much like Charlie Brown, searching the clouds for shapes: an elephant, a horse, a bunny, an angel? Children are best at this. Their young minds are still filled with imagination and wonder, and this wonder spills out into the clouds above. Their young eyes gleam as they discover a magical animal floating over their heads. They laugh with glee as the form changes shape, and they find yet another treasure. Ah, to be young.

​My love of clouds runs deep. Deeper than the most fantastic formations. Deeper than the most radiant sunset burning through the swollen masses. My fascination for clouds runs as deep as my faith in my Lord Jesus and His promise for believers.

“16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to rise. 17 After that, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so, we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore, encourage one another with these words.” 
​1 Thessalonians 4:16-18.

Can you imagine? ! God’s Word says this will happen in the twinkling of an eye. That’s fast! There will be no five-minute countdown. This is why Jesus warned: “No one knows that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” Matthew 24:36.

This is why we must be vigilant. “Therefore, keep watch because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So, you must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” Matthew 24:42-44.

I once heard a pastor say that when we see Christmas decorations go up, we know Thanksgiving is around the corner. The decorations are a sign of what is to come, Christmas. But before Christmas is Thanksgiving.

Before the 2nd coming of Christ is the Rapture. While specific events must occur before Jesus returns, all foretold in prophecy, nothing need happen before the trumpet sounds and we meet Jesus in the clouds. 

​I cannot wait! 

It is the first day of Spring! I feel the excitement of the season building inside of me.

We have endured a long, cold winter. We survived blizzards and ice storms. Both of which we haven’t had, in our neck of the woods, for quite a few years. I can’t say that I missed them.

But today is the first day of Spring! So even though snow is still on the ground and the temperature is colder than I like, we have the promise of Spring.

Robins, Red-winged Blackbirds, and finches are again flocking to our feeders. A sure sign of warmer weather. The days are getting longer, and the sun shines brighter. All bringing a smile to my face.

Next on the scene will be the first tiny shoots of bright spring flowers. Oh, what joy!

My heart on this beautiful day is filled not only with the joy of Spring, whose signs are all around. My heart is overflowing with elation and anticipation of our Lord’s return.

During the coldest, stormiest days of this past winter, I held onto the hope of Spring. Winter would last only a season; it could not go on forever. Spring would come!

As we endure the storms and chaos that have enveloped our nation and world, we can hold tight to hope. The Hope.

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, that where I am, you may be also.” John 14:1-3

God has given us His prophetic Word to prepare us, lead and guide us, and give us hope. I heard it said that God’s prophetic Word is more accurate than the evening news. The evening news brings doom and gloom. God’s Word brings strength, joy, and absolute truth.

God’s Word brings Hope!

​So, just as we find joy and hope as we witness the beautiful signs of Spring, we can also rejoice as we see through given signs the promise of His return.

"For God so love the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16

It was the Last Supper. Jesus knelt on the floor and washed the feet of his apostles. He then announced that one of them would betray him, the one to whom he gave the morsel of bread—Judas. After receiving the bread, Judas walked out into the night to do his dirty deed.

Jesus sat with the remaining eleven, mere hours from suffering and dying a horrible death. This would be his final opportunity to speak to and teach his closest friends what lay ahead.

John 13: 33, NIV, “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.”

John 13:36, NIV, Simon Peter asked him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.”

John 14:1-9, NIV, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”

Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know Him and have seen Him.”

Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”

Jesus answered, “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.”

After being with Jesus for three years: hearing His teachings, witnessing His miracles, and experiencing God in the flesh, His apostles still did not grasp who He was. I can only imagine how Jesus’ heart must have ached.

To offer them hope, Jesus prophesied about a time yet to come. “I go to prepare a place for you, and I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” The hope Jesus offered to the remaining eleven, He offers to all believers.

According to God’s Word I believe the next event on God’s prophetic timeline is the Rapture. All though specific events must happen before the second coming of Christ at the end of the seven-year tribulation, absolutely nothing needs to happen before the Rapture.

With that said I will ask the question. Have you asked Jesus into your hearts? Because remember what Jesus said. “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. That whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”
 

To blog or not to blog, that is the question. Although I have written inspirational articles for many years, blogging is not my strong suit. But, after much thought and prayer, I’m jumping in. So here goes.

As I mentioned throughout this site, I have studied Bible prophecy for many years. However, I didn’t say how incredibly inept I felt most of the time. Bible prophecy is deep; I only stood ankle-deep in the great ocean of God’s Word for the first years.

Waves of prophecy lapped about my ankles, beckoning me into deeper water. But that deeper water seemed, for me, beyond my reach. Yet, the desire to learn and understand God’s prophetic Word grew by leaps and bounds, and before I knew it, I had ventured deeper and deeper into this great, life changing ocean.

I will be the first to admit that I have a horrible memory. And in the beginning, I honestly forgot more than I had learned. But over the years, my old brain began soaking in God’s Prophetic Word like a thirsty sponge.

My desire to study and learn Bible prophecy has ignited a full-blown passion. I know, without a doubt, this is from God.

Have you ever asked why you were born at this time or wished you had been born at a different time in history? I know I did. But I am so incredibly thankful to be living now! I believe with all my heart that I and each of us are here “for such a time as this.”

I feel God has placed the purpose and mission in my heart to spread His amazing Prophetic Word. To open hearts and minds to the hope that comes through Jesus Christ. God did not give us prophecy to scare us but to prepare us.

​So, I hope you will join me in this incredible journey into God’s prophetic Word. Step into the water.