God's Right to Fulfill the Promised Land

Below is a comment I made on a discussion board concerning  Israel right to the Promised Land. It's scriptural  information concerning God's promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It is clear that God made the declaration and it ought to be clear he is still going to perform it for them.  It is quite contradictory for us as Christians to not see this promise that God is ready to fulfill in a way and on a scope totally unable to be grasp when Israel was elected over 3,000 years ago. I personally do not know where to draw God's line on the political front which is always hot news in the Middle East.  But I come to realize it is God's word which has declared it and it is based on the burden the Jews had to endure being elected by God.

 What moved me to write the article below is because a gentile christian  thinks the Church is the true Jews and there is no more promise land nationally speaking. Hence Israel has no recourse for their actions.  I responded with a historical account and the everlasting covenant God established thru Abraham.  When all is said and done it isn't Israel that made the promise,it is God who made it and it was unconditional. The only missing component was when. 

My dissertation to her comments are the following: 

.....There is still a biblical Jewish line in effect because of God's power of election. There is still a physical blood line for the inheritance that runs thru the 12 Tribes of Jacob who is the younger of the twins. Esau does not have an inheritance it was sold and God gave it to the younger. Abraham was told by God to agree with Sarah who wanted Hagar and her son Ishmael, the first son of Abraham out of the house. For the Lord told Abraham in Genesis 21: 12 "And God said unto Abraham; Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad and because of the bondwoman. In all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice, for in Isaac shall thy seed be called." 

Isaac birthed the twins from the same woman of course Rebekah, his second wife and in Genesis ch 25:23 "And the Lord said unto her (Rebekah); two nations are in thy womb and two manner of people shall be seperated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people and the elder shall serve the younger" in verse 34 "Esau despised his birthright" and sold it to Jacob. 

Gen 28:41 "And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing that his father blessed him. Then Esau said in his heart, the days of mourning for my father are at hand , then will I slay my brother Jacob. Jacob wrestled with God and had his name changed to Israel. Jacob "Israel" birthed the 12 twelves sons/ tribes that becomes God anointed line for the messiah to come. This same group becomes the greater population of Israel the nation. God in his word dictates this lineage as the election. The devil uses flesh and blood to resist God on every hand of the move of God.

Abraham remarried after Sarah died and birthed even more sons and daughters but none were chosen specifically as Jacob was. There is no significance about being the siblings of Abraham...none whatsoever. It is historical honesty on the part of God to tell us the life of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob...both the good and the not so good. It carries little spiritual relevance on it's own. The most critical fact is God is revealing that Jacob is the line for the messiah and the line for the building up of a nation to come.  Clearly there are other offsprings of Abraham but it is God who elects not men who contend night and day with God's election all the while ignoring the grace given to all other nations during this time and through out the ages!! Israel was elected but also had a higher standard to live up to because of it. God had them document their successes and every bit of their failures for ultimately our example of how to relate to the God of all of us. It is an awesome plan by God with the blood, sweat and tears of the Jews shown without bias. 

As a gentile Christian I and we are adopted into the family of Abraham by our faith in Christ who is a descendant of Abraham through the tribe of Judah.  My adoption does not overrule the Jewish lineage which God has continued to keep in tact through out the ages any more than an earthly father adoption of another child does not overrule his own children by blood. They both partake of the promises and the inheritance and neither ought to be jealous of the other! But there is the rub, my friends! When all is said and done God has every right to give what he wants to whom he wants. And His Word has already spoken it. The mystery was not if but when God would deliver.  

As an adopted child of the same God, who was not elected to bear such a burden,  I am just honored to be a part of the family of God by faith.  Invited for worship and under the throne of His grace in Jesus name. For in Romans Ch 11 it is also the declaration of the Holy Spirit that Zion the Deliverer shall come and turn away ungodliness (unfairness....unrighteousness) from Israel. God is preparing to perform Grace and favor for His elected when the unbelief of the world magnifies itself to come down even into the Valley of Jehoshaphat to destroy them. This is the location of the Battle of Armageddon, my brethren and it's just a matter of who side we are on.  

As Christians, let us have our eyes opened to this reality lest many fail God as was done on Calvary's Hill. Let us hold no envy, jealousy neither conceit nor is it about being boastful of ourselves but humble   in our adopted role because God used the election of Israel to be an example for the Church and our lives has been blessed because of it. As a result, their burden ought to be lifted and their promise ought to fulfilled. A crucified savior was no surprise to God for the beauty of it became grace to the Church. Now it is time to lift the burden of  a people and nation he used and it is truly God's right to do it. 

Let the Church Be in Prayer

 From Psalms 109:1-5 "Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise; for the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me. They have spoken against me with a lying tongue. They compassed me about also with words of hatred and fought against me without cause. For my love they are mine adversaries; but I give myself to prayer. And they have rewarded me with evil for good and hatred for my love."

This a psalms by King David expressing his love for God and his fellowman and how he is often met with discontent and hatred for it. If you replaced the nouns with the word christians it would highlight our same predicament as we seek to praise God and reach out to others. The strong yet unwarranted anti- christian atmosphere is prevalent everywhere. It is most pronounce as same-sex marital rights spearheads the charge against us as discriminatory and downright unloving. This is not just a USA issue, it is a world drive for equality which is pressing on many nations in an area of human life unprecedented . Today in the news, Russia itself is grappling with it's momentum and key policy changes in such a stoic nation sits on Putin's desk.

As believers in Christ we really don't have any enemies because we are called to love our enemies and to live in peace sharing the good news of the gospel for salvation sake. It seems we are being targeted without just cause and hated though for many of us our desire is to love others in order to bring others to that marvelous hope in Christ. We work our salvation trembling in the reverence, not the fear of our God and seeking his direction as we give him our praise.

As I read  Psalms 109 this morning, it struck me deeply spirit to Spirit, the Church predicament.  The Church position has been to love the sinner but hate the sin. In hating the sin what is really being said is that the sin represent poison to the success of salvation and renders nullifies it. The basic principle is our sins of which none are to be excused must be confessed and turned away from. The church should be doing this in love and not in anger or with a condemning attitude but sometimes we do. David says "For my love they are mine adversaries" and that is what it seems we have received which is a stiff rebuke. Christians are being seen as discriminatory and the media and special interest groups come at us without a just cause. Waiting for one mistake in our biblical perspective. It seems we are being rewarded with our good by being called judgmental and without love for our fellow man. 

But what did David do as he was frustrated by the negative opinions of others concerning his love for them? He gave himself over to prayer. He did not fight them or force his God on them with a cry for revenge. David felt something for them and knew vengeance was the Lord's not his. And so must we. We must continue to pray for our strength to endure the rejection and yet pray that the adversaries receive the love of God thru Jesus Christ and have so much more than what little they have gained among themselves. Prayer also brought peace to David for in Philipians 4:6-7 "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving and let your requests be made known unto God and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Let the churches give themselves over to prayer for without we ay take matters in our own hands and in anger sin more.

The Bride & The New Jerusalem.

The Church is often described as the bride of Christ and rightfully so because Jesus loves his church as a groom loves his bride.  But in addition to that is some scripture in the book of Revelations  which provides some greater insight as to the designation of bride.  This is a case where the term "bride"  has both a symbolic and literal description and both are quite valid. I do not hear much about the new Jerusalem in my circle of christians but I reviewed it considering the Spirit's advise to read this wonderful book of the future. 

To be technical....the Bride is actually a city and it's called the New Jerusalem. For it is written in Revelations 21: 2-3 "And I, John, saw the holy city, new Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven and prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God"...... And it continues Rev 21: 9-10 " And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues and talked with me, saying, Come hither for I will show the the bride, the Lamb's wife. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven."

It appears that Christians are as a bride to Christ symbolically but are shared citizens that dwell within the New Jerusalem whose names being written in the Lamb's book of Life. It's members fall into several major categories: 1)The New Testament believers in Christ (Resurrected and Raptured saints) have entry. 2) Old Testament Jews and Gentiles who believed in the God of Israel and looked forward to a messiah to come and please include Abel who died righteous in the atonement of his sin which God gave favor. I wonder if Adam will be there for he communed with God like no other and may have been quite repentant. It's an interesting thought. 3) So also do those Tribulation saints whose lives were lost by the shedding of their blood in Christ name in the final call of God's grace.

The Bride is actually a city of which has a various groups of citizens who all gave proper atonement of their sins in looking forward to a savior to come as God revealed it in past ages. The names that border the walls of the New Jerusalem are the Jewish patriarchs which God used to reach all the Gentiles of the world in breathing His Spirit upon them to write the Holy Scriptures. Suffice it to say, it is incorrect to consider the NT Church to be the exclusive bride of Christ. God does not forget the deeds of others he has touched!

I think sometimes, we need to loose things on earth to prepare the things that are coming from heaven.  For the Bible states whatever is loosed or bound on earth shall be likewise in heaven. We need to cast darkness aside in preparation of awakening the sleepy and slumbering ones to be caught up by the hope of the rapture. Clearly we need to be found walking in the power of God's vision just as it is given by his Word. There is a tearing down in order to build up! The Old Jerusalem is preparing to be a faded memory which men die over in it's final and greatest of conflict because the New Jerusalem comes down from heaven and is not made with the hands of men. In it shall be our mansion of many rooms! I feel a sense of utterance and shall go forward with it.

The current Jerusalem is a "cup of trembling" in the world today as prophesied by Ezekiel that it would be when Israel would come back as a nation. It is the center of the conflict among the Arabs and the Jews and it must play itself out among those who seek physical dominion. It has it's history and it has it's purpose for prophetic realities but peace is far from it and tensions will mount. It will be the "table of negotiations" that sets the terms and conditions that define where men stand before God. And it will set the stage that in a day God will stand before them in their unbelief! Such is the valley of decision and it will have served it's purpose.

And then comes the New Jerusalem for His Nation and for His Church and all to His Glory and given over to His Son as the Lion of Judah who rules the earth with His rod of love. And the waters shall be pure and the tress shall drink of it and their leaves shall bring a healing to the nations that remain and the people that remain after the valley of decision shall come and see the New Jerusalem. And we as ambassadors shall go forth and declare the good news of a Savior to the Gentiles and a Messiah to the Jews our Lord Jesus who has his seat in the Temple of God in Jerusalem. And then there shall be peace...lasting peace at last. Let our voices ring before the sound of the Trump as a show of faith working mightily within us! Blessing..my fellow servants. 

God’s Giving Without Measure End’s The Birdfight Among Men

Amazing how God can reveals things to you when you least expect it. I had decided to go out for lunch and went to one of my favorite places Pei Wei. I ordered my meal and decided to eat outside in the patio area. While waiting for the waiter to bring my order, I saw a woman walk across the parking lot and she saw me with a glance as she walk into the restaurant.  A few minutes later, she appeared on the patio and with all the empty tables around sat at the table directly in my line of sight and she sat in the chair which faced me. This was a direct line of sight, eye to eye, which I thought was unusual for a seating selection with plenty of more private seating available by the curbside tables. 

After sitting, within a minute she spoke small talk about feeding the birds that were nearing the tables. Small wrens were looking for food and perhaps were expecting me to give them some food since my order had just arrived. During the small talk I mentioned that if I toss the food we could be flooded with birds.  Finally, her order came and she prayed over her food and begin to eat. Mainly, due to her comments I decided to toss a few grains of rice to the birds.  And I do mean a few grains because technically you could count how many I tossed on the ground. The birds came within seconds and suddenly birdfights were in the making among the birds over what little there was. 

I noticed the lady had the very same meal I had, it was identical in everyway which is not easy to do at Pei Wei’s because of the different sides you can choose. After speaking with the waiter, a few minutes later the waiter brought to her table an extra side order of rice which was quite a large portion. As I watched her, the lady took one scoop of rice for herself and then threw what was left over the railing on the sidewalk. It was a huge portion of rice for the birds forcing anyone walking on the sidewalk to step around it. Without a further word she finished her lunch and promptly left. 

As I watched the birds go at the rice, there was no birdfight. What appeared to be a big mess on the sidewalk was instead a provision set aside for one of God’s creatures. It also seem to be relaying a truth to me about the gift of giving.  I had tossed a few grains of rice when I had so many to give even if it was just a tablespoon worth. On the other hand,  she gave without measure to the birds and the fighting was over.  

It was peculiar how all this happened and it required of me to perhaps examine myself and my giving to others not just birds.  Surprisingly though, that was not the case. Later in the week a thought came upon me concerning this event that brought closure concerning the provisions of God.  It was more about the prophetic significance of two world systems one of promise and one in the present. God was speaking that while the multitude of men are preparing for war in the Valley of Jehoshaphat for so few miles of land known as Israel, God is preparing to give to all who believe in Him in the person of Christ a New Jerusalem. For believers there is to come mansions of many rooms including provisions that has no end. The inner voice summed it up as God’s promises to the Church is for the purpose of ending the “birdfight” for the things of this world for those who choose to wait on the Lord. 

As I observe the battle to yet come over so little for the things of this world, scritpure’s says vengenace will be the Lord’s in the valley of decision.  But to His Church we will be set on a hill due to our faith and hope in Jesus whose giving without measure has been deomstrated on the Calvary Hill.  For it is written in  in  Revelations 21:2-7 “I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.  He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”  He who was seated on the throne said, I am making everything new! Then he said, Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.  He said to me: It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.” I am at rest in Him and lay down my arms for in me the birdfight is over, therefore be content and at rest in the Hope of a Kingdom to Come. 

Comforted by Hope in Christ..Such is the Rapture

As one who believes in a Pre Tribulation rapture, I lean heavily on 1Thess 4:13-18 which continues into ch 5: 1- 3 which reads "But of the times and seasons you have no need that I should write to you. For you know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say "Peace and safety" then sudden destruction comes upon them etc....". I feel this is the season when the Rapture shall occur. It appears to be at a time of great exaltation of peace at last among the nations and certainly between Israel and the Arab nations. This would indicate that the Church is here to see this climatic event or at least the potential for it's fulfillment. For the Church it ought to seal the deal that the "season and times" of the nearness of Christ return is upon us. He will be at the door ready to take up those who have believed by faith in Him.

I do believe that before the treaty is signed that a collapsed world economy, including North America, could erupt. And that could test our faith without us having to actually be in the tribulation period. It is a collapsed situation that could bring about desperate solutions, by any means necessary, with new leaders and their ideas brought on board from around the world and certainly in the Middle East. It is God's call when He will turn things over to the Antichrist due to a world of unbelief.

The problem I see with the Church in the tribulation period, such as mid and post tribulation, is I just don't see many survivors to be raptured. When I think of the "elect", they appear to be to those who are specifically anointed by God for a specific purpose. The Seven year judgement of God in the Book of Revelation still demonstrate his wonderful grace in operation but with a different administration at work. Instead of Gentiles preaching the gospel, God is using men of Jewish descent. One group that is elected so to speak is the 144,000 sealed Jewish ministers. Another group elected are the 2 witnesses in Jerusalem. This is God's grace at work after the Church is raptured and the gospel continues. The 'tribulations saints" will become believers during this time but will not be empowered to lead the cause but die to it! I don't see scripture considering them elect but that they are to be blessed for their courageous conversion under extreme duress.

God gives us enough facts to have faith but never enough facts to live without faith. Prophecy is a work of art the way our Lord has written it down for us and the church is commanded to covet prophecy. The word covet in scripture is almost universally thought of as a prerequisite to idolatry. Coveting is an act of worshiping something other than God but it is written in  1Corinthians 14:39 "Wherefore  my brethren covet to prophesy and forbid not the speaking of tongues".  For us to see so much of God's written word moving before us after so long of a time is a testament to the God we serve. None of us will get the total picture because we see things vaguely like through a dark glass. 

Now it is 2,000 years later since apostle Paul wrote those words. The question I ask is can we see better through the dark glass now? If it's any consolation, I am beginning to see what lies on the other side of the glass bottle. Hindsight is helping to give me 20/20 vision and the Holy Spirit by the words of scripture is confirming so and yet it is still by faith and not by knowledge. God revelations concerning endtimes advises us to covet prophecy to avoid potential for error in judgement. God's doctrine of being caught up gives up hope if we want to believe it. But blessed are those who believe and have not seen the Christ but do hear his Voice by studying the scriptures and looking for Christ appearing. After all the years, we are indeed comforted by the hope of the Rapture as apostle Paul said it was written to do in 1Thess 4:18 "comfort one another with these words"......words of hope and deliverance!!

RAPTURE: A Sign is Given But Not a Day

Any moment the rapture of the Church could happen, for it is written  by the Apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 "But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words."

The primary purpose of the rapture, which is a term not actually found in the Bible, but is meant to define what being  "caught up" is. The actual physical manifestation of the event is further dramatized by a mystery which Paul declares in 1Corinthians 15: 51-55 "Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?"

These two biblical statements are the strongest in support of the rapture. It is a mystery doctrine simply because no time is given of it's occurrence.  It is also a doctrine of  a supernatural phenomenon reflecting God's gift to believers in Christ at that time. And while no day or date is given we ought to marvel at the power of God's word to create and sustain hope in the return of Christ. For such a doctrine which demonstrates incredible power by God on a level the human mind can hardly grasp is to occur would be an awakening. It will be those left behind as witnesses of such an event that will be made to see at last.  Though they did not believe by faith,  they now may be willing to live and die in Jesus name based on the reality of God. God demonstrate himself and magnifies His Word before all the earth and it will be to His glory.

Our knowing a day isn't important but scripture warns us to watch and know the season. However there is a sign that is given to indicate the probable nearness of it's happening.  Apostle Paul after speaking about that "we that are alive and remain shall be caught up" to be with the Lord in 1 Thess 5:1-6 Paul continues with "But of the times and the seasons, ye have no need that I write unto you..for the day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night. For when they say Peace and Safety then sudden destruction shall come upon them....but don't let that day overtake you as a thief...be as children in the light..be watchful and be sober...not slumbering...etc" (I highlighted the key parts of this section).

Sometimes the numbering of chapter and verses can interfere with the flow of the writers message. The original letters did not have numbers. Paul's reference to "peace and safety" is exactly what is going on intensely with Israel and the Arab nations. Here is another role where Israel plays a central part in the prophetic landscape.  There has been what seems like a never ending effort in peace negotiations since Israel was restored as a nation in 1948 in some sense.  There has been a few peace deals with some of the Arab nations such as Egypt, Jordan and perhaps a few others but none has met the "seven year" criteria that is to bring a universal peace among all the Arab nations. 

Many Arab nations has staunchly refused a peace agreement with Israel with Syria being it's most defiant. It is the term of conditions that present the problem particularly with the city Jerusalem.  Include also the fact that a policy of annihilation exist even within some of the Arab's govt. decree surely don't help. Clearly this peace agreement when it is finally achieved, and it will because the scripture states it, the world will be elated and think themselves better than God. The world will be elated over the success but Christians will be alarmed because of biblical prophecy fulfillment.  This success will be recognized far beyond the borders of the Arab nation but a world stamp of approval.  The problem isn't Islam, but from a biblical perspective it's unbelieving Gentiles around the world. Perhaps, we won't be here to see the actual signing.  I am only saying that as the discussion heats up in the middle East peace negotiations and the reality of it becomes possible, look up because our redemption do in fact draw near! 

Ultimately, it will be a peace settlement that will collapse because of it being a false peace, probably built upon a false concept of who God is or is not! It will probably be evident that the peace terms contradict with basic tenets of teh Bible as we have known it. Then both Jew and Gentile will be demonstrating their unbelief in the God through a formal statement published before the throne of Heaven from Earth!! 

That's as far as I go with knowing when the rapture will occur. The Apostle Paul is giving a sign but not a day so let us not ignore the sign we do have before us. It is time to make the Bride ready with expectation by getting the house of the Lord in order. There seems to be too many saints sleeping. Which I think infers a person's heart being in doubt of the reality of Christ coming.  How sad to be so close to receiving the promise of God and yet so many in the churches across America are consumed with so much other stuff that adds nothing to their spiritual growth in Christ.  

Therefore, it is important for us to interpret the sign in accordance with scripture and not 
in accordance with world view.  No man knows the day but when they say peace and safety know that our Lord is even in the clouds. For as the  terms become defined and is set to be signed  so the decree can be, God wants his Church to be ready for the promise by sounding at last....the Trumpet of Departure and so we will hear the sound of His Trump!

Gregory A Booker @ copyright 2012

My book titled "Seven Letters Detailing the Prophetic Framework of the Return of Christ" is available on AuthorHouse.com and Amazon.com  The book expands on the purpose of the Rapture and to comfort the saints in their patient waiting as it is intended for and so much more is provided to see the vision of Christ coming for us in these perilous times.