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Post by fitz on Feb 8, 2018 21:24:39 GMT -6
I've been pretty much consumed with bible prophecy and the rapture of the church since I was a teenager. I've studied the subject exhaustively over these many (40 some) years. I've read about and considered all the various eschatalogical positions/theories. I've watched the news every day for years, scouring for signs and looking for fulfilled prophecy. I've counted the years down from 1948 (starting at about 1978 for me)...and finally we have arrived at 70! I've prayed diligently that God would allow me to be alive on that day and that I would be counted worthy to escape all the things coming on this earth. So, I suppose I am a watcher. Around the beginning of August 2017, the Holy Spirit began to quicken my spirit and I found out about the Revelation 12 Sign (how'd I miss this?). I felt strongly that the Lord was urging me to share what I know with my Christian friends and family whom I knew were fast asleep because the season had finally come. Even with all I had learned and seeing the clear signage of the birth pangs increasing in frequency and intensity, I immediately balked! But in obedience (eventually), I began to tell the people I love that I believed the Lord was telling me that He is coming for us soon. To a man (and woman) they have all either laughed (I mean, out loud, laughed in my face!) or told me I am mistaken. These are bible-believing, born-again Christians! My sister. My business partner. Friends I’ve known for over 20 years. Even my own wife. These people believe in Jesus, but none of them believe He is coming soon, and they refuse to spend a minute looking into these things to see if what I am saying has merit. Maybe it’s my delivery? I don’t know, but it breaks my heart. They all seem so content with their lives on this planet. They are all so sure that He isn’t coming for years. Some have even told me that “we needn’t bother with ‘watching’…the day will happen when it happens”, even though I have given them the verses that say otherwise. Feeling a bit like it’s a waste of time to warn these people, but I think it’s my job to sound the alarm! After all, I’m not asking them to share my passion for bible prophecy, but rather to wake up and watch as Jesus said we should! Can anyone else relate? Can I get an amen? Is anyone else experiencing this kind of response? I hope some here have been more successful than I. I think I can understand a little bit how Jeremiah must have felt. It breaks my heart, and, oh how it grieves the Holy Spirit that the Lord's people are asleep.
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Post by klb on Feb 8, 2018 22:08:46 GMT -6
I am truly starting to believe that watching is almost like a spiritual gift - if that makes sense? It is frustrating when others don't understand our excitement or sense of urgency. You are definitely not alone in feeling this way. My biggest prayer now is that my friends and family who are not saved will remember what I've told them when we're gone. Hopefully then they will believe the truth.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 9, 2018 5:39:43 GMT -6
AMEN!!!! Yes I can relate. It's difficult wanting to do what you honestly believe is the best for someone (love them well and help them in some way in getting to know Christ better), but all of their presuppositions about Christ or "religion" or their love for the things of this world get in the way. I'm guilty of loving this world too though...
But more than anything right now I just want my friends and family and everyone really to just understand how much Christ loves them. Especially because it is looking like a big biblical change is about to happen. But then I feel like I fail in delivering the good news, because I can tell it is often not received in the people that I talk about it with.
And then I feel powerless to so much going on around me! Like there is so much good life to be lived when we walk with Christ, but then I am surrounded by people that do not know this awesome truth. And then my heart breaks, because I see this disparity in the world, but I don't know what to say or do to fix it.
Recently, I've really been having to take to heart the truth of when Jesus said, "It is finished." Jesus finished it. He did it all. He completed it. It is done, and it was all Him. Amen.
But yes, I can relate, and it has been both encouraging to my position and disheartening to the reality of it that many of us "watchers", so to speak, are struggling with similar unfortunate situations...
How have you all dealt with this? Prayer, fellowship, and Unsealed?
I want to knock on every door everywhere and just give a righteous message of the gospel and people to hear the truth of it...but I'm just a man, and I don't know the best way to get people to understand the truth of the Lord.
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Post by fitz on Feb 9, 2018 6:09:39 GMT -6
...Jesus said, "It is finished." Jesus finished it. He did it all. He completed it. It is done, and it was all Him. Amen. Amen, amen, amen! Yes, finding Unsealed has been quite a blessing! It's a place I can come and see there are others who see what I see, know what I know, are watching and waiting expectantly, and do not think I'm a nut.
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Post by klb on Feb 9, 2018 7:51:28 GMT -6
Amen @pillarofsaultgoodman The cross worked!
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Post by sawdy on Feb 9, 2018 10:36:38 GMT -6
Amen!
A week ago I tried to have a conversation with two friends. One which I thought was a believer and one not. Turns out the "believer" believes you can access God the father in whichever way you like Jesus, allah, universal creator, etc. I asked her what was the point then of Jesus, the sinless son of God, drying on the cross and shedding hos blood to cover our sins? The non-believer believes in a universal creator and that by just living a good life is good enough. It became frustrating and sad for me when I realized that they want to be blind. That doesn't mean that I stop trying though.
I agree that watching is a spiritual gift. Not everyone is able to balance the wishful planning for the future with the more impending probability of less than a year until the rapture. (Wow! Hard to type that last sentence - not date setting, but we are getting very close). Even I fall victim to "making plans" for the future.
Going forward, I am going to pray about becoming that person who is not talking about long term plans. I think the people around me are trying to get me to talk about long term stuff because it puts them at ease that they have lots of time, when we know from watching that we are drawing ever closer to the events portrayed in Revelation. It will be challenging to do so, but I think the time is here to stop beating around the bush and just be blunt. They will either listen or not.
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Post by sawdy on Feb 9, 2018 10:51:30 GMT -6
"Do they friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer; In His arms He'll take and shield thee, thou wilt find a solace there." -What a Friend We Have in Jesus
Wise words of wisdom for watchers.
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Post by mike on Feb 9, 2018 12:11:21 GMT -6
fitz I do think you are a bit of a nut, but then it takes one to know one! I can relate to feeling how you do currently to some degree, but only some degree. I have not been watching for 40 years (unfortunately), in fact my watching sort of started when I was saved in '94 as I was taught imminence, so it was always "todays the day". But my own selfish desire cut me off from HIM about ten years later where I walked in my own ways up until about a year or so ago when the Lord smacked me in the face with the 9/23 great sign. I felt and was persuaded (as were many others here) that 9/23 would be our blessed harpazo day. I felt a burning, overwhelming urgency for others as the day approached and my heart was torn daily for those were likely missing the event! As the days that passed since 9/23 those I have spoken to think i was crazy. Those I want to speak to (today) I have less urgency on the message to get across. Now I am not one to preach at people given my life choices and history. My past sins discredit me in many eyes, so I must live a life of example rather than speak my witness much more so, which gets a bit tiring. I want to say certain things and often do, but my example (wish is constantly under attack) is my best message. As I see the signs continue to mount every day in every way (and thanks for the shoutbox stuff <<thumbs up>>) it has become harder for me to say "look at this earthquake" or "look at the historic stock market crash" or "look at the weather", "look at the corruption" as there is no clear indicator as to why these signs are significant. Where they seemingly were signaling towards 9/23 prior to that date, they dont point to anything specific after the date (IMO). My watching has now become more about watching/speculating/ & knowing Him and His ways more so I can live a better example. This is just me and how I feel. I do relate to some measure for sure. I wish we could figure this out but I think this is the mystery...we dont know for sure so we cant say "He's coming soon, in fact it looks like 9/23 is that day, bow now before that day comes". This may be why those who are not called to watch (as klb notes) dont really agree and say "when He comes we'll know it" and those who dont believe say "He hasnt come yet, he aint comin' soon"
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Post by mike on Feb 9, 2018 13:10:12 GMT -6
fitz I have a question since youve got a bit of time under your belt watching. I remember the 90's and there was a little bit of this and that going on regarding Israel & the middle east, "rights" of all sorts, some earthquakes and so on...but I know that it would appear that NOW things are quite escalated.
Would you agree when you look back at your 40 year career of watching that things are really coming to a boiling point?
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Post by kjs on Feb 9, 2018 13:10:18 GMT -6
I too have heard from many Christian brothers and sisters “it will happen when it happens…” But it appears most believe “that happening” is Many years in the future……
Chuck Missler calls the rapture that most preposterous beliefs … or phrased another way a belief that is contrary to reason or common sense; utterly absurd or ridiculous.
When one logically thinks about it, that is indeed the case. The belief that at some future point in time, all the bodies of believers who have already died will suddenly be taken up into the air to join their soul and make a new resurrection body. Plus every believer current living at that time will join the other community of believers in the air – to meet and be with Jesus Christ forevermore.
That takes a lot of FAITH to believe such a supernatural occurrence.
In fact I would say, that it almost takes as much faith to believe the Son of the living God, descended to earth to live a life as one of His creations. To suffer and die for a creation that was in open rebellion to Him. To believe that because of His action, his rebellious creation can receive the free gift of pardon and restoration to the divine creator of the universe.
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Post by fitz on Feb 9, 2018 17:50:27 GMT -6
fitz I have a question since youve got a bit of time under your belt watching. I remember the 90's and there was a little bit of this and that going on regarding Israel & the middle east, "rights" of all sorts, some earthquakes and so on...but I know that it would appear that NOW things are quite escalated. Would you agree when you look back at your 40 year career of watching that things are really coming to a boiling point? Mike, I have always believed (from about the age of 12) that Jesus could return any day. And indeed, throughout my life, I've seen the signs ramping up and believed that I would live to see the day. So I was watching. But I will tell you, I have never been on the edge of my seat as I have been the past 8 months. I have never felt compelled to start calling friends and telling them that I think Jesus is coming very soon, but now I do, and it's a combination of things. We can all clearly see the signs surrounding events in Israel/the Middle East, wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes and other natural disasters, the rise of evil, LGBT becoming mainstream, signs in the heavens, etc, etc. Big fact...1948 to 2018...the generation that I think Jesus was talking about in the parable of the fig tree is at it's 70th year. That's huge. The Gog-Magog alliance seems to have materialized over night. Damascus is almost a ruinous heap now. The Jews are fully prepared to begin the daily sacrifices and they just need a temple (which could start off as a tabernacle (tent)). These are the main things, but add to that, God's people are having an amazing outpouring of dreams and visions. It isn't just me that senses the Holy Spirit telling us the time is near. Many, many people are screaming it from the rooftops because they believe that God told them to get the message out. How is this? People who have never done such a thing are coming out of the woodwork to say "Jesus is coming". In all my years I've never seen or heard such things as we are now. God is waking up His people! Even a guy like me who loves bible prophecy had to get a nudge to re-double my focus. Regarding this last thing, we need to continue to test all things to be sure they are of God. If you saw the shoutbox today, you know that I have some crazy stuff happening in my own life that I cannot explain and do not understand myself. Therefore, I do not give it much weight in all of this. Test everything against scripture because God's word is the only rock solid truth we have. But, in a nut shell, yes Mike...I personally believe that we are at the boiling point. I think Jesus is at the door.
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Post by nana on Feb 13, 2018 6:57:43 GMT -6
One thing I have learned over the years, it is up to us to share what we know and up to the Holy Spirit to drive it home.
One day things that were said will be recalled to their memory so please know that what you say will not have been said in vain.
Mat 5:13-16
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Post by fitz on Feb 14, 2018 7:15:54 GMT -6
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Post by sog on Feb 14, 2018 10:07:16 GMT -6
Awesome article. Thanks Fitz !
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