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September 28, 2010

Duel Of The Fates?

This needs to be posted right away.

Star Wars fans may have read the title to this entry and recalled the theme song and video of the same name from one of the prequel films a few years back...

John Williams - Star Wars: Phantom Menace "Duel Of The Fates"



Those opening words from that "Sith Lord" ("Darth Maul") character will seem rather prescient by the time we reach the end of this column. Come to think of it, go back and listen to all the words spoken by the actors shown in that official music video for the song because they too seem appropriately relevant. As always, there's a method to my madness here.

Yesterday, I published a piece that promoted
this weekend's Supernatural Science & Prophecy Conference, which I will somehow have the distinct honor and privilege of speaking at. In addition, I was originally scheduled to appear on P.I.D. Radio last night with Derek and Sharon Gilbert to introduce the topic that I will be discussing at the conference.



The latest, of what has been a SERIES of "unusual" and "unforeseen" attacks from the
"principalities" (Ephesians 6:12) ever since I committed to attending this event in Canton, OH months ago, I was forced to delay that scheduled interview until tonight at 7pm EST instead.

Let's just say that I'm beginning to think that I'm not "crazy" to assign any of this to "spiritual attacks" because what I'm about to share with you should help to support the truth of the following verse...

Romans 8:28 (KJV) And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose.

What do I mean exactly?

Well, as many of you know, my focus will be on
"Nanotechnology And The Mark Of The Beast" since I had planned to present material to help us make some educated guesses on how Nanotech MIGHT BE USED one day in what will be the fulfillment of this ancient and infamous prophecy.

Basically, I had planned to just give a brief overview of the current state of this cutting edge science, and then offer up some potential applications and scenarios that could possibly lead to a fulfillment of prophecy that we should be watching for and warning against.

Guess what? I'm tossing my entire presentation and developing a new one! On second thought, that's not entirely true. I mean, I still plan on sharing the info I had compiled and put together, but I'm scaling it back a bit so that I can include some comments on another thread that I believe is definitely connected to Nanotechnology, and one that is certainly relevant to what's happening in the world right now.

Irresponsible? Madness? Ridiculous? Perhaps. However, I strongly sense that the Lord is leading me by the hand here, and where the Lord leads I obviously want to follow.

Ok, so what does that mean then? Simply put, it means that while I had originally intended to give a presentation on the current state of Nanotechnology so that we could all consider its implications and likely connection to end times Bible prophecy (the "Mark of the Beast" mainly), I'm now shifting gears -- but ever so slightly -- and will be talking about Nanotechnology in relation to this burgeoning "Alien/UFO" Satanic agenda that's being shoved down our throats a lot in the past couple of weeks (the past couple of days for sure!). Trust me, there seems to be a MAJOR SPIRITUAL CONNECTION here that we definitely want to prayerfully consider!

At the same time, my "insane" change of heart seemed to find confirmation in the fact that I learned about another major conference that is being held from October 2nd-October 4th, 2010 in Rio Rico, AZ (or just beginning when the Supernatural Science & Prophecy Conference is wrapping up), but it's one that is diametrically opposed to the one I'll be at. Thus, the "duel of the fates" question as a title for this piece.

Check this out and marvel at the apparent "spiritual convergence" here given everything we've been hearing, reading, and seeing lately...


Sponsored by CSETI, the event is being described as follows...

You are Invited to join us for 3 days and 3 nights under the stars to celebrate ET CONTACT in the beautiful desert outside of Tucson, AZ.

Join us as we share the amazing 19-year history of CSETI Contact with videos, photographs, and audiotapes of
actual contact during CSETI expeditions around the world!

Each night, we will all gather under the stars to practice the CSETI contact protocols together, using light, lasers, electronic tones from Crop Circles and other ET manifestations, and Cosmic Awareness.

You will learn and experience the CSETI contact protocols that have resulted in unprecedented open contact around the world between CSETI research teams and ET civilizations, and what is next in Worldwide Disclosure.

Dispositive proof of contact with interstellar civilizations will be presented, including updates on recent major CSETI contact events along with supporting electromagnetic, audio, and video confirmation. Mr. Andrews will provide the latest information on the crop circle evidence and recent disclosures regarding British government involvement in the matter. Dr. Greer will present the latest updates on Disclosure and ongoing briefings with members of Congress, those close to the Obama Administration, and recent initiatives with a G7 country to make peaceful, open contact with the extraterrestrial visitors. Mr. Hoagland will present the latest from his investigations into Phobos, the artificial Mars moon, as well as other new information. Dr. Loder will present an update on advanced energy technologies.

Sounds a lot like "channeling" and "summoning unclean spirits", doesn't it?

But there's something else I want to point out. The location where they'll be hosting this event is odd. Why? Because Rio Rico is a short drive from Tucson, AZ and Tucson has been embroiled in an "Alien/UFO" controversy of its own for the past couple of weeks! What's that? You had no idea? Of course not! That's because the mainstream media hasn't covered the story -- AT ALL -- even though it's all that the people out there in Tuscon have been talking about.

Take a look to see what I mean...

KGUN9 News: Mysterious Object Hovers Over Tucson (9/14/2010)



Read The KGUN9 News Archived News Report

That was September 14th, 2010. I guess just the other night there was another sighting in the same place though. Several hundred witnesses reported a TRIANGLE SHAPED OBJECT WITH STRANGE LIGHTS FLYING OVERHEAD!!!

KOLD News 13: UFO Strange Lights Over Tucson (9/24/2010)



It just blows my mind that they'll be holding a conference in the very same place where this nation is currently experiencing some highly unusual and unexplained "UFO sightings" because I don't believe in coincidence like that.

Now, check out the list of those who will be in attendance...

Steven M. Greer, MD - Director of The Disclosure Project and CSETI
(The Center For the Study of Extraterrestrial Intelligence).
[http://www.DisclosureProject.org and http://www.CSETI.org]
Colin Andrews - World Renowned Crop Circle Researcher
[http://www.ColinAndrews.net]

Richard C. Hoagland - New York Times Bestselling Author, Former NASA Consultant, and Principal Investigator of The Enterprise Mission
(A Public Policy Research Institution).
[http://www.enterprisemission.com/]

Theodore Loder, PhD - Expert on Transformational New Energy Technologies. [http://www.TheOrionProject.org]

Boy, those are some HEAVY HITTERS when it comes to the entire "Alien/UFO" subculture, huh? Have they ever attended the same event together like this before? After all, to think that they'll all be gathered together -- IN ONE PLACE -- and so soon after
the ex-NORAD official's declaration that October 13th, 2010 would be the day of "Full Disclosure", or the news about NASA detecting what look like "giant spaceships" heading toward earth, or the series premiere of NBC's The Event, or the Vatican's pronouncement that they would "baptize Aliens", or the ex-military men who came out yesterday to publicly assert that "UFOs present a threat", or the UN's appointment of an "Alien Ambassador", which also took place just yesterday.

Folks, this is serious business and it deserves our serious attention. I mean, again, what are the odds that all of this is transpiring RIGHT NOW especially when we all seem to instinctively sense (as one Body) that something unmistakably prophetically relevant -- something BIG -- is imminent?

For this CSETI conference, which is called
"Contact: Countdown To Transformation", to be taking place in a part of the country that's no stranger to "UFO sightings" that have garnered international attention (and I don't just mean the most recent unexplained events; "Phoenix Lights" anyone?), and for it to include some of the biggest names in the "Disclosure Movement", and for it to occur at a precise moment in time when "Full Disclosure" seems to be reaching a fever pitch, is all a little too convenient for me. Dare I say that it even feels a little "contrived" even?

If it is the latter, then we must -- WE MUST -- prepare ourselves spiritually especially if we are on the verge of seeing the supernatural manifest itself fully here in the physical realm (demons masquerading as our "Space Brothers" consistent with
2 Corinthians 11:14), and helped along with great advances in technology like NASA's Project Blue Beam let's say.

That reminds me! Don't casually dismiss the "False Flag"/Project Blue Beam possibility either. Why? Because I just learned that Tucson is known as "Optics Valley" and a major business leader in that field recently set-up shop out there too...

Oclaro Expands Optical Design and Packaging Expertise; Opens New Design Center In Tucson, Arizona

SAN JOSE, Calif., Sept. 28 /PRNewswire/ --
Oclaro, Inc. (NASDAQ: OCLR), a tier-one provider of innovative optical communications and laser solutions, today announced the opening of its new Design Center in Oro Valley, Ariz. (near Tucson) in what is commonly referred to as "Optics Valley." The new center will provide global customers with specialized diode laser packaging designs, leveraging the significant local optical expertise in the Tucson region, as well as the highly talented workforce that joined Oclaro as a result of the company's acquisition of the Newport Spectra Physics laser diode business in July 2009.

"The Tucson area is recognized as a hub of innovation for the optical industry," said Scott Dunbar, General Manager of High Power Laser Diode Portfolio for Oclaro. "Our new design center includes a strong local team with specialized design and packaging expertise. As a result, we expect the Tucson Design Center to contribute in Oclaro's efforts to expand our customer relationships and innovative diode laser products."

Oclaro acquired the Tucson-based Newport Spectra Physics high-powered laser diode business in July 2009 through a strategic exchange of assets with Newport. As a result of the exchange, Oclaro now delivers the industry's most expansive line of high-powered laser diodes, while also achieving lower costs and higher operating efficiencies through economies of scale, greater factory utilization and its assembly and test manufacturing capabilities in Asia. The acquisition also expanded Oclaro's customer base, which now includes top-tier customers in the medical and industrial markets and additional markets that are rapidly turning to lasers for new and innovative applications.

Oclaro, Inc. (Nasdaq: OCLR) is a tier-one provider of optical communications and laser components, modules and subsystems for a broad range of diverse markets, including telecommunications, industrial, scientific, consumer electronics, and medical. Oclaro is a global leader, dedicated to photonics innovation with cutting-edge chip fabrication facilities in the UK, Switzerland, and Italy, and in-house and contract manufacturing sites in the US, Thailand, and China.

In short, Oclaro is working hard to revolutionize the Lighting Industry with the advances in Semiconductor Nanotechnology! Fitting. Interesting, huh?

But Tucson isn't the only place experiencing "UFO sightings" these days. Check out these videos from the past couple of weeks, or the EXACT SAME TIME that the mainstream news began to heavily promote and push the "Alien/UFO" Satanic agenda...

Unsolved UFO Mysteries Revisited (8/27/2010)



"Pyramid UFO" Over France (September 2010)



China "Ghost/Phantom UFO" (9/1/2010)





Another Moscow "Pyramid UFO"? Cloaked? (9/15/2010)



Mystery In The Skies Over Connecticut (9/21/2010)



UFOs Over Brazil (9/22/2010)



UFO Sighting in Amsterdam (9/24/2010)



Now, if we add those "sightings" (in reality, spiritually demonic manifestations here in the physical realm) to the steady stream of news headlines about this very same subject, then we can start to see a definite pattern towards "Full Disclosure", or the coming "Great Deception"...

Fox News: UN Appoints "Alien Ambassador"



MSNBC Report On New UN Ambassador



Ex-Military Personnel Go On The Record (9/26/2010)





Former Air Force Officials: UFO's Eyeing Our Nuclear Weapons?



We always knew this day was coming, but it seems closer than ever before now, doesn't it? I'm not saying that we should put our trust in these "channeling mediums", but if our task is to simply warn people by saying,
"Hey, don't be surprised if one day very soon we wake up to a whole new world!" then we must report on such things and make people aware of what's really going on.

Ladies and Gentlemen, a few final pieces of info that will underscore everything that was just presented here today. We're all familiar with the unbelievable news that the UN has appointed an "Alien Ambassador" yesterday.

Right on cue, CSETI's very next event? The one that will follow this "Contact: Countdown To Transformation"? It's an event called
"Ambassador Training" (are you kidding me!?!) to be held in Joshua Tree, CA from November 7th-November 13th, 2010.

The name "Joshua Tree" was given by a group of Mormon settlers who crossed the Mojave Desert in the mid-19th century. The tree's unique shape reminded them of a Biblical story in which Joshua reaches his hands up to the sky in prayer.

Weird to find a Mormon connection (then again, maybe not) so soon after Glenn Beck's huge rally in Washington DC and in light of their "ET" beliefs at the root of their faith. Is it worth also mentioning that a search is underway for
a Jewish man who has been missing since Friday in Joshua Tree National Park, or no?

Hmmm, that's strange too. I'm referring to CSETI's next conference after this weekend's. No, not because it's called "Ambassador Training" and the world has just read about a new "Alien Ambassador" position at the UN, but because
the dates and location of this particular conference also corresponds with the highly anticipated bit of "Predictive Programming" known as the film Skyline that opens in theaters November 12th, 2010, or exactly RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE (OR RIGHT NEAR THE END) of that conference!

Skyline Trailer



At this point, an admission, and a word of caution. Even though I've opened the last few "Studies In Symbolism" pieces with this type of introduction, I feel like this is something I must now include as standard fare in all future posts of this kind.

Yes, I know that studies in symbolism are highly subjective, and that can be dangerous. I get that. I also realize that this world can be distracting and that Satan will use whatever he can to keep us from doing the things that we should be doing; from setting our minds on the things that we should be setting our minds on.

At the same time, while we are not of this world, we're still in it. Personally, my intention here is that I want to try and point to the things going on in this world (even if they're HIGHLY SYMBOLIC in nature, esoteric, and open to one's own unique interpretation) and demonstrate not only how it MIGHT BE connected to the Bible's end times prophecies (but only so far as it gets us students of end times Bible prophecy to consider the lateness of the hour based on what such symbolism reminds us of), but also WHAT IT WAS IN GOD'S WORD that it forced me to think about.

My thinking is the same as it's been since day one a little over 2 years ago in these parts. If I'm clear about this being MY ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF SIGNS AND SYMBOLS IN POP CULTURE AND THE WORLD AROUND US AS I PERCEIVE THEM (as opposed to it being a "Thus sayeth the Lord..." type of pronouncement), and if such a study ultimately gets me to spend even more time watching and praying for Jesus' return, let alone more time in the Word studying it, then how bad can a process like this be?

From now on, however, I'll always feel it is necessary to openly state these things for anyone who's new to Look Up Fellowship, or for the rest of you who still have a problem with these kinds of studies In symbolism (if that's you, then you might also want to re-read what is written about what we do here in the "What We Believe" section of this website on the right hand side of the page).

An apology is in order too. I used to think that it's almost as if the good Lord is pulling out all the stops to "give us a head's up" about what's coming -- what's imminent -- and that He's putting these messages in all the things that we've sadly allowed to become False Idols in our lives like art, comics, music, movies, politics, pop culture, TV, and sports to name a few. Why? Because we've stopped reading His Word and therefore many of us are clueless about what we're told about what to expect in the coming last days.

How did I arrive at such a thought? Well, I know from what I read in the Bible that the Lord does, in fact, speak to us (and reveal Himself to us) through His creation. I reasoned, "What are art, comics, music, movies, politics, pop culture, TV, and sports except an extension, or a part, of His creation?" and so that's why I was ok thinking that.

I also used to think that because of what we read in 2 Peter 3:9 (amongst other places) about God's character and love, that that somehow meant that perhaps He was using those aforementioned "extensions" of His creation because He was "desperately trying to get our attention" since we weren't giving Him the time of day.

That sounds good, right? It makes sense. But it's not Biblical. I couldn't find any verses that made me feel comfortable making such claims, or even insinuating such claims to all of you any longer. Lord, have mercy on me for I have sinned! See, besides, once I began to study the Sovereignty of God, as well as the Doctrines of Grace, I realized that to hold on to any kind of position that said that God was speaking to us through such things because "He was desperately trying to get our attention..." renders Almighty God impotent! It takes away His sovereignty and puts it squarely in the hands of humanity!

To make such a vile assertion is to make it sound like He's just sitting up there on His throne, fingers crossed, hoping that we'll "finally get it" and "come to our senses" before it's too late. That flies in the face of all the passages in Scripture that speak to His sovereignty and grace and how He draws "the elect" to Him. It says that man has the freedom to "choose" or "reject" Jesus Christ, which would make Jesus a POTENTIAL Savior for some, and an ACTUAL Savior for no one. Again, how wrong I was!

No, He's not involved in most of this. Some of it, yes (the recent earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand comes to mind here as a powerful example), but not as much as I've attributed to Him in the past I'm afraid. Not in the way that I have suggested for far too long. I can admit that. Please forgive me.

So, where do we go from here then? First, I wanted to redefine my position here for the record when it comes to studies In symbolism that you will find on LUF from this moment on. From this point forward, whenever I use the headlines, images, memes, stories, symbols, and themes we find in the world around us, it will ONLY be to use them AS A STARTING POINT for a study on end times Bible prophecy (in the sense that "this made me think of this today..."), and it will NEVER be with the caveat, "Hmmm...Maybe God is trying to get our attention and trying to tell us something, huh?" because that's not right. Who the heck am I to speak for God Almighty or to even assume I know what He's saying with any kind of certainty?

Let me clarify. Yes, God is speaking to us, and many of us aren't paying attention or listening at all. I'm also not saying that He doesn't speak to us through events that He orchestrates. He does. I'm just saying that I'm personally going to "take it down a notch" when it comes to stating with any kind of authority that I "know" that this is what He's doing for certain. It's also why I'll also present these pieces with the title of the post in the form of a question. Again, who am I to claim such things? I'm nobody!

Let's begin by using the Word of God as our foundation before wrapping up today's study...

Matthew 10:16 (KJV) Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

Ephesians 5:11 (KJV) And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

Proverbs 25:2 (KJV) It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.

Luke 21:36 (KJV) Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

Matthew 10:28 (KJV) And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Luke 21:28 (KJV) And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

What would a study like this be without Pop Culture's contribution to this "Alien/UFO - Full Disclosure" meme? I want to give a few recent examples.

I noticed a new commercial that's airing on one of the cartoon channels my kids watch...

Corn Pops Cereal Alien/UFO Commercial



There's more! Aside from the connection between today's topic and a show like
The Event or a film like Skyline, the HUGE news in the Music Industry yesterday (yes, yesterday, or the same day that all this other "Alien" stuff was going on or being discovered) was Lil Wayne's newest title track off of his latest album.

For those who don't know, Lil Wayne is one of the most popular Rap/Hip-Hop artists on the secular music scene today. Not that his material is "ground-breaking" or "revolutionary" to this genre musically speaking, but his popularity with this generation is very similar to the kind that Tupac or Notorious B.I.G. saw when they were alive.

Ok, so why am I bringing all of this up within the context of this commentary? Who cares, right? Well, because all anyone who's into that sort of music is talking about right now -- again, EVERYONE -- is
the new song he released yesterday called...ready for this?..."I Am Not A Human Being", which fits in quite nicely with things, doesn't it?

Interestingly enough,
Lil Wayne told us that he was a "Martian", and he tries to back up this claim in the bizarre new video for his rock-tinged track "I Am Not A Human Being". Previously released as only a clip, the fluorescent full-length video shows Wayne in a purplish pink hue (although the dominant color is Blue; is it "Azure Blue" I wonder), rapping along to the bustling title track off his upcoming album. Take a look and a listen...

Lil Wayne - "I Am Not A Human Being" Music Video
(WARNING: Expletives and offensive language throughout this one, but we're only interested in the images anyway so be sure to watch it with the sound turned all the way down...)



Again, what are the odds of all of this, right? Seriously. Of course, this wasn't the first time Lil Wayne has laced his music and videos with lyrics, imagery, and symbolism that seems "blatant" (perhaps even "prophetic") to the discerning eyes and ears...

Lil Wayne - "Drop The World" Music Video
(NOTE: Expletives removed so you can listen to this one; Key lyric is "I could die now and rebirth / Hop up in my spaceship and leave earth" in the chorus!)



Not surreal enough for you?

Oh yeah,
one article states that the "physical release" (interesting choice of words used there by the writer, huh?) of the album (because, remember, the track "I Am Not A Human Being" was only released digitally yesterday and in advance of the album itself) is scheduled for October 12th, 2010 -- THE DAY BEFORE THE DATE RECENTLY GIVEN FOR A "FULL DISCLOSURE" EVENT!

Look, we've all been through this kind of thing before. This is nothing new to the LUF community of believers in Jesus Christ. Like I said earlier, place your trust in Jesus Christ and the Word of God -- not some channeling, New Age mediums. But, as always, we simply report and put the info out there so that it's on your "spiritual radar" --
just in case.

I also find it very compelling that AT THE SAME TIME that we're experiencing all of these demonic forces making themselves seen to our naked eyes (and helped by the sinister Powers-That-Be who are loyal to Satan) we're also reading about some potentially major moves (power grabs really) by the Vatican and the Pope...

EU Wants To Make Pope Head Of New World Peace Movement

Second Vatican State To Be Established In Jerusalem?

Boy, each and every day gives us so much more proof that the end times are upon us.

What does it all mean (if anything)? What's the connection between the "Alien/UFO" Satanic deception and Nanotechnology (if any)? How might "Full Disclosure" and Nanotech both be used to fulfill the Bible's prophecies for the last days and the infamous "Mark of the Beast" system of control (if at all)?

Please tune in to tonight's broadcast of P.I.D. Radio at 7pm EST and/or make reservations to attend this weekend's conference -- the one in Ohio, not the one in Arizona! HA

I'll try to provide a summary from both the interview and the conference here on the Look Up Fellowship website for those who missed one or both.

Pray for wisdom and discernment in the days and weeks ahead. Cling to Jesus Christ and His Word and prepare yourself for what's coming. Repent! Judgment is at hand!

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September 27, 2010

Supernatural Science & Prophecy Conference This Week

Let me preface this by stating that NOTHING we do in this life should ever be about us.

What I mean is that ANYTHING and EVERYTHING that we do, say, and think in this life is for (should be for) our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ's glory, honor, and praise (
Colossians 3:17; Colossians 3:23). At least, that's how I always try to approach each and every day. Sometimes it's easier said than done, but that's always the goal.

It's for that reason -- and that reason alone -- why I decided to accept the following invitation, and responded with a prayer for the Lord to use me in some small way (even though He certainly doesn't need me or my help) to spread the truth to a world that desperately needs to hear it.

What in the world am I talking about? Well, I hope that some of you can join us for the upcoming 2-day
Supernatural Science & Prophecy Conference to be held later this week in Canton, OH.



Who's the "us" I'm referring to? Quite frankly, people I feel I have no business being in the same room with given their knowledge and the impact they've made for Jesus Christ...

> Tom Horn
> Russ Dizdar
> Derek and Sharon Gilbert

In other words, these are the people who I have admired and respected from afar for so long and know I'll finally get the chance to meet them and thank them in person for helping me grow in my faith. I can't wait!

We're all familiar with the following verse...

Isaiah 21:6 (KJV) For thus has the LORD said to me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he sees.

If ever there was an event and a place to find
watchmen declaring what they see, then this week's conference will be it!

For a preview of what you can expect to hear if you'll be in attendance, please listen to the following interviews courtesy of
P.I.D. Radio...

Interview With Tom Horn

Interview With Russ Dizdar

LIVE Interview With Me Tuesday Night At 7pm EST

Please prayerfully consider attending. Being on a sort of "spiritual island" here in Western New York, I always love meeting other brothers and sisters in Christ, and would love to meet some of you to simply say "Thank You!" for all of your constant prayers and support since the beginning of this humble online ministry.

For more information please
CLICK HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE.

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September 9, 2010

Next Stop: Persecution?

It might me time to take Luke 21:36 to heart.

Folks, let's all pray 1 of the only 2 prayers that Jesus commanded us to pray especially given the political climate we are entering in a few days (the one we're already in right now)...

Luke 21:36 (KJV) Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

This will be very short today.

Yes, I'm still going to take heed of what I believe the Lord is telling me and will "rest in Him" for awhile and take a break from writing here until He tells me otherwise.

However, I just had to add a quick post in follow-up to the last one about judgment starting with the house of God. In fact, I believe this is meant to be an addendum to that one.

The message? The harsh reality of Revelation 13:7 seems to be upon us. Actually, the prophesied persecution of Christians across this nation (not just of those targeted by the MIAC Report, the Department of Homeland Security, or the Department of Justice recently).

Two headlines in the news today as we quickly approach critical mass. Here's the first...

Pastor Terry Jones Says Jesus Christ Would Burn Korans

Terry Jones knows his plan to burn Korans on the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks is radical, and that's exactly what he wants.

He believes it is what Jesus Christ would do.

"Jesus would not run around burning books," Jones told ABC's "Nightline" on Tuesday, "but I think he would burn this one."

I'm sorry Pastor, but I'm not so sure about that.

As my friend Jeremiah pointed out...

There is still no reason to burn Quran's though brother. We are to do unto others as we would have others do unto us. Though I would agree with your comparison. It is still wrong that these people are doing this. The only book burning you see in the New Testament is in Ephesus, when new converts burned their own books that they decided to be reprehensible. The christian right of burning is to burn and destroy those idols which consume our own lives, not the lives of others.

I agree and I'm glad he brought that up so that I can explicitly go on the record and further state my position on this. I also don't think that Christians should be engaging in this type of incendiary, politically-motivated behavior, but it does bother me when we see the media and The-Powers-That-Be (and non-believers alike) point the accusatory finger at us Christians again and again.

No, it's not surprising given what the Word tells us to expect as believers in Jesus Christ, but now I can see how easily persecution of the saints can and will become a reality in the very near future, and why we're so close to the fulfillment of that portion of end times prophecy.

Revelation 13:7 (KJV) And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

Here are some of our previous studies and resulting discussions on this important subject...

Making War With The Saints

Persecution Perilously Close

Persecution Of The Saints Is Near

Persecution More Than Plausible; It's Biblical

Defiance Or Disillusionment?

Even so, even though this is all to be expected by us, can we add a little perspective here? I mean, let's all use a little common sense please. There's absolutely NO COMPARISON between burning a religion's holy book to "make a statement" and murdering "infidels" by chopping off their heads to "make a statement". Gosh, "The-Religion-Of-Peace" threatens to kill you if you're a Political Cartoonist and you draw any kind of image of Muhammad!

As Christians, we shouldn't be concerned with "making a statement" in the political sense. Yes, we should be the "salt of the earth" (Matthew 5:13), but primarily as it applies to preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to modeling the Christian life on a moment-by-moment basis -- not to attempt to make a "political statement" of any kind! It's about the Salvation Gospel first and foremost, and the Social Gospel second.

Plus, what do we know?

Leviticus 19:18 (KJV) Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I [am] the LORD.

Hebrews 10:30 (KJV) For we know him that hath said, Vengeance [belongeth] unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.

Matthew 5:43-44 (KJV) Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

By the way, that was Jesus Himself talking in that passage from Matthew.

It's just funny because Muslims are quick to remind us Americans about our US Constitution that protects their right to build a Mosque near Ground Zero. Fine. I agree, even if I think it's insensitive and in poor taste.

Yet, they have to realize that THE SAME DOCUMENT they're using to justify what they want to do also protects Pastor Jones' right to burn Korans. Plain and simple, cut and dry, no matter how much they dislike it.

Again, isn't it plain to see how the mainstream media is hyping this up though? An obscure Pastor from a small church in Florida with a congregation of only 50 people making this kind of a fuss? In addition, we're talking about 3,000 lives versus 200 books? No comparison. Thanks mainstream media for fanning the flames of this one. Your role as an accomplice to The-Powers-That-Be, or "Satan's Little Helpers", is duly notice once more.

That brings me to my final point. Satan's "Order Out Of Chaos" plan is in full swing as is the run-up to Albert Pike's prescription for "Three World Wars" between the Western World and the Arab World in order to establish their diabolical New World Order. Too bad for them that they all lose in the end even if God allows them to "succeed" for a season.

In all seriousness, please go back an re-read that first news article on Pastor Jones. The writer goes out of their way to cast an intensely negative light upon Christians. Why? Well, not only does this Pastor and his congregation want to burn Korans this weekend (even though it's a right afforded to them by the US Constitution), but they also own and carry guns (another right protected by the Constitution). Oh the horror of it all!

All kidding aside, the question we should all be asking right now is this: When was doing what the US Constitution grants us considered "dangerous" or "illegal" in this country?

With that question fresh in your mind, please check out this next story from the news today...


Obama Tells Rev. Jones To Call Off 'International Burn-A-Koran Day'

President Obama is appealing to a Florida pastor to listen to the "better angels" of his nature, and call off his incendiary plan to burn Korans on 9/11.

The commander-in-chief fears, as many others have said, that Rev. Terry Jones' "destructive" book burning would spark outrage and fuel the fires of hatred that could target American troops.

"If he's listening, I just hope he understands that what he's proposing to do is completely contrary to our values [as] Americans," Obama told George Stephanopoulos on ABC's "Good Morning America" on Thursday.

I don't know. See, I look at the above news item, and consider the President's involvement, and prayerfully consider all the potential outcomes this weekend (or soon after the protest), and I see how easy it could be to criminalize and demonize Christians in this country especially if a "terrorist attack" that dwarfs 9/11 (like we've been told for years is a certainty) occurs "in response to Pastor Terry Jones' Koran burning event" as we're most likely to be told will be the catalyst.

If that happens, then we'll find ourselves knee deep in the prophesied persecution of Christians that God's Word clearly tells us to expect during the end times. Food for thought people.

Let me see if I understand this correctly before wrapping things up today. People (non-believers and secularists) are ALWAYS preaching to us about the "separation of church and state", right?

Ok, so then if the federal government is not supposed to show any kind of favoritism to one religion over another, then why do we have a President and an administration that does just that?

> US No Longer A Christian Nation [Source #1 / Source #2]
> Abolishing "National Day of Prayer" Service [Source]
> Hosted A Ramadan Dinner [Source]
> Publicly Supported Plans To Build A Mosque Near Ground Zero [Source]
> Speaking Out Against Pastor Jones' Constitutional Right [Article Above]

How can we believe him and others when they say that they want to create a world where "all religions are treated equal", but there's always 1 religion in particular (Christianity) that gets slammed and slighted time and time again?

Many Americans attribute all of these inconsistencies by the President as being emblematic of him simply being "out-of-touch" with the public he serves. No, not really.

He's just following a carefully orchestrated script that seeks to create as much chaos, dissent, disorder, and instability as possible because that will invariably lead to a "crisis" of some sort, and we all know that "you never want to let a good crisis go to waste" as Rahm Emmanuel reminded us early on. Bottom line, this is all just a classic and planned "Problem, Reaction, Solution" event being perpetrated against us.

Let's not fall for the hype or let them prey on our emotions! Instead, let's pray against this spiritual war that's raging and manifesting itself here in the physical realm.

Ladies and Gentlemen, what's happening right now -- what's about to happen -- is spiritually motivated. That's the truth. Read the Holy Bible. It's THE ONLY THING that explains the "Why?" behind everything we're experiencing and witnessing these days.

You want to find comfort in a comfortless world? Start there and take comfort knowing that everything is happening EXACT as planned. Then, run to the open and protective arms of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The point is that if the Word of God is true about such things (the course of events during the last days prophesied thousands of years ago), then isn't it safe to assume that it's also true in what it says about the things it says about our life, our sins, and how to find forgiveness and salvation from those sins? You better believe it!

Time is short. Repent! Judgement is coming!

Keep looking up!

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September 7, 2010

'Judgment Must Begin At The House Of God...'

Settle in. This is another long one.

I know that a lot of times these types of entries test one's patience given all the various threads that we attempt to tie together, but please try to work your way through this one without rushing because there's so much here that defies logic and mere "coincidence", and I think that's an important clue for us.

I want to personally thank both Linda L and James "Brian" H for sending me their insights on some recent current events that go hand-in-hand with the kinds of things we've all been witnessing and wondering about ourselves lately.

There's some real discernment here by them I think, and I thank God that they were moved by Him to share it with me so that I could share it with all of you. I'll put it to you this way...REPENT! JUDGMENT IS COMING!!!


AN IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER...


First, an admission, and a word of caution. Even though I've opened the last few "Studies In Symbolism" pieces with this type of introduction, I feel like this is something I must now include as standard fare in all future posts of this kind.

Yes, I know that studies in symbolism are highly subjective, and that can be dangerous. I get that. I also realize that this world can be distracting and that Satan will use whatever he can to keep us from doing the things that we should be doing; from setting our minds on the things that we should be setting our minds on.

At the same time, while we are not of this world, we're still in it. Personally, my intention here is that I want to try and point to the things going on in this world (even if they're HIGHLY SYMBOLIC in nature, esoteric, and open to one's own unique interpretation) and demonstrate not only how it MIGHT BE connected to the Bible's end times prophecies (but only so far as it gets us students of end times Bible prophecy to consider the lateness of the hour based on what such symbolism reminds us of), but also WHAT IT WAS IN GOD'S WORD that it forced me to think about.

My thinking is the same as it's been since day one a little over 2 years ago in these parts. If I'm clear about this being MY ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF SIGNS AND SYMBOLS IN POP CULTURE AND THE WORLD AROUND US AS I PERCEIVE THEM (as opposed to it being a
"Thus sayeth the Lord..." type of pronouncement), and if such a study ultimately gets me to spend even more time watching and praying for Jesus' return, let alone more time in the Word studying it, then how bad can a process like this be?

From now on, however, I'll always feel it is necessary to openly state these things for anyone who's new to Look Up Fellowship, or for the rest of you who still have a problem with these kinds of studies In symbolism (if that's you, then you might also want to re-read what is written about what we do here in the "What We Believe" section of this website on the right hand side of the page).

An apology is in order too. I used to think that it's almost as if the good Lord is pulling out all the stops to
"give us a head's up" about what's coming -- what's imminent -- and that He's putting these messages in all the things that we've sadly allowed to become False Idols in our lives like art, comics, music, movies, politics, pop culture, TV, and sports to name a few. Why? Because we've stopped reading His Word and therefore many of us are clueless about what we're told about what to expect in the coming last days.

How did I arrive at such a thought? Well, I know from what I read in the Bible that the Lord does, in fact, speak to us (and reveal Himself to us) through His creation. I reasoned,
"What are art, comics, music, movies, politics, pop culture, TV, and sports except an extension, or a part, of His creation?" and so that's why I was ok thinking that.

I also used to think that because of what we read in
2 Peter 3:9 (amongst other places) about God's character and love, that that somehow meant that perhaps He was using those aforementioned "extensions" of His creation because He was "desperately trying to get our attention" since we weren't giving Him the time of day.

That sounds good, right? It makes sense. But it's not Biblical. I couldn't find any verses that made me feel comfortable making such claims, or even insinuating such claims to all of you any longer. Lord, have mercy on me for I have sinned! See, besides, once I began to study the Sovereignty of God, as well as the Doctrines of Grace, I realized that to hold on to any kind of position that said that God was speaking to us through such things because "He was desperately trying to get our attention..." renders Almighty God impotent! It takes away His sovereignty and puts it squarely in the hands of humanity!

To make such a vile assertion is to make it sound like He's just sitting up there on His throne, fingers crossed, hoping that we'll
"finally get it" and "come to our senses" before it's too late. That flies in the face of all the passages in Scripture that speak to His sovereignty and grace and how He draws "the elect" to Him. It says that man has the freedom to "choose" or "reject" Jesus Christ, which would make Jesus a POTENTIAL Savior for some, and an ACTUAL Savior for no one. Again, how wrong I was!



No, He's not involved in most of this. Some of it, yes (
the recent earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand comes to mind here as a powerful example; much more on that later), but not as much as I've attributed to Him in the past I'm afraid. Not in the way that I have suggested for far too long. I can admit that. Please forgive me.

So, where do we go from here then? First, I wanted to redefine my position here for the record when it comes to studies In symbolism that you will find on LUF from this moment on. From this point forward, whenever I use the headlines, images, memes, stories, symbols, and themes we find in the world around us, it will ONLY be to use them AS A STARTING POINT for a study on end times Bible prophecy (in the sense that "this made me think of this today..."), and it will NEVER be with the caveat, "Hmmm...Maybe God is trying to get our attention and trying to tell us something, huh?" because that's not right. Who the heck am I to speak for God Almighty or to even assume I know what He's saying with any kind of certainty?

Let me clarify. Yes, God is speaking to us, and many of us aren't paying attention or listening at all. I'm also not saying that He doesn't speak to us through events that He orchestrates. He does. I'm just saying that I'm personally going to
"take it down a notch" when it comes to stating with any kind of authority that I "know" that this is what He's doing for certain. It's also why I'll also present this pieces with the title of the post in the form of a question. Again, who am I to claim such things? I'm nobody!


Let's begin by using the Word of God as our foundation before proceeding with today's study...

Matthew 10:16 (KJV) Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

Ephesians 5:11 (KJV) And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

Proverbs 25:2 (KJV) It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.

Luke 21:36 (KJV) Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

Matthew 10:28 (KJV) And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Luke 21:28 (KJV) And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

Where do we even begin?

Let's just start with the truth that will serve as the absolute foundation to everything we'll be looking at in this piece. It comes to us from 1 Peter and we know it all too well (even if we try to ignore it as if by doing so we'll somehow make it go away)...

1 Peter 4:17 (KJV) For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

We'll look at the answer to the question that ends that verse a little later, but for now what I want us to consider is how EVERYTHING in the news lately (including all of the apparent symbolism all around us) is pointing to imminent SEPARATION, ESCAPE/RAPTURE, and JUDGMENT for all Christians on this planet.

We're all well aware of the major earthquake in CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND (that I and many others have already mentioned), but there's so much more that seems to speak to this same theme of judgment upon the Body of Christ, but the kind that will truly separate the genuine Christians from the "False Converts" and make it obvious that that's what it was.


WE'RE ALL HAVING SIMILAR EXPERIENCES!


What I find quite telling about all of this is how we all seem to be having similar experiences independent from one another and yet the kinds of things such experiences are getting us to think about and prepare for are all the same regardless of age, gender, geography, and the walks of life that are all unique to each and every individual.

Take Linda L for instance. She emailed me the other day with the following...

I never paid attention to movie or show titles until I started reading your writings at LUF. I woke up at 4:00 a.m. and God said "get up." So I did and had my conversation with Him. Afterwards, I was letting the TV Guide channel scroll and saw the following - pretty much in this order:

Up, Up and Away
Big Daddy
Jump Start
Better
WIll & Grace
Bring It On
Destination Truth
Party at the Hard Rock
Deadliest Warrior
Little People Big World
Charmed
DP Galactic Battles
Meaningful Beauty
Changing Your World


I know this may seem silly - but for some reason - It spoke to me.

Don't you just feel He is talking to us? What an awesome time to be alive! Wow! To get to experience the "catching away" of His children!!!

Yes, I do believe He is talking to us all the time, but many of us just aren't listening.

Again, I want to be VERY CAREFUL that I don't boldly assert that this is what's happening in each and every case of symbolism that we study here, but sometimes the message appears so unmistakable that to ignore it or regard it as anything other than a "message" and a "warning" to His people is irresponsible.

Anyway, that was from Linda who sent me that email yesterday. You can imagine my surprise then when I checked my email today and found this from James "Brian" H...

I was just jotting down some notes and thought I'd share them with you. And, thanks for sharing your insight and your diligent research on the blog. Love you in Christ, brother!

Signs?

8/28/10 - Glenn Beck Rally

9/4/10 - Christchurch Earthquake (a divide in Christ’s church?)

Side-note: 9/6/10 - LABOR Day
(interesting thought, given Jesus’ use of labor pains to explain)
9/7/10 - Hermine; hits unexpectedly near Corpus Christi (Hermine is a girl’s name that means complete, universal, messenger, earthly; Corpus Christi means Body + follower of Christ)

9/8/10 - 2 Asteroids will pass earth closer than Moon (British Astronomical Association) http://britastro.org/blog/?tag=2010-rf12 (Bigger one visible on the night of 7th)

Rosh HaShanah
9/8-9 or 10-11?/10

PS Check out the interesting numbers on the Asteroids!

Incredible, isn't it?

Plus, his last bit of info on those 2 Asteroids is particularly intriguing given what I came across yesterday that's being buried by the media right now...

Asteroid/Meteorite Impact In Colombia!



Around 3:10PM Sunday afternoon, residents of Colombia were awestruck when the clear sky was cracked open by a massive fireball that exploded upon impact leaving a 300 foot wide crater and a lot of rattled nerves. Yet, none of the usual coverage like when we saw "fireballs" in previous months light up the skies.

It actually was a meteorite that fell in San Joaquin area in Santander. The explosion was so loud that it broke many windows in the area, the authorities found the crater and said the crater was between 90 and 110 meters in diameter.

"San Joaquin", huh? Did any of you see how actor -- excuse me, former actor -- Joaquin Phoenix was in the news TODAY too!?! Check it out...

Joaquin Phoenix's Documentary I'm Still Here Premiered

Joaquin Phoenix, more readily remembered for his Oscar-nominated performance as Johnny Cash in the 2005 film Walk the Line, premiered his new film I'm Still Here in Venice, Italy, on Monday, Sept. 6. The film is a documentary on Phoenix's transition from actor to rapper, and is raising skepticism on its authenticity. Director of the documentary Casey Affleck says "...there is no hoax," as reported by Sheri Jennings in "Venice Shows Affleck's Film on Joaquin Phoenix". Unfortunately, no one is taking Phoenix seriously, which has resulted in his music career's failure to launch, as documented in the film.


It just boggles the mind sometimes, doesn't it?

So, not only do we have a first name that resonates with the very name of the place where the impact of that Asteroid in Colombia occurred, but now we have a last name that should conjure up several thoughts of the type of sinister symbolism worshipped by our common enemy and those loyal to him!

MORE IMPORTANTLY, WE HAVE AN ACTOR WHO NOT ONLY STARRED IN THE MOVIE SIGNS ABOUT "FULL DISCLOSURE/FIRST CONTACT" (WHICH I DEFINITELY THINK IS RELEVANT TO THIS STUDY), BUT THE FOCUS OF THIS STORY ABOUT HIM TODAY IS HIS DOCUMENTARY I'M STILL HERE, WHICH I'M SURE I DON'T HAVE TO POINT OUT TO YOU IS A PERFECT FIT FOR ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT THE COMING RAPTURE AND THOSE WHO WILL BE "LEFT BEHIND" (I.E. "I'M STILL HERE") JUST LIKE WE'RE ANTICIPATING TODAY!!!

Folks, how do we explain this sort of thing? Should we even try to? Maybe the point is to just accept them as reality and as long as these types of things force us to think about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and to preach the Gospel, and to read His Word even more than we already do, then why worry ourselves with the "Why?" behind it all, you know?


What else? Oh, I almost forgot! The SyFy Channel just happened to air a movie from 1997 (a 13-year-old flick!) this past Sunday at 1pm -- or just 2 hours BEFORE this Asteroid impact in Colombia. Why in the world am I bringing this up and sharing with you the time it aired? I mean, who cares, right? There's always a method to the madness around here. Why am I mentioning all of this? Because the film was called Asteroid that has a plot eerily similar to what we're talking about today!

Asteroid (1997) - TV Trailer



Now, what in the world are the odds of that one!?! Here's the description of the movie, which is even more puzzling...

"An astronomer and a FEMA director brace for disaster when a disintegrating comet sends asteroid fragments toward Earth. With the discovery of an incoming Asteroid, the government of America formulates a plan to destroy it. When the plan fails, all the world can do is wait. The main impact zone is revealed to be Dallas, TX. Generally, the plot follows the lives and reactions of several characters: an astronomer, her father, her son, two firefighters from Kansas, two young doctors in Dallas, and the heads of the government agency in charge of the situation."

What do we make of this sort of phenomenon? And I haven't even brought up the blockbuster movies Deep Impact (which portrayed an African-American US President LONG BEFORE Barack Obama burst onto the scene!) or Armageddon yet until just now!

I mean, out of ALL THE MOVIES that they could've possibly picked to air on that day, and at that time, that's the one they selected? Yes, I realize it won a Primetime Emmy despite the bad special effects and even worse acting, but it's still all weird to me. Very weird.

To me, these types of unusual experiences (the experiences I shared from those who wrote to me and NOT necessarily these examples of synchronicity) are not to be shunned because we were told to expect this sort of thing as a hallmark of the end times (Joel 2:28; Acts 2:17).

To emphasize, the Moon is approximately 250,000 kilometers away from the planet. At closest approach, 2010 RF12 Asteroid will be 77,000 kilometers (0.2 lunar distance) away, and 2010 RX30 Asteroid will be even farther at 231,000 kilometers (0.6 lunar distance). Both will be closer to the planet than the Moon is!

Maybe we should pay attention because The Canadian Press published this article YESTERDAY that supports such concerns...

Astronauts Want Plan Ready For Asteroid Hits

MONTREAL –
Canadian and American astronauts say the world needs to prepare for the big one — the asteroid impact that could one day devastate the Earth.

Veteran Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield is president of the Association of Space Explorers, which has prepared a detailed report on the asteroid threat.

The United Nations is currently studying the report, which outlines plans to detect and deflect any objects in space that might threaten the planet.

Former U-S astronaut Rusty Schweickart says the basic technology to do this already exists. But he says the effort to steer an asteroid clear of the Earth would have to begin at least 10 years before the expected impact.

One scenario involves smashing a spacecraft into the asteroid to knock it off its collision course.

Canada is about to assume a key role in the search for potential threats from space. The Canadian Space Agency intends to launch NEOSSat next March to look for asteroids that may be hiding near the sun.

The $15-million suitcase-sized satellite will circle about 700 kilometres above the Earth.

A Canadian Space Agency official says NEOSSat is expected to detect hundreds of new asteroids during its first year of operation.

It will also monitor the heavy traffic of satellites now orbiting the Earth to try to prevent possible collisions.

I rest my case. Let's move on.


CHRISTCHURCH QUAKE MORE SIGNIFICANT THAN WE THINK?


I want to go back to the Christchurch earthquake and examine the details a little more closely since the event seems to be far more symbolic than the city just having a curious name and being connected to a mega-disaster.

What do I mean exactly? Well, right on cue, I read this latest headline and story about the Christchurch, New Zealand tragedy...

'Two Thirds Of Christchurch Homes Damaged’ In New Zealand Earthquake

Up to 100,000 homes in Christchurch, almost two-thirds, have been damaged by the 7.0-magnitude earthquake which hit the New Zealand city on Saturday, according to the country’s prime minister.

That's a lot of destruction and devastation in one place. However, did you notice what's suspiciously absent in these official details? Please keep reading.

Now, what needs to be highlighted here is how despite the fact that this was a 7.0-magnitude earthquake, despite the fact that it will cost hundreds of millions of dollars to repair the damages, despite the fact that Christchurch has experienced roughly 20 aftershocks since Saturday, despite the fact that 340,000 people live there, and despite the fact that 100,000 homes were utterly destroyed guess what? THERE WAS NOT A SINGLE DEATH AND A REPORT OF ONLY 2 SERIOUS INJURIES! Talk about a miracle! But if we're right to link this story (primarily due to the name of the city) to some kind of prophetic symbolism -- a warning message perhaps -- then isn't that what we'd expect to find? Despite all the chaos and destruction, the people were protected and safe somehow. Sounds like the "escape" (the Rapture?) to me!

So, in that sense, upon closer examination, this story is rich in prophetic symbolism (even more so than we initially thought), and it's a BEAUTIFUL reminder of the promise we've been given.

In fact, the New Zealand Prime Minister even had this to say...

"I was awestruck by the power of the earthquake and the damage it has caused in the city. It was miraculous that nobody was killed."

Uh, yeah, ya think so?

It will be even more "miraculous" when the Lord gives us our "escape" that He promised and told us to pray for (Luke 21:36) when the Rapture occurs! Talk about being "awestruck" and "miraculous" when that happens, huh?

By the way, I think we all know how it was John who wrote the Book of Revelation, right? The entire Book contains unfulfilled prophecies for the last days that are almost upon us. He's also the man who recorded some of the most powerful words in all of the Gospels (like John 3:16).

In a sense, I guess we could say that "John is the key..." No, not "The Key" (Jesus Christ), but "the key" (little "K") in the sense that we need to read what he wrote under divine inspiration for us in order to understand what to expect during the coming end times. Get this! New Zealand's Prime Minister is named...John Key! Seriously. See, you can't make this stuff up.

To reiterate, I'm not doing anything here except pointing out how real world events, names, and places can sometimes cause prayerful, watchful Christians like us to think about the imminence of our Lord and Savior's return as well as all the ancient prophecies that are about to be fulfilled in the very near future. Still, it just constantly blows my mind to find this level of cohesion sometimes.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention another thing here. Go back and re-read the latest headline about this quake and how "two-thirds" was featured prominently.

Would you be surprised to learn that there are some prophetic verses that also mention "two thirds", which amazingly speak to us about DIVISION, JUDGMENT, PERSECUTION, and a SCATTERING OF THE SHEEP!?! I hope you're not! Pay close attention to verse 8...

Zechariah 13:7-9 (KJV) 7 And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. 8 And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. 9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.

The prophet warns the Jews, that before this great comfort under Christ would come, there would be a horrible dissipation among the people: for their governors and pastors would be destroyed, and the people would be as scattered sheep.

Here's what Matthew Henry wrote in his commentary about these 3 verses...

Here is a prophecy of the sufferings of Christ. God the Father gave order to the sword of his justice to awake against his Son, when he freely made his soul an offering for sin. As God, he is called my Fellow. Christ and the Father are one. He is the Shepherd who was to lay down his life for the sheep. If a Sacrifice, he must be slain, for without shedding of the life-blood there was no remission. This sword must awake against him, yet he had no sin of his own to answer for. It may refer to the whole of Christ's sufferings, especially his agonies in the garden and on the cross, when he endured unspeakable anguish till Divine justice was fully satisfied. Smite the Shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered. This passage our Lord Jesus declares was fulfilled, when all his disciples, in the night wherein he was betrayed, forsook him and fled. It has, and shall have its accomplishment, in the destruction of the corrupt and hypocritical part of the professed church. Because of the sin of the Jews in rejecting and crucifying Christ, and in opposing his gospel, the Romans would destroy the greater part. But a remnant would be saved. And if we are his people, we shall be refined as gold; he will be God, and the end of all our trials and sufferings will be praise, and honour, and glory, at the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.

See what I mean about the level of cohesion, the apparent "spiritual convergence", that we're witnessing a lot of lately? But we're far from done. If we simply read the next verse, which starts chapter 14, we find this...

Zechariah 14:1 (KJV) Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.

The Geneva Study Bible has an appropriate translation of this verse that is completely consistent with everything we've been addressing today...

He arms the godly against the great temptations that would come, before they enjoyed this prosperous estate promised under Christ, that when these dangers came, they might know that they were warned of them before.

There's the divine rebuttal to anyone who seeks to question any of us who study end times Bible prophecy let alone who attempt to warn the world about what's coming.

Before moving on, let's look at a few more verses from Zechariah 14 and follow that up with Matthew Henry's analysis.

Zechariah 14:1-7 (KJV) Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark: But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light.

Man, even if we throw out all the news items that have served as the catalyst for today's study, all you have to do is read any headline coming out of the Middle East today to see how accurate this prophecy is (to the portion of the text that's about Jerusalem).

In addition, how can we not marvel at that last verse and the words "that at evening time it shall be light" when we just looked at those 2 Asteroids that are supposedly on track to pass the Earth at a distance closer than the Moon? Surreal!

Here's Henry's take on it the above passage...

The Lord Jesus often stood upon the Mount of Olives when on earth. He ascended from thence to heaven, and then desolations and distresses came upon the Jewish nation. Such is the view taken of this figuratively; but many consider it as a notice of events yet unfulfilled, and that it relates to troubles of which we cannot now form a full idea. Every believer, being related to God as his God, may triumph in the expectation of Christ's coming in power, and speak of it with pleasure. During a long season, the state of the church would be deformed by sin; there would be a mixture of truth and error, of happiness and misery. Such is the experience of God's people, a mingled state of grace and corruption. But, when the season is at the worst, and most unpromising, the Lord will turn darkness into light; deliverance comes when God's people have done looking for it.

Once again, in line with all the things we've been looking at today.

Since I brought up Jerusalem and Israel I think we should focus our attention there for a few minutes before we wrap things up and prayerfully consider these discoveries.


AN UNUSUAL TIMEPIECE RE-DISCOVERED POINTS TO GOD'S TIMEPIECE!?!


It's funny how these studies come about.

In my thirst for knowledge and truth about the things in this life that baffle us, whenever a question pops into my head that I'm not quite sure about I'll instantly set out on a journey to try and find the answer (if not what many perceive to be part of the answer).

Today, my dear mother sent me an email titled "What Do You Make Of This?" and here's what that question was in reference to...

Anachronous Discovery: Swiss Watch In Ancient Tomb

Chinese archaeologists have found a tiny Swiss watch in a tomb dating back to the Ming dynasty, which they believed has been intact for four centuries.

Two things from the outset need to be mentioned here.

First, this story is an old one. In fact, it began making the rounds in December 2008, or almost a full 2 years ago, which is why this stood out to me and caused me to want to take a closer look.

Why was it edited recently a full 2 years later, and what were the changes that were made to the original story? Why is it being re-published by some media outlets recently too (almost 2 full years later)? What causes a story to get re-published like this? Those are very good questions, aren't they? At least, that's what I was asking myself.

Many have concluded that it must be some kind of a hoax. Well, of course, right? I mean, otherwise, we'd be talking about the reality of humans being able to time travel, and as far as I know the Word of God doesn't tell us anything about such a concept being truthful.

Then again, modern Science is still trying to do it's best to convince us otherwise (another brazen attempt to attack Christianity). Forget about what Stephen Hawking said the other day, but now we're also being told that quantum experiments show future can influence the present.

Ok, so why in the world am I even bringing it up then? Good question. My mom sent me an email about this because she was seeing the story pop up in various forums online and it was presented as if it were an original, recent story. Obviously, that's not the case. So, that was "oddity" number one. For me, a few things stood out when I re-read the write-up on this "discovery" that caused me to dig a little deeper rather than immediately dismiss it all as a waste of time.

Once again, the "Feast of Tabernacles/Feast of the Ingathering/Sukkot/Booths" features prominently in a study of ours. Please go back and read the last few entries here on LUF if you're not sure what I'm talking about, or why that COULD BE important.

Anyway, don't think that point was lost on me. It definitely wasn't. The "watch" artifact that was supposedly found in that cave is showing a time of "10:06 AM" according to the news report. Naturally, I wondered if there was anything of POTENTIAL prophetic and symbolic significance happening on this October 6th of this year.

Interestingly enough, October 6th falls on a Tuesday this year. I recalled how I once read something about ancient Jewish wedding customs placing some kind of significance on that particular day of the week. Here's what I found in my own research...

The "Ki Tov" (That It Was Good) of Monday Was Delayed Until Tuesday

The third day of Creation [Bereshis 1:9-13] is the only day in which the expression "G-d saw that it was good" is mentioned twice. This expression is mentioned both following the gathering of the waters which divided the seas from the dry land, and following the sprouting of vegetation and seed- bearing plants - both of which occurred on the third day of Creation.

As a result of the fact that Tuesday had a double portion of "ki tov" [that it was good], Tuesday is considered a particularly fortuitous day of the week. Many people specifically plan their wedding for this day. When moving into a new house, many people plan to move on Tuesday. Many people try to start a new job on Tuesday.

On the other hand, on the second day of Creation, there is no mention at all of the expression "that it was good". Rash"i comments that the reason "ki tov" is not mentioned on the second day is because the creation of the water (i.e. - its assignment to the seas) was not completed until the third day. A value judgment of "ki tov" could not be pronounced until the work was complete. Therefore "ki tov" is mentioned twice on Tuesday - once in connection with the completion of the water (which was started previously) and once in connection with the vegetation (which was both started and completed on that same day).

This, however, begs for further explanation. G-d is all powerful. What does it mean that "he did not complete the job on Monday?" Why not? Clearly, He does not become tired or run out of time. Rather, He purposely did not finish the job on Monday. What is this trying to teach us?

The Shemen HaTov writes that the Holy One, Blessed Be He, is teaching us a lesson through the events of Creation that we as human beings must learn. This lesson is that "it's not over, until it's over." Sometimes things occur in life and we do not see the benefit therein. Sometimes we do not understand exactly what is happening.

Sometimes we will be able to understand what the event was really about, on the very next day. Then we will see the benefit of the inexplicable occurrence of the previous day. In the middle of creating the world, the All Powerful went out of His way to leave something undone, to leave something with a question mark at the end of the day, to leave something where the "ki tov" was not immediately apparent. The lesson is that "life" follows the same pattern as the days of Creation. We do not always immediately perceive the "ki tov".

Life would be much easier to live if within 24 hours we would immediately perceive that elusive "ki tov". Sometimes we do not even understand events the following week or year. Sometimes we do not even understand until the next lifetime. But the lesson of the delayed "ki tov" is that we should not expect to always see immediate results and immediate outcomes. Sometimes the good does not come until later.

G-d disrupted the order of Creation, leaving something purposely unfinished, in order to teach us this crucial lesson of life.

Assuming there's some significance to Tuesdays when it comes to Jewish wedding customs, here's something else that seems to take this study to whole new heights.

Who are we to Jesus Christ and who is He to us? His Word tells us that He is the Bridegroom and we are His Bride!!! How beautiful is that and to see it resonate with what we just looked at about Jewish wedding customs?

Now, we must take a closer look at an important parable that Jesus gave that we've all traditionally attributed to the coming Rapture, and rightfully so. The parable? None other than the "Parable of the Ten Virgins", which will blow you away once you study it again in light of today's discussion.

The Parable of the Ten Virgins" in Matthew 25 is one of the most enigmatic and intriguing in all of scripture. It seems to be a story of great drama and romance. In it we also see a warning, and some information for the saints of great prophetic significance, It is also a wooing, and a calling into a devotion in God. The Spirit of God is speaking to us in the storyline. We find ourselves being drawn beyond our comfort zone.

Here's what I'd like us to hone in on as we all embark upon a fresh, new study of this well-known parable. The facts of the story are straightforward. Five of the virgins were wise and five were foolish. But let's read it this time with a few questions in mind to help to get us thinking.

These questions are marvelously appropriate to the themes explored here today. For instance, questions like...

> Just who are these 5 wise and 5 foolish virgins?

> If they are all believers, then why the division?

> Are there 2 different groups of people within the beloved Congregation of God?

> If so, then what is it that distinguishes them from each other?

During my research, I came across a photo of a depiction of one of these virgins with her lamp...



Ready for this? Right on cue (we've read those words once or twice today already, right?), the mainstream news and Pop Culture joined forces to give us these images and story today...




Now, please don't misunderstand me here. I'm not even for a single second suggesting that Angelina Jolie is somehow to be viewed as one of the "wise virgins" mentioned in the parable. Actually, I'm not making a distinction about her in any way.

No, instead, I'm merely trying to point out the uncanny fact that these pics of her -- pics that oddly enough look very similar to the other one I posted above of one of the "wise virgins" -- just happen to get published for the world to see today, and AT THE EXACT SAME TIME that we're doing a study on this subject!

Speaking of the Rapture, a new video also just began making the rounds in the past few weeks and I should probably include it here for posterity. PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU WATCH THIS VIDEO IN FULL. It speaks for itself, and its timing I don't think is random at all. Wait until you see this...

Exact "Time" We Gather To Christ: Can We Know?



I think that's more than enough for this section. Perhaps one final thread.

I know that it's an extra-Biblical text and so we shouldn't put too much stock (if any) into it, but I need to bring up an ancient Jewish tale that speaks to the major themes being looked at here today. Please take a quick look at that if you have the time (it's not too long).


SOME FINAL THOUGHTS...


Earlier, we began this journey by looking at what we find in 1 Peter 4:17. Now, as promised, let's go back and look at the answer to the question that ends that verse and describes the fate of many, which surprisingly also speaks to the Sovereignty of God (a subject the Lord has forced me to study A LOT lately)...

1 Peter 4:18-19 (KJV) And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

In other words, what's the conclusion we are to draw from these words? Seeing the godly are not afflicted by chance, but by the will of God, they ought not to despair, but go forward nonetheless in the way of holiness and well doing, commending themselves to God their faithful Creator, that is to say, their Father. Amen!

For emphasis, Wesley notes the following...

Let them that suffer according to the will of God - Both for a good cause, and in a right spirit. Commit to him their souls - (Whatever becomes of the body) as a sacred depositum. In well doing - Be this your care, to do and suffer well: He will take care of the rest. As unto a faithful Creator - In whose truth, love, and power, ye may safely trust.

And, for good measure, Matthew Henry wrote the following (an exclamation point really) to this entire study (emphasis mine)...

1 Peter 4:12-19 By patience and fortitude in suffering, by dependence on the promises of God, and keeping to the word the Holy Spirit hath revealed, the Holy Spirit is glorified; but by the contempt and reproaches cast upon believers, he is evil spoken of, and is blasphemed. One would think such cautions as these were needless to Christians. But their enemies falsely charged them with foul crimes. And even the best of men need to be warned against the worst of sins. There is no comfort in sufferings, when we bring them upon ourselves by our own sin and folly. A time of universal calamity was at hand, as foretold by our Saviour, Mt 24:9,10. And if such things befall in this life, how awful will the day of judgment be! It is true that the righteous are scarcely saved; even those who endeavour to walk uprightly in the ways of God. This does not mean that the purpose and performance of God are uncertain, but only the great difficulties and hard encounters in the way; that they go through so many temptations and tribulations, so many fightings without and fears within. Yet all outward difficulties would be as nothing, were it not for lusts and corruptions within. These are the worst clogs and troubles. And if the way of the righteous be so hard, then how hard shall be the end of the ungodly sinner, who walks in sin with delight, and thinks the righteous is a fool for all his pains! The only way to keep the soul well, is, to commit it to God by prayer, and patient perseverance in well-doing. He will overrule all to the final advantage of the believer.

Praise the Lord for that!

So, where does that leave us? As Christians, we have eternal security and although today's piece wasn't about "eternal security" per se, it was about the "escape" that's to come that Jesus Christ promised us and told us to pray for.

Luke 21:36 (KJV) Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

If it wasn't that important, if there really wasn't an "escape", then Jesus was a fraud and a liar to tell us as much and to command us to pray that we are worthy to be a part of it. Again, the key distinction here is that we're not talking about Salvation, we're talking about the Rapture.

Now that we've come full circle, let me try to sum things up briefly here...

> Christchurch Earthquake
: Reminds me of the coming judgment/persecution of Christians
: Reminds me of the coming separation (i.e. "escape"/Rapture)
: Not a single fatality reported!
: Reminds me of supernatural protection given to us due to the Rapture


> Asteroid Impact In San Joaquin, Colombia
: 2 Asteroids scheduled to fly-by the Earth in next 1-2 days
: Colombia at the forefront of "Alien/UFO Disclosure" movement
: Joaquin Phoenix back in news suddenly with premiere of his new film
: Documentary called I'm Still Here (reminds me of "Left Behind" after Rapture)!
: Phoenix starred in another hit called Signs (movie about "Aliens" and end times)


> News About Watch Artifact Discovery In Ancient Chinese Cave Re-Published
: Whether hoax or real, how and why does a story like that get re-published?
: Watch as a central element to the story
: Reminds me how we're supposed to "watch" for His return
: Time on watch artifact is "10:06AM" (temporal marker for October 6th, 2010?)
: October 3-9, 2010: "Feast of Tabernacles/Ingathering/Sukkot/Booths"
: Were we right to speculate about possible Rapture timing during that Feast?
: "Swiss" is the "maker of the watch artifact" as listed on the back
: "Swiss" is synonymous with "peace"
: The Lord is our "Maker", and Jesus is known as the "Prince of Peace"

Breathtaking indeed!

Whether the analysis found in this entire presentation is accurate or not, the simple fact of the matter is that we're still on the cusp of the beginning of the end given all the other signs all around us that are NOT subject to one's own interpretation because they're a LITERAL and PLAIN fulfillment of His Word.

With that in mind, we need to rest on the following...

Luke 21:28 (KJV) And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

Repent! Judgement is coming!

Keep looking up!

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