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kathleen1
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 18 Things Are Not What They Seem

18-Things Are Not What They Seem-BH Clendennen
The Pathway To An Overcoming Life Series


Paul said he pressed toward the mark of that high calling that is in Christ that he might apprehend that which he was apprehended for. Rev 3:23 says it's the overcomer that is going to be there. Many are called but few are chosen because they refuse to deal with the things we are dealing with. It looks as though there is a collapse in the world of many things. We stand on the threshold of a third world war. Yet, as it was in Noah's day it's business as usual. We find ourselves beyond that fortieth and final generation that Jesus said would not pass until all things He set forth would be fulfilled. This final generation began in June 1967 with a 6 day war that left Jerusalem in the hands of Israel. In Luke 21 Jesus laid out the pattern of events that would lead to that moment in history. That six day war, you remember, was the first time since AD 70 became a Jewish city. It had been trodden underfoot, ruled by the Gentiles, until that point in time.

Luk 21:24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

In AD 70, Titus and his Roman army overran Jerusalem, killing over a million Jewish people. Those who remained alive were led away captive into all nations. From AD 70 until June 1967 Jerusalem was trodden underfoot of Gentiles. June 5, 1967 Jerusalem became a Jewish city and the final generation begun according to the Word of Christ. We look at the prophetic structure. Ezekiel 36 deals with the dispersion and restoration of Israel.

Eze 36:19 And I scattered them among the heathen, and they were dispersed through the countries: according to their way and according to their doings I judged them.
Eze 36:24 For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.

This whole chapter deals with this particular circumstance. Then in Chapter 37, we see the valley of dry bones. Here we have illustrated what is said to us in the previous chapter. Bones are always suggestive of former life. The bones were very dry, that is they'd been dead for a very long time. These bones, the prophet says, are the whole house of Israel. We have this remarkable illustration and Jesus testifies to this in Mat 21:18-19. We have this account of Jesus returning from Bethany to Jerusalem.

Mat 21:18 Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered.
Mat 21:19 And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforth for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.
Mat 24:32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: Mat 24:33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Mat 24:34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Mat 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

Jesus let us know this fig tree was Israel. In 1948, when the fig tree put forth her leaves, Israel became a nation, the nation was born, but there was no fruit. That means she came to life, came back in the same spiritual condition in which she died. God intended Israel becoming a nation to be a visible sign to the elect-that the countdown to the rapture had begun. To make sure we never missed the sign, God not only gave the parable of the fig tree, He also gave a parable of two sticks, in Ezekiel 37:15-22.

Eze 37:15 The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,
Eze 37:16 Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions:
Eze 37:17 And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.
Eze 37:18 And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these?
Eze 37:19 Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand.
Eze 37:20 And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes.
Eze 37:21 And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land:
Eze 37:22 And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all:

Now, in the parable of the two sticks, we not only have the history but also the manner of the restoration. This nation had been divided as far back as the son of Solomon, Rehoboam. Ten tribes went to Jeroboam, the son of Nabath. Two tribes remained unto Rehoboam. Shortly after this, ten tribes of Israel went into captivity, and there was no more record they ever returned from that captivity. The name Jew came into being in 1 Kings and this named has stayed with them down through the centuries. The parable of the two sticks is talking about two nations becoming one on the mountains of Israel. We've not only seen the nation come into being, but we've also seen the parable of the two sticks fulfilled. The old name which was given to Judah when Israel went into captivity has now become superseded by the original nation's name. They are no longer called Jews but Israelis. It is Israel that is back in its own land and the Word of God is fulfilled.

With the birth of the nation of Israel in 1948, many believed the final generation had begun. In fact, many books and prophecies were written that 1988 would mark the end of that generation. Many of us didn't buy that preaching. We knew God had begun His move of restoring Israel, but we knew the times of the Gentiles were not fulfilled. 19 years would pass before Jerusalem would become a Gentile city, thus marking the end of the Gentile time, and beginning the final generation. It's very obvious that we are the generation that will witness the coming of the Lord and the revealing of the Son of Man. There's no question the so called peace being negotiated in Israel is the peace spoken of in Ezekiel 38, and 39.


Eze 38:8 After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.

We are about to witness the calm before the storm. It's during this time the world will think peace and safety, that the hordes of Islam, inspired by Satan, led by Russia, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, will wage an all out attack against Israel.

Eze 38:9 Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.

Eze 38:10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:
Eze 38:11 And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,

Albert Pike, as head of the Freemasonry, spoke this prophecy in 1870 : there will be three world wars and we'll own it all. That third world war of Mr Pike's prophecy is about to explode on this planet. The devastation, carnage, the darkness brought about by this war will make the dark ages look like noonday. The world will be ready for anything or anybody that can bring order out of such chaos. Satan's mastermind, Mr 666 is no doubt somewhere among us today, awaiting for his moment in history. He, the Antichrist will cause craft to prosper and for a moment bring order to a troubled world. Seeing all this fulfillment of prophecy, we, the elect of God must ever be watchful. We must not allow ourselves to become careless. The mystery of iniquity is already at work.

2Th 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

The true church must be removed before the personal antichrist can be revealed. How near we must be to that moment! This war which is raging spiritually at this very moment, is not about politics or territory, it's a war between light and darkness, between the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of hell, it's Christ against antichrist and you and I whether we like it or not are greatly involved. We are the vessels of light through which God will work. We will not produce the millennium, but we will stand in the gap until our Lord comes. We're making inroads into that kingdom of darkness like never before in our history. Satan is reacting violently. We can win, we will win, but it will cost us greatly. We will dispossess the world rulers of darkness, but they won't play dead while it happens. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but are mighty through God. We will pull down Satan's strongholds. We're soldiers in the kingdom of God and that kingdom is unreserved in its demands. It requires unlimited obedience, it both grants and commands. It's at once gift and task. If any kingdom has ever advanced totalitarian claims, it's the kingdom of Christ in God. Authority and obedience, leading and following, command and subjection. This is the order. It's a totalitarian kingdom and church, and all half heartedness is an abomination to this King. The whole man belongs to Him, in spirit, soul and body, in all relations, heavenly, and earthly. To renounce all, Luk 14:33, to take up a cross, Mat 16:24, to serve Him alone, Luk 16:13, to hate his own self, Luk 14:24, and to lose his life that he may gain it eternally. Joh 12:25. This is the mind which the King demands.
All of this is to be born out of the life of God within the truly born again Child of God, out of the consciousness of the royal standing of such a noble birth, we are the children of the Most High God. Finally, the end will come, and with it victory. For the message of the kingdom of heaven has world deliverance as its goal. The field is the world. Preach the gospel to every creature is the command. We're under orders. Some must send, others must go. But if we'll commit, God will supply. If we give, He will give to us. If we will go, He will go with us.

June 2007 marked the end of the fortieth year from June 1967. From that moment on we are living on the long suffering of God, as it was in Noah's day. God has extended us His long suffering that we might fulfill this task of carrying this gospel to every creature. We must all involve ourselves who are the elect of God. But we must understand from this we have come to an end time. Strange things always begin to happen at an end time to alert the church as to who we are, where we are and what we must do. God's warning, the one supreme warning of God about those people of the end time is be not deceived. What emphasis He laid on that. With the signs before us, with the evidence and command of God and what He demands of us, we must take heed to this. Diligence is what it's all about.

When Elijah called Elisha to follow him and for 8 years he did. Finally on the other side of that Jordan, he asked Elisha what do you want from me? He said I want a double portion of what you have. He said you've asked a hard thing, but if you see me when I go, that's what you're going to have. That required a diligence beyond our ability to imagine. He never let that old man out of his sight. He knew there was a diligence required. He knew, I must see him when he goes. Jesus said they who look for Him are those who are going to go. A diligence, is what He said. Not those, like in the days of Noah, all occupied with things in time, caught up in the work and not with Christ. Caught up in things, wanting more than we have. This is what cost them that place. God is speaking to us.

He wants to stir the heart of that elect, be diligent, look always unto God, give yourself to prayer, fasting, seeking after the mind of God, and will to do whatever He tells you to do. Many are called but few are chosen, and it is the tests of life that is going to eliminate the many.

When WWII broke out, I joined the military immediately because this was a threat to everything I was and believed in at that time. The Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor. They locked me up for 12 weeks in a boot camp. It was a very strenuous time, a very difficult time. Marching, running, falling out, falling in, crawling under barbed wire, all of these things were going on. There was a young man in the tent with me that cried all the time, he wanted his mama. He was the same age of me, 19 years old. What little time I had in that tent, I couldn't sleep for him crying he wanted his mama. One morning when that bugle blew, I ran out to meet that Sargent before anybody else got there. I said can I talk to you, sir? He said what do you want? I said that young man in the tent with me, cries all the time, I can't sleep. Would you leave him in that tent? I tell you, He invented curse words. He said, no sir, I'll do one of three things, I'll kill him, send his home to his mama or make a marine out of him. He said do you know what this boot camp is about? I said no, but I'd like to. He said it's to eliminate the undesirables. That's the test of this life.

The lazy, indolent, and indifferent wont' be here. If you are lukewarm, I'll spew you out of my mouth, saith God. All of this is to eliminate the undesirables. If Christ is not your Lord now, you'll not rule with Him there. All of this is bringing you to the place where Christ is absolute Lord of your life. God help us as the elect of God to set ourselves to be the purpose of God in this end time. If God is talking to you, bow your knee and repent, if you've turned away from total commitment to Him. Ask His forgiveness, renew your vows, let God use you in these final days of history. In the name of Jesus.



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posted with permission


_________________
Kathleen

 2009/10/16 10:02Profile





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