How Close Are We? (Part 6)

Friday, March 8, 2013

Paul Schneider

Dear Friend,

INTRO

In Hebrews 10:25 we are admonished....."Do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together, as the habit of some is, but encourage one another, and all the more as you see the day approaching." This clearly precludes putting ANYTHING else before worshipping the Lord and fellowshipping with other believers on a weekly basis. The time of our departure is at hand, very near!

A BORROWED DONKEY

As Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a borrowed donkey -- something He had never done before -- hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of His disciples line the small, winding road winding road leading down from the Mount of Olives. It was a spontaneous yet prophesied demonstration. Throwing out their clothes for the beast to walk upon, the enthusiasts waved palm branches over Christ's head and hailed Him as the Messiah (Savior.). To the Pharisees, the cries were blasphemous. Never before had Christ been greeted publicly by a huge crowd in this manner. Their unlikely response to His entrance into Jerusalem, not on a white horse and brandishing a flashing sword but on this humble beast, was itself the fulfillment of prophecy: "Rejoice greatly, O daughterof Zion, shout O daughter of Jerusalem: behold thy king cometh to thee: He is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding on an ass" (Zechariah 9:9).

ZECHARIAH FORETELLS

Amazingly the crowd, without knowing it, was doing exactly what Zechariah had foretold. Very likely no one present that day knew Zechariah's prophecy, much less related it to Jesus and what was happening. The Pharisees were scandalized that people were calling Him the Son of David, which meant the Messiah. They ordered Jesus to rebuke His disciples, to which He replied: "I tell you that, if these should hold their peace.. the stones would immediately cry out" (Luke 19:40). This was the "coming of Messiah the Prince" (Daniel 9:25) on the precise day Daniel had prophesied and in the very manner Zechariah had foretold! Those prophecies were being fulfilled to the letter!

A PASSOVER PLOT?

How much money would it have taken to pay this multitude to go through these motions! Had Christ arranged for His friend Lazarus to die and thereby bring Him back to Jerusalem just in time for this remarkable occasion? Following the precise timing of the events of the last few days before the crucifixion as given to us in the Gospels is fascinating. After messengers came tell ing Jesus that His good friend Lazarus wa sick, "He abode two days still in the same place" (John 11:6) before going to Bethany. It would be largely in response to the resurrection of Lazarus that the crowds would line the approach to Jerusalem a few days later to hail Jesus openly for the first (and last) time as the Messiah. The exact day for that climactic event to occur was of UTMOST importance. So the Bible does set dates after all. The precise day on which the Messiah would reveal Himself to Israel and then be rejected and slain by His own people is only one of the specific dates given in Scripture. As we have already noted, the exact date of the Second Coming (not the Rapture) can be known as well." Excerpted from thee book "HOW CLOSE ARE WE" by Dave Hunt.

Speculation has it that President Obama will begin to allow oil drilling all over the U.S. owned land and offshore in order to bring vast revenues to the Treasury. Shale oil drilling is already producing prosperity in many areas of the U.S.. Also tremendous new technologies are coming on board. A vast, new, oilfield has also been discovered in Australia, with 230 to 500 BILLION barrels of oil, said to be more than all the Middle East put together. Will all this prosperity delay the Rapture, or will the Rapture be the BIG SURPISE? Remember His coming "Like a thief in the night" will catch both the world AND the CHURCH by surprise? Remember the story of the 10 virgins, 5 wise and 5 foolish. When the bridegroom came, the 5 wise (representing the church) were also asleep, unprepared for the bridegrooms coming. We are admonished to "BE READY." If you want to join the WISE virgins, pray, "Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for dying and taking the punishment for my sins. I invite You to come into my heart as my Savior and please forgive me of all my sins. I want to go to Heaven with You. Amen!"

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