Summary of Bible references on the Rapture

ZNP · Mar 16, 2021

Galatians 6:3-6 Do not deceive yourself into thinking you are something

Saul’s name was changed to Paul which means “small”. Paul referred to this when he said that we should not become conceited, provoking one another and envying one another. In England they tore down one statue, threw it in the sea, and then put up their own statue of one of the leaders of the Black Lives Matter movement. Others want statues of Columbus, George Washington, and Lincoln torn down. These actions are provocative, and demonstrate envy. These are actions of people who are conceited and think they are something. People who are conceited are not willing to become a servant of all. The Lord said that in the evil age people want to be served, but in His kingdom if you want to be something you must serve others. So, if you are unwilling to carry each other’s burdens because you think you are something, you are deceiving yourself, only those who are servants of all are anything in the kingdom. You need to have the mind of Christ who humbled Himself to become a servant. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Nelson Mandela, he was great. He wasn’t conceited, he didn’t provoke, he didn’t envy. Gandhi, he was great, he also became “least among you”.

The word for “load” is different in verse 2 and verse 5. In verse 2 we are a corporate body concerned about each member, in verse 5 we will all have to answer for our actions to the Lord. We will all appear before the Lord to answer what we have done with the gifts the Lord has given us. If your gift is to encourage others, then we will see that in your actions of encouragement. Whatever your gift it will be manifested in how you ministered to others, how you carried each other’s burdens. Luke 9:49 And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out demons in thy name; and we forbade him, because he followeth not with us. 50 But Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against you is for you. Black Lives Matter is not the only one casting out demons from this evil age. Abortion is an evil, destruction of the Amazon rainforest is an evil, cruel treatment of animals is an evil. We each need to carry our load. I am working to overcome the implicit bias in the school system. To level the playing field for inner city youths, especially young men of color. We need to each take up the burden that the Lord has given us.

Our gift grows and is manifested as we grow in the Lord. This is a process of fellowship in the word. Regardless of who you are and what your gift is, you received instruction in the word, you received the milk of the word and you grew thereby. None of us is independent.

ZNP · Mar 16, 2021

Galatians 6:7-9 We will reap in due season

7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked.

Zephaniah 2:10 This is what they will get in return for their pride, for insulting and mocking the people of the Lord Almighty. 11 The Lord will be awesome to them when he destroys all the gods of the earth. Distant nations will bow down to him, all of them in their own lands. This is the heart of all those who are faithless. They think God can be mocked. They have been deceived. Putting statues of confederate leaders up in the public square after they lost the Civil War, that is mockery. It is pride, it is insulting and it is mocking the people of the Lord. So then, God will be just when He is awesome to them and destroys all the gods of the earth. Distant nations are taking notice of what is happening in the US. So don’t be faithless, don’t be deceived, don’t be influenced by this crooked and evil age.

A man reaps what he sows.

We are seeing people get fired left and right for things they say and things they do. Why don’t they wise up? They can’t. They have sown these seeds already, they have grown up in their heart, it is what it is. They can’t hide it, instead it is being shouted to the whole world using Youtube, etc.

Jesus' death was likened to a grain of wheat being sown into the ground. Jesus sowed unto the Spirit and He is reaping the church. We are the firstfruits of the Spirit. Likewise Judas, the Jewish leaders and the Roman leaders sowed unto the flesh when they crucified Jesus using false testimonies and a monkey trial. Whoever sows injustice reaps calamity, and the rod they wield in fury will be broken. Proverbs 22:8 It was injustice and they will reap destruction. The rod that they used to crucify Jesus was broken. No stone was left upon a stone. Right now we are witnessing the world reaping destruction. In the US Antifa riots were used to help the Democrats win the election. However, as Antifa realizes they were simply pawns they will turn on these same ones and they will reap calamity. This is an evil age, we are surrounded by liars who defraud and abuse others. In the last six months they estimate the world’s economy has lost $12 trillion. Those who have been sowing to the flesh have just seen it go up in smoke, a burnt offering to the Lord. Our inheritance is not something that can be stolen, it is kept safe for us in the heavens. Our inheritance is eternal, weighty and glorious.

There are many indications that those in the Black Lives movement have become “weary”. The word of God strengthens us to sow unto the Spirit and to not give up. There are plenty of indications that the Civil Rights movement will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Jackie Robinson was an indication that the racist wall in professional sports would fall, since then it is safe to say that there has been a harvest of professional athletes who are minorities. Still there is a lack of minorities who are NFL coaches, so there is still more to do. Carl Burton Stokes was an indication that the racist wall in political life was going to fall, since then Barack Obama and many other high ranking officials can be viewed as a harvest. There are many other examples, but the fact is it is hard work to remove the stones and thorns from men’s hearts. Let us not become weary in doing this good work and we will reap a harvest at the proper time. This expression the “proper time” or “due season” is the same expression used in Matthew 24:45 concerning servants “give them their food in due season”. It is also the same as Romans 5:6 that Christ died in due season. All these things are done in “due season”, Jesus Christ is sown into the ground as a grain of wheat, the brothers and sisters have been fed the word of God and there will also be a season in which we reap. This is why verse six talks about the fellowship with those who instruct us in the word of God. The age of Grace is the age in which we are fed and nourished in the word of God. The end of this age is the season in which we will reap.

ZNP · Mar 16, 2021

Galatians 6:10-12 The Church's Declaration of Independence

Paul put his “John Hancock” on this document. John Hancock wrote his name especially large on the Declaration of Independence because he wanted to make sure King George could see it. The document was an act of treason and all those who put their names on it could be executed for treason. It was a courageous act to sign that, and to do it in such large letters was unambiguous. There were many who were trying to straddle the fence; present the Christian gospel while also pleasing the Judaizers. Paul made it clear in this letter there is no compromise on this issue. The book of Galatians is the “Declaration of Independence” for the church. We should also be clear that there is no compromise between the church and Sodom and Gomorrah. We cannot compromise with many of the things that are being done in our society today. Cancelling constructive education for children and replacing it with perversion, we can't compromise with that. We can't compromise with abortion. We can't compromise with a regime like the CCP who have 400 million forced abortions and are guilty of genocide and enslaving people.

Some of the Christians wanted to avoid persecution. If we can say that everyone we baptized also got circumcised we can boast to these Judaizers that we are spreading the gospel of the Old Testament. What they are really doing is avoiding being persecuted for the Cross of Christ. The Old covenant was enacted with the blood of bulls and goats, the new covenant was enacted with the Lord’s blood. It is the same with all these protests. Which is more important, having a big crowd that impresses people, or doing good to all people as we have opportunity? In India the British were trying to tax the people. Everyone needed salt, this was at a time before they had widespread refrigeration. So they instituted a salt tax. You could get a big protest, you could get millions of signatures, you could try to change that law that way. But what Gandhi did was to walk to the sea, and pick up a little salt from the seashore. Very simple little protest to say “we don’t need you to give us salt”. Of course it was 240 miles from his home to the seashore and he walked there and back, so altogether more like 500 miles. That is what it means to be “persecuted for the cross of Christ”. Gandhi picked up his cross and followed the Lord, walking 500 miles to make a very simple point, “we don’t need you to give us salt”. Likewise the British wanted to get the raw materials from India, send them to England where factories would make clothes and then ship them back to sell in India. Gandhi got a portable spinning wheel, spun thread and made his own clothes. Again, his point was “we don’t need you to make our clothes”. He didn’t make a big show to impress people, instead he was persecuted for the cross of Christ and that was a powerful word. After the mortgage crisis the government bailed out the banks because “they were too big to fail”. What we need to do is take up the cross and make a clear statement “we don’t need the banks”. These bankers knowingly defrauded millions of Americans out of their homes. They violated their fiduciary responsibilities, they deceived these people and they mocked the people of God. Then to add insult to injury they took money from the taxpayers and gave it to the crooks so that they could continue to give themselves million dollar bonuses. Be courageous like Abraham, Lot has been taken captive by the rulers of this evil age, we need to restore him. We need to say “we don’t need these crooks”. The Black Lives Matter movement is calling to “defund the police department”. We are the taxpayers, the police need to serve and protect us. If they don’t we don’t need them, we can hire someone else to do this. There are laws and unions that protect the police, even when they abuse their position. The simplest way to deal with that is to defund the entire department and bring in different people to “serve and protect”. Do you think the clothes that people made were better than the clothes that the textile mills in England made? In many cases, if not most cases, probably not. But if they bought the clothes from England they would continue to be subservient to England, if they made the clothes themselves then they were declaring their independence. Why do you think the police protect and serve people in the suburbs? Because the people in the suburbs have made it clear to the police who they are working for. What these recent BLM protests say to me is that the police in the inner cities need to know who they are protecting and serving. They do not seem to understand that and defunding a few police departments should help them understand.

ZNP · Mar 16, 2021

Galatians 6:13-18 The raputure is when the Lord has turned back the enemy

Think about this, circumcision is a sign, just like a wedding ring is a sign, of the covenant. If you wear a wedding ring it signifies much more than simply putting on a little jewelry. But these people who were pushing the Gentiles to be circumcised had no intention of keeping all the law, just the circumcision. That is reprehensible just as much as a woman who wears a wedding ring without any intention of being faithful to all that this implies. I saw a video of a protestor try to deface a statue of Columbus only to be surrounded by a crowd of elderly Italians. Immediately he starts crying out for the police. The crowd then mocked him “oh, now you want the police”. You can’t have it both ways, that is hypocrisy. If the police are abusive, they aren’t serving you, they aren’t protecting you, then you need to act. If it turns out that the majority of people in that city agree, defund the police and hire different people to “protect and serve”.

Our covenant is with Jesus Christ, and the sign of that covenant is the cross of Christ, and through that cross the world has been crucified to me and I to the world. The cross is extreme. Do you really need to die, can’t we compromise? Nelson Mandela was extreme. His demand for justice was extreme and his forgiveness was extreme. Gandhi was extreme. When he said “we don’t need you” it was extreme. But his non violence was also extreme, even in the face of horrible atrocities.

What counts is the new creation! Jew and Gentile, male and female, Greek or Sythian, none of these count, what counts is that I am a child of God. I am a child of God and I am being transformed into the prince of God, the body of Christ, the church. The tribulations that we are suffering are filling up the lack, the marks you have received become the marks of Jesus. This is our covenant, Jesus is the vine, we are the branches. Together we are the vine tree.

Zephaniah 3:14 Sing, Daughter Zion; shout aloud, Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem! 15 The Lord has taken away your punishment, he has turned back your enemy. The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm. 16 On that day they will say to Jerusalem, “Do not fear, Zion; do not let your hands hang limp. 17 The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” 18 “I will remove from you all who mourn over the loss of your appointed festivals, which is a burden and reproach for you. 19 At that time I will deal with all who oppressed you. I will rescue the lame; I will gather the exiles. I will give them praise and honor in every land where they have suffered shame. 20 At that time I will gather you; at that time I will bring you home. I will give you honor and praise among all the peoples of the earth when I restore your fortunes before your very eyes,” says the Lord.

ZNP · Mar 16, 2021

What is the enemy in Galatians? It begins by talking about delivering us from this evil age, but in the end the concern is that this evil age is in us. We can be tempted to act in a way that is self righteous, or does not exhibit love and concern for others. It is not simply to be delivered from sin but to also assist others in being delivered from sin.

ZNP · Mar 16, 2021

1Samuel 22 -- The purge

We are seeing this same thing today. Why did so many people gather to Trump? They were in distress, in debt or they were discontented. The ruling elites had passed NAFTA that sent all their jobs to Mexico and China. The ruling elites allowed the mortgage crisis which saw millions of Americans get illegally scammed out of their homes by the banks only to then see Obama bailout the banks. No one went to jail, instead they gave themselves big bonuses. Clinton, Bush and Obama all worked together on these despicable actions. We went to war after 9/11 in Iraq even though they had nothing to do with it. We went to war in Iraq again because of WMD’s even though that also was a lie. The VA hospital was an embarrassment before Trump took office. So there were a lot of reasons why people were unhappy, they lost their job, they lost their house and they lost their son all because of lies from their government. Meanwhile Clinton, Bush, Obama, Biden, Pelosi, Schumer and Feinstein are all becoming exceedingly wealthy by selling off the US to the highest bidder.

I like this, act like a king, shepherd the people. Do not run and hide from the wolves like a hireling. Let the enemy focus his attack on you, that way you will act as a shield for the people.

Reminds me of the presidential campaign. Vote for Biden you will get free healthcare, $2,000 and free college. He is lunch pale Joe, cares for the little guy. He’ll double minimum wage to $15. First thing Joe does as president is to reverse an order Trump gave concerning insulin. I saw a video where a woman said that her son’s prescription jumped from $60 a month to $325 and it would be over $500 a month only she had a coupon this time. So much for free health care. The promise of $2,000 quickly became $1400. The latest Covid relief bill is exceedingly transparent. They take over $5,000 from each taxpayer, while giving them $1,400 back. But then they raise taxes to take that $1,400 back. Yes, they are trying to double minimum wage to $15 an hour but at the same time they are opening the border to 25,000 immigrants and emptying the jails of illegals who have been imprisoned. So while an employer will have to pay an American $15 an hour they can get away with paying illegals less. He cancelled the pipeline in the US killing thousands of jobs while at the same time supporting a pipeline being built in Afghanistan by the Taliban. He cancelled oil and gas production on federal land which is bankrupting many states as that was a significant portion of their tax revenue. A lot of promises that were nothing but lies.

People need to wake up, cancel culture is like a pack of hyenas, they really don’t care who they kill or cancel.

This chapter reminds me of our current events where Trump said “they hate me because they hate you”. The news is supposed to be a priesthood, independent of the king, they answer only to God, they speak the word of God and they inquire of God on various matters. The way a totalitarian regime takes control of the priesthood is to kill 85 priests and then install their own puppet priesthood. We are seeing this today with cancel culture. Half of NY Times reporters have said they are not permitted to speak freely. This is what we saw with the sixty minutes expose on the cigarette companies. They threatened a billion dollar lawsuit and the lawyers prevented them from reporting the news. This was half the scandal, that the “priesthood” of sixty minutes had been compromised by the ruling elites. Today we are seeing the advancement of that, the tech giants are censoring and cancelling people left and right. Twitter banned 7,000 channels including the President of the United States. They say it is about hate speech and yet you can find plenty of hate speech on Twitter that is not banned. What it really is about is banning any speech that disagrees with leftists totalitarianism. A pro life group was banned for “hate speech”. Parler was shut down by Amazon, Google, and Apple working in a coordinated attack. They justified it saying that the riot on January 6th was organized on Parler. After investigations were done it turns out that the riot was organized on Twitter, Discord and Facebook and yet none of those platforms has been shut down. They are mocking and ridiculing churches. I suspect that they will continue to find reasons to keep churches shut down or unable to function fully. They are trying to change the curriculum in public schools to be all about indoctrination for the leftist totalitarian regime very similar to what Hitler did with the youth in Germany.

Welcome to the purge.

ZNP · Mar 16, 2021

Proverbs 4 -- The bread of wickedness and the wine of violence.

This is why we study history. Pay attention to Martin Luther King Jr., or to Malcolm X, or to Michael Jordan. That is how you gain understanding. Everyone wants to forsake the teaching of the father. People hear what they want to hear. It takes faith in your father to listen to him. If you are concerned about civil rights then pay attention to Gandhi, MLK Jr., Malcolm X, and Mandela. They have been there and done that. Everyone complains about how mean and bitter social media is. The meanest and nastiest thing I ever saw was the news stories insinuating that Michael Jordan was responsible for his father's death. Of course Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. were both assassinated, that is also quite mean. Fathers see the trap. They can also see the way to victory. My son was about six and he was being bullied. The kid who was bullying him was much taller than he was. I told him to put his nose right into the breastplate, put your forehead right over his heart. If you do that he can’t hit you, you’ll be inside the zone where he can hit. He backed this kid right up against the wall and that was that. To my son that kid was bigger and stronger in every way, but to me he was just a seven year old kid who didn’t know the first thing about fighting.

This is now the second warning not to turn away. I once bought a book on the strategy behind winning Monopoly, a board game. I read that book and then was playing with my friends. We were about half way through the game and they were all mocking me. I had been talking about this book and it appeared to them that they were killing me and I was losing. But I was happy because the game was turning out exactly like the book had said. One of my friends' father had heard the ridicule and my response. The next day he asked his son who won. I had. You have to hold onto the words, even when it seems crazy, don’t turn away from them.

So let’s look at the NBA’s response to the Black Lives Matter movement. I recently told my son that I thought the complaint about Colin Kaepernick being run out of the NFL was a joke. He asked if I had a problem with him taking a knee. I said no, if he felt in his heart he needed to do that I was fine with that. I said what was a joke is that people think you can take a stand and it won’t cost you anything. It is as though they want to stand for justice, so long as it doesn’t cost them anything. That is the joke. It seems all these athletes want the crown that Mohammed Ali had. That crown cost him a lot. He also felt he needed to be true to his conscience, as a result he entered the ring against the US government and he won. Now he has a glorious crown, but it wasn’t free. Nelson Mandela paid a big price for his crown. He had to cherish and embrace wisdom, but in the end it paid off. Many people who stand up for righteousness and social justice were martyred. Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr, Medgar Evers, and Gandhi were all assassinated. It takes a lot of wisdom to take this path and for the years of your life to be many. Kaepernick was foolish, he opted out of a contract that would have paid him $14 million. The reason his career was cut short was that he wasn’t wise. Because of his stand he was a liability to all other teams. If they gave him a job they would lose fans, not gain them. With San Francisco it was different, if they cut him they would lose fans, so they had to keep him. A little wisdom and he wouldn’t have opted out of the contract.

Michael Jordan realized his mistake was to become a role model. The “Be like Mike” campaign. It sounds good, they pay you money to pitch their product. But this then gave them the right to judge him for his gambling. Once you allow them to hold you up as the standard for what my kid should be, you then allow me to take issue with anything I don’t want my kid to imitate. You cannot stand up for righteousness without making enemies of everyone that will be exposed. In other words, every unrighteous person will now have a vested interest in bringing you down. Every city in the country outside of Chicago had an interest in bringing Jordan down which is why the NY media made such a big deal out of him going to Atlantic city. They will lead you on paths that are not straight, often billed as a “short cut”. You will sign contracts that “hamper your steps”.

Right now everyone wants to do something concerning the whole BLM call for justice, but what should you do? Hold onto instruction, it is your life. Guard it. We are currently in the midst of a pandemic that is pushing online learning. We aren’t going back. This will level the playing field for these inner city kids provided they have wifi and a laptop. Most kids do, and the school system is pretty good at providing computers. Still a million dollars to a school system like Milwaukee would go a long way to making sure every kid had a laptop. Maybe another million or two to make sure they have wifi provided throughout the city. Instead of walking off the court the team should unite to all pitch in, some more than others. Then they should go to the management and get the team as a whole to also chip in along with the players. Then they should go to the sponsors and get them to also contribute. It would be relatively easy for an NBA team to “guard” the instruction for inner city kids in the cities in which they play.

The biggest problem of these protests is that they set foot on the path of the wicked and walk in the way of evildoers. For example, let’s consider Breonna Taylor. She was an EMT who was shot and killed by the police in her home. The problem is that she had direct ties to a drug dealer, the police had a warrant for that apartment, and when they knocked someone from within the apartment shot a gun. Once you know all that it completely undermines any claim to police brutality or abuse.

Many of these BLM protests end up with rioting and looting. It is one thing to take a stand for righteousness, but do not go the way of evildoers. Looting is to eat the bread of wickedness. Rioting is to drink the wine of violence.

Think about Mohammed Ali, when he first refused to go to war in Vietnam it was like this, just a tiny glimmer of light in the midst of the darkness. He appeared to be all alone on that decision. But with each day it seemed a few more came to him, little by little everyone realized he was right until it was like the full light of day. Compare this with what is going on in the country right now. It is like deep darkness, they don’t even know what is making them stumble. The NBA “boycotted” their own playoffs for two or three days “until something is done”. It is idiotic. Nothing was done in the two or three days yet they are now back to playing. Their ratings were down 20% prior to doing this stunt, after the stunt the ratings are down 40%. They are being ridiculed and mocked for being wannabe reformers.

This is what Mohammed Ali did. He didn’t know what would happen when he refused to go to Vietnam. There was no grand strategy. He just knew that he had to be true to his heart, and in his heart he had no reason to go to Vietnam and kill these people. In contrast to this Lebron dropped an F bomb concerning Jacob Blake being shot. The story is this. The police were called to a house to break up a domestic disturbance. Jacob Blake was there and there was an open warrant out for him because he hadn’t shown up in court concerning a charge of domestic abuse. The police tried to apprehend him. They wrestled him to the ground and tried to use a taser but he had gotten away and was pulling away from the police to reach into the front seat of the car. There were three kids in the car so the police cannot allow this to become a chase with three kids as potential victims. Jacob had a knife in the front seat. The policeman was pulling on his shirt to stop him and then began firing with his gun. He shot Jacob seven times in the back. Jacob had previously been charged with assault using a deadly weapon. Home video was put on youtube showing the police shooting him seven times with people yelling that Jacob was trying to break up the fight. The video was horrifying. But the story the public got for the first week was not the complete story. Months later after seeing the full story the Grand jury did not charge the cops with any crime.

Much of the response has been from people not keeping their eyes on the path or being steadfast in all their ways. In the midst of the battle there is always a temptation to turn to the right or the left. But the rule is simple, keep your foot from evil. You can take a knee, that is not evil. You can refuse to go to war, that is not evil. You can lead peaceful protests, that is not evil. But speaking perversity and corrupt talk, that is evil. Looting and rioting that is evil.

ZNP · Mar 17, 2021

1Peter -- How will you be found at the appearing of Jesus Christ?

1 Peter 1:1-2, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered

With Peter we think of the Apostle who has been given the keys of the kingdom, he was impulsive as a young believer, very transparent in the gospels. But we also see a man who has been humbled. Rebuked repeatedly by Jesus — Get behind me Satan, and then in the next chapter rebuked for saying Jesus pays tribute. Rebuked on the mount of transfiguration — this is my beloved Son, hear Him, rebuked at the Lord’s crucifixion, and then later rebuked by Paul. The gospel of Mark is considered the gospel of Peter and it is also seen as the gospel to those who are left behind after the rapture. Peter is writing this gospel so that we would be found in honor at the Lord’s appearing. He is uniquely qualified to speak to every believer.

The word “strangers” really stands out. It seems that every epistle in the NT is written to the outcasts of society. Paul wrote to the gentiles in what was a predominantly Jewish religion. And who sent Paul to the Gentiles, it was Jesus. Why, because he knew the Bible better than any Judaizer and would be able to defend the faith. Likewise, who is sent to “strangers” but someone who is so intimately at the very center of God’s move. Who better to embrace and encourage them, to welcome them into God’s kingdom so that we would no longer be strangers.

The word scattered also stands out, reminding us of James' epistle to those in the "dispersion". Peter and James clearly saw the persecution taking place on the church and the saints as being due to God's sovereignty to scatter the gospel far and wide. This reminds me of the verse that we are “strangers in a strange land”. That describes both Noah and Lot, two examples of those who are raptured.

Peter is very encouraging and nowhere is this more obvious than here. We have been chosen, not because of some test or work that we have done but because God the father knows something. God the Father has “foreknowledge” about us. There is a key reason why God has chosen us. Then we aren’t chosen for a work but rather through the sanctification of the Spirit. The process we are going through is making us holy, like God. This is why we are strangers in a strange land. The result is not a college degree or certification, the result is that we can obey the voice of God. To obey God’s voice requires faith. And this is unto “the sprinkling of the blood”. This is not the same as being redeemed or washed in the blood. The priest sprinkled the blood. The result of our sanctification unto obedience is that we become priests of God, sprinkling the Lord’s blood wherever we go like seeds of life. Drops of forgiveness and justification.

This matter of obedience being the goal of our sanctification is developed further in Peter. In verse 14 he points out that it is through obedience that we are fashioned. If you obey sin and lusts you will be fashioned according to them, if you obey the truth you will be fashioned according to the truth and “be holy as God is holy”. In verse 22 he points out that through sanctification we have purified the soul in “obeying the truth”. We often don’t understand God’s purpose or why things happen. Yet these very things provoke the worst responses in us forcing us to either obey our lusts or “obey the truth through the Spirit”. This decision is to walk by faith. We can see Peter’s failure at the Lord’s crucifixion. But it is clear in this epistle that he has set himself to go to the cross a second time and this time to “obey the truth through the Spirit”. God chose him in foreknowledge, knowing that his example would be a great encouragement to all of us. Then in chapter 3 Peter tells us that the wives can win a husband who does not “obey the word” by being in subjection to them. So we can see that obedience to the word is more powerful than any rebellion. The nazarite vow overcomes rebellion. It is a powerful vow that can raise the dead. We are priests according to the order or Melchisedec. There is an example of this obedience in the way Sara obeyed Abraham. When we “obey the truth” we walk by faith. Abraham was the pattern of walking by faith and Sara was the pattern of obeying the word. This word is the gospel. We learn in Peter that judgement begins with those who obey the word of the gospel and the end is with those who obey not the gospel.

Finally, this expression that Grace and peace be multiplied is quite unique to Peter. (Though Jude refers to love being multiplied.) This reminds me of the verse in Acts that the word of God grew and multiplied. So what does "multiplied" mean. If I add a thousand, and then I do that again, and again. Instead of adding a thousand three times I can simply multiply 3 times a thousand. Likewise if Paul speaks the word, and James speaks the word and Peter speaks the word, then that is the word being "multiplied". The word has been spoken to us, now if each of us speaks this word it is no longer addition, it is multiplication. The growth of the word is exponential, not linear. Grace and Peace does not flow in one direction, instead it is flowing to and through every member of the Body. Hence, it is multiplied.

ZNP · Mar 17, 2021

A further word on sprinkling:

Heb 12:24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

Do not misunderstand the word "better" here. Before we discuss it let's look again at what this same book in just the chapter before said about Abel.

Heb 11:4By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

So Abel had a witness that he was righteous. Abel walked by faith. Abel's blood spoke even after he was dead. The point is that the sprinkled blood of Jesus speaks "better things" than Abel, not that Abel spoke bad, fleshly or natural things. Abel's blood testified against the unrighteousness of Cain. But that is not the goal of the process of sanctification. We know there is a problem of sin, our goal is to share the solution. Abel's blood speaks of justice. The sprinkled blood of Jesus speaks of righteousness. Abel's blood is a call for someone to do something to make it right. Jesus sprinkled blood is a testimony that Jesus has done something that did make it right. Abel's blood is a witness that Cain is not right with God. Jesus sprinkled blood is a witness that we are right with God. The Old Covenant was designed to respond to Abel's blood. The New Covenant is mediated with the blood of Jesus.

Heb 11:28 Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.

In Egypt they slew the male children of the Israelites. As a result God sent a deliverer. When they took the blood of a lamb and sprinkled it on the door posts it was a testimony to the avenging angel that this house has already lost a child, from Abel all the way to the babies born in Egypt. This is an act of faith. While you are in Egypt, meeting with them, living next door to them, to make a public confession that what happened is sin requires faith. That is what they did. There would be no way to remain in Egypt after doing this. You are painting the sin of the Pharaoh on your door. That is a bold act of faith in he that “destroyeth the firstborn” rather than by sight, fearing Pharaoh who can kill the body but can’t touch the soul.

According to Peter the process of sanctification, making us holy as God is holy, results in us not being able to tolerate the abuse and sin of Egypt until we finally have no choice but to make this public confession of the Lamb's blood.

Ex 12:22 And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning.

Finally,

Lev 14:51 And he shall take the cedar wood, and the hyssop, and the scarlet, and the living bird, and dip them in the blood of the slain bird, and in the running water, and sprinkle the house seven times:

If your house is contaminated with "leprosy" -- i.e. rebellion. Then the Priest comes in to cleanse the house. Sprinkling of the blood on the door is "obedience of faith". The better speaking of the sprinkled blood is the speaking of the better covenant. Finally, dealing with the sin of rebellion as a priest, cleansing the rebellious house with the Lord's blood, this is our destiny in this age as Priests to God. So, how do you “sprinkle the blood of Jesus Christ”?

Consider Peter's experience:

1. Jesus when He called him demonstrated a "foreknowledge" -- I will make you fishers of men.

2. Then during the gospel's Peter is sanctified. He becomes Holy as God is holy. We see the transformation in the beginning of Acts. Even the Jewish leaders recognize the transformation, noting that "they had been with Jesus".

3. This is all unto his being obedient when the Lord told him to go with the gentiles at the door, doubting nothing. It took a lot of faith to go with them and to dine with the gentiles.

4. Finally, "While Peter was speaking, the Holy Spirit came on all who were hearing his words." That was the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.

ZNP · Mar 17, 2021

1Peter 1:3-16 Our obedience works to our sanctification

Our prayer is that we would be a testimony of the God and Father of Jesus Christ that would be well spoken of. It is a mercy that we could be part of this testimony, not according to the old man, but according to the New Creation, we have been born again. This is our living hope, to be a testimony of the resurrected Christ that would result in God the Father being well spoken of. The fact that our inheritance is incorruptible is fantastic — there is nothing in the world that can make that claim. It is undefiled. Again, how many things in this world have been defiled, corrupted, polluted, etc. We talk about “acceptable levels” of toxicity rather than “undefiled”. And our inheritance “fadeth not away”. That is amazing. Think about the Rockefellers. At one time the richest family on earth, slowly fading away. Just like Noah, there is a salvation that is being prepared for us that will be revealed at the last time. Terms like "rejected silver" and "the day of redemption" refer to the rapture, the wedding feast, the coronation of the king, the appearing of Jesus, the harvest and of course here we have "salvation that will be revealed at the last time".

7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

It seems that Peter’s key burden in this book is to encourage us as we go through the trials. Who better. He explains this in chapter 2. These trials will cause malice, guile, hypocrisy, envy and evil speakings to bubble up. Then we can deal with them. This is similar to how gold is purified — boil the gold, lighter impurities float to the top and are skimmed off. Therefore this is part of the process of sanctification, becoming holy as God is holy that Peter talked about in verse 2. Of course being found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ refers to the rapture, but it isn't us but rather "the trial of our faith". Without the "trial" how is anyone going to really appreciate your faith?

8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:

How amazing is this verse. We all think about how wonderful it would be to have walked with Jesus, to have been with the 12 apostles, to have been in the church at that time. Yet here is Peter being impressed that we have not seen Jesus in the flesh yet we love Him and believe Him. This verse applies to us today, how wonderful to be welcomed by Peter, embraced by Peter and for Peter to appreciate us in this way. This is related to our sanctification resulting in obedience. We love Him, we believe Him, and hence we can obey Him. This obedience will cause us to rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.

This reiterates that the end of our faith is unto “the sprinkling of the blood”. This is not the beginning, it is not referring to our salvation due to our redemption, but rather the salvation of our soul due to our being sanctified unto obedience. Our destiny is to be a royal priesthood, that is the “salvation of our soul”. Our salvation begins with the Lord’s redemption and the end is with us sanctified unto obedience of the word of truth and unto us being a royal priesthood sprinkling the blood of Jesus which speaks better things than the blood in the OT spoke.

Once again this reiterates the foreknowledge of God. We were chosen “according to this foreknowledge”. The prophets of old prophesied according to this foreknowledge and this helps us to gird up the loins of our mind, be sober, and to hope to the end of the grace. His point is “wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober” -- stop thinking of these prophets, even of the apostles as some super holy men. Instead realize that the salvation we have receieved is something they all sought. What we need is not to build tabernacles to these prophets but rather to get a revelation of Jesus Christ. The process of sanctification “fashions” us. Our obedience allows us to be fashioned into a holy vessel, to “be holy as God is holy”. If we obey our lusts we will be fashioned by that obedience.

Our obedience also works to our sanctification. I feel this is a key concept in this book. You pick this up when he refers to the audience as “strangers”. Strangers in a strange land. Why? Because we are a holy people in an evil and adulterous age. Just as eating good food will improve your health, not eating harmful food will also improve your health. As we are sanctified we become “obedient children”. As obedient children we can reject the “former lusts” and be holy in all manner of behavior (conversation). This in turn helps us to “be holy as God is holy” facilitating the process of sanctification.

ZNP · Mar 17, 2021

1Peter 1:17-25 Our redemption is judged by God

According to the context our redemption is judged by God the Father according to every man’s work. If your redemption is fully based on Jesus work on the cross, then you will be fine. But if you are basing your redemption on corruptible things, vain things, tradition, works that are blemished, etc. Then you need to be in fear. Peter had to deal with these traditions when he obeyed the Lord to bring the gospel to the Gentiles. Once again it was the foreknowledge of God that made this “the only way to the Father”, the “narrow way that leads to life”. This way was foreordained, it was clear from the very beginning of the scriptures that Jesus would be the only way to the Father.

Purifying your soul refers to the process of sanctification. As you can see “obeying the truth” is a key factor in this process. It is in obeying the truth that we purify our souls. We can only obey the truth “through the Spirit”. The Spirit empowers us to walk this road. Believing that God raised Him up from the dead is a crucial component. Strange to me that many Christians will agree with that and yet try to deny that the rapture is also a critical component. The rapture is the "raising up" of the believers, Jesus was the first fruit, we are the harvest.

What a truth this is. The Roman empire has withered and fallen away. Napoleon has withered and fallen away. Every kingdom and empire has withered and fallen away, but during this same time the word of the gospel has endured. This word of the gospel preached to us, is similar in figure to the “sprinkling of the blood”. Our Christian life began with the “sprinkling of the Lord’s blood” on us through the gospel and it is unto the result that we also are a vehicle through which the Lord’s blood gets sprinkled on others. The royal priests brought us the gospel and ultimately we become a royal priesthood to bring the gospel to others.

The rapture is likened to a "Bema judgement". When you give a gold medal at the olympics that is a judgement. The word judgement is not a negative word, some people will shine, some will pass by the skin of their teeth, and still others will fail. Some will go to summer school, some will be valedictorians, and still others will go to prison. The rapture is God's judgement on our redemption.

ZNP · Mar 17, 2021

1Samuel 23 -- The country becomes clear who the real problem is.

This is incredible, it is hard to believe. David is gone, he has fled, and yet Saul is so concerned with killing David that he doesn’t care about the Philistines robbing Israel? This would be like in the midst of a pandemic, that we now know came from a bioweapons lab in China, suppose at this time our government was more concerned with impeaching Trump who has already left office. I know, absurd, but it is the only thing I can compare this to.

Now imagine that while Trump is fighting impeachment he and his men are also fighting battles with the “Philistine forces”. Perhaps exposing pedophiles at the Lincoln project, getting 1.5 million signatures to recall Gavin Newsom, and uncovering a horrible scandal with Governor Cuomo who knowingly sent infected Covid patients into nursing home with the most vulnerable to make the pandemic worse which could help Biden get elected.

So again, in our hypothetical scenario here you would have the Lincoln project have a complete meltdown, you would also have a successful attempt to get the signatures to recall governor Newsom and you would have multiple sources calling for the resignation and prosecution of Governor Cuomo for negligent homicide. Heavy losses.

In the meantime they have this impeachment after Trump has left office (I know, I know, patently absurd scenario, no one would believe it) thinking they have him trapped because his rally coincided with a riot at the capitol.

We are going from patently absurd to just completely nuts. How on earth would the Republicans agree to impeach the President after he has left office? Why would they agree to this. Still, it is the only way to continue with this completely absurd comparison between 1Samuel 23 and today. I know a lot of atheists claim the Bible is not true and no doubt chapters like this give the Bible a bad name. Still I believe the Bible is true and I am just trying to relate it to today.

So the whole thing was a big waste of time? Saul would bring his whole army there to catch David but not to protect the town from the Philistines? Come on, man! Can anyone believe this? It would be like politicians saying year after year after year that walls don’t work and you can’t use the military to maintain order in the US only to them surround Washington DC with barbed wire and 25,000 troops. We won’t use them to protect our border or Americans, but we will use them to surround the capitol to protect it from some invisible threat. If this was a movie I’d turn it off, just not plausible.

Wow! I can believe there might be a few confederates in Saul’s administration, but Jonathan? So imagine that the FBI is completely helping Biden’s administration commit all kinds of crimes and yet one extremely high level official is secretly helping Trump. Now it sounds like some kind of Qanon conspiracy theory.

This is how it works. Local officials see an opportunity to help the people in power expecting to get some kind of reward. They will cheat on the election, they will change laws illegally, they will threaten witnesses, dox them, and be in contempt of court ordered subpoenas, all with the hope that doing a favor to the head honcho will be repaid.

This is also how it works. We pray and God answers. We are coworkers with God. This is why you have to continue to speak, expose the hypocrisy of Saul bringing an army to Keilah to get David but not to protect the people. This way the next time this happens he can’t afford a second scandal. It may seem that they simply ignore the truth and lie with impunity. But there is a cost to that. Every time they do it they lose more support, they lose more credibility. Initially people may wonder what David did, is he guilty. Only a few stay with him. After they kill 85 priests more go to him and he has 400 men. Then he has 600 men. Little by little the country becomes clear who the real problem is.

ZNP · Mar 17, 2021

Psalm 2 -- Therefore you kings, be warned

1 Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain?

The Platform in the Democrats National convention discussed religious freedom in the US -- Following their promised protection of free exercise and celebration of tolerance, the Democrats added a condition: “Democrats believe that freedom of religion and the right to believe — or not to believe — are fundamental human rights. We will never use protection of that right as a cover for discrimination.” The platform also contained a promise to “reject the Trump Administration’s use of broad religious exemptions to allow businesses, medical providers, social service agencies, and others to discriminate.” This reference to exemptions refers to a religious school wanting the teachers and staff to be an example of Jesus teaching. So although the law prohibits discrimination it is difficult to follow the precepts of the New Testament without exercising discrimination. For example, they state that you have the freedom not to believe in the context of not allowing any exemptions. Presumably an atheist would be able to apply for a job at a religious school and they would not be allowed to require faith as a criteria. Also, many of these religious institutions were given a waver where they were not required to have abortion as part of their health plan. Now we see other executive actions taken by Biden to require all religious organizations to allow anyone to identify as any gender. This applies to the use of bathrooms, locker rooms and other facilities. So an “all girls school” could no longer discriminate against a boy who identifies as a girl.

The Secret History of the Shadow Campaign That Saved the 2020 Election, Time Magazine, February 4th. This story lays out how they plotted to steal the election. It is an example of “the ends justifies the means”. They are boasting in criminal behavior because “they won”.

2 The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, 3 “Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles.”

China closed all the churches nationwide due to the Corona virus and then instituted harsh new regulations in order for them to reopen. China has banned religious education and all unregistered church worship. This is essentially banning any worship in the homes. Sermons need to be based on Xi’s sayings, patriotic songs replace hymns, portraits of Xi JinPing are put up in the sanctuary replacing any other pictures. The Uighurs, an islamic minority in China, are put into reeducation camps with forced abortions and forced sterilizations. North Korea, Afghanistan, Somalia, Libya, Pakistan are just a few of the countries with extreme persecution against the church.

4 The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them.

What we have seen recently is multiple floods, typhoons, and hurricanes in China and also in the US. A mega fire in California so large many of the fires are simply left to burn as we don’t have enough resources to fight them. These fires threaten to spread to Oregon, Utah, Colorado, Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico. Many people are watching to see how many dams and dykes will be breached. China has 94,000 aging dams, a couple have collapsed this year and people fear many more will collapse in the very near future. The pandemic and disasters are giving a one two punch to the global economy. China has increased their food imports dramatically with a potential famine looming over the country. Likewise protests have erupted in the US and around the world. No one has walked away from the claims of election fraud no matter how many have claimed it was “over”, “time to move on”, “debunked”, etc.

5 He rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, 6 “I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain.” 7 I will proclaim the Lord’s decree: He said to me, “You are my son; today I have become your father.

It is a major insult for these governments to try and dictate to the church how to behave, what to say, what to sing and who to revere. When you look at what they did in this election it was government of the tech giants, by the bureaucrats, and for oligarchs. You have violated the US constitution.

8 Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. 9 You will break them with a rod of iron; you will dash them to pieces like pottery.”

It is time for the church to rise up in prayer. These tech giants need to be shattered into pieces. We need to use anti trust laws to break them into pieces.

10 Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. 11 Serve the Lord with fear and celebrate his rule with trembling. 12 Kiss his son, or he will be angry and your way will lead to your destruction, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

The whole world has seen what has happened and been warned. Australia, Germany, France, Poland, Uganda and Mexico have already responded to this warning. Texas, Florida, Missouri, Wyoming, and North Dakota have already responded to the warning. The people of California have been warned and are responding.

ZNP · Mar 17, 2021

Proverbs 5 -- The Biden administration is a strange woman

So here is the test. The strange woman speaks words that are like honey and oil. These are words you want to hear, words you like, but if you swallow them they are poison, like a sword piercing you through. Look at the path she is on, she is shifty, secretive, because her feet go down to hell. There are two kinds of applicants for a job, those that make great boasts about what they will do and those who have a resume of things they have done. This woman will tell you everything you want to hear but you can’t see anything that she has actually done. This is like politicians campaigning. They promise they won't ban fracking yet ban it on day one of their administration. They create laws that take our country down to Sodom and Gomorrah. They rant and rave about "kids in cages" yet they throw open the border and have these same cages filled to 792% of their capacity and instead of calling it a crisis call it a "challenge" and then ban reporters visiting or photographing what is going on. You can be sure that the end of this administration will be bitter as poison.

7 Hear me now therefore, O ye children, and depart not from the words of my mouth. 8 Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house: 9 Lest thou give thine honour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel: 10 Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth; and thy labours be in the house of a stranger; 11 And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed, 12 And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof; 13 And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!

Right now you can be sure that there are many who are falling for this woman’s sweet, oily words. There are politicians who want to give away free money. The government will pay for this, that and the other things. Debts will be forgiven, reparations will be paid, health care will be free. These are sweet words. But when they do this they will be putting the entire country in debt. Anyone who has been in debt knows it is like a chain, and the day you finally pay off that debt you feel like you have been freed. The "Covid relief bill" pays each person $1,400 but puts them in debt to the tune of about $6,000. Worse, Biden is now going to raise taxes to take back the $1,400. They campaign on raising minimum wage yet throw open the borders to illegal aliens to make sure the big corporations have plenty of low wage workers, which if they are paid off the books do not pay taxes. It is very enticing, but ask what have they ever done? Why is it that these ones who have been in government for so long are not showing you any of their accomplishments? I was stunned to learn yesterday that the poorest state in the United States is California. That is not based on average income, based on average income it is still Mississippi. No, based on the cost of living 28% of the people in California are in poverty! This used to be the richest state in the US, how did they fall so hard? Some of the most powerful representatives in the federal government are from California (Nancy Pelosi and Diane Feinstein). I watched Joe Biden say that he had a new health care plan. I thought to myself, why? You were in the Obama administration for eight years, you came up with Obamacare, why would you need a new plan? If you didn’t get it right then why would we trust you to get it right now? I am fully convinced that we have climate change due to the burning of fossil fuels. I agree that this has been building up in the atmosphere ever since the industrial revolution in the 1800s. What I have a problem with is having a bartender from the Bronx tell me that the solution to this problem that has been growing for 150 years is to give her $100 trillion dollars and she’ll fix it for me. There are some strange women in our government these days.

Do you want to be free? Drink water out of your own jug. Even if it is simple and plain, if it is mine it can grow and over time become a fountain and a river. There are people around the world that want what you have. First they get you to despise what you have so that you will sell it cheap. Once you do that you will then be in their house laboring as a servant for them.

All of these things have strings attached. Every debt the government takes will be a debt that the citizens have to pay. When you borrow money you are careful, do I need this? Can I afford it? How much do I make, how much do I have to borrow? This is your money and you are carefully deciding if this thing you are buying is worth it. When the government buys something it is very different. It isn’t their money, they are using your money. They want to spend your money in a way that will benefit them. If a company contributed to their campaign they want them to win the contract. They don’t really care about the cost because you will pay it and they don’t really care about the product because you will be the one getting that as well. So if you become a slave trying to pay for healthcare you don’t want or light bulbs you don’t want they don’t care. That is your problem, not theirs. What is the key point? I want someone who turned the poorest state into the richest to be in charge, not the other way around. I don’t want to hear what someone who has been in government for several decades is going to do, I want to hear what they have done. I don’t mind a bartender telling me that if they had $100 trillion dollars they would solve climate change, that is funny. But when a congresswoman who has done absolutely nothing tells me I need to give her $100 trillion dollars to solve this problem I discern that this is a strange woman. My first choice is to drink water from my own jug, thank you very much. I don’t need handouts, bailouts, or a nanny state. Finally I don’t agree to any contract until I have carefully counted the cost.

ZNP · Mar 18, 2021

Revelation 13:16 It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, 17 so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.

There has been a lot of concern about the vaccine for Covid 19 in regards to this prophecy so let's examine this carefully. First, I have no issue with vaccines and had all my children get vaccinated. Second I have no issue with the claims that Covid 19 is a real virus, it is very contagious and it is very deadly. I personally had this virus and was very sick. Also, I have heard the ambulances in NYC running non stop for several months.

Illogical responses have caused people to lose trust in the government

On the other hand I also agree that the response to this has been illogical and questionable. Five governors mandated that people who were contagious with a deadly disease, particularly to the elderly and infirm, be kept in nursing homes that are caring for the elderly and infirm. Everyone involved in that mandate knew or should have known it would result in many more people contracting the disease and dying, which it did. Sure enough the states that did this showed the worst impacts from this disease and it was because of these states that the US imposed a nationwide lockdown.

Instituting social distancing with masks makes perfect sense to me. Viruses will mutate, they are designed so that they do not perfectly replicate. As a result you will get new strains that are most successful at being transmitted. Epidemics are always a result of unclean living conditions. If you practice social distancing you force the virus to mutate to a much less virulent strain because if you are showing any symptoms you would quarantine, preventing the transmission of that strain. So then social distancing is a logical response, the reason the Spanish Flu was so deadly was because the conditions during World War I with soldiers packed together into ditches was unclean. That condition caused the flu to mutate to a very deadly strain. In that situation the most virulent strains were the most effective.

On the other hand shutting down businesses with a lockdown was illogical. Our immune system, like our body, needs exercise. Every day it is bombarded with potential pathogens that it must fight off. We know that trying to live in a "germ free world" is actually very harmful to our immune system and our health. The one thing they have consistently neglected to discuss during this pandemic is "viral load". It is as though the goal is to make sure no one gets infected. This is foolish. We have scientific studies of Covid 19 that show that those who previously tested positive have developed immunity to the disease just as you would if you were vaccinated. In truth Covid 19 is not particularly deadly. Although the numbers are somewhat muddy and have changed over the last twelve months, currently it seems that 99% of those who contract this virus live. Although less than 1% actually die, there are other complications from the disease that justify saying it can be quite bad for 1% of the population. If you are elderly, infirm, obese, or have asthma this can be a much more dangerous virus. Therefore, a logical response would be to enforce social distancing (as we have done), warn those who are the highest risk, and yet continue to operate with schools and businesses open. Florida has taken this logical approach and was vilified for it. Some in the US government even wanted to quarantine the entire state preventing anyone from entering or leaving the state. Yet the numbers have justified their approach. The impact of the disease on the state has been better than most states, meanwhile their economy has also done far better than most states, and they don't have the negative health impacts (both physical and mental) that this enforced lockdown has had in the rest of the country.

Then there were other unfortunate responses that seem more than a coincidence. A number of people sounded the alarm of the potential for Covid 19 to become a pandemic and they were ridiculed, vilified, and attacked. Scientists and journalists in China were "disappeared" or died. Scientists in the US were vilified and ridiculed. Journalists like Steve Bannon were mocked as "tin foil hat" conspiracy nuts. When Trump listened and shut down travel to Wuhan he was attacked as being xenophobic. They were all right and those that attacked and mocked them were not only wrong but responsible in part for the spread of this pandemic. Yet there was no accountability for that, no one was fired, that is illogical. Later Trump said that the disease could be treated with Hydrochloroquine and he was mocked, ridiculed, and accused of spreading dangerous lies. Fauci claimed there were scientific studies done that demonstrated no beneficial effect from using this. That claim was a lie, there were not any scientific studies done at that time, however they have been done since then and they show that it can be very effective as a therapy. Yet it is Trump who is accused of being unscientific and dangerous and Fauci who is still held up as the authority, that is illogical.

All of these things have caused some people to wonder what is going on. It seems the pandemic was being used for political reasons to attack Trump and promote Biden. It has also caused people to lose trust in the officials who are supposed to be concerned with our health and welfare.

ZNP · Mar 18, 2021

Is this vaccine the mark of the beast?

16 It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, 17 so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.

In a word, no. Is the push to get people to take it illogical? Politically motivated? Yes.

In my opinion this pandemic offered an opportunity for a grand experiment. Can they get everyone to take a vaccine for health reasons and the answer is no. That said we can see that this push is definitely going to lead to the mark of the beast. Already they are talking about making passports that require proof of vaccination and jobs that will require you to have been vaccinated. The requirement to get the vaccine in order to be able to buy a ticket or work selling a product is by definition the mark. So there is no doubt that this is moving us towards this goal. So what exactly is this goal?

I used to teach forensics in high school. The development of tools to catch and convict those who perpetrate crimes is amazing. Our cities are being transformed without you even being aware. When I was a kid the news would give a description of a person wanted for a crime, today we get a photograph. There are cameras everywhere. Then when the DC sniper was killing people it seemed impossible to catch such a person (hidden in the trunk of a car shooting from a hundred yards away and then driving off). Since then microphones have been placed throughout major cities that can pinpoint the time and location that a gun was fired. You could then go to the cameras and after two or at the most three shots you would realize that one car was at all three locations.

We have mathematicians who are able to predict the location and approximate time of retaliatory gang strikes will take place.

Then of course one of the biggest and most expensive crimes taking place today is identity theft. So why not institute a solution to that just like we have done with all these other developments. If we injected a RFID chip into you then you could use that for your credit card. This technology has been tested and in use for years. If you have a pet you may have had them "chipped". Prisoners who are released on probation have had this used. People living in dangerous countries with frequent kidnappings have used this technology on their kids. (Jason Bourne used this technology). We can use this to keep your credit cards, health records and ID. If a bank were robbed at 3am we could immediately tell you everyone who was there at that time.

So then, why is this not the mark? First, if they were injecting a chip in you to mark you we would know about it. They give off radio waves that can be read. Second we are not being forced to do this. Third, being vaccinated is not equivalent to "worshipping" a "beast". So instead I think this was an experiment, they wanted to find out if they could induce people to do this without force. Right now injecting a RFID chip into everyone is simply "a good idea". Once we have catastrophic events that will threaten the existence of world order then it will go from being a good idea to a mandatory requirement.

So in conclusion I would encourage anyone who is concerned about the pandemic and feels at risk of it to get the vaccine. This is not some sinister attempt to get you to worship the beast contrary to your conscience. On the other hand for those who are looking at this as evidence that the day is approaching I agree with you.

ZNP · Mar 18, 2021

What is the mark of the beast?

I don't think a RFID chip is enough to be considered "the mark of the beast". True they force you to do this, and having a better control over the populace would be a motivation for that. A reduction in crime would be a benefit. But the NT tells us to be submissive to the authorities. There is no issue with a slave being a Christian and for thousands of years slaves were branded by their masters, so that could not be the mark of the beast.

No, I think all of that will be involved, but the insidious part is something called "the god gene". Researchers have discovered a gene that is specific to believers who claim to have experiences of the Lord speaking to them. This is not hypothetical or some conspiracy nut theory. I think Time magazine did a cover story on this. The thought was that if they could give you a mRna vaccine, inject a little genetic code that would disrupt the impact of this "God gene" they could "treat" religious extremists. You can imagine that after the first rapture and the economic catastrophes that follow this event the urgency for greater control over the population and also the "need" to deal with religious extremists saying it is the end of the world would justify this "mark of the beast".

This will be known to all, you couldn't inoculate billions of people without everyone learning what is in the vaccine. They will view "religious extremists" as the real pandemic and everyone will know that this "mark of the beast" is designed to treat that.

Ahwatukee · Mar 18, 2021

ZNP said:

Hello ZNP!

If this is a summary of Bible references, I'd hate to see the detailed version

First of all, no one is forcing anyone to receive the RFID chip, as it is voluntary. Sweden and her sister countries are way ahead of the rest of the world in that, they are pretty much a cashless society, relying on their bank cards to make purchases, But since 2015 people have been receiving the RFID chip under the skin of the hand, which allows them to make purchases with the scan of their hand.

When making a determination regarding scripture, you must consult the context to make make a right conclusion, which you are not doing by claiming the vaccine, as it does not fit the criteria given for the mark, as listed below:

"And the second beast required all people small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark—the name of the beast or the number of its name"

The second beast is also referred to as the false prophet. All people small and great, rich and poor, free and slave is collective, meaning all of the inhabitants on the earth, except for those at that time who belong to Christ of course.

The mark is specified as going on the right hand or on the forehead. So, we have a match with the RFID chip technology, which is inserted under the skin between the thumb and index finger. The other criteria is that, without that mark no one will be able to buy or sell. In order for this to work, all other methods of buying and selling will be made obsolete. To put this into perspective, buying and selling today would be electronic crediting and debiting of ones bank account. Once again, the RFID chip matches this criteria, as people in Sweden and elsewhere, are using this RFID chip to make purchases, even paying for their train tickets with a scan of their hand.

I personally believe that the RFID chip is the technology for the mark of the beast and that it will evolve into something smaller and more applicable in preparation for that coming beast. What will remain consistent, is that it will be located on either the hand or forehead. Your vaccine theory doesn't fit that criteria, as it runs throughout the body, affecting genes and cells. You have stay within the information that is provided in scripture.

So to recap, the RFID chip is inserted under the skin of the hand. And people are using it to credit and debit their bank accounts, which is buying and selling. Therefore, the RFID chip technology is meeting both of these criteria's

Another attribute of the mark, is that it must be willfully be received by the individual and not by genetic programming or any other method. It is a test by God, a kind of line drawn being drawn in the sand. There will be those who will reject it and keep their testimony for Jesus and the word of God, willing to die for His name sake and there will be those who will love their lives and the world more than God and will receive the mark and worship the beast. Survival will be one of the motivations, for without that mark no one will be able to electronically credit or debit their bank accounts, which is buying and selling.

Those whose names that were not written in the book of life before the world began, will be those who will worship the beast, his image and receive his mark.

"The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because he once was, now is not, and yet will come."

"And this beast exercised all the authority of the first beast and caused the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose mortal wound had been healed."

The RFID chip is the technology for the coming mark of the beast, which will continue to evolve in preparation for that coming antichrist. You will begin to see more and more countries utilizing this technology and will begin to see people making purchases with the scan of their hands. Sweden is already going it.

ZNP · Mar 18, 2021

Ahwatukee said:

That is what I did, I said "So in conclusion I would encourage anyone who is concerned about the pandemic and feels at risk of it to get the vaccine. This is not some sinister attempt to get you to worship the beast contrary to your conscience. On the other hand for those who are looking at this as evidence that the day is approaching I agree with you." I think you simply read the last of 3 posts. My point in saying that even if it were forced on you (which so far it isn't) it still wouldn't meet the criteria, which I think is what you are also saying.

Ahwatukee said:

The information that is provided in scripture is that we are warned not to get the mark. I don't think that getting an RFID chip rises to that level. Right now we have credit cards with RFID chips, no one is suggesting that having those or using those somehow would put our standing before the Lord in jeopardy. Also, there have been slaves throughout history that have been branded, that didn't put their standing before the Lord in jeopardy. So then, there is something that is unique about this. One theory is that the mark is designed to deal with religious extremists which after the first rapture will most likely be a very big issue.

Ahwatukee said:

For the most part I agree, everything you are saying I agree with, the only issue I have is you may be missing something. People are forced to get this otherwise they cannot buy or sell. Fair enough, that is how they are forced. It is not necessarily simply a credit card as we have seen they want to use your vaccination history as a criteria for whether or not you can buy or sell. People have been fired from their jobs for not getting the vaccine and their is a proposal that others are not allowed to fly or attend large gatherings without the vaccine.

However, it appears to me that the response to this pandemic is overblown and illogical. I have already gone into great detail as you have alluded to in your point that this summary is not very concise. What seems much more logical to me is that the pandemic is an excuse to force people to get the vaccine and that is not working. It was a trial balloon and now they know they will have to be much more forceful. But, it had almost nothing to do with the RFID theory (having your health records attached to your passport being the only possible connection). Why would you try and sell this vaccine based on health reasons and a pandemic if the real benefit is eliminating theft, fraud, and crime?

More importantly I can't see how an RFID chip explains the very strict warning given to the believers to not get the mark of the beast. How does it violate "you shall have no other God"?

ZNP · Mar 18, 2021

Chapter 2 Why are some rejected and left behind?

In chapter 1 he said that our faith would be tried, as through fire, and that it was precious like gold. When you melt gold the impurities float to the top because they are less dense. Things like malice, guile, hypocrisies, envies and evil speakings would be these kind of impurities. These trials are designed to expose these things and allow us to deal with them. This is the process of being sanctified. I have put this chapter into a summary on "the rapture". I have done this intentionally. Generally a discussion on the rapture begins with the definition of the word, a couple of NT references, and then perhaps a few prophecies about Noah and Lot. My point is that the rapture is "the day of redemption", it is referred to when they say "we see that day approaching", those that are left behind are called "rejected silver". Why are some rejected and others are not? That seems to me a much more important and relevant question concerning the rapture. This is what Peter is dealing with.

This is the other aspect of sanctification. We are reconstituted with the sincere milk of the word. He says to desire the milk as "newborn babes". God is gracious, He understands we are all at different stages of growth and maturity. He is not going to hold a newborn babe to the same standard as someone who has been in the Lord for years. Once again we are reminded that we also are “strangers”, “cast aways”, “off scouring”, “disallowed of men” yet we also were chosen according to the foreknowledge of God. Our coming unto this living stone is obedience. It is to walk the narrow path by faith. Being built up as a spiritual household, a royal priesthood is what he means when he says our obedience is “unto the sprinkling of the blood”.

This word “obedience” and this word “disobedient” are central themes of this book. We should not assume that “disobedient” is equivalent to “unbeliever”. That would open the door to being deceived and confounded. Disobedience is much simpler and more straightforward. There are going to be Christians who are disobedient and when the Lord comes they will be left behind.

To be a stranger, to be disallowed of men, this is an armor that protects us from the lusts that war against the soul. From the worldly view we are disallowed, from God’s view we are pilgrims, like Abraham, seeking a better country. We should not think that this is strange that we are "disallowed".

12 Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Good works are a crucial part of the Christian testimony. We are not saved by good works, nor can our good works compensate (pay the price) for our sins. No, the good works are for those who don’t have faith, that they also could glorify God. Without faith it is impossible to please God, but without good works it is impossible for the unbeliever to see your faith and glorify God. This term "the day of visitation" is another clear reference to the rapture and why this chapter and this book are included in this blog.

The use of freedom as a cloak of maliciousness has infected our country. We have bots that will act in a malicious way attacking anyone they disagree with. Mike Lindell experienced this the minute he referenced meeting Trump during his campaign in 2016.

What a great way to look at the crucifixion. Why did the religious leaders want Jesus crucified? He suffered wrongfully. He fully understood their evil, their plot, and the outcome, even more than they did. But He endured it because He was faithful to God. He saw that in all of their evil plot God had a will. His glory was revealed and their evil was exposed. In a similar way we are seeing that honoring the current administration and being subject to them even though they stole the election helps to expose and reveal the sins and corruption. When we consider how to respond to some affront, some insult, do we consider what response would be “acceptable with God”? Peter is talking about how to be found by the Lord at his appearing. Make sure your responses are acceptable to God, not just to you. This is one aspect of faith in the Lord. Jesus is the one who judges righteously. We are committed to Him. He was treated worse than any of us have been and yet no sin, no guile was found in his mouth. We are healed by His stripes. Healed from what? Unbelief? Is there a greater sin than unbelief? Do you realize that “good works” includes being reviled and not reviling again, suffering and not threatening, but having faith in the Lord who judges righteously. So then reviling others and threatening others is evidence of unbelief, vengeance is His, He will repay. Reviling, threatening, guile, doing sin, these are all “going astray”. If you truly do not respond in this way then you will be a “stranger in a strange land”.

Summary of Bible references on the Rapture

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