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Monday, June 27, 2022

Cross and Cutlass: Why Do the Nations Rage?

 Psalm 2 KJV
1 Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?

2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying,

3 Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.

4 He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.

5 Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.

6 Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.

7 I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.

8 Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.

9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.

10 Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.

11 Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.

12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

Cross and Cutlass: Why Do the Nations Rage?: 
In my daily Bible Readings, I often come across a Scripture(s) that fits perfectly a current situation in my life. It could be an answer to a question I have asked the Lord. It could be something I need to hear concerning my behavior or attitude that displeases the Lord. 😧 It could be encouragement and love! (My favs!) But sometimes it's just the Lord showing he that He knows what's going on in the world, nothing is catching Him by surprise, and He's got this! This is why I encourage all of you to spend time each day in the Bible. Don't know what to read? Start at Genesis and read until the end of Revelation. Or read one or two chapters in the Old Testament and 1 or 2 chapters in the New each day. However the Lord leads you. "But I've already read through the Bible" you might say. My answer is.. the Scriptures are alive. I guarantee you will find new revelations each time you read. Anyway, part of my reading on Friday was Psalm 2 and I sensed the Lord wanted me to share it with you.

Why are the nations in an uproar in turmoil against God,
And why do the people devise a vain and hopeless plot?
The kings of the earth take their stand;
And the rulers take counsel together
Against the Lord and His Anointed saying,
“Let us break apart their divine bands of restraint
And cast away their cords of control from us.”

Are nations in an uproar today? Are they all fighting against God? I would say, yes, more now than ever before in History. We have an organization called the World Economic Forum (closely tied to the UN) whose main spokesman, Yuval Noah Harari says that God is dead. He says that "we don't need the God of the Bible. Jesus is dead. We are just waiting to get rid of the body." He says "humans are hackable animals" and most of us are useless. He said that man can create much better things than God can, and that we can become gods ourselves. As alarming as this man's words are, we know most governments kicked God out long ago. However this recent global government (which will take over the world) not only wants to get rid of God, but to replace Him. (Antichrist actually means Instead of Christ) They want to "break apart divine bands of restraint" and remove all of God's control over them.

To us reading and learning about this trend, it seems alarming, but here in Psalm 2, God laughs at them. Laughs!

He who sits enthroned in the heavens laughs at their rebellion
The Sovereign Lord scoffs at them and in supreme contempt He mocks them. Then He will speak to them in His profound anger
And terrify them with His displeasure, saying,
“Yet as for Me, I have anointed and firmly installed My King
Upon Zion, My holy mountain.”

He not only laughs at them. He mocks them! Then He will terrify them and remind them that He has put a King in Zion (and it ain't them)

Who is that King? And what will He do?

“I will declare the decree of the Lord:
He said to Me, ‘You are My Son;
This day I have begotten You.
‘Ask of Me, and I will assuredly give You the nations as Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth as Your possession.
‘You shall break them with a rod of iron;
You shall shatter them in pieces like earthenware.’”

He is the Son of God, Jesus, our Messiah. And it is He who will rule the world and break these rebellious nations with a rod of iron!

Then God gives these nations some wise advice

Now therefore, O kings, act wisely;
Be instructed and take warning, O leaders judges, rulers of the earth.
Worship the Lord and serve Him with reverence with awe-inspired fear and submissive wonder; Rejoice with trembling.
Kiss, pay respect to the Son, so that He does not become angry, and you perish in the way,
For His wrath may soon be kindled and set aflame.

Kiss the Son! I love it.

And last but not least

How blessed, fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God are all those who take refuge in Him!

That's you and me if we are true followers of Jesus! See that? Blessed, Fortunate, prosperous and favored.

So, I ask you, why are you afraid of these silly nations, silly leaders, silly rulers and judges who threaten to rule the world and get rid of God? ( The UN, WHO, EU, WEF, and our own governments). If God is laughing at them, maybe we should too. He not only laughs at them, he scoffs and mocks them! So, don't be afraid. We are children of the Most High and He's in charge, in control, and He knows everything they are doing and He's already got a plan to destroy them. In the meantime, we are safe in His Mighty Arms!

Psalm 33:21-22 KJV
21 For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name.
22 Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.
~MaryLu Tyndale
https://crossandcutlass.blogspot.com/2022/06/why-do-nations-rage.html

Monday, June 6, 2022

Cross and Cutlass: We are in the Wheat Harvest Season! Fascinating fa...

Cross and Cutlass: We are in the Wheat Harvest Season! Fascinating fa...:   Happy Shavuot!
I found some fascinating facts about Sivan, which is the current Jewish Month that began on May 30th and ends on June 30th. My hope is that this information will bless you and encourage you as much as it did me!

-The Month of Sivan is called the Month of Revelation - I couldn't help but think of the Book of Revelation when I heard this!

- Sivan 2 is called the "Day of Distinction" since on this day the Jewish people agreed to accept the Torah at Mount Sinai, and upon ratification, Moses instructed the people to prepare themselves to become a "Kingdom of Priests and a Holy Nation". (Exodus 19:6-8). Hmm, what does that remind you of? Aren't Christians also called that very same thing in Revelation 5:10?

-Sivan 3 Moses instructed the people to spend Three Days preparing to receive the Law, the 10 Commandments that Moses would bring down from the top of the mountain. These 3 days are called the "Days of Separation". I found that interesting since Jesus said He would return on the third day to call up His Bride, and during our separation, we are to sanctify ourselves and separate from the world. The giving of the Law was a marriage contract between God and the Jews, just like Jesus's death and resurrection are a marriage contract with us!

-Sivan 6, Moses comes down the mountain with the 10 Commandments and the Jews call this day Shavuot or Pentecost, which took place 7 weeks after they left Egypt. What's fascinating about this is that it is customary to read selections from the Torah ALL NIGHT until dawn. It is called "Rectification for Shavuot Night" , a remedy for Israel's failure to be awake on the morning of the Revelation and who needed to be aroused by the blast of the shofar, heavenly lightning and thunder. I immediately thought of the parable of the 10 virgins where they all fell asleep but half ran out of oil and were not able to come into the marriage feast when the shofar blew.

- Shavuot, according to Jewish sages, is the "culmination of the experience of Redemption", which started on Passover. Isn't the Rapture equally a culmination of our experience of redemption that began with Jesus's death and resurrection on Passover? I got goosebumps when I read this!

- Wheat is harvested in Sivan in Israel. Jesus often used wheat to represent His children, those who believed in Him and followed Him, (John 12, Matthew 3, Matthew 13)

- The Hebrew letter that represents Sivan is Zayin, the 7th letter of the Hebrew Alphabet.. Zayin has a double meaning: It means sword or sharp weapon, but it also means sustenance or nourishment. Interesting because the rapture brings both.

-Ruth is the book of the Month of Sivan which is also known as the Book of Harvest. The entire story is about a gentile bride marrying a Jewish man.

- The tribe of Zebulun is the tribe representing the month of Sivan. Zebulun was the sixth son of Leah, the tenth son of Jacob. The meaning of Zebulun is “Glorious Dwelling Place”, but is also closely related to the word meaning “dowry” or “wedding gift”.

- Sivan is only named by name in the Book of Esther in Esther 8:9. In context it was the month when a degree went out from the King that allowed all the Jews to fight and defend themselves from anyone attacking them on the day that Haman had decreed all the Jews would be destroyed. Interesting that after the Rapture or very near the Rapture, Israel will be attacked by the surrounding nations in the Gog-Magog war.

- When Jesus describes the rapture in Matthew 24, He says "Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left." Only wheat is ground in the mill, not barley. So at the time of the rapture, a harvest is taking place! Also in that same chapter, Jesus says that the rapture will happen "as in the days of Noah"... as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark," It occurred to me that June is traditionally the month of weddings, isn't it?

I guess my point is to not lose heart. Keep the faith. Keep strong. Keep praying, reading the Bible, following Jesus. Don't fall asleep or run out of oil! This could very well be the month of our rescue!
~Mary Lu Tyndale

Monday, May 30, 2022

Cross and Cutlass: Jesus is not a Wife Beater!

Cross and Cutlass: Jesus is not a Wife Beater!:
Please, I mean no offense at the title of this post, but it speaks louder than words. Of course I am referring to the Bride of Christ and Jesus's soon snatching away of His Bride to escort her to the Wedding of the Lamb in Heaven. The Bride is, of course, all true Saints and followers of Jesus who love Him and long for His appearing!

I get an email now and then from some well-meaning person telling me that either there is No rapture or that the rapture of the church happens at the end of the Tribulation. The last email I received told me that the rapture was a lie invented by the Freemasons. I have heard others say that the pre-tribulation rapture theory was introduced and propagated by theologians in the 1800s and that it is not Biblical. Still, I've had yet others tell me that it's ridiculous to think that this last generation of believers would be spared Tribulation because saints throughout the past 2000 years have suffered horribly for their faith. Why should we think we would not have to suffer?

I have addressed several of these issues in the posts below if you're interested:

Pre,Mid,Post,Who cares?
One will be in the Field, One taken, one left. Pre-trib
And the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against the Church

However, when a pastor I listen to (Pastor Patrick Winfrey) on You tube said that "Jesus is not a Wife Beater", it really stuck with me and I wanted to address this fact, along with some new information I discovered about the early church fathers.

First of all, we know from Revelation that the Tribulation is going to be the worst time Earth has every experienced.

For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. Matthew 24:21-22

Just in the first half of the Tribulation with the 4 horseman, a quarter of the earth's population is killed. That's 2 Billion people killed from starvation, plagues, and war. After that, when the Antichrist comes into full power, billions more are butchered. Why? Because those in power want only 500,000 people to remain on earth to be their slaves. They state as much in their literature and on the Georgia guide stones! In addition, anyone not taking the Mark of the Beast or even claiming to follow Jesus will have their heads chopped off. And that would be the best way for them to die. Some will be crucified, others burned alive, others tortured. So that by the end of the Tribulation, barely any people will be alive.

So, I ask you, would Jesus do that to a Bride He is about to marry? The Tribulation is not like any other time on earth. The argument that those Christians living in this time shouldn't get a free pass from suffering because all the other Christians living throughout the ages have suffered is like saying you're going to take one child and torture them for 7 years and then burn them alive only because your other child caught the flu.

If you know your Bible or have at least read through it once, you are well aware that the rapture is in there. No, not the word Rapture, but the concept of being "snatched away" out of this world by Jesus to meet Him in the clouds. (1 Corinthians 15, Matthew 24, 1 Thess 4, to name a few)
So we know there's a rapture. It's the timing that is often questioned. So did the Pre-Trib rapture start with a Freemason lie? or was it started by some misled theologian in the 1800s?

Recently I came upon a book called The End-Times by the Ancient Church Fathers, by Ken Johnson Th.D. I haven't finished it yet, but in the book, Dr. Johnson goes through 4 of the early church father's writings on end times.

Irenaeus, born in Smyrna in AD 130. He was a student of Polycarp (who was a student of the Apostle John!) and he testified that he occasionally spoke to the very old apostle John himself.

Justin Martyr - born in Israel in AD 100. He was also a student of Polycarp

Hippolytus Born in AD 170 and was a student of Irenaeus

Ephrem the Syrian Born in AD 306. He studied under those who knew Christians who had studied under the Apostles.

ALL of these early church fathers believed in a pre-tribulation rapture. ALL. I especially point out Irenaeus who actually had spoke to the Apostle John. Please do your own study and find out for yourself. But to say that the Pre-trib rapture is a modern false doctrine is flat out wrong.

I have one more thing to say to disprove that the rapture occurs at the end of the Tribulation. When Jesus returns to earth and sets His feet on the Mount of Olives, the Bible says He fights the Antichrist and his armies in the valley of Armageddon, (Revelation 19) and then he judges the people left on earth.

When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: Matthew 25:30-34

Well, if there was a rapture at the end of the Tribulation as Jesus is descending to earth, then the remaining saints on earth would be caught up with Him, only to descend right away back to earth. Then why would there have to be a judgement after that? Wouldn't the rapture already separate the sheep from the goats? Just saying....

The point of this post is to encourage you because I know our enemy will come in and try to convince you that the rapture isn't real or that it doesn't occur until the middle of the end, but that is just not true and not Biblical. So, rest in the hope that soon we will see our King face to face! We are not in the Tribulation yet. In fact, what we are suffering now is nothing compared to what the Tribulation will be like.

Jesus loves you more than His own life. He proved that on the cross. He will not leave you. He will not allow His precious Bride to get beat up and killed. What good husband would? So, hang in there, keep the faith, rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and spread the Good news of the Gospel. We are going home soon!

#AMEN #HALLELUJAH #LOVE #TRUTH #MARANATHA #JESUSISCOMING #RAPTURE #RAPTUREREADY #WAKEUP #WIFEOFCHRIST #BRIDEOFCHRIST #GOINGHOMESOON