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SOME MILLENNIAL KINGDOM SURPRISES

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lion and lamb

 

 

 

 

By Ken Blue

“And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.” Revelation 2:27.

 

There’s no end to the stories one will hear about the thousand year rule of Christ on earth. There is the notion that only the spiritually saved enter it. Some teach the whole earth will be a Garden of Eden. Then there is the idea that everyone will know the Lord, that witnessing will not be permitted. There are those who think there’ll be no rebellion, sin, or death, and all will be vegetarians and live in harmony. These are just a few of the many stories you will hear.

 

The rule of the nations will be a dictatorship. Not only will Christ rule in Israel with a rod of iron, so will those appointed as government leaders. Notice; “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.” Psalm 2:8-9. See Revelation 2:26-28.

 

Jesus comes back to Israel, and sets His kingdom up there first. The way to visualize the process is to imagine dropping a stone into a pool of water. The ripples are the greatest, and move fastest at the point of impact. Thus, the first order of business will be the organizing of His kingdom within the boundaries of Israel. The Twelve Disciples will rule the twelve tribes. See Daniel 12:12. Then, He sends Jewish evangelist into all the world to preach the Kingdom gospel, or good news. Miracles and supernatural powers will be restored to those Jews who preach to the nations.

 

National representatives will travel to Israel each year to worship the King, and observe the feast of Tabernacles. Those who do not will be judged by the withholding of rain on their nation. That results in drought and crop failure. “And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. 18  And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. 19  This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.” Zechariah 14:16-19.

 

It appears life expectancy will be extended. “There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.” Isaiah 65:20. A person, who dies at age one hundred, will be considered but a child. However, those who commit sins worthy of death will be executed. “And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: 4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.”Isaiah 11:3-4.

 

People will not be vegetarians, and animals will not live in harmony. “And in the day that he goeth into the sanctuary, unto the inner court, to minister in the sanctuary, he shall offer his sin offering, saith the Lord GOD. 28 And it shall be unto them for an inheritance: I am their inheritance: and ye shall give them no possession in Israel: I am their possession. 29 They shall eat the meat offering, and the sin offering, and the trespass offering; and every dedicated thing in Israel shall be theirs. 30 And the first of all the firstfruits of all things, and every oblation of all, of every sort of your oblations, shall be the priest’s: ye shall also give unto the priest the first of your dough, that he may cause the blessing to rest in thine house. 31 The priests shall not eat of any thing that is dead of itself, or torn, whether it be fowl or beast.”Ezekiel 44:26-31. The above is speaking of the thousand year kingdom, and Jerusalem is in the heart of it. Meat will be eaten, and animals will still kill each other. That is the meaning of the word “torn.” When the lion and the lamb lie down together, probably, only one of them will get up.

 

By the end of the thousand years, the earth will be filled with those who hate the King and His rule. Satan will be released, and lead a rebellion against Jesus the King. His end is as follows. “And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. 9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. 10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” Revelation 20:7-10.

 

If I have misrepresented the kingdom of heaven, I would welcome your comments.

THE BAD NEWS ABOUT MY CANCER

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By Ken Blue

 

At age 31, I began a pastorate where I would serve for the next 39 years. I never gave thought to my own mortality. Although I was a young man, I could tell something was wrong. After an examination, the doctor said to me, “I don’t have good news for you. You have cancer of the colon, and it has eaten through the colon wall.”

 

That was devastating news. I had just completed five years of Bible College, we had five children, and I didn’t have a dimes worth of insurance. The doctor said we must operate immediately. Eighteen inches of my colon was removed. He said there was no assurance that all the cancer was removed. So, the news was not that reassuring.

 

For the next five years, I went in for regular checkups to insure that the cancer was not returning. After five years the doctors said, “I have good news for you. You are cancer free.” What a relief it was to hear the good news!

 

The other bad news is we are all terminal. We all have an appointment with death. Age is not a factor. It can come at any time. However, there is even worse news than death. Jesus said, “But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.” Luke 12:5. The bad news is that you and I are sinners by choice, and the consequence is physical, spiritual, and eternal death. I could have refused to believe what my doctor told me; still the cancer was there. Likewise, one may deny and ignore the bad news about death and thereafter, but the facts remain, we are terminal.

 

Now for the good news, and you don’t have to wait five years for it. It has been available for over 2000 years. The first of the good news is that God loves YOU. There are so many verses on this point; it is hard to know where to start. The verse that has meant the most to me is Romans 5:8. “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Now, that is great news! However, if you reject the bad news, the good will have no meaning for you. God loves you. Jesus died and paid for ALL your sins. His resurrection is proof that God is satisfied with the payment for your sins, His Son made.

 

What should you do? I beg you to read, believe, and act upon the following cure from the Great Physician. “But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation… 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:8-13.

 

I had to take by faith what my doctor told me about the bad news and the good. Likewise, you must take by faith what the Great Physician tells you. Please read it, believe it, and be saved today.

If you will trust Him, please let me know so I can rejoice with you. You are terminal, but there is good news!

HOW TO BE CONTENT IN A DISCONTENTED WORLD

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By Ken Blue

 

“Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” Philippians 4:11. “But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7  For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.” 1 Timothy 6:6-8.

 

I write this article with some fear and apprehension. Job said that which he feared had come upon him. I want to have the contentment Paul had, but I do not want to attend the same school that taught him that priceless quality.

 

It is not my intent to minimize any adversity you have, or may be experiencing. As I write, I have been confined to a wheelchair for about six years. I suffer from a disease known as ALS. I only mention this to assure those who suffer pain; I suffer with you.

 

There is a wonderful lesson to be learned from what Paul is telling us. The first is he had LEARNED to be content regardless of his state, or circumstances. Likewise, we too must first be in a state of adversity before we can learn contentment. What was it that Paul had that gave him such contentment? What were those lessons?

 

Paul had a relationship with God. He knew that God loved him and would never leave him. He could look to past experiences and be assured of God’s ability to care for him again.

 

Another thing that helped Paul was his attitude toward material possessions. He knew what was important. Most people get their security, joy, self-worth, and identity from what they possess. You will never learn contentment until you suffer loss. This may involve the loss of a loved one, a job, a house, your health, your friends, your money, or your country. You can’t keep it, and you can’t take it with you. Thus, if we are godly, and have food to eat and cloths to wear, we should learn to be content.

 

Let me leave you with a truth that you should replay every day. “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. 34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Romans 8:31-39. Read it, reread it, believe it, and learn contentment.

 

THE 2012 MAYAN MYTH

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By Ken Blue

I understand how an ignorant, uninformed, and superstitious world could fall victim to this nonsense. However, how any Bible believing Christian could be influenced either way over this matter is mind boggling. Christians do not have one verse in the Bible hinting at when the rapture will take place. This is just another replay of Harold Camping’s deception.

Pastors who hint that December 21 is an important date for the world are simply striving for sensationalism and seeking a following. Like Y2K, and Camping’s false prophecies, this too will come and go. No one knows for sure when the rapture will occur. People ask me, “Are you a pre-trib believer?” I tell them that I am. However, if it happens at the middle of the tribulation, I will be a mid-trib believer. And, if it happens at the end of the tribulation I will be a post-trib believer.

Christians should stop searching for signs of the rapture. We should spend our time getting to know Christ, winning souls, and serving through the local church. The only sign given to Israel was the sigh of Jonah. The major sign given to Israel is when the Antichrist is in the temple at Jerusalem.

Prophecy is an interesting study, and I love to study it. However, we need to exercise great caution when trying to place emphasis where God has not placed it. The often repeated warning by Jesus to Israel was about deception. We must study prophecy, but we must use common sense when interpreting it.

So, let not your heart be troubled. It will not be the end of the world, and no one knows if  the rapture will occur December 21. Have a great Christmas and happy New Year.

 

IRON AND CLAY; WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

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By Ken Blue

“And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. 43 And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.” Daniel 2:31-43 .

In previous articles, I pointed to Scriptures that confirmed that the ten horns and the ten toes are but different symbols of the same things. They represent ten nations that will form an alliance and surround Israel. From these, the Antichrist will arise. He comes from Syria.

However, there is something about these that Daniel describes as an incompatibility. It is stated that the feet and toes are partly iron and partly clay and will not mix. We should keep in mind that the nations in that part of the world have been ruled by a dynasty of kings. These were not elected nor appointed. They ruled with an iron fist. This has been their form of government for centuries.

The West has democratic governments, and their officials are elected by the people. In the last few decades the West has attempted to force a democratic form of government on people who do not want it. If one understands Islam, he will realize that democracy for them is impossible.

I believe the iron is the autocratic government and mindset of the people in those nations. The clay is the inserting of democracy by the West. These two are incompatible and cannot coexist. Thus there will be constant disunity within each of the ten toe/horn nations. The Antichrist will find that he too must rule with a rod of iron. However, his rule will be a brief one.