Bible – Page 2 – Resounding Shophar Ministries

Are You Watching?

A number of times in the New Testament Jesus is recorded as commanding us to watch. Usually this was in reference to His return for us, His bride. Over the years, and especially in recent months, I have talked with people who took one of three positions regarding this idea of watching and what it means to watch. Some have indicated that they believe they don’t need to watch for Jesus’ return as long as they are living for Him, and others have shared that there isn’t a need to be watching for him now as they don’t believe Jesus will be returning anytime soon but instead 20 to 100+ years from now. And, there is a third group of people who believe Jesus could return at any time and are actively watching for it.

So, what does it mean to “watch”? Perhaps this is why some people take such a relaxed approach to Jesus’ return, not really understanding what it means to “watch”? According to Dictionary.com, the definition of “watch” is;

to be alertly on the lookout, look attentively, or observe, as to see what comes, is done, or happens:
to look or wait attentively and expectantly:
to keep awake, especially for a purpose; remain vigilant, as for protection or safekeeping:
to look or wait attentively and expectantly for:
to guard, tend, or oversee, especially for protection or safekeeping:

For those who think that just living for Jesus qualifies as watching for Him, we can clearly see from this definition that this is not the case. Imagine with me for a moment that two people are cruising down the interstate at 70 mph, both of them are in the farthest lane to the left. Both of them are heading to the same destination, maybe a vacation resort of some sort. One of these people are in deep conversation with someone else in the car, listening to some music or intently observing the scenery as they go along. The other person is also talking to someone, listening to the radio or looking at the scenery, but all the while they are paying close attention to the signs along the interstate so at to make sure they don’t miss the exit.

After traveling for several hours and hundreds of miles the second person begins to make their way making one lane change after another until they are in the farthest right lane, yet the first person is still in the fast lane and busy talking to someone and taking in the sights as they go. After a few more minutes the second person activates their turn signal and prepares to exit the interstate, but the first person is oblivious to the fact that they are about to go right past their exit at 70 mph.

The correlation is that the first person is too busy living and enjoying life and not paying any attention to the signs alerting them that their exit is just ahead, but the second person, while they are still living life, are paying close attention to the signs and begin making the necessary preparations to safely exit the interstate when they reach their exit. The first person wasn’t watching at all, or even felt the need to be, but the second person knew that they needed to pay close attention to the signs so as to not miss the exit. Some Christians are too busy living and enjoying life and are not paying attention to the signs all around alerting us to Jesus’ soon and possibly imminent return for His Bride, and that is a dangerous place to be in.

The second group of people don’t feel the need to really be watching and preparing for Jesus’ return because they think it will be another 20 to 100+ years from now before He returns. Many of them like to say that it’s been 2000 years since we were first told He would be returning, and therefore it’s going to be quite a while still before He actually returns. This, also, is a very dangerous view to be embracing. One of the indicators we see in Scripture regarding the last days, which only confirms that we are in that day, is that people would mock or scoff at the idea of Christ returning any time soon. Don’t be one of those who take that position. It’s not going to be worth it!!

Like I said earlier, several times Jesus instructs us to watch, and in Mark 13:37 Jesus commands us with emphasis to “watch!” So, if Jesus is telling us so strongly to be watching for His return, and the signs that point to it, why do so many seem to think that they don’t need to? I know some think that all Christians will go up in the rapture, and because of that they feel secure enough that they don’t see the need to watch for Him, as if they know more than Jesus on the subject. Jesus wasn’t telling the non-believer, those who were not following after Him, to watch, but instead He was telling those of us who are believers and follow after Him to watch. If that is the case, apparently He knows something that many choose to ignore or refuse to believe, and that is not everyone who call themselves Christians or follow after Him will go up in the rapture.

Others seem to think that Jesus will not be returning any time soon, even though they do believe He will one day return. These people are basically sticking their heads into the sand and wanting to think nothing but positive thoughts, listening to teachers and preachers who tickle their ears. These same people are choosing to ignore for one reason or another the signs along the interstate telling them that the exit is just ahead and not as far away as they would like to think. Multiple times Jesus describes these individuals, Christians who believe Jesus won’t return any time soon and live as they choose, as wicked servants. Pretty harsh words, but Jesus is making the point of how foolish it is to embrace such a mindset. Nowhere do we find that Jesus complimented or praised those who didn’t live watching and preparing for His return, but instead He chastised them for believing and acting accordingly.

When we talk of watching for the return of Jesus for His Bride, the church, we also have to remember some other words of Jesus regarding this. In Matthew 24:32-51, Jesus reiterates the need to watch for His return. He indicates that it was the good servant who watched, prepared and guarded his household against the thief’s arrival, but it was an evil servant who did not watch and take the necessary preparations against the thief. Jesus used that illustration to point out that the “good” follower of Jesus will be watching and preparing for His return, and that the “evil” follower of Jesus will not be, and when Jesus returns he will give to the “evil” follower his portion among the hypocrites. This also corresponds with the parable of the 10 virgins who represent 10 Christians. The five wise ones who were waiting and prepared for Him left with Him at His arrival, but the five foolish ones who had not made enough provisions to last until He returned missed Him when He arrived and were later denied access to the wedding.

In Matthew 7:21-23, Jesus tells us not everyone who calls Him Lord will enter into the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of the Father. Some think that just because they said a prayer and go to church they are a shoe-in for heaven, but Jesus doesn’t say that. According to Jesus, what kept some from entering heaven even though they acknowledged Him as their Lord and had an impressive Christian resume was the fact that they did not do the will of God in their life. Instead they lived as they deemed sufficient and appropriate in their sight, practicing lawlessness in the sight of God. Part of God’s will for each and every one of us is that we be watching the signs that point to Jesus’s return and taking the necessary steps in preparation for it, which according to the signs screaming all around us is imminent.

Are you watching? If not, then perhaps you should start, paying close attention to the signs around us that point to His return. Jesus warned us, not the non-believer, of deception in these last days, as well as wolves in sheep’s clothing who deceive us into thinking and believing things that are contradictory to Scripture, ignoring what is said in the Bible regarding the days we are in which will only get worse. An apathetic and complacent attitude and behavior in our relationship and pursuit of Christ, as well as in regards to Jesus’ return, is one of the biggest weapons the enemy of our souls is using to ensnare and trap Christians into. Keep watching and don’t get caught up in the lies of the enemy promoted by wolves in sheep’s clothing, no matter what his or her Biblical credentials or resume may be like.

Are you watching???? Keep watching!!!!

John Johansson

Wake Up Call

Well, here I am. Between getting my latest book finished and released and a very crazy schedule the past several weeks, I am now able to do some blog writing tonight. Yea!

Have you been watching the news lately? Have you noticed that things seem to be racing towards a period of time long ago prophesied of events we can now see on the horizon, and in some cases are here even as I write this? That period of time I am referring to is the seven-year tribulation period prophesied in the Bible. We are seeing some of the events prophesied thousands of years ago coming into fulfillment within the next year or so. For example, we are told that during the tribulation period everyone will have to have a mark of identification by which they will buy and sell, what is often times referred to as the “mark of the beast” as mentioned in the book of Revelation, and unbeknown to many there is currently a push to have everyone worldwide, not just in the USA, implanted with an electronic chip for identification and financial transactions by the end of 2017. We are also seeing a push by many religious leaders to merge all the religions of the world, including Christianity, into one religion, or at least create a platform that allows all the religions to work together and to acknowledge many ways to the same god. In recent months we have seen a major shift in the world financial markets as a growing number of countries are shifting the strength of their currencies from the dollar to the Chinese currency. And, in order for there to be a one-world government the United States has to be brought down enough so that not only will its influence be greatly reduced, but the United States would have to give up its sovereignty as a nation to facilitate a one-world government, and we’re seeing the United States literally imploding upon itself in a large number of ways putting it into such a position when looking at things globally. We’re seeing increasing turmoil within the Middle East politically, as well as increasing tensions and conflicts militarily, and a greater push to isolate and divide Israel. Oh, and let us not just think of the civil wars that are taking place there, and Iran’s race to a nuclear bomb with the promise of using it against Israel and the USA, but also the increasing threat and influence of ISIS and their inhumane brutality beyond the Middle East.

What I just mentioned doesn’t even take into account the role nature has in this. We’re seeing very erratic and unpredictable weather all over that is out of sync with the recognized seasonal and regional norms, the increase in famines and pestilence, and the growing threat of disease and plagues. Yes, there have been numerous concerns regarding “global warming” and “climate change”, and more specifically blaming humanity for it, but it has been found to be a fraud of sorts used as a tool to help facilitate a one-world government. While it has been seen in recorded history that nature generally shifts back and forth in cycles resembling what we’re experiencing now, nature is also in a form of labor pains getting ready to wreck havoc with humanity in a variety of ways. There has been, in addition to what has already been mentioned, a dramatic increase in volcanic and strong earthquake activity even in places where it generally hasn’t been an issue.

What is all of this telling us? Even the world knows that life as we know it is quickly racing toward a climatic time when life as we know it will no longer be, yet they will be quick to deny the prospect that all of this is a fulfillment of Bible end-time prophesy. If that is not bad enough, what is worse is the deception many within the church have embraced who should know better but choose to deny that reality. When we talk of the deception within the church, we need to first realize that was the first thing Jesus warned us about in Luke 21. The Apostle Paul goes even further and talks of a great falling away of Christians in the last days, and how that many will follow teachers with itchy ears to hear what they want to hear and what sounds good. What are some of the deceptions found in the church today?

When we talk of the deceptions within the church, one of the most prominent ones is the idea that things are only going to get better, or at least for the Christian it will be even though the rest of the world will go upside down figuratively speaking. Very little is said or taught of end-time events and how we need to be mindful of them, something that Jesus commanded us to do, but instead much is said about how we are to be blessed and prosper, to grow in our faith to have less issues to deal with in our lives, and to focus almost exclusively on God’s grace, love and mercy. While it is true that God desires to bless and prosper us, for us to grow in our faith and to rest in His grace, love and mercy, to avoid or not take into account what the Bible tells us regarding the days we have entered into will only lead to disaster for many in the church. For those given the role of shepherding or teaching the body of Christ who only speak of the good things and avoid anything about these last days, they are in essence presenting a very incomplete gospel. Many think that God’s plan for the redemption of mankind was concluded when Jesus arose from the dead, but in actuality God’s plan for the redemption of mankind will not be concluded until the end of the 1000-year reign of Christ here on earth. The seven feasts that God instituted in Leviticus, not for Israel but for Himself, outline God’s plan of redemption for mankind, and of those seven only four have been fulfilled to date. So, one of the deceptions is the ignorance of Bible prophesied end-time events while focusing on that which tickles the ears of the hearer.

Another deception is found in the rejection of the rapture of the church. Even though the word ‘rapture’ is not found in the English Bible, the teaching and picture of the rapture for the church can be seen throughout the Bible. The rapture is our blessed hope, something that is also seen in the feasts. Many people argue against teaching or promoting the belief of a rapture referring to it as a doctrine of escapism, and while I agree some have taken this view of escapism to an extreme that they’re not occupying their time here properly, Jesus promoted the idea of escapism when He told us to “watch and pray that we are counted worthy to escape all things that will come to pass” (Luke 21:36). In that one verse Jesus tells us to watch for the signs of the times and that which is coming, and also to pray that we are counted worthy to escape those things that are coming. We can’t really do that if either through ignorance or ones decision to reject such teaching we focus on the positive’s we addressed in the previous paragraph. Hey, if Jesus commands us to “watch” and to “pray we are counted worthy to escape”, then it’s something we should really look at and take heed of. If we won’t tell others about the times we are in and what is on the horizon, along with the hope we have in being raptured up before these things come to pass, then we are not being His ambassadors as we should be and are setting up others for failure with an incomplete and sometimes warped gospel.

There is another deception regarding the rapture many are buying into “hook, line, and sinker”, and that is the idea that all who call themselves Christians will be raptured up, but Jesus strongly countered that way of thinking in Matthew 7:21-23. The rapture is only for those who have been watching and preparing as a bride for His return. Some have argued that the Church is not the Bride of Christ, but since the Bible is strongly and concisely clear that the Church is the Bride betrothed to Christ then I can’t help but ask what Bible they are reading from since it’s not the Christian Bible. If one doesn’t believe that the Church is the Bride of Christ, then what guarantee do they have that they will be raptured up when the rapture is strictly for the Bride who has prepared herself for Him? It doesn’t matter the voice or who appears to us, even if they are an angel of light, if what is said is in conflict with the written Word then it is not of God. In other words, God will never contradict His own Word to us, no matter how nice and good it sounds, and if it does conflict with scripture then it needs to be rejected as coming from someone other than God, Himself.

Anyways, we need to wake up and take a look around us of what is going on, and to be aware of some of the deceptions infiltrating the church in these last days. This is not the time to be ignorant of the times we are in and the explosively fast fulfillment of end-time prophesies, or to fall victim to doctrines and beliefs that keep us from clearly seeing things as they are so we can prepare for the return of our Savior and groom, Jesus Christ. There is enough in scripture to get a pretty accurate picture of the times we’re in and what is coming down the pipe, so to speak, and we shouldn’t be afraid of to teach and share this with others as it could make the difference as to how ready they are for His return.

John Johansson

Ever ask yourself, “What is going on????”

Okay. Here in America we’ve seen Obamacare survive the examination of the United States Supreme Court. We’re also seeing very out of the ordinary weather and various types of natural disasters throughout the country.

In the world we’re seeing things heat up in the middle east as countries try to find a away to stop Syria’s internal war which involves killing civilians. Countries are hurriedly positioning significant amounts of troops and military equipment into key positions preparing for war. We also have Iran pursuing nuclear weapons with the determination to use those same weapons on both Israel and the United States.

And then there is both the European and United States economies which are both on the brink of collapse. The United States is teetering on the edge of an economic cliff, and it’s trying through counterproductive measures to avoid that. The European economy is crumbling and one wrong move in an attempt to reverse this could spell its quick demise.

Oh, and let us not forget about the recent deal between Saudi Arabia and China, a deal that guarantees China an unlimited supply of oil through 2035, no matter what happens on the world scene, in exchange for supplying Saudi Arabia with both nuclear weapons and the construction of military nuclear sites within Saudi Arabia that both countries will protect with their militaries. The interesting thing about this is that it gives China a very strong interest in the middle east, an interest that would give them all the incentive they need to send 200 million troops into the middle east to protect. Isn’t that prophesied in the Bible?

These are just a sample of the things going on in the world today, both within the United States and abroad. There is no question that things seem to be heating up in all areas of life, politically, economically, militarily, socially, technologically, and spiritually, just to name a few. The world is bracing for some pretty significant solar flares that could really mess things up for electronically dependent societies, and Israel is working hard to protect it’s right to exist as a people and as a soverign state.

What does all this mean? More specifically, what does this mean for you? It would be one thing if Christians were alone in making these observations, but that is not the case. People throughout the world, non-Christians, see clearly and comment about what is happening and have significant concerns regarding what is in store for all of us in the very near future, some even experiencing fear from them. For those of us who are followers of Jesus, and please note I did not say ‘Christians’ as many call themselves but do not truly follow Jesus, it is a time to be looking to the sky with excitement as we know our redemption draws near. The trumpet will sound and those who are followers of Jesus, both among the living and the dead, will be called away to join Jesus to forever live with Him. For those who are not followers of Christ, this is a time to be very concerned about your future and eternal destination and to enter into a saving relationship with Christ on His terms. For those who are not followers of Christ this is a time that will be filled with great fear and/or great deception of better times ahead. The great people of ‘spin’ will do their best to add their ‘spin’ to what is happening in order to get people to buy the lies they are ‘selling’ and perhaps believing themselves.

If you are one of those who are concerned about what is happening in the world, I strongly encourage you to surrender your lives to Jesus. That is your only hope in light of what is ‘coming down the pipes’ as we watch the evening news. This is not the time to be playing Russian Roulette with your eternity and gamble that the Bible is wrong and that true, pure Christianity is just a fantasy of imaginations.

John Johansson – www.resoundingshophar.com