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Before the End of All Things and the New Heaven & New Earth

by Jamie Pantastico | Mar 24, 2023 | Daily Encouragement | 0 comments

Before the Rapture or (right now, today), the world will be characterized by widespread godlessness and moral decay, as described by the apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 3:1-5. People will be lovers of self and money, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, and not lovers of the good. Furthermore, and what is the number one sign of the times that Lord Jesus Christ’s return is near is that the nation of Israel is back in their land, as predicted in the Bible. This fulfillment of Bible prophecy in combination with the worldwide abject rejection of the fundamental tenants of Christianity clearly indicates that the world is preparing for the return of the Lord and that the time is drawing near. As believers, we should be exhausting our study of His word and focused on living in a way that honors God and sharing the Gospel with those around us.

Take a look at what will occur before the end of all things and then the new heaven and earth:

Before the Rapture… Romans 11:25; 1 Corinthians 15:51-53; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 2 Thessalonians 2:1
Before God, the Son, Jesus the Christ comes forward to take the scroll from God the Father… Revelation 5:5
Before the anti-Christ comes on the scene and signs a peace treaty with Israel… Daniel 9:26-27
Before the two witnesses… Revelation 11:3
Before the 144,000 Jews are sealed… Revelation 7:1-14
Before the false prophet gives power to the image of the beast… Revelation 13:14-15
Before the great earthquake… Revelation 16:18-20: Revelation 6:12
Before the Anti-Christ turns on the Jews and defiles their temple… 2 Thessalonians 2:4; Daniel 9:27
Before Christ delivers His chosen people from the Anti-Christ and his armies… Zechariah 14:1-5; Matthew 24:21-31; Revelation 7:9-17
Before the twelve apostles rule the twelve tribes during the Lord’s earthly kingdom… Matthew 19:28
Before the Kingdom on earth… Daniel 2:44; 7:27
Before the thousand years of Jesus Christ’s rule on earth from David’s throne in Jerusalem, Satan is locked away in the bottomless pit… Revelation 20:1-2
Before Christ utterly destroys Satan and his armies at the end of the thousand years… Revelation 19:11-21
Before Satan is tossed into the lake of fire where the Anti-Christ and the false prophet have been for 1000 years… Revelation 20:10
Before the Great White Throne Judgement… Revelation 20:11-15
Before the new heaven and new earth… Revelation 21:1

Can we really forget our past? No we can’t – but God did!

by Jamie Pantastico | Mar 19, 2023 | Daily Encouragement | 0 comments

‘Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.’

Philippians 3:13-14

Philippians 3:13-14 reminds us to *forget the things behind us and reach for the things ahead. But can we really forget the past? No, we can’t, but God can. When God forgives us, He wipes our past clean forever. However, we still remember our past mistakes, but we don’t have to let them control our present. Dwelling on past mistakes only leads to pain and prevents us from being happy and productive. We need to learn from our mistakes and move forward in faith.

The apostle Paul understood this concept. He did not forget the horrible persecution he brought upon Jewish believers, but he did not let it stop him from preaching the gospel of grace for 25 years and turning the then-known world upside down. He did not let his past mistakes prevent him from doing the Lord’s work. The Lord Jesus told Paul that His grace was sufficient, and Paul continued to spread the gospel.

We cannot change the past, so there is no use worrying or fretting about it. We all make mistakes, but we can learn from them and move forward in faith. Let us remember that God has wiped our past clean and has given us a new beginning. As we move forward, let us focus on the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

*I think it’s crucial to try and clarify what “forgetting those things” means. When we trust in the gospel through faith alone, God justifies us, salvation is a one-time event. God no longer remembers our past mistakes and sins; He sees us as new creations in Christ and nothing can ever take us from the love of God. However, forgetting our past is a daily process that we must work through by reading and studying the Bible, praying, and fellowshipping with other believers. Though our salvation is secure in Christ, it’s normal to be reminded of our past and dwell on it at times. When this happens, don’t lose heart. Turn to the Word of God, pray, and trust in His promises. Whether through death or rapture, we will be with the Lord forever.

The Importance of Separating Ourselves from the World System

by Jamie Pantastico | Mar 17, 2023 | Daily Encouragement | 0 comments

‘Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.”’ II Corinthians 6:17

We’ve all heard it said that we are in the world, but we are not of it. We’re here and Jesus, through the Apostle Paul, said that there was no way you could avoid dealing with even the grossest of immoral people because we live in a cursed world ruled by the god of this world Satan (2 Corinthians 4:4). However, we also have a responsibility to share the gospel with the ungodly world around us. We must be a light to those in darkness and show them the love of Christ by simply sharing the gospel; which is that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and rose from the dead 3 days later (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).

It is essential to separate ourselves from the ungodly, wicked world and not become a part of it. The apostle Paul writes to come out from among them and be separate, as stated in II Corinthians 6:17. It is not a condition for salvation, but rather a responsibility as believers to keep ourselves holy and acceptable to God. We are the temple of the Holy Ghost, and our body is not our own. We have been bought with a price and are special in God’s eyes and His program. We must glorify God with our body and spirit, which are God’s, as emphasized in I Corinthians 6:19-20. Therefore, we must not defile the temple of God, which is holy.

‘Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.’

I Corinthians 6:19-20

In a world where it’s challenging to differentiate between a Christian and a non-Christian, we must stand out and be different. It doesn’t mean that we have to isolate ourselves or be oddballs. However, we are not to be of the world. We must keep ourselves separate and holy (holy does not mean that we go around with a halo over our heads or that we are better than the world, it simply means that we were bought by the shed blood of Jesus Christ and we are now to be SEPARATE FROM THE IMMORAL WORLD AROUND US) to be useful to God’s kingdom.

Let us be encouraged to remain separated from the world system and keep ourselves living a life pleasing to God, bearing fruit that brings honor and glory to the one Who redeemed us.

Don’t be discouraged

Read these Bible Verses for Encouragement – Don’t be Discouraged – God’s Word is Powerful

Prophecy Fulfilled Deuteronomy 30:1 and 2 “Amazing”

by Jamie Pantastico | Mar 16, 2023 | Daily Encouragement | 0 comments

‘“Now it shall come to pass, when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the Lord your God drives you, ‘

Deuteronomy 30:1

The Book of Deuteronomy in chapter 30 contains an amazing prophecy that was written by Moses 1,500 years before Christ and 3500 years ago today. In Deuteronomy 30:1, Moses wrote to the children of Israel and said, “And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessings and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath driven thee.”

‘and you return to the Lord your God and obey His voice, according to all that I command you today, you and your children, with all your heart and with all your soul, ‘

Deuteronomy 30:2

What does this tell us? It tells us that the Jews would be scattered into every sovereign nation on earth at some point in the future from Moses’ time and back from our time. And none were excepted. But even more amazing is the fact that in Deuteronomy 30:2, Moses prophesied that after the Jews had been scattered to every nation under heaven, they would return unto the Lord their God.

To define this more closely, we can turn to Ezekiel 37, which describes the vision of the dry bones. The Jews were symbolically depicted as scattered out into the nations of the world, out of the land of blessing, separated from their Temple, without a priesthood, without a sacrifice, and as if they were dead spiritually. Yet, the vision showed Ezekiel that one day those people would come back to spiritual life, and God would supernaturally bring them back to the land.

It’s incredible to see how for 3,500 years, the Jews have not lost their national or racial identity, even though they have been scattered amongst all the other various nationalities and races. They have survived all their persecution and pressure, being driven out of first one empire after the next. This survival is part of the Covenant that God gave to Abraham before the Nation of Israel ever began.

As believers, we must acknowledge that God has blessed America because we have been a blessing to the Jewish people and the nation of Israel by standing with them. If we were to turn against the Jews, America could suffer the same fate as those who have previously done so.

The prophecy in Deuteronomy 30:1-2 and Ezekiel 37:11-12 tells us that God will bring the Jews back to the land of Israel, and this is the only reason why they are there today. The land was desolate for almost 2,000 years since the 70 AD dispersion, devastated by earthquakes and full of disease. But the Jews have cleared the land, planted trees, and turned it into a Garden of Eden once again.

The Takeaway

The prophecy in Deuteronomy 30:1-2 and Ezekiel 37:11-12 gives us great confidence in the faithfulness of God’s word. For 3,500 years, the Jews have not lost their identity, despite being scattered amongst all other nations, as prophesied by Moses. Even more amazing is the fact that God has fulfilled His promise to bring the Jews back to the land of Israel after being driven out of the land for almost 2,000 years. As Christians, we can have confidence in God’s faithfulness to His chosen people, the Jews, and how He is fulfilling the promises in His word. God’s promises to His chosen people are being fulfilled before our very eyes, and we can trust in His word and His faithfulness to bring about His plans and purposes for you and me as members of the body of Christ.

Anticipating the Rapture: Living with the End in Mind

by Jamie Pantastico | Mar 14, 2023 | Daily Encouragement | 0 comments

Like the title says “Anticipating the Rapture: Living with the End in Mind”… And the End (on earth) for Believers…Is the beginning of Eternity with the Lord. What an amazing prospect we have. Amen! Amen!

As believers, we have a blessed hope in the rapture – the moment when we will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. This event is described in I Corinthians 15:51 & 52 and I Thessalonians 4:13-17. The dead in Christ will rise first, and then those who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.

What a wonderful hope we have as Christians! The rapture is our great anticipation and comfort in the midst of trials and difficulties in this world. It is a reminder that our true citizenship is in heaven and our ultimate destination is with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So let us eagerly await the blessed hope of the rapture and live with the confidence that we will one day be with Him forever.

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