Prophecy

Jesus is the gate-keeper for heaven

I took photo with Canon camera in Shamrock, TX.
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Check your credentials with the gate-keeper

A few days ago I was at work meditating on the Lord, when (John 14:6) came into my spirit: “Jesus saith unto Thomas, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” I have read this scripture many times before, but I have never tried to analyse it until now. I suddenly realize that this scripture was clearly telling me that Jesus is the gate-keeper for heaven, and every believer will have to check their credentials at the gate.

To go beyond the gate, each believer’s credentials is check for status and validity. Lets use the example of a person coming to the USA for the first time. Landed at one of the points of entry, maybe New York. Goes into Custom where an immigration officer check their documents. This person would only be allowed to enter the country, if the immigration officer verify that the documents presented, were in good standing and the person had nothing illegal on their person or in their luggage. The person would then be free to move about in the USA as they see fit.

Jesus is the immigration officer at the gate to heaven. Once he has decided that your credentials are in good standing, you are free to move about in heaven as you please. He said in His Words: “I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture” (John 10:9).

Not everyone will go beyond the gate. Some of us will not  make it pass the gate-keeper, because our credentials are not in good standing. And Jesus will not negotiate. The time to negotiate is now. The gate-keeper is under strict orders to turn away anyone whose credentials are not in good standing. He foretold His disciples that those who have been denied entry will try to negotiate with Him, but He will have none of it. “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:22,23)

Daniel’s Amazing Dream. What Does it Means?

Daniel's vision of the four beasts (Daniel 7).

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One of the most mis-interpreted prophecies recorded in the Bible is Daniel’s amazing dream in Daniel 7.

The prophet woke up troubled, thinking about what he had dreamed. He recognized that his dream had great importance and significance. ‘In the first year of Belshazzar, king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and vision passed through his mind as he was lying on his bed. He wrote down  his dream” (Daniel 7:1). In his dream he saw four great beasts rise up out of the sea. The first seemed to be a lion and had eagle’s wings. A second beast resembled a bear raised on one side with three ribs in its mouth. the third was like a leopard with four heads and with four wing on its back.

“After that,” Daniel continued, “in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast, terrifying and frightening and very powerful. it had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all former beasts, and it had ten horns” (verse 7).

The earlier beasts had been strange enough, but the fourth one was indescribable–not like a lion, a leopard, a bear, or anything that Daniel had ever seen before! it was a dreadful, powerful creäture with iron teeth, bronze claws (verse 19), and ten horns.

Next among those ten horns, the prophet watched another horn come up. In Biblical symbolism horns represent power and those agencies that use it. this horn was little at first, but as the prophet watched, it became a great power: “This horn had eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth that spoke boastfully” (verse 8), And this little horn, tried to change the law of God. (It is said divine law could and should not be changed.

What could this prophecy mean? 

“Oh,” some might argue, “prophecy is just guesswork. We can only speculate about who the lion and the bear are, as well as what the other beasts emerging from the sea and the sea its represent,” but wait a moment, Who gave daniel the dream? God did. And if He sent the dream, wouldn’t  you think He would also provide us some way to interpret it? Do you think that when it comes to understanding prophecy, it’s every person for themselves? Peter reminds us: “No prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation” (2 Peter 1:20, KJV). That means I shouldn’t have to depend on what I personally think the prophecy–the Word of God consistently explains.

God Cannot Lie, His Word is Truth

portrait of Matthew Evangelist and the first p...

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There is much talk and false prediction about when our Lord and Savior shall return for His people. But as Matthew 24:36 tells us, no man knows the hour. “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only (Matthew 24:36). God cannot lie. Therefore, those who pretend to know the hour the Son of Man shall appear are, in essence, challenging the validity of Scripture. “And The Lord said to me: The prophets are prophesying lies in My Name; I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision, worthless divination, and the deceit of their own minds” (Jeremiah 14:14 RSV).

The Word of God consistently explains itself. Let us turn to Matthew 7 : 15-23 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? So, every sound tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears evil fruit. A sound tree cannot bear evil fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will know them by their fruits. Not every one who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father Who is in heaven. On that day many will say to Me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your Name, and cast out demons in Your Name, and do many mighty works in Your Name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you evildoers.” (Matthew 7:15-23 RSV)

How do you know a false prophet? Anyone who twist, alter or distort the Word of God. For example, a couple of months ago, some professing prophet was on TV predicting the end of the world. That in itself is sacrilegious, and should have raised doubt in any true believer’s mind, because God cannot lie. He tells us in his Word that no man knows the hour when He shall return. “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up’ (2 peter 3 : 10).