In this issue:
Good soldiers from frontline
Good soldiers in Christ
Paul wrote that all who believe in Jesus are soldiers of Christ. Paul wrote to his spiritual son Timothy, "You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. 3 Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer." (2 Timothy 2:1-4) Paul warned Timothy not to get involved in worldly affairs and the cares of the world if he's to please Jesus, since he was a soldier of Jesus, and Jesus was the one who enlisted him as a soldier. All believers are soldiers of Jesus. However, believers do not know that they are soldiers. They just want to receive the salary and benefits the military has to offer. From now on, knowing that we are soldiers, let us act and fight like a soldier.
Command to fight
Paul said to Timothy, "I am giving you this command in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by recalling them you may fight the battle well," (1 Tim. 1:18) and "Fight the good fight of the faith." (1 Tim. 6:12) He commanded Timothy to fight. The reason is because he was in the business of helping people to be saved in enemy territory, Satan would fight him hard. Therefore, every believer also needs to fight against the enemy, Satan.
Paul also fought
Paul did not only command Timothy to fight, but he himself fought as well. "I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith." (2 Tim. 4:7). To the Corinthians it was written, "If the dead are not raised, what profit is it if I fought with beasts at Ephesus in a worldly sense? Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die." (1 Cor. 15:32). Paul says that he fought with beasts at Ephesus. The beasts he spoke of were not wild beasts, but the Jews who attacked him because they did not like the truth of salvation that he preached. Ephesus was in Asia. Here is what he wrote about what happened to them there: “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us...” (2 Cor. 1:8-10) So when Paul told Timothy to fight, he himself had fought.
Jesus also fought
When Jesus came to this world in the flesh, he fought with his enemies every day. John wrote, “He came to his own place, and his own people did not receive him” (John 1:11). Again, “The Jews therefore said to him, “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?”” (John 8:48).
If you read further, "Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered, "I have shown you many good works in my Father's name. For which of those works do you stone me?" The Jews answered, "For a good work I do not stone you, but for blasphemy because you, being a man, make yourself God." (John 10:31-33)
"Then they brought to him a blind man possessed by a demon, and he healed him, and he opened his eyes and spoke. 23 And all the people were amazed and said, "Could this be the Son of David?" 24 When the Pharisees heard this, they said, "This man casts out demons only by Beelzebub, the prince of demons." (Matt. 12:22-24) Jesus said to the Jews, “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you will do. The devil has been a murderer from the beginning. He does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature. He is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44)
Jesus said, “You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart, your mouth speaks.” (Matthew 12:34) Why did Jesus and the Jews always fight like that? It was because they were enemies. In the end, they killed Jesus. Jesus did not come to live a comfortable life in the enemy’s territory, but to fight.
Believers
Believers in Jesus are soldiers of Christ. Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12). Therefore, believers must fight a daily battle in enemy territory.
Therefore, “Jesus said, ‘If anyone desires to come after me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 25For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.’” (Matthew 16:24-25)
In warfare, life can be lost. Therefore, it is said that those who do not value their life should lose it. "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." (Matthew 28:19)
And "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8)
Why is power needed? It is needed to fight the enemy. Therefore, believers are not to enjoy the blessings and be comfortable, nor to do their own will, but to fight the war the Lord sent them to fight.
Know the enemy
When you fight, you need to know the enemy well. If you don’t know your enemy, you will lose. Paul warned the faithful Jesus soldiers about their enemy when he wrote, “We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12) The enemy is not flesh and blood, and therefore cannot be defeated with physical weapons. Believers often use the following weapons: certificates from Bible schools, being good speaker, money, manpower, discipline, hard work, human wisdom, worldly knowledge, buildings and cars, electronic devices, and technology. With these things, you cannot completely defeat the evil spirits of Satan. The scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, and the priests also used them in the past but failed.
Weapons to Use
The greatest and most effective weapon of Jesus’ soldiers is God Himself. When fighting Satan, we must not rely on human strength, but on the Lord. The Bible says that the Lord is our strength, our defense, and our strength. “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him; therefore, my heart rejoices; I will sing and praise him.” (Psalm 28:7)
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1)
“The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.” (Habakkuk 3:19) “The Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.” (Exodus 15:2)
“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. 11 “All who rage against you will surely be ashamed and disgraced; those who oppose you will be as nothing and perish. 12 Though you search for your enemies, you will not find them. Those who wage war against you will be as nothing at all. 13 For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.’” (Isaiah 41:10-13)
These verses are not just for information and for preaching, but also to be used when fighting the enemies, Satan and his people. People talk about trusting in God, whether in preaching or in church, but when they are attacked by the enemy, they stop trusting in the Lord and rely only on man.
"It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans. 9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.10 All the nations surrounded me, but in the name of the Lord I cut them down. 11 They surrounded me on every side, but in the name of the Lord I cut them down.12 They swarmed around me like bees, but they were consumed as quickly as burning thorns; in the name of the Lord I cut them down." (Psalm 118:8-12)
Paul says, “Be strong in the Lord, my brothers, and in the power of his might.” (Ephesians 6:10)
The armor of God
The weapons that we use in battle are provided by the one who commissioned us. Paul says, “Who goes to war at his own expense?” (1 Corinthians 9:7)
Therefore, God Himself provides the armor, saying, “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." (Ephesians 6:11-16)
The armor God provides includes:
The belt of truth
Truth means God's Word, his plan. Paul said to Timothy, "But do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a teacher who has nothing to be ashamed of, rightly dividing the word of truth. " (2 Tim. 2:15)
If you do not understand the truth, which is God's will, then even if you use your own understanding to serve God, you will get the opposite result of what you want. Paul, while he was still Saul, was a man of great zeal and trying to do his best to serve God, was asked by Christ, "Why do you persecute me?" (Acts 9:4)?
Christ said of his persecution, "It is hard for you to kick against the goads" (Acts 26:14).
Therefore, in order to overcome Satan, you must know the truth. John said, " It gave me great joy when some believers came and testified about your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth." (3 John 3-4)
Breastplate of righteousness
Soldiers often wear breastplates because chest area is the largest target on the body. In spiritual world, righteousness is very important. The righteousness that God gives is Jesus Christ Himself (1 Corinthians 1:30). Christ is our righteousness before God. But people cannot see it. To be righteous before people is to do and act accordingly. If your conduct is not right, Satan’s people will point out at your shortcomings and you will lose. Your conduct must not be a righteousness that is achieved through the power of the flesh, but a righteousness that is obtained through the control of the Holy Spirit. The enemy cannot harm a person who has that righteousness.
Footwear for preaching the Gospel
Preaching the gospel is the footwear of Jesus’ soldiers. Most believers today are being oppressed by the enemy because they do not preach the gospel. However, because they do not know this, they often make excuses when they are asked to preach the gospel. They would say, "Preaching the gospel is the work of preachers," “I am not good at preaching,” or “I am not strong,” or “I do not understand the Bible.” The gospel, Jesus said, is about saving sinners, and it is simple. If the Holy Spirit uses their preaching, people will change. Preaching the gospel is very important because it is fighting with and delivering people from Satan. Paul said, "Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction." (2 Timothy 4:2) Let us be ready starting now so that we may be ready to share the Gospel at all times.
Shield of Faith
Faith is like a shield. The shield of faith can stop the fiery darts of the devil. When the devil uses people to slander, accuse, threaten, and destroy, if we have faith, we will not be discouraged and be able to continue living a Christian life. This faith is not having faith in salvation, but having faith that we will win the battle through God. Faith is not having faith in ourselves, but faith in God. The reason why do so many believers fail in life and also fail to carry out the Lord's work is because they do not have faith in God, but are attached to the world, and live according to the desire of their flesh. Those who always are in fellowship with God and have done His will dare to have faith in God. They will also succeed in what they do.
Helmet of Salvation
This salvation is not something that we have just believed in, but it means God’s salvation in our daily struggle with Satan the Devil.
There are three kinds of salvation:
1. We have been saved from the judgment of sin by the death of Jesus Christ. 2. We are still saved from the temptation of sin in our daily life. 3. We will be saved from the world of sin on the day of the rapture.
We have been saved in spirit on the cross. We are still saved in our daily life by our faith. On the day of the rapture, our body and mind will be completely saved, and there will be no more sickness or despair. While we are living in this world, God says, we need to surrender to God to be saved from the temptation and physical and mental problems.
The Bible, the Sword of the Spirit
The weapons of war mentioned above are weapons of defense and protection. The Scriptures, the sword of the Spirit, is an offensive weapon. If you hold the sword, the enemy will not come close to you. The reason is the sword can kill the enemy. Similarly, the Word is a weapon that Satan fears. The Bible says, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12) Jesus also defeated Satan with his word (Matthew 4:1-11). Those who correctly discern and understand the Word and walk in life will not only be unaffected by Satan, but will also be able to overcome him.
Lessons from the Book of Job
Job's faith in God and his fear of being judged are also described in this way:
His sons used to hold feasts in their homes on their birthdays, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would make arrangements for them to be purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular custom. (Job 1:4-5)
God himself spoke of Job’s perfection to Satan, saying, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” (Job 1:8)
Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” 9 “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. 10 “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. 11 But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.” (Job 1:8-11)
So God gave Satan permission to destroy Job. Satan killed all his sons and his daughters, and took away all his flocks and herds, and camels and asses, and all his cattle. "Then Job tore his robe, shaved his head, and fell to the ground, and worshiped. And he said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb. 21 Naked shall I return into my mother's womb: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away: blessed be the name of the LORD. 22 In all this Job did not sin, neither did he blame the LORD." (Job 1:20-22)
Again, with the permission given by God, Satan smite him with boils, and he took a broken pot to scratch his body and sat in the midst of the fire.
His wife said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!” 10 He replied, “You are talking like a foolish[a] woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said. (Job 2:9-10)
Up to that time, Job had not sinned against God, but had endured.
When Job’s three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite, heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him. 12 When they saw him from a distance, they could hardly recognize him; they began to weep aloud, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads. 13 Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was. (Job 2:11-13)
But in short, Job’s friends accused him of sinning and that God had punished him. Job denied any wrongdoing and said that God had punished him without cause. Job initially had patience and did not blame God, but when friends accused him, he began to blame God in his defense.
We too should be careful not to blame people like Job's friends did instead of comforting them. We need to think carefully about what we say.
Finally, God Himself spoke to Job and exposed his sin. Job gave excuses without knowing the real reason why he'd gone through the sufferings. God also put the blame on his friends and asked Job to pray for them.
Through this incident, we can see that it is easy for a person to praise God when he is living a good life. If we do not know how to speak, our words of comfort could become accusatory. If one is being accused, he can become defensive. Therefore, since we cannot see everything from God's perspective, and do not know the whole story, we should not defend ourselves by accusing others.
The Temple in Jerusalem
King Cyrus
God wrote through the prophet Isaiah about the rebuilding of the second temple: “And I said to Cyrus, ‘You are my shepherd, and he will do all my pleasure, to build Jerusalem and to lay the foundations of its temple.’” (Isaiah 44:28).
Cyrus was a king of Persia (Iran). Although he was not a worshiper of the Lord, God called him my shepherd. He was told about 200 years in advance that the second temple would be built. The Bible describes this fulfillment in this way: "In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the prophet Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, saying, The Lord, the God of heaven, hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is a man of God among you? God be with him." (Ezra 1:1-3)
The king of Persia, Cyrus, came to power in 539 BC and had the temple built that very year. So he was greatly appreciated and respected by the Israelites. The Second Temple was built under the leadership of the Jewish king Jerubbaal and was completed in 516 BC. However, that Second Temple was burned down in 70 AD by the Roman general Titus. Therefore, the Israelites have not been able to offer sacrifices since 70 AD, because they have not had a temple. This fulfilled the prophet’s words: “For the Israelites will live many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred stones, without ephod or household gods” (Hosea 3:4)
The Israelites had no king, no temple, no sacrifice, and they were scattered throughout the world. In 691 AD, the Muslims built a mosque in Jerusalem at the very place where the Temple once stood. The mosque still stands today and is a source of discomfort for the Israeli people.
Balfour Declaration
The Israelis began to call for the return to their homeland in the early 1900s. When Britain took control of the Middle East after World War I, the Jewish (the Israelis) people around the world were allowed to return to their homeland. This was announced in 1917 by the British Foreign Secretary, James Balfour, to the great delight of the Israelis.
Donald Trump
On December 6, 2017, the US President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. On May 14, 2018, the US Embassy was moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The Jews produced a coin depicting Cyrus and the Persian flag, who authorized the construction of the Second Temple, and a Donald Trump and the US flag, in the hope that the construction of the Third Temple would be allowed by Donald Trump.
The Third Temple
The First and Second Temples were built with the permission of God Himself. If the Third Temple is built, it will not be with the permission of God, but with the permission of the Antichrist. The Bible describes what the Third Temple will be like: “I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, “Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, with its worshipers. 2 But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months.” (Revelation 11:1-2) Measuring signifies possession. The temple being rebuilt, but the court being left unmeasured, signifies that the Gentiles will possess it. It is a shadow of the temple which shall be built along side the Muslim mosque. Now the work of building the temple is said to be ready, just waiting for the opportunity.
The altar is built
Before the second temple was built, the altar of the temple was built first. "When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns, the people assembled together as one in Jerusalem. 2 Then Joshua son of Jozadak and his fellow priests and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his associates began to build the altar of the God of Israel to sacrifice burnt offerings on it, in accordance with what is written in the Law of Moses the man of God." (Ezra 3:1-2) Now, on the 10th of December 2018, the altar was said to be built and sacrifices offered. Therefore, the temple was very close of being built.
Making a Covenant with the People
The Bible says that after building the temple, they would offer sacrifices: “He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him” (Dan. 9:27)
Jesus mentioned about this, “Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place, as spoken of by Daniel the prophet, let him who reads understand. 16 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.” (Matthew. 24:15-16)
Paul also wrote, "Whenever they say, 'Peace and safety,' then sudden destruction will come on them, as labor pains come upon a woman with child, and they will not escape." (1 Thessalonians 5:3) It continues, "Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God." (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4)
The Rapture is Near
Looking at the above verses, under the leadership of the Antichrist, Israel and the Arab nations will sign a seven-year treaty of peace and security. Under that treaty, the Third Temple will be built and sacrifices will be offered for three and a half years. When the three and a half years are up, the Antichrist will declare himself to be God, sit in the temple, and command everyone to worship him. He will kill those who do not worship him. However, before that treaty is signed, believers will be taken to heaven. Therefore, it can be said that the day of the Rapture is very near. In order to be in the Rapture, we must be born again in the Spirit. We were born once in the flesh. Now we must be born again in the Spirit. If we are not born again, we will enter the great tribulation, a period of enormous hardship, which has not existed since the beginning of the world. If you want to be saved at that time, you will need to be beheaded. So before that time comes, it is wise to accept Christ as your Savior because we are still in a time of grace. It is not a matter of knowing with your head, but of accepting Jesus with your heart.
Deal of the Century
In the past, a peace agreement was only meant to be signed between Israel and the Palestinians. Now, the president is trying to make the Palestinians irrelevant and is trying to make a deal with the Arab countries. Daniel also said that "he" had made a deal with the people. Palestinian President Abbas has completely refused to sign the agreement. However, Saudi Arabia has said that it will be accepted. Saudi Arabia has offered to help the Palestinians $1 billion aid a year, and $10 billion over ten years. The Palestinians are in dire situation because their food supplies have been cut off. So they can take that food and sign the contract. The details of the contract are said to be revealed to the world by the end of June. However, it is believed that the contract will be signed after the rapture. In any case, the rapture is near because the contract is near. (Note: Since Trump is in power for the second time, this article is still relevant today.)
The Trumpet
The Lord Jesus said that he would come with a trumpet call, "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever." (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). Let us warn our families, relatives, friends, and loved ones about how close the rapture really is.
