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Are we there yet?

For those of us who have raised children, you might remember the question. There was a commercial, as I recall, that used the question to emphasize one product or the other in a humorous way.

Children in the back seat of the car in the commercial kept asking “Are we there yet?”

We who transported our young kids on those times–especially on longer trips to Grandma’s or other destinations–have heard that question, often in whining tones as time went on during the longer trips. I certainly remember hearing it. And I’m sure my parents heard it on those trips from Pekin, Illinois, where we lived when I was a child, on the road to Hampton, my grandparent’s home in south Arkansas.

At this late moment of the Church Age I, myself, seem to be whining this question, and I’m hearing it from others on a growing basis.

“Are we there yet?”

It is coming from God’s children–believers in Jesus Christ who, like myself, sometimes grow weary,or vexed—as ol’ Lot might have put it while enduring to the end his time in Sodom.

“Are we there yet?” That is, how long before we reach the end of our Lord’s tolerance for the evil flourishing all around us while we keep “looking up,” as my friend, the late J.R. Church, used to put it at the close of his Prophecy In the News TV program each week?

Each and every day–actually, each and every news cycle—we’re inundated with end-times storm warnings. And it seems as if the words of warning from the chief prophetic meteorologist of all history is speaking directly to those who, as commanded by Him—are “watching” in order to discern where this generation stands on God’s prophetic timeline.

Jesus gave the signals to look for as earth’s inhabitants near the outbreak of history’s most virulent turbulence–that of the Tribulation era. The following is that storm warning.

“Are we there yet?” Is that great storm of the ages about to invade at this particular time? Let’s listen again to that Heaven-sent forecast that we can rely on as 100% accurate, because it was issued by God Himself.

And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. (Matt 24: 6-13)

Heaven’s forecast, of course, covers a broad scope of history, so many parts of this Olivet Discourse prophecy by Jesus apply to much of history that has already unscrolled. Let us very briefly dissect this warning first in terms of its broad, historical sense.

“And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars…”

Hundreds of wars have afflicted humanity since Jesus spoke these words. The greatest wars of all time, World Wars I and II, have caused the deaths of millions. The Romans waged war on the Jews, the Temple was destroyed, and the Jewish people scattered to all the world.

“For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom…”

As a matter of fact, it has been the ethnic disputes and warfare that have wrought the deaths of millions across the world.

“And there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places…”

Earthquakes have continued to rumble throughout history, while the wars have brought famine and disease to countless generations. We have seen lately in our brief time on the planet lately a tremendous increase in these things.

“All these are the beginning of sorrows…”

These great troubles have been accumulative, indeed been like birth pangs, growing more intense and coming in greater frequency.

Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.”

The history of hatred of the Jews is in full view of the eyes of the world. The Nazi Holocaust is the number-one sign of history that highlights the satanic hatred God’s chosen people have endured. Their rejection of the very name of Jesus Christ and their being blamed for His crucifixion have been the basis Satan has used to incite the world against Israel.

So history has proven the absolute accuracy of Jesus’ forecast. But it is the question ”Are we there yet?” I wish to address with regard to whether this generation has reached the moment when the Lord will say “enough is enough” and call believers to Himself so the greatest storm of all history can rage upon a world ripe for judgment.

We must place the same template over what is going on at this very moment to try to help answer: “Are we there yet?”

“And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars…”

The most profound threat of nuclear conflict might now be in the offing. Even the Cold War could not match the danger. Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) was effective, as the world’s two greatest superpowers were able to control escalation into man’s final war.

Not so now. There seems no control, as the power centers with the nuclear weapons are scattered around the globe and many decision-makers among the most diabolical of their leaders seem bent on having their way, regardless of possible ramifications of all-out nuclear war.

The primary cause of the conflict again centers around ethnic differences and demands. Greatest among these conflicts is the hatred of the Jews and of Israel by their neighboring countries.

And that hatred has expanded to include many within nations of Europe and even the United States of America.

The seas and waves of peoples are roaring, in that the protests against the Jews and Israel are front and center in even what is generally considered the civilized west.

At this very moment, even some among the Jewish people themselves are shouting along with the Israel-haters, “Stop the genocide” and From the river to the sea.”

As Jesus forewarned, these Jews on the politically ideological left are “betraying one another.” The genocidal rage is building swiftly toward another holocaust. Jesus also had a forecast about this evil that will mark the very end of the age.

“For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matthew 24:21).

And hatred is building, too, against the Church–all believers in Jesus Christ and His message of being the one and only way to salvation (John 14: 6).

The comment by a legal defense fund for Christian persecution states the following:

Biden is empowering the radical Left to wage a surreptitious war on our Christian faith – prayer, churches, the Bible, and even Christian kids sharing their faith in school are all under attack. The Biden FBI has even placed spies in churches and targeted “radical traditionalist” Christians for investigation…

We’re in court right now defending a teacher who was banned from praying anywhere a student might see her.

I’ve never seen anything like it. (Jordan Seckulow, ACLJ Executive Director)

While unbelieving Jews must undergo the Tribulation storm to bring forth a remnant that will bring about God’s great promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, believers of this Church Age (Age of Grace) will be taken (paralambano) to be with Jesus in the clouds of Glory–in the Rapture. All indicators are that we have come to be right smack in the breaking turbulence of Jesus’ forecast of the end-times storm.

And this is why I believe we can answer with a resounding “YES!” the question: “Are we there yet?”

     

Bulletin: Transformed America

During the last days of the 2008 presidential campaign, Barack Obama stated: “We are just a few days from fundamentally transforming America.” Some 8 years later, he said when time to leave the presidency that he would like to just run the country in his sweats from his basement and let somebody be the front person as president. As of Thursday, May 30, 2024, I believe he just might have achieved both objectives.

America was changed that evening from a republic Benjamin Franklin said the founders had given us, if we could keep it, to a third world-type nation Franklin and the others intended to prevent –at the cost of their lives in many cases. The illegal lawfare, as the war against the constitutionally mandated Justice system has been termed, perpetrated by deep state, struck at the heart of this nation once called “the shining light on the hill.”

The actual power behind this perpetration of destroying the republic, the apex bastion preventing worldwide tyranny, is God’s chief nemesis. Lucifer, that old serpent Satan, pulls the strings and pulls and pushes the levers from somewhere in that basement abyss of wickedness.

The real travesty isn’t all the wrongs visited upon Donald J. Trump since he came down the escalator. He is merely the singular figure we can look at to understand Satan’s working out his plan to bring about the hellish regime of his son of perdition.

We watched as if it were all of the hounds of Hades descending upon this one person once he announced his candidacy for the presidency in 2016. His call was to Make America Great Again. The opposition from every quarter began an assault unlike anything seen in the American political process, already a cesspool, correctly called the Swamp.

Trump endured 24/7 attacks from the Democrat Party, the mainstream news, Hollywood and the entertainment industry, and the so-called deep state (all national and international intelligence people that are totally sold out to Satan’s Ephesians 6:12 globalist cabal. Additionally, he was assaulted by those within his own political party whose fortunes are made and maintained through the Swamp’s money-manufacturing machine.

And those mentioned continued to slam at him while he was president. They have ratcheted up those attacks in recent weeks and days. So much so that they have, through uncounted illegal means and unconstitutional methodologies, managed to get him convicted of crimes that don’t exist.

And the news minions can only parrot the Ephesians 6: 12 lying rant that it is Trump and his ilk that are destroying democracy –that are destroying America. All the while, these wicked in the high places are doing the destroying of the republic.

The dark reverse in direction from truth, justice, and the American way was sensed by many millions, not just by Christians or by Trump supporters on Thursday, May 30, when the verdict of “guilty” on all 34 of the phony charges was announced.

The minions seem to have everything going their way, with the chief nation that has stood against global control by them having apparently been rendered unable to resist them.

To make even clearer where all this is going, we consider that June 1 begins Gay Pride Month, an evil from the deepest reaches of that basement abyss of Luciferian control. The LGBTQ, etc., emerge as if from some labyrinthian portal to turn America and, in effect, the entire world into the generation of earth dwellers described by Jesus as living in times “as it was in the days of Lot.”

It is during this time that the Lord said He will next catastrophically intervene into the wicked affairs of mankind. We are most certainly living presently during that time according to every rubric that defines end times.

While the minions within the globalists’ tyrannical high places plot and achieve the quenching of America’s shining light on the hill of human government, Satan’s plot thickens against God’s chosen nation.

Israel, as anyone paying attention knows, is being barraged with hatred from every quarter. The Jewish people were murdered, raped, and tortured in the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack. Yet it is the Jewish people and the Jewish state who are hated and accused of genocide against the very people who voted to be ruled by the Hamas beasts.

The nations of the world are pointing the satanic finger of accusation at Israel. They are demanding that the nation stop the war to destroy the terrorist forces that perpetrated the most deadly acts on Jews since Hitler’s holocaust. Most every nation on earth –including many of the West—are demanding that there be a Palestinian state in the land God promised Israel through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This is clearly prophecy for the last days in stage-setting for fulfillment. Zechariah chapter 12 and Joel 3:2 are materializing as we look at the hourly news developments.

The fundamental transformation of America is in process technologically. Artificial Intelligence (AI), which can also be called Antichrist’s Intelligence because the one called the beast will use it in the cruelest of ways, is developing exponentially. Transgender evil and transhuman experimentation and implementation are making strides in attempts to change God’s Order in the most diabolical of ways. The very youngest among humankind are more and more the victims of such horrendous activity.

I am convicted with all that is within my spirit that the God of Heaven has about reached the end of His Holy Patience. Things observed through Holy Spirit-controlled senses, with belief in God’s Prophetic Word at the center of the process, cannot help but come to the Truth of the matters involved. Everything of prophetic import seems to be coming to a head. This world is about to experience a transformation exceedingly more profound than the transformation Barack Obama has seemingly accomplished while wearing sweats in his basement lair.

Jesus Promises: “And when you see all these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your head; for your redemption draws near” (Luke 21:28).

Deafening Silence! :: By Jan Markell

A ministry supporter in Washington State a few years ago, sent me a flyer that was handed out in his church. It is more mocking. The flyer asks if folks have met “End-Times Eddie” in the church. It denigrates “Eddie” and suggests he is so focused on end-times that he has missed all the present opportunities and people in front of him.

“Eddie” is gloom and doom. Why isn’t he looking for Jesus to bring Heaven to earth right now they ask?

Then, the flyer suggests some questions for the church’s small groups. Here are a few samples:

  • What are your emotions when you encounter “End-Times Eddie”?
  • Is the last days’ message one of hope or fear?
  • Jesus told us to pray for “your will to be done on earth as it is in Heaven. “What does Heaven on Earth look like today?
  • Who in your life needs Heaven to come to earth right now?

Two things stand out to me:

1) Here is just one more church preaching, “Come, Lord Jesus, but not too soon.”

2) They have embraced the false teaching promoted heavily by the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) that we can have Heaven on earth now. This is called Kingdom Now or Dominion Theology.

Show me just one square mile of this planet that can demonstrate a Garden of Eden-like Heaven on Earth. You will find only chaos. And the church trying to perfect the world for the next one million years won’t fix it.

Those of us who have promoted the important message that the King is coming are painfully aware that young believers no longer uphold Bible prophecy as a key component of the faith. They would rather focus on social justice, the green agenda, and Christian Palestinianism.

When I was a teenager in my church, we had regular prophecy conferences and I never once heard that Israel was “occupying” her God-given country. I never would have heard the denigrating title of “End-Times Eddie.”

I was never taught that we had to “save the planet” because I learned that it was hopelessly lost until Christ’s return. I was never given the delusional teaching that, in time, my church would be able to “save the planet” by seizing the Genesis mandate of dominion — which is about dominion over animals and not mankind.

Kingdom Now or Dominion Theology tries to humanize God and deify man. Sadly, the world will continue to deteriorate and spiral into chaos, forcing man to consider the hope of Heaven and abandon thoughts of a glorified earth. Only when Jesus Christ returns at the Second Coming will all things be made new!

The church is not in the business of taking anything away from Satan but the souls of men. The world is a sinking Titanic ripe for judgment, not Garden of Eden perfection. Jesus will take dominion of the cleansed earth. For men to speak of doing that before the judgment of this earth is spiritually arrogant.

Yet “End-Times Eddie” is the one with unsound theology according to the Washington church, not those preaching this unsound theology that the church can perfect the world.

One of my conference attendees wrote me recently. He had been tagged an “End-Times Eddie.” He writes, “I no longer feel safe talking about the issues you deal with in your ministry. I am scorned and ridiculed by friends, family, and co-workers if I talk about the Lord’s imminent return or any prominent headline. To suggest that life, as we know it may end soon, is simply the ultimate in lunacy to all of these folks. I feel so alone.”

David Barnhart once wrote in his magazine Vine and Branches, “God’s prophetic clock is counting down to the appointed hour. If you don’t believe it, listen to the latest news reports or read the paper. Scriptures are replete with signs, prophecies, and promises of Christ’s return.”

He continues, “The signs are everywhere, yet the silence of the churches is deafening when it comes to proclaiming this vital truth of Scripture. Slumbering preachers and sleeping saints need to wake up to the reality that the King is coming and His coming may be sooner than any of us realize.”

Bible prophecy is given as a light shining in a dark place (2 Peter 1:19). Talking about it should not instill fear in the Christian; rather, provide confirmation that the “blessed hope” is ever nearer and the time ever shorter to snatch people from the fire.

There are many “End-Time Eddies” around. May their numbers increase. May our pulpits grow bolder and talk about things that really matter. Our message is hardly doom and gloom. It may be about the only good news left. The supposed ‘good news’ that we’re taking the planet back to the Garden of Eden isn’t the truth — it’s an end-time delusion.

I’m honored to be among the “End-Times Eddie” crowd. I’ve got the best news there is. This world isn’t it. God believed the topic of eschatology was so important that He devoted one book exclusively to it: Revelation. Almost 30% of the Bible is prophecy-focused.

This message, when coupled with warnings, encourages evangelism and repentance like no other. So, I’m looking up because the King is coming, perhaps even today.

And today we celebrate #76 for Israel – her re-birth 76 years ago today. She’s not the miracle of the 21st Century. She’s the miracle of all time! If God says He will do it, He does! He’s a covenant keeper.

Pakistan Ministry Update

Dear Brother Terry & all supporters,

Good Morning!

 I am writing to you with a heart full of gratitude and thanks, not only to you but to all our beloved brothers and sisters who have generously contributed their financial gifts to print and distribute “Prophecy Power” in Urdu language.

This unwavering support and dedication to spreading the message of faith and hope have been a source of inspiration for me and countless others. Your commitment to this project has truly made an unbelievable difference in the lives of many, and I am deeply grateful for your partnership in this endeavor.

I cannot express enough how much your generosity means to me. Your willingness to give of your time, energy, and finances to ensure that the message of “Prophecy Power” reaches souls in Urdu-speaking communities is a testament to your love for our Lord Jesus Christ and your passion for His kingdom.

I also want to extend my heartfelt thanks to all our beloved Pastors, Evangelists as well as all brothers and sisters who have contributed their gifts to make this project possible. Your generosity has made it possible for us to print and distribute “Prophecy Power” in Urdu, a language that holds great significance for many souls longing to hear the prophetic message of our Lord’s imminent return.

Indeed, this message is preparing souls for the glorious day when our Lord Jesus Christ will return to this planet earth to collect His Blood-bought people from every corner of the earth. Your support in printing and distributing this message in Urdu is playing a vital role in fulfilling the Great Commission and bringing hope to those who are eagerly awaiting His return.

As we continue to work together in spreading the message of faith and prophecy, may the Lord bless you all abundantly for your selfless dedication and may He use “Prophecy Power” in Urdu to touch the hearts and souls of many, leading them into a deeper relationship with Him.

Once again, from the depths of my heart, thank you, Terry, my dear friend and most loving brother, and thank you to all our beloved brothers and sisters, for your incredible generosity and support. May the Lord continue to guide and bless you in all your endeavors.

In Christ’s unfailing love,

Rev. Anil Jasper

The Two-Minute Warning :: By Jan Markell

Have you ever been betrayed? Maybe you have more than once. Maybe many times. I bet you find it hard to trust anyone now.

You see, the Jews didn’t take things seriously in Germany in the 1930s. It wouldn’t get all that bad. They were comfortable and assimilated back then. Whatever was happening would blow over. The Jews had contributed in so many positive ways to European society. The warning signs had to be false alarms!

They were betrayed in Europe, and it is happening again, and now they are reading the handwriting on the wall! The messages of warning are everywhere! This time they are paying attention. They’ve gotten the message that now it is the two-minute warning! Here’s why.

  • Their 75-year ally, America, is chastising, marginalizing, scolding, and telling them to lose their war. Don’t retaliate when attacked. Their long-time friend favors Iran.
  • Politicians who are “one of them” have turned on them. Can you say, Chuck Schumer?
  • The media has betrayed them—even the conservative media. Can you say “Tucker Carlson?”
  • Parts of the church are hostile due to Replacement Theology. Others don’t want to make waves or wade into controversy.
  • Every global outfit from the U.N. to the W.E.F. to the I.C.C. to the E.U. laments the plight of the so-called Palestinians. In fact, most of the world feels the Jews are the oppressors and the Palestinians are the oppressed. They support Hamas. They have sympathy for barbarians. That’s hard to imagine.

So, someone is waiting in the wings who is the ultimate betrayer and he will fool them, too. Because they are in a state of fear and anxiety, they will be open to his cunning message. This global mover and shaker may be inconsequential right now, but he is rehearsing how he will play into their insecurities. He’s in the shadows now.

The Jews will eagerly listen to him. Wouldn’t you if people were shouting at you to “go back into the ovens!” “There is only one solution—Intifada, revolution!” “Long live Hamas!” “Death to Jews!”

Wouldn’t you be receptive if you saw nearly every prominent college campus writhing with Jew hatred? Then threats are issued, saying, “The 7th of October is going to be every day for you!”

These radicals want to murder your babies and other loved ones, burn your homes, and even take more hostages! Is this the predicted “love growing cold”? How can human hearts be this cruel? What has infected a huge number of those under the age of 25?

In 1938, Germany was not their home, but in 2024 neither is America, or Australia, or Canada, or France, or the UK, or South Africa.

They only have one home, and that is Israel. Israel will do their best to protect the Jews. At Columbia, and Yale, and MIT, and dozens more, Jews are on their own. No one has their back.

But this smooth-talking man called the Antichrist will be on their side—for a short season.

This is the classic set-up right now! A charismatic man is waiting in the wings. He will seduce the “left behind” world, but he will mesmerize many Jews because they are being primed to be told that a benevolent dictator is their best friend and will never betray them–ever. Those days are behind.

They will relax for three and one-half years, secure in his promises that include no betrayal, and then he will stab them in the back even worse than all previous betrayers. That peace treaty he signed will be shredded. That third temple he allowed will be defiled. How can this be? He promised. He was convincing. He told them what they wanted to hear.

It was all a lie. They will have to flee to the hills called Petra. This will be the classic betrayal.

Then Jesus Christ enters the picture. He will never betray. You can count on it! Their anxiety will actually turn to tears. But the betrayal will finally be over!

“And on that day, I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. And I will pour out on the house of David, and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of pleading, so that they will look at Me whom they pierced; and they will mourn for Him, like one mourning for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn” (Zechariah 12:9-10).

Come to think of it, maybe it’s the two-minute warning for the whole world!

www.olivetreeviews.org

Pakistani Book Funding Update from Terry James

Again, I thank each and every one who has donated to the fund to reprint and continue distribution of “Prophecy Power: Strength From God to Face Your Future” in Pakistan. The great, Heavenly things the Lord is doing through your generosity can only be fully Calculated and Accounted when we stand before Him in Glory some Eternal Day.

Anil, the Pakistani pastor and evangelist, now, thanks to you, has in his hands a new supply of the book he so faithfully translated into his Urdu language – thus to use it to help give his people the Message that Jesus Saves.

Again, I remind that I have received help from friends who have worked to make it possible to take donations with credit cards, and, at the same time, assure that money sent is tax deductible.

Your support goes through a church ministry dedicated to making donations easily and securely in every way. This church retains no funds, but sends the entire amount of the donation. The funding process relays all funds directly to me so I can appropriately distribute them to Anil’s book ministry.

Again, thanks so much to you, our Brothers and Sisters in Christ, who care so deeply about those in this religiously dark region of the world and wish to reach them for our Lord.

You can also send checks, and they will be handled in the same secure way as credit card donations. You will receive an acknowledgment that you can use as evidence of your gift.

Here is how to donate:

By Check:

Make your check payable to Redeemed Life Church
On the memo line, write “Terry James Pakistan Ministry Book Fund”

Mail to:

Redeemed Life Church
405 N. Azusa Avenue
Azusa, CA 91702

By Credit Card:

Go to this link:

Give to Redeemed Life Church
pushpay.com

Or type in this link:

https://pushpay.com/g/redeemed

Write the amount you want to give at the top.
Select “Give one time.”
Select today’s date.
Under “Giving Type,” select “Offerings.”
In the “Memo” box, write “Terry James Pakistan Ministry Book Fund.”

We Are Under Siege Like Never Before :: By Jan Markell

church, storm cross

You might be wondering, what is being besieged? Our borders? Yes. Common sense values? For sure. How about proper theology? Absolutely. We are besieged like never before but, then, this was predicted! There would be a vast “falling away” from the faith. (2 Thessalonians 2)

But I think that this issue goes deeper. Let me explain.

I have watched Bible prophecy attacked, scorned, mocked, criticized, and improperly taught for a lot of years. There has been overwhelming confusion about the last days. Again, that is predicted, so no surprise (II Peter 3:3–7).

In many denominations, it is taught egregiously wrong. Too many churches have all the end-time glory going towards the church (Dominion Theology).

Others say that all prophecy happened in 70 AD (Preterism). Who knew? We missed it! We need to look at eschatology in a rear-view mirror! What strange theology!

A significant number teach that believers go through the Tribulation, even though we are promised to be spared from the wrath to come (I Thessalonians 1:10Revelation 3:10).

Preterist Gary DeMar accused me of holding a “hysteria conference” some years ago. Dr. Ron Rhodes and Dr. Mark Hitchcock—two of the most respected prophecy teachers to date—were going to lead my audience into error and confusion.

We are accused of “checking out.” Because we’re going to be taken out, we don’t run for office or try to make a difference in our confused world. Nothing could be further from the truth! The fact that time is short spurs us to share the gospel.

Author Joel Richardson scolds pastors who are not preparing their flock to meet the Antichrist, even though there is not one Bible reference about believers preparing for anything other than the “blessed hope.” (Titus 2:13)

And even though the writers of the Bible and the early church fathers taught about the Rapture of the church, we are lectured regularly that this theology was founded by John Nelson Darby in 1830! This misrepresentation is almost the most maddening!

What’s worse, he got it from some visionary woman—very troubled—named Margaret McDonald. This theological silliness will likely never go away! I wish these folks would read their Bibles and see the truth.

Just as tragic are the many denominations and pulpits that are totally silent on the glorious news that the King is coming! People write to my ministry telling me that they have visited “every prospective church in town” and not one will address eschatology! For that matter, most won’t address current events, Israel, politics, and other issues of relevance either.

Students of Bible prophecy, then, must tap into ministries and pastors who WILL discuss the topic and that we are in a race towards the end of the Church Age with its accompanying signs of the times. Somebody get excited about these signs, please!

Here is a revealing e-mail from Terry:

“Recently my pastor announced his series on Matthew. I was front and center, waiting for his exposition of Matthew 24. Surely, now he would address prophecy!

Sadly, he promptly announced that ‘prophecy conferences’ will instill fear and confusion, so stay away! His handling of Matthew 24 revealed a safe, ear tickling style and explanation of each verse. His closing comment was as you said, Jan. There are no stunning events today; there is nothing new here. Nothing new at all. Time to move on.

His conclusion: Anything going on today has always been going on.”

If I had just $1 for every similar e-mail, letter and call, I would be living in a mansion in Malibu.

To add insult to injury, churches like this marginalized Israel during her second Holocaust on October 7, 2023. They did not bring the tragedy up in a church service, a prayer meeting, a newsletter, or even a time of announcements! It’s like it never happened!

I could go on and on but you get the point. Bible prophecy is under siege. So, I was beyond overjoyed to learn that Dr. Ron Rhodes has a new book on this very topic: Bible Prophecy Under Siege: Responding Biblically to Confusion About the End Times. And he covers all the bases—and I am so glad he spelled out all the arguments under one cover.

He handles it in an easy-to-understand manner and certainly does not imply that those who are waiting for His appearing are a part of any Rapture Rescue Cult!

Find the book wherever Christian books are sold.


Terry’s Appeal for Reaching Souls in Pakistan!

I am again appealing to all who wish to join in the effort to once again support our effort to reach the people of Pakistan with the Gospel and with the Prophetic Word.

We are seeking to reprint in Pakistan my Quarterly size book Prophecy Power: Strength From God to Face Your Future.

Rev. Anil Jasper, a full-time minister in his country, has translated the book into his native tongue. The result has been successful beyond all my expectations. Perhaps I need greater faith so as not to be surprised at God’s working so powerfully in that land.

Our effort last year, thanks to your loving generosity for those people, has reached many souls with God’s Message that Jesus, Alone, can Save them from sin and reconcile them with God the Father.

Brother Anil Jasper has reported the ongoing success because of your caring in the name of our Lord.

Now, we want to continue to reprint the books so that even greater numbers can be reached as Anil and his team preach and distribute Prophecy Power. This little book is one that really touches those who can read it in their own language. Jesus is lifted up, and God is Glorified!

All signs point to the any Moment Call of Jesus to His Church. We want to be working diligently when He Calls so we will hear the Lord Say: “Well done, good, faithful servants!”

My prayer is that great will be Heavenly Rewards for each who joins in this Christ-centered, end-of-the-age effort. –Terry James

To contribute to the reprinting of Prophecy Power, please send your checks to the address below.

Sorry, but because of my being blind and the complexity of online ordering, etc., I haven’t the ability to take credit cards or Pay Pal or other such electronic monetary ways of funding. Please make checks payable to me, Terry James, and list them on the bottom line of your check to The Pakistan Ministry Book fund.

Please send to the following address:

Attention: Terry James
Rapture Ready
P.O. Box 969
Benton, AR, 72018

Please be aware: I don’t have 501c status, so contributions aren’t tax-deductible in that sense.

This recent letter is from Anil to all who were so generous in funding last year’s printing in the Urdu language.

Dear Brother Terry James,

How are you, your family, and your ministry? We pray for God’s miraculous intervention to reprint Prophecy Power to meet the needs of future distribution. On behalf of our Christians in Pakistan, I wanted to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude for you and the contributors’ unwavering support in printing and distributing Prophecy Power.

Your commitment to this endeavor has been truly invaluable, and we cannot overstate the impact your generosity has made on the lives of countless individuals across Pakistan. Through the distribution of Prophecy Power, we have witnessed firsthand the transformative power of God’s Word and the hope it will prepare uncountable souls for the Rapture of the Church.

Your continued support has not only enabled us to print and distribute Prophecy Power but has also allowed us to expand our reach and touch even more hearts with the message of our Blessed Hope. We are deeply grateful for your partnership in this ministry, and we are continually uplifted by your dedication to spreading the Gospel message.

As we look ahead to future distribution and printing endeavors, we are filled with hope and anticipation for what the Lord will accomplish through our collective efforts. Please know that your generosity is making a tangible difference in the lives of individuals and communities across Pakistan, and we are praying earnestly for God’s continued provision and blessings upon your lives.

Once again, thank you, Brother Terry, and our wonderful friends there for your ongoing support, encouragement, and prayers, especially in these last days.

May the Lord richly bless you for your generosity and faithfulness in teaching, equipping, and preparing souls with His Prophetic Voice.

With heartfelt appreciation and prayers,

Your Brother,

Pastor Anil

An Open Letter to Those Who Have Been Taught That the Church Has Replaced Israel

Dear Brother or Sister in Christ,

If you are a member of a Catholic or mainline denominational church, you have probably been taught something called replacement theology (and perhaps you don’t even know it has that name). Replacement theology leads those who have adopted it to believe that Israel is no longer God’s people and that the modern regathering of the Jews in their historical land is theologically meaningless. Please know this is an error, and I write this letter to alert you to it so you can study God’s Word and reach your own conclusion.

Replacement theology, sometimes called supersessionism or fulfillment theology, is a doctrine stating either that the Church took Israel’s place as God’s people when Israel rejected Jesus as its Messiah or that the “old” Israel was set aside in favor of a “new” Israel, the Church, upon Jesus’s first coming. No matter how it got there, the Church is now God’s people and the beneficiary of the promises God made Israel in the Old Testament. Consequently, Jacob’s blood descendants have no unique destiny, and modern Israel’s existence has no significance. Because replacement theology is often woven into otherwise sound teachings on redemptive history, many believers aren’t even aware that it is a separate doctrine with its own name. Nonetheless, replacement theology is enshrined in Catholic dogma and runs rampant in mainline denominations, even among those that otherwise take the Bible seriously.

Replacement theology raises troubling implications about God’s character, not the least of which are: if God revoked his promises to Israel, what keeps him from revoking them again, and does God really change not (as Malachi 3:6 says)? Many who have been taught replacement theology have not considered these implications. Perhaps you have, but dismissed them out-of-hand or rationalized them away, possibly because they are too dreadful to imagine. Unfortunately, ignoring the implications does not make them go away.

Rather than addressing these (and other) broader implications, this letter will instead tackle the assumption that lies at the very heart of replacement theology: did Israel really forfeit its blessings? Did God really forsake or move past Israel? Fortunately, if you read the Bible without bias, it gives a clear answer.

One point is worth making before proceeding: I don’t have the ability or the moral duty to force you to reject replacement theology. Only the Holy Spirit can convict. All I can do is call relevant scripture to your attention and invite you to check it out yourself. That is what I will now do.

To keep this letter short and clear, I will rely only on two passages: Isaiah 6 and Romans 11. (If you are a Reformed believer, you tend to read Revelation figuratively, because you have been taught that it is “apocalyptic literature.” I will therefore deliberately avoid Revelation’s many passages affirming Israel’s destiny, knowing that you will be unwilling to read Isaiah and Romans figuratively.)  I will cite the King James Version, but any good version will do.

Isaiah 6 contains the well-known “Here I am. Send me” passage in which Isaiah volunteers to convey a message God has for his people:

Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed. (Isaiah 6:8-10)

God informs his people not only that they are hardened (deaf, blind and without understanding) and he is the one hardening them, but also that he has hardened them to delay their repenting and being healed. Note that God does not tell them why he wants a delay.

When the disciples ask Jesus why he speaks “to them” in parables in Matthew 13, he quotes this passage of Isaiah 6:

He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:” (Matthew 13:11-14)

Paul also quotes this same passage of Isaiah 6 in Acts 28, reminding the local leaders of the Jews that they are hardened.

And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not. And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers, saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. (Acts 28:24-27)

Paul then discloses the reason why God hardened Israel, delaying its repenting and being healed:

Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it. (Acts 28:28)

According to Paul, God hardened Israel so the Gospel could be taken to the Gentiles.

However, Isaiah 6 continues after the portion quoted in both Matthew 13 and Acts 28. God has more to say to Isaiah about his people. Returning to Isaiah 6, after hearing God’s decree against his people, the prophet begs God for an answer in verse 11, and God gives it to him:

Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate. And the LORD have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land. But yet in [the land] shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves: so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof. (Isaiah 6:11-13)

God promises that he will lift Israel’s partial hardening during or just after a widespread devastation. This may be a great war, even a nuclear war given the extent and degree of damage. However, it may be a direct act of God, acting in wrath. Only he knows.

Why then did Jesus and Paul’s quotations from Isaiah 6 stop short of verses 11-13? The answer is that they were speaking in the first century AD. Isaiah 6:11-13 would be fulfilled in the future. They were only talking about Israel’s hardened condition in those days, and not about when it would someday repent. Remember, Jesus was only answering a question from his disciples as  to why he was teaching in parables, and Paul was only making the case for taking the Gospel to the Gentiles.

Now, let’s look at Romans 11, in which Paul answers the question his earlier chapters in Romans begged: if Christ is the answer and the law is not, what about the Jews, to whom God had given the law? Has God turned his back on Israel?

I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. (Romans 11:1-4)

The answer is an emphatic “God forbid!” God will save an elect remnant of Israel, and God will save them by grace, not the law. To keep the Gentiles from being feeling superior to the Jews, Paul goes on to say:

I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness? For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them. For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? (Romans 11:11-15)

Then, after describing how the holy firstfruits of lump of dough renders the whole lump holy, how a holy root can render the entire tree holy, and how branches grafted onto a holy tree become holy, even branches that had previously been cut off, Paul reveals a mystery in verse 25:

For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. (Romans 11:25)

Though he does not outright quote Isaiah 6:11-13, he affirms the promise God made in those verses to end Israel’s hardening. The mystery Paul reveals is that the partial hardening of Israel’s elect will end when the “fulness of the Gentiles be (has) come in.”

It is important to note that none of these passages are talking about the Church. God has never hardened the Church. He has only hardened Israel, and only temporarily, for the express purpose of taking the Gospel to the Gentiles and building a Church that encompasses all peoples, nations, and languages. This he did at Israel’s great expense, but he will resurrect and magnify Israel because of it. Consider the supreme irony: God hardened Israel to benefit the Gentiles, and so many churches have returned their thanks to Israel by teaching replacement theology.

God’s reply in Isaiah 6 and Paul’s teaching in Romans 11 raise two questions: when will this widespread devastation occur, and when will the fulness of the Gentiles come in? The Bible gives no clear answer; God wants us to depend on him alone for the timing.

However, we can be sure of this – God will restore the elect of his people Israel. That unambiguous Biblical truth, stated explicitly both to Israel in the Old Testament and the Gentiles of the Church in the New Testament, exposes replacement theology as bad doctrine. Now it’s up to the Holy Spirit and informed believers to purge the Church of this sad error.

If replacement theology now troubles you as much as it does me, please do me a favor. Consider giving a copy of this letter to a brother or sister who has been mistaught. You will be helping them and doing a good work for God’s kingdom.

Some Things I Never Thought I Would See :: By Jan Markell

Here’s my current list:

I never thought I would see the day:

When churches would see our mind-numbing headlines and stories and suggest that there are perhaps a hundred or a thousand years before Jesus returns! They say we’ve always had perilous times. Nothing is new.

I never thought I would see the day:

The World Economic Forum would meet the week it was minus 40 degrees in my hometown and obsess over global warming and electric vehicles, since they don’t function well right now in Minneapolis. And all of us are cheering for global warming.

I never thought I would see the day:

When the champion of the hurting around the world, the Red Cross, would deny care and medication to Israeli hostages and instead scold the hostages for Gaza’s destruction.

I never thought I would see the day:

When the International Court of Justice would declare Israel guilty of genocide when it was Israel who experienced a genocidal attack. Imagine, portions of the free world siding with barbarians rather than a democratic ally. Did someone say “upside down world?”

I never thought I would see the day:

All of the leaders of sanctuary cities and states would be screaming bloody murder to keep illegals out of their sanctuary cities and states.

I never thought I would see the day:

When a U.S. Secretary of State would tell another country—Israel—they cannot win a war. They cannot defeat terrorists who perpetrated genocide on them.

I never thought I would see the day:

I would watch entire church denominations side with those who perpetrated the worst slaughter of Jews since the Holocaust. What Bible are they reading? They believe Jesus was a Palestinian. Really?

I never thought I would see the day:

The nation of Nigeria, with its Christian population nearly decimated by Muslims, not be put on Washington’s 2024 persecution watch list!

I never thought I would see the day:

When Democrats admit that Hamas or the Taliban or al-Qaida may be crossing our southern border and then brag about our strong national security! Reprobate minds see upside down.

I never thought I would see the day:

When the world would favor elements of society who cry “Death to Israel” and “Death to America” and glorify these thugs. When “Israel Derangement Syndrome” would overtake entire nations, and when universities would favor them, even as Jews hide in closets and secret rooms.

I never thought I would see the day:

When at the most significant time in history, believers would talk about “rapture fatigue” and “end-time burn-out” because they were tired of watching and waiting for Christ’s return. It’s just taking too long.

I never thought I would see the day:

When the tragedy of Lahaina, Maui—with all of its mystery and likely conspiracy—would so quickly be forgotten and the people so pathetically abandoned.

And yet people still trust the government!

I never thought I would see the day:

When lockdowns would become a part of normal society! First it was Covid lockdowns. Now I am learning about climate lockdowns coming. I guess the mantra is, “You will go nowhere and be happy!”

I never thought I would see the day:

That the subject of Israel—who is the primary subject of the Bible—would be the issue causing enormous church splits since October 7. Denominations don’t want to acknowledge that Jews wrote our Bible or play a prominent role today. I guess theology matters to some, and their theology erases the nation of Israel!

I could go on for endless pages with further examples, sadly. The Bible is blunt that the last days would be perilous and filled with unruly and selfish people. It says society would be “given over” (Romans 1). We just didn’t think it would be this bad. 

But God placed you and me in it for such a time as this! We are here on assignment and not by accident. We can be the salt and light needed for our times! The followers of Jesus Christ are to shine no matter what the circumstances and no matter how bad it gets.

Hang on a little longer. And it is the darkest before the dawn—the dawn being the glorious Rapture of the church when we leave this wicked planet behind! Only in Eternity will we cease being shocked by the world and by an upside-down society. Only then will everything make sense. Finally, I will be able to stop saying, “I never thought I would see the day.”

www.olivetreeviews.org