The world declares their joy of sex, money, and their enjoyment of inflicting pain upon their enemies; but, only the godly have access to absolute joy. “Thou wilt shew [shōw] me the path of life: in Thy presence is fulness of joy [Hebrew, simchâh, joy, gladness, mirth, pleasure]; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Psalm 16:11 KJV). Our Creator has so constituted us to experience joy in His presence. Have you noticed? Should we not be expecting it? Shouldn’t we be grateful? Joy is the presence of God. Think on these things. “For Thou hast made him most blessed for ever: Thou hast made him exceeding glad [Hebrew, simchâh, joy, gladness, mirth, pleasure] with Thy countenance” (21:6). Just as modern science declares stress adversely affects our physical body, joy strengthens us. “Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy [Hebrew, chedvâh, joy, gladness] of the LORD is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). LORD, may we measure our joy by Your presence. And, may we cultivate Your presence as our most treasured Guest. We look forward to Your soon return and presence. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen and amen.
Supernatural Christianity
The Countenance of My Health
“I have broken the bands of your yoke, and made you go upright” (Leviticus 26:13 KJV). From the notes of a long departed sister, a testimony of hope and faithfulness.
My teeth are healed.
They are white and strong.
My incision is firm
As I sing my song.
I am healed and whole
From my head to my feet.
My family has health
And plenty to eat.
“The Lord is my portion!” [Psalm 119:57]
Saith my soul.
He took my infirmities
And made me whole.
“Faith is substance!” [Hebrews 11:1]
I shout this call.
For I am made perfect
In the presence of you all.
Father, may we all have such bold, quiet confidence in You, that You would never deny us. Grant that all Your people will say, You are the “health of my countenance and my God” (Psalm 43:5). In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
Day Shone Not for a Third Part (Revelation 8:12)
God’s judgments are apocalyptic and miraculous. Best to ignore them and hope they cannot be as strange and incomprehensible as they sound. God forbid! We rob God of His glory in judgment, when we force His actions to conform to the smallness of our understanding. God smites the sun, moon, and stars, so there is a third less daylight and moonlight, in the Fourth Trumpet Judgment. “And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise” (Revelation 8:12 KJV). God miraculously intervenes in the space time continuum, to the chagrin of the enemy.
First, Joshua’s Long Day (Joshua 10:12-14) demonstrated the ability of an omnipotent God to listen to the prayer of a finite Joshua and cause the sun and moon to stand still for about a day to aid Israel in overcoming the Amorites. “And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day” (Joshua 10:13). Only God could supernaturally pause the motion of heavenly bodies for about a day. Who has heard of such a thing?
Second, Jesus’ Mountain Cast Into the Sea (Mark 11:23), as if recalling Joshua’s prayer and predicting our intercession for the fulfillment of the Fourth Trumpet Judgment, Jesus encouraged us to pray for great and mighty things which we know not. “For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith” (Mark 11:23). Amen. Lord, cause the sunlight and moonlight to be shortened by a third during this Fourth Trumpet Judgment.
Third, Hezekiah’s Sun Dial (2Kings 20:8-11; Isaiah 38:7-8), where a sign was given to Hezekiah that he would be healed, by the LORD causing the movement of the sun upon the sun dial to go backwards ten degrees. “And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the LORD: and he brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down in the dial of Ahaz” (2Kings 20:11). This would be as if to reverse the rotation of the earth for a few hours. Not just miraculous, but only possible by an omnipotent, omniscient God.
Fourth, Visit of the Babylonians to Check on Hezekiah (2Kings 20:12-13), to pay their respects to Hezekiah for his recovery from sickness, but also to find out, ‘Did you notice that strange event, where the sun dial seemed to go backwards — about the time you were healed?’ “At that time Berodachbaladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present unto Hezekiah: for he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick” (2Kings 20:12). If Hezekiah’s Sun Dial was only God playing tricks with the sunlight on Hezekiah’s sun dial, why did the Babylonian astrologers notice the same thing on their sun dial, unless God performed this miracle on the entire world, because of Hezekiah?
All of this discussion is about God’s ability and willingness to alter the natural progression of time, which will play out in the Fourth Trumpet Judgment toward the latter part of the second half of the Seventieth Week of Daniel (Daniel 9:24-26).
In my opinion, the Fourth Trumpet Judgment (Revelation 8:12-13) points to a speeding up of the rotation of the planet earth by 50%, where a new Apocalyptic Day would be 16 hours — 1/3 less than the present 24 hour day. This would be 1/3 less light from the sun, shrinking from 12 hours of normal daylight to 8 hours, and 1/3 less light from the moon and stars, shrinking from 12 hours of normal nighttime to 8 hours, for a total of 16 hours for a new Apocalyptic Day.
If the circumference of the earth is approximately 24,901 miles, to complete a single rotation in 24 hours, the earth must be rotating on its axis at about 1,038 miles per hour. That is now a Normal Solar Day. After the Fourth Trumpet Judgment, for the earth to complete a single rotation in 16 hours, the earth will be rotating on its axis at 1,556 miles per hour, a 50% increase in speed, for a new Apocalyptic Day.
Father, this seems like a lot of information and speculation about prophecy, but You are the One who commended the Bereans, because “they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11). LORD, I’ve always wanted to pray for a mountain to be cast into the sea. Now, I intercede for that to be so with the Second Trumpet Judgment (Revelation 8:8) and ask for the fulfillment of this Fourth Trumpet Judgment (8:12), where it looks like You may speed up the rotation of the earth. May Your will be done, and may the good be accomplished in the judgment of the earth, the repentance of sinners, and especially the reclamation of Your people Israel. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen and amen.
Blessings and Curses
We like the idea of being blessed, but we are repelled by the concept of being cursed. Esau’s insistence on receiving the family blessing from Isaac was maddening elusive to him though he sought the blessing “carefully with tears” (Hebrews 12:17 KJV). What’s so special about blessings and curses, since we bless our food every day before we eat? “I know that whoever you bless is blessed, and whoever you curse is cursed” (Numbers 22:6 NET). Do we possess such power with God? The weight of our pronouncements before God may wither in light of our confidence of receiving our own daily blessings, but shouldn’t we aspire great things before Yahweh? LORD, may we be emboldened to bless those who love You and cause curses to come down upon those who oppose You that there may be diamonds in the rough like Saul of Tarsus enlisted in Your cause. Amen.
Waters Became Wormwood (Revelation 8:11)
Fresh water contamination of a third of earth’s rivers and water sources takes place from a burning heavenly body falling to earth with the Third Trumpet Judgment. This could be a meteor breaking up upon entry into the earth’s atmosphere, precisely aimed by Jehovah at the drinking water supply. “And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter” (Revelation 8:10-11 KJV). Since 96.54% of earth’s total water is from its oceans, seas, and bays, 68.7% of its freshwater is from its polar ice caps, glaciers, and snow, 30.1% of its freshwater is from groundwater, 0.26% of its freshwater from lakes, and only 0.006% of its freshwater from rivers, then making bitter a third of water from rivers and freshwater sources becomes devastating to an already parched planet, where one in four people already do not have access to safe drinking water. Humans can survive only a matter of days without water. Wormwood is an emblem of poisonous bitterness promised by the Almighty, “the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will feed them, even this people, with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink” (Jeremiah 9:15). This He prophesied to do to His people Israel to punish and cure them of treacherously departing from the Living God. In this Third Trumpet Judgment, humanity also experiences the bitterness of wormwood; and, those that survive will be encouraged to repent. LORD, we pray even now for all those who will experience the bitterness of thirst that cannot be assuaged by man or government. Give them repentance unto the acknowledging of the truth as it is in Jesus. Especially be merciful to Israel. Reclaim from the enemy all those prisoners held captive by the lie that there is salvation in someone other than Messiah Jesus. We pray this in Jesus’ name, amen.
Christ Has Made Us Free
What is freedom? Of course, we want freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, freedom of petition, freedom from poverty, freedom of education, freedom from discrimination; but, what a human government gives, it can also take away. Christ clearly defined what freedom is. “If ye continue in My word, then are ye My disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-32 KJV). The Jews objected to His reasoning. “We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest Thou, Ye shall be made free?” (8:33). True freedom is freedom from the bondage of sin — not just the eternal death penalty of sin, but the necessity to have to commit sin. And, sin prevents us from dwelling in God’s house forever. “Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (8:34-36). Evidently, we need to continually renew our credentials of freedom by constant reliance on Christ for everything! “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage” (Galatians 5:1). LORD, may Your Spirit direct us in the way of liberty and freedom. Teach us to discern between the freedom human governments give that may be taken away, and the true freedom that endures as long as You endure. Thank you from liberating us from the necessity to sin! In Jesus’ name, amen.
Great Mountain Burning (Revelation 8:8)
The Second Trumpet Judgment is “as it were a great mountain burning with fire [that] was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood” (Revelation 8:8 KJV). The most likely explanation is a Yucatán type meteor impact on the ocean, or possibly a Krakatoa type eruption of a volcanic mountain ejecting immense debris into the sea. The immediate result is a third of the sea becoming blood, which indicates an impact area the size of a mountain killing and poisoning the “third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed” (8:9). The scale of death of sea life and destruction of shipping is consistent with impact in an area of major shipping lanes and not in a region of the ocean deserts. Rogue waves or tsunamis are hard to model and predict, except for the Perfect Mind of God. It truly is a “fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31). Limiting the devastation to a third gives opportunity for reflection and repentance. “When He slew them, then they sought Him: and they returned and enquired early after God” (Psalm 78:34). Devastation has worked before for some. LORD, we know You as a Good God, but we know You can be righteously aroused to be an Angry God. In wrath, remember mercy. Grant some repentance in that Day of Trouble. We claim as intercessors, such a benefit in Your Courts of Heaven. Grant us now peace before the storm. Return quickly, in Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
Hail and Fire Mingled With Blood (Revelation 8:7)
Hail, fire, and blood is the First Trumpet Judgment. “The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up” (Revelation 8:7 KJV). LORD, You are the Almighty among the gods doing wonders in the earth (Exodus 15:11). How can You practically fix the planet, if You only figuratively deal with the judgments of the Book of Revelation in generalities? “Hail and fire” (Revelation 8:7) were used by Moses to deliver the Children of Israel out of Egypt (Exodus 9:23-24). “Fire ran along the ground” (9:23), evidently from the friction of the hail creating ignition on the ground and burning the combustibles. Blood most likely results from the torrential fire, smoke, and hail, but this is miraculous, so God can do whatever He likes. When only a “third,” but not all of the trees are burnt, God is making a statement, ‘Repent now, for I could have already burnt everything,’ along with all “green grass,” the environmental devastation is far beyond any meager debate about the cataclysm of greenhouse gases or global warming. Anyone who advocates for the environment needs to cultivate the best of relations with the God who can say, “I make all things new” (Revelation 21:5). Resistance is futile. LORD, You are God over all. May we seek our peace with You, while we can. In Jesus’ name and for His sake, we pray. Amen.
Silence in Heaven (Revelation 8:1)
Heaven must normally be alive with sound and worship, but when the Lamb “opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour” (Revelation 8:1 KJV). Everyone’s rapt attention will be centered upon the sounding of the ensuing Seven Trumpet Judgments, which will be punctuated by the Seven Vial or Bowl Judgments at the end of the Tribulation Week. The judgments of the Seventieth Week of Daniel (Daniel 9:27) are a progression of Seven Seal Judgments opening, where the Seventh Seal Judgment opens to reveal Seven Trumpet Judgments, where the Seventh Trumpet Judgment sounds to open the Seven Vial or Bowl Judgments. You are blessed, if you can discern this pattern of God unfolding His judgments upon the earth, which is better than a poor dog running around in fear and confusion, when the fireworks go off on the Fourth of July. If all of the attention of Heaven is upon this, then their holy anticipation is worthy of our prayer, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10 KJV). Amen and amen.
Persecution Grows the Church (Revelation 7:9)
Saul of Tarsus (the future Apostle Paul) was the berserker, who wreaked havoc on the Early Church, but the churches “were multiplied” (Acts 9:31 KJV); nonetheless, because persecution grew the Church. Likewise, a “great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues” (Revelation 7:9 KJV) will respond to the Gospel witnessed by the 144,000. That multitude will be those martyred by antichrist. “These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (7:14). A seeming paradox is the blood of Christian martyrs grows the Church. Tertullian (155-240 AD) defended the Christian faith before the governors of the Roman Empire. He said, “The oftener we are mown down by you, the more in number we grow; the blood of Christians is seed” (The Apology, 50.13). Though the Vanity Fair approach has been enormously successful in limiting Spiritual Christianity, even such measures will become unnecessary during the final end game of the Tribulation Week. LORD, grant unto Your children the patience of faith of Christ, Stephen, Antipas, and Your Two Witnesses that we may, too, witness a good confession for You, even unto death. In Jesus’ name, we ask it. Amen.
We Need A Miracle 
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