Category: Uncategorized

The Event that will change the world forever

On By David GossenIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Today’s Front Page

Today, The Bible & You

The Nation’s Christian Newspaper

August 2026

The Event that will change

the world forever

The Snatching Away of Christians in the Rapture

The Rapture is the promised future event when Christ will return from heaven to snatch away His church, gathering all believers to Himself.  God describes it as a mystery that was previously unrevealed, but now made known, declaring, “Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall be changed, In a moment, in  the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” (1st Corinthians 15:51-52).

The term rapture comes from the Latin rapio, a translation of the Greek harpazo, meaning to seize or snatch away, as found in Paul’s statement that believers will be “caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air” (1st Thessalonians 4:17).  This supernatural snatching away involves the bodily resurrection of deceased believers, the transformation of living saints into their glorified bodies, and the collective meeting of the entire church with Christ in the air.

According to Bible teacher Charles Ryrie, “At the rapture, some mortals (living) will only need to put on immortality, while those whose bodies have seen corruption (dead) will need to put on incorruption through resurrection.  Both routes to heaven involve change; the living need to be translated and the dead raised.  The last generation of Christians will not experience death.”  (Charles Ryrie, A Survey of Bible Doctrine,  p. 166).

This is not to be confused with the second phase of the Second Coming, where Christ visibly descends to the earth in judgment and to establish His earthly kingdom, ruling the entire earth from the city of Jerusalem (Revelation 19:11-16; Zechariah 14:4).  God emphasizes this comfort by saying, “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.  Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.  Therefore, comfort one another with these words” (1st Thessalonians 4:16-18).  This event is imminent, meaning it could occur at any moment, without warning signs, in keeping with Jesus’ promise: “I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:2-3).  Fruchtenbaum states, “As each day ends, it brings one day closer to the time when the Rapture may occur.  Because of this imminency, it is time for believers to awaken out of sleep and to live a life consistent with the position of being sons of light.” (Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, The Footsteps of the Messiah, p. 154).

The snatching away of the born-again believers is not just an end-times doctrine, but the greatest promise our Lord Jesus gave. He promised to come for His Bride before the world enters its darkest hour.  This is not a vague Biblical doctrine; the two phases of the Second Coming are the second most discussed subjects in the entire Bible. In the New Testament alone, there are 318 verses about it.  Think about that number: 318.  That’s roughly one out of every 30 verses pointing forward to the moment our Lord Jesus comes back for us.

The latter days are a special time for our Creator.  The 7-year period the Bible calls the tribulation is the most described time period in all of Scripture.  More verses describe it than describe the 3 and 1/2 years of our Lord’s own ministry on Earth.  If God devotes that much of his Word to this, why don’t we?  God doesn’t waste words.

There is no Earth yet, no sun, no stars, no time as you know it.  There is only God: Father, Son, and Spirit.  And in that eternity before everything, a desire is spoken.

The Father wanted a bride, a bride for his Son, so that the Son and his bride could rule everything he was about to make, together forever.

The Bible makes it clear that God is seeking a bride for His Son. God tells us in Revelation 21:2, “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.”

We read in Revelation 21:9, “And there came unto one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come here, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.”  Revelation 22:17, “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come.  And let him that is athirst come.  And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”

When we look for the spiritual picture of a woman in the Bible, most of the time she is a picture of the Body of Believers, the Bride of Christ! For example, at the end of time, when Christ is coming back, when the Bride of Christ is going to be His Wife, we read in Revelation 19:7-8, “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife has made herself ready.  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white:  for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.”

The second coming is what the universe has been moving forward to before the world began.  There’s a specific kind of wedding hidden inside everything our Lord Jesus ever said.  His first listeners caught it instantly; we’ve completely forgotten it.  And it is the most important thing.  The wedding hidden in plain sight.  So much of what our Lord Jesus said was wedding language.  He talked like a groom constantly, and his listeners caught every word of it because they’d all been to these weddings.  The customs were in their bones, and the meaning that landed for them sails right over our heads 2,000 years later.  When a person understands the traditional Jewish wedding ceremony, they will totally appreciate the application of the fulfillment of our Lord’s sacrifice for His Bride.

In the ancient Jewish world, a marriage didn’t begin with a proposal; it began with a journey.  The groom left his own home and traveled to the home of the woman he wanted, and he came carrying two things: a contract, which they called the ketuba, with the terms written out.  And second: a price, a bride price.  Because everyone understood that taking this daughter would pull her from her father’s house, and that cost something, and the groom was willing to pay. These prices were real.  When David wanted his bride, the price was 100 trophies taken from the Philistines.  When Jacob wanted Rachel, the price was seven years of his life working for Laban, and then, cheated, seven more, 14 years for a wife. That’s the weight of it.

The groom sits down with the family; he lays out the contract, they come to terms, and then they seal it the way covenants were sealed: they pour a cup of wine, and they drink.  And in that moment, they are betrothed.  Our word for that is too weak.  We hear betrothed and think engaged, fragile, breakable, somebody changes their mind in a few months.  That is not what this was.  Betrothal in those days meant you were married, bound.  The only thing that could end it was a divorce.  It’s why when Joseph hears Mary is pregnant, he plans to put her away, to divorce her quietly, before they ever live together a single day.

A contract is just ink on a page until you see the price written next to it.  Because the bride price, the cost the groom’s family paid to win her, has a name in your story: it was the blood of Jesus.  The Father himself paid the price for a bride for his Son, and the price was the precious blood of his own Son.

The groom is about to do something that’s going to sound very, very familiar.  After the cup of wine, the groom and the bride do something strange to us: they separate.  He goes back to his home; she stays at hers.  And during the wait, each of them has a job.  Watch both, because our Lord Jesus walks straight into both.

The groom’s job is to build an addition to his Father’s house and adds on a room, a bridal chamber off his Father’s existing house, so that when the wedding comes, he’ll have a home ready to bring his bride to.  Before the death of our Lord Jesus, the night before he died, Jesus said in John 14:3, “In my Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you.  I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also.”  The disciples weren’t confused by that; we get confused by it.  They heard a groom describing a wedding:  I’m going to my Father’s house to build the room, and then I’m coming back to get you.  But a room is just real estate until you hear who it’s being built for; it’s being built for you.

The bride prepares herself in two ways.  She makes her wedding dress with her own hands over the months of waiting, stitch by stitch.  Remember that dress; we’re going to need it, and what it’s made of is going to stop you cold.  Then, she undergoes the mikvah, a public immersion in water that declares to her whole community, “I am betrothed, I belong to him now.”

Now comes the detail about timing: the groom does not get to pick the wedding date.  By custom, only one person could send the groom to go get his bride: his father.  The son built the room and worked and waited, and every so often he’d want to go, and the father would say, “Not yet, it has to be ready.”  This knowledge makes the words of our Lord Jesus easy to understand, words that have confused people for 2,000 years.  Matthew 24:36, “But of that day and that hour knows no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.”  That was never God being mysterious to keep you nervous; it’s a wedding.  The Father gives the word.  It was meant to be a wedding you stay ready for, because you never know which night the call will come.

When the Father finally says, “Go get her.” Everything changes in an instant.  The groom gathers his groomsmen, and they set out for the bride’s village in the dark.  Then comes the epic scene.  The groom chooses to come often at midnight, on purpose.  The whole thing is built to be a surprise.  They come with torches blazing, they come blowing the shofar, the ram’s horn; they come shouting and clapping, sweeping into the bride’s community in the dead of night.  The sound wakes the household; the sound wakes the bridesmaids.  And if you’ve ever wondered why our Lord Jesus told that strange story about the 10 virgins, five wise and five foolish, waiting in the night for a bridegroom, now you know.  They were waiting for this:  the midnight cry.  Five were ready and five were not, and the difference was everything.

And in the middle of that noise and light and joy, the groom does the thing the whole night was built for:  he snatches his bride away.  The trumpet, the shout, the light in the dark, people caught up in an instant, gone before the world could blink.  That midnight procession, the torches, the shofar, the shout, the snatching away, the rapture.  It was before us all the time; people read the story, understood it in its immediate context, and yet were not able to make the connection.  Our Lord Jesus was describing his own wedding.

There is more to this beautiful story we will all participate in as born-again believers.  The groom brings his bride into the chamber he built, the chuppah, and they’re together at last.  Then comes the feast, seven days of celebration.  And only when the seven days are complete does the groom bring his bride out and present her in radiance to everyone waiting.  God’s Word tells us that when Jesus returns to this earth in power, he comes with tens of thousands of his saints. He doesn’t come back alone; he comes back with his bride to set up his kingdom and reign.  A snatching away, then a coming back after the bride is taken, the seven days unfold, which represents the 7-year-tribulation, and then the king and his bride come out together.

This is what our Lord was saying in 2nd Corinthians 11:2, “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy:  for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.”  This is the wedding we were made for.  The empty room in your Father’s house already has your name on it;  our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.  The wedding is just a story, beautiful, ancient, a little distant, until you realize you’re in it.  That means you need to know exactly what the moment itself looks like, chapter and verse.

What does God want us to do with this information?  Comfort one another with these words. God reveals this to us in 1st Thessalonians 4:18: “Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”  This was always meant to be the comforting part.

But comfort is just half of it.

These words are meant to do just that and more.  We read in 1st Corinthians 15:1-52, “Behold, I show you a mystery;  We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”  In a moment, the twinkling of an eye, faster than thought.  That’s the flash you saw in the opening;  that’s how fast.  And what do we become in that instant?  1st John 3:1-2, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be:  but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”  We shall be like him.

God has given us a wonderful Book to live by.  The more you read and study it, the more precious it becomes.  The word meet, as found in 1st Thessalonians 4:17, “caught up to meet the Lord in the air,” is used two other times in the New Testament: Matthew 25:6 and Acts 28:15.

In both of these places, it is a group of people going out to meet someone and accompanying them back to the place they just went out from.  This is exactly what we will be doing.  We will be snatched away to meet the Lord in the air, and then after seven years, we will be returning to Earth to rule and reign with our Lord Jesus when He establishes His kingdom on Earth for 1,000 years.

Friend, there is one great, glorious second coming of the Lord in our future.  He will come once more to give relief to his church and judgment to his adversaries and to establish his kingdom.  Surely you are ready to shout out with me the next-to-last verse of the Bible: “Come, Lord Jesus.”

Printed with permission of Today, The Bible & You, located at P.O. Box 1722, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma 74013, Phone Number (918) 279-1136, the name of the original article in the August 2026 issue of Today’s Front Page was “The Event that will change the world forever.” wwwJohnBarela.com

 

 

How Important is the Construction of the Third Temple in Bible Prophecy?

On By David GossenIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Today, The Bible & You

Today’s Front Page

The Nation’s Christian Newspaper

January 2026

How Important is the Construction 

of the Third Temple in Bible Prophecy?

Many are asking, “Is the Third Temple in Jerusalem something that must happen?  Why is it so important?  Is there a simple answer to this?”  Yes, to all of these questions.  The rebuilding of the Third Temple is not just a matter of historical or cultural significance but a pivotal event foretold in Scripture, deeply entwined with the narrative of God’s ultimate plan for humanity.  It is a must. 

                 

Why is it a must in the fulfillment of Bible prophecy?  The answer to this is given to us in 2nd Thessalonians 2:2-3,  “Let no man deceive you by any means:  for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;  4 Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sits in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.“

  

God tells us that the Antichrist will be someone who will oppose and exalt himself above all that is called God.  Ultimately, we are told that this man of sin will one day sit in the temple of God and demand the worship of the world.

     

 Therefore, there must be a Third Jewish Temple in Jerusalem where they are once again offering sacrifices.  This is precisely what they are planning to do at this very time.  The Jewish religious leader has reported that they have everything to begin now.  They are simply waiting for the order.  The Antichrist will somehow convince the Jews and Arabs to work out a deal, allowing the Jews to set up their Third Temple.

 After three and one-half years, the Antichrist will fulfill the role for this in 2nd Thessalonians 2:4, Moses had his role, Pharaoh had his role.  It is written:  “For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh,”  Even for this same purpose have I raised you up, that I might shew my power in you, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.”  (Romans 9:17)  So will it be for Antichrist.

This is why it is so important to 

understand prophecy.

In the realm of eschatology, understanding the rebuilding of the Third Temple is essential.  The Bible repeatedly warns against deception, especially in the end times, indicating that even the elect could be misled.  Recognizing the signs and prophecies, like the rebuilding of the Third Temple, acts as a safeguard against such deception and is a vital component of spiritual preparedness for believers.

The history of the Jewish temples in Jerusalem is marked by the construction and destruction of two significant temples.  Solomon’s Temple (the First Temple) and Herod’s Temple (the Second Temple).  The Second Temple, which was the center of Jewish worship during the time of our Lord Jesus on earth, met its destruction in 70 AD.  This historical backdrop of the Third Temple sets the stage for the anticipated rebuilding of the Third Temple, a crucial event in end-time prophecy.

Several key scriptures lay the foundation 

for the prophecy of the Third Temple.

Daniel 9:27 speaks of a figure, the Antichrist, making a covenant for seven years and then breaking it midway, at the three one-half year mark, ceasing sacrifices and offerings. This implies the existence of a functioning temple during the Tribulation period.

2nd Thessalonians 2:3-4 mentions the “man of sin/lawlessness (the Antichrist) who exalts himself in the temple where such events would transpire.

Revelation 11:1-2 refers to the apostle John measuring the Temple of God, highlighting its physical presence during prophetic events.  From these passages, it’s clear that the rebuilding of the Third Temple aligns with Biblical prophecy concerning the end times.

Recent Developments and Signs: Remarkable recent events, like the Jewish holiday Tisha B’Av, have reignited the call for the Third Temple’s reconstruction.  Notable Rabbis and Jewish leaders have shifted their focus from mourning past destructions to advocating for the building of the new temple.  Even more intriguing are reports of foxes sighted on the Temple Mount, which some interpret as fulfilling Biblical prophecy from Lamentations 5:18 and Zechariah’s visions, signaling the imminent rebuilding.

The push for the Third Temple’s construction raises theological questions, especially among Christians.  Some wonder how this aligns with the belief in Christ’s finished work on the cross.  It’s crucial to understand that the Third Temple’s significance in prophecy does not negate Christ’s redemptive work but rather complements the Biblical narrative of God’s ongoing plan for humanity, including both the church and Israel. 

Israel and the Jewish people are central to Biblical prophecy as God has a future plan for Israel to be the head of the nations when he establishes his kingdom on earth for 1,000 years.  The rebuilding of the Third Temple symbolizes not only a significant prophetic milestone but also God’s continuing covenant with Israel.  God makes this very clear in Romans 11. 

As we witness these developments and the potential fulfillment of prophecies, it is a call for believers to be vigilant, discerning, and spiritually prepared.  The rebuilding of the Third Temple serves as a reminder of the proximity of the Rapture, the Tribulation, and the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Third Temple in Jerusalem stands as a significant sign in Bible prophecy.  It not only reflects the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy but also underscores the importance of watchfulness and faith in these last days.  We are called to be aware of these signs, understanding their significance, and living in anticipation of Christ’s return, while holding forth the Word of Life.

Printed with permission of Today, The Bible & You located at P.O. Box 1722, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma 74013, Phone Number (918) 279-1136 the name of the original article in the January 2026 issue of Today’s Front Page was “How Important is the Construction of the Third Temple in Bible Prophecy?” www.JohnBarela.com 

 

Where Do Unforgiven Sinners Go After Death?

On By David GossenIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Today’s Front Page

Today, The Bible & You

The Nation’s Christian Newspaper

April 2026

Where Do Unforgiven Sinners

Go After Death?

What if I told you that the moment your heart stops beating, your eternal destination has already been determined—not just whether you believed, but by how you believed, what you did, and who you truly served?  Now, I know that sounds intense, but stay with me, because what I’m about to reveal to you is going to challenge everything you thought you knew about hell and eternity.  See, most people think hell is just one big burning pit where everyone who didn’t make it to heaven suffers the same fate.  But here’s what they don’t tell you in Sunday school; here’s what most pastors avoid preaching about because it makes people uncomfortable:  The Bible actually describes seven distinct levels of hell. Seven different compartments, each one designed for specific types of sinners, each one with its own horrifying characteristics, and the level you end up in depends entirely on what you did with the truth God gave you.

Right now, sitting in churches all across America, there are people who have no idea they’re heading straight to one of these levels.  They sing the worship songs, they raise their hands during praise, they post Bible verses on social media, but Jesus himself warned that many who cry out “Lord, Lord,” will hear the most terrifying words ever spoken: “I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers.” Think about that for a second.  These aren’t atheists Jesus is talking about; these aren’t people who openly rejected God.  In Matthew 7, Jesus describes people who prophesied in his name, who cast out demons in his name, who performed miracles in his name, and yet they still hear those bone-chilling words: “I never knew you.” So here’s the question that should be burning right now:  If people who performed miracles in Jesus’s name can still end up separated from God forever, where does that leave you?  Where does that leave me?

For centuries, the church has oversimplified hell into a single concept—one lake of fire where all the unbelievers go.  But when you actually dig into the original Hebrew and Greek texts, when you study what Jesus himself taught about the afterlife, and when you examine the visions that were given to the apostles, a completely different picture emerges.  The Bible uses at least five different words to describe the realm of the dead: Sheol, Hades, Gehenna, Tartarus, and the Lake of Fire.  And here’s what’s going to blow you mind: These aren’t just five different names for the same place;  they’re five different locations with different purposes and different inhabitants.  Why would Jesus, who was the most precise teacher who ever lived, use different words to describe eternal punishment if it was all the same experience?  The answer is this:  God’s justice is perfectly calibrated.  The person who rejected Christ after hearing the gospel preached to them over and over again faces a different fate than someone who never heard the message at all.

We’ve established that hell has seven distinct levels, but how do you know which one you’re heading toward?  Jesus gave us a test—the kind that reveals the true condition of your soul and strips away all religious performance.  In Matthew 7, Jesus drops this bombshell: “Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”  These people operated in supernatural power, yet Jesus calls them evildoers because there was never a real relationship. He says, “I never knew you.”  This means there was never a genuine connection.  When He says “Away from me,”  He’s referring to a specific place the Bible calls the Outer Darkness.  Jesus mentions outer darkness three different times in the Gospel of Matthew.  It is a place of complete isolation—not just the absence of physical light, but the absolute absence of God’s presence.  It is specifically reserved for religious people who thought their church membership would save them, but never truly submitted to his lordship.

Now, let’s look at one of the most disturbing passages Jesus ever taught: the account of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke chapter 16.  This isn’t a parable; it’s a real account.  The rich man woke up in torment in a place called Hades.  He was fully conscious, could feel, think, and remember.  He begged for just one drop of water, but Abraham told him that between them a great chasm has been set in place, making it impossible for anyone to cross over.  This place of torment is the intermediate state where unbelievers go immediately after death to await final judgment.  The flames are already burning, and the separation is already absolute.

Then there is Gehenna.   In English, your Bible probably translates it as hell, but Gehenna was a real geographical location outside Jerusalem—the Valley of Hinnom.  Its history is stained with the evil of child sacrifice to the god Molech.  By Jesus’s time, it was the city’s garbage dump where fires burned constantly.  Jesus used Gehenna as the ultimate warning for specific sins: hypocrisy, false teaching, and harboring murderous hatred while maintaining a religious facade.  It is the destination for those who know the truth and corrupt it—the trash heap of eternity where the fire is unquenchable, and the worm does not die.

We then reach the final destination: The Lake of Fire.  This is the Second Death, and it’s far worse than anything else.  In Revelation 20, John sees the final judgment where death and Hades are thrown into the lake of fire.  Anyone whose name was not found written in the Book of Life was thrown there as well.  It is a place of eternal torment prepared for the devil and his angels, but humans who reject salvation choose this destination.  It is described as burning with sulfur, an eternity of suffering that never diminishes.

Finally, there is a place so mysterious that even demons tremble: The Abyss. Also known as Tartarus in 2nd Peter 2:4, it is a prison specifically designed for fallen angels who committed grievous sins, such as those described in Genesis 6.  It is a bottomless pit of darkness.  But here is the critical truth: Jesus Christ holds the keys to the Abyss, to Death, and to Hades.  He has all authority.

In conclusion, every level of hell is under the dominion of Jesus.  He descended into the lower earthly regions, invaded the kingdom of darkness, and proclaimed victory.  He holds the keys because He died to set you free.  The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus.  You must choose now, while you still have breath.  Standing firm in the Word of God is what protects you from every level of hell. If you surrender your life to Him, your name is written in the Book of Life, and your destination changes from torment to glory.  Jesus conquered them all.

 

Printed with permission of Today, The Bible & You, located at P.O. Box 1722, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma 74013, Phone Number (918) 279-1136, the name of the original article in the April 2026 issue of Today’s Front Page was “Where Do Unforgiven Sinners Go After Death?” www.JohnBarela.com

 

A New Creation in Christ Jesus. What does that mean?

On By David GossenIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Today’s Front Page

Today, The Bible & You

The Nation’s Christian Newspaper

August 2025

A New Creation in Christ Jesus

What does that mean?

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; all things are become new.” (2nd Corinthians 5:17)

Many believe that following Christ is just about having your sins washed away with the Blood of Jesus Christ. The major focus is on “Christ died for our sins.” Most fail to recognize that our Lord Jesus died on the Cross for our sins and rose again, so that we could lose our lives for His sake, that He may continue living His life on earth through us.

God tells us in Galatians 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

The real challenge of the gospel is not behaving differently; it is thinking differently. As long as the mind is not renewed, the believer’s life will be a mix between the light of the Spirit and the shadows of human reasoning.

“And be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2)

It doesn’t matter how many verses we memorize, how much doctrine we study, or how intense our spiritual emotions are — if our mind is still governed by our old patterns, our walk with God will be unstable, confused, and stagnant. As God tells us in Romans 12:2, the only way we can learn what God’s good, acceptable, and perfect will of God is — we must be transformed. Renewing the mind in Christ is not an option; it is spiritual urgency.

This is exactly why we were created. God tells us again in Ephesians 2:10, “For we (you-me) are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works (this is why God created you-me), which God has before ordained that we should walk in them.”

God created you-me to accomplish the good works He intends to fulfill through us. God has specific tasks that He can only accomplish through you and me. He is praying that we will let Him do this through us. This is the prayer of our Lord Jesus for you and me in John 17:20:

“Neither pray I for these alone, (You-Me) but for them also which shall believe on me through their word (through the words Jesus speaks through us;” (John 17:20)

The apostle Paul reminds us in Romans 12:2, “And be not conformed to this world: but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

God has a good, acceptable, and perfect purpose for your life. This is not a moral suggestion; it is a spiritual command. An unrenewed mind is incapable of discerning God’s will for your life. Your life may be full of good intentions; you may have religious zeal, but you cannot understand or participate in the eternal will of the Father. Only God, who is eternal, knows the plans He has for you.

This is what God wants every born-again believer to know. He writes in Jeremiah 33:3:

“Call unto me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you know not.”

This powerful verse reminds us of the incredible promise God makes to us when we seek Him through prayer. This verse encourages us to reach out to God, to call on Him with all of our hearts, knowing that He will not only hear us but also respond. When we pray to God, He promises to answer us, not with ordinary or easily known things, but with great and unsearchable knowledge that is beyond our understanding. This verse underscores God’s readiness to communicate with us and His ability to reveal truths and wisdom that are beyond our human capabilities.

How often do you seek guidance from God? The verse presses us to remember that when we turn to God and ask for his guidance, he will reveal to us things that are beyond our comprehension. This verse is a reminder that we are His work of art, created in Christ Jesus FOR GOOD WORKS — that He has planned to accomplish through you before you were ever born. Let this verse inspire you to deepen your relationship with God through prayer, and He will reveal these great and mighty things.

Only a renewed mind that has been transformed by God’s Word can function as an instrument in the hands of our Creator Savior. I invite you right now to declare in the comments, “My mind is being renewed by Christ,” because this is the first step to experiencing true transformation. Just as light pierces darkness, the Spirit of God wants to illuminate your mind, to rid it of old thoughts and replace them with the mind of Christ.

This is God’s exhortation to us in Philippians 2:5, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.”

The greatest battlefield for the Christian is not the body nor the emotions, it is the mind. It is in the mind that the enemy installs thoughts, strongholds, arguments, logic, and imaginations. If the believer does not learn to submit their mind to the authority of the Spirit of Christ, they will live a divided Christianity: one in the spirit, full of life, and the other in the soul, full of confusion. That duplicity will prevent the believer from progressing. They will be divided, sometimes on fire, sometimes cold; sometimes surrendered, sometimes reactive, because they have not been transformed by God’s Word. God identifies this type of believer in Hebrews 5:12, “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.”

Renewing the mind of Christ is not an automatic process. It does not happen simply by reading the Bible. It is a deep work of the Spirit that begins when the believer recognizes that their natural mind is in enmity with God, as written in Romans 8:7, “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” The flesh is the independent mind that dares to comment on spiritual matters from human logic. That mind must be brought to the cross, not corrected, not decorated, but crucified.

The process of mental renewal begins with a surrender of understanding, not with more information, but with deeper internal obedience. That obedience is not just about accepting correct doctrine, but about submitting every thought, every reasoning, every perspective to the Spirit of Christ who dwells in us. God alerts us to this in 2nd Corinthians 10:5, “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” God tells us we must take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. It’s not just about thinking good things; it’s about thinking from Christ, from the Spirit, not the soul; from the eternal, not the temporal; from the living Word, not from human conclusions.

This change of mindset is radical because the soul never wants to give up control. God reveals this to us in Galatians 5:17, “For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that you cannot do the things that ye would.”

For the born-again believer, the renewed spirit obeys before understanding. The soul demands logic. The spirit yields to the revelation of God’s Word when they understand. When they understand, they can apply. This is what the Spirit of God brings to the believer. God tells us in Exodus 31:3, “And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship.”

That is the difference between a carnal believer and a spiritual one. The carnal needs everything to make sense mentally. The spiritual accepts what God says, even if they don’t yet understand it, because they know the Spirit doesn’t explain so that one believes. He speaks so that when they have heard God’s Word and they surrender to what God has filled their soul. That surrender opens the path to having their soul filled with Wisdom — Understanding — Knowledge, and all manner of workmanship.

Having the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus alive in you is not just about stopping negative thoughts; it is about starting to let the Spirit of Christ in you think the way God thinks. It’s about seeing as He sees, valuing what He values, and rejecting what He rejects. And that transformation happens when the believer lives a life governed by the Spirit of God living in them. A life where the soul no longer has the final word, where intellect falls silent, where logic is submitted, and where faith (the Word of God) begins to be the foundation of every decision. Because only faith (God’s Word) can access the mind of Christ.

God tells us in 1st Corinthians 2:16, “…but we have the mind of Christ.” This is not a poetic statement—it is a spiritual reality. God makes this clear in John 6:63, “It is the spirit that quickens (makes alive), the flesh profits nothing, the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” As you read the Bible, these words become spirit and they become life the moment we believe them. This is how we receive the mind of Christ. His words from the Bible become spirit and life in us. Our Lord Jesus then begins to think in us and through us. It only becomes active to the extent that our old mind is dismantled. You cannot have the mind of Christ and still function with the reasoning of the world. You cannot think like heaven and act like earth. You cannot be guided by the Spirit and keep arguing from the soul. The natural mind gives up control; only then will Christ begin to govern our thoughts.

The mind in Christ is not just an initial experience, but a continuous process. God tells us in Galatians 4:19, “… until Christ be formed in you.” The Christian life begins with a spiritual birth, and as a physical baby needs to grow, so does a spiritual baby in Christ. God mentions this in 1st Peter 2:2, “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that you may grow thereby.” It is a path of daily therapy from God as he molds you as a potter does the clay. The natural mind, even when saturated with biblical language, can be the most dangerous enemy of spiritual life. As the Pharisees in the time of our Lord Jesus, knowledge without the Spirit can use truth as an excuse not to depend on God. It can turn doctrine into argument, defense, and barrier. Our Lord rebukes these religious Pharisees because of this very thing in John 5:39-40, “Search the scriptures: for in them you think you have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me., And you will not come to me, that you might have life.”

This is why knowledge, apart from the Spirit, doesn’t produce the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. As our Lord told the Pharisees, they thought life came simply through taking in knowledge of the scriptures, but they did not have the law of the Spirit of life that is in Christ Jesus.

The true process of renewal begins with the new birth. Our Lord Jesus explained this to one of Israel’s leading Pharisees, Nicodemus in John 3:3, 5, 7. “Jesus answered and said unto him, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God. Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. Marvel not that I said unto you, You must be born again.”

This is the message God wants the world to understand: humans were designed by God to live by the Spirit, not by their soul/flesh. Because, as we read in John 6:63, the flesh produces nothing good. God continues to make the importance of living by the Spirit clear in Romans 8:2-9:

“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot pleased God. But you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.“ God makes the life of the Spirit of Christ in the believer important. If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ abiding in them, they do not belong to God.

Spiritual birth begins when a person asks the Lord Jesus to forgive their sins. Our Lord Jesus came to remove what was separating us from him. God is holy, and we are sinners. No one with even one sin can ever enter into the presence of God. We must be sinless to enter into the presence of God in heaven. We are told in 1st John 1:7, “. . the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin.“ Yes, from ALL sin, that makes us sinless and qualifies us to enter into the presence of God.

If that was God’s part, what is the sinner’s part?

God tells us in 1st John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

When we comply with what God asks of us, he makes us his son. John 1:12-13, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. Which were born, not of blood, (not because you were born in to a Christian family) nor of the will of the flesh, (not because you woke up one day and said to yourself “I think I’ll become a Christian today.”) nor of the will of man, (not because someone said to you, “You ought to become a Christian.”) but of God.”

It is God himself who is doing all the leading. We are told in John 6:44, “No man can come to me, except the Father which has sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.”

This is when the born-again believer receives the mind of Christ. A person becomes like a new baby in Christ Jesus, and as a baby, they need to feed on the Word of God. As newborn babies have to experience the rigors of life, so that newly born-again believer has to wrestle through the trials life brings to all the sons of Adam. This new life of the Spirit is the enemy’s favorite place to install his arguments. He doesn’t need to attack your spirit; he only needs to contaminate your thinking. That’s what he did from the beginning in the garden. He didn’t touch Eve’s body. He didn’t appeal to her emotions. He simply planted an idea: “Did God really say…?” He questioned the Word, introduced doubt, and introduced reasoning. And that seemingly logical reasoning was what brought the fall. It is a spiritual battle. God warns us in Ephesians 6:12:

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

This is why every thought not examined in the light of the Spirit can become a stronghold. And a mental stronghold, when not torn down, becomes a trench from which the enemy operates, even inside the believer. The apostle Paul understood this clearly. That’s why in Ephesians 4:23 he exhorts us, “And be renewed in the spirit of your mind.” He didn’t say, “Renew your mind,” as if it were only an intellectual activity. He said “the spirit of your mind,” meaning the Law of the Spirit of Life that is in Christ Jesus that makes us free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:2) It is this Law of the Spirit of Life that causes us to pass from glory to glory. It is this law God explained to us in Exodus 31:3, “And I have filled him with the spirit of God in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship.”

Because the problem is not just what we think, but from what spirit we think. There are two spirits in the world that are totally against each other. There is the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus that is at war against the spirit of this world. We read about this in Ephesians 2:2-3, “Wherein in time past you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience. 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.” This is what the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus sets us free from.

This is the greatest battlefield for a Christian. God makes this clear in Galatians 5:17, “For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary the one to the other; so that you cannot do the things that you would.”

To understand Galatians 5:17, consider these key points:

  • The verse highlights the conflict between the flesh and the Spirit.
  • It emphasizes that these two forces are in opposition to each other.
  • This struggle affects a believer’s ability to follow God’s desires.
  • The “flesh” represents sinful nature and worldly desires.
  • The “Spirit” signifies God’s divine guidance and moral integrity.
  • Understanding this conflict is crucial for spiritual growth and maturity.

The human soul becomes the seat of evil; from it arise those carnal impulses which are the origin of sin. The flesh is the body, as animated by an evil nature of a fallen soul that was inherited from Adam. It thus becomes opposed to the good principles as it was in the garden when the serpent deceived Eve. The good principle in itself is the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus, which is working in us, delivering us from the law of sin and death.

As long as we do not learn to submit our minds to the authority of the Holy Spirit, we will live in constant duality between the light of the Spirit and the darkness of human reasoning. It’s as if we live in two worlds: one governed by the carnal mind, which sees everything from a limited perspective; and the other governed by the Spirit, which views the same circumstance through the lens of eternity.

This is where the apostle Paul experienced so much conflict. As he writes in Romans 7:18-25:

“For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwells no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. 19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. 20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more that do it, but sin that dwells in me. 21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.”

This division is dangerous because it makes us unstable, confused, and worst of all, unfruitful in the work of the Lord. God is unable to fulfill the good works He created you for. Sometimes we move forward in the Spirit, but at other times, we’re trapped by worldly thoughts. We cannot move forward firmly because our minds are still governed by old patterns that don’t allow us to see God’s perfect will. The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus is limited by human logic, which cannot understand the ways of God. Our minds are incapable of grasping what God wants to do in our lives.

The carnal mind does not submit easily. It will always look for arguments, always trying to justify its reasoning. But the Spirit does not operate through human logic; the Spirit moves through revelation by the Word of God, not explanation. This is where the real battle begins: learning to obey the Spirit before understanding everything. It’s not just about reading more books, studying more verses, or filling our minds with Biblical information. These things are important, but they are not enough. True renewal of the mind begins with the surrender of our understanding to God. And this is the first step toward real transformation, recognizing that our natural mind is the enemy of God, that our limited understanding cannot grasp everything God is doing, and that we need the Spirit to guide us in every thought, in every action, in every decision.

The carnal mind, as Scripture says, does not submit to God’s law. The flesh, in its fallen nature, seeks to justify its own will. It is easier to live under the rule of human logic than to live under the rule of the Spirit. The Christian is called to a radical change. It’s not about improving our reasoning ability; it’s about transforming the center of our reasoning, allowing our mind to be governed by the Spirit, not by human logic.

Not my will, but your will, Lord God. Every time our mind surrenders to Christ, we allow Him to transform our thoughts, to destroy the strongholds of lies the enemy has erected. Every time we allow the Spirit to renew our minds, we are building a bridge between what we understand and what God wants to reveal. This process of transformation is liberating because in the end, it leads to a life in which we no longer live by our own logic, but by the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, where God’s Word governs, not human reasoning.

The key is in submission: submitting our mind in obedience to Christ by obeying His Word. And that means renouncing human logic. Ceasing to justify our thoughts with limited reasoning, and beginning to live according to divine revelation. This is what distinguishes a carnal Christian from a spiritual one. The carnal one needs everything to make mental sense. The spiritual one accepts what God says, even when they do not fully understand it. Abraham went out of Ur, not knowing where he was going.

This transformation process is continuous, daily. Every day, as we surrender our minds to Christ, we are taking one more step toward full renewal. The carnal mind cannot be restored or improved; it must be completely replaced with the mind of Christ. The world cannot understand this. When we allow the Spirit to govern our mind, we begin to experience a new freedom. Confusion dissipates. Doubts disappear. And what once seemed incomprehensible now begins to make sense. The renewed Christian no longer depends on human logic to understand God’s ways, but lives by God’s Word.

This would be a good pattern of prayer:

“Lord Jesus, today I surrender my soul and mind to You. Help me to no longer want to think from my own logic, my doubts, or my limitations. As Paul wrote in the Bible, he knew there was nothing good in his flesh. Cause me to think by your Spirit in me, to see as You see, and let your Spirit in me live according to Your will. Teach me how to think and choose each day, Lord Jesus, destroy every thought and reasoning that is not aligned with Your will. Allow me to walk in the light of Your revelation so that you can fulfill all the good works You planned to do though me. I pray in your precious name, Lord Jesus, Amen.”

Many Christians face a dilemma: they want to live according to God’s will, but their thoughts are still governed by the old patterns of the world. They think according to past experiences or according to the expectations that society has imposed on them. When you think like this, it is important to remember these words of God in Isaiah 55:7-11:

“Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. 11 So shall my Word be that goes forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”

We need to have the mind of Christ, it is not based on human reasoning, it is based on divine revelation we receive as we read and study the Scriptures. In 1st Corinthians 2:16, we are told, “For who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.” We, as believer’s, have the mind of Christ, but in order for God to live through us, we must be willing to surrender to Him as he teaches us in His Word.

Our flesh will always want to reason, to justify, and to understand things before obeying. However, the Spirit invites us to obey first and understand later. That is true faith, obeying without needing to have all the answers. We are constantly tempted to judge circumstances by what we see with our natural eyes. And this is where faith becomes the bridge between the natural and the supernatural. Only when we allow the Spirit to guide our thoughts can we live in full obedience to Christ. The key to this obedience is total surrender. Let us remember the words of our Lord Jesus: “Not my will, but thy will be done.” (Luke 22:42)

True obedience is not simply saying “yes” with our lips—it is fully surrendering our heart, our mind, and our will to Him. Renewing our mind in Christ means that every thought is brought into obedience to God. This means letting Christ think in us, not as the world thinks. This is what Paul meant when he said we must take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. Every time our mind drifts from God’s thoughts, we must redirect it and submit it once again to His will. This is a conscious act, and it will not be easy, but with every thought we surrender, we are allowing the mind of Christ to become more real in our lives.

It is not enough to know the verses; it is not enough to speak the Christian language. It is important to BELIEVE them. When we truly BELIEVE them, then these verses will penetrate our hearts, and they will become the living Word in us that will transform our minds and cause us to see the world through the eyes of Christ.

It is a process of daily growth and surrender. It’s not about correcting our minds, it’s about allowing the mind of Christ to reign within us. This is not a superficial change, but a deep transformation.

True obedience in Christ comes when we decide to let Him think and live His life in us. Only then can we experience the transforming power of the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus. Christ did not come only to save our souls, but also to continue living His life on earth through us.

You can begin a new life in Christ by making this your sincere prayer:

“Lord Jesus, I thank you for making me perfect by washing all of my sins away with your blood Forgive me, Lord Jesus. Today, I surrender to You. I no longer want to keep thinking with my human logic, but with Your mind living in me. Every time my mind strays from You, please guide me and help me take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. I want to live under Your will, not mine, and submit my thoughts to Your sovereignty. Renew my mind, Lord, and make me like You. Amen.”

Printed with permission of Today, The Bible & You located at P.O. Box 1722, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma 74013, Phone Number (918) 279-1136, the name of the original article in the August 2025 issue of Today’s Front Page was “A New Creation in Christ Jesus. What does that mean?” www.JohnBarela.com

.

Details

Is the Tribulation Framework Unveiling Right Before Our Eyes?

On By David GossenIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Today, the Bible & You

Today’s Front Page

January 2026

Is the Tribulation Framework

Unveiling Right Before Our Eyes?

The miraculous vote of the UN BOARD OF PEACE

prefigures the Tribulation and fulfills 2,600 Year Old Prophecy

  “And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he  shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.” (Daniel 9:27)

  “And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and  partly broken.  And whereas you saw iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.  And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be  left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.” (Daniel 2:42-44)

Is the Tribulation Framework

Unraveling Right Before Our Eyes?

 A global peace board, Middle East peace, and Bible prophecy unfurling everywhere.  We are witnessing the tribulation framework being formed before our eyes.  The Peace Agreement signed by President Trump and Middle East leaders, and the UN Security Council voting to approve President Trump’s peace plan, is what the prophet Ezekiel declared would come alive after more than 2,600 years.

  “And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, what is that proverb that you have in the land of Israel, saying, The days are prolonged, and every vision fails?  Tell them therefore, Thus says the Lord God; I will make this proverb to cease, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel; but say unto them, The days are at hand and the effect of every vision. For there shall be no more any vain vision nor flattering divination within the house of Israel.  For I am the Lord; I will speak, and the word that I will speak shall come to pass; it shall be no more prolonged: for in your days.” (Ezekiel 12:21-25)

 The U.N. Security Council adopted a U.S, resolution to authorize an international stabilization force for Gaza and back the Trump administration’s peace plan, a significant early step toward rebuilding the destroyed enclave.  Many of the countries the U.S. has hoped will contribute troops and funds to the project indicated to Washington that they would not do so absent the U.N.’s backing.  President Trump will be the Chairman of the Special Board of Peace.  President Trump posted on his Truth Social that the Board will include the world’s most powerful and respected leaders.

 “This will go down as one of the biggest approvals in the History of the United Nations,” President Donald Trump said on Truth Social, adding that the members of a board to oversee the effort, which he named the Board of Peace, will be announced in the coming weeks, as well as “many more exciting announcements.”

  This is a clear picture of what God tells us in Daniel 2:42-43, “… as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.  And whereas you saw iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave on to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.” This accurately describes UN Leaders; they do not mingle or cleave together, even as iron is not mixed with clay.

  We opened with the verse, ” . . . he (the prince that is to come, Antichrist) shall confirm the covenant with many for one week (7 years-the tribulation period): and in the middle of the week (after 3 1/2 years) he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.” (Daniel 9:27)

 This Board of Peace could strengthen an already existing agreement as it moves from the first day it was implemented and made even stronger at the end of the first 3 1/2 years of the treaty.  This Board of Peace could actually be the Ten Horns mentioned in the Book of Revelation 17.  One of those Ten Horns could be the King of Saudi Arabia, who recently visited the White House in November.

  The special Board of Peace could be the group mentioned in Revelation 17:12-13, “And the ten horns which thou saw are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.  These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.”

 The big question now is, are we seeing the ten kings forming?  The Board of Peace does not have ten members announced or even the number.   As the Bible suggests, they will arise quickly and will be given King status while they are with the beast for one hour.  That  refers to a short time,  This is why this new Board of Peace with President Trump as its Chairman demands our attention.

 Teachers of Bible prophecy have always taught that we would see stage-setting events like this, prior to the rapture.

 Let’s be clear, we do not believe President Trump is the Antichrist.  He does not qualify Biblically.  God tells us in Daniel 11:37, “Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.”

 Some qualifications of Antichrist are that he will not regard or respect any religious system.  The phrase “the God of his fathers” brings some to conclude that the Antichrist will be a Jew, but will have no respect for his religious heritage.

 The phrase “the desire of women” may be the one thing that disqualifies President Trump as Antichrist.  Most Bible scholars believe that this Antichrist will have no sexual desire for women, and could perhaps even be homosexual.  Historical interpretations often associate the Antichrist with moral decay, which some link to homosexuality.

 Certain biblical passages are interpreted by some as suggesting non-heteronormative traits in the Antichrist and perversions that 2nd Thessalonians 2:4 reveals the belief ideology of Antichrist.  “Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he, as God, sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.”  The association may be what we are seeing in our society regarding Transgender, LGBTQ, and other perverted ideologies.  The Antichrist is often depicted as a figure who subverts societal norms, which can include sexual norms.

 This is another birth pang of the many emerging daily.  If the Board of Peace is eventually made up of ten of the most powerful and respected leaders in the world — catch your breath.  Since the rapture takes place before the Tribulation starts, you can readily see how close we are to the time when our Lord Jesus will fulfill his promise to return for us and take us to the place he went to prepare for us.

 It is time to give heed to the words of our Lord Jesus given to us in Luke 21:36, “Watch you therefore, and pray always, that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.”

 Our Lord Jesus only came to this earth to save sinners, who will escape the terrible judgments from God upon this earth.  We are promised in 1st John 1:7, “. . the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, cleanses us from all sin.”

Printed with permission of Today, the Bible & You located at P.O Box 1722, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma 74013, Phone Number (918) 279-1136, the name of the original article in the January 2026 issue of Today’s Front Page was “Is the Tribulation Framework Unveiling Right Before Our Eyes?  The miraculous vote of the UN BOARD OF PEACE prefigures the Tribulation and fulfills 2,600 Year Old Prophecy.” www.JohnBarela.com

 

 

 

What If You Were To Die TODAY? The Rightly Divided Guide To Biblical Salvation

On By David GossenIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

BROKEN PIECES MINISTRIES

Kyle & Raigan Gorzell

WHAT IF YOU WERE TO DIE

TODAY?

The Rightly Divided Guide

To Biblical Salvation

  On average, there’s about 170,000 people that die every day throughout the world.  Yesterday, for example, all of those individuals were alive.  Today, however, it’s a reality that those same individuals are now in Heaven or in Hell.

  IF YOU WERE TO DIE

TODAY, WHAT ARE YOU

TRUSTING IN

TO GET YOU TO HEAVEN?

  The Bible describes Hell as a literal place of “everlasting fire” that was originally prepared for “the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41).

  There’s not a single person on the face of this earth, yourself included, that should want anything to do with going to Hell.

God doesn’t want you there and neither do we!

  In reading this, we want to make sure that you know, with certainty, how to get to Heaven!

 “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32 (KJV)

  One of the first things you need to realize is the simple truth of who you are…

In order to show you that, we need to direct your attention to a portion of God’s Law known as the Ten Commandments.

 Within the Bible, the Ten Commandments are described as being a “schoolmaster” (Galatians 3:24).  That’s because their purpose is just like that of a teacher, they’re meant to teach you something very important about yourself…

  Take a moment and use your own life as an example.  Look what happens when you judge yourself by God’s Law.

  Here’s a few of the Commandments…

“Thou shalt not take the name of the  LORD thy God in vain” (Exodus 20:7)

  “Thou shalt not steal.” (Exodus 20:15)

  “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.“ (Exodus 20:16)

  “Thou shalt not covet” (Exodus 20:17)

  So how did you do?  Have you ever improperly used God’s name?  Stolen something?  Told a lie?  Desired something that wasn’t yours?

HERE’S THE

PROBLEM…

  We’ve all broken God’s Law on a regular basis throughout our lives.  When His Law is broken, that’s referred to as “sin” (1st John 3:4).

  The Bible says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” (Romans 3:23).

  Do you see now what happens when you judge yourself by God’s Law?  It simply teaches and shows you an accurate picture of who you truly are… YOU’RE A SINNER!

  That’s an undeniable fact that each and everyone us needs to realize about ourselves.

  “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6).

HERE’S THE

JUDGMENT…

  As the Judge, God is “just” (Isaiah 45:21).  He always acts with complete justice as He distributes to every person as they truly deserve. 

  “God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12:14)

  The problem, however, is the fact that you’ve already broken God’s Law and have sinned against Him all throughout your life.

  Do you see the situation you’re in?

  Your sins have already been judged and here’s the verdict…  You’re “guilty.” (Romans 3:19)

  Think about the situation as if it were a judicial matter, like in a courtroom setting…

  If a person today is convicted of a crime, they would either be sentenced to do the time for their crime or they would be required to make the appropriate payment for their debt to the law.

  Before a judge, simply confessing their crime, asking for forgiveness, or stating how good of a person they are would NOT satisfy justice.

  That would be like a person robbing a bank and then afterwards, simply asking for forgiveness.

  Would the judge let them go?  Of course not!

  Justice requires time or a payment! 

  Truthfully, that’s the same situation that you’re currently in before God…

  Your sins require a payment to satisfy the debt which stands against you!

  If a valid payment were made, then God would legally be able to forgive you and reconcile you back unto Himself with justice being satisfied.

  On the other hand, if you were to die without a payment, it’s a terrifying reality that you would be in Hell serving an eternal judgment, sort of like you doing the time for your crime.

  We plead with you…  DO NOT GO TO HELL!

  Today, what you simply need is a payment that God would accept for the debt of your sins!

HERE’S THE

PAYMENT…

  Are you ready for some good news?

  The payment has ALREADY been made! 

  The Bible declares that God is a “Spirit” (John 4:24), and at just the right time, He came and was born into the world as a man.

  His “name was called JESUS” (Luke 2:21).

  “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” (Colossians 2:9) 

  “And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.” (1st John 3:5) 

  Jesus Christ lived a perfect life, having NO sin in Him nor upon Him, which uniquely qualified Him as the ONLY individual who could legally make an atonement (payment) on our behalf.

   At the end of His earthly ministry, He did just that!  Jesus died upon the cross, shedding His blood as the required payment for our sins.

  “Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:” (1st Corinthians 15:3-4)

  “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;” (Ephesians 1:7) 

  You see, throughout history, God has required blood as the valid payment for sins.  The Bible declares that it’s “the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.” (Leviticus 17:11)

  When Jesus was upon the cross, the last thing that He said was, “It is finished” (John 19:30).  Why?  Because the debt of YOUR  sins was fully and completely paid for with His own blood!

  After Jesus was crucified, He was buried, and after three days and three nights, He rose from the grave, victorious over Hell and death!

  After His resurrection, Jesus stated, “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.” (Revelation 1:18) 

  “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.” (Isaiah 45:22)

HERE’S THE

DECISION…

  Take a moment and think about the situation…

  Your sins require a payment that you’re NOT able to make!  You’re headed for Hell…

  In love and mercy towards you, God came as a legal substitute in order to make the payment on your behalf.  Your sinful record was laid to His charge so that His righteous record could be offered to you as a free gift!

  The Bible declares, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

  Keep in mind, a gift can be offered, but it’s not yours until you receive it! 

  If  you reject it, then it doesn’t belong to you… 

  Do you believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died to pay for your sins with His own blood? 

  “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

  “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)

  Salvation is a transaction that takes place in the heart when you turn from trusting in what you can do, to instead, TRUSTING  fully in what Jesus Christ has already done for you!

  To be saved, you can pray something like this in your heart: “Lord Jesus, I know that I’m a sinful person that rightfully deserves to go to Hell.  I believe that you died on the cross in order to pay for my sins with Your own blood.  You were buried, and after three days and three nights, You then rose from the grave, alive for evermore!  Now, with a repentant heart, I ask that You would save me as I place my trust in You and receive You as my personal Savior.”  

  In reading this, if you’ve made the decision to trust upon Jesus Christ as your Savior, we would like to invite you to reach out to us in order to talk further! 

  Upon getting saved, it’s our desire to see you then grow in your relationship  with the Lord as you begin to walk with Him on a daily basis! 

  “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.” (Colossians 2:6-7) 

 

 

Questions or Prayer Requests?

Kyle & Raigan Gorzell

(210) 870-8530

http://www.brokenpiecesministries.org

BROKEN PIECES

MINISTRIES

Standing upon the authority of the King James Bible.

Printed with permission of Kyle & Raigan Gorzell of Broken Pieces Ministries of Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

 

 

 

No matter what people call it, the land never was and never will be ‘Palestine’

On By David GossenIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Today, the Bible & You

Today’s Front Page

The Nation’s Christian Newspaper

November 2025

No matter what people call it,

the land never was and never will be ‘Palestine’

  HarbingersDaily.com | By Oliver Melnick | September 25, 2025

  Had Hitler not committed suicide in his bunker and survived the war, would he have been a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize?  Of course not, so why in the world is Palestine being recognized as a state two years after the bloody murders of October 7, 2023, by Hamas, and with still hostages kept in Gaza?  Are we rewarding terrorism, rape, murder, and hostage taking?  By saying yes to the Palestinian Authority demanding full recognition, we absolutely are, and that is more problematic than people realize.  These people have no history, no borders, no money, and they only have people.  The land they want was given to Israel by the Creator God, who gave it to them perpetually.  They have a 4,000-year history in that land.

  This year marks the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, and while many parts of the world could benefit from a genuine global organization that claims to be “the one place on Earth where all the world’s nations can gather together, discuss common problems, and find shared solutions that benefit all of humanity” the United Nations are obsessed with demonizing and delegitimizing Israel.  So much so, that since 2015, it has passed 301 resolutions against Israel and 192 against the rest of the world, including some countries such as North Korea, Iran, Sudan, Russia, China, Syria, and others.  The double standards are so obvious, but nobody seems to care.  The bias and one-sidedness are sickening!

 Officially, the Palestinian Liberation Organization declared the establishment of the State of Palestine in 1988.  This happened under the leadership of Yasser Arafat, who incidentally, was born in 1929 in Cairo, Egypt, not “Palestine.”  Ever since, more countries have officially recognized Palestine as a bonafide state.  151 out of the 193 nations part of the United Nations have now taken sides against Israel by recognizing Palestine.  This year, UK, France, Belgium, Portugal, Australia, Malta, and Canada will join ranks.

  It would be difficult to accept such recognition even if it had conditions to it, knowing full well that these pre-requisites to a two-state solution would be broken within days.  How do I know that?  Simply look at the Gaza Strip.  That area was under Israeli control until 2005.  Under Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Israel dismantled their military operations and evacuated all Israeli citizens from the Strip, leaving behind an infrastructure that could have been picked up and utilized to grow the Arab economy in the Gaza Strip.  Buildings were destroyed, greenhouses leveled, along with any remnant of an Israeli economy and infrastructure.  Twenty years later, the Gaza Strip includes 300 miles of tunnels dedicated to only one thing: killing Jews!

  Let me get this straight.  Israel has not been inside Gaza officially since 2005, so there is no occupation of that strip of land by Jewish settlers, period.  The strip was given unilaterally to the Arabs to settle and grow their economy and society.  Instead, they expanded their terrorism year after year, right in front of the world and with the financial help and political support of many nations, in the name of peace in the Middle East, and then…October 7, 2023, happened.  Now, several major nations from within the West are recognizing Palestine unilaterally and without any conditions.  What could possibly go wrong?

  Since 2015, the United States has voted 93% in favor of Israel at the UN.  Let’s pray that trend continues.  Yet, with the likely election of Zohran Mamdani as the next mayor or New York and the slow by steady growth of Islam within our walls, America could turn on Israel as well.  After all, the Bible does prophesy that in the End Times, the whole world — including America — will turn on Jerusalem, as spoken by Zechariah.

  “But it will be in that day, that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who heave it up will be severely injured.  And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it.”

  As “Palestine” is on the cusp of being unilaterally recognized and terrorism rewarded, Israel increasingly finds itself pushed into a corner.  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu might not have any other option but to annex Judea and Samaria (wrongly labelled as the West Bank) as a response to the Palestinian recognition.

  The land never was and never will be Palestine, no matter what people call it.  It is God’s land, and He was the very first Zionist!  Coming to the rescue of Israel and speaking up against the lies spewed by the Red / Green axis is not only unpopular, but it is slowly becoming lethal.  In light of Charlie Kirk’s assassination for speaking biblical truth and being a friend of Israel, we must not remain silent.  As the days of being pro-Israel continue, even if her friends are dwindling, those of us in that camp need to move it up a notch and get skin in the game.  As we continue to be pro-Israel, we now need to become proactive for Israel.

Printed with permission of Today, the Bible & You located at P.O. Box 1722, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma 74013, Phone Number (918) 279-1136 the name of the original article in the November 2025 issue of Today’s Front Page was “No matter what people call it, the land never was and never will be ‘Palestine'” www.JohnBarela.com

 

Has God Replaced His Chosen People, Israel? Are God’s promises to Israel still in effect?

On By David GossenIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Today, The Bible & You

Today’s Front Page

The Nation’s Christian Newspaper

September 2025

Has God Replaced His Chosen People,

Israel?

Are God’s promises to Israel

still in effect?

 Does God have a plan for the nation of Israel in the end days?

   Of course.  We are told in Numbers 24:14, “Now, behold, I go unto my people: come therefore, and I will advertise thee what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days.” 

  The apostle Paul brings us this same question in the New Testament book of Romans 11:1-2, 25-27 “I say then, Has God cast away his people?  God forbid.  For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.  God has not cast away his people, which he foreknew.  Know you not what the scripture says of Elias?  How he makes intercession to God against Israel saying … For I would not, brethren that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.  And so, all Israel shall be saved:  as it is written, “There shall come out of Scion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:  For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.“

  Israel was blinded to the two comings of our Lord Jesus to earth.  The two comings of the Messiah serve as a framework for understanding divine intervention in human history, emphasizing hope and the promise of salvation.  Israel failed to see their Messiah come as a suffering servant, as is pictured in a very graphic way in Isaiah 53, where the Messiah was to become the Lamb of God who would die for the sins of the people.  Being under the rule of Rome, the Jews wanted a Deliverer like Moses, not someone who would die on a Cross.

  Regarding the time of the Second Coming of the Messiah Jesus, we read in Hosea 5:15-6:3, “I will go and return to My place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek My face:  in their affliction they will seek Me early.  (They shall say) Come and let us return unto the Lord;  for He has torn, and He will heal us; He has smitten, and He will bind us up.  After two days will He revive us; in the third day He will raise us up, and we shall live in His sight…”.

  Some understand this verse to say that the phrase after two days, refers to two thousand years of the dispensation of the mystery mentioned in Romans 11:25, when Israel will be revived, after being in exile for this period since Titus destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD.

  Does the Scripture give credence to those who believe a timeframe may be calculated for prophetic events such as the Rapture of the Church or the Rebirth and Restoration of Israel to true faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob?

 

  The prophet Daniel calculated the length of the Babylonian Captivity from Jeremiah’s prophecy.  “In the first year of his reign, I Daniel, understood by books the number of the years, whereof the Word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem” (Daniel 9:2).  Most Bible centered teachers believe that such evidence has been available to the Church, through the prophecies of Hosea, to give us a credible time frame for the momentous events of prophecy that will close out this Church Age.  “And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your Redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21:28).

 

  The Bible is about two-thirds prophecy, and God certainly wants us to have an understanding of prophecy.  It is written, “It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honor of kings is to search out a matter” (Proverbs 25:2).  As Daniel wrote in Daniel 12:4, “But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end:  many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.“  Many passages of prophecy would be sealed until the time of the end, which time we believe we are now living in.

  It is only the Blessed Paraklete Himself (the Holy Spirit) that can remove the scales from our eyes to make plain the meaning He intended when He inspired the writing of the prophecies.  “Howbeit when He, the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all Truth:  for He shall not speak of Himself;  but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you Things To Come” (John 16:13). Much of what the Old Testament prophets composed by the Spirit’s inspiration, was not understood by the prophets themselves, though they faithfully recorded Jehovah’s message.  “Of which Salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:  Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.  Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the Gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from Heaven; which things the angels desire to look into” (1st Peter 1:10-12).

  God gives us a huge view into the future of the chosen nation, Israel, and its restoration in the latter days.  God spoke through his prophet Hosea in 808 BC.  “After two days will He revive us: in the third day He will raise us up, and we shall live in His sight” (Hosea 6:2).  Hosea’s prophecy occurred during the days of Northern Israel, before the successive invasions of the Assyrians as we read in “And the LORD said unto him.  Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel.  And it shall come to pass at that day, that  I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel” (Hosea 1:4-5).  Though much of  prophesy has a dual meaning, a “contemporary-to-them-but-historic-to-us” significance, some passages were difficult to interpret under any contemporary, historic, future, or prophetic scenario. “Come, and let us return unto the LORD:  for He hath torn, and He will heal us; He hath smitten, and He will bind us up.  After two days will He revive us:  in the third day He will raise us up, and we shall live in His sight.  Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD:  HIs going forth is prepared as the morning:  and He shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the Earth” (Hosea 6:1-3).

 In John Gill’s commentary, “An Exposition of the Old and New Testament” (1809), he offers this short explanation of the cryptic second verse of Hosea’s sixth chapter — “After two days will He revive us:  in the third day He will raise us up, and we shall live in HIs sight” (Hosea 6:2) — Gill comments:

  “But the Targum comes nearer the truth, which paraphrases the words thus, ‘he will quicken us in the days of consolation which as to come, and in the day of the resurrection of the dead he will raise us up;  where by days of consolation are meant the days of the Messiah, with which the Jews generally connect the resurrection of the dead;  and if we understand them of the last days of the Messiah, it is not much amiss;  for the words of respect the quickening and raising up of the Jews in the latter days, the times of Christ’s spiritual coming and reign:  and these two and three days may be expressive of a long and short time, as interpreters differently explain them; of a long time, as the third day is a long time for a man to lie dead, when there can be little or no hope of his reviving — ‘But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel:  and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done’ (Luke 24:21) — or of a short time, for which two or three days is a common phrase; and both true in this case: it is a long time Israel and Judah have been in captivity, and there may seem little hope of their restoration; 

  But it will be a short time with the Lord, with whom a thousand years are as one day, and one day as a thousand years [‘But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the LORD as a thousand years as one day’ (2nd Peter 3:8)]: and this I take to be the sense of the words, that after the second Millennium, or the Lord’s two days, and at the beginning of the third, will be the time of their conversion and restoration, reckoning from the last destruction of them by the Romans [70 AD]; for not till then were Israel and Judah wholly in a state of death:  many of Israel were mixed among those of Judah before the Babylonish captivity, and many returned with them from it;  but, when destroyed by the Romans, there was an end of their civil and church state;  which will both be revived on a better foundation at this period of time;  but if this conjecture agreeable (for I only propose it as such), the sense may be taken thus, that in a short time after the repentance of Israel, and their conversion to the Lord, they will be brought into a very comfortable and happy state and condition, both with respect to things temporal and spiritual.”

  Mr. Gill wrote this in 1809, many years before the Jews began their return to their promised land at the beginning of the 1900’s, which resulted in the declaration of the State of Israel on May 14, 1948. 

  Certainly, John Gill was not attempting to predict the timing of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture, but many students of prophecy are certainly encouraged that their “Redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21:28), in light of Hosea’s ancient writings, fits Hosea’s prophecy.  Why?

 

  First, Daniel’s prophecy indicates a time of Tribulation (often called the Tribulation or the Seventieth Week of Daniel).  “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy Holy City… and in the midst of the week [the Seventieth Week] he [the Antichrist] shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he [the Antichrist] shall make it  desolate” (Daniel 9:24, 27).

  Second, the departure of the watching and waiting Church before the beginning of the Tribulation week is held out to the saints as an inducement to remain faithful.  “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).

   

   Third, the restoration of the Nation of Israel to true faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will occur suddenly in one day after the seven-year Tribulation Week, when Messiah Jesus returns “Shall the Earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children” (Isaiah 66:8).  Israel was born in one day on May 14, 1948.

  Fourth, the destruction of Jerusalem by the legions of Rome occurred in 70 AD.  When did Rome burn the Temple?  The Romanized Jewish historian, Josephus, witnessed the actual event.  He recorded that it was burned on ‘exactly the same day it was burned by the Babylonians’.  Jeremiah the Prophet gives the exact date of Nebuchadnezzar’s burning of the Jerusalem Temple. ‘Now in the fifth month, in the tenth day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, which served the king of Babylon, into Jerusalem.  And burned the house of the LORD, and the king’s house;  and all the houses of the great men, burned he with fire’ (Jeremiah 52:12-13).  It was destroyed by the Babylonians on the 10th day of the 5th month or Av 10.  John Zachary in his book, ‘Scientific Evidence for the Second Coming of Christ’ on page 8, establishes Sunday, August 5, 70 AD (Julian) — also Av 10 as the correct date for the destruction of the 2nd Temple.

   And finally, if we interpret Hosea’s “two days” (Hosea 6:2) as 2,000 years — “one day is with the LORD as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2nd Peter 3:8) — and since the Old Testament Jewish calendar is based upon a 360 day year, then “two days” (Hosea 6:2) — 2,000 years times 360 days equals 720,000 days — “after” (Hosea 6:2) the Av 10 Roman destruction of the Jewish Temple would be the period August 5th 70 AD (Julian) to November 17th 2041 AD (Gregorian).

   What did Hosea’s prophecy say would occur after “two days” (Hosea 6:2)? “He will heal us… and He will bind us up” (Hosea 6:1).  The future Conversion and Restoration of Israel would occur “after two days” (Hosea 6:2).

 

  SOME THINK — (not John Barela) that based on some of their calculations, Israel could be (not WILL be) -restored for the Millennial Reign of the Messiah soon after November 17, 2041 AD (Gregorian).  “In the third day [the thousand year Millennium] He will raise us up, and we shall live in His sight” (Hosea 6:2).  But, since the Restoration of Israel occurs at the the Second Coming of Christ, which follows the end of the Seventieth Week of Daniel, then about seven years prior, the Pre-Tribulation Rapture would take place.  “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:36).  This additional calculation would mean that the Tribulation would begin on December 25th 2034 AD (Gregorian), which is 2,520 days or seven prophetic years before the end of the Tribulation Week.

   Does this mean that December 25th, 2034 AD (Gregorian) is the date of the Pre-Tribulational Rapture?  NO, NO, because it would be much more agreeable to be raptured now, instead of years later!  “For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ;  which is far better” (Philippians 1:23).

  Our Lord Jesus Can Come At Any Time:  God himself knows the exact time when he will return, even though he wants us to live with the expectation that he can return at any time.  That allows the Judge of All the Earth, as he is referred to in Genesis 18:25, to work his work of judgment at any time.  “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of All Flesh:  is there any thing too hard for Me?” (Jeremiah 32:27).

   God gave us a wonderful story in the Bible when Hezekiah asked for and received a sign from the LORD that he would recover from his illness.  Our Creator caused the “space-time continuum” to go back in time, i.e., God reversed the rotation of the Earth temporarily.  “And Isaiah said, This sign shalt thou have of the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing that He hath spoken:  shall the shadow go forward ten degrees, or go back ten degrees?  And Hezekiah answered, It is a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees: nay, but let the shadow return backward 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” (2nd Kings 20:9-11).  The ability of the Alpha and Omega to touch the improbable is underappreciated.  “With men it is impossible, but not with God:  for with God all things are possible” (Mark 10:27).  He is able to affect the timing of prophetic events, such that what things man calculated as impossible, God will bring to pass, for the honor of His prophetic Word.  “So shall My Word be that goes forth out of My mouth:  it shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11).

   Why would the Almighty cause this prophecy to seemingly falter from the fulfillment of His end time prophetic goals?  It is possible that the “falter” and confusion are for the benefit of: 

(1) Satan, to keep him from unnecessarily understanding or interfering with Jehovah’s prophetic plans, i.e., “And his [Satan’s] tail drew the third part of the stars of Heaven, and did cast them to the Earth:  and the dragon stood before the woman [Israel] which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her Child [Jesus] as soon as It was born.  And she brought forth a Man Child, Who was to rule all nations with a Rod of Iron:  and her Child was caught up unto God, and to His Throne” (Revelation 12:4-5),

(2) the scoffers, to harden them for ultimate judgment, i.e., “For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that He might destroy them utterly, and that they might have no favor, but that He might destroy them, as the LORD commanded Moses” (Joshua 11:20), and 

(3)  the Saints, to cause them to develop faith, hope and love, even when our limited resources cannot fathom the sheer perfection of timing of the Father’s prophetic program, “As for God, His way is perfect: the Word of the LORD is tried:  He is a Buckler to all those that trust in Him” (Psalm 18:30).  “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our LORD” (Romans 8:37-39).

 

   The impending deliverance through the Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church, the subsequent Re-Birth and Restoration of the Nation of Israel to true faith in Jehovah, the Second Coming of the LORD Jesus Christ, and the Millennial Reign of the Messiah, are events of the greatest hope for our world, but all can be manipulated by the Almighty, with greater ease than a child plays with a toy, or than a potter forms his clay.  “Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause thee to hear My Words.  Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.  And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter:  so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.  Then the Word of the LORD came to me, saying, O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter?  saith the LORD.  Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand so are ye in Mine hand,  O house of Israel.  At what instant shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it;  If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.  And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it;  If it do evil in My sight, that it obey not My voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them” (Jeremiah 18:2-10).

  Our prayer is: may the “LORD direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ” (2nd Thessalonians 3:5), that when He sovereignly chooses to execute His prophetic plans, we “may be found of Him in peace, without spot and blameless” (2nd Peter 3:14), with our “hand to the plough” (Luke 9:62). 

Printed with permission of Today, the Bible & You located at P.O. Box 1722, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma 74013, Phone Number (918) 279-1136 the name of the original article in the September 2025 issue of Today’s Front Page was “Has God Replaced His Chosen People, Israel?  Are God’s promises to Israel still in effect?  Does God have a plan for the nation of Israel in the end days?” www.JohnBarela.com

THE EMERGENT CHURCH and how little Christians know about it.

On By David GossenIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Today, The Bible & You

Today’s Front Page

The Nation’s Christian Newspaper

November 2025

THE EMERGENT CHURCH

and how little Christians know about it.

  One part of the future reign of Antichrist is the Bride of Antichrist, the One World Church.  One aspect of that group is called the Emergent Church, and it is about to submerge your church. The tragic thing about all of this is that most people in these churches do not even know it!  Here are some warning signs:

  • Scripture is no longer the ultimate authority as the basis for the Christian faith.
  • The centrality of the gospel of Jesus Christ is being replaced by humanistic methods promoting church growth and a social gospel.
  • More and more emphasis is being placed on building the kingdom of God now and less and less on the warnings of Scripture about the imminent return of Jesus Christ and a coming judgment in the future.
  • The teaching that Jesus Christ will rule and reign in a literal millennial period is considered unbiblical and heretical.
  • The teaching that the church has taken the place of Israel and Israel has no prophetic significance is often embraced.
  • The teaching that the book of Revelation does not refer to the future, but instead has already been fulfilled in the past or is allegorical.
  • An experiential mystical form of Christianity needs to be reinvented in order to provide meaning for this generation.
  • The pastor may implement an idea called “ancient-future” or “vintage Christianity,” claiming that in order to take the church forward, we need to go back in church history and find out what experiences were effective to get people to embrace Christianity.
  • While the authority of the Word of God is undermined, images and sensual experiences are promoted as the key to experiencing and knowing God.
  • These experiences include icons, candles, incense, liturgy, labyrinths, prayer stations, contemplative prayer, and experiencing the sacraments (for Protestants), particularly the sacrament of the Eucharist.
  • There seems to be a strong emphasis on ecumenism, indicating that a bridge is being established that leads in the direction of unity with the Roman Catholic Church. This will ultimately lead to the one world religion of Revelation.
  • Some “evangelical” Protestant leaders are saying that the Reformation went too far.  They are reexamining the claims of the “church fathers,” saying that communion is more than a symbol and that Jesus actually becomes present in the wafer at communion.
  • Some suggest there are many ways to God.
  • Members of churches who question or resist the new changes that the pastor is implementing are reprimanded and usually asked to leave.  If you are over age 50, your opinion will not even matter. 

  There still may be time to stop your church from “submerging” to “Emerging”, but only if you act decisively and in union with others in your church who feel the same.  A delegation of one or two will never impress church leadership, who already think this “new way of doing church” is better than warm  bagels and who have swallowed the Emergent deception.  And make no mistake, it is deception.

 

  When some of the following are lauded from the pulpit or Sunday School class, you need to take that as a clue: Rob Bell, Doug Pagitt, Dan Kimball, Brian McLaren, Tony Jones, Dallas Willard, Erwin McManus, and many others, too numerous to name.  You may think it harmless to have a pastor just give a quote from one of these men, but when you understand that they represent the above bullet points, it should be a huge red flag. 

  We all need to take heed of Matthew 7:15-20, “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.  By their fruit you will recognize them.  Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?  Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.”

 

Printed with permission of Today, the Bible & You located at P.O. Box 1722, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma 74013, Phone Number (918) 279-1136 the name of the original article in the November 2025 issue of Today’s Front Page was “THE EMERGENT CHURCH and how little Christians know about it.” www.JohnBarela.com 

Preparations for the land invasion of Israel by Iran are being made

On By David GossenIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Today, The Bible & You

Today’s Front Page

The Nation’s Christian Newspaper

October 2025

Preparations for the land invasion 

of Israel by Iran are being made!

  “And say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal:”

  “And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armor, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:”

  “Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:”

  “Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee.”

  “Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.”

  “After many days thou shalt come into the land that is brought  back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.” (Ezekiel 38:3-8)

 Analysis: Will Iran Advance a Ground

Invasion into Israel from Syria?

  It appears Tehran is weighing the strategic option of mobilizing forces to attack Israel from the north — Dr. Yossi Mansharof breaks down how Israel should respond.

  A month after the unprecedented Israeli attack on twenty different targets across Iran, the scope of which is slowly becoming clearer, Iran is still waiting to respond due to forced circumstances.  Iran’s air defense systems were significantly damaged in the attack, and the US elections also contributed to the  postponement of the attack, due to Tehran’s desire not to promote Trump’s chances of winning.  Various senior Iranian officials are again declaring Tehran’s desire to respond to Israel with a third direct attack after the attacks in April and October.  As part of the media debate in Iran surrounding the issue, the daily Khorasan,  affiliated with the Conservative camp, called on the Iranians regime in its November 21, 2024 article to launch a ground invasion of Israel from the Syrian Golan Heights.

  The daily explained that pro-Iranian Shiite militias have already been deployed in this area, and that Syria is expected to approve such an action since it has the right to take military action to liberate the Golan Heights.  The daily estimated that such an attack is already in the planning stages; this is backed by the fact that this outline was discussed in recent meetings held in Damascus and Tehran, between Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh and Iranian leader Ali Khamenei’s aide, Ali Larijani, with Assad, and Syrian Foreign Minister and  senior officials in Tehran. Khorasan also expressed concern for the Syrian President’s life if the outline were to be implemented, and called on Tehran to devote significant attention to protecting him from Israel. 

  Iran’s “toolbox” in Syria is rich and diverse, and includes the Imam Hussein Division, established back in 2016 under the command of the then-Quds Force commander, Qassem Soleimani.  The division consists  of thousands of operatives of various nationalities from across the Middle East. The pro-Iranian militias of the Afghan Fatemiyoun, the Pakistani Zainabiyoun,  and of course, Lebanese Hezbollah are also operating in Syria.  Alongside these, in recent months, it was reported that dozens of Houthi operatives have taken the initiative to invade Israel by land via the Syrian border with the assistance of the Quds Force; Tehran may choose to use them if it does indeed wish to advance a ground invasion of Israel. 

 It is worth noting that the Khorasan article also claimed that senior Hezbollah figures led by top commander Ibrahim Aqeel, killed by the IDF on September 20, 2024 had already been planning a ground invasion of Israel from the Golan Heights as a response to the July assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. 

  However, according to the Daily, the planned attack was thwarted by the preemptive strike carried out by Israel.  The daily explained that the goal of the ground invasion could not be to “liberate” the Golan Heights, but rather to pressure Israel to end the war in accordance with Hamas and Hezbollah’s terms.  As Khorasan admitted, Iran’s missile attacks against Israel have limited success in this regard and cannot serve the purpose of halting the war and forcing Israel to accept a ceasefire under the terms of the Axis of Resistance.

  How should Israel respond? 

   As a lesson of the October 7, 2023 massacre, Israel cannot ignore that Tehran is again toying with the idea of planning a ground invasion of Israel. Alongside the continued the continued IDF initiative on the Syrian side of the border, Israel must prepare diplomatically and militarily to make it clear to both Iran and Syria that they will bear all consequences if the plan is implemented. Despite the ongoing attack on senior members of the “Golan File” — the Hezbollah force responsible for establishing a terrorist infrastructure in the Syrian Golan — Iran’s motivation to operate on the ground through Syria still exists.  Therefore, alongside the continued fortifications on the border of the Golan Heights, Israel must make clear to Iranian leaders that Israel will continue to attack Iran directly, including sensitive targets throughout the country and senior members of the Quds Force operating in the area.

  Israel must also make it clear to Syria that their regime will pay a heavy price for carrying out this potential attack, to pressure them into refusing the Iranian request to operate from his territory.  Israel can also work with Russia to restrain Syria and make it difficult to allow Iran to advance a ground invasion plan and to explain that the consequences of such an attack would lead to chaos in Syria, resulting in its losing its grip on the country.  Another possible level for Israel is the United Arab Emirates, which maintains close ties with Syria. According to reports, the UAE has already conveyed a message to Syria immediately after the outbreak of the Swords of Iron war: don’t intervene in the war in Gaza.  It seems that Israel has a lot of room to maneuver against Syria, especially since the Syrian front is the least active of the seven areas fighting Israel in the current war.

Printed with permission of Today, the Bible & You located at P.O. Box 1722, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma 74013, Phone Number (918) 279-1136 the name of the original article in the October 2025 issue of Today’s Front Page was “Preparations for the land invasion of Israel by Iran are being made.” www.JohnBarela.com