Hello, John and Doves,According to Robert Mawire, some African tribes still wear dried gourd skins over their private parts. You don't ever want to be out of your gourd--not in public, anyway.On that note, there is a scripture that comes to mind."And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things [are] naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we [must give] account."As such, we must ponder the following verse also,"The secret [things belong] to the LORD our God, but those [things which are] revealed [belong] to us and to our children forever, that [we] may do all the words of this law."We only really need a good, clear hope.1 "Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! [fn] Therefore the world does not know us, [fn] because it did not know Him.2 "Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.3 "And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure."I gave a prophecy about 26-1/2 years ago in a College/Career Bible study group that the closer we got to the Rapture, the more we could be sure that His coming is soon, but the more uncertain the exact date would be. Never in my wildest dreams did I think (at that time) that we would be approaching the midpoint of Daniel's Seventieth Week, April 11, 2012, without a clue to the exact date of Our Lord's coming! The guesses on http://www.fivedoves.com/ are all over the place!!!! I guess the Devil's own head is spinning!It is written,Who has understood the mind of the LORD, or instructed him as his counselor?"...But we have the mind of Christ." 1 Corinthians 2:16b
Jesus said,But of that day and hour knows no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.This is exactly the wording that the Groom was required to say to the Bride, because only the Father has the authority to give the okay that all things are ready. I am sure that y'all have been encouraged by reports from those who have been "there and back again," that all preparations are nearing completion. The only thing that seems to delay Our Lord's coming is the salvation of those individuals chosen by the Father from before the foundation of the world to be members of the Bride of Christ. Truly, only the Father knows when Jesus is coming for us.Keep looking up!Baruch HaShem Adonai Roi,Mike C._________________________________________________________________________________Jim Bramlett (10 Feb 2012)
"Has God given us a hint of the rapture day?"
Dear friends:
Has God given us a hint of the rapture day? Some may recoil and say, "Here we go again. Bramlett's out of his gourd." (Whatever that means.)
I may be out of my gourd, but I believe the Lord may be revealing some things to us.
The Day of Ascension has always seemed to me like a strong possibility for the rapture. Other significant dates also have their arguments, but the Day of Ascension has always seemed special to me.
Why? Because that is the day of Jesus' rapture! He set the example. He was the firstfruits. "Each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming" (1 Corinthians 15:23).
As I woke up this morning the song "Days of Elijah" began blaring in my brain and I could not get rid of it. It was like the Lord planted it there. As I listened, some intriguing thoughts came to me:
1. Probably the most watched TV show in history was Super Bowl 46, on February 5, 2012. Millions from every continent and language viewed it. It would have been an ideal venue for God to communicate with us.
2. The star of the game and Most Valuable Player was quarterback Eli Manning. I said to myself, "Hmmmm, I wonder what Eli means in Hebrew." I checked my lexicon and discovered that Eli means "ascension." Whoa! That seemed very significant.
3. Smith's Bible Dictionary says of Eli: "The character of Eli is marked by eminent piety, as shown by his meek submission to the divine judgment." God's people who will be raptured are referred to as saints, not because of their own behavior, but by the blood of Jesus.
4. The song says, "Lift your voice, it’s the year of jubilee." I checked the Internet and many believe 2012 is, in fact, the biblical "Year of Jubilee."
5. I remembered that one of my favorite and most trusted Bible teachers, Marilyn Agee, has written on the possibility of Ascension Day 2012 being the day if the rapture. http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/feb2012/marilyna28.htm.
6. All these confluences came to me today within minutes. It was like God was feeding them to me.
Behold He comes riding on the clouds,
Shining like the sun at the trumpet call;
Lift your voice, it’s the year of jubilee,
And out of Zion’s hill salvation comes.
He's coming! Prepare ye the way!
Jim