The American Wisdom Series

Presents

Matthew #2521

You must go to Jesus Christ, to the Word of God, privately (Mark 13:3) when you do not know something and seek revelation (understanding) by listening to His Voice, hearing His words in your ear! Yes, His Word, it's written in your Bible!

It is written concerning the last days that if you are a true and faithful disciple and servant of Jesus Christ, then you should expect persecution to come your way and for some to even be delivered up before kings and rulers for HIS NAME'S SAKE to give "testimony against them and the nations"! Jesus Christ told us that in Mat. 10:18 and we can read it again in Mat. 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21 which reads as follows:

Luke 21:12
But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake.
The persecution and the delivering up are all part of the Plan of God to give witness and testimony to this froward generation.
[13] And it shall turn to you for a testimony.
However, Christ also said not to be anxious nor premeditate about what you shall say when that time comes for it is written that when you are delivered up for His name's sake, your Father through His Spirit will take charge of things.
Matthew 10:19
But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.

[20] For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.

So what kind of a Christian are you? Are you one who seeks to escape from the great tribulation of the spurious messiah, Satan claiming to be Jesus, (which contrary to popular belief is actually a time of peace and prosperity, Dan. 11:21-24) and be "raptured" out of here to avoid being delivered up to "death" to give testimony? Or are you a spiritual warrior who is not afraid to put on the whole gospel armor (Eph. 6) and take a stand against the fiery darts of the wicked one? If the latter be the case, then again, expect some adversities to come your way.

Editor's note: Most Christians, who are afraid of the coming tribulation, are afraid because they can't get their minds to think in the spirit; they rather are afraid for their little old flesh hides. The tribulation is all spiritual! Satan wants your soul, not your flesh and blood body!
Matthew 10:23 But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.

Always use the wisdom contained in the instructions of Jesus Christ who has already told us to keep our peace and depart "shaking the dust off of our feet" from those houses and cities where we are not welcome and who will not hear His Word (Mat. 10:14).The same applies when we are persecuted for His name's sake. Of course Christian soldiers do not quit serving Him when a little persecution comes their way. On the contrary, they are "doers" of His Word who shall stay in the field of battle and endure unto the end (Mat. 10:22)... "till the Son of man be come" (Mat. 10:23)! That last phrase lets us know that Christ is talking to His disciples about the events and the persecution of these last days, just prior to His second advent.  That means He is talking to you if you are one of His disciples!

[24] The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.
A student is no better than his teacher nor is a servant more privileged than the one he serves under. However, it would be quite sufficient (even an honor) if the student was treated in the same manner as the teacher, wouldn't it? The whole point is, if they persecuted Jesus Christ your Lord and Master, they will persecute you His student (disciple) and His servant (apostle)! "It comes with the territory", as they say, so expect it as no surprise and be prepared!
[25] It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?
Beelzebub is one of Satan's names which means "Lord of the Dunghill" or even "Lord of the Flies (of the dunghill)" and when we get to chapter twelve we will see the religionists actually accuse Jesus Christ, the Word of God, of casting out demonic spirits by Beelzebub. So if you are a student who follows in the path of the master and you serve Him by planting seeds or going forth teaching the spirit of truth which is His Word, then expect your work to be labeled non-Christian and of the Devil. And if you are speaking His words after the manner of the watchmen (Ezk. 3:4), as in "It is written" and "Thus saith the Lord", then you do give witness for the One they are really accusing!
[26] Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.
Don't worry about those goons who persecute you and call you names! Stay focused on the "plan" knowing that God is uncovering, unveiling, ALL the heretofore hidden visions of the prophets (Dan. 12:9) to bring forth the marvelous light of His truth in these last days! And you know what else? He is using His disciples and His faithful, unswerving servants to do it. Those servants are the sons and daughters of Acts chapter two, the brothers and sisters of the churches of Philadelphia and Smyrna (Rev. 2&3) who revere (love) their Father and keep His Word (i.e. do as He commands) regardless of whether or not it pleases men. In fact, you can rest assured that teaching the fire of His truth will not please most men, especially those of the religious community!
[27] What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.
You must go to Jesus Christ, to the Word of God, privately (Mark 13:3) when you do not know something and seek revelation (understanding) by listening to His Voice, hearing His words in your ear!
Mark 13:3  And as he sat upon the mount of Olives over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, 4  Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?
5  And Jesus answering them...
THAT, i.e. His Words which you hear with ears to hear, is that revealed light, His truth, and it is His Words that you are to preach, as in herald or proclaim like a watchman from the housetops.
Yes, His Word, it's writen in your Bible!
Ezekiel 3:10
Moreover He said unto me, Son of man, all my words that I shall speak unto thee receive in thine heart, and hear with thine ears.
You are to hear ALL of His words in your ears! Again, it is His Words you are to proclaim and not the words of men and their traditions.
[11] And go, get thee to them of the captivity, unto the children of thy people, and speak unto them, and tell them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear.
Be prepared for some major rejection because most people will not hear, as in listen and take heed to what you say, even though you speak His words by directly quoting from the Word of God. Quite frankly, God says they will not hearken unto you because they won't even listen to Him. So do not be discouraged if you are sent as a watchman to herald His Word from the housetops! Remember, those hardened (hardheaded) wine skins not only can't handle new wine, the truth of His Word, they don't want to even hear it! Ezekiel 3:7 "But the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee; for they will not hearken unto me: for all the house of Israel are impudent and hardhearted."

Let us read one more time for emphasis what it is we are to hear in our ears.

Ezekiel 3:17
Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.
When you think about it, if you did not hear His words from His mouth then how could you proclaim what His Word says? Now here is another question: "Should one fear for his or her flesh life?" Those who believe in the "rapture" certainly seem to, for since they claim one must already be "saved" before he or she qualifies for the trip, the only thing the rapture can do is save the flesh from those who can kill the body. What does Christ say about fearing those who can kill the flesh body?
Matthew 10:28
And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
By the way, the Greek word for "destroy" is "apollumi" which comes from the same root word used in Satan's name Apollyon in Rev. 9:11? "Apollumi" means to perish as in destroy fully to the point that it is no more, such as Satan will be when he perishes in the lake of fire (Ezek. 28:18-19). That is why Satan is called the "son of perdition (apoleia)" because he is the son who has been sentenced to perish.
destroy, G622 ????????? apollumi ap-ol'-loo-mee
From G575 and the base of G3639; to destroy fully (reflexively to perish, or lose), literally or figuratively: - destroy, die, lose, mar, perish.
Rev 9:11 "And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon."
G623 ????????? Apolluon ap-ol-loo'-ohn
Active participle of G622; a destroyer (that is, Satan): - Apollyon.
You see, Dante's Inferno is an imagination of a man and is not scriptural in the least. Oh, there is a lake of fire but that lake does not come into existence until after the Millennium when the incorrigibly wicked shall be blotted out... as in gone forever!

Hey wait a minute! That is not commonly taught by the majority of Christianity (who teach that the wicked are going to be barbequed for ever and ever)! So what? God's Word says over and over again that the wicked are consumed away, that they PERISH! Even the most quoted verse of the Bible declares it to be so: Thus saith the Lord in John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Yes, the word perish in John 3:16 is "apollumi" which now you know means to "destroy fully".

Now hear these words of your Father in your ear:

Matthew 10:29
Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.
This statement is given for our comfort in adding emphasis to "fear ye not those who can kill the body" by reminding us that our Father does not miss noticing even when the least valuable bird falls on the ground. If that's the case, then you can be sure He is completely and totally aware of exactly what is happening in the lives of His most precious children. It is just another way to show us that our Shepherd is right here with us at all times so there is no need to fear them which kill the body. A good shepherd always protects His sheep. And not only that, the fact is if you are one of Christ's disciples sent forth to do His will, then Satan does not have permission to harm one hair on your head... and your Father knows exactly how many you have.
[30] But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
Here is Luke's account:
Luke 21:18 But there shall not a hair of your head perish.

Luke 21:19 In your patience possess ye your souls.

And so it is that those who patiently await and endure until the end, calling upon the name of Lord (which means to herald His righteousness, His Word), and who do not bow before the false-christ even in the face of what may appear to be certain death, the same shall be saved (Mat. 10:21).

It is amazing how good our Father is to us. Did you know that He has not only foretold us all these things (Mark 13:24) but He has also had "written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come (1 Cor. 10:13)", ensamples, types, acted out in HisStory to give us a visible similitude of those things that are invisible, i.e. that are spiritual?  And in so much as Christ brings the Book of Daniel into the picture in Matthew 24 and Mark 13 concerning "that same hour" of great tribulation when some of God's elect are delivered up to death, i.e. Apollyon, Satan, the abomination of desolation, the king of Babylon of Revelation, etc., we find an ensample in Daniel where "not an hair" on the head of His servants was harm when they were delivered up to death. In this ensample we see real fire being used that we might "see" spiritual fire, even the spiritual confrontation of these last days. To that end, let us go to the Book of Daniel and spend some time there learning from the type.

We pick up the story flow where the king of Babylon, Satan as a type of false-christ in the last days, has set up a golden image and as world ruler he has "heralded the command" to ALL people, nations, and languages to be in tune to the music and when they hear it to "fall down and worship" that image (see Rev. 13:15).

Here is the decree:

Dan 3:4 Then a herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages,

Dan 3:5 That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up:

The command is a "religious" command to worship the image of the beast!
Dan 3:6 And whoso falleth not down and worshipeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
If you remain patiently in the field and hold fast to your Father's Word during that final hour of temptation when the "king of Babylon" is present, then some of you can fully expect to be put on the hot seat. The liberal main stream media already loves to put those who claim to be Christian on the hot seat... but as the saying goes, you ain't seen nothin' yet, for things are going to get much hotter!
Dan 3:7 Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of music, all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshiped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
When the king of Babylon of Revelation comes, which is when Satan is cast out of heaven with his army of angels in Rev. 12:7-9, the majority of our Christian brothers and sisters will also bow down to Satan, the spurious messiah, and his NWO, along with the rest of the peoples and nations who bow down. The exception will be those who have the seal of God in their foreheads (Rev. 9:4), those who know their Father's Word and know exactly who the king of Babylon is. You see, only Christ's true disciples will "see" the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place claiming to be God.The rest of our Christian brothers and sisters will think they "see" Jesus Christ standing there. In other words, just as it is written in 2 Thes. 2, they will believe that the false messiah, the instead-of-Christ, is the real Jesus Christ.
Dan 3:8 Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and accused the Jews.
There you go! "Beware of men for they will deliver you up (Mat. 10:17)".
Dan 3:9 They spoke and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live forever.
These are your typical bunch of sweet talking, backstabbing "Chaldeans" brownnosing their king. They just love to ride on the Great Red Dragon's tail.

They are "little tattle tales" and here is their snitch report where they even cite excerpts from the official decree:

... Dan 3:12 There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
These "certain Jews" are defined in chapter one of Daniel as "... certain of the children of Israel, and of the king's seed, and of the princes; Dan 1:4 Children in whom was no blemish, but well favored, and skillful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans." In other words, these are God's elect, His disciples and faithful servants who are skillful in all wisdom, especially the wisdom which comes from His Word, who are now delivered up to death, i.e. to the king of Babylon who is a type of the king of Babylon of these last days! Will they be put to death? We will soon find out!
Dan 3:13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. Then they brought these men before the king.
Nothing sets old hot headed Satan more lunar (as in loony) like true men and women of God who keep their Father's commands and tell it like it is without fear of what men might do to them! And so it is we now see these men delivered up before the king of Babylon who shall soon try to destroy them. Luke 21:12 "But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake."
Dan 3:14 Nebuchadnezzar spoke and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?
You better believe it is true, O' king of Babylon.
Dan 3:15 Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?
Get this! The king of Babylon is challenging the God of Israel, the Creator of the Universe!
Dan 3:16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
"We are not careful" means they were neither anxious nor did they have to premeditate about what they were going to say.
Dan 3:17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
They knew God was with them... and we shall see a few verses hence that He indeed was! However, they also knew that even if God had a reason according to His will to allow them to die, they still would not bow to the golden image!
Dan 3:18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
Those are some pretty bold words and certainly no way to score brownie points to the worlds foremost egomaniac who likes to hear "O king, live forever", as we saw in vs. 9! Obviously Nebuchadnezzar interpreted what they said as "Take your image and shove it!" because he suddenly morphed into a great red fire-breathing dragon.
Dan 3:19 Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego: therefore he spoke, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.
 "Turn up the heat! Turn up the heat!" By the way, "7" in Biblical numerics denotes spiritual completeness which lets those who have eyes to see know that this concerns the spiritual fire of these last days.
Dan 3:20 And he commanded the most mighty men that werein his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.
 Did you get a load of this? Nebuchadnezzar didn't call forth ordinary "foot soldiers" or guards but rather he commanded the "most mighty men" that were "in his army" to bind and cast Shadrach, Meshach, and Abedneggo into the burning fiery furnace. (A word to the wise.) Guess ol' Neb was a little anxious himself over the bold words God's servants said to him concerning Almighty God delivering them out of his hands!
Dan 3:21 Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
 They had on the whole gospel armor of Ephesians 6 which is impervious to fiery darts... and fiery furnaces.
Dan 3:22 Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego.
 Note: Read Rev. 11:5.
Dan 3:24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste, and spoke, and said unto his counselors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.

Dan 3:25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.

Yes, The Shepherd was right there with them all the time!
Dan 3:27 And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counselors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was a hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.
There you are... not one little hair on their heads perished, nor was one even singed! Luke 21:18 "But there shall not a hair of your head perish."

So should you be anxious or worry about those who call kill the flesh when you know with certitude and it is written that your Father knows exactly what is happening in your life? Again, if He knows about the status of each little insignificant-by-comparison sparrow, like when one falls to the ground, how much more is He aware of each of His precious children, like when some of them are cast into a burning fiery furnace? Woe!

Matthew 10:31
Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
This verse has got to be the most understated verse in all of scripture for God loves His precious children so much that He would die for them. In fact, He did just that!

Thank you Father for the love you have given us.

To study the Bible is the noblest of all pursuits; to understand it, the highest of all goals.
We pray that with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, you accomplish both.


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