FIGHTING FIRE with FIRE - Preparing for Persecution For Righteousness' Sake

~ by James Fire

MATTHEW 5:10

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

We have covered this subject before in FROM the MIND of FIRE with the article Are You Persecution Proof?,  and the days being what they are, I feel a need to revisit this issue as the likelihood of persecution here in America seems only a matter of time - it's been happening for some time in isolated, individual cases, but it has yet, in a very overt, direct way, to strike at the heart of the church from coast to American coast – yet! But soon!

We see more and more solid indications that persecution in one form or another will be visiting our American shores (The Covid19 PLANdemic is a rather underhanded, back door method). It's my fervent prayer and desire that this article will encourage, even inspire the saints of GOD in these darkening days of dire and dread to remain steadfast and courageous in the face of such stark opposition and do "great exploits" (DANIEL 11:32b) by the power of GOD and for His glory!

It’s been a viable tactic of fire fighters for a long time now, to “fight fire with fire”. The idea of course is to go ahead of a fire raging out of control and burn up anything consumable, so that by the time the wildfire reaches that area, there is no fuel to consume, and the fire simply dies out. To ensure that the fires of persecution don't have a debilitating, destructive effect, we need the Fire of GOD to refine us, purging out the things of the flesh, any weaknesses that the fires of persecution could feed on!

ISAIAH 48:1-22 speaks about the hypocrisy of Israel that only feigned a love for truth and righteousness (see ISAIAH 48 vs. 1-2) and proved to be obstinate, hardheaded, and stiff necked in their rebellion (vs. 4). God knew that Israel would become spiritually diseased, desecrated, compromised and corrupted much as the Western church has become today. 

He provided the solution: “the furnace of affliction” so that they would be refined as silver is refined (silver has always been the Old Testament symbol for redemption) so that His holy name would no longer be polluted by Israel’s pathetic, defamatory testimony (vs. 10-11). 

He sent judgment upon the nation through Babylon that brought them under subjection (vs. 14). Ultimately God will redeem the nation of Israel by the One that God the Father and the Holy Spirit sent: the LORD Jesus Christ (vs. 17). Israel frustrated God by her unfaithfulness when He wanted to bless them to overflowing but couldn’t because of their obstinacy (vs. 18-19), yet He will one day indwell His people and cause them to walk in His statutes (EZEK 36:26-27).

This refinement in the furnace of affliction brings sanctification and holiness, the burning away of spiritual dross – that is, sinful habits and practices; brings spiritual strength, resolve and purifies our faith so that we can endure anything that the enemy attacks us with.

God’s holy fire will burn away those things in us so that when the fires of persecution come our way, there is no weakness, no relenting – nothing that the enemy can use as ‘fuel’ to break us and cower us into submission. There will be nothing left to burn!

Each of us will know this purification in our own God-ordained personal forge. Like the sword whose metal has been tested, beaten, refined and purified, so too will we be able to endure any battlefield the LORD places us in – and like that sword, we will not break in the heat of battle!

Then there are times when God uses persecution itself as a refining fire; persecution as with any fiery trial has a way of stripping us our pride, our self-reliance, our attraction to the things of the world, and it resets godly priorities as the greatest of goals, letting lesser things fall away. In so doing, the LORD gains our chiefest affections and devotions so that we, like the nation of Israel, cry out to Him with a heart of contrite repentance (PSALM 51:17; 34:18) and find the sweet fellowship – the fellowship of His sufferings (PHIL 3:10).

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JEWISH PREPARATIONS for the MESSIAH - Signs of the Times By Dr. David R. Reagan

~ By Dr. David Reagan of LAMB & LION/CHRIST in PROPHECY ministries

                    To read this article from the original website, go here. 

The Temple Mount as viewed looking east from the Mount of Olives. The Al-Aqsa Mosque is at the left end — the building with the dark dome. The building with the gold dome is an Islamic shrine called the Dome of the Rock. It is situated where most Orthodox Jews believe the first two Jewish Temples were located. The closed gate on the wall to the right is the Eastern Gate or Golden Gate. The gorge between the Mount of Olives and the Temple Mount is called the Kidron Valley (Photo by the author, taken in 2007).

End-time Bible prophecy focuses on the Jewish people and the nation of Israel. Accordingly, I have written two books about the Jews in prophecy. One is titled, The Jewish People: Rejected or Beloved? (2014). The other is titled, Israel in Bible Prophecy: Past, Present & Future (2017).

The first book about the Jewish people was written to demonstrate how evil and unbiblical are two theologies concerning Israel that dominate Christendom today — namely, Replacement Theology and Dual Covenant Theology. Replacement Theology argues that God has no purpose left for the Jewish people. Dual Covenant Theology maintains that Jews do not need Jesus because they can be saved through the Mosaic Covenant by following the Ten Commandments.

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EXODUS – GOD’s MIRACULOUS DELIVERANCE of ISRAEL FROM EGYPT – Chapter NINETEEN

Contributing commentaries by pastors Sonny Islas, Albert Lopez and James Fire

Complete Study of Exodus by pastor Chuck Smith 

EXODUS 19: “Sanctified at Sinai in Sight of GOD” – by James Fire, Facebook video.  

INTRODUCTION: Our life with GOD is a journey which He started when He first revealed Himself to us through the Scriptures. Hopefully, we progress and grow in our relationship with the LORD so that as that relationship becomes more intimate, the LORD blesses us with progressive revelation, that is, deeper and greater revelation of Himself as found in the Word. And it’s when we see more of GOD’s nature, this spurs us on to greater and deeper love and intimacy with Him, just as He desires!

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A TTUF Report: STRATEGIES as Outlined in WAR of the AGES by Dr. Gregory Reid – Part One

~ by James Fire

Over the course of more than four decades as a Christian, I have read many books on spiritual warfare, and most of these I ended up shelving because they were unbiblical in too many ways to count.

There were however a few books I examined that are indispensable and I will include this list at the conclusion of this first article.

Among these resources on spiritual warfare I must endorse Dr. Gregory Reid’s treatment on this subject as second to none in our contemporary age.

The complete title of this work is War of the Ages: A Complete Scriptural Guide to Confronting and Defeating Satan’s Kingdom. Here is a link where you can get your own copy.

This book is more than 385 pages and covers every aspect of spiritual warfare in detail; I would highly recommend this book to anyone, and particularly in our current situation, because the great enemy of the church, Satan, has been emboldened to such a degree as to rear his ugly head and blatantly revel in his wickedness as it’s been manifested in the societies of this fallen world.

I recall a scene from The Hobbit where an Elven Prince was reluctant to confront the enemy:

Legolas: It is not our fight.

Tauriel: It is our fight. It will not end here. With every victory this evil will grow. If your father has his way, we will do nothing. We will hide within our walls, live our lives away from the light and let darkness descend. Are we are not part of this world? Tell me, Mellon ["friend"], when did we let evil become stronger than us?

The church has been asleep on the battlefield for far, far too long, and we must rise up in these last remaining hours and not neglect challenging the enemy who has defied of the armies of the living GOD!

I believe this ostentatious display of devilry we are witnessing today is preparation for the reign of anti-Christ, the Beast, the One World Leader who will be indwelt by the very spirit of Satan and demand worshipful allegiance from every living soul alive during this last and final page of humanity ruled by the god of this world (2 COR 4:4).

The purpose of this series is to present in abbreviated form, some of the essence of the chapters of this book, in the hopes that it will encourage the saints to get their own copy and study it alongside their Bibles for themselves. This is spiritual boot camp that will prepare the saints to become the true soldiers of Christ we were reborn to be; ready not just to enter ‘battlefield Earth’, but to aptly and ably confront the enemy, impede his advancements in our nations, and release many of the P.O.W.s from his prison camps.

Note: In order to condense this sizeable work into a more abbreviated treatment, I will rephrase, condense and amend statements made from this book, but without altering their significance or diminishing the truthfulness employed therein; I may interject comments, observations and Scripture references of my own throughout this series.

Therefore without further ado, let’s get into this needful and competent work and start examining these strategies to be implemented in our spiritual bootcamp and subsequent warfare! 

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EXODUS – GOD’s MIRACULOUS DELIVERANCE of ISRAEL FROM EGYPT – Chapter EIGHTEEN

Contributing commentaries by pastors Sonny Islas, Albert Lopez and James Fire

Complete Study of Exodus by pastor Chuck Smith 

GOLDEN ADVICE FOR LEADERS – EXODUS 18 by Sonny Islas;  watch the Facebook video here.                                       

INTRODUCTION: In this chapter we’re going to find Moses overworking himself due to basically leading the entire nation of Israel (2 million people or more) all by himself. Thankfully, at this point Moses gets a very needed visit from Jethro his father-in law, who will give Moses some golden advice that will save Moses and his ministry from early burnout! This visit from Jethro wasn’t a coincidence but a GOD-incident!

EXODUS 18:1
1 And Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel His people—that the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt.

JETHRO: means “His Excellence.” Seeing that Moses’ father-in-law was the priest of Midian, Jethro was most likely an honorable title given to him. His actual name was Reuel (Exod. 2:18). Reuel: means “friend of God.” Abraham the Patriarch, Jethro’s forefather (as we’ll soon discover) was also called Reuel - “the friend of God,” (James 2:23).

JETHRO was THE PRIEST OF MIDIAN: Midian, is modern day Saudi Arabia. Midian was the son of Abraham from his wife Keturah whom he married after Sarah’s death (Gen. 25:2). 

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EXODUS – GOD’s MIRACULOUS DELIVERANCE of ISRAEL FROM EGYPT – Chapter SEVENTEEN

Contributing commentaries by pastors Sonny Islas, Albert Lopez and James Fire

Complete Study of Exodus by pastor Chuck Smith 

EXODUS 17: “PROVISION from the ROCK” – by James Fire, Facebook video. 

INTRODUCTION: The expression, “You can’t get blood from a stone” means that you can’t expect the impossible. Wherever that expression came from, they obviously don’t know the GOD of the Bible!

We know of One Who declared Himself to be the ROCK (MATT 16:18) and He certainly shed all of His blood for sinful humanity in an act of loving propitiation, paying the price for all of our sins (something that would be considered impossible in the imaginations of mere men!)!
In this chapter we see “the rock” twice, and in two different capacities: one as a provision for water, and the other as a provision of foundational victory. In both cases, this rock appeared faithfully, exactly when needed, and never once disappointed the children of Israel.
It’s the same for us: the Rock provides us with living waters that fail not (ISAIAH 58:11):

JOHN 7:37
In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.

JOHN 4:14
14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
The Rock also provides our spiritual victory against all the power of the enemy:

MATTHEW 16:18
18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

So let’s get into this chapter and experience the grace and truth, the power and glory of the LORD our ROCK! May we learn valuable lessons of truth! 

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EXODUS – GOD’s MIRACULOUS DELIVERANCE of ISRAEL FROM EGYPT – Chapter SIXTEEN

Contributing commentaries by pastors Sonny Islas, Albert Lopez and James Fire

Complete Study of Exodus by pastor Chuck Smith 

EXODUS 16: “BREAD FROM HEAVEN” – by Sonny Islas, Facebook video. 

INTRODUCTION: At this point in the Exodus story, it’s been one month since they left Egypt. These Hebrews experienced many hardships, but also saw GOD’s provisions, faithfully given. Yet they complain and complain – they just never seemed to get it. That is why after forty years, the first generation of these Hebrews was not allowed to entire into the promised land – because of their unbelief (HEB 3:7-13)! They’re now one month in, on this new relationship with God – Yahweh The LORD. In chapter 14 God splits the Red Sea, in chapter 15 they perform a ‘musical’ – just kidding; no, they sing a song of victory with Moses leading the choir. So far so good.

EXODUS 16:1-3
1 And they journeyed from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came to the Wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they departed from the land of Egypt. 2 Then the whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. 3 And the children of Israel said to them, "Oh, that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.

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The MILLENNIUM: REIGN of the MESSIAH - Part Four: Continuing the New Testament Examination

~ by James Fire

Having looked into the four Gospel accounts for Scripture regarding the Millennium and related subject matter, let’s move along to the book of Acts and see what we can learn there!

There is of course the very prominent verse found in the very first chapter of ACTS:

ACTS 1:6

When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?

The kingdom of Israel is part and parcel of what the Davidic Covenant is all about; to understand what this covenant entails check out this TTUF article:

2 SAMUEL 7 – COVENANT KEEPER For The KING: ESTABLISHING The ETERNAL THRONE of DAVID By GOD’s PROMISE

At the time of Christ, Israel was not a kingdom; there was no Jewish king descended from the royal lineage of David officiating over the nation, there was no throne. Israel was a dusty, dirty province in the Roman Empire, despised and downtrodden – not even a glimmer of her former glory under King David.

Yet with the coming of the Messiah, the very Son of David, the kingdom couldn’t be very far behind; the angel Gabriel told Mary that GOD was going to give Jesus the throne of His father, David (LUKE 1:32-33)! The apostles knew this, hence this question they posed to the risen Christ.

And what did Jesus answer? 

Did He discard the very idea of a ‘kingdom of Israel’. Did He point out that since He was rejected of the nation, to the point of being crucified, therefore any such promises to Israel were null and void? 

Did He say that the church would replace Israel as the focal point of the kingdom? Some suggest that MATTHEW 21:43 states this very idea, and we will address this later in this article.

In all actuality, none of the above; this is what He said:

ACTS 1:7 

And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.

In other words, the time for the kingdom of Israel is in the Father’s care; it’s something that He Himself is supervising and will relegate all kingdoms beneath that of His Son’s, Who will assume rule over all the world (REV 11:15) at the appointed time. It is He Himself that will bring about the Kingdom, not Israel, not the church – especially not the New Apostolic Reformation cult (DAN 2:44).

For an insightful look into the N.A.R. cult, check out Part One and Part Two of this interview with Keith Gibson, author of Wandering Stars and T.A. McMahon of The Berean Call.

Until that time, the LORD gave His mandate to the apostles and to the church at large:

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EXODUS – GOD’s MIRACULOUS DELIVERANCE of ISRAEL FROM EGYPT – Chapter FIFTEEN

Contributing commentaries by pastors Sonny Islas, Albert Lopez and James Fire

Complete Study of Exodus by pastor Chuck Smith 

EXODUS 15: Israel’s Song/My Song” – by Albert Lopez.

INTRODUCTION:
In chapter 14 which I think we’re all familiar with in some way, we read about the parting of the Red Sea. Wow, what a sight that must have been! I can only imagine what must have been going through the people’s minds. 

At first, they must have not believed their eyes and must have been somewhat scared. Seeing a body of water rising in a way that has never risen before and then being commanded to cross as they were being chased by the enemy. What a scene, straight out of a movie!
We learned that this was God’s massive baptism for his people but I’m sure they were not giving the idea one thought, they just wanted to escape with their lives.

We read in EXODUS 14:28-30
The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen, Pharaoh’s entire army that had gone into the sea after them; not even one of them remained. 29 But the sons of Israel walked on dry land through the midst of the sea, and the waters were like a wall to them on their right and on their left.30 So the LORD saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31 When Israel saw the great [t]power which the LORD had used against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD, and they believed in the LORD and in His servant Moses.

This was the motivation that moved these people to sing to the one true God. Think about what our motivation is to sing our little hearts out to Jesus, our Great and Loving Savior.
Just like the children of Israel were enslaved to Egypt, we were enslaved to this world system and sin. Just like the children of Israel cried out for a Savior and God saved them, in the same way Jesus has saved us and continues to save those who cry out, “Save me Jesus! I know I’m a sinner in need of a Savior. Have mercy on me and transform my life through the power of your Spirit to be pleasing to you”.

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EXODUS – GOD’s MIRACULOUS DELIVERANCE of ISRAEL FROM EGYPT – Chapter FOURTEEN

Contributing commentaries by pastors Sonny Islas, Albert Lopez and James Fire

Complete Study of Exodus by pastor Chuck Smith 

EXODUS 14: THE LORD WILL FIGHT FOR YOU By Sonny Islas; see the Facebook video here!

 
We are now at a very highpoint in the Book of Exodus – The Crossing of the Red Sea. After 400 years of slavery, the LORD will now finally deliver His people Israel, from the “House from Bondage” - Egypt. This action-packed chapter will remind us that our GOD fights for us and how He is able to make a way where there is no way. He truly is THE WAY MAKER!

EXODUS 14:1-4
Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, that they turn and camp before Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, opposite Baal Zephon; you shall camp before it by the sea. 3 For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, ‘They are bewildered by the land; the wilderness has closed them in.’ 4 Then I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, so that he will pursue them; and I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord.” And they did so.

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The TTUF STUDY on The REVELATION of JESUS CHRIST – Chapter TWENTY-TWO and CONCLUSION

~ by James Fire

Introduction:
REVELATION 22:1
1 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

From Barnes Notes we have the following:
“In the New Jerusalem [we have] the happy abode of the redeemed. The phrase "water of life," means living or running water, like a spring or fountain, as contrasted with a stagnant pool. See Barnes for John 4:14. The allusion here is doubtless to the first Eden, where a river watered the garden, (Gen 2:10, seq.,) and as this is a description of Eden recovered, or Paradise regained, it was natural to introduce a river of water also, yet in such a way as to accord with the general description of that future abode of the redeemed. It does not spring up, therefore, from the ground, but flows from “the throne of God and the Lamb”. Perhaps, also, the writer had in his eye the description in Ezek 47:1-12, where a stream issues from under the temple, and is parted in different directions.
“Clear as crystal: Rev 4:6.
“Proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. Flowing from the foot of the throne. This idea is strictly in accordance with Oriental imagery. In the East, fountains and running streams constituted an essential part of the image of enjoyment and prosperity, (see Barnes for Isaiah 35:6,) and such fountains were common in the courts of Oriental houses. Here, the river is an emblem of peace, happiness, plenty; and the essential thought in its flowing from the throne is, that all the happiness of heaven proceeds from God.”

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