Euroclydon

Luke 21:25-27 "And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Mens hearts failing them for fear, and looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory."

Daniel 12:1 "And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book."

Hebrews 12:26-27 "Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.

The preceeding scriptures tell of the times right before the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. One thing that can be gathered from these is the fact that everything is going to be turned upside down. Currently, there are areas of the world that are in unbelievable turmoil such as the middle east, Darfur, Congo, Americas inner cities, Myanmar, and a host of other hot spots that are too numerous to mention. Yet one can find areas of relative stability and stay out of places that are experiencing such distress. For example, the area that I live in is a rural setting where the deer almost outnumber the people. (Maybe they do) We don't have devastating earthquakes or hurricanes, and the crime rate is lower than many other parts of the country. (although, last night, they found a meth lab in the plant where I work. One normally wouldn't expect that anyone would place such an operation in a high profile area such as a factory.) Nonetheless, this is a relatively uneventful area, as is much of Babylon...I mean America these days. Folks will be aware of turmoil in other places but never think that it can happen to them and thus, they proclaim "peace and safety" while heaping treasure together for the last days. They climb corporate ladders, save up for college tuition, plan their retirement, enlarge their homes, pull down their barns to make room for bigger ones, and never ponder for a moment that it all can come crashing down with little or no warning.

Have you ever been in a storm at sea? When I was in the navy, we found ourselves in a massive storm about 250 miles east of the New Jersey coast as we were heading for the Mediterranean. One thing about it; when you're at sea, everything is shaken equally. There's no place to escape the effects of the storm. It was so intense that as we passed over the swells, the front edge of the flight deck would hit the surface of the water. (Our ship was an LPH, less than half the size of a full aircraft carrier. Still, it was impressive) This storm lasted for about four or five days and when it was over, we had lost helocoper blades, trucks off the flight deck, ammo lockers that were bolted down and other items too numerous to list.

I bring this up because, when the great tribulation is in full swing, there will be absolutly no place to run and escape those things transpiring on the earth. I've heard survivalists talk about safe zones in the United States and elsewhere. There won't be any safe zones when this hits and it's going to catch most of the population totally off guard. In fact, it's going to take most christians by surprise as they were told for years that they wouldn't be around to witness such events. (the pre-tribulation rapture theory appeals to the flesh. It goes down smooth and makes one sleepy) I really believe that even those who are daily observing the progression of events will be surprised by the degree of chaos that will ensue. This doesn't mean panic and if Jesus Christ is your Savior and Lord, you have absolutely nothing to be fearful about. You need only "endure to the end" Hold fast the profession of your faith steadfast unto the end.

If you think about it, there's really no place to run now. The "war on terror" has facillitated the implementation of extensive surveillance systems throughout the country and the NSA has absolutely no oversight as to what they do, much like the IRS. Here's a few things to ponder concerning this. (It's a rabbit trail, but here we go anyway)

(1) Do you remember the Mark Foley scandal? I remember CNN showing some of the instant messages. (not the really nasty ones; just the basic simple things) Their ability to retrieve those messages suggests that everything that you've ever written or done on the internet is stored somewhere. Even the stuff that you delete is stored somewhere. "They're making a list."

(2) Remember the president asking for "clarification" of the Geneva Convention; a treaty that never needed it before? It tells us that the rule of law isn't upheld by those in power, who have already displayed their disdain for human rights by using other countries to torture prisoners.

(3) Define "terrorist" Suppose that you belong to a group that the government one day decides is a terrorist group? Suppose that you're going around telling people that Jesus Christ is the only way to have eternal life and they decide that you're a "terrorist" because you're going around "terrorizing" people? Jesus told us about incredible persecution that would preceed his return; persecution that is already taking place in much of the world.

(4) Cell phones. If you carry one, they can pinpoint your location within an area of several feet; no matter where you are. The police state mentality is well in place and will only become more intrusive in the days to come.

(5) Chips ahoy. It's the final step as they track your every move and it'll be made to look like a desirable thing to have.

Have you ever watched a bull riding event? Before the gate opens, the rider is on the bull, penned up in a tiny area where the bull is almost going bonkers as he wants out. This is how the forces of darkness are today. We can see the forces of evil at work in the world and while each day is darker than the one before it, they're still being held back. When the Restrainer is taken out of the way and the man of sin is revealed, this world will enter will enter the most dangerous period in history. When the abomination that maketh desolate takes place, this world will seem to be coming apart at the seams as judgments are poured out on the antichrists kingdom. Jesus told us very specicically that the days to come would be worse than any other time in history. Read Revelation 13:7-8

And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

Nowhere to run; nowhere to hide. Falling rocks cannot hide you either. Only by giving your heart to Jesus can you be saved. There is no other pathway.

Acts 27:31 "Paul said to the centurian and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved."

I need to close this up, but let me part with a few verses that will be very familiar to anyone who is aware of the times that we're in. Saints of God; stablish your hearts! This cannot be stressed enough. "In your patience possess ye your souls."

Revelation 12:11 "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death."

Revelation 14:12 "Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus."

Revelation 20:4 "And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and the lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years."

Revelation 22:20-21 "He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.