This week the post is late, very late. We had a great week of meetings at the center. Our Tuesday night fellowships are growing, with our largest group yet this week. We are studying Proverbs on Tuesdays and everyone seems to be getting a lot from studying this wonderful book. Friday night was a highlight this week as well, as I took the upcoming Passover as an opportunity to teach the Seder Table and Christ in the Passover.

On Saturday we took the troops to Wilmington, NC for a quick outing. Turns out we picked the day of the Wilmington Azalea Festival. There were thousands of extra people in the town and many streets blocked off. Despite the crowds we had a wonderful time and discovered a new restaurant, a fairly authentic New York Style Deli.

I continue to attend the Chapel Services at Camp Johnson. The Chaplain there is teaching through the book of Judges and I am thankful for the added opportunity, to meet young Marines, and to receive teaching myself. It’s been a blessing.

Patty and I headed out on a 2 week “Tour” of churches in MD/PA/DE on Friday. It culminates with our Bi-Annual Board Meeting, my first as General Director of this ministry. Please pray for traveling mercies and new supporters.

This past week marked the third for the “Field Notes with Dave Mason” Podcast. Though there will be no new podcasts for the next two weeks, as we are out on the Deputation trail. I had planned on recording extra episodes to be in Que, but fell ill earlier this week and spent three of the four days Patty and I had to get ready for the trip in bed. It was just a cold brought on by a weakened body I taxed with too much work and not enough rest. The Lord WILL make you rest if you don’t schedule it yourself. Back to the Podcast,  I have been blessed to watch the analytic’s come in as see listeners are not just on the east coast, but from as far away as Alabama, California and oversees listeners from Belgium, Norway,England and Sweden!

While you wait for new Lessons to be uploaded, why not catch up on any you might have missed? search “Field Notes with Dave Mason” in iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher or on Sound Cloud. Here is the link to the iTunes page: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/field-notes/id1097576581

In coming weeks the podcast will be broadcast as the Sunday Morning religious programming at 7:00 am and 10:00am (EST) Every Sunday morning on jdfoxxradio.com, an up and coming Country Music internet radio station that is drawing listeners around the world. My thanks to my good friend Tim who is the creator of this free streaming service for asking me to provide spiritual content for his programming. I thank God for giving us the opportunity to reach more listeners through yet another technological innovation.

I have been thinking much of the Return of Christ lately. It’s a Bible truth that needs more preaching. The only book I have published so far is “Revelation: Notes and Outlines.” The next book in my files I want to publish is a dual commentary on Daniel and Zechariah. Prophecy is a passion of mine, and as world events continue to spiral out of control the time is now for the church to be teaching prophecy. I am a Biblical “Literalist.” I believe that with few exceptions of Allegory, the Bible means exactly what it says. And I believe the prophecies of the Bible have and will come to pass exactly as they are presented. When you interpret the Bible literally, grammatically, and contextually, you have no choice but to be Dispensational, Pre-Millennial, and believe in a literal 7 year Tribulation wherein God finishes His work with His Chosen People, the nation of Israel.

The next event on the prophetic calendar is the Rapture of the Church. In I Thessalonians 4 Paul draws us a picture of this event. When we read II Thessalonians 2 we get a beginning of the time-frame for this event. When we read Revelation 3 and 4 the time-frame comes into clearer focus.  Jesus taught that He would Return ONLY after certain events happened. Events linked directly with the Nation of Israel.

Mark 13:28…Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near:
29 So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors.
30 Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done.
31 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.
32 But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.
33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.
34 For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.
35 Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:
36 Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.
37 And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.

The fig tree is a symbol of the Nation of Israel. Jesus is saying when the Nation of Israel once again comes to life, “puts forth leaves”- is gathered together and is a sovereign nation once again, the generation that sees that happen will not all pass until all the things He has been teaching must happen does happen. Israel became a nation once again in 1948. She regained Jerusalem as her capital in 1967.  The Jewish Nation will endure until, and through the Tribulation. Jesus believed there was an end-time calendar. He taught that He was coming back for His Saints, and that He was coming back to execute The Father’s Judgment on the Nations. Jesus spoke of a person He calls, as Daniel referred to him, “the Abomination of Desolation.” That person is the Anti-Christ. A literal human man who will be filled with the spirit of Satan and lead the world to worship himself.

We cannot become obsessed with Prophecy though, for if we bury ourselves in our study of end-times and try to set dates and such we loose the point. The point is that we ought to be very, very busy about the task of soul-winning, because the end is always nearer than we think. We may never have another chance if we fail to share our faith today.

However, there is such a drought of preaching on the Rapture, Tribulation, and Second Coming that I am concerned the church will loose its “Blessed Hope” the joy that comes to the believer who knows his redemption draws nigh. And the Crown that awaits all who look for His soon Return  2 Timothy 4:8…Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. 

Are You lifting up your eyes today, awaiting the Lord’s call to join Him in your Eternal Home?

‘Till Jesus Returns,