Are You Worthy to Escape?

Are You Worthy to Escape?

by Staff
Forerunner, "Prophecy Watch," September-October 2000

Related

• Who Will Be Kept from the Hour of Trial?
• Praying Always (Part One)
• 'As a Thief in the Night'
• To Watch and Keep
• The Sixth Seal
• Hidden From the Hour of Trial

We often become frustrated and/or discouraged when we try so hard and still fall short. Our desire to overcome is often overtaken by the ever-present law we find within us that takes us into captivity. Paul writes of this in Romans 7:23: "But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members." Though we battle to put this law of sin away for good, it just seems to pop up somewhere else.
In Luke 21:36, Jesus tells us to, "Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man." That He advises us to pray that God will count us worthy suggests we will probably never actually succeed in overcoming all the sin we see in ourselves—and even more, what we do not see. Instead, His words indicate that as long as we remain humble, continue to try to grow, improve, and overcome, our effort and faith in God's grace, given through the sacrifice of Christ for each of us, will cause us to be "counted worthy" to be saved.

Accounted for Righteousness

In Romans 4:13-16, 19-25, the apostle Paul uses a great deal of ink to explain to us just how we are counted worthy by God:

For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect, because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression. Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. . . . And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. And therefore "it was accounted to him for righteousness." Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.

God did not give the promises to Abraham and his seed because of the patriarch's own righteousness but because of his faith. Abraham's faith in God's grace was the determining factor in righteousness being "accounted" to him and his seed subsequently. Although he was obedient to God, Abraham's works in overcoming were not perfect enough to "tip the scales" in his favor, but He trusted God to deliver what He had promised.
In the same vein, we must also believe even when it seems there is no hope. Like Abraham, we must be strong in faith, not overemphasizing the obvious physical evidence that surrounds us, but trusting in God's promise, "being fully convinced that what God had promised He was also able to perform" (verse 21). Paul ends this discussion with encouragement that, just as this "formula" worked for Abraham, it will work equally for us. We will be counted worthy if we believe God, which includes doing what He says.

Not Just the Tribulation

Being "counted worthy to escape all these things" may not be referring only to the period during the Tribulation. It can also refer to our escaping all the trials and tribulations of our daily lives. In a general sense, this instruction from our Savior applies anytime crises and troubles spring up and attempt to distract us from seeking first the Kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33).
In Mark's version of the Olivet Prophecy, Jesus says, "And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet" (Mark 13:7). Clearly, He means that wars and other hostilities will occur repeatedly through the ages until His return.
Notice Psalm 91:5-7:

You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you.

This has the same tone as the passages in Mark 13 and Luke 21. They all have both general and specific applications. The psalmist gives the reasons why we do not need to fear all the disasters that occur around us: "Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling" (Psalm 91:9-10). We must believe this just as Abraham believed God would give him a son, and it was counted to him as righteousness.

Heavenly Signs?

The section in which Luke 21:36 occurs begins with verse 25, when Christ introduces the signs that will presage His second coming: "And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring." We have traditionally understood this verse to refer to the heavenly signs of the sixth seal of Revelation 6:12-17.
However, is this not already happening, at least in less spectacular ways? Are there not already problems with the sun because of the ozone layer dissipating? Is there not more concern about wearing sunblock because of the damaging rays of the sun? This has only become a concern in recent years. When we were young, we never heard anyone telling us to stay out of the sun, wear a hat and long sleeves and glob on the sunscreen.
Certainly, there is plenty of distress among the nations on the earth, even while we live through some of the most prosperous times ever seen. Some fear nuclear war between India and Pakistan. Others are concerned about immigration, ethnic cleansing, piracy, water rights, food allocation, diseases like AIDS, and global climate change. The mood among many nations is one of almost frantic and perplexed worry about their survival.
Jesus says in the next verse, ". . . men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth" (Luke 21:26). The distress stems from their "fear and the expectation" of those things which are coming. Obviously, this fear and expectation happens before the disasters come. The stresses involved in impending disasters can easily cause us to lose focus on overcoming, growing and leading faithful lives.
It is because of the signs we see around us that we know the end is near. That we are living in the end time is something we have been aware of and discussed for years. Lately, it seems many of us have let down because we feel the "master is delaying his coming" (Matthew 24:48). Jesus supplies encouragement on this score too.
He says in Luke 21:28, "Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near." When we begin to see the signs of the end occurring, we are to look up—take our eyes and thoughts off the distractions that keep us from committing ourselves to seeking the Kingdom of God. Looking up refers to taking our eyes off earthly things and setting our eyes on heavenly things.
To lift up our heads means to raise our focal point and information input to a higher level. In other words, we are to lift our minds and thoughts above what we see around us that can distract us. Paul echoes this in Colossians 3:1-2: "If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth." Our Savior says this is the best way to be prepared for our redemption.

Signs Out Early

Jesus then gives us the Parable of the Fig Tree to help us understand how signs work. Interestingly, He says, "Look at the fig tree, and all the trees" (Luke 21:29). He does not limit the parable to just the fig tree. We know from our own experience that signs of summer or harvest are evident in many trees long before it occurs. One can see buds on a tree months before the fruit is ripe.
"When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near" (verse 30). When the trees are budding refers to the time when God begins to put the pieces of the end-time puzzle into place. Sometimes it takes several years or decades to bring forces and nations into line with His prophetic Word.
"So you, likewise, when you see these things happening, know that the Kingdom of God is near" (verse 31). This means us now because we see these things happening now! Like a farmer who knows that harvest is near, we have to get prepared for it.
"Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things are fulfilled" (verse 32). Jesus emphatically says that an entire generation will live through the times of preparation for the return of Christ. A generation of people can live three score and ten or more, not just three and a half years. If this generation is the one born when the truth began to be re-proclaimed to the world through Herbert Armstrong, "this generation" is in its final years.
He then advises us, "Take heed to yourselves" (verse 34). His instruction has narrowed to focus on each of us as individuals, not necessarily collectively as "the church." The church is composed of individuals, just as a body is composed of individually unique parts with different functions (I Corinthians 12:12-27). Each part must perform as God intends so that the whole church will be healthy.
We must take heed "lest [our] hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and the cares of this life, that the day come on [us] unexpectedly" (Luke 21:34). Here, He specifically tells us not to allow ourselves to become distracted by the world and its cares and concerns that we miss the signs of the approaching end. "For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth" (verse 35). Evidently, the majority of mankind will be so distracted and miss the signs. If we work hard at coming out of this world (John 2:15), we will not follow their example.
He concludes, "Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man." If we watch and pray always and do our best to live according to the way of God in every aspect of our lives—if we believe in God's promises to us of salvation and escape, we may be "counted worthy" to be spared the sore trials of the last days. This also suggests that if we watch, we will see the signs and not be caught off guard and snared.

Reaping What We Sow

We can avoid the trials and tribulations that are forthcoming to some degree or even completely if we commit to seeking first the Kingdom of God and the attitudes and attributes that make up God's righteousness. It is by seeking His righteousness—seeking to live right according to His Word, law and example—that we may, by faith in the grace of God through Christ Jesus, be accounted worthy of escaping all these things.
God will not do the changing and growing for us. He is watching to see what we are going to do in the various situations and trials in which we find ourselves. He promises, though, to give us what help we need: "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16).
We will reap whatever we sow (Galatians 6:7), so we need to sow righteousness to reap salvation. Paul says in the next two verses, "For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart."
God's promises to us are sure if we believe as Abraham did, and this certainly includes His promise of escape if we are counted worthy. Christ assures us, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes" (Mark 9:23).

© 2000 Church of the Great God
PO Box 471846
Charlotte, NC  28247-1846
(803) 802-7075

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On Behalf of al-Qaeda, U.S. Warships Move Into Position For Possible Strike On Syria…

August 24, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. naval forces are moving closer to Syria as President Barack Obama considers military options for responding to the alleged use of chemical weapons by the Assad government. The president emphasized that a quick intervention in the Syrian civil war was problematic, given the international considerations that should precede a military strike.
The White House said the president would meet Saturday with his national security team to consider possible next steps by the United States. Officials say once the facts are clear, Obama will make a decision about how to proceed.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel declined to discuss any specific force movements while saying that Obama had asked the Pentagon to prepare military options for Syria. U.S. defense officials told The Associated Press that the Navy had sent a fourth warship armed with ballistic missiles into the eastern Mediterranean Sea but without immediate orders for any missile launch into Syria.
U.S. Navy ships are capable of a variety of military action, including launching Tomahawk cruise missiles, as they did against Libya in 2011 as part of an international action that led to the overthrow of the Libyan government.

BREAKING: Maj. Nidal Hassan convicted on all counts, death penalty still on table…

THIS WAS A TERRORIST ATTACK OBAMA HAS DONE EVERY THING TO COVER THIS UP

WHEN WILL OUR MILITARY TRY OBAMA FOR TREASON 

WHEN WILL OUR MILITARY STAND UP AGAINST WHAT OBAMA IS DO IN OUR OUR NATION AND ITS PEOPLE NOT TO MENTION WHAT HE DID HIS ENVOLEMANT IN BENGHAZI 

 

 

BREAKING: Maj. Nidal Hassan convicted on all counts, death penalty still on table…

Posted by  The Right Scoop on August 23rd, 2013 in Politics | 34 Comments

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It’s about dang time this happened:

CNN – A military jury has convicted Army Maj. Nidal Hasan of 13 counts of murder and 32 counts of attempted murder in a November 5, 2009, shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas, making it possible for the death penalty to be considered as a possible punishment.

Let’s hope he gets the death penalty so we don’t have to pay for him to live on the public dole in prison.

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Radioactive groundwater under Fukushima nears sea

MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press Published: August 23, 2013 7:11AM

TOKYO (AP) -- Deep beneath Fukushima's crippled nuclear power station a massive underground reservoir of contaminated water that began spilling from the plant's reactors after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami has been creeping slowly toward the sea.
Now, 2 1/2 years later, experts fear it is about to reach the Pacific and greatly worsen what is fast becoming a new crisis at Fukushima: the inability to contain vast quantities of radioactive water.
The looming crisis is potentially far greater than the discovery earlier this week of a leak from a tank used to store contaminated water used to cool the reactor cores. That 300-ton (80,000 gallon) leak is the fifth and most serious since the disaster of March 2011, when three of the plant's reactors melted down after a huge earthquake and tsunami knocked out the plant's power and cooling functions.
But experts believe the underground seepage from the reactor and turbine building area is much bigger and possibly more radioactive, confronting the plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power Co., with an invisible, chronic problem and few viable solutions. Many also believe it is another example of how TEPCO has repeatedly failed to acknowledge problems that it could almost certainly have foreseen -- and taken action to mitigate before they got out of control.
It remains unclear what the impact of the contamination on the environment will be because the radioactivity will be diluted as it spreads further into the sea. Most fishing in the area is already banned, but fishermen in nearby Iwaki City were hoping to resume test catches next month following favorable sampling results. Those plans have been scrapped after news of the latest tank leak.
"Nobody knows when this is going to end," said Masakazu Yabuki, a veteran fisherman in Iwaki, just south of the plant where scientists say contaminants are carried by the current. "We've suspected (leaks into the ocean) from the beginning ... TEPCO is making it very difficult for us to trust them."
To keep the melted nuclear fuel from overheating, TEPCO has rigged a makeshift system of pipes and hoses to funnel water into the broken reactors. The radioactive water is then treated and stored in the aboveground tanks that have now developed leaks. But far more leaks into the reactor basements during the cooling process -- then through cracks into the surrounding earth and groundwater.
Scientists, pointing to stubbornly high radioactive cesium levels in bottom-dwelling fish since the disaster, had for some time suspected the plant was leaking radioactive water into the ocean. TEPCO repeatedly denied that until last month, when it acknowledged contaminated water has been leaking into the ocean from early in the crisis. Even so, the company insists the seepage is coming from part of a network of maintenance tunnels, called trenches, near the coast, rather than underground water coming from the reactor area.
"So far, we don't have convincing data that confirm a leak from the turbine buildings. But we are open to consider any possible path of contamination," said TEPCO spokesman Yoshimi Hitosugi.
The turbine buildings at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant are about 150 meters (500 feet) from the ocean. According to a Japan Atomic Energy Agency document, the contaminated underground water is spreading toward the sea at a rate of about 4 meters (13 feet) a month.
At that rate, "the water from that area is just about to reach the coast," if it hasn't already, said Atsunao Marui, an underground water expert at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology who is on a government committee studying the contaminated water problem. "We must contain the problem as quickly as possible."
TEPCO, nationalized and burdened with the astronomical cleanup costs, has been criticized for repeatedly lagging in attempts to tackle leakage problems. As a precautionary step, it has created chemical blockades in the ground along the coast to stop any possible leaks, but experts question their effectiveness. After a nearly two-year delay, construction of an offshore steel wall designed to contain contaminated water has begun.
The utility has also proposed building frozen walls -- upside down comb-shaped sticks that refrigerate surrounding soil -- into the ground around the reactor areas, but that still has to be tested and won't be ready until 2015 if proved successful.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe earlier this month announced the government would intervene and provide funding for key projects to deal with the contaminated water problem.
"This is a race against the clock," said Toyoshi Fuketa, a commissioner on the Nuclear Regulation Authority.
Compounding TEPCO's problems is the new leak discovered this week. Most of the 300 tons is believed to have seeped into the ground, but some may have escaped into the sea through a rainwater gutter, said Zengo Aizawa, the company's executive vice president.
That, too, may be a harbinger of more problems ahead.
Some 1,000 steel tanks built across the plant complex contain nearly 300,000 tons (300 million liters, 80 million gallons) of partially treated contaminated water. About 350 of them have rubber seams intended to last for only five years. Company spokesman Masayuki Ono said it plans to build additional tanks with welded seams that are more watertight, but will have to rely on rubber seams in the meantime.
Shinji Kinjo, a regulatory official in charge of the Fukushima disaster, said the rubber-seam tanks are mostly built in a rush when the contaminated water problem started, and often lacked adequate quality tests and require close attention.
Workers have already spotted two more questionable tanks during inspection Thursday.
"It's like a haunted house, one thing happening after another," said Nuclear Regulation Authority Chairman Shunichi Tanaka, referring to the spate of problems at the plant. "But we must take any steps that would reduce risks to avoid a fatal accident."
Leaks of highly contaminated water from the aboveground tanks aggravate the groundwater problem.
"Any contamination in the groundwater would eventually flow into the ocean. That is very difficult to stop even with barriers," said Ken Buesseler, a marine chemist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts. He found that radioactive cesium levels in most fish caught off the Fukushima coast hadn't declined in the year following the March 2011 disaster, suggesting that the contaminated water from the reactor-turbine areas is already leaking into the sea.
But TEPCO hasn't provided the details he and other scientists need to further assess the situation.

UPI: “Fukushima plant is approaching a worst case scenario” — Top Japan Nuclear Official: “This is what we have been fearing

UPI: “Fukushima plant is approaching a worst case scenario” — Top Japan Nuclear Official: “This is what we have been fearing”

Published: August 22nd, 2013 at 12:58 pm ET By ENENews  Email Article 106 comments

Title: Regulators say situation at crippled Fukushima plant alarming
Source: UPI
Date: Aug. 22, 2013 at 7:45 AM

‘Worst-case scenario’ at Fukushima
The Japanese Nuclear Regulation Authority said the cascading series of radioactive water leaks from the Fukushima plant is approaching a worst case scenario.
[Tepco] warned there may be hundreds more tanks like [the one leaking] on the site of the 2011 meltdown.
“We cannot waste even a minute,” [Chairman of the Japan Nuclear Regulation Authority Shunichi Tanaka] said. “This is what we have been fearing.” [...]
Atsunao Marui, director of research at Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, said the situation is likely to get worse.
“It’s important to think of the worst-case scenario,” he said.

Also from today: BBC: Fukushima "much worse than we've been led to believe, much worse" says nuclear expert -- Contaminated water is leaking out all over site

Published: August 22nd, 2013 at 12:58 pm ET By ENENews  Email Article 106 comments Like ENENews on Facebook Follow ENENews on Twitter Subscribe to the ENENews RSS Feed Sign up for daily email updates

Related Posts

1. Impossible? Worst-case scenario prompted gov’t to send reinforcement to Fukushima plant — “We could not even announce the fact that we compiled such a simulation” -Top Official January 29, 2012
2. Top Japan Official: Evacuating Tokyo was a ‘contingency’, not worst-case scenario — "Implementing COST-EFFECTIVE measures was the proper response" February 14, 2012
3. Wall St. Journal: They don’t know where Fukushima’s melted fuel cores are, or in what state — Expert: “It’s important to think of worst-case scenario”… Even greater levels of contamination may be on the way — Plant “built on a river” August 22, 2013
4. Analyst: What we have already is the worst case scenario at Fukushima March 15, 2011
5. Documentary: After first explosion, only a matter of time before nuclear fuel would melt through into the open — Evacuating out to 300km from Fukushima was worst case scenario -PM Kan (VIDEO) February 24, 2012

What information appears in event logs (Event Viewer)?

Applies to Windows 7

You must be logged on as an administrator to perform these steps. If you aren't logged on as an administrator, you can change only settings that apply to your user account, and some event logs might not be accessible.

Event logs are special files that record significant events on your computer, such as when a user logs on to the computer or when a program encounters an error. Whenever these types of events occur, Windows records the event in an event log that you can read by using Event Viewer. Advanced users might find the details in event logs helpful when troubleshooting problems with Windows and other programs.

Event Viewer tracks information in several different logs. Windows Logs include:

• Application (program) events. Events are classified as error, warning, or information, depending on the severity of the event. An error is a significant problem, such as loss of data. A warning is an event that isn't necessarily significant, but might indicate a possible future problem. An information event describes the successful operation of a program, driver, or service.
• Security-related events. These events are called audits and are described as successful or failed depending on the event, such as whether a user trying to log on to Windows was successful.
• Setup events. Computers that are configured as domain controllers will have additional logs displayed here.
• System events. System events are logged by Windows and Windows system services, and are classified as error, warning, or information.
• Forwarded events. These events are forwarded to this log by other computers.

Applications and Services Logs vary. They include separate logs about the programs that run on your computer, as well as more detailed logs that pertain to specific Windows services.

1. Open Event Viewer by clicking the Start button , clicking Control Panel, clicking System and Security, clicking Administrative Tools, and then double-clicking Event Viewer.‌  If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
2. Click an event log in the left pane.
3. Double-click an event to view the details of the event.

Note

• For detailed information about event logs, click the Help menu, and then click Help Topics.

Open Event Viewer

Applies to Windows 7

Event Viewer is a tool that displays detailed information about significant events (for example, programs that don't start as expected or updates that are downloaded automatically) on your computer. Event Viewer can be helpful when troubleshooting problems and errors with Windows and other programs. For more information about Event Viewer, see What information appears in event logs (Event Viewer)?

• Open Event Viewer by clicking the Start button , clicking Control Panel, clicking System and Security, clicking Administrative Tools, and then double-clicking Event Viewer.‌  If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

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