If someone where to write a script for a play showing the time leading up to the beginning of the Tribulation, today's headlines would be a perfect match! Political, economical, spiritual, geological, and social developments are setting the stage for the very detailed events mentioned by the ancient Jewish prophets and apostles. At the center of the whirlwind of activities is the explosive conflict in the Middle East, especially Israel and her holy land and the holy city of Jerusalem. The Jewish people, their land, and beloved city have been chosen by God to be the focal point of the end-time conflict between heaven and hell. Only the Bible pulls back the invisible curtain and shows us the power struggle between good and evil in these last days. While the rest of the unbelieving world is oblivious to what all of this means, I want to remind you that the Bible declares, "None of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand." (Daniel 12:10) Don't take your eyes off of the Obama administration's efforts to force Israel to surrender East Jerusalem and almost the entire West Bank (Biblical Judea and Samaria- the heartland of what God promised to Israel forever in an unconditional covenant) to create a Palestinian State. Recent polls indicate that most Palestinians favor Hamas over the failed political party of Arafat that controls the West Bank. So, this would mean that once again the mindless American government is about to force her one and only real friend in the Middle East, Israel, to surrender land to an enemy that has been firing missiles against her people, almost without interruption, for over 2 years! (This is just what we need-- one more Islamic terrorist state.) God has promised to destroy any nation that attempts to do this! If Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama continue to press for this, God will judge America. It is time for all godly people to fall on their knees and cry out to God. Our world is about to enter one of the most dangerous times known to man!!! It is only a matter of time!
Please share this newsletter with your family and friends. As you look around, don't get down. Just look up! Jesus said, "And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh." (Luke 21:28) Get ready for the shout that will take us out!!
By Mike Wingfield
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Bible Prophecy : The Sudden Collapse of this Present World System
Posted by david on 2009/2/24 15:13:57 (1087 reads)
The Sudden Collapse of this Present World System
Facing the possibility that it could begin before the Rapture)
All of the world, and most of the professing church, is totally oblivious concerning what is about to take place on a global scale. Those who refuse to learn from history or do not have spiritual vision to examine Biblical prophecy lack real discernment. Long ago the Lord told the ancient prophet, Daniel, that in the last days “the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.” (Daniel 12:10) This simply means that the only people on earth at this hour who have any idea of what lies ahead for mankind are the believers in Jesus Christ who are searching the prophetic Scriptures and have been taught by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit informed Daniel that the prophetic revelation given to him would be sealed up, not illumined by the Spirit, until the last days.....
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(An urgent and passionate appeal to the American people)
By Mike Wingfield
About 15 years ago, while I was a pastor of a church in Northeast Tennessee, we were about to celebrate America’s July 4th independence and give thanks to God for His blessings upon this nation. While preaching through Jeremiah, I noticed that one of the major themes of the book was the Lord’s revelation to this great Jewish prophet about God’s judgment upon the nations. I remember like it was yesterday that when I studied this book and discovered the reasons for God’s divine judgment of a nation, I knew that America was in trouble. What was taking place in America, in the light of the message of the book of Jeremiah, indicated that America was in the crosshairs of the judgment of God! My burden became so great for this land and her people that at one point I prostrated myself upon the floor of my study and began to weep before the Lord. I did not have a vision or any other supernatural experience. I just simply believed the message of the Bible about the sovereign authority of our God over the nations of the world. I instantly knew that my homeland was on a collision course with the great Creator and Ruler of the universe! I remember crying out to God, “What can I do? I will do anything you ask me to do.” Little did I know at that time that the Lord was preparing me for the incredible privilege and responsibility that I have had as an evangelist in the last eleven years, traveling throughout this great nation, from Florida to Maine, and from Virginia to Oregon, proclaiming the prophetic Word of the Lord concerning what He is doing, and is about to do, in these last days. I must confess to you that the burden that I had for America on that occasion 15 years ago has steadily increased and has brought me to this point today where I must share this message with all who will listen to and read what the Lord is clearly saying to America through His written revelation, the revelation of His creation, and His work among the nations in light of His prophetic, eternal plan recorded by the ancient prophets and apostles of Israel.
In recent weeks and months I have listened to the American people, the politicians, political parties, pundits, and the media’s spin on what is occurring in our world today. I have also heard the frustrations and false hopes that Americans are expressing as we expect a newly-elected president to somehow deliver us from the colossal mess we are in. The empty, foolish talk and dreams I hear people expressing ignore the fact that it is God, not man, who is in complete control of the nations and that the future of every nation and this planet is in His hands. Not only do we not have a firm grip on the solution to our problems, we do not even understand the real cause of our national dilemma.
During the Old Testament days of Israel’s national apostasy, God raised up many godly prophets to sound out the warning of God’s approaching judgment to the people. While these warnings were given to historical Israel, they still represent a vital warning to all nations today because these divine instructions flowed out of the holy nature of the One and only true God who still rules over the entire universe! He has declared, “For I am the LORD, I change not.” (Malachi 3:6) His holy and righteous standards of justice, what is right and wrong, have not and will not change because His holy character is eternally the same! This reality must be sounded out today because we are being told by liberal educators, the arts, and media throughout this land and around the world that there are no moral absolutes or standards! We are increasingly living in a world where anything goes. According to the eternal moral standards of God, this is a lie that carries with it some very dangerous and deadly consequences. Please remember that God has said, “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man; but the end thereof are the ways of death.” (Proverbs 16:25) God’s moral standards are like gravity. It is the same for all times, nations, and cultures! If you do not respect the law of gravity, it could cost you your life; if you do not respect God’s laws of morality, it could lead to your death!
The real problem in a nation that is rebelling against God is there is “[no] knowledge of God in the land.” (Hosea 4:1) According to the Bible, the mental grasp of reality is always anchored to the foundational truth of who God is! Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear [being in awe] of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.” God told the ancient prophet Hosea that the reason his nation was filled with swearing, lying, murder, stealing, adultery, and violence was because there was “[no] knowledge of God in the land.” (Hosea 4:1-2) This lack of the knowledge of God was the reason for Israel’s rebellion and refusal to change and, would ultimately force God to judge them! (Hosea 4:3-9) Beware America! This nation is on the same path of destruction.
The United States has been a superpower for many decades now. Most American citizens, it is apparent, believe that this nation is very powerful and invincible. We glory in our political, economic, and military achievements. Our problem is we have forgotten that compared to Almighty God, we are nothing. We are hopeless and helpless! Our measur-ing stick of greatness is flawed! We are totally vulnerable to collapse or ruin on any given day should God remove His hand of blessing and protection from America!
Please consider Isaiah 40:15, 17, 21-24: “Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing. All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity. Have you not known? Have you not heard? Hath it not been told you from the beginning? Have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in: That bringeth the princes to nothing: he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity. Yea, they shall not be planted; yea, they shall not be sown: yea, their stock shall not take root in the earth: and he shall also blow upon them, and they shall wither, and the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble.” Our God has infinite might and knowledge and has all of His powerful creation at His disposal. The human mind cannot begin to fathom the greatness, majesty, and glory of this awesome God! Psalm 19:1 reports that “The heavens declare the glory of God.” As astronomers explore the billions of galaxies of His amazing universe they are overwhelmed with the vastness of this creation. When they measure the dis-tance in the universe they have to use the term “light years,” the distance light travels in one year at the speed of 186,000 miles per second. Using this standard of measure, we are told that some of the galaxies and stars in our universe are billions of light years away from earth! All of this should cause us to be in awe of this infinite, almighty God!
America and the world have forgotten that there is a God in heaven who rules in all of the affairs of man and is directing the course of history to complete His eternal plan, clearly spelled out in the prophetic Word of God! God has created the nations to glorify Him, honor Him, and be in submission to Him. In Psalm 33, the Lord reminds mankind that He supernaturally created the world when He spoke it into existence “by the breath of his mouth.” (verse 6) In light of this Scripture, He demands that all men should be in awe of Him and submit to His Word. When men do not do this, God has warned in this text that He will frustrate and ultimately defeat man’s greatest efforts. He reminds us that it is foolish to struggle against the sovereign hand of the Almighty. Even a world superpower, like the United States, is no match for the One who rules the universe!
About 2,500 years ago, the most powerful nation on earth was Babylon. Its king, Nebuchadnezzar, looked out over his kingdom and boastfully proclaimed that he had built his great empire by his own wisdom and power. (Daniel 4:28-30) As a result, God humbled the most powerful king on earth by causing a mental illness to completely debilitate and dethrone him for seven years. (Daniel 4:31-33) At the end of the seven years, the Lord mentally restored Nebuchadnezzar and gave him great spiritual insight. Daniel 4:34-35, 37 stands as a testimony to all those who need to recognize the sovereign power of God among the affairs of men: “And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honored him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation: And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honor the King of Heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.”
I believe that an overwhelming majority of Americans are living and speaking as if our leaders, armies, resources, economy, and people have built this great nation without the hand of God and that we can continue to maintain and rebuild it without God! This kind of blind, foolish thinking ignores Scripture, our history, and the prophetic Word of God. Psalm 127:1 summarizes the proclamation of the Word of God: “Except the LORD build the house, they labor in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh in vain.”
America has forgotten that the men who wrote the founding documents of this nation and set this nation on the course that has sustained it for over 230 years have left behind many testimonies of this nation’s total dependence upon the God of the Bible and the doctrines of Christianity for its survival. George Washington, the first president, said, “It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor.” John Adams, the second president stated, “We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by moral and religion. Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” Jedediah Morse, known as the “Father of American Geography,” declared, “To the kindly influence of Christianity we owe that degree of civil freedom, and political and social happiness, which mankind now enjoys… Whenever the pillars of Christianity shall be overthrown, our present republican forms of government – and all blessings which flow from them – must fall with them.” The great insight of Benjamin Franklin in his old age can be seen in this recorded statement, “I’ve lived, sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth: That God governs in the affairs of men. If a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid? We’ve been assured in the sacred writings that unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it. I firmly believe this, and I also believe that without His concurring aid, we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel.”
The godly leaders of Congress in the House Judiciary Committee Report on March 27, 1854, ushered the following observation: “At the time of the adoption of the Constitution and the amendments, the universal sentiment was that Christianity should be encouraged… In this age there can be no substitute for Christianity…That was the religion of the founders of the republic and they expected it to remain the religion of their descendants.”
For most of its existence the United States has been known by the world as “a Christian nation.” For example, in 1831, when the French author, Alexis De Tocqueville, visited the U.S. he observed, “Upon my arrival in the United States, the religious aspect of the country was the first thing that struck my attention; and the longer I stayed there, the more I did perceive the great political consequences resulting from this state of things, to which I was unaccustomed. In France I had almost always seen the spirit of religion and the spirit of freedom pursing courses diametrically opposed to each other; but in America I found that they were intimately united, and that they reigned in common over the same country.”
It is not a secret that for several decades now there has been a very gradual, but definite, shift by a very militant and vocal minority in the United States away from the Biblical foundation upon which America was built. How tragic that many Americans feel threatened by the very same spiritual truths that historically placed this nation in the position to be blessed and protected by Almighty God! Now, there is an aggressive demand throughout the land for this nation to be set free from the anchor of Biblical Christianity, and to be set free to sail on the ocean of religious and moral freedom.
I must remind my fellow Americans that the United States is not mentioned anywhere in the Biblical prophecies of the last days. This leads us to conclude that this last superpower of the old world order will not be a major player in the “New World Order.” It is apparent that America is about to be judged by God and will slip from its lofty position among the nations of the world. This single event will politically, morally, militarily, economically, and spiritually alter the world. Most people have not stopped to think of what this will mean for our world, in light of the global godless context at this hour. Even with all of our sin and spiritual weakness, the United States, in spite of who we are, has been used by Almighty God as a promoter of freedom and goodness. This global impact upon the world by America has come as a result of the freedoms that a godly remnant has exercised to proclaim and promote the Word of God in this land and around the world. The Apostle Paul exhorted believers to pray for their governmental leaders so that “we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior.” (1 Timothy 2:2-3) It has been this kind of atmosphere that has fostered the freedoms, peace, and prosperity that America has enjoyed for so many years.
If the Lord has instructed us to pray for our leaders, then it stands to reason that we should be praying about and be involved in the election this November. Romans 13:2 states that government is “the ordinance of God.” God has ordained government and calls its leaders “the minister[s] of God” in Romans 13:4. Some believers have taken the position that Christians should not vote, hold office, or get involved in political matters because we are citizens of heaven. (Philippians 3:20) However, please notice that the Apostle Paul was given this revelation, and yet, Paul eventually appealed to Rome to hear his case after he had been held prisoner in Caesarea for three years. (Acts 25:11) Paul considered himself a citizen of heaven and Rome. When Jesus was asked by His Jewish opponents about paying taxes to Rome, which all Jews despised to do in His day, notice his answer: “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” (Mark 12:17) The believer is spiritually a citizen of heaven, but this does not cancel out the fact that in the physical realm he has been placed by God under the authority of human government and must respect, pray for, and, as the Lord leads, be involved in governmental affairs. We have several examples of this in Scripture. Notice that God placed Joseph in the position of being the second highest in command in the court of the pagan leadership of Egypt. (Genesis 41:37-45) The Lord also placed Daniel in position to be in favor with and to serve in governmental positions in the wicked Babylonian and Persian Empires. (Daniel 2:48; 5:29; 6:28)
As salt and light (Matthew 5:13-14) the Lord has called His people to serve Him and all those around them, by providing spiritual guidance and wisdom that would promote freedom and peace, consequently opening the doors for the proclamation of His revelation and preserving society so that following generations might be able to hear the Word of God and benefit from the grace of God.
As believers who know the prophetic Word of God are following the dangerous developments in the Mid-dle East and around the world, it is very important for us to be praying about this election for the leaders that will serve this nation for the next four years. Have you considered what the next President of the United States will be facing? When our next President is sworn into office, he will be faced with the daily threat of an attack upon the U.S. by radical Islamic elements that are already in this country and have access to weapons of mass destruction. According to the Christian Action Network, there are more than 35 radical Islamic communes with more than 3,000 members who are training for an Islamic jihad attack against America. (www.ChristianAction.org.) Russia and Iran are working together to control the oil of the world. Israel is warning the world that if Iran should develop nuclear weapons that it will use them against Western interests in the Middle East. Not only is Iran threatening to destroy Israel, but it is also planning to take over the Persian Gulf to control almost two-thirds of the world’s oil supply that flows out of this region. Russia’s aggression against Georgia in recent weeks should be viewed as an attempt to control the daily export of more than one million barrels of oil, along with the rich deposits of coal and natural gas, in the region. Many Islamic nations in the Middle East fear Iran and are already making plans to develop nuclear capability to defend themselves against Iranian aggression. In light of the developments in Iran, it is difficult to determine what the outcome of the war in Iraq will be. We must remember that many Iraqis are Shiites and will side with Iran. While the situation in Iraq looks better at this time, this could change in one day – the day that Iran gets the nuclear bomb or the day that Israel and/or the U.S. attacks Iran to destroy its nuclear capabilities. In light of all of this, no one can begin to imagine the security nightmare that the next president will inherit.
From the perspective of the prophetic Word of God, the single most important issue the next president will face will be the peace process between Israel and the proposed state of Palestine. According to a multitude of Scriptures, the Lord has promised that He will de-stroy the nations that attempt to divide the Holy Land and take Jerusalem away from His chosen people. (Jeremiah 30:11-24; 51:20; Ezekiel 38-39; Joel 3:2; Zechariah 12:1-9) In light of this, the Bush administration leaves behind a diplomatic minefield that will blow up in America’s face. Bush and Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice have both declared that the Holy Land and Jerusalem must be divided to create a Palestinian State, with East Jerusalem as the capital. This will bring the judgmental wrath of God upon America. Unless the next administration reverses this dangerous support for a Palestinian State upon the land that God has given to Israel, it will lead to the demise of the United States. In recent years two authors have presented their research to demonstrate that since 1991 the United States has suffered a number of significant natural disasters, financial difficulties, and terrorist attacks because of the U.S. pressure on Israel to surrender the land that God has given to them. William Koenig in his book, Eye to Eye, Facing the Consequences of Dividing Israel, and John P. Ternan’s book, As America has Done to Israel, both demonstrate with impeccable detailed research that within 24 hours of the attempts of the last three administrations to force Israel to give land to the Palestinians, the U.S. suffered massive natural disas-ters that have cost billions of dollars and hundreds of American lives. As this newsletter comes to you America is still cleaning up from three massive hurricanes. It is not by accident that a number of natural disasters have occurred during the month of September. The Bush administration announced this past spring that it was their goal to bring the Israelis and Palestinians to peace talks in September. In August Israeli Prime Minister Olmert resigned. This means that Israel will have a new administration and Prime Minister in the next few months. Also, this September a number of very destructive and deadly hurricanes hit the United States. It is not by accident that Hurricane Ike caused heavy damage to the state of Texas, home to President George W. Bush. Does anyone remember that on October 30, 1991 President George H.W. Bush announced that Israel had to compromise and give up land for peace? The next day a powerful storm smashed the New England coast, heavily damaging Bush’s home in Kennebunkport, Maine. This is exactly what God has promised He would do to those who oppose His will for Israel in the last days. “Behold, the whirlwind of the LORD goeth forth with fury, a continuing whirlwind: it shall fall with pain upon the head of the wicked. The fierce anger of the LORD shall not return until he have done it, and until he have performed the intents of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it.” (Jeremiah 30:23-24) “He sendeth out his word … he causeth his wind to blow, and his waters flow. … Fire, and hale; snow, and vapors; stormy wind fulfill-ing his word.” (Psalm 147:18; 148:8)
Furthermore, the next President will face a failing U.S. economy with a national debt that is growing at 1.4 billion dollars a day! The current energy crisis is rapidly depleting the economic surplus in the banking, corporate, and private sectors. The failure of several important U.S. banking and loan firms has already sent major shock waves throughout the financial global and national markets. The conservative projection for the next few months looks very bleak for the U.S. economy.
The governmental bodies of the U.S. leadership in Washington are deeply divided and corrupt. It is apparent that most of the elected officials are more concerned about their re-election and the power of their political party than the condition of the nation and serious threats that we are facing. The next administration will need the support of the American people to apply pressure upon Congress to move out of political gridlock and to get back to work for the people of the United States.
As we elect leadership this November we need to elect godly leaders. If they are not on our ballot, we must select those who are the closest to God’s standard that will please Him and will implore His mercy, and pray for His blessings upon this nation. We must prayerfully select the candidates who have demonstrated that they are servants of God and man and have demonstrated that they are people of godly character and moral integrity. Moses, while seeking leadership to aid him in leading the nation of Israel, was given the following counsel: “Moreover you shall provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, and rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.” (Exodus 18:21) Speaking from his death bed, the aged King David said, “The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.” (2 Samuel 23:3) If a person does not know God, then he will be void of wisdom, because wisdom comes from knowing God. (Psalm 111:10) We need leaders who not only have the facts, but make the right choices when adversity strikes and critical decisions must be made. We need leaders of godly character because these leaders can be trusted to be faithful to God and the American people.
America, the selection of a leader must not be based only upon his ability to lead. The most important consideration in the selection of a leader is not how well he can lead, but where he will lead his people. This is the most critical element. When the Lord gave the church instruction concerning the selection of its leaders, the qualifications focused upon the candidate’s moral character and proven experience as a respected leader in his home and in his community. (1 Timothy 3:1-7) Leaders should have good experience and not be “a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.” (1 Timothy 3:6) The leadership of a nation should demand the highest levels of tested experience.
It is vitally important that we select the candidates that will consider themselves servants of the United States of America before they give their allegiance to the United Nations. Please understand that a very powerful movement is already in motion to force the United States into a North American Union with Canada and Mexico. Those who are attempting to build a New World Order government have been successful in forming regional governments, like the European Union, around the world. Great pressure is about to come upon the United States to surrender a very significant part of her sovereignty to create some form of regional government in North America. If the powers that be have their way, this will occur in the next four years! If this takes place, this will be the last election of a president over the sovereign United States of America! This would also take away or alter many of our freedoms that have been a part of America envisioned by the Founding Fathers. In essence, the America that we have known all of our lives will cease to exist! Therefore, it is very impor-tant that we select a leadership that will promote, guard, uphold, protect, and defend the constitution of the United States of America!
America, please be careful to not listen to the financial promises of the political candidates. First, please understand that the economy of the nations is in the hands of Almighty God! All of the wealth in the world belongs to the Lord, and He distributes it to whom He wills. For example, God told Israel that if they obeyed Him and were in the center of His will, He would economically prosper them and make them a leading and lending nation. (Deuteronomy 28:1-14) However, if they rebelled against Him, He promised to judge them and make them a borrowing nation. (Deuteronomy 28:15-46) If you listen to the politicians and political pundits they will make you think that the economy of a nation is very much dependent upon the governmental policies of that administration. However, that is not totally true. While the policies of governments and their taxation of the people do play an important role in the economy of a nation, it does not measure up to the major factors that make up the economy of a nation. The economy of a nation is dependent upon the blessing or cursing of God, and the obedience or rebellion of the people toward God. If the people of a nation honor the God who created them, then He has promised to multiply their resources and reward their work with abundance. However, if they refuse to honor and serve the only God of heaven, then He has promised to curse that nation. He will remove their resources by plagues and natural disasters and will frustrate their work so that it will not be productive. Therefore, we must not think that the answer to our economy is to elect the leaders that have the cleverest economical plan. If we as a nation strive against God, no economical plan will work. That is why the moral issues of abortion and homosexuality are very critical in this election. If we elect leaders who will promote a moral lifestyle that is offensive to God, then we are voting to invite the judgment of God and the de-struction of our economy!
When you vote for a candidate who is promising that government will fix your personal financial problems, you are voting for the destruction of the economy and the nation. Governmental revenue comes from four sources: governmental business, taxation, printing money, and borrowing money. At this present hour our government has overextended itself so that it is spending all of its revenue, plus printing a lot of money and borrowing about $1.4 billion per day! With a present debt of over $9 tril-lion and future promises for the entitlement programs (Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, etc.) adding up to about $50 trillion in the next few decades, how can any candidate promise Americans a free comprehensive medical health insurance program? Do not be fooled! This is not in the best interest of the American people. We do have a major problem with health care costs, but the answer is not a government health insurance program. We should not expect government to take care of our daily needs. We should not ask them to do for us what we can and should be doing for ourselves. The Bible teaches that if a man will “not work, neither should he eat.” (2 Thessalonians 3:10)
I do not want to leave the impression that the greatest need in America is better leadership in Washington. This is not true. The greatest need in America is a turning back to God. As believers in Jesus Christ we need to fall on our knees and cry out to God for revival. The church has become a part of the spiritual problem, rather than being a part of the spiritual solution to the sins of America. Too many pastors and churches have departed from the sound teaching of the Word of God. What can you do? Hold your pastor and church accountable to sound Biblical doctrine and godliness! If Christ is first in your life, you should refuse to belong to a church where the Word of God is being compromised and immorality is being tolerated. (Romans 16:17-18; 1 Corinthians 5:1-13) Too many church members are attending a church because of tradition or because family or friends go there. They have chosen to offend the Lord who died for them, rather than disappoint their family or friends.
We need to get back to the Bible and holy living! America needs a lot of salt and light now! It will not be easy. Men love darkness rather than light!!
God is speaking to America through the broken economy and the natural disasters, but is anyone listening to Him? Read Amos 4:6-13.
Posted by david on 2008/7/21 10:09:45 (1065 reads)
By Mike Wingfield
An examination of today’s current events in the light of Biblical prophecy and world history indicates that we are presently watching developments that are radically reshaping the global political and economic future of the nations. We are witnessing the birth of a New World Order that is being created by the world’s thirst for a limited commodity that everyone needs to sustain their modern way of life – oil! This New World Order perfectly reflects what the prophetic Scriptures have predicted for these last days. As one person said to me recently, “It is no longer far away, but it is staring us in the face today!”
According to the Institute for the Analysis of Global Security [IAGS], oil supplied only 4 percent of the world’s energy at the beginning of the 20th century. However, today oil accounts for “40% of the world’s energy and 96% of its transportation energy. Since the shift from coal to oil, the world has consumed more than 875 billion barrels. Another 1,000 billion barrels of proved and probable reserves remain to be recovered.” (www.iags.org, undated article)
The dramatic rise in the price of oil in recent years is bringing about a significant and unprecedented transfer of wealth from the West to the East. IAGS reports, “No doubt perpetual high oil prices will create a new economic world order, shifting the economic balance between OPEC and the West in the direction of those who own the precious commodity. Best-selling author Robert Zubrin points out that in 1972 the U.S. spent $4 billion for oil imports, an amount that equaled to 1.2% of our defense budget. In 2006, it paid $260 billion which equals half of our defense budget. Over the same period, Saudi oil revenues grew from $2.7 billion to $200 billion and with it their ability to fund radical Islam. In the years to come this economic imbalance will grow by leaps and bounds. …
“Saudi Arabia’s oil alone is worth $27 trillion, seven times the total value of all companies traded on the London Stock Exchange. If one adds the worth of OPEC’s huge gas reserves as well as additional oil reserves that have not yet been discovered, the disparity more than doubles. If oil prices climb to $200, as Venezuela’s president Hugo Chavez recently warned, the disparity would double again. Such monumental wealth enables unprecedented buying power of the oil countries. For demonstration sake, at $100 oil, OPEC could potentially buy Bank of America with two months worth of revenue, Apple Computers in two weeks and General Motors in just six days. It would take less than three years of production for OPEC to own a 20 percent (which essentially ensures a voting block in most corporations) of every S&P 500 company. Of course, takeovers of such magnitude are unlikely, at least in the foreseeable future, but what is clear about the new economic reality is that while the economic power of America and its allies is constantly eroding, OPEC’s ‘share’ price is on a solid upward trajectory.” (www.iags.org, undated article)
Perhaps this economic takeover of U.S. properties and companies is not so far away. Chuck Missler writes, “The weak dollar has spurned foreign investment in the US, highlighting the United States’ increasing dependence on foreign capital. The increase in foreign direct investment has also prompted concerns over the sale of key U.S. business and other critical infrastructure such as ports, power plants, and telecommunication networks.
“The sale of several high profile properties, to investors from Europe, and the Middle East, have made headlines in recent weeks. The Abu Dhabi Investment Council, a sovereign wealth fund based in the United Arab Emirates, is in negotiations to buy a 75 percent state in Manhattan’s Chrysler Building. The deal is estimated to be worth about 800 million dollars. It follows last month’s sale of the GM Building and three other properties for approximately 4 billion dollars to a group of investors from Kuwait and Qatar. …
“Foreign buyers poured almost 55 billion dollars into US commercial real estate last year – that’s about double the amount of 2006. … Direct foreign investment in US businesses reached about 280 billion dollars last year.” (E-mail from Chuck Missler, June 17, 2008)
Unless some unforeseeable discovery sets the West free from the demand for foreign oil, this massive transfer of economic balance will radically alter the political landscape of the world in just a few years! This transfer of wealth is “already creating a structural shift in the global economy, causing oil importers economic dislocations such as swollen trade deficits, loss of jobs, sluggish economic growth, inflation, and, if prices continue to soar, inevitable recession.” (www.iags.org, undated article)
However, current projections indicate that this problem will get much worse for the West. The global demand for oil will drive the price of oil up even more. “From now to 2020, world oil consumption will rise about 60%. Transportation will be the fastest growing oil-consuming sector. By 2025, the number of cars will increase to well over 1.25 billion from approximately 700 million today. Global consumption could double.” (www.iags.org, undated article) This is further complicated by the fact that 66 percent of the proven oil reserves [the oil that geological statistics indicates are recoverable from natural oil deposits] are in the hands of Muslim nations: “Saudi Arabia (25%), Iraq (11%), Iran (8%), United Arab Emirates (9%), Kuwait (9%), and Libya (2%).” (www.iags.org, undated article) Other nations currently exporting oil, including Russia, will stop by 2020. This means that in less than 12 years, 83 percent of the global oil reserves will be controlled by the Muslim nations in the Middle East. This spells big trouble for the entire West, including the United States and the European Union. This would mean that the Muslims will be in control of the global economy as they will be able to control the oil markets and manipulate oil prices. This will change the current political and security stability of the entire world! The funding of Islamic terrorism against Israel and the West with these growing oil revenues will dramatically and dangerously increase.
All of this means that 95 percent of the world will be dependent upon five or six Islamic nations in the Persian Gulf region for their economic future! This is exactly what the Bible has predicted for the final days in this age.
In 519 B.C. the prophet Zechariah was given a vision of a wicked woman riding in a basket [an ephah] that symbolized the global economy. In this vision the global economy was transferred back to “the land of Shinar.” (Zechariah 5:11) This is the exact location of the ancient city of Babylon (Genesis 11:2), located in Iraq.
The Apostle John, about 600 years later, was given a similar vision of a harlot riding upon a beast that represented the final Gentile Kingdom. This harlot was living in the desert (Revelation 17:3) and was associated with the geographical region previously controlled by Babylon. Her name is “MYSTERY, BABYON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” (Revelation 17:5) In light of the ancient Hebrew culture, this harlot represents a powerful religion located in area of the historical Babylonian Empire, which would include all of Arab/Islamic nations in the Persian Gulf. This is supported by the fact that the Apostle John in Revelation 17-18 primarily quotes from four Old Testament chapters that unquestionably point to the geographical region of ancient Babylon. (Isaiah 13, 47; Jeremiah 50-51) This area today is the central hub of the religion of Islam, and is supported in Revelation 17-18 by several other details. This religion and the final one-world government system of the Antichrist will kill believers in Jesus Christ by beheading them with a sword. (Revelation 17:6; 18:24; 20:4) The kings of the earth will be mesmerized by the global power and passion of this militant religion. (Revelation 14:8; 17:2; 18:3) The global political leadership, merchants, and those who transport goods by sea will be made rich by a resource that this religion possess. (Revelation 18:3-19) All of the detailed symbols of the text of Revelation 17-18 and the supporting O.T. texts point to the religion of Islam, with the oil that produces political and economic power supporting their global jihad agenda.
Until the Rapture of the church occurs, Islam will become more and more powerful. This will make life difficult for everyone in the West and in Israel, especially believers in Jesus Christ.
Israel has announced that within the next few years it will be the first nation to develop an oil-free economy. Israel will begin to manufacture an electric car that will be able to travel about 100 miles on one electrical charge. Stations throughout the country will be installed to recharge and/or exchange batteries. This car will be cheaper than other gas-fueled imported cars. Since Israel is a very small country, the 100-mile range of the battery will be quite sufficient. Israeli leadership realizes that it is very important to become independent from Islamic oil, especially when it makes them vulnerable to their enemies in the Middle East. At the dedication ceremony of this project President Shimon Peres commented, “Oil is the greatest problem of all time – the great polluter and promoter of terror. We should get rid of it.” (www.iags.org, undated article)
In the U.S. we suffer from a powerful addiction to petroleum products. Leadership has been talking for more than 40 years about this problem, but we have done very little about it. As a matter of fact, we are now more dependent upon foreign oil that ever before. If we are not willing to make ourselves independent of foreign oil, then we can be sure that it will ultimately challenge our security and national sovereignty. We can expect to see a dramatic decline in our economy and eventual enslavement to the Islamic nations who hate Israel and the West.
“World competition for dwindling oil reserves will force the U.S. to increase its footprint in the [Middle East] while oil-generated wealth would continue to provide extremists the capital to market and implement their ideas worldwide. The unavoidable result is even more terrorism and instability. So, when it comes down to the question of whether we can actually afford to shift away from petroleum-based energy systems, one should remember that the combined impact of wars, terrorism and environmental degradation is likely to send the price of oil right through the ceiling over the next two decades.” (www.iags.org, undated article)
Furthermore, examining Russia’s current and long-term oil production is very significant in the light of the Gog and Magog war in Ezekiel 38-39. Russia, referenced as Magog in Ezekiel 38-39, will join Iran and Turkey, and two other African nations (Ethiopia/Sudan and Libya), in an attempted invasion of Israel in the last days. Ezekiel says that God will put hooks in the jaws of these nations and force them to attempt an invasion of Israel. This invasion will be fueled by hatred for the Jewish people (Ezekiel 38:16) and an attempt to capture the wealth in Israel. (Ezekiel 38:12-13)
In light of this it is interesting to note that Israel is enjoying a very vibrant and growing economy. The Israeli shekel is one of a few currencies in the world that occasionally out-performs the euro. The Israelis are known for their high-tech agricultural and military advancements. Plus, they have the Dead Sea, which is rich in 14 minerals, one of which is potash (one of the major components in fertilizer). It is reported that there is enough potash in the Dead Sea to cover the earth for the next 100 years! It is estimated that the wealth of the minerals in the Dead Sea is greater than all of the combined wealth in all of Europe!
Almost 20 years ago the former Soviet Union collapsed financially. Currently, Russia is attempting to regain her position as a former superpower by accelerating oil exports. Russia ranks only seventh in proven oil reserves, while it only possesses 5 percent of the global oil deposits. However, Russia has increased its production of oil so that it has become the second largest exporter behind Saudi Arabia. IAGS reports that Russia’s “oil production peaked around 1999 and its reserves have been steadily declining since. That means that at current production rates, Russia will be out of the running by 2020.” (www.iags.org, undated article) Using the same calculations, it is estimated that the African nations will be out of the oil business by 2025.
This would indicate that Russia and the other nations mentioned in Ezekiel 38-39, with the exception of Iran, will be suffering from the loss of income from oil exports. In light of the present growing significance of oil and the global economy, this will no doubt play a major role in the decision of these Gog and Magog nations in their attempt to invade Israel to obtain the wealth there. This would mean that the Gog and Magog invasion could probably take place sometime in the next 12 to 15 years!
Therefore, it does appear that the current global oil crisis is setting the stage for the final conflict of the last days. A New World Order of Western nations, and the growing influence and power of Islam, are both competing for the future control of this planet. The common factor that is facilitating all of this is the mad thirst for oil to control and manipulate the global economy so that they can dominate the lives of others.
God has an answer for all of this greed, deception, injustice, and violence. (James 5:1-6) The New World Order political dictators and the Islamic jihad war machine will eventually come face to face with the righteous King of Kings and Lord of Lords! The Apostle John declared that when Jesus comes at Armageddon, He will come as the righteous judge to make war against all those who have rejected Him and are in rebellion against Him. (Revelation 19:11) After their destruction He will establish His kingdom of peace and prosperity for 1,000 years upon this earth. In the process, the oil fields of the Persian Gulf will be judged by our Lord and “become burning pitch.” (Isaiah 34:9) The fire in the land of the oil rich nations that ruled with cruelty and blasphemed the name of Jesus “shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever: from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever.” (Isaiah 34:10) This means that those who live during the Kingdom Age will witness the continual smoldering fires of the oil fields of the former Islamic nations and see them as a powerful reminder of what happens to those who rebel against the King. This day will come because, “it is the day of the LORD’s vengeance, and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion.” (Isaiah 34:8)
The world, including the present U.S. administration, is attempting to wrestle Jerusalem [Zion] away from the Israelis. Those who attempt to do so will meet the Holy One of Israel face to face in judgment! He has a bold and passionate plan for Jerusalem. Read Isaiah 62:1-7. Those who ignore this and attempt to reverse what He has done in these last days by returning Jerusalem to the Jewish people once again, will be crushed by Him! (Zechariah 12:1-4) Concerning that future day, He has declared, “And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.” (Zechariah 12:9)
The world rushes down the road of life to its appointment with Almighty God. They are oblivious to what is about to take place. May our Lord give us wisdom to know what to do and how to live in these perilous times that we are passing through. (2 Timothy 3:1) The Lord is coming soon! Be ready!
As the summer months begin, our beaches and malls will be filled with people who are sensually and provocatively dressed. Only God knows how many millions of people will look, lust, and sin throughout these summer months! We need to be reminded that Jesus said, "Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." (Matthew 5:28) Sensuality and immorality are the norm for these last days, just as it was when the Lord judged the entire world with a global flood in the days of Noah. When Jesus was asked by His disciples about the signs of His coming, He responded, among many things, "But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." (Matthew 24:37) A study of the culture of Noah’s day, as revealed in Genesis 6, demonstrates that global immorality was so common that the Lord "saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." (Genesis 6:5) This verse is a commentary on the previous verses. In Genesis 6:1-4 we are told that during the time of a global population explosion men were looking upon the women and saw that they were "fair" (the Hebrew word means they saw them as being "beautiful."). The Bible tells us that "the sons of God" were having sex with the "daughters of men" and that result was an offspring that were "giants." (Genesis 6:1-4) The surface reading and consideration of these verses does not reveal the real story behind the days of Noah. The term "sons of God" is sometimes a reference in the Bible to angels. (Job 1:6) In this case, because of the wickedness associated with their activity, we are forced to conclude that this is a reference to fallen angels – demons. So, in the days of Noah, demon possessed-men and women were motivated to commit lewd immoral acts with other men and women, so that the physical offspring were "giants." The word "giant" in Hebrew means "fallen ones." In this case, the offspring of the immoral activity in Noah’s day yielded not physical giants, but spiritually giant sinners. Therefore, this context demands that we conclude that these sinful, immoral parents, who were being influenced by demons, were giving birth to children who were controlled by the same demons, and, like their parents, were grossly immoral.
Luke also reminds the Bible reader that the last days will be like the days of Lot in Sodom when "it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all." (Luke 17:28-30) A study of Genesis 18-19 reveals that God patiently waited until the sin of homosexuality had a firm grip upon the entire city of Sodom. When the two angels from heaven entered Lot’s house that fateful night before its destruction, all of the men "compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter." (Genesis 19:4) This militant homosexual crowd demanded that Lot deliver the two men to them so they could sexually abuse them throughout the night. In Genesis 18:20 the Lord revealed the grief of His heart when he declared that "the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and … their sin is very grievous." Even after the angels supernaturally struck these men with blindness, "they wearied themselves to find the door." (Genesis 19:11) Apparently, even after divine judgment they were still determined to enter Lot’s house to carry out their lustful desires. In a similar way, after three and one-half years of the harsh judgments of God during the Tribulation Period, in which at least one-half of the world’s population will be killed (Revelation 6:8; 9:15), those who survive will not want to give up their sexual immorality. (Revelation 9:21) Note that the immorality of those living in the Tribulation will be directly connected to demon worship, violence, the occult (which includes mind-altering drugs), and theft. (Revelation 9:20-21) Therefore, we must conclude that our world today is globally running toward its appointment with the judgment of God during the Tribulation!
In many ways the U.S. is leading and influencing the world with its immorality as we export our rock music, movies, and pornography to the nations of the world. As you travel to other nations you can hear this godless music and see the sensual fashions that are now permeating the world!
The rapid moral disintegration of America is frightening. In March two reports were released that give us a window into the gross depravity of America. World magazine reported that 26 percent of American girls, ages 14-19, "have at least one sexually transmitted disease." (World, March 22/29, 2008, p.18) That means that one out of every four American teen girls you see in public, on average, has a sexually transmitted disease! A more shocking survey indicates "that well over half of American teens now engage in oral sex." (U.S. News & World Report, March 10, 2008, p. 60) Many global surveys indicate that there is a shocking rise in sexually transmitted diseases in the mouth, and oral cancer, due to the increased risks people (ages 16-40) are taking by engaging in oral sex. "The frequency of oral sex among those engaging in casual hookups is a virtual epidemic in the making." (U.S. News & World Report, March 10, 2008, p. 60) Apart from the moral and spiritual implications of these reports, it is plain to see that a heath-care crisis is in the making that will dwarf the Aids epidemic. One can only begin to imagine the impact this will have on health care costs and availability. America is about to discover what God means when He warns: "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption." (Galatians 6:7-8) Notice that in the previous chapter the Apostle Paul lists the first four works of the flesh as "adultery [extra marital sexual activity], fornication [all forms of premarital sex], uncleanness [moral impurity], [and] lasciviousness [morally filthy]." (Galatians 5:19)
Where is the church in all of this mess? Where are the voices of the men of God who need to sound the warning to their spouses and children? Where are all of the Sunday school teachers, youth workers, and pastors that should be faithfully proclaiming what the Bible has to say about sex? The church is to be salt and light in the midst of the spiritual darkness of a nation. However, statistics indicate that many pastors and church members are morally no different than the world. Tragically, the church has become a part of the problem rather than a part of the solution to bring about a spiritual turning back to God! More than ever before we need men of God who will proclaim and model moral purity in our homes, churches, communities, and nation!
Let us turn to the eternal moral values of our Creator and examine what He has to say. Some people think that since the Bible is an old book with old-fashioned standards it is no longer relevant for living in the 21st century. However, God’s moral standard has not and will not change. All of God’s standards of morality are founded upon His holy character. God is holy. This means that God is morally pure. He cannot sin. He hates all sin. His holiness has not changed, and will not change because He is perfectly and infinitely holy! God has declared, "For I am the LORD, I change not." (Malachi 3:6) Therefore, God’s standard for sexual conduct is the same for all people, cultures, and times. Remember that He is holy and He created us. Therefore, if we violate His laws we will pay the consequences, someday, somewhere, and somehow!
God’s standard is set forth in Hebrews 13:4, "Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge." This simply means that God has ordained that sex in marriage is precious in His sight. God brought together the first man and woman and commanded them to multiply. (Genesis 1:26-28; 2:21-25) It is His ordained plan and pattern for sex between the husband and wife in marriage to reproduce (Genesis 1:28), to bring pleasure (Proverbs 5:15-20), and to fulfill the sexual appetite of their spouse. (1 Corinthians 7:1-5)
Let us examine nine biblical imperatives to promote sexual purity:
We must fear God!
This is where everything in our lives must begin and end. Psalm 111:10 says, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom." Proverbs 3:7 adds, "Be not wise in thine own eyes; fear the LORD, and depart from evil." Proverbs 16:6 declares that it is the fear of God that causes men to "depart from evil." The word fear communicates that we should be in awe of God and that we are also respectfully afraid of Him. Do you fear God? If not, why not? Is it because you do not know and believe what the Bible teaches about the One who made you, watches you, and controls your next heartbeat and breath? The Bible states that "the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings." (Proverbs 5:21) Are you aware that God sees everything you do, knows everything you think, and knows what makes you tick? None of us can hide anything from God! The Lord has declared, "Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD." (Jeremiah 23:24) Your spouse may not see you while you are flirting with another person at work or looking at pictures on the Internet. Your parents may not know you are engaging in sexual immorality with your friends or date, but God does!
When Joseph was tempted by Potiphar’s wife to have sex with her, he responded, "How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" (Genesis 39:9) When the moment of sexual temptation came to this godly man, he was not focusing upon the beauty of the woman or the opportunity for him to enjoy some forbidden physical pleasure. Instead, he was able to run away from this temptation because he loved and feared God! Pleasing God was more important to him than satisfying and gratifying his body for a fleeting moment.
If you are not in awe of the Almighty God who has all power, knows everything, is always present everywhere, and yet cares about you, then you are in deep trouble! You can learn to fear God by reading the Bible and constantly asking yourself as you read every verse, "What does this teach me about God?" Unfortunately, most people who call themselves Christians want to use the Bible to manipulate God, or play "Lets Make a Deal," so He will bless them. We should read the Bible to get to know God so we can live for Him and please Him. This is how real Christians live! For example, this was the highest ambition of the Apostle Paul, who exhorted all believers to follow his example. (Philippians 3:7-17)
2. We must realize we are wicked and
vulnerable to immorality!
Jesus taught that all sexual immorality comes out of the heart of man. (Matthew 15:19) We cannot blame God, our parents, society, or anyone else. The Bible exposes the one who is at fault with these words, "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man. But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed." (James 1:13-14) The truth that we might like to escape or avoid is that the tendency toward sexual immorality is a part of everyone’s sin nature. Please consider this, "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man." (1 Corinthians 10:12-13) Even godly King David fell into this sin and tried to cover it up with another sin. (2 Samuel 11:1-27)
Therefore, no matter how godly you might think you are, you are very foolish if you think that you are not vulnerable to any particular sin, including sexual immorality. If you think that you are above committing any particular sin, you are denying the truth of the Word of God and are vulnerable to that sin by letting your guard down. Every true believer is wise to agree with God that his own heart "is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9) This was the testimony and experience of the Apostle Paul. Read Romans 7:15-25.
3. We must feed our conscience the Bible and heed its warning concerning purity!
Our Creator has made every one of us with a built-in warning system for our soul – the conscience. This conscience either accuses us when we sin or excuses us when we are pleasing God. (Romans 2:15) "The conscience, however, is not infallible. Nor is it a source of revelation about right or wrong. Its role is not to teach us moral and ethical ideals, but to hold us accountable to the highest standards of right and wrong we know. The conscience is informed by tradition as well as by truth, so the standards it holds us to are not necessarily biblical ones (1 Corin. 8:6-9)." (John F. MacArthur, Jr., The Vanishing Conscience, p. 38)
Therefore, in order for our conscience to function in such a way as to promote godliness and purity, it must be informed by the written revelation from God. We must feed our conscience the Word of God so that it will shame us, convict us, and bring guilt when we sin against God. This is what makes Psalm 119:11 work: "Thy word have I hid in mine heart [conscience], that I might not sin against thee." The Bible trains the conscience toward godliness and moral purity. While we feed the conscience the standard of God, we must at the same time guard our conscience from being exposed to immorality that would defile or contaminate it. (Titus 1:15) We live in a society where most people foolishly think they can expose their minds to all kinds of violence and immorality with no affect upon them. They think they can entertain themselves with sin and not be affected with it. We shall not know until we get on the other side of eternity the damning role that television and the entertainment industry in Hollywood has upon our society. Please read Proverbs 4:23-27. Here God warns us to guard what goes into our minds through the gates of our ears, eyes, and other senses. We need to daily practice Psalm 101:3, "I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes."
The reason that the statistics indicate that the members of our churches are living just like the world is because they have very weak consciences. They are not hiding God’s Word in their hearts, and they are not refraining from exposure to the moral filth of the world. How can we expect anything else?
4. We must understand where the road
of sexual immorality begins.
A person does not just wake up one morning and decide that he will commit an act of immorality. It always starts with lust, a sinful desire in his heart. James 1:15 tells it all: "Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." (James 1:15) The root of every immoral act can be traced back to a gaze that turned into a lustful desire, accompanied by an immoral meditation, which eventually leads to an action to carry out that lustful desire. The Bible repeatedly warns us to not underestimate the controlling power of sexual lust. Proverbs 6:27-29 illustrates that it’s like playing with fire. No one has been physically created so that they can carry fire around in their pocket. Likewise, we have not been spiritually created to play around with mental immorality!
The Bible repeatedly sounds the alarm that looking at nudity or a sensually dressed woman is dangerous. (Leviticus 18:6-18; 20:17-21; Proverbs 6:25-26) All sin is addictive, and pornography is not an exception! Don’t look and lust. Like all other sin, sexual immorality will take you further than you want to go. It will keep you longer than you want to stay. It will cost you more than you want to pay. Sin is a cruel master that enslaves its subjects. It controls. It destroys. It kills. Sexual lust and immorality bind their victim "with the cords of his sins." (Proverbs 5:22) Jesus said, "Whosoever commits sin [keeps on practicing a sin] is the servant [slave] of sin. … If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." (John 8:34, 36)
5. We must remind ourselves where the road of immorality ends!
All sin is deceptive. It always looks good and inviting. It promises pleasure but never reminds you where it always leads. God’s warning about the results of sexual immorality reverberates throughout the Holy Scriptures. Proverbs 6:32 sounds God’s trumpet alarm, "But whoso commiteth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroys his own soul." God attempts to write this message of warning upon our hearts by giving us many colorful and graphic pictures of the tragic result of immorality. When a person involves himself in sexual immorality, he becomes a "shipwreck" (1 Timothy 1:19); is like an ox being led to the slaughter (Proverbs 7:22); is compared to a fool who is being led "to the correction of the stocks" (Proverbs 7:22); is like a bird that is hurrying into a trap that will take its life (Proverbs 7:23); and has entered into the door of the house of death that leads to hell! (Proverbs 7:24-27) The deceptiveness of sin focuses our attention only upon the pleasure offered by sin. All sin brings pleasure "for a season." (Hebrews 11:25) However, the sinful road that advertises pleasure on its many billboards ultimately leads its victims around a blind curve and plunges them into the valley of death. Sexual immorality leads to painful and deadly diseases, broken homes and broken lives, a desensitized conscience, abusive behavior, unfulfilling, selfish lifestyles, and most tragically, it disrupts fellowship with a holy God. Like all other sin, it never delivers what it promises.
6. We must remind ourselves that we are to be different from this sensual world!
We live in a world where sensuality has become the model and desire of many around us. Millions of men and women want to look sexy. They have bought into the mindset and lifestyle that is being promoted in all of the entertainment and advertisement industries in our sensual culture. Some women dress in public and church like the prostitutes dressed 60 years ago! Statistics report that men of all ages are committing mental adultery every day, and many times a day. We are living in a culture that is wallowing in a selfish and sensual lifestyle, living for a few brief moments of self-gratification. The truth detailed about the last days in 2 Timothy 3:1-7 is a commentary on our age. This text reports that the last days will be dangerous because of the self-centeredness of the age that will culminate in various forms of hatred, violence, deception, lawlessness, and immorality. These people are "ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." (2 Timothy 3:7)
As believers in Jesus Christ we must daily remind ourselves that God has called us to be holy. God commands, "Be ye holy; for I am holy." (1 Peter 1:16) Our ultimate aim is to be like Christ. Therefore, there is no room for sensuality or immorality in the mind or body of the believer!
In the Apostle Paul’s day the Corinthian believers were living in one of the most aggressively sensual cultures in the ancient Roman world. The city of Corinth was one of the most important and influential cities of its time. It was located in a strategic position to attract commercial traffic from all over the ancient world. It was at the base of a mountain on which was located the temple of Venus, the Greek goddess of love. This temple was known all over the ancient world for its 1,000 beautiful temple prostitutes, dedicated to leading the worship of Venus by providing their immoral services in honor of this goddess of love. All of these factors ultimately played a part in Corinth becoming one of the most prolific sensual and immoral playgrounds of the ancient world. Consequently, Corinth became a magnet for homosexuality and all other forms of deviant sexual behavior. The Lord called the Apostle Paul to graciously establish a church in this wicked city. During his ministry Paul wrote several letters to the believers at Corinth, exhorting them concerning moral purity. In one of these letters he reminded them that they had been purchased by Jesus Christ and belonged physically and spiritually to Him. As believers in Jesus Christ, we are to view our bodies as the temple of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, our bodies should not have any part in sexual immorality which would defile this temple and bring shame upon our Holy Lord Jesus. (1 Corinthians 6:15-20)
7. We must not forget the role of Satan and his demons in immorality!
An examination of several Biblical texts reveals that Satan and his demons have a long history of involvement with immorality! They played a major role in the sexual immorality that manifested itself in the days preceding the global flood in Noah’s day. According to the context of Genesis 6:1-13, demons contributed to the moral corruption, wickedness, and violence in the global rebellion against their Creator. The Apostle Peter (2 Peter 2:4-5) and Jude (Jude 6-7) confirm this observation. Demons promote nudity and the lack of moral shame. Note that the demon-possessed man that was living in the tombs in Luke 8 was naked (verse 27) and was not ashamed as he appeared before others. According to 1 Timothy 4:1-2, demonic influence plays some part in the numbing of people’s consciences, so that nudity and immorality do not bring guilt, shame, or remorse. In light of this, it is most revealing to note that after Jesus cast the demons out of the man in Luke 8 it brought about a dramatic change in his life. When the people of his community looked at him after the demons were cast out, they observed that He was "sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind." (Luke 8:35) When the demons were gone, his spiritual eyes were opened and his conscience was restored so that his shame caused him to clothe himself.
It is very important that all servants of God take note that Satan has many weapons to tempt God’s people to fall into sin, bringing disgrace to our Lord. (Ephesians 6:10-18) The Lord reminded the Apostle Peter. "Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat." (Luke 22:31) The Bible pulls back the curtain of the spirit world to reveal that Satan loves to sexually tempt the person whose spouse is not meeting their sexual needs. (1 Corinthians 7:2-5)
The prevalence of sexual immorality among pastors and professing believers is all too common in these last days. We would do well to note that the promotion of sensuality, pornography, and immorality are all on the demons’ daily "to do" list in this world system where Satan is the prince. (John 12:31) We would be wise to note that those who have given themselves over to promote or participate in sensuality, pornography, and immorality are in some way influenced by demons. Behind all of the beautiful, and luring temptation to mentally and physically enjoy illicit sexual pleasure is the laughing, deceptive, cunning, damning, and deadly trickery of demons who, like their master, love to destroy personal lives, marriages, testimonies, churches, and the spiritual light that exposes these workers of darkness.
The power of Satan and our own sin nature can only be resisted with a greater power – the power of God. We must fight this spiritual warfare with God’s armor, not ours! "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." (Ephesians 6:12-13)
Please recognize that in this analogy of putting on the armor to defend ourselves against the darts of Satan, we are exhorted to put on "the breastplate of righteousness." (Ephesians 6:14) The Roman soldier knew how important the breastplate was. It protected the vital organs in his chest. It was the primary target of his enemy! Likewise, when Satan tempts us with sensuality, pornography, and immorality, he is aiming for our spiritual heart! Think about that! Putting on the breastplate of righteousness means that we must know and practice God’s righteous standards of morality! We should long for holiness and moral purity in our lives, families, and churches. This will be reflected in how we dress, what we read, what television programs we watch, what kind of music we listen to, what places we visit on the Internet, and what we desire in our hearts!
8. We must practice the Biblical imperative to RUN from sexual temptation!
Sexual temptation is powerful. Proverbs 6:27, 28 asks, "Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?" When you touch something that is too hot, you must drop it immediately. Our body is not made to withstand high temperatures. Likewise, we are not spiritually made to focus upon something that arouses our sexual desires. Remember that Jesus said, "Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." (Matthew 5:28)
When you see something that is sexually tempting, do not keep looking or it will be too late. Like touching something that is too hot, it only takes a moment to be seriously injured. The Bible exhorts us to "flee fornication" (1 Corinthians 6:18) and "youthful lusts." (2 Timothy 2:22) To flee is to run! Mentally and physically we must remove ourselves from the presence of sexual temptation. A few seconds of lusting can lead to a lifetime of tragedy and disappointment.
9. We must not forget that in a moment we could be standing before our Holy Judge!
Those who claim that they are saved and are not living a holy and pure moral life, both mentally and physically, are not watching for the coming of the Lord Jesus! The potential for our rapture into the presence of our holy Lord Jesus at any moment will have a purifying effect upon us. "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is, And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure." (1 John 3:2-3) The apostle Paul concluded his life with these words, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 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 that love his appearing." (2 Timothy 4:7-8) Please note that Paul connected personal, righteous living with those who were looking for Jesus’ coming.
It is obvious that the world and many in the church do not believe that "the judge standeth before the door." (James 5:9) If they did, our world and churches would not be tainted with sensuality, pornography, and immorality!
What can you do if you have already fallen into the trap of immorality? First, cry out to God for forgiveness. (1 John 1:8-10) Begin to live a life of repentance. Turn from sin and to Christ. "Walk in the Spirit." (Galatians 5:16-21) Seek God’s face, and daily look for the coming of the Lord. Begin to saturate your conscience with the biblical admonitions and warnings that are mentioned in this newsletter. Recognize your weakness toward this sin, and understand that this is spiritual warfare for your soul! Demons are using sexually tempting things to lure you into their damning trap! Remember that the person who yields to sexual temptation "destroyeth his own soul." (Proverbs 6:32) This is why Jesus said that sexual temptation requires a serious response. (Read Matthew 5:28-30.)
As proclaimed by Biblical history and prophecy, a nation that descends into the pits of immorality has departed from the Rock of life and salvation and has built their life and nation upon the sands of sin that will destroy them all!
When people talk about famine, most Americans, and others in the West, do not consider the subject seriously because they live in a land of plenty. For many decades now most of us in the rich nations of the West have enjoyed food imported from around the world. The variety and availability has been delightful. Furthermore, in recent years the United States of America has been the bread basket of the world. However, is it possible that this is all about to change? Is it really possible that global famine is the forecast for all, including the advanced, affluent nations of the West? Let us examine both the Biblical and secular forecasts of global famine.
In response to His disciples’ question about the signs of the end of this age, Jesus warned that famine would accompany the natural disasters, ravages of war, and diseases that would be a part of the birth pangs that would thrust the world into the Tribulation. (Matthew 24:7-8) In light of this revelation it is not surprising to note that according to the Apostle John, global famine will be so serious at the beginning of the Tribulation that it will take a man’s entire daily wage to buy about one quart of wheat. (Revelation 6:6) For example, if a person’s daily wage was $100.00, it would mean that a bushel of wheat would sell for about $3,200 at the beginning of the Tribulation! It is selling now for about $9 a bushel. Think about that for a moment!
In light of this, it is most interesting to examine what is being reported in secular circles about the approaching global famine, and how close it may be. According to the United Nations there are currently 830 million people in the world that are malnourished. Famine kills more people annually than Aids, tuberculosis and malaria combined. (Peter Huck, www.nzhearld.co.nz, March 29, 2008) However, many sources indicate that the situation is about to get much worse because "the world is facing the most severe food price inflation in history as grain and soybean prices climb to all-time highs." (Peter Huck, www.nzherald.com.nz, March 29, 2008) According to UN records, global food prices have risen 35 percent in the last year. The World Bank estimates that global food prices have risen by 83 percent the last three years. (The Roanoke Times, April 23, 2008, p. 7) This current dangerous inflation of food prices is putting the availability of food out of reach for millions in poverty around the world. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown recently commented, "Tackling hunger is a moral challenge to each of us and it is also a threat to the political and economic stability of the nations." (The Roanoke Times, April 23, 2008, p. 7) It is important for us to know what factors are creating this food crisis and the forces behind the approaching global famine.
First, the inflation of fossil fuels in recent years, 79 percent in the last 12 months, has encouraged many nations to create and invest into a program of converting food, such as corn and sugar cane, into alternate fuels. In the U.S., 24.7 percent of the corn crop was used in 2007 to make ethanol. The increased demand for corn has driven up the domestic price of corn, and consequently also inflated the price of milk, eggs, and meat because of the escalated cost of feed for animals and poultry. In South America some countries are doing the same thing with sugar cane. The UN projects that the current manufacturing of food into fuel is creating an "unforeseen and unprecedented hunger crisis." (Peter Huck, www.nzherald.co.nz, March 29, 2008) However, if we do not develop alternative fuels it will cause the cost of fossil fuels to increase and thereby drive up the cost of food. Just image what the price of food would be should gas reach $10 per gallon!
Another reason for the inflation in cost for food is the world’s population boom and the shift of that population from the farms to the factories. World population is now increasing at the alarming rate of 1.5 million per week. A swelling global population is demanding an ever dwindling food supply. The food supply in some cases is shrinking because more farmers are leaving the rural areas for employment in urban communities. "More than half of the world’s population lives in urban areas, and the number is increasing as developing nations grow." (USA Today, April 16, 2008, p. 2A) Furthermore, people’s diets are beginning to change as a result of this shift from the farm to the urban areas. In two of the world’s most populated nations, China and India, the booming economies are increasing the middle class, which is now able for the first time to afford more meat and dairy products. For example, the Chinese in 2001 ate just 44 pounds of meat per capita. However, now they eat about 110 pounds per capita. This change in the availability and demand of better food is driving up the global cost of food. In some cases some nations, which exported rice in the past, have now put a ban on exporting rice to assure that they have enough for domestic use, shaking up the balance of rice production and availability. This is also driving up the price of rice. During a five-week period this spring rice more than doubled in price, and its availability is currently limited in some areas in the U.S. Furthermore, this has had a critical impact upon the survival of some nations. For example, Bangladesh, which annually produces 28 million tons of food grain, meeting about 95 percent of their domestic needs, was hit by a cyclone last December that destroyed their rice crop, valued at $600 million. Imported rice inflated the price of rice 70 percent, making it impossible for many in Bangladesh who live on less than $1 a day to survive. (Raja M, "Asia faces growing rice crisis," www.atimes.com, February 14, 2008) Also, in Asian countries, the population shift from the farm, and the growth of urban housing, means less land, less water, and less labor for growing rice. Rice is a very labor-intensive crop that demands a lot of water. Therefore, as the production of rice goes down, it forces the price of rice up. This is critical because rice is a dietary staple for more than half of the world’s 6.6 billion people.
Another factor causing the inflation of food is related to the change in weather patterns caused by global warming and the impact of natural disasters like drought, high winds, fires, and floods, which not only destroy structures, but crops. The unpredictable weather patterns, along with the dramatic increases in the costs of fuel and fertilizer are forcing many out of farming and into the factory. As mentioned above, this is a dangerous trend that is setting the stage for a very serious shortage of food and even higher prices for the shrinking food supply.
Add to these problems the mysterious collapse of the honeybee populations in North America. These bees naturally pollinate about 30 percent of all the produce consumed by Americans. If this situation with the bees continues to deteriorate it could have a devastating effect upon the production of food in North America!
Another issue that is creating a ticking time bomb with the production of food is the serious depletion of the underground aquifers. This vast supply of underground water is being pumped up to irrigate crops in China and India, and other parts of the world where there is an increased demand for the production of food. Many scientists are warning that these aquifers are being depleted to a dangerous point that could cause them to become contaminated with the seepage of salt water from the nearby oceans, or they could just simply run dry, leaving farmers that rely upon this water with no crops to feed the hungry. When these aquifers are contaminated or run dry, billions of people in China and India could be one crop away from mass starvation!
The United States at one time was the bread basket of the world. However, in recent years the United States has been a net importer of food. We import more food from the rest of the world than we produce at home! Like the rest of the world, we are turning our farmland into parking lots, shopping malls, residential developments, and factories. We are raping our top soil to raise corn to burn in our tanks so we can drive our cars to work and to the mall. While we are focusing on being energy independent, we are creating a greater dependency upon something that is more important to sustaining life, food! We are contributing to a great food crisis. America’s greatest resource may not be oil, but our farmland. Perhaps we would do well to demand that those who want to raise the price of oil, who live in arid or frigid lands, pay more for the food that they import from us and the rest of the world. Food is a more valuable resource than oil!
However, perhaps the most dangerous factor that is increasing the potential for a global famine is a virulent wheat fungus called Ug99 [the name of this wheat fungus comes from the place and time of its appearance in Uganda in 1999], an old wheat fungus that has re-emerged with a vengeance. Debora Mackenzie of the New Scientist Environment states, "This thing has immense potential for social and human destruction." (Debora Mackenzie, New Scientist Environment, www.newscientist.com, April 3, 2007) We must remember that wheat is the number one global food staple.
This fungus is destroying about 80 - 90 percent of the wheat crops where it appears. The spores of this fungus are being carried by wind from East Africa across Yemen, and are presently in Iran. "Affected countries and the international community have to ensure that the spread of the disease gets under control in order to reduce the risk to countries that are already hit by high food prices. … Countries east of Iran, like Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan, all major wheat producers, are most threatened by the fungus and should be on high alert. … It is estimated that as much as 80 percent of all wheat varieties planted in Asia and Africa are susceptible to [this fungus]." (www.fao.org, March 5, 2008)
This fungus was a global problem about 60 years ago. At that time scientists developed three varieties of wheat that were found to be resistant to this wheat fungus. However, now this fungus has mutated so that most of the wheat being grown is no longer resistant to it. It is only a matter of time before this fungus could attack the entire global wheat crop. Researchers fear that it could take eight years to develop a new variety of wheat and to produce enough seeds for the global crops to replace the current varieties being used today. And, Ug99 is mutating so fast that it may be practically impossible to stay ahead of it. As one researcher, Chris Dowsell of the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, said, "All I know is that what blows into Iran will not be the same as what blows out of it." (www.environment. newscientist.com, April 3, 2007) Furthermore, it has been discovered that the spores of this fungus can attach themselves to clothing and be transported to a previously unaffected area. With global travel as it is today, it is feared that Ug99 could be either accidentally or purposefully introduced to an unaffected area as a form of agricultural terrorism. According to a reporter for The Prairie Star, Dale Hildebrant, "about one-half of the winter wheat and 75 to 80 percent of the spring wheat acreage in the U.S. is planted in varieties that are susceptible to Ug99, putting about 1.4 billion bushels of annual wheat production at risk. … And even if a new resistant variety
Was ready to be released today it would take two or three years’ of seed increase in order to have enough wheat in the world." (Dale Hildebrant, "Future world wheat crops threatened by Ug99 stem rust, " www.prairestar.com March 13, 2008)
All of this means that ug00 has the immediate potential to force the price of wheat up so fast that the poorest people in the world will starve due to the famine. Wheat prices went up 14 percent last yer and are rising sharply in the first quarter this year.
Those of us who know Bible prophesy know where all of this will end. According to revelation 6:5-6, the current average of a man’s day’s wage being $100, wheat would cost about $3,200 a bushel at the begging of the Tribulation! This translates into a major, unprecedented global famine!
Most of the time, as believers in Jesus Christ and the Word of God, we talk about the Rapture of the church and say that we believe it is imminent. However, if we really do believe that, we should expect that world conditions are rapidly moving in the direction of setting the stage for the opening events of the Tribulation, which follows the Rapture. In light of the prophetic Scriptures, we should take these warnings from the secular agricultural researchers seriously. However, an honest analysis shows these current problems are in part due to the failure of these same researches who have made serious mistakes in the creation of sterile hybrid seeds. Furthermore, this problem is intensified by the abusive application of fertilizers and pesticides by farmers who are forced to increase yields to compensate for the dramatic cost increase in producing their crops. In revelation 11:18 the Lord has warned that He will "destroy them which destroy the earth." Those of us who literally interpret the prophetic Word of god know where all of this is really going. The world’s hope is invested in scientific technology. Our hope is bound up in the person of Jesus Christ and the righteous administration of His coming kingdom. Many prophetic passages promise that mankind will experience a perfect environment that will promote perfect and abundant agricultural production of food during the kingdom. (see Amos (9:13)
According to the Bible we should recognize that bread and all food sources are a gift from our Creator, the Lord Jesus. (Matthew 6:11) We really have no control over the production of food. It is in the hand of our God. He controls the weather and the water. He is the giver of life. He is the Lord of the harvest. The Lord demanded that Israel recognize this each year with the feast of first fruits. (Exodus 23:16, 19; 34:22) During this feast Israel was commanded to bring the initial produce from their fields, and especially the first grains of wheat (Exodus 34:26), to the Lord at His temple. This was an act of thanksgiving and an expression of supplication that the Lord of the harvest would bless the remaining harvest to His people.
The Scriptures abundantly illustrate and teach that the Lord of the harvest does use famine as a means of judging people for their sins. He withholds food and water from those who will not honor Him and bless His name. (Leviticus 26:26; Ezekiel 4:16-17; 5:16-17) In the days of Joseph, God called for a global famine to display His power and to perform His will in calling the family of Jacob to Egypt to fulfill His plan. (Genesis 15:12-16; 41-46; Psalm 105:16-17)
While we are exhorted to be watching for the imminent return of our Lord Jesus (Matthew 24:42) and to be spiritually ready to stand in His holy presence (Matthew 24:44), we are also exhorted to "occupy" until He comes for us. (Luke 19:13) This means that we are to be about His business until He comes, and it also means that it is normal and natural for us to care for the needs that sustain life. Those who watch over and provide for their families have a responsibility to provide both the spiritual and physical needs of those who are under their care. 1 Timothy 5:8 says, "But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel." This context addresses the God-given responsibility of leadership in the home to provide for the physical necessities that sustain physical life for the family. While we are exhorted by our Lord to not be anxious about our needs for tomorrow (Matthew 6:30-34), we are encouraged to be like the ant who stores up her food for the winter. (Proverbs 6:6-11) The Bible states that it is foolish to spend up all that a person has. (Proverbs 21:20) The wise will lay aside for the difficult times that are coming. This is what God instructed Joseph to do in Egypt. It is very important to note that God did not demand that Joseph store food for his own family, but in his case for the nations that would face the global famine.
Reading this newsletter and considering these prophetic realities that are approaching this generation could cause all of us to be filled with anxiety about the approaching global famine. What should we do? How should we react? Remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:30-34. We must not be filled with anxiety about the approaching famine. Our God is in complete control! For the righteous that follow His Word, the Lord gives the following promise, "They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied." (Psalm 37:19) However, this promise, and many others like it, does not excuse the responsibility we have to prepare for the difficult days that lie ahead! In his commentary on Matthew 6:30-34, John MacArthur, Jr. states, "Making reasonable provision for tomorrow is sensible, but to be anxious for tomorrow is foolish and unfaithful. God is the God of tomorrow as well as the God of today and of eternity." (John MacArthur, N.T. Commentary, Matthew 1-7, p. 427)
It is my conviction that each leader in the home and church needs to act upon the warning of the prophetic Word of God. We are commanded to occupy until Jesus comes. Our ultimate goal must be to faithfully serve Him and to provide the spiritual and physical food that is needed for those who look to us for the spiritual and physical provisions of life. I am thoroughly convinced that the church will not go through the Tribulation. However, please remember that when the Tribulation begins global famine will already be a reality. (Revelation 6:5-6) In light of current global developments mentioned in this newsletter it is apparent that we are facing the real threat of global famine in the near future. We must be ready for the Rapture at any moment. However, we must also be ready for the difficult days that lie ahead until that blessed day comes. May our blessed Lord give us all the wisdom to know what to do in these perilous days in which we live. Do not be anxious. He is the Lord of the storm. Pray for wisdom. Watch for Jesus. Win the lost! Confess your sins. These are exciting days in which we live! (Read James 1:2-5 and do it!)
As I travel across this great nation and speak in its conservative evangelical churches, I have been privileged to speak with many Americans, both secular and spiritual, concerning their worldviews. Consequently, I have observed that most Americans are suffering from a very bad case of “Titanic mentality.” They think that economically the U.S. is big, powerful, and luxurious, like the Titanic, and will never lose its superpower status! They cannot envision an America that is not a superpower and a major player on the global, political, economical, and military scenes. However, those who are delirious with this ailment have forgotten world history and are oblivious to the prophetic Word of God. Both secular history and the prophetic Word of God indicate that the U.S. in her current state cannot survive much longer as the world’s only superpower. An honest evaluation of the current state of affairs of the U.S. should lead one to conclude that America is spiritually, morally, and economically bankrupt! To ignore this is both tragic and dangerous in the light of the Biblical context of these last days!
In this brief article I hope to share with you some very alarming facts about the current economic situation in the U.S. and demonstrate what this means in the light of the overall context of “end-time” developments. Finally, we will turn to the Bible for some sound counsel concerning what we should all do in light of where all of this is going. It is imperative that we heed the warning signs and make preparations for the economical storm that is approaching this nation and the entire world. Jesus is coming soon. He could come today, and we would not need to be concerned with the approaching economical storm. However, He also taught that we should “occupy” until He comes! (Luke 19:13) This means that we must prepare to live here in this world until He comes for us.
Have you ever attempted to share the facts with a person, only to have them ignore the information because what you are saying is too painful for them to grasp or consider? In general, this happens to me every week! I am proclaiming the detailed prophetic Word of God that paints a very bleak and hopeless future for our world outside of Jesus Christ’s return at the end of the Tribulation, when He will right all that is wrong with our world. I know very well that the overwhelming majority of people who hear the prophetic Word of God do not really believe that it is true, or that the final phase of the Church Age is here, and that the most horrific time known in the history of man is about to unfold. For most people, even true born-again believers, this is too painful to grasp or accept. I am convinced that it is even more painful for the average believer in America. This generation of Americans has developed and is enjoying one of the most affluent societies in the history of man. We might not like to admit it, but we really enjoy our creature comfort, and do not want to imagine life without them. Most of us have not known what it is like to really be hungry, cold, or homeless! Therefore, there is a tendency to reject any serious consideration that we are living at a very dangerous hour when all of these creature comforts could be taken away in a very short period of time.
While no one can predict the exact nature and time of the catastrophic collapse of the United States’ economy, it is painfully clear that it will happen. As you examine the current economical indicators in the context of history and the economic demise of the previous governments that have gone bankrupt before us, there is no way to ignore the fact that history is about to repeat itself. What makes this even more frightening is that the U.S. dollar is considered to be the standard currency exchange of the global economy. For many decades now the nations of the world, on the international level, have traded goods and made investments in U.S. dollars. Therefore, it is projected that the collapse of the U.S. dollar could literally destroy not only the economy of the U.S., but the global economy as well. In light of the prophetic context of these last days this is extremely significant! Let us examine the facts.
One would think that everyone understands that when expenditures continually and grossly exceed income that this is a recipe for financial disaster. Yet, this current U.S. generation, from the White House to their house, seems to believe that borrowing a lot of money is good for the economy, and good for America. Unfortunately, borrowing money is like sin; the immediate results are very gratifying. However, the day of reckoning will come! The Bible has warned us, “Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” (Galatians 6:7) Many Americans have borrowed so that they can enjoy the good life. They are in love with material possession and creature comforts and have ignored the counsel of the Bible and are risking their temporal and eternal future for the glitter and glamour offered by this world.
When you look at the enormous national, state, local, corporate, and personal debt in the U.S., it is obvious that we are rapidly approaching the day of financial reckoning! The U.S. government debt is now more than $9 trillion and is growing at a rate of $1.4 billion per day! (That’s about $1 million per second, or $30,000 annually for every American.) Our government is borrowing about $1 billion per day from foreign investors, mainly nations in the Middle East and Asia. The U.S. now owes China over $1 trillion dollars! While we are borrowing money from Islamic nations and China, they are also investing heavily in the U.S. economy. Mortimer Zuckerman writes, “Foreigners own more than half the federal debt, about a third of corporate bonds, and 13 percent of the U.S. stock market. This represents an accumulating claim on the future output of the United States and foretells an increasing flow of dividends and interest payment abroad.” (U.S. News & World Report, August 6, 2007, p. 64) We are slowly selling America to our enemies. We might not like to admit it, but they could bring about the collapse of the U.S. dollar on any given day by calling for payment of their loans to the U.S. government.
However, this is only part of the bad news for the federal government. When one calculates what Uncle Sam owes to Americans in the future entitlement programs promised to them (Social Security, Medicare, etc.), you can add another $40 trillion in future payments. What most Americans do not know is that for many decades congress has been spending money out of the taxpayers’ funds that have been collected for their future share of Social Security and Medicare. We have been hearing a message of warning from our government about how these programs will be in trouble in the future. However, they are not reporting that big government spending is to blame for this projected shortfall. If, in the years when there was a surplus in these entitlement accounts, Congress had invested this money, we would not be in the predicament that we are in today. However, they chose to spend these funds on other budgeted items or programs without any consideration to repay them to the entitlement accounts. Furthermore, instead of putting on the brakes and halting this dangerous slide into financial bankruptcy, Congress has hastened the pace of the slide toward our day of reckoning. In 2003 Congress passed the Medicare prescription drug bill, which some estimate will cost the government another $1 trillion in the next decade. Now, we hear some of the presidential candidates promising Americans more government help by offering a national health insurance program. Is anyone asking, “Where will this money come from?” What most Americans do not realize is that while these promises sound good and may bring temporary solutions to some very important needs, they will, in the long run, destroy our economy and way of life, as we know it. Responsible leadership should be speaking the truth, sounding the warning, and helping every American see that we need less government spending and involvement in our daily lives and financial affairs. We cannot control the misfortunes and misconduct of Americans with government spending that has no way of knowing who really deserves assistance and who does not.
Our government has encouraged Americans to follow their example of borrowing and spending. Chuck Missler writes, “The United States has truly become a nation of debtors. In recent years the level of household debt in America has surpassed the level of household income, so for the first time in our collective history, we owe more money than we make. Consumer debt in America (credit cards and other consumer lending not including mortgages) has risen to a record high of about $2.5 trillion. Today the average US household has more than $9,000 in credit card debt and spends more than $1,300 a year in interest payments.” (E-mail from Chuck Missler, September 18, 2007) Look around you! The indications that we have reached the point of debt saturation in this nation are all around us. Look at the “fast-cash” institutions that are popping up everywhere. People are paying enormous interest rates so they can have a one-week advance on their paycheck. This is a clear sign of financial desperation. Look at the rebates and extended warranty programs being offered by the auto industry. This is only a short-term solution to attract buyers for the overstocked new car inventory. However, this short-term solution will create a long-term financial problem. The U.S. auto industry is in serious financial trouble. Several years ago the government bailed Chrysler out of bankruptcy. However, can they depend on Uncle Sam to do it again?
There are also many other signs that the business and consumer sectors are facing a very critical financial crisis. America has evolved into an economy that is excessively consumer oriented. The ballooning national trade deficit is forcing us to borrow $800 billion annually from foreign investors.
The lending institutions are in trouble because of the bad loans that have been made over the last decade and the dramatic increase in personal bankruptcy, fueled by the collapse of the housing market and overextension of credit card debt. Cheap interest rates, sub-prime mortgages, and rapid appreciation of housing have created a false sense of wealth and security that has lured too many lending institutions into making loans to Americans who could not really afford a house loan. Many of these loans were made without a significant down payment. Now, with many properties being devalued by as much as 20 percent, and the floating interest rates rising, almost 1 million Americans have been forced to default on their home mortgages in the last year. And, we are being told that in 2008 we will witness a marked increase in defaults on mortgages. All of this sounds familiar! In the 1920’s there was a housing boom that began in Florida that suddenly ended in 1928, the year before the stock market crash that began the Great Depression.
While the general public focuses upon the people who are losing their homes, they forget that this is affecting all of us because of what this is doing to the banking and lending institutions. “With housing prices falling for the first time since 1991, a chain reaction has begun. Bundled mortgages sold to investors as interest-paying bonds are falling in value. Major credit rating firms warn that loan delinquencies may be much worse than anticipated because when homes become worth less than the loan, the owners cannot sell or refinance their way out of trouble. … With more than $1.8 trillion worth of securities backed by sub-prime mortgages created since 2000, banks and investors are suffering losses that are exposed every week, affecting the overall confidence in the credit markets.” (Mortimer Zuckerman, “Credit Crunch,” U.S. News & World Report, August 13-20, 2007, p. 76)
In reaction to all of this financial gloom, consumer confidence is down, unemployment is up, the U.S. stock market has continued to be more unpredictable, and precious metals prices are soaring. All of this indicates that Americans, at least those who are following all of this, are getting very nervous about the immediate future of the U.S. economy.
In my travels abroad in recent years I have noted that foreigners are more concerned about the U.S. economy than Americans. I believe that this is because most Americans are not aware of their economic surroundings and developments. Many are not concerned because they trust the government to fix the problems. Their Titanic mentality forces them to reject any notion that the U.S. economy could suffer a complete meltdown. In spite of the negative economic indicators, Americans in the last decade have exhibited a very positive confidence in a weak and bankrupt U.S. economy. However, that is now beginning to change. Consumer confidence is eroding here in the U.S., and it is even weaker abroad!
Because people at home and abroad are losing confidence in the U.S. administration’s ability to control the federal debt in a way that is fiscally sound, the dollar is falling, or to put it another way, inflation is roaring back with a vengeance. The U.S. dollar has devalued 60 percent since 2001! This can be seen in the sharp rise in food, grain, oil, and precious metals. Oil prices have increased from a little less than $20 a barrel in 2002 to an all-time high at $100 a barrel a few weeks ago. Gold was $250 an ounce in 2001 and today is selling for a little over $900 an ounce. There are some other factors that are driving up the price of food, grain, oil, and precious metals up. However, analysts believe that the biggest cause for this inflation is the collapse of the U.S. dollar.
What has caused the collapse of the U.S. dollar? The answer to this question may surprise you. The dollar is falling because our government has cranked up the printing presses and is flooding the world with new crisp dollars. Since the new Fed chairman took over, the public has not been informed, as they were before, about how much money the government is printing and releasing in world markets. However, before they stopped reporting, we know that they printed about $1 trillion in 300 days! In comparison, the U.S. government, from the time of its beginning until 1974 printed the first $1 trillion. Since the dollar is no longer backed by precious metals there are no restraints on how much money the U.S. government can print. However, everyone knows that if you rapidly increase the volume of dollars in the world that the value of all U.S. currency will be proportionately decreased. Those who operate in the investment sectors realize that the U.S. is acting in an irresponsible way as it tries to print money to reduce the runaway national deficit. While the government may be acting in its own interest, they are, in effect, destroying the wealth of Americans by devaluing the currency.
With the U.S. government and the general public showing no signs of financial restraint, it appears that we are rapidly moving toward a time of major economic crisis. Many believe that we have already gone too far and that any changes introduced now would be too late. On the basis of what has happened in history to other nations who have been in a similar economic situation, there are two things that are coming in the immediate future. As consumer confidence continues to erode here at home and abroad, it will, at some point in time, cause the buying power of the dollar to decline so rapidly that it will set in motion hyperinflation. Prices on general commodities will rise rapidly and sharply over a very short period of time. For example, in 1923, Germany faced this kind of devastating inflation. Millions of Germans found out that they were not able to use their lifesavings to buy a postage stamp! The German government printed 100 million Mark bills that eventually became worthless. Many Germans used their worthless currency to start fires in their stoves. Admittedly, this would be the worse case scenario for the U.S. However, we could just see the dollar fail enough to make the U.S. so weak that it could no longer sustain its military presence around the global and would need to restrict federal spending to the point that the U.S. would cease to be a global force to be reckoned with. This is basically what happened to the former Soviet Union in the late 1980s. The Soviet currency became so weak that the USSR was forced to surrender its position as a super power. Should this take place, it would make our world a very unsafe place for us and our allies, such as Israel. Who would stop Russia and Iran? Who would stop the advance of radical Islam? No one!
Furthermore, since the U.S. dollar has been used as a world currency in global markets, we can expect that, at some point in time, on any given day, no country will want to retain their U.S. dollars and will move their financial holdings to the Euro or some other more stable currency. When that day comes, there could be a mass movement on the part of all nations to get rid of their U.S. dollars. No one would want to be caught holding the worthless paper notes. This sudden panic sell-off of the U.S. currency could cause the meltdown of the U.S. economy in a day or two!
When this happens it is highly likely that the world would satisfy its quest for the creation of a New World Order – a One-World government. For many decades many global leaders have been waiting for the day when the last super power dies so they can usher in some international form of government. Many believe that the collapse of the U.S. economy would create this kind of opportunity. Revelation 17-18, which pictures the future One-World Government as a beast, and the global false religion, Islam, as a harlot, would indicate that this future International government would be very sympathetic to Islam. According to Daniel 7:24 the Antichrist, pictured as the “little horn,” will be preceded by “the 10 horns,” which is the One-World government. This would mean that the One-World government will precede the Antichrist’s covenant with Israel that begins the Tribulation. When this takes place it will spell trouble for the U.S. and Israel.
In light of all of this, it is most interesting to note that according to Revelation 6:5-6 the Tribulation will begin with a time of economic depression. According to this text it will take a man’s entire day’s wage to purchase enough bread for one person. Should the U.S. economy fail, it would, as estimated by many, bring about a global economic depression. Since the U.S. is the world’s largest and richest consumer, it stands to reason that all of the other countries, like China, who export many goods to the U.S., would be financially crippled.
Therefore, it is very important to note that the beginning of the Tribulation Period, the appearance of the Antichrist, and a global economic depression are all linked together in the Bible. Should the economic collapse of the U.S. be the event that triggers this series of prophetic dominoes to fall, it is also important to note that all of this is connected to the Gog and Magog war in Ezekiel 38-39. In this future invasion of Israel, Russia and Iran will lead an Islamic force against Israel because of the wealth in Israel. (See Ezekiel 38:12-13.) It is also very interesting to observe the cooperation of Russia and Iran at a time when Iran is openly bragging about her future destruction of Israel. In light of the fact that everyone knows that Israel is an ally of the U.S., some have concluded that this invasion of Israel by Russia and Iran would not take place unless something has happened to the U.S., leaving Israel vulnerable to her enemies.
In light of the larger prophetic context of the end-times, it is apparent that we are very close to very dramatic events that are about to trigger a series of events that fall like prophetic dominoes, thrusting the world into the Tribulation Period. Please keep in mind that the Rapture precedes the Tribulation. Therefore, we should be spiritually preparing ourselves for the moment when we will stand in the presence of our holy Lord Jesus. Are you saved? Have you trusted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?
Do you believe that Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary? Do you believe that He lived a sinless and perfect life? Do you believe that He died for your sins, shedding His precious blood as God’s lamb for your redemption? Do you believe that He bodily arose from the dead and is now in heaven? If you have answered yes to all of these questions, then you are still not saved! You must believe, but you must also repent of your sins. You must turn from your sin and surrender your life to Jesus Christ as your master and Lord. The Bible says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God has raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For whosoever shall call upon the name of Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:9, 13) Have you called out to the Lord to save you? If not, why not bow your head right now and ask Him to save you? Please do not wait. I have tried to share with you in this newsletter that our world is running out of time. Jesus is coming for all those who are saved to take them to heaven. My friend, you do not want to be left behind! Please trust Jesus Christ today!
Christian, we must not only be prepared to stand in His holy presence, but we must also occupy till He comes for us. What if what we have talked about in this newsletter comes to pass, and America suffers an economic collapse before the Rapture? Have you prepared in such a way that you and your family will not suffer an immediate economic collapse along with the rest of the world? The Bible has warned us that these difficult times are coming. Read James 5:1-8. The Bible says that only a fool spends all that he has. (Proverbs 21:20) God says that we are to be like the ant, which stores up her food for the difficult times ahead. (Proverbs 6:6-11; 30:24-25) God’s wisdom cries out to us so that if we listen to Him we “shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.” (Proverbs 1:33) In Psalm 37:25 the Psalmist says, “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.” This is not a blanket verse that says we need to do nothing and God will take care of us. Notice that it is “the righteous” that is given this promise. Should not the righteous follow God’s counsel to prepare for times of adversity?
Romans 12:2 exhorts us, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.” This verse commands us to not let the world pour us into their mold. We are not to think and live as the world. This would also include our worldview and how we handle material possessions as God’s stewards. Unfortunately, most believers have allowed the world to pour them into their worldview and financial mold. If you have allowed yourself to get caught up in the debt trap, then you are following in the way of the world. This does not please our Lord! Proverbs 22:7 says, “The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.” It is not good to be enslaved to a godless world system! Many have fallen into the debt trap because they think they need something, or they are not patient enough to wait on God to provide the funds to get what they think they need. We would all do well to heed the words of Jesus about the dangers of riches and material possessions. (Please read Matthew 6:19-34.) God showed Joseph in a vision that seven years of plenty in Egypt would be followed by seven years of famine. God used Joseph to provide food for the nation of Egypt and other countries. We know that we are living in a time of relative plenty at this hour. In light of the approaching economical storm, we would do well to heed the wisdom of God and the example of Joseph to prepare for the days that are ahead. God has exhorted us to not work to be rich, but we should desire to “occupy” until He comes, and provide for our family and those around us until our Lord snatches us out of this world into His holy presence.
The world is oblivious to what is about to take place. They are more interested in the daily affairs of Britney Spears than the real life-changing events that are taking place all around us. What we believe should change how we live, or we do not really believe it. If we believe that Jesus is coming at any hour, then we should agree that we are living in perilous times that are about to change our world. As never before, it is time for believers to wakeup and set their house in order – spiritually, emotionally, physically, and financially. I find myself crying out to Him many times during the day, “Lord, give me and my family wisdom for living in these days.” He has promised, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” (James 1:5)
Get ready, the financial storm is coming, and so is Jesus! Do you trust Him? Or, do you trust this godless world system?
Once again the nations of the world are attempting to force the Israeli leadership to accept the fatal terms of a false peace in order to appease the Arab/Muslim hatred of the only Jewish nation in the world, Israel. This past November many Arab leaders gathered in Annapolis, Md., with President George Bush and Israeli and Palestinian leadership in an attempt to guide the two sides into a peace agreement. In recent days President Bush has visited Israel and Palestinian territories to convince both parties to enter into serious negations for a lasting peace, with two nations living beside each other - Israel and Palestine.
Even if a person did not know the prophetic Scriptures, they should be able to see that there is no real hope for a lasting peace between the Israelis and Palestinians. The Arabs' deep hatred for the Jews, with a few exceptions, is rooted in their cultural and religious heritage. When one examines their education, religion, politics, media, and entertainment, it is evident that the hatred for Israel and her people runs deep and cannot be erased by a few meaningless words or deceptive promises on a piece of paper. Their parents, teachers, preachers, and politicians, from the cradle to the grave, continually and passionately call for the destruction of Israel and the reclaiming of all of the land of Palestine. As the Israelis have repeatedly pointed out, there can be no real hope for any true peace until we have a generation of Palestinians that have not been feed a constant diet of incitement to hate Israel and her people. Proverbs 23:7 says, "For as [a man] thinketh in his heart, so is he." This means that the hopes, dreams, goals, and ambitions of people are formulated by what they constantly think about. What we think about is directly connected to whom and to what we listen to. Proverbs 4:23 commands us to guard our minds "with all diligence: for out of it are the issues of life." Therefore, the transformation of people's thinking must take place before there can be real change in the way they look at things. This does not take place overnight!
In reality, the hope of eradicating the incitement that is aimed at the destruction of Israel will not take place because Islam claims the hearts and minds of most the Palestinians and Arabs living in the Middle East. A study of Islam, the Koran, the life of Mohammed, and the other writings and practices of the religion, clearly illustrate that Islam cannot and will not tolerate a true and lasting peace treaty with the Jews, or any other "infidel." For example, before the gathering in Maryland, several sources reported that some Muslim groups were demanding the Israelis publicly apologize for the existence of Israel. The rebirth of the nation in 1948, on what was formerly Muslim-controlled land, is called "al Nakba" ("the catastrophe") in the Arab world.
As we all know, this meeting in Annapolis was only one more failed attempt in the "peace process" or "road-map to peace" in the Middle East. A study of the past meetings and agreements that have been implemented demonstrate that Israel has been forced by the U.S. and other nations to make all of the concessions, while the Palestinians have refused to bend in their demands to Israel. As Chuck Missler writes, "The most difficult part of the peace process is not the establishment of a Palestinian state, but the terms on which it is established. Palestinians have demanded the complete withdrawal of Israel from all the occupied areas back to the 1967 border, the dismantling of all Israeli settlements in the West Bank [Biblical Judea and Samaria- the heartland of what God promised Israel], and Gaza that are home to more than 250,000 Jews, a Palestinian capitol in east Jerusalem, the right of return for all Palestinian refugees [over 4 million] to Israel, the removal of Israeli roadblocks, the release of some 8,000 Palestinians being detained in Israeli jails and military prisons, and the dismantling of the controversial barrier wall." (eNews from Chuck Missler, November 27, 2007) Both Arabs and Israelis know that if Israel surrendered to all of these demands it would be the end of the Jewish state of Israel! They are asking Israel to commit political suicide. Israel, as the only genuine democracy in the Middle East, would be dominated and controlled by an Arab/Muslim majority in Israel. And, even if Israel were to give the Palestinians everything they are asking for, it would not bring real peace. A recent poll of Palestinians indicates that 60 percent of them believe that they should continue their war with Israel, even if Israel were to give them everything they are asking for. The Israelis and the rest of the world must come to grips with the reality that there is no real two-state solution, with Israel and Palestine living in peace beside each other. For the U.S. and Israel, this may seem like a possibility. However, from the Palestinian perspective, it is impossible. Their religion will not allow it! They view the peace process only as a means whereby they can weaken Israel so that the Jews will be killed or conquered in order that the Palestinian state will be from the sea to the Jordan River, completely eradicating the Jewish state of Israel.
The results of the Annapolis meeting accomplished nothing meaningful. In essence, Israeli Prime Minister Olmert and Palestinian Chairman Abbas agreed that they would reach a peace agreement before George Bush leaves office next January. All three of these leaders are politically in trouble at home. George Bush, as a lame-duck president, is deeply entrenched in the war on terror in Afghanistan and Iraq, which has made him very unpopular with the American people. Furthermore, he is moving the U.S. toward economic collapse in the attempt to sustain this war. Olmert has very little political support at home because of the corruption in his administration and the failed war with Hezbollah in Lebanon during the summer of 2006. Mahmoud Abbas's administration is very weak, filled with corruption. Many believe that should the Israelis remove their troops from the West Bank that the racial Islamic terrorist group that controls the Palestinians in Gaza, Hamas, would take over the region. Therefore, many Israelis believe that they do not have a legitimate Palestinian leadership with which to enter into negations.
As the Bible prophecy student looks at these developments, it is obvious that the world is marching toward the false peace covenant that the Antichrist will confirm with Israel, beginning the seven-year Tribulation Period. (Daniel 9:27) Over 2,700 years ago the Holy Spirit directed the prophet Isaiah to write about the very events that are taking place at this hour. Read Isaiah 28:14-22. In this text you will note that the Bible predicted that there would come a time when the Israeli leadership in Jerusalem would make a covenant with those who are filled with "lies" and "falsehood," to protect Israel from an overwhelming force ("overwhelming scourge") that is poised to destroy them. (verse 15) Notice that Isaiah predicted that this covenant would take place at a time when God would bring a judgment upon "the whole earth." (verse 22) Furthermore, he revealed that these plans devised by a scornful leadership in Jerusalem would fail, and bring war against Israel, bringing only more terror to Israelis. (verses 18-19)
It is also most alarming to note that Isaiah promised that while all of this was taking place, the God of Israel would supernaturally intervene with acts of divine judgment. (verse 17, 21-22) It was not a coincidence that while the leadership of the world was gathered in Maryland for the peace conference that four earthquakes centered in the areas of the Dead Sea and Tel Aviv (measuring 3.0 to 4.2 on the Richter scale) rocked Israel. God is sending the Israeli leadership and the rest of the world only a little taste of what is to come as they continue to defy His purposes in bringing the Jews back home to the land that He has given them forever! He is the One who is causing His people to return to His land, and those who oppose Him will suffer the curse of divine judgment as repeatedly promised in a multitude of Scriptures.
The present U.S. administration is at the center of this whirlwind of activity that is attempting to force Israel to surrender east Jerusalem, with the Temple Mount, and the West Bank to the Palestinians. The Bible has promised that those who oppose God by attempting to reverse His work of returning the Jews to their land and Jerusalem will be destroyed by Him! In Zechariah 12:9 God has warned, "And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem." A study of the context of Jeremiah 30 reveals that the Bible has predicted that when the Jewish people return to their land in the last days there will be a time of terror and a hopeless longing for peace as the nations of the world oppose her. In this text the Lord has promised Israel that He would use these difficult times to bring her to her spiritual knees. However, for those who attempt to annihilate her, He has promised, "Behold, the whirlwind of the LORD goeth forth with fury, a continuing whirlwind: it will fall with pain upon the head of the wicked. The fierce anger of the LORD shall not return, until he have done it, and until he have performed the intents of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it." (Jeremiah 30:23-24)
In light of these warnings, it is no wonder that the U.S. is in a serious state of decline spiritually, morally, and economically. If we really believe the warnings given in the Word of God, the U.S. is in big trouble. This nation is about to experience the hand of divine judgment!
When the U.S., as the last superpower, collapses, it will create the global political vacuum that many have been waiting for, opening the way for the beginning of a one-world government. Furthermore, this will make Israel very vulnerable to those who want to eradicate the Jewish nation, namely Russia and the Muslims. This will be the hook in the jaw (Ezekiel 38:4) for Russia and the Islamic nations that will lure them into attacking Israel, leading to their demise. (Ezekiel 38-39)
My friends, we are on the verge of very dramatic events that are shaping our world for the Tribulation Period. Long ago the prophet Daniel wrote about the peace process of the Antichrist when he said, "And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many." (Daniel 8:25) Daniel was filled with great sorrow when he received this revelation and testified, "And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king's business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it." (Daniel 8:27) If we believe these Scriptures and see their fulfillment as an approaching reality for Israel and the world, it should also be very disturbing for all of us. It is time for us to awake out of our spiritual slumber and set our house in order because we shall soon stand in the presence of a holy God who will judge every man's work by divine fire. (1 Corinthians 3:9-15) Should He not come in the next few years, please prepare for a very difficult and bumpy ride. America and the nations are about to come face to face with the devastating judgments of God if they continue to force Israel into an agreement to surrender the Promised Land and the Holy City of Jerusalem.
The Lord has promised that He will stand by His people in the midst of the troubles and tribulation of the last days. He has promised, "Therefore fear thou not, O my servant Jacob, saith the LORD; neither be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and be in rest, and be quiet, and none shall make him afraid. For I am with thee, saith the LORD, to save thee: though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee: but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished." (Jeremiah 30:10-11)
May our Lord give us great wisdom to live in these perilous times. If you are not saved, now is the time to call out unto the Lord Jesus. Repent of your sins and ask Him to save you today. If you have unfinished business with God, today is the day to set your house in order. Tomorrow could be too late!
Posted by david on 2007/1/31 18:09:45 (1218 reads)
Wars and Rumors of Wars By Mike Wingfield
Have you ever heard the expression, "You can't see the forest for the trees"? This proverb means that a person is so busy looking at what is in front of his eyes that he has failed to look up and see the forest - the big picture of his surroundings. This certainly describes the majority of people in our world today, including believers in the church. From the halls and oval offices of the world's civil leaders to the pulpits of most churches, many of the political and spiritual leaders of the nations are only looking at the trees. They are so busy looking at and caring for their own personal or national interests that they fail to look at the big picture and see what is coming on the global horizon that is threatening life as we know it.
Our Lord has given us His prophetic Word to give practical wisdom for daily living in these last days. He gave the book of Revelation "to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass. " (Revelation 1:1) More than 2,600 years ago the Lord told Daniel that in the last days, "none of the wicked shall understand- but the wise [the child of God who has a grasp of the prophetic Word of God] shall understand. " (Daniel 12:10) When the Bible student studies the prophetic Word of God He might not know in great detail when certain prophetic events may unfold, but he does know that they will come to pass. What the Lord has purposed will come to pass! (Read Isaiah 14:24, 26-27; and 46:910.)
There is a real ignorance of the Word of God even among professing believers today! More so, the confusion and ignorance concerning the prophetic Scriptures is even more pronounced at this hour. This has and is producing a very dangerous hour in human history. The Lord has declared, ".W people are destroyed for lack of knowledge... "(Hoses 4:6) Just like the days of Israel's apostasy in the Old Testament, history is repeating itself among God's people. "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD. And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it. " (Amos 8:11-12)
During Jesus' earthly ministry He rebuked the religious leadership of His day because they were so wrapped up in their own personal agendas that they failed to see "the signs of the times. " (Matthew 16:3) The Messiah was standing in front of them, and they didn't even know it! Later, Jesus warned His disciples, while answering their question about the signs of the end of this age, that this would be a major problem for the generation that would experience the Tribulation in the last days. He said, "But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. " (Matthew 24:37-39) In essence, He said that the final generation would be so busy looking at the trees (their daily affairs) that they would not be able to see the forest (the rapidly approaching global judgment of God)!
Before a person can read and heed the signs of the times, he must see them! In order to see them he must know what he is looking for, and be looking for them! When Jesus answered the question of His disciples about the end of this age, He described the signs of the end of this age. He described the nature of the last days. In His description of this final period of time, He painted a picture of the final seven years of this age, the Tribulation Period! It is apparent that our world is being prepared for this final confrontation between heaven and hell. The world is very gradually sliding into the arms of the Antichrist and his kingdom of hell that he will inaugurate during this final period of time. This time, and the time leading up to it, will be like hell on earth. It will be filled with hate, violence, and murder, as the demons take control of the world system in an attempt to defeat God and destroy His chosen people, Israel, and those who have placed their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. In Matthew 24:6-7 Jesus warned, "And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that ye be not troubled.• for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. "
I will be the first one to admit that this is a subject that no one wants to examine. When one examines many prophetic subjects that address the approaching death, destruction, diseases, and dangers that await the inhabitants at the end of this age, it can cause his heart to be flooded with fear if he does not put it in perspective and realize that there is a wonderful silver lining behind these dark storm clouds on the global horizon. One must not just focus on the approaching storm, but on the coming of the One who is in control of these storms, and on the fact that these storms must precede His return to this earth to establish His kingdom of peace for 1,000 years. That is why Jesus said, "And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. " (Matthew 24:6)
Signs are for seeing! Our Lord does expect us to look at all of the signs of His coming and to realize that they are heralding His coming. I believe that our world is already experiencing some of the 'perilous times " that the Apostle Paul predicted would come "in the last days. " (2 Timothy 3:1) We live in an unprecedented hour of violence with the threat of war that could take the lives of millions of people in a very short period of time! Most tragically, there are only a handful of leaders in the world who recognize the global threat that is approaching our world this year! Those who are studying these matters realize that on any given day our world could face the threat of a war that would engulf an entire region or the world, and change the course of human history. Such wars could alter the balance of power, and destroy the global economy. No one can fully grasp the impact of what is about to take place in our world!
After the church is raptured, and the restraining influence of the Holy Spirit through the body of Christ will be gone (2 Thessalonians 2:6-7), the world will rapidly descend into the lowest pit of depravity known to man since the days of Noah. This will prepare the way for the entrance of the Antichrist (2 Thessalonians 2:8) and begin the Tribulation. Long ago God revealed to the prophet Daniel, "And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transjzressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power [it will be Satanic]: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practice, and shall destroy the mighty [powerful nations] and the holy people [Israel]. And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes [the Lord Jesus at Armageddon]; but he shall be broken without hand [his supernatural defeat at Armageddon]." (Daniel 8:23-25)
According to book of Revelation, the Tribulation will be a time of many wars, conflicts, violence, and death as two powers struggle with each other and anyone who attempts to stand in the path of their goal to rule the world. A one-world government of Western nations [pictured symbolically as the seven-headed beast in Revelation 17-18], will headed by the Antichrist, and dominated by a powerful religion [pictured as a harlot riding the beast in Revelation 17-18] located in the region of the ancient Babylonian Empire. It is not by chance that today our world is witnessing the powerful advance of the religion of Islam, which is headquartered in the Middle East. The army of Islam is different than all others that preceded it. This army does not dress in uniforms, but blends in with the general population of its enemy and strikes with force killing a few and terrorizing many more. With the weapon of demonic fear it hopes to destroy the nations by bringing them to economic ruin. The goal of Islam is to bring the world into submission to its god, Allah. Eventually the one-world government will turn on this religion and destroy it with fire near the end of the seven-year Tribulation (Revelation 17:16-17).
The Tribulation Period will begin with global conflicts that will ravage the world and bring war, famine, economic collapse, and the death of one-fourth of the world's population (Revelation 6:1-8). 1 would like to remind you that should the rapture of the church take place this year that these developments could also take place this year! Near the mid-point of the Tribulation another major conflict will develop as some of the nations in the Middle East challenge the power of the Antichrist (Daniel 11:40-45). However, the mother of all battles will be Armageddon, at the end of the seven-year Tribulation. The call for this war will come from the Antichrist's control center along the shores of the Euphrates River in Iraq (Revelation 16:12-16). The entire land of Israel, and especially the city of Jerusalem, will be the theater of this battle (Zechariah 12-14). The goal of the forces of the Antichrist will be to kill the Israelis and drive them out of their land, bringing the destruction of the nation of Israel. On the final day of the sevenyear Tribulation the Lord will descend from heaven and fight for Israel, destroying all of the armies of the nations that will gather as the one-world government force of the Antichrist (Zechariah 14:1-15; Revelation 19:1121).
Even before all of these wars unfold in the seven-year Tribulation, there will be an attempted military invasion of Israel. This event will probably take place immediately before the Tribulation begins. This invasion is called the Gog and Magog war in Ezekiel 38-39. According to this text, this will be an Islamic invasion of Israel by Russia, Iran, Sudan/Ethiopia, Libya, and Turkey. When this force arrives on the mountains of Israel and poises to strike Israel from the north on the Golan Heights, the Lord will supernaturally destroy them with a massive earthquake and the eruption of the ancient dormant volcanoes that dot the landscape of the Golan (see Ezekie138:18-22).
In light of these approaching conflicts that are spelled out by the prophetic Scriptures, it is most alarming to examine current developments that are producing rumors of wars at this very hour! At present, the most dangerous immediate developments surround Russia and Islamic terrorist forces and nations like Iran. Several voices are crying out to the leadership of the free world, demanding direct and uncompromising action to stop Iran's attempt to build a nuclear arsenal. On several occasions last year the president of Iran called for the destruction of the nation of Israel. While speaking to the United Jewish Communities Assembly recently, former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeatedly declared, "It's 1938 and Iran is Germany." (The Jerusalem Connection, January-February, 2007, p. 4) Netanyahu declared that we must believe him and stop Iran before it is too late.
While the United Nations has finally succeeded in calling for economic sanctions against Iran in an attempt to apply international pressure upon the Iranian leadership to give up its quest for nuclear capabilities, everyone knows that this will not stop them. The previous U.N. sanctions that were in place against Iraq only a few years ago were violated by some of the members of the U.N. Security Council (France and Russia). At this time Russia and China are significantly involved economically in trade with Iran, and it can be expected that they will not honor the U.N. sanctions that they voted to set in place against Iran.
Many world leaders find it hard to believe that if Iran were to obtain a nuclear bomb that they would use it. However, they are ignoring the fact that Iran's president, Ahmadinejad, proclaims that he is the forerunner of the Islamic messiah, and believes that he is destined to bring global destruction that will, according to their Islamic doctrine, herald the coming of this messiah. There are some rumors that indicate that Ahmadinejad claims that he talks to and receives instructions from the Mahdi, the messiah of the Shiite belief (The International Jerusalem Post, December 8-14, 2006, pp. 5-6). He has repeatedly stated that it would be an honor to bring about the appearance of the Mahdi, who according to their doctrine will conquer the infidels (all non-Muslims) and establish Islamic rule over all the earth. He is willing to die and even to sacrifice the people of Iran to bring about this end! Therefore, it is imperative that the world take this man very seriously. He is willing to kill millions of people in order to fulfill what he views as his divine mission from Allah.
Ahmadinejad has announced that Iran will successfully create nuclear weapon grade material by this March. This means that Iran would probably be able to produce its first nuclear bomb in about three years. Israel is warning the world, and especially appealing to the U.S., to stop Iran's enrichment of bomb grade material before this March! It appears that the Bush administration is completely preoccupied with how to exit Iraq. .
The Iraq Study Report just recently released their recommendations. In the light of the war on terror and this threat with Iran, it is evident they are not on the same page with the Bush administration, but are speaking for the liberal, left wing political contingency, many of whom have no love of or support for Israel. This very pro-Arab group recommends that we ask Syria and Iran to help the international community resolve the strife in Iraq between the Sunnis, Shiites, and Kurds. Have they lost their minds? How can they be so blind and clueless to thee developments concerning global Islamic terrorism since 9/11? To ask Iran and Syria to help stop the terrorism in Iraq and in the region is like asking a weasel to guard the henhouse! Everyone who has examined the facts knows that Iran and Syria are the two leading terrorist countries that are the masterminds and economic supporters of global Islamic terrorism against Israel and around the world! They are two of the many supporters of the violence in Iraq! Instead of holding these evil powers responsible for the terrorism in Iraq, Israel and around the world, the Iraq Study Group pointed its finger at Israel and stated that the cause of all this Islamic terror is the conflict between Israelis and the Palestinians. The study group recommends that President Bush hold a peace conference with world leaders and the Arabs, but to not invite the Israelis, and thus force a peace covenant upon them, establishing a Palestinian State and defining the borders of Israel and Palestine. These men who worked on this study group have once again ignored the reality of this grave situation in the Middle East. The Arab Muslims do not just want the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem. They want the entire land that was formerly called Palestine, from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean. Why not listen to what the leadership in Iran, Syria, and the rest of the Islamic world is saying? They all are united in their call for the destruction of the nation of Israel. They have fought six major wars with Israel (1948-49, 1956, 1967, 1973, 1982, and 2006) to drive them out of the land. How can it make sense to weaken our friend and greatest ally, and the only true democracy in the Middle East in order to appease those who are calling for the destruction of Israel and the U.S., and who want to capture the world for their god? It is apparent that members of this study group do not take the words of Islamic leaders like Ahmadinejad seriously. They must view all of this as empty rhetoric. However, does not action speak louder than words? We cannot afford to gamble on the future of the world on these issues. If Iran gets nuclear weapons or the Bush administration adopts the recommendation of the Iraq Study Group, we will be living with an Islamic time-bomb that will change the face of the entire free world probably within one decade!
If the Bush administration should adopt and implement the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group, it would set in place the perfect environment for the beginning of the Tribulation Period. According to Daniel 9:27, the Tribulation will begin when the Antichrist "confirms" a covenant with Israel for seven years. The Hebrew word translated "confirm" can carry the idea of force, which indicates that the peace agreement of the Antichrist would be forced upon Israel. Could this be it? Is this the political platform that will ultimately create this covenant? Only time will tell!
Furthermore, according to several prophetic passages, the area of the former Babylonian Empire, which is Iraq, will become an important region during the Tribulation. It will be the center of the end-time religion, Islam, and will become an economic powerhouse (Revelation 1718), and serve as one of the control centers of the Antichrist (Revelation 16:12-16). Is this the time when the international community will appease the Arab Muslims and rebuild Iraq and create the political, religious, economic center that the prophetic Scriptures predict will come? It may be too early to tell, but it is most interesting to see that these recommendations are being proposed at this hour, in spite of the global Jihad efforts of Muslims.
If Israel should take matters in its own hands and attempt a military strike against Iranian nuclear sites, it could ignite a major war in the Middle East. If Israel does this, Iran has threatened to retaliate with weapons of mass destruction (probably missiles with chemical and/or biological war heads). We know Iran possess these weapons, have tested the missiles, and is capable of striking Israel. Since 25 percent of the world's oil comes from Iran, and most is exported to China, this would have a serious domino effect that could cripple the world's economy.
Many believe that Israel will not attempt to attack Iran's 21 nuclear developments scattered around the country, many of them deep in bunkers beneath the surface of the earth. However, Israel cannot afford to allow Iran to acquire a nuclear bomb because she is confident that the Iranians will use it against her. The nation of Israel is very small, about the size of the state of New Jersey, and could not withstand even one nuclear bomb attack. It is believed that in order for a military attack to be successful in destroying Iran's ability to create a nuclear bomb it would take several days of attacks. Given the distance that Israeli bombers would have to fly, it would make such a complete attack a practical impossibility. However, Israel is currently working on several projects to protect herself against all incoming missile threats. She has successfully completed the development of the Arrow, an anti-missile defense against long range missiles like the ones that would be fired from Iran. Israel has also committed herself to the development of an anti-missile defense program that would stop medium-range missiles (like those from Syria and Lebanon) and short-range missiles (like those being fired at them by the Palestinians in Gaza). The Defense Ministry in Israel has approved the development and production of several new types of ballistic missile defense systems against these medium and short-range missiles. One of these defense systems is a laser canon. However, Israeli officials believe they need four years to complete the development, production and installation of these defense systems along her borders. (The Jerusalem Post Christian Edition, November 2006, p. 21) In light of this, it could be that Israel might opt to destroy only part of Iran's nuclear installations to buy enough time to complete these anti-missile systems.
We cannot predict how Arab Sunni Muslims in the Middle East would react to these developments against the Shiite government in Iran. Would they lay aside the theological differences that have brought division and conflict between them for centuries? It is worth noting that this is already taking place. The Shiite administration in Iran is assisting the Sunni Palestinians, like Hamas, in their war against Israel. Syria, which is made up of Sunni Muslims, is aiding Iran by assisting Hizb'Allah (a Shiite terrorist group from Iran) in its efforts to take over the Sunni government in Lebanon and use it as a base to attack Israel. These developments demonstrate that Muslim enemies become Muslim friends when it comes to Israel and the U.S. Their hatred for Israel and the U.S. is greater than their hatred for each other.
The Israelis fear that an early exit of the U.S. could bring about a dangerous war in the Middle East. A recent article in the International Jerusalem Post presented the following possible scenario: "America pulls prematurely out of Iraq. A civil war erupts and turns into a bloodbath ripping apart the country. Neighboring countries are motivated to come to the rescue - Iran invades to save the Shiites while Syria and Saudi Arabia join in to save the Sunnis. Turkey also decides to get involved and invades Kurdish Iraq to prevent the establishment of an independent state there." (The International Jerusalem Post, December 15-21, 2006, p. 6)
To further complicate the situation, if the world does not stop Iran's ambitious determination to create a nuclear arsenal, what will the reaction of other Arab countries be? The Jerusalem Report has revealed that on November 3, 2006, six Arab nations (Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia) "announced that they intend to pursue far more robust nuclear programs. The six were understood to be signaling to the international community that unless it took effective action against Iran's nuclear weapons program, they were planning independent nuclear insurance against the bullying tactics a nuclear Tehran might adopt. `They have seen how far Iran has been able to push the nuclear envelope, and they think they can do the same."' (The Jerusalem Report, December 11, 2006, p. 12) The proliferation of such weapons in the hands of these nations that could be overthrown by radical Islamic elements in the future simply increases the potential for a global nuclear nightmare.
As we look at the big picture of the threat of war and rumors of war for this New Year, we also need to turn our attention to China. U.S. military analysts are very concerned about the future potential of a military conflict with China. Chuck Missler writes, "China has long been preparing for a possible military conflict with the United States. Likewise, as the Pentagon tries to prepare the U.S. military for the future, military planners are looking to China as the next potential large-scale threat to the United States. [On the second week of November 2006] U.S. defense officials revealed that a Chinese die sel-powered attack submarine came within firing range of U.S. naval ships without being noticed. According to the Washington Times, a submarine tailed the USS Kitty Hawk undetected, surfacing within five miles of the aircraft carrier before being spotted during surveillance flights.
"China has one of the most advanced militaries in the world. In recent years the communist nation has significantly increased military spending. In the past four years China has built 14 new submarines. The Defense Department's 2006 assessment of China's military power cited long-term trends in China's modernization of its strategic forces - including its nuclear capacity and precision-strike weapons. It has developed a host of new weapons, ranging from advanced conventional weapons to more experimental laser-based weapons systems. China also has the largest standing army in the world, with 2.5 million troops.
"China's military buildup seems specifically designed to fit a conflict scenario involving U.S. air and naval forces. Arthur Lauder, a professor of international relations at the University of Pennsylvania, said the Chinese military `is the only one being developed anywhere in the world that is specifically configured to fight the United States of America. ... no objective reason exists why China, if she stays on her present course, should not eventually pose an even greater threat to the United States and its friends and allies than did the Soviet Union.
"For years, Chinese arms sales to rogue nations have been one of the most contentious issues in Sino-US relations. China has been accused of selling nuclear technology to Pakistan and Iran; missile technology to Pakistan, Iran, North Korea, and Libya; materials used to make chemical weapons to Iran; and advanced communications equipment to Iraq, North Korea, and the Taliban when they ruled in Afghanistan. China has also sold long-range missiles to Saudi Arabia and has offered to help Saudi Arabia update its weapons program." (Email from Chuck Missler, khouse.org/enews, November 14, 2006)
Recent nuclear tests by North Korea indicate that its nuclear threat is not as great as was estimated a few years ago. However, this radical and unpredictable evil regime is fully capable of doing something stupid and dangerous on any given day, bringing death and destruction to millions. The world's reaction to North Korea's possession of nuclear weapons is chilling. There are nine nations that possess nuclear bombs: the U.S., the U.K., France, Russia, Israel, Pakistan, India, China, and now North Korea. It is estimated that there are at least 40 other countries that have peaceful nuclear programs that can be modified to produce weapon-grade nuclear material.
Many nations have feared the day when something will trigger a global proliferation of nuclear weapons. Has this day now arrived? Bill Powell of Time comments, "What we have now is a tight club of nuclear powers with interlocking interests and an appreciation for the brutal doctrine of `mutually assured destruction' but an unpredictable host of potential Bomb throwers: a Stalinist Bomb out of unstable North Korea; a Shiite Bomb out of Iran; a Sunni Bomb out of Pakistan; and, down the road, possibly out of Egypt and Saudi Arabia as well, and of course, an al-Qaeda Bomb out of nowhere. Israel is a nuclear power already. And Turkey may just decide it had better be too. Even Japan and South Korea could eventually move toward the Bomb, if they feel the U.S. nuclear umbrella begins to fray in East Asia. What are the consequences for the U.S. and the rest of the world? Are we in an era of barely controlled proliferation, in which countless nations must at least consider the possibility of going nuclear? Or are those fears, in the wake of the North Korean test, overblown? Is there still time to manage the situation?" (Time, October 23, 2006, p. 31)
In addition to all of these very serious global security issues we cannot forget the threat of radical Islamic terrorist cells throughout the world. It is highly possible that any one of these terrorist groups could obtain a weapon of mass destruction from Iran, Syria, North Korea, China, or Russia is of great concern. They have proven that they have sleeper cells around the world and are poised to strike when called upon by terrorist leaders, like Bin Laden.
In the light of the Biblical prophecy about Gog and Magog (Ezekiel 38-39), it is most important to keep our eyes on the growth and influence of Islam within Russia. In this regard Chuck Missler writes, "In recent months we have witnessed the reemergence of the Russian nationalist movement. Yet even as Russia's political climate cools toward outsiders, the Muslim population in the former Soviet Union is growing by leaps and bounds. Rising immigration and low birthrates among ethnic Russians have contributed to this trend. Russia's Muslim population has increased by, 40 percent since 1989, to about 25 million. By 2015, Muslims will make up a majority of Russia's conscript army, and by 2020 they will constitute one-fifth of the population. Fifteen years ago, Russia had about 300 mosques; today there are approximately 8,000. Experts say that if the current trend continues, nearly one-third of Russia's population will be Muslim by mid-century.
According to the CIA World Factbook, Russia's overall population is dropping at a rate of 700,000 people per year, largely because of the short life spans and low birthrates of ethnic Russians. The national fertility rate is only about 1.2 children per woman. Russia's Mus lims, however, are bucking that trend. The fertility rate for Muslims ranges from 6 to 10 children per woman. At the same time, hundreds of Muslim immigrants have been flocking to Russia in search of work." (E-mail from Chuck Missler, khouse.org/enews, December 5, 2006)
Just a few months ago we watched as war broke out on two fronts in Israel. Israel was attacked by the Palestinians in Gaza, forcing Israel to respond, opening a small-scale war on Israel's southern border. Within a matter of weeks Israel was invaded by another Islamic terrorist group on her northern border with Lebanon. Once again, Israel responded, and a full-scale war erupted between Israel and Hizb'Allah. Since the cease fire was declared a few months ago, the U.N. has sent forces into Southern Lebanon with the purpose of preventing a future conflict. However, many sources indicate that the U.N. is fully aware that Iran and Syria are once again arming Hizb'Allah for the next confrontation with Israel. Israel is concerned that since she did not deal a decisive death blow to Hizb'Allah in this recent war that she is now perceived in the Islamic world as being weak and vulnerable. She fears that the next confrontation with Hizb'Allah could only be a few months away, and Israel's military intelligence is warning that Syria is threatening to also attack Israel to regain the Golan Heights.
As we look at the potential for wars and rumors of wars this year, it should cause us to fall on our knees and pray. As children of God, it is natural for us to hate wars and all the death and destruction that accompany them. We have been commanded by our God, "I exhort therefore, that first of all, supplications, prayers, and intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. " (1 Timothy 2:1-2)
If our Lord does not come before some of the wars and rumors of wars develop, please remember His words, "But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions [anarchy- the total breakdown of all organized authority], be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by. " (Luke 21:9) When and if these wars materialize, we must not forget that they are signs of His coming and that there will be no peace on this earth until He returns at the end of the Tribulation as King of Kings and Lord of Lords to establish His kingdom of peace for 1,000 years. Only then will the nations not be able to "learn war anymore. " (Isaiah 2:4)
Bible Prophecy : Materialism: The Plague of the Last Days
Posted by david on 2006/12/16 20:43:32 (1152 reads)
Materialism: The Plague of the Last Days
One of the most dangerous and deadly temptations for the believer in the last days is to get caught up in materialism. In Revelation 3 the church of Laodicea, a picture of the professing church of the last days, saw material wealth as a symbol of their spirituality. They said, "I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing. " (Revelation 3:17) However, Jesus gave the following evaluation of this church, "Thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. " (Revelation 3:17) This church thought they were spiritually rich when they were spiritually poverty stricken!
The church at Laodicea was like many churches today. The church members were more interested in their material possessions and pleasures than in the things of God. The Bible warns us that we cannot love the things of the world and God at the same time. I John 2:15-17 says, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. " These professing believers at Laodicea were so busy serving their material desires that they had no place in their daily lives for Jesus Christ. That's why He said to them, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will (fellowship) with him, and he with me. " (Revelation 3:20) They had locked Jesus out of their church and out of their lives.
The real problem was not that they did not love Jesus! The real problem was that they loved themselves more than they loved Him! Self love is the core problem in all sin and is the driving force behind most expressions of sinful lifestyles today. This, too, is a fulfillment of the prophetic Scriptures. "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves .... Having a form of godliness ... " (2 Timothy 3:1-2, 5)
How do most believers evaluate spirituality today? How do most pastors evaluate the success of a ministry today? Most believers and pastors believe that if a preacher or church has a big following, money, power, big buildings, a radio or TV ministry, and effective church programs, then they have a successful ministry. This is not only wrong, it is DEAD wrong! ! In the text mentioned above, the Apostle Paul exhorts us to "turn away" from those who have this `form of godliness. " (2 Timothy 3:5) In his first epistle to Timothy, Paul warned him to be on the alert for "men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness. "(1 Timothy 6:5) Once again he warned, ':from such withdraw thyself. "(1 Timothy 6:5)
In reality, the most godly, fastest growing, evangelistically passionate church is located in the poverty stricken regions of Africa or in North Korea, where believers are being persecuted and killed for their faith. Wherever Christians are being persecuted and killed, the church is flourishing in purity and doctrine for the glory of God!
Globally speaking, this generation has more riches than any other generation in the history of mankind. In James 5:1-6, the Bible predicts that in the last days men will heap to themselves riches at the expense of others. Jesus said, "As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. " (Luke 17.•26-30) Jesus' point is that Noah and Lot lived in a world where people were materialistically comfortable. The sudden collapse of their materialistic society caught them completely off guard. They were so focused upon the pleasures that they did not see the approaching judgment of God.
While speaking about the final judgment in the last days, Jesus gave the following warning: `And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with [excessive indulgence in pleasures], and drunkenness, and the cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. " (Luke 21:34-36)
The Bible repeatedly teaches that riches have a tendency to keep us from coming to the Lord for true salvation. Jesus taught that it would be very difficult for rich people to come to Him for salvation (see Luke 18:1827). Notice that in Jesus' story of the rich man and the beggar that the rich man was lost and went to hell, while the beggar was a man of faith and went to paradise (Luke 16:19-31).
What does this indicate? It demonstrates that material things have a tendency to possess us and that we begin to make them our god, rather than the One and only true God! This is why Jesus had so much to say about riches and material possessions. He spoke much more about money and material possessions than about prayer. Why? Is it because money is more important than prayer! No! Jesus spoke about riches because he Knew that what we do with them is an indication of the spiritual condition of our heart! In Matthew 6:19-21 He taught, "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. ...No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and [money]. " (Matthew 6:19-21, 24)
You are probably thinking that all of this does not apply to you because you are not rich. However, did you know that one-half of the world's population lives on less than $2.00 per day? In comparison to the overwhelming majority of the rest of the world, most Americans, even those living in poverty by our standards, are living like rich people in the eyes of the rest of the world. It is only a matter of perspective!
I recently flew to Nova Scotia to speak at a prophecy conference in a local church. After 21 hours of flying in very difficult weather, waiting in 5 different airports, and driving in a windy rain storm, I arrived at my destination at 4:00 am on Sunday morning. I was very tired, and the airlines lost my luggage. The only clothes that I had were those I was wearing. It took them almost two days to get my luggage to me. In this situation the Lord reminded me that these possessions were His and that it was only stuff! By His grace He helped me to have a thankful spirit and to just be glad that I had safely arrived at my destination. It was a real lesson for me and a reminder that I need to keep material things in perspective!
Long ago, God warned Israel that when a person is materialistically comfortable there is a tendency to `forget the LORD. " (Deuteronomy 6:12) The message of the Bible is loud and clear. Material things can and do get in the way of the more important matters in life! They can crowd out the things of God, and even God Himself in our heart (see Matthew 13:22). When Jesus gathered with His good friends in the home of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, there were many around Him, listening to Him teach, and worshipping Him. However, Martha was busy, fixing a meal and thinking about the physical needs of the moment. After a time of mental frustration due to her sister's lack of assistance, she asked Jesus to tell her sister, Mary, to help her. Jesus' answer to Martha speaks to the heart of our consideration. He said, "Martha, Martha, thou are careful [anxious] and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. " (Luke 10:41-42)
Jesus' answer to Martha clearly teaches that food for the soul is more important that food for our body (compare John 4:31-34). The Bible does not teach that we do not need material things. But, it does teach that material things do not satisfy the hunger of our soul - the spiritual heart of man. Long ago, King Solomon of Israel, who had it all - wealth, power, popularity, and pleasure - testified that all of the wealth of stuff, opportunities, experiences, and people left him spiritually empty and was nothing compared to the joy that the Lord gives. This is the central message of the entire book of Ecclesiastes.
However, not only do material possessions not satisfy the real need of our souls, they also can be a poison that will destroy us! Please listen to the following warning about material possessions: "But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and [clothing] let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some have coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. "(1 Timothy 6:6-10) James 5:1-6 warns us that in the last days riches will bring sorrow, greed, and judgment to many. 'Xs many in this world continue to become more and more affluent. they have a tendency to grow further away from family and friends. We live in a world of isolation. Families are falling apart, marriages are failing, churches are becoming weaker, and the fabric of society seems to be torn as men’s hearts grow cold (see Matthew 24:12) as they focus upon material possessions and pleasures to satisfy the lust of the flesh. People are not only sacrificing their relationship with God for riches, they are sacrificing family and friends for material things. Parents are more concerned about the material possessions they provide for their children than the love and spiritual guidance that they need. Many parents are selling the souls of their family on the altar of success, while telling themselves that they are doing this for their family. Parents need to realize that they should be more concerned about their child's eternal destiny than the clothes they wear, the size of their bedroom, the toys they have, or the pleasures they enjoy. Too many parents will stand before the Great White Throne judgment (see Revelation 20:11-15) at the end of time as they watch their children cast into the Lake of Fire. They will weep as they recognize that they had their priorities mixed up. Material things became their god and it cost them the souls of their children for eternity!
What can we do? It is important to keep life in perspective! Material possessions are temporary and they do not bring real lasting joy! Jesus said, "Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. " (Luke 12:15) We would all do well to memorize that verse and to mediate upon this truth for a long time! Jesus warns us to not fall into the trap of covetousness - to be overwhelmed with a spirit of discontent and always be wanting more and more. This describes most people in this modern materialistic society. They more they get, the more they want. Their want is never satisfied. And, usually, the more they get, the more miserable they become because they have bought into a lifestyle that promotes spiritual bankruptcy! Most Americans, and even most American believers, are caught up in this endless trap and are most miserable. As I visit many churches, I have noted that most professing believers do not appear to have the joy of the Lord. For them, life is boring and meaningless. They need to be reminded: "The joy of the Lord is your strength. "(Nehemiah 8:10)
We need to focus on what really matters in this life! We have been created for eternity. We have been created to bring God pleasure! When the church gets home in heaven, note what we will say as we gather around the throne of God. "Thou art worthy, 0 Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. " (Revelation 4:11)
After giving the warning about living for the emptiness of material things, the Apostle Paul exhorts the believer, "But thou, 0 man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. "(1 Timothy 6:11-12) Are you making the main thing the main thing in life? Are you living for the fake gold of the world, or the real gold of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord?
We must also remember that material possessions are a gift from God, and all of them really belong to Him, not us! "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. " (James 1:17) All of the wealth of this world belongs to the Lord, and He gives it to whomever He wants! When He gives it to us, we become His stewards. We are only managers of His property! With this in mind, the Lord gives us the following charge, "Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. "(1 Timothy 6:17-19) Do you find it hard to give money to the Lord's work? Do you find it hard to give money to those who are really in need? If the answer to these questions is yes, then you need to remember that the money in your hand and in your bank, is not yours, but His. You are just managing His account, and one day you will give an account to Him!
The Bible does not condemn the possession of material things. What the Bible condemns is the possession of material things over us! Have money and possessions become too important to you? Remember, Jesus said, "For where your treasure is, there will your heart [mind] be also. " (Matthew 6:21) Jesus was simply saying that whatever you think about the most, that is your treasure! How often do you think about Him? Do you think about something or someone else more than Him? Whatever you think about the most is your god!
Does your soul thirst for God? Is He your greatest treasure, your greatest delight? "As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee 0 God. " (Psalm 42:1) "0 God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is." (Psalm 63:1) We live in a spiritual desert where people are attempting to quench their spiritual thirst with physical things! It will not work!! Have you learned that lesson?
As we come to this Christmas, will you get lost in all of the commercial busyness of this special time of worship? We should worship the birth of our Lord each and every day! However, it is good and pleasing to Him for us to take this occasion that has been set aside to focus upon the greatest gift that has every been given to man - the gift of our Savior, the God/Man, Jesus Christ! Will you teach your children about Him, or will they get lost in all of the selfish getting of gifts? Will you allow the busyness of this season to rob you of the joy of the Lord as we rejoice in His first coming and long for His Second Coming?
Long ago, when He came the first time, there was no room for Him in Bethlehem. Tragically, this will be repeated again billions of times this Christmas. Even professing Christians are so busy with the materialism that has consumed the celebration of Christmas that they will have no room for Jesus. Will they hear Him knocking at their hearts' door? Over 19 centuries ago He said to the church of Laodicea, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will (fellowship] with him, and he with me. " (Revelation3:20)
He is not asking us to choose between material blessings and Him. Here is His promise, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things [the material needs- not wants] shall be added unto you. " (Matthew 6:33)
We are living in the last of the last days, and one of the signs of His coming is the global plague of materialism. In Luke 21:34-36 Jesus warned us to not allow material pleasures to numb our souls. Just as in the days of Noah, we live in a world that is going on with life as usual, not knowing that the imminent wrath of God is ready to fall on this godless world system.
Isn't it ironic that the very thing that some people consider a blessing (material wealth) may turn out to be a curse for this generation? Do not let that happen to you! Please remember this, "Better is little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble therewith. " (Proverbs 15:16)
Prophecy Today Newsletter - December 2006 By Mike Wingfield
