End Time Events

In 1948, God orchestrated three major signs of the times of His soon return to the earth: Israel was given land and made a nation again, the World Council of Churches was formed, and the European Union organized and started to grow into the Revised Roman Empire.

Most people are not even aware of these three major fulfillments of Biblical prophecy, nor would they even care if they knew about them. They are just too preoccupied with building their own little kingdom in the earth.

The famine of the Word of God being preached, the apathy in people in these later years, and the great falling away of whole generations of children and young adults are three more signs of the close proximity of Christ's return.

We often wonder why our prayers seem to hit the ceiling and bounce back, why God is silent when we seek Him or what is causing our lack of desire to read God's Word.

It could be because we are taking God for granted. We are dull of hearing and lack fervency in our prayers. We stopped seeking Him a long time ago, except when we need a favor or for Him to rescue us from a tight spot in our life.

We find every excuse to stay home from worshipping with the church, and we use the money we earn that belongs to God to pay for our numerous "toys" and vacations every year.

God calls us to make Him a priority in our life and to serve Him with our whole body, soul and spirit as the temple of His Holy Spirit, directed by the Spirit to make a difference in our world for Christ.

Prayer:

Father God, our focus in this life is preoccupied with this world and the affairs of our own personal life. We forget that we are no longer citizens of this world, but we are now strangers and pilgrims here (1 Peter 2:11). We get so wrapped up in our own goals and desires that we fail to see Your will for our individual life.

The urgency we used to feel for the return of Christ to claim His Bride waned. Issues in this world take precedence over our maturity in the spiritual realm. Therefore, we need You to strike a spark in our heart that will catch our soul on fire. Drive us to return to our first love with You; and out of this love, to share the Gospel with anyone willing to listen. 

Thought for the Day:

It is important for us to stop taking God for granted and to start sharing the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ with everyone we meet. They may reject us; but we lead them to a crossroad in their life, and they must then make a decision to believe in Jesus as their Savior or to reject Him and condemn their own life to eternity in hell. - John 3:18

God's Plan for the Ages

Society today scoffs at Believers in the same way that people in Noah’s day mocked him (Matthew 24:37). God’s mercy and grace have dealt with mankind since the beginning of time. However, if we reject God’s call to repentance, He will pour out His righteous wrath on our sin, rebellion and pride.

God gives us His precise timeline in His Word, which includes detailed information from Genesis to Revelation. These specifics alert us to His plan, which is unfolding throughout world history, as well as in current events. These prophetic words warn us of both coming destruction and Godly deliverance, which awaits us in the near future.

God’s final judgment on the nations and the devil is called the Great Tribulation (Revelation 5:17). God even gives a specific timeline of events during the Great Tribulation period, as a warning of His coming judgment (Revelation 10:1-7). God uses this time to accomplish three main purposes: To judge unrighteous nations, to save those in Israel who are willing to believe, and to end Satan’s dominion on the earth, which Adam and Eve relinquished to him in the Garden of Eden.

Repenting of our sins and trusting in Jesus Christ allows Believers to escape the terrible Day of the Lord and to enjoy eternity as the Bride of Jesus and co-heirs with Christ in the Kingdom of God (Joel 2:31). As we put our trust in the Lord, we can draw near to His presence continually throughout the day; and experience, as well as share with those in need, the miracles He provides through every trial we ever encounter ((2 Corinthians 1:3-4; Psalm 73:28).

Prayer:

Father God, we suffer now on this planet because of the sin rampant in the world; however, You always make all things beautiful in Your time (Ecclesiastes 3:11). We know that You work out everything for the good of those who are called according to Your eternal purpose and who love and obey You (Romans 8:28). We bless You, Lord, for Your mercies and comfort, even in our tribulation in this present age. You are our refuge and our strength in any time of trouble; therefore, we have no need to fear (Psalm 46:1-2).

Thought for the Day:

God’s plan for the ages is amazing and brings us to our knees in humility and gratitude.

A Biblical Worldview

 

A paradigm is our personal representation of truth as we see it. We process and categorize everything, which occurs around us or to us, through this model of our reality. Our paradigm makes us feel secure and allows us to live an orderly life. We often shift our paradigm to adjust to the changes in our experience or our philosophy of life.

One of the greatest shifts in our paradigm occurs when we respond to the call of God to accept Jesus as our personal Savior and Lord. He transforms our lifestyle, thought processes and behavior. We no longer seek futile pursuits, our morals line up with the Word of God, our character takes on the nature of God, our soul is satiated with all the fullness of God and our spirit is renewed by the power of God (2 Peter 1:4; Ephesians 4:17-24; 1 Peter 1:13-15; Romans 12:1-2).

As we grow in our faith in God's faithfulness, we develop a Biblical worldview. Our paradigm takes on the values, prophetic encouragement and truth, as well as the hope, which God gives us in His Word. God's grace creates in us a clean heart and we repent of each instance of sin (Psalm 51:10; Acts 3:19). He regenerates our spirit, sanctifies our soul and promises to glorify us with an immortal body at the resurrection (Luke 21:25-28; 1 Corinthians 15:53; Philippians 3:21; John 5:28-29).

As the foundation for everything an Authentic Believer thinks and believes, the Bible affects how we view the world. We reject any ideas presented in printed, audio and visual media, which are contrary to Biblical principles. We refuse to allow these carnal concepts to conform us a worldly pattern, because God gives us everlasting life, and no one will ever snatch us out of His hand (John 3:16, 6:40, 10:28).

Prayer:

Father God, we find the answer to all of life's questions in the pages of the Bible, which You provided in order to give us hope and light in this troubled world in which we live. We refuse to take part of this world, because our citizenship is in Heaven (John 15:19; Philippians 3:20). We are no longer strangers and aliens, pilgrims who have no home, because we are now fellow citizens with the Body of Christ, and we belong to Your family as co-heirs with Christ of all that You possess (Eph 2:19; Romans 9:17). Your Spirit transforms us and renews our mind to God's Word (Romans 12:2; John 17:17).  Remind us to seek Your Kingdom first, because You always provide everything we need to sustain our life and to walk in serenity (Matthew 6:33; Philippians 4:7).

Thought for the Day:

Authentic Believers make a covenant with God to reject all carnal influences from the world and to focus on the pursuit of godliness. 

- 1 Timothy 6:11

Closer than a Brother

 

 

King David experienced every type of mental and physical anguish that we do. He worked out his feelings through writing his psalms. Now, David’s words give us solace too. David expressed the full gamut of human pain, as well as the consolation, which the Lord constantly provided for him. The only time the joy of the Lord flees from us is when we languish in our illnesses, sorrow and petty concerns, rather than looking to God in them.

In the dark places of life, we want a friend who will stick closer to us than a brother. The Body of Christ provides just such comfort for us, as well as Christ who dwells within our spirit. The presence of Jesus, “Emanuel”, which means “God with us” (Matthew 1:23), fills each of us. His solace permeates our soul – our mind, decisions and emotions – to the extent to which we allow Him full reign and control over our life. God gives us His peace as He comforts our trouble soul (John 14:27). We are a reflection of Him in the earth.

The joy of the Lord is our constant strength (Nehemiah 8:10). We no longer entertain any anxiety in our soul about our life. We take no thought about the fundamental needs of food and shelter. God cares for His children, just as He cares for the birds and lilies. As we seek God’s purpose for our life and walk in His ways, we have His guarantee that He will provide for us (Matthew 6:25-33). Even if we wander in the desert of life, God sends clouds for shade, fire to keep us warm, manna and quail to eat and shoes and garments, which never wear out (Exodus).

God’s grace provides for our every need and is sufficient for us (2 Corinthians 12:9). He works out all things, even the most difficult of events, for our ultimate good (Romans 8:28). These difficulties work His character into our soul and prove to us that He is worthy of our praise and trust. Jesus is our bread of life (John 6:35), and He is our all sufficiency (2 Corinthians 9:8). Jesus fills every chamber in our body, soul and spirit with His peace, love and comfort.

Prayer:
Father God, our faith increases with every verse of scripture on which we meditate, every moment we spend in abiding in Christ within us (Colossians 1:27) as well as every time we turn to You in our weakness. We surrender the control of our life to You, we take no thought for what tomorrow may hold and we forgive our self for the sins of our past. Remind us that any negative emotions signals an area of our life, which we did not yet surrender to Your Lordship in our life. We look to You for your love, peace and joy, which comes to us through the presence of Your Holy Spirit in our life (Romans 14:17).

Thought for the Day:

Hope prophesies that God is always with us no matter what circumstance we encounter. – Psalm 139:7-14; Proverbs 18:24