End-Time Events

It is so exciting to live in today's world. Many Biblical prophecies are falling into place all at the same time. In the year of 1948, Israel became a nation, the Roman Empire revised in the European Union, and religious leaders launched The World Council of Churches (Jeremiah 30:1-31:40; Isaiah 11:12; Daniel 2: 41:42). God was lining up everything to set the stage for His end-time events.

God's prophetic Words are fulfilled more and more rapidly in these last days. Natural disasters increase every year in record number and magnitude (Matthew 24:7; Luke 21:25). Russia made a pact with the Middle East and will come against Israel (Ezekiel 38-39). Technology can broadcast around the world now, and everyone can see events simultaneously, no matter where they live (Revelation 11:9).

A one world government and currency is also discussed in order to unite the world (Revelation 13:2-7). The Anti-Christ is the first of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse (Revelations 6:2). The Anti-Christ will make peace between Israel and the Middle East, which no Politician has ever been able to do. He will set up the one world government and eventually set up His throne in the Jewish Temple and desecrate God's house (Matthew 24:15).

We all experience tribulation in our lives every day; however, the Bible describes these as just "the beginning of sorrows" (Matthew 24:8). Jesus describes the Great Tribulation period in Matthew 24:21. God uses the Great Tribulation Period for three reasons: (1) To judge the ungodly nations (2) To put an end to Satan and his demons, and (3) To save Israel.

Prayer:

Father God, all through the Bible, You warn us about the time of Great Tribulation described as "the day of the Lord", "the day of Jesus Christ", "that great and terrible day", “the day of God’s vengeance”, "the great day of God’s wrath", "the hour of His judgment" or the “time of Jacob’s trouble” (Isaiah 34:8; 63:1-6; Jeremiah 30:7; Revelation 6:17, 14:7). I pray that the casual Bible reader will plainly see these references and realize them as warnings. You never send judgment without warning, because You are a God of compassion and grace. However, You are also a righteous God of justice and You never lie (Numbers 23:19).

Thought for the Day:

God will not pour out His wrath on His Saints. The Lord always delivers His people and reserves the punishment of the unjust until the coming Day of Judgment. - 2 Peter 2:9

Why Believe in God?

 

The premise of the idea of God comes from the fact that the galaxies and everything in them need an origin. Scientists say that a particle of gas exploded. The Bible calls that gas the breath of God, “God said” (Genesis1:3). Even the human body, soul and spirit are miraculous, and demand a Creator who developed the precision and magnificence of who we are.

There are two forces at work in our world: light and darkness, good and evil, God and the devil. God created Satan as a holy archangel, but pride and rebellion rose in his heart. Rather than being grateful to God for the multitude of blessings he enjoyed, he promoted a mutiny and took an army of angels with Him when God cast them out of heaven. God sent them to the earth and gave Satan authority over this world (Isaiah 14:12; 2 Corinthians 4:4; John 12:31).

Then, God created mankind and fashioned Paradise for him (Genesis 2:8). Adam and Eve were protected from Satan and his demons and God provided everything they would ever need for a wondrous life. Satan was delighted to finally have someone to influence and possibly to rule over and to add to his kingdom. He worked his deceptive magic on Adam and Eve and he has been propagating his lying subterfuge ever since.

We all go through negative experiences in life and we often “try God” during these times. We find fulfillment for our soul – our thoughts, choices and emotions. This emotional high lasts for a while and we start to heal. We experience the fellowship of authentic Believers and the love of God in them.

Once we heal emotionally, however, we believe we no longer need the emotional support of the church anymore. Our thoughts go back to the familiar life pattern from our former existence. Satan readily supplies us with doubts about the reality of God, and he helps us to find sufficiency in our self. We try God’s way, but decide we no longer need God.

However, our soul soon gets discouraged with life again. It knows that it cannot carry the complete weight of life on its own any longer. We come full circle back to God. We would like for God to be the answer to life for us, but Satan’s lies continue to cloud our judgment.

Authentic, Born Again Believers do not ask what God can do for us, but we ask what we can do for God. We willingly submit, as a bondservant (Galatians 1:10), to do only His will for our life until the day we leave this world and go to live with Him for eternity. We no longer use God to meet our needs, but we realize whom we are privileged to serve. We enjoy living in the center of His will – the happiest place on earth.

Prayer:

Father God, teach us not to use You for our Aladdin’s Genie to grant our wishes, but as our Lord and King. You deserve our utmost respect, not our disparaging remarks and ridicule. You told us through the prophets that sin would rule the world at the same time the Roman Empire revives, Israel becomes a nation once more and the World Council of Churches convinces the world that ecumenical unity is the only true religion. We see all this happening in the world today. We look forward to Your soon return.

Thought for the Day:

The only way to truly experience the fullness of God is to totally surrender to Him.