Signs of the TImes: HAVE YOU NOTICED?

 

·         so many television programs and movies have spiritual angles today – mostly not Christian spiritual angles, but spiritual angles nevertheless. 

·         so many people are looking, searching, complaining – they’re not getting answers in traditional churches, and they don’t know where to look

·         so many people are  making up their own interpretations for Christianity – such as “I just can’t believe a loving God would send anyone to hell, so I think everyone goes to heaven .”   (Sorry, not true.)

·          so many focus on the “God is love” part of the Bible but ignore the hundreds of pages on other subjects that define God as well, such as his commandments.  (Unless you are God, you cannot decide to drop a page of the Bible, or ignore a phrase or command.  You can’t make it up as you go, or pick what verses to believe and what not to.)

·         the number of serious believers in Jesus Christ – born of water and the spirit, confessing Jesus is their Lord  – is small.

·         plans are just about ready to build the next temple in Jerusalem, which is where the a/c sets himself up as god.

·         there is an explosion of homosexuality in the US and world – maybe not in numbers but in publicity and political clamor.  The “gay rights” movement and national liberal politicians and judges push this minority group ever forward.

·         Israel as a political entity is still a lost nation, spiritually lost.  A large “gay” celebration was held in Tel Aviv this summer.    Most citizens still do not know or recognize who Jesus is, although there are breakthroughs with individuals.

·         Syria is about to implode.  Damascus is destroyed in Bible prophecy ( Isaiah 17).  Is that about to happen?

·         Russia continues to line itself up on the wrong side, working with Syria and Iran.  What is about to happen here, a la the Ezekiel 38-39 war?  Prophesied key attackers of Israel in that war are Russia and Iran.

·         the US government is more troubling than ever to a large majority of Americans.   It seems steadily to be putting forward positions not desired by many, moving toward being a socialist state.  Surely the move to the one world government is well underway.

·         the absence of moral, spiritual, Jesus-believing political leaders?

With all this going on, is it not time for the prophesied signs in the heavens to happen?  Have they in fact already begun (Remember the reports in the last year or two of people hearing trumpets playing from the heavens in several areas; also mysterious huge blasts or explosions or clashes of metal that are inexplicable – are these signs of spiritual battles underway?)?

Where are there true believers who might get together in every community for serious prayer and support – a significant number who believe the Bible, are filled with the spirit and born again, who follow God’s guidance?  

Are there any people like that in the national government? 

Just some thoughts to consider.

Keep Your Eyes on Jesus!

                                                                                                                                       (October 2013)

                                                                                                                   Copyright © 2013 by John Newlin

  

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SIGNS OF THE TIMES: LIVING IN A DARK WORLD

This is darkness. 

Right now.

Right here.

You can see it.  You can feel it.  You can almost cut it.

If you know God.  If you know Jesus.  If you know the Holy Spirit.

Many leaders of this world are as lost as they can be.

In the United States, so many leaders of the country are just lost.  And confused. 

We are in the last of this period of human history.  I can use all sorts of different words to describe it – the end times, the last of the church age, the days just before Jesus’ return, the time just before the horrible seven year tribulation and the move into Jesus’ thousand year rule from Jerusalem – his kingdom literally being on earth and not just inside each believer.

We really cannot always know whether the actions of some leaders – government, political, even media and entertainment “celebrities” that occupy the minds and focus of so many people – are intentionally evil or just the result of being lost and confused and plain not knowing what to do.  But all believers can and should with the guidance of the Holy Spirit discern when they are not of God.

And in the same way, we can and should discern and recognize deception impacting our lives, whether from some national leader or policy or some local person with whom we have contact, just someone in our lives, our paths, maybe even a family member.

In these very days people in America are falling away from the Lord rapidly.  Deception is rampant.

And the United States of America (and so many of its people)?

·         Lost

·         Suffering greatly from its attitudes and pressures on Israel

·         Suffering greatly from its acceptance and increasing endorsement of behavior and lifestyles that God himself condemns

·         Suffering greatly from not knowing the Lord, not knowing the Word, not knowing what is happening and is about to happen in God’s plans and timetable

·         Suffering greatly from not knowing the absolute truths of God available readily through the Bible.  Everything is not relative.  That is a lie of the devil.

·         Suffering greatly from not knowing God’s commands and how he intends for people to live (not knowing God’s promises and the inherent great blessings that come from following and living in those promises)

You if you indeed are a true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ are not of this world.  This current system is not your home.  Yet you do find yourself living in the midst of the quagmire, and you do suffer daily from all you see and experience.  I know you do.

In this situation you must maintain your connection with God and to the extent possible with other like believers.  Being in the presence of other true Spirit filled believers in the Lord is a support and comfort and joy. 

You must maintain your joy.  You must.  Others who may be close to turning to the Lord need to see your faith and peace and inner strength and joy and perseverance. 

Yes we live in the midst of this all.  Yet we know the truth.  We know who wins in the end, as some like to say.  We know that in the Lord we have already won. 

Keep your eyes on Jesus.  There can be no more important advice to give.  Stay focused.  Do not be distracted from your faith and the path God has called you to.  Praise God.  You know the truth.

                                                                                                                                                (October 2013)

                                                                                                                           Copyright © 2013 by John Newlin

[This article may be copied, printed, or forwarded by email to others so long as it is copied, printed, or forwarded in its entirety with the appropriate attributions included.  We in fact encourage you to do so and especially to give printed copies to those who you know would benefit and do not have access to computers].