Those are words the Lord gave us
Sunday afternoon August 6 as we prayed.
THE TIME IS NEAR
What time? The time I believe of the beginning of the
Day of the Lord, the final steps in the end of this age. We know Jesus has not yet returned to collect
his CHURCH, his true believers, although that could happen any time, even while
you are reading this. And we know the
seven year Tribulation period has not yet begun, that entire period which
occurs at the end of the age and which might be called the Day of the Lord.
We know from 2 Thessalonians, 2:3
that this Day of the Lord will not begin until there is a great falling away
from God, a rebellion, an apostasy, and also until the man of lawlessness, the
anti-christ, is revealed. Well, we
certainly have been living for some time now in a time of a great falling away
from God. How many people do you know
who are truly believers of Jesus Christ, followers of the Lord, born anew, born
of water and the spirit? How many? I would suggest it is a very, very small
percentage of the human population today in America and the world. Even among all those who go to some church
building on Sunday, a large number are certainly not born again and do not know
the Holy Spirit.
Look at the daily news, the daily
entertainment on television and in the movie theaters and on the Internet. Much of that look like things of God? Hardly.
Jesus’ first warning about these
days was for us to watch that we are not deceived. And Paul wrote about the spirit of delusion
that would be here now. Certainly we see
that everywhere in society. So many
people are just lost.
We have met the first criteria
there – falling away from God.
And the second? No, the anti-christ has not yet been
identified. But that could happen soon
surely.
Another criterion for the
beginning of that seven year Tribulation period is the signing of a peace
agreement, or covenant, involving the Jews, Israel. Daniel 9:7 points this out. It also makes the point that the person, the
leader who brings that about, is indeed the anti-christ. Well, people are constantly trying to bring
about some type of peace agreement aren’t they?
The government has just sent its team again to the Middle East to work
on this.
The time is near. Yes it is.
THE WAR IS CLOSE
Certainly feels that way doesn’t
it? The entire country seems to be in
upheaval. Many people internally in the
US seem incapable of understanding or tolerating each other. That ability most of us remember from just a few
years past when people of different opinions were able to debate and discuss
things calmly and rationally seems to have vanished. The evil one is having a field day among much
of the population and the government.
Bizarre crazy behavior is seen every day in the cities and the
universities and Washington DC and the television reports and so on.
But what does this mean? What war?
We know from the Bible there are
these three wars yet to come:
·
The Psalm 83 war involves Israel and the arab
muslim countries around it.
·
The Ezekiel 38-39 war involves an attack on
Israel from nations to the North – specifically and apparently Russia, Turkey,
and Iran, plus a couple smaller ones.
·
Armageddon, the final battle in which the Lord
destroys the forces against him, killing them all, the anti-christ and the
false prophet are thrown into the lake of fire, and the devil is imprisoned in
a deep pit.
These wars haven’t happened. Maybe they all will happen during the seven
year period.
Are there other wars not
necessarily involving the Jews and Israel?
It appears that is highly likely.
Look at all the uproar over North Korea.
Does something happen that makes the USA of little effect during the Tribulation
period, for it does not appear in any of the three wars mentioned?
Maybe, and I think this is the
case, the phrase “the war is close” refers to the general nature and
characteristic of the time about to begin, one of a general state of war. It is for sure the war between good and evil
is underway and ever increasing. You
know that is going on right now in the spiritual realm. And as it spills over into the physical
realm, we have all the uproar and confusion and the wars above.
PROTECT YOURSELF
How? Physically?
Spiritually?
Yes.
We’ve published several
newsletters and Watchman Warnings over the years on the need for the believers
to protect themselves. Look them up on
our web site and read them. Or go to the
web site and watch the videos on fighting evil.
Or request our CD with the same title.
God has given us the great
protection of his armor. Paul described
this in detail in Ephesians 6. Read the
December 2016 newsletter on our website.
Don’t get up any day without first putting that armor on yourself and
your family.
God has also sent all of us who
will inherit salvation his angels to serve us.
Protection is one thing these angels do very well. Those believers who are spiritually sensitive
know the angels are around them now.
Every day thank God for his angels protecting you and your family and
your home and car. When you are
traveling around, ask God to hold you and your vehicle in the palm of his
hands, to keep you well and safe and those on the road with you as well.
Regarding physical protection I
think you need to pray and seek God’s will and plan for you. Some people have put in some stores of water
and food in case it becomes difficult to get that in the days before the Lord
comes to collect his believers. Some others
of course have physical weapons. At the
least you might want to have a plan of where to go if you must leave where you
are living or where various members of your family might meet up if for some
reason communications become disconnected.
PRAY
This goes without saying. Pray.
Whenever and wherever you would.
Pray seriously. Pray in the
spirit, in tongues. Seek the Lord. Listen.
Listen. Be alert for his
guidance. It may come in direct words to
you or your spouse. Or it may come in
sudden opportunities, open doors, words from a friend that you realize are from
God. Or some other way.
Why don’t you live in a condition
of prayer? I mean, why don’t you just
continue in that close relationship with God after you have had your specific
time of sit-down prayer in the morning?
Why not never really say a final amen ending the prayer? Just keep it open as you go through the day,
talking to God whenever you need to. He
is always there.
THE TIME IS NEAR, THE WAR IS
CLOSE, PROTECT YOURSELF AND PRAY.
That is pretty clear and
succinct. God’s words to us. We pass them on to you.
Keep Your Eyes on Jesus!
(August
2017)
Copyright © 2017 by John
Newlin
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