* COME ON NOW, WAKE UP!

          

Just how rotten are things in the world today?  Really, really rotten – corrupt governments, outrageous evil, large truly evil groups popularly called terrorist organizations, societies falling rapidly away from God.  Not a good time in that sense to be on earth.

In another sense, I think being here at the time of the last days is amazing – many on earth will get to see the Lord’s return to collect his believers.  And then those who are not his believers will get to experience an extraordinary version of hell on earth beyond horrors we can imagine.

It is extraordinary how short-sighted people are.  Maybe that is just a condition of the human mind, or maybe it is a condition of life in the US and the West today.  Certainly the increasing focus in the past twenty years on instant news, instant communications, all sorts of technical devices such as the smart phone that give instant information of a sort.  Many people today have trouble I expect in sitting still and quietly focusing on anything, unless they have a game or phone in their hands.

We have seen and read about all sorts of bad things in the past several months, including recent terrors in California and Paris that directly bring modern horrors to the western countries in a big way.  Yet a few days of calm and people are back to the normal life.

Have things been calm worldwide?  Of course not.  In just the past few days there have been terrible terrorist attacks in four different countries – Burkina Faso, Indonesia, Turkey, and Iraq.

And these attacks are on people just like you and me; in these cases some of those attacked were really good people out there trying to help the world.

Read these few words from today’s NY Times about the victims:

A family of Canadian volunteers dedicated to alleviating poverty in Africa. A group of intrepid German retirees on a tour of Turkey and the Middle East. An Iraqi who had gone to Baghdad seeking refuge from the jihadist violence of his hometown. A Canadian audiologist who had fallen in love with Indonesia.

They were among the scores of people slaughtered by Islamic extremists in four countries last week in spasms of bloodshed that left loved ones stunned at the randomness of the killings.

“They did things like fix roofs and repaint blackboards,” the mother of Maude Carrier, one of the Canadians killed in Burkina Faso, told The Globe and Mail, a Toronto newspaper. “Who would want to kill people fixing blackboards?”

The settings for the attacks were the softest of soft targets: a shopping mall in Iraq; a hotel and a cafe in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso; a popular shopping area in Jakarta, Indonesia; and Sultanahmet Square, the historic and cultural heart of Istanbul.*

Americans don’t think so much about these attacks because they are in far distant lands.  Americans have a custom of focusing on one spot, the US.  But these things could have just as easily happened here in the US. 

In these end times, things do get increasingly worse.  We have written about Bible prophesy so much I seldom pull that out anymore, other than to focus on where we are just now.  You can read about all the prophesies already fulfilled in our previous writings or hear about that in our videos or CDs. 

Now we are in the last of the last days.  The devil knows all that.  He knows the Bible.  He knows what is up.  His time is up.  So he is pulling out all the stops.  Throwing in the kitchen sink.  And terrible things are happening,

Deception is everywhere in the top ranks of government, media, entertainment, education, business, and plain old everyday life (as anyone with an ounce of discernment should be able to realize).  Remember, the Lord’s first response to those disciples asking about our day was to watch so as not to be deceived!  So many non-believers occupy key positions of leadership in various fields, and they are leading society over the cliff.  These are people whose minds have been blinded by the evil one (2 Corinthians 4:4).  They really can’t see the truth right now.  Neither can other non-believers. 

The old machinery of our society continues to chug along, and there is hope among many that a change in government or some other new change can turn everything around.  Well, maybe change can bring some momentary modification to what is going one.  But we are living in the last days.  The Lord will return at the appointed time.  It will happen.  Nothing we do can change that.  And as we go through these days the evil one with his minions will attack in diverse ways in families and nations and societies in all the evil ways he can conceive.

Our focus now has to be on doing what we can to get the truth out about the Lord’s return and about the Lord.  None of God’s elect chosen before the creation of the world should miss out on who he is.  That is the reason for evangelism, to get the word out to all that God intends to be with him (and pray God draws them to Jesus – see  John 6:44).   Will there be some type of an end-time awakening?  Yes, although I do not know how large or how many will be reached.  Even now there is awakening in some countries, such as Brazil.

I know most really do not want to hear about all this and they are trying to hunker down and hope for a brighter future in our existing society.  Well, there will be a brighter future---for believers in Jesus.

In all things today at all times, remember to  

Keep Your Eyes on Jesus!

* (From NYTimes January 19  by Andrew Jacobs – “Week of Attacks, Scores of Civilian Deaths and a Question: Why Them?”)

                                                                                                                        (January 19, 2016)

                                                                                                                      Copyright © 2016 by John Newlin

[NOTE:  This article may and should 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.]

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Email: info@johnnewlinministries.org       Twitter.com/johnnewlinmin     Blog:  johnnewlinblogspot.com

* DISTURBING WORDS FROM GIANT WORLD LEADERS

In the last few days we have received highly disturbing and perplexing messages from two giants of world culture, Pope Francis and Queen Elizabeth.  With all the hubbub of the season and the general joy that accompanies Christmas, most have probably not heard or seen these.  But they cannot be ignored, and I send them out now for you to keep in mind as we approach 2016.

You all know that the Lord has charged me with the message of his return, and mostly I communicate on Bible scripture, Bible prophecies now fulfilled or being fulfilled, and events in our world that tie to Bible prophecy.  But this report is a bit different.  Nevertheless, you really need to see it.  When people of this stature say something this dramatic, you need to pay attention.

Pope Francis

In recent remarks a few days prior to Christmas, the Pope called Christmas a charade.  Subsequently he said just before Christmas that while the world starves, burns, and descends further into chaos, we should realize that this year’s Christmas celebrations for those who choose to celebrate it may be their last.     

This Pope has been a great enigma.  At times personable and relating directly with the people, he has in recent months said some things obviously wrong such as Christians and Muslims are all brothers (not true unless he means all are human beings).  Once he confused many no doubt by indicating that he would not be surprised to see atheists in Heaven.  On a darker note, he has more than once indicated he does not expect to be living much longer and that he evidently expects to be killed in office.  (The only comment I would add is that the Pope is surely able to see all the papers in the Vatican archives, including past prophecies.  What he knows or thinks he knows we do not know.).

Here are some of his words on this latter point:

I have the feeling that my pontificate will be brief, 4 or 5 years; I do not know, even 2 or 3… Two have already passed. It’s a somewhat strange sensation… I feel that the Lord has placed me here for a short time, and nothing more.

I have said to the Lord: take care of me. But if your will is that I should die or that they do something to me, I ask you one favour: that they don’t hurt me… I’m a real scaredy cat when it comes to physical pain  [this said evidently in response to a question concerning all the death threats he is receiving from ISIS]

Queen Elizabeth

The Queen just before Christmas prepared her Christmas message.  In the recording it has been reported through numerous sources that she said some shocking things that caused the BBC under guidance from the palace to shut down the taping of the program.  The junior staff were sent home.  What happened next we don’t know, but some time later a new taping was made that has been shown and is the usual largely harmless fluff of Christmas wishes. 

But!  And this is a big but!  Many various organizations got the information from the original taping and posted it on the web.  I first got wind of this the day after Christmas, when I saw many reports through various search mechanisms -  through Google, at least one through Yahoo and one through MSN, and many through Bing.  That was when I stopped searching.  If the original was ever posted, it has been taken down.

The key message for most of us, I think, is that she said “I hope you enjoy your final Christmas.”

That is amazing, in essence emphasizing and even going further than the Pope’s remarks.  One source says she also said that malevolent forces, much stronger than her own, are stalking across Europe, gaining ground every day.

OBSERVATIONS/ANALYSIS

I expect these words and even my Watchman Warning here will have some people up in arms.  But this all actually happened.  And you cannot ignore it.  There aren’t many people more widely known in the world than these two, if any.

Now I surely do not believe they know the time of Jesus’ return nor do I believe they were talking about that.  My sense is that they are speaking from their positions, from what they see of the world, and from what they know is coming down the pike.  That last phrase is key.  Both of these are in a position to know what is happening behind the scenes in all those world groups working toward a one-world government.  I have written about them a bit in the past but do not focus on them.

Their warning about not celebrating Christmas next year I expect does not mean they think we are all not here but that from their insight times will be very difficult then indeed.

Regarding the Pope’s almost constant mentioning that he expects to be killed, I have no more to say than what I said earlier.

We are living in desperate times.  We just celebrated such a wonderful time, Christmas.  But each of you need to be alert, to pray for the lost, and to seek the Lord with all your heart.  Seek to be guided by him in all things.  Ask the Father to draw those who do not know Jesus to Jesus.  Be specific in your prayers!  Name the people you are praying for if you can.

Some years ago the Lord told me that the times were coming when many would not want to hear my words.  That time has been here for a while.  Some have gone far from us, some have behaved bizarrely, and some of course are anxious and interested to receive our messages and to send them on to others.  If you know the Lord and are serious about following him, you want to know the truth and to see and understand as much as possible. 

Keep Your Eyes on Jesus!

                                                                                                                                      (December 2015)

                                                                                                                      Copyright © 2015 by John Newlin

[NOTE:  This article may and should 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.]

P O Box 15797, Wilmington, NC 28408 * 910 395 1465

www.johnnewlinministries.org           Email: info@johnnewlinministries.org      

Twitter.com/johnnewlinmin         Blog:    johnnewlin.blogspot.com

AMERICA'S REAL PROBLEM

You’ve heard many government, political, and media leaders declare we have a gun control problem in the United States.  Also that we have a race relations problem.  And a tolerance problem.  And there are even those I would call extremists who think we have a political correctness problem, that the very way we all speak in the land of free speech needs to be controlled.

I will tell you the problem we have.

We have a sin problem.  Sin in its deepest definition is separation from God.  We have a falling away from God problem.  The mass of people do not truly know God, as you no doubt know.  So many of those out there celebrating the Christmas season now do not know God. 

Those who do know the Lord Jesus Christ truly do not rush out to kill other people just because they are different.  They do not hate others because of their race or culture.  And they are more than willing to listen to other ideas and discuss and present the Lord and what he said to anyone given the opportunity.

But when people do not know God they are lost, lost, lost.  They do not know how to defend themselves against attacks of the evil one.  How does he attack?  In all sorts of ways, especially deception!  And people who do not know the Lord, who do not have the gifts of the Spirit – especially discernment – cannot tell truth from falsehood.  They are easily misled ---e.g., witness so many Americans today who do not have a clue of what is really going on in our society and the world.

It is a sin problem.  Said another way – it is an absence of God problem.  That is the problem the whole world suffers from.

All of us who know the Lord are called by God to do all we can to take his word and truth to others.  That is in the Great Commission verses at the end of Matthew.   It is in the verses at the end of Mark.  It is fundamental.  Each of us have unique gifts and unique callings from God, but the inescapable truth is we are all called to represent God on this earth, to demonstrate Jesus to others in our own lives, the way we live, if in nothing else!

Be open to the leading of the Holy Spirit.  Be open to the opportunities around you.  Pray and ask for guidance regarding any specific person or group you may find yourself around.  Ask the Lord to orchestrate your circumstances.  And in all things as you are led, go forward to represent the Lord.  That may be in small conversations with a neighbor, or it may be in bigger things.  Just be open to the Lord.

These are terrible times we are living in.  But of course God himself is bigger than all this.  He can and will bring about all he wishes to happen.  People in certain areas of the world are coming to Christ in large numbers.  Pray that God would orchestrate events so that will happen in your town or city, your state, your country, other countries.  And of course be sure to protect yourself and your family always with all that God has given us (see our recent newsletters).

This is the season of celebrating the Lord, God’s great gift to humankind.  Why don’t we all celebrate the Lord every day, every moment?  I expect many of you already do.  After all, it (everything that matters) is all about him. 

And always, keep your eyes on Jesus.  Remember, he really, really is coming soon.

Keep Your Eyes on Jesus!

                                                                                            (December 2015)

                                                                                            Copyright © 2015 by John Newlin

[NOTE:  This article may and should 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.]

P O Box 15797, Wilmington, NC 28408       910 395 1465      www.johnnewlinministries.org

          

Email: info@johnnewlinministries.org       Twitter.com/johnnewlinmin     
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A CHRISTMAS GIFT

[This true, wonderful, and amazing demonstration of God's love for each of us occurred in my life in December 2007.  I am reprinting this for all who have not seen it.] 

God loves us. He really, really does. That’s a key part of the Christmas message. Why else would He ever have sent His son here to go through what he went through? And why else would Jesus ever have willingly gone to the cross? 

I was reminded of that this past weekend in a way only God can arrange. Sunday afternoon a friend was coming to visit us at home. Late in the afternoon the doorbell rang, and I opened the door. There stood our friend, holding out a box of clementines. For those of you who do not know, clementines are small citrus fruit, like small oranges, and they seem to make an appearance in grocery stores about this time of year. They come in small but clearly distinct boxes. 

Our friend handed me this box of clementines. “God told me to get this for you,” she said. And she went on, exclaiming that God was very specific and strong about it. “So I went into a grocery store and I couldn’t find them. I thought that I would just get a poinsettia, but well, God said to get clementines.” So she stuck with her search, and she found them. Later in the kitchen she spoke with Cathy and asked if clementines were my favorite. Our friend couldn’t get over how insistent God had been. 

Later I thought more about this. I remembered how as my children grew up we would always get a box of clementines sometime around Christmas. It was a regular feature in our house. The box could always be found sitting somewhere in the kitchen. Everyone liked them. To this day when I see a display of clementines in a store, I want to buy a box. 

And I thought some more. Here we are in the ministry involved in our usual activities and praying for guidance from God on key issues, like where and how to proceed in the expensive television ministry, where and what meetings to arrange, whether to begin another regular meeting in southeastern NC, and more. For months, even years, we have been going steadily forward, always fighting and overcoming attacks of the evil one which do come whenever anyone steps out for God. Into the midst of all that God sent an obedient woman friend to bring a box of clementines. Even when I write this the Holy Spirit is so strong in the office I keep stopping and reflecting. Is that love? Yes! And much more. That is God saying - John, even in the midst of all this, I’m still here, and I love you, and look, I even know little things about you, like how you like a box of clementines and what that means to you. 

So I've been feeling really warm every since. God sent me a box of clementines for Christmas. God knows where you are and what you’re going through. He knows every hair on your head. Every day, if we’ll just look around and take time to see with spiritual eyes, we’ll see God directing our paths. 

What a heavenly Father we have! 

                                                                                                         Copyright © 2007 John Newlin 

                                                                                                          (December 7, 2007)

Keep Your Eyes on Jesus!

                                                                                                                                      (December 2015)

                                                                                                                      Copyright © 2015 by John Newlin

[NOTE:  This article may and should 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.]

P O Box 15797, Wilmington, NC 28408 * 910 395 1465

www.johnnewlinministries.org           Email: info@johnnewlinministries.org      

Twitter.com/johnnewlinmin         Blog:    johnnewlin.blogspot.com

* THINGS TO THANK GOD FOR

Tomorrow in the USA is the holiday of Thanksgiving.  

With that in mind, and realizing that giving thanks is certainly an ongoing role for all believers in all countries, here are just some of the many things all of you might want to thank God for:

• Thank God that you know Jesus.
• Thank God that Jesus is returning soon and that you will go with him when he collects his believers.
• Thank God for his great protection, that he has kept you and your family well in this rapidly disintegrating secular world.
• Thank God for giving you the inner strength and wisdom and peace to live and survive in this difficult world and to deal with all the bad things that do occur – to those you know, to those nearby, to those close to you.
• Thank God that you are able to keep your eyes on Jesus, to keep your focus on him even when others ridicule or disparage or repudiate or just ignore you because of your faith.
• Thank God for the great spiritual gift of discernment, that you are able to discern truth from falsehood, good from evil, in a world that can do neither.
• Thank God for those you pray for who do not yet know the Lord but whom you pray God the Father will draw to Jesus.
• Thank God for all the manifold blessings he has poured on you this year that only you know about (and for those blessings that you don't know about).
• Thank God for the people he has brought into your life – to encourage you, to teach you, to be a friend and companion, to help you, and for you to do the same for them.
• That God that you are a citizen of the Kingdom of God.
• Thank God that he loves you and that he reveals more and more of himself to you.

Cathy and I are thankful for all of you.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Keep Your Eyes on Jesus!

JOHN NEWLIN MINISTRIES 
P O BOX 15797 
WILMINGTON, NC 28408 

www.johnnewlinministries.org 
email: john@johnnewlinministries.org 
Twitter.com/johnnewlinmin 
Blog: johnnewlin.blogspot.com 
tel 910 395 1465 

* A WATCHMAN WARNING: BRAINDEAD!

Tough title.  Tough subject.

Recently I wrote of how there are only two groups of people on earth – those who truly believe in Jesus Christ and everyone else.  Reality.  I’m not the first or only person to recognize this.  Years ago Derek Prince spoke about how as we move through the prophecies of the end times and near the return of Jesus, those who say they are Christians will split into two groups – those who truly stay with Jesus and those who drop away (and thus join those who never pretended to believe).  And just last week I read Jonathan Cahn writing about how the grey is disappearing in our world, the grey being that vast middle group of people who tolerate all sorts of things but still try to cling to the Christian label .  That grey group is disappearing as it is all coming down to Jesus’ sheep and everyone else.

The everyone else, which is as of now by far the largest group of people on earth, fall into the category of people I would refer to as braindead.  Those are the people who cannot see what is happening on earth, who cannot come to grips with the fact that the modern civilized world is at war with significant groups of muslims some call radical islam.  These groups include ISIS and also Al Qaeda and others.

An organization that occupies and governs a piece of land the size of Indiana and which in short order brings down a Russian passenger jet leaving Egypt followed by numerous attacks in Paris, France, all the while waging war against its neighbors in the Middle East and fighting against all attackers coming against it is not just a terrorist group.  It is a rogue nation, a horrible nation with medieval and evil beliefs and ideas.  The evil it pushes far surpasses that of Nazi Germany.  ISIS clearly is very willing to exterminate and torture anyone who does not think or believe exactly as it does, which means most of the people on earth.

Now in the midst of this horror, we have thousands upon thousands of refugees from Syria and elsewhere in the Middle East seeking to escape the hell that is their homeland.  It is a natural response to be sure.  Get away.  And they are heading for the modern western nations.  Why?  Because those are the places that typically have a heart to help such refugees.  So some European leaders have declared they will take in large numbers, even hundreds of thousands.  One of the problems with this is how does any country know who is coming in?  Aside from the real economic and cultural impact, how can anyone be sure which refugees might or might not be members of ISIS?  Or Al Qaeda?  They can’t of course.  And the USA itself is led by a government that expects to take in thousands of these refugees and send them to different cities.  But who are they?  Can they be vetted, be reliably checked out?  No they can’t. 

If I told you there was a group of people that wanted to come visit in your home and that possibly some of these would like to kill you, would you willingly open your front door and invite them in?

Braindead.

Just yesterday I read a comment by one of America’s well-known political comedians/commentators.  He asked the question “Why do they hate us?” and then continued with maybe we should just get out of their land.  He obviously has no idea or understanding of the spiritual nature of this jihad, this religious war.  To ISIS, everyone who does not think like them is an infidel – Christians, Jews, members of other religions, even other muslims who do not think as they.

It is a spiritual war.  It is part of the ushering in of the last of the last days before Jesus’ return.

And Europe and the US are saddled with leaders who do not have a clue.  One article I read yesterday referred to the leaders of Europe – Cameron, Merkel, and Hollande – as infantile.  Fits the US too, where the top leaders in Washington refuse even to identify the foe as radical islam.  Either these leaders and their staffs are spiritually blind or they are intellectually ignorant or just plain evil themselves.  I think the spiritually blind part fits.

Remember, the Bible warned us about all this.  2 Corinthians 4:4 says the god of this world (the devil) has blinded the minds of unbelievers.  That is what we have here.  These people and so many others can’t see the truth.  As I wrote some time ago about people like this, they don’t know because they really don’t know.  It is as if someone is speaking another language to them, one they cannot understand.  Sadly, obviously, in America that is the majority of people.  And they elect the leaders of the country.  (Note:  Jesus also warned us in Matthew 24, Luke 21, and Mark 13 to watch that we are not deceived in these last days!  All these people who just can’t see what is happening are either unbelievers or they are massively deceived.). 

The American government and those of Western Europe intend to continue to admit refugees and thus possibly terrorists to their homeland.  They will continue to think some weak bombing sorties flown over certain areas will eventually stop a determined foe.  There is no recognition this foe is zealous in the extreme, that this is a spiritual war.  Yes, the foe is following a false religion, but they think it is the real religion.  They think their allah is the real and true god, and they surely and obviously are willing to die for him.  And they are dying for him, and they will.  All the while Americans watch weekend football and pay attention to meaningless music and entertainment stars and fashions and the latest technical fads.  Reminds you of Nero, doesn’t it?  Let’s see these next few days just how far anyone in European leadership has waked up after the Paris attacks.  Or will they continue with their self-destructive policies.  As of now there are signs Hollande of France intends to do something more.  And in the USA as I write this state governors are rising up to declare no Syrian refugees now. 

Don’t ever stop praying for a spiritual awakening for your leaders and for all people, especially those you know personally.  Pray for God to draw them to a true knowledge of Jesus.  And whenever  possible, if you can find him or her, support a born again, spirit filled Christian who is seeking public office.

Keep Your Eyes on Jesus!

                                                                                                                                      (November 2015)

                                                                                                                      Copyright © 2015 by John Newlin

[NOTE:  This article may and should 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.]

P O Box 15797, Wilmington, NC 28408 * 910 395 1465

www.johnnewlinministries.org           Email: info@johnnewlinministries.org      

Twitter.com/johnnewlinmin         Blog:    johnnewlin.blogspot.com

* KEEP YOU EYES ON JESUS! STAY FIRM AND STRONG IN YOUR FAITH, IN YOUR BELIEF! LET NOTHING TURN YOU TO THE RIGHT OR THE LEFT. STAY FOCUSED AND STAY ON THE NARROW PATH THAT LEADS TO LIFE.

So many are so easily distracted.  It was thus with the ancient Israelites.

Do you remember how about 3500 years ago Moses led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and into their long trek to the Promised Land, to Israel?  Of course, it was really God who was leading them out through Moses.  God did great wonders right in front of their faces on this journey.  Remember the parting of the sea so they could escape from pharaoh and his chariots and soldiers?  Remember the water that came out of the rock?  The food, the manna, from heaven?  Remember the encounter with God on the mountain, where Moses received the law?

All these Israelites saw this great escape, these great wonders.  Yet when they soon came to the Promised Land, their faith, their belief, evaporated.  Moses picked one man from each tribe, and these went as spies into the Promised Land.  When they returned ten of these brought reports filled with fear, reports of how the Israelites couldn’t overcome the giants of the land.  And the Israelites were filled with fear.  They moaned and complained about being there, about their state.  Only Joshua and Caleb had faith and knew God would make it all happen, that they could be victorious in the new land.

And because of the disbelief and fear of the ten and then the entire population, God sent the Israelites back to roam in the desert for forty years until all the adults who had been present at that time of the terrible behavior and disbelief had died out (all except Joshua and Caleb).  Only then could Joshua lead the now grown children and their children back into the Promised Land, into the physical place of rest.  Only then.

And now we are here, at the very time so long talked about and wondered about by all those great believers and prophets and writers and preachers who have preceded us.  We are living in the days of the return of the Lord.  Now.  Of course we do not know the specific day or hour, but we surely can recognize the season and we know it is now.  Jesus told us signs to look for, and we have seen them.  We have seen the fulfillment of so many Biblical prophecies, that fulfillment only beginning in earnest really in the last century and continuing up to today. 

Now we are confronted with a multitude of disturbing things in our home areas and in the world at large.  Terrible violence.  Frightening “monsters” of evil operating.  Deception in so many places.  An abundance of people who cannot discern truth from falsehood.  And all of us who are born anew, who have been filled with and baptized with the Holy Spirit, look with shock and anguish at all of this.  We are so distressed by the multitude of those who call good evil and evil good, who in fact cannot tell the difference between truth and falsehood, who obviously cannot distinguish when people are lying to them.  We watch with shock as those around us at work or in the family or neighborhood or wherever, readily believe words and ideas and plans spoken on television or written on the Internet that we immediately see are false.  How do we so recognize that?  Because we have the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the gift of discernment.  People who do not cannot see.

The Bible clearly says the god of this world (the devil) has blinded the minds of unbelievers (2 Corinthians 4:4).  They cannot see the truths of the gospel.  And in fact it has become abundantly clear, they cannot see and recognize truth from falsehood in any walk of life.  They are lost.  And they are the majority of people in our society and on earth today.  So many.  What is especially disturbing is that this group not only is made up of total nonbelievers but also includes many who attend church on a regular basis but have never been born of water and the spirit, as Jesus said to Nicodemus.  They can’t see either.

But you, you can.  And because you can, it is essential you continue to keep your eyes on Jesus.  Stay focused spiritually.  Certainly take whatever steps are wise to protect yourself and your family in this world.  But at all times keep your eyes on the Lord.  He is coming soon.  The prophesied events of the end times have been unfolding right before our eyes.  We see that right now in the rearrangement of alliances among the world’s countries, in the coming together of nations who are involved in end times wars, in the atrocious behavior of certain radical groups and individuals, and in the gigantic moral fall of the people in the country. 

Years ago God told me a parable.  He said that when a person does a small thing, and he does it over and over, and I do not pay attention, soon I will not notice it at all.  That is what has happened in America.  Individuals and groups who surely are not believers have chipped away on so many fronts against the moral and constitutional structure of the country, and as this chipping persisted, people just didn’t pay serious attention.  And now, kaboom.  The moral structure of society, even the basic concept of government and the constitution, has been horribly damaged.

But again, you know the truth, you know the Lord.  His return to collect his followers is imminent. And then the terrible tribulation period will begin for those left behind.  In these final days, months, and possibly even years before that happens we will find living here increasingly difficult, as recent months have already shown.

Every day pray that God will orchestrate your day.  Ask the Holy Spirit to arrange whatever encounters the Lord would have you have, that he would soften the hearts of those you might speak with about the Lord.  Ask the Lord to bring glory to himself and the Father through you.  And go forward, having put on the full armor of God and having prepared yourself for the day.  Believers must step out, must be out there professing the Lord and standing up for Jesus wherever the Holy Spirit leads.  There are still people God would lead to Jesus.  He never stops, and we cannot either.

1 Peter 4:7 

Luke 21:8                 

Keep Your Eyes on Jesus!

                                          

                                                                                                                                   (October 2015)

                                                                                           Copyright © 2015 by John Newlin Ministries, Inc.

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