First Horseman of the Apocalypse

IN TODAY'S NEWSLETTER... 
 

• Featured Article: First Horseman of the Apocalypse 
• Gog, Magog, and Ukraine 
• The Economic War Between The United States And Russia Just Shifted Into Overdrive 
• Is Belief in a Pre-Trib Rapture a Form of Escapism?  
• Daily Jot: Stupidocrisy: We’re for the little guy 
• Daily Devotion: Friendship with God 

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First Horseman of the Apocalypse - Charles Gray Adams Jr - https://inhiscommission.com/eschatology-articles/the-first-horseman-of-the-apocalypse/
 
Rev 6:2, KJV [1]
 
2And I saw, and behold a white horse:
and he that sat on him had a bow;
and a crown was given unto him:
and he went forth conquering,
and to conquer.
 
The identification of the rider on the white horse of Revelation chapter six is hotly debated. However, for the purpose of the article, he is the Antichrist: He is arriving on a world stage that has been painstakingly prepared for him; he is mounted upon a white horse which implies he is coming as savior of the world; he holds a bow which is not necessarily what most think it is; he is given a crown; and he goes forth conquering and to conquer. While this study will address each of these specifics, it will focus primarily on the bow he holds and its significance. Therefore, the intent of this article is to expound upon the identification of the rider of the white horse while identifying the means by which he, the Antichrist, conquers.
 
The World-Stage is Set
 
Paul, the apostle, warned the church through his epistles about the condition of the world in the last days. In fact, in his last letter which was penned to Timothy, he wrote:
 
2 Timothy 3:1-9
 
1This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 6For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, 7Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. 9But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.
 
From this passage one may clearly ascertain the fact that mankind will be in a fallen state (just like the days of Noah and Lot, Gen 6:5-6; Luke 17:26-29) ‘in the last days’ just before the arrival of the man of sin (2 Thess 2:3). This would imply that he will assume control of a society with which he has great affinity while conquering all who oppose him. The rapture will remove all of those faithful to Christ from the planet. Therefore, the Antichrist will appear to be dealing with the remnants of those who oppose the now dominant worldview which he will champion. This remnant is comprised of all who will be saved during the tribulation period.
 
One further point should be made about the condition of the world just before the arrival of the Antichrist. In the last days, the earthbound inhabitants of the world will not be the only ones who have fallen into severe moral decay.[3] Indeed, many who claim to be holy will succumb to the wiles of the devil and become apostate. This is evidenced by additional warnings from the Apostle Paul:
 
1 Timothy 4:1-3
 
1Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; 3Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
 
2 Timothy 4:3-4
 
3For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
 
Sadly, many in today’s church are clearly demonstrating that Paul’s prophecies were one hundred percent accurate. This is made manifest by the fact that the ways of the world are creeping into the professing church and what was once holy and set apart is now indistinguishable from the heathen world.
 
This brief foray, into the condition of the world at the time of the arrival of the Antichrist, demonstrates that much could be said about this particular topic, however, another article will deal with this in greater specificity. For now, it is clear that preparation is under way for the arrival of the Antichrist and many will fall for his deception, especially those who desire to maintain earth as their home. Sadly, many in the professing church are also being primed for the rider of the white horse.
 
The White Horse
 
White is generally associated with the imagery of righteousness and holiness.[4] Therefore, when one rides a white horse the intention is often to convey the idea that the rider is of the same nature. However, the Antichrist will only appear righteous. In fact, he will be anything but. Instead, he will merely feign righteousness as a counterfeit of the true. The reality of his deception will become very clear when Jesus also rides a white horse near the end of the Tribulation. The Second Coming of Christ will cause the ride of the imposter to pale in comparison. Incredibly, Jesus will not be the only one riding a white horse upon His return. Indeed, the armies which were in heaven will follow Him upon white horses (Rev 19:14a).
 
Many have mistaken the first rider as Christ, primarily, because of the white horse. This is not possible for many reasons: First, Jesus is the one opening the seals as the Lamb (Rev 6:1), therefore, it is not possible to identify Him with the first rider. Second, Jesus Has on His head many crowns, whereas the first rider is given a single crown (cf. Rev 6:2; 19:12). Third, the Antichrist is associated with the beginning of the seal judgments which bring calamity upon earth, therefore it is not likely he is bringing good amidst the bad.[5] In fact, this is the very premise of seeing the first rider as the one who is illuminated by the false light of Satan (2 Cor 11:14). Fourth, Jesus will come as judge and He will not go forth conquering and to conquer, instead, all of the remaining armies of the world will be gathered to Armageddon where the beast and false prophet are captured and cast alive into the lake of fire and Jesus will destroy those remaining with the sword which proceeds out of His mouth (Rev 19:19-21).
 
The Bow
 
The rider of the white horse holds a bow. Cursory reading would cause one to believe this is a weapon. However, a closer look indicates this is something entirely different which, when seen for what it truly is, reveals exactly how this rider will conquer. Revelation was written in Greek and the word John chose to identify this ‘bow’ is ‘toxon’ which has its root in the word ‘tikto’ which means “the simplest fabric.” Throughout the Bible the word ‘bow’ has identified a weapon, it has also been used to identify the rainbow, and it has even been used to identify the act of bowing down. However, the word used to identify the bow in Revelation 6:2 is only used one time in the entire Bible. This is clear evidence that John was describing something other than a weapon. In fact, this one word is crucial to understanding this rider and how he wields power.
 
 The fact that John indicates this rider carries a bow of simplest fabric could be stated this way, “the rider carried a flag made of fabric which displayed a rainbow.” One is not hard pressed to see how a conqueror could conquer under this banner, especially when considering how prepared the world already is for the one who rides this horse. Undoubtedly, he will be received with outstretched arms by those who now shape the narrative of the world, especially since those who opposed this lifestyle will have been removed by the rapture. This explains how he will conquer without a physical weapon. Instead, his true weapon is deception which is why Jesus and the Apostles fervently warned believers not to be ‘deceived,’ a word used 39 times in the New Testament alone. In fact, Jesus, in answering His disciples question about the last days, began His explanation with the words, “Take heed that no man deceive you (Matt 24:4).” He goes on to warn against deception three more times in this same reply (Matt 24:4-31). In fact, Jesus warned more about deception than any other single thing. This implies, the last days will be marked by great deception.
 
Great deception is truly upon the land as many are incapable of discerning right from wrong. In fact, those who now control the narrative are turning truth on its head. However, God foretold of this particular world condition through His prophet Isaiah who had a dire warning for those who currently manipulate the masses:
 
Isaiah 5:20
 
20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
 
Incredibly, the earthbound are seeing things in an upside down manner. Ironically, their rejection of the truth is actually preparing them to accept ‘the lie’ of the great deceiver who will lead them to great suffering and eternal damnation and fire:
 
Revelation 20:15
 
15And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
 
Essentially, Satan desires to counter what God has established. God made man and woman; Satan attempts to cause man to believe they are neither or can be both, what utter confusion. God established how men and women should behave; Satan attempts to thwart this by telling man they can be as god and rule themselves (Gen 3). This is truly the root of what is wrong with mankind, they are following the lead of the great deceiver. In so doing, they are rejecting the truth and running toward, and even championing, the lie. The consequence for this errant way of life is unthinkable, for God’s wrath will be poured out upon all unrighteousness. Paul warned of this when instructing the Romans:
 
Romans 1:18-32
 
18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 19Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 21Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 24Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 25Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 26For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. 28And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; 29Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 32Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
 
Paul stresses his point by indicating those who reject the truth will be turned over to reprobate minds to do the laundry list of things he shared as the signs of the reprobate. Remarkably, one needs to look no further than the current day media, in its many forms, to see each and every one of these inconveniences manifested. This indicates, judgment has already begun and the first rider is about to come forth in power not his own (Dan 9:24).
 
He Conquers With a Gifted Crown
 
Understanding the means by which this rider conquers will be greatly enhanced by the words of the prophet Daniel. Long ago, Daniel had visions which were identified by the angel ‘Gabriel’ as visions of the last of days. In one vision, Daniel sees the Antichrist as, one who comes when rebellion has reached its full measure, a master of intrigue. Interestingly, this ruler will become very strong by power not his own. This alludes to the crown the first rider is given. Notice, he is given the crown, this would imply that he has not earned it. Instead, he is provided a crown with which to conquer along with power from Satan (Rev 13:2). Therefore, neither his crown or power are truly his, he is simply an emissary of Satan. 
 
Daniel saw this rider in a vision, over twenty five hundred years ago:
 
Daniel 8:24-25
 
24And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. 25And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand (emphasis mine).
 
The fact that the Antichrist will destroy many by peace provides added weight to the fact that this rider will appear unto a very receptive audience. He will ride in as a great champion who truly understands how to deal with the growing deception brought forth by the perversion of God’s ways. However, he will not attempt to correct the populace. Instead, he will validate their debauchery. His mission will be to come against and overwhelm those who oppose his contrary ways as he attempts to change what God has established. This mindset is already at work in the world. Daniel foresaw this also:
 
Daniel 7:25
 
25And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
 
Fortunately, the Antichrist will ultimately, decide that he is god and for this he will suffer the penalty of being captured on the battlefield called Armageddon and cast into the ever burning lake of fire (Rev 19:20).
 
Ramifications
 
The first rider paves the way, through deception, for the entirety of the remaining judgments of the Tribulation. His actions will cause a great division amongst those who are left on earth, after the rapture. Many will come to saving faith early on, just after the church departs. This is largely due to the fact that they had heard the truth before, without embracing it. However, they did not reject Christ, wholesale. Instead, they wanted to linger in the things of this world for just a bit longer. Unfortunately, Jesus will come when they least expect it and they will lose their chance to be saved during the age of grace. Now they will have to persevere through the Tribulation and overcome the Antichrist, most likely by laying down their lives:
 
Revelation 12:11
 
11And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
 
The severity of the Tribulation will make it extremely unlikely to survive its entirety. In fact, those who find themselves in this awful time will be dealing with hazard from every side. For instance, the very next rider will take peace from the earth and cause men to kill one another (Rev 6:4). Imagine living in a day when neighbor is killing neighbor and no one knows who the enemy is. This is just the next thing on a long list of dangers which will need to be navigated in order to survive. Thankfully, God always has a remnant and those who make it through to the end of the Tribulation will populate the millennial kingdom, but that is a topic for another time.
 
If you are reading this article and have not taken “the mark of the beast (Rev 13),” you still have a chance. If you never have, you should call on the name of Jesus:
 
Romans 10:8-17
 
8But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 14How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 15And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! 16But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? 17So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
 
Conclusion
 
The first rider, the Antichrist, will come as the savior of the world. This sounds remarkably like the actions of Christ. However, there is one great difference. Jesus came to save men “from the world.” The Antichrist will come to “save the world” from man. In fact, he will champion the causes that unregenerate man desires, the list of these pursuits grows daily as man rejects God’s ways and leans unto their own understanding (cf. Prov 3:5-6). The Antichrist, through his craft and deception, will cause many to seal their fate of eternal damnation. The good news is the wise will recognize and avoid falling prey to his wiles (Dan 12:10). Instead, they will likely die for their faith which will be far greater than rejecting Christ, accepting Satan as lord, and suffering an eternity in the lake of fire.
 
[1] “Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the King James Version.”
 
[2] The following translators understood the Greek word to mean “a departure” in this context: Tyndale (1534), Coverdale (1535), the Geneva Bible (1537), Cranmer (1539), and Beza (1565), and so used it in their translations. See also: Kenneth S. Wuest, “The Rapture—Precisely When?” Bibliotheca Sacra, BSAC 114:453 (Jan 1957): 65.
 
[3] For greater understanding of the term ‘earthbound,’ see the article, “Heaven or Earth Bound?”
 
[4] Robert L. Thomas, Revelation Exegetical Commentary – 2 Volume Set (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2016.), 139.
 
[5] David J. MacLeod, “The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (Rev. 6:1-8),” Emmaus Journal, EMJ 01:1 (Winter 1991): 9.

 


 
Gog, Magog, and Ukraine - By Hal Lindsey – www.hallindsey.com  
 
In a recent column entitled, “Rumors of War,” I explained why the Russian-led invasion of Israel detailed in Ezekiel 38 and 39 will include Ukraine. These passages give the leader of this coalition the symbolic name, “Gog.” Could Putin be Gog? He sure could. Is he? We simply don’t know.
 
Some believe that he is, and that the choice to go into Ukraine was not really his at all. They say God is “compelling” him. Ezekiel 38:4 speaks of God putting hooks in Gog’s jaws to draw him into a war against Israel. But Ukraine is not Israel. God did not put hooks in Putin’s jaws, forcing him to attack Ukraine.
 
Still, the prophetic significance of Russia’s move into Ukraine cannot be denied. And it does not end with the fact that Ukraine will join Russia as a part of the Ezekiel 38 coalition. The war is also impelling Europe to arm itself. In recent years, at the urging of the United States, Europe’s NATO nations made token increases in their defense budgets. But they clearly preferred for US taxpayers to shoulder the cost of their defense.
 
Putin changed that. Today, Europe is looking to arm itself. Previously neutral countries are suddenly hoping to join NATO. During the Cold War, Finland and Sweden were famously nonaligned. Soviet atrocities were not enough to get them to stand with other western nations against the Soviet Union. But now, they see Putin as willing to attack any nonaligned, nonnuclear power. By joining NATO, they would instantly put themselves under the protection of American, French, and British nukes.
 
Putin’s action in Ukraine also puts pressure on the European Union to arm itself. The EU has always been an economic and political entity. For years, several key leaders have wanted to also make it a military power. Now, with Putin’s help, that idea has new momentum. A central command and control over all the armies of Europe would, in an instant, make the EU a global military power. The Bible says that such power will one day be handed over to Antichrist.
 
Despite “green new deal” politics, the real world still depends on fossil fuel. That fact looms large over Putin’s war. In recent years, we learned that Israel has an abundance of natural gas. The Israel-to-Europe gas pipeline is scheduled for completion by the end of 2025. At that point, Israel becomes a major threat to Russia’s natural gas monopoly in Europe. That gives “Gog” a major incentive to one day attack Israel.
 
Bible prophecy also speaks of economic instability (especially inflation) and a general atmosphere of chaos and fear in the last days. Those things were already happening, but they have been made dramatically worse by Putin’s war.
 
We need to have compassion on those who are suffering. And we need to know that this war will almost certainly have a negative impact on the rest of us. But we also need to trust God with our lives. When we escape the fear that threatens to engulf us, it will give us space to see with awe the God who told us about these things thousands of years in advance. He told us about technology that would not be invented or even imagined until our generation. He told us about national alliances before the nations involved had even been founded.
 
And He told us that in all these things, to rest in Him (Psalm 37:7).
 

 



The Economic War Between The United States And Russia Just Shifted Into Overdrive - by Michael Snyder - http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/the-economic-war-between-the-united-states-and-russia-just-shifted-into-overdrive/
 
Economic conflicts have a way of becoming shooting wars, and so we should all be deeply alarmed by what we are witnessing. With each passing day, authorities in the United States and authorities in Russia are imposing even more measures which are intended to punish the other side economically. Thankfully, our militaries are not shooting at one another yet, but an economic war has already started and it just shifted into overdrive. On Tuesday, Joe Biden announced that his administration has decided to ban all imports of Russian oil and natural gas…
 
“Today I am announcing the United States is targeting the main artery of Russia’s economy. We’re banning all imports of Russian oil and gas and energy,” Biden said at the White House. “That means Russian oil will no longer be acceptable at U.S. ports and the American people will deal another powerful blow to Putin’s war machine.”
 
About the same time, the government in the UK also announced that it will be banning Russian oil…
 
The U.K. government will ban all imports of Russian oil, its latest sanctions move against Vladimir Putin’s administration over the war in Ukraine.
 
The measure — taken in concert with the U.S. — will be phased in over the rest of 2022, Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said. The ban applies to refined products such as diesel — which the U.K. relies on Russia for about a third of its imports. It won’t apply to natural gas.
 
Will these moves hurt the Russians?
 
To a certain extent.
 
The rest of Europe has not joined the U.S. and the UK in this boycott yet, and Russia will always be able to sell massive quantities of oil and natural gas to China.
 
In response to this latest move, Vladimir Putin signed an order which will ban the export of certain raw materials…
 
Within hours of Joe Biden announcing a far-reaching ban on all US imports of Russian oil – while warning Americans that gas prices are about to “go up further” – Vladimir Putin is reported to have signed his own counter-measure decree.
 
Russia’s RIA news agency is reporting that the new decree blocks all exports and raw materials from Russia “of certain materials” – with state media reports noting the specific list will be made public in two days.
 
We will have to wait and see what specifically will be on that list, but I have a feeling that it will definitely include nickel.
 
On Tuesday, trading of nickel was suspended after it suddenly more than doubled in price…
 
The London Metal Exchange on Tuesday suspended the trading of nickel after prices more than doubled to surpass $100,000 per metric ton.
 
The LME said in a statement that trading will be suspended for at least the remainder of the day.
 
A global shortage of nickel is going to severely hurt industries all over the planet.
 
And of course Russia could decide to cut off all oil and natural gas exports to the western world as well. If that happens, natural gas prices in Europe would soar to catastrophic levels, and the Russians are warning that we could eventually see the price of oil reach $300 per barrel…
 
Russia has threatened to close a major gas pipeline to Germany and warned of $300 oil prices if the West goes ahead with a ban on its energy exports.
 
“It is absolutely clear that a rejection of Russian oil would lead to catastrophic consequences for the global market,” Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said Monday in an address on state television.
 
“The surge in prices would be unpredictable. It would be $300 per barrel if not more.”
 
Unfortunately, we are not talking about a short-term crisis.
 
Western powers are never going to forgive Russia, and Russia is never going to forgive the western powers. So a lot of the moves that are being implemented now are likely to be permanent.
 
And that is truly a nightmare scenario.
 
Right now, many Americans are complaining about the rising price of gasoline. On Tuesday, it hit another brand new record high…
 
After rising dramatically following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the price of gas has reached a new record, topping an all-time high that stood for nearly 14 years.
 
As of Tuesday morning, the average national price for a gallon of regular gasoline touched $4.17, according to AAA, the highest price ever, not accounting for inflation. That was up from $4.07 on Monday and $3.61 a week earlier.
 
But this is just the beginning.
 
Not too long from now, $4.17 for a gallon of gasoline will look like a rip-roaring bargain.
 
Needless to say, higher gasoline prices are going to be very painful for average American families that are just trying to survive from month to month. According to Yardeni Research, the average household “will spend an additional $2,000 per year in gasoline on top of an extra $1,000 in food expenses” in 2022…
 
The latest research note from Yardeni Research estimates the average household will spend an additional $2,000 per year in gasoline on top of an extra $1,000 in food expenses. Adding this all up, the typical household will spend $3,000 less this year on other things.
 
Ouch.
 
Speaking of food, the war in Ukraine has absolutely paralyzed shipping in the Black Sea, and it has essentially resulted in “a shutdown of the world’s second-largest grain exporting region”…
 
The war in Ukraine has severely hobbled shipping in the Black Sea, with broad consequences for international transport and global supply chains. Dozens of cargo ships are stranded at the Ukrainian port of Mykolaiv, shipping trackers said. An estimated 3,500 sailors have been stuck on some 200 ships at Ukrainian ports, according to London-based shipping tracker Windward Ltd. More ships are stranded around the globe than at any point since World War II, maritime historians said.
 
The result is a shutdown of the world’s second-largest grain exporting region. Ukraine accounts for 16% of global corn exports, and together with Russia, 30% of wheat exports.
 
As I have explained to my readers many times, we struggle to feed the entire planet even in the best of years, and this is definitely not going to be one of the best of years.
 
Global hunger was rapidly spreading even before we got to 2022, and Time Magazine is reporting that the price of wheat has risen by a whopping 70 percent over the past few months…
 
The war has already driven wheat prices 70% higher in Chicago this year and is threatening to upend global food trade. Russia and Ukraine are vital suppliers of grains, vegetable oil and fertilizers, which means that supply disruptions will be felt all over the world. Wheat prices have surpassed levels last seen during the 2008 global food crisis—which helped spark widespread protests—and a United Nations index of food prices hit a record in February.
 
What we are witnessing is going to have a devastating impact all over the planet.
 
For example, Egypt imports more wheat than anyone else in the world, and they normally get almost all of it from Russia and Ukraine…
 
Egypt — the world’s largest wheat importer — gets roughly 60% of its wheat from Russia and 25% from Ukraine, JPMorgan analysts wrote in a research note last week.
 
So what is Egypt going to do now?
 
Meanwhile, the price of fertilizer continues to soar to unprecedented heights, and experts are assuring us that a “global food crisis” is dead ahead…
 
“Half the world’s population gets food as a result of fertilizers… and if that’s removed from the field for some crops, [the yield] will drop by 50%,” Svein Tore Holsether, head of agri company Yara International, told the BBC.
 
Known as “the breadbasket of Europe,” Russia and Ukraine export around a quarter of the world’s wheat and half of its sunflower products, such as seeds and oil.
 
“For me, it’s not whether we are moving into a global food crisis – it’s how large the crisis will be,” said Holsether, noting that increasing gas prices were causing a steep rise in the cost of fertilizer.
 
I wish that I could get everyone to understand how serious this is.
 
The global food crisis that you have been hearing about for years has now arrived, and the poorest areas of the planet are going to be hit the hardest.
 
This war in Ukraine could have been avoided so easily, but there is no turning back the clock now.
 
A chain of events has started that nobody is going to be able to stop, and things that were once considered unthinkable will soon become commonplace.

 


 
Is Belief in a Pre-Trib Rapture a Form of Escapism? - By Susan Mouw - https://www.raptureready.com/2022/03/09/is-belief-in-a-pre-trib-rapture-a-form-of-escapism-by-susan-mouw/
 
I have to admit – I chuckled a bit when I read comments that those of us who believe in a pre-tribulation Rapture of the Church are suffering from a mental deficiency and a form of escapism.
 
By that measure, then Noah must have suffered from this mental deficiency as well when he started building the Ark. While there is much argument over how long it took Noah to build the Ark, we do know that he and his family entered the Ark when he was 600 years old, and we know that he was 500 years old when his first son, Japtheth, was born (Genesis 5:32).
 
We also know that Noah’s second son, Shem, had his first son when he was 100 years old, and that was 2 years after the flood (Genesis 11:10). If we look at the instructions God gave Noah, He told Noah that “he, his wife, and his three sons and their wives” were to be brought aboard the Ark (Genesis 6:14-18). So, it is safe to say that it took Noah less than 98 years, and some have estimated closer to 75 years, for Noah to build that Ark. That is a very long time to hear all your neighbors laughing about you, mocking you, and telling everyone how crazy you are!
 
Let’s not forget about Lot and his family when the two angels showed up and told him to get out of Sodom and Gomorrah! Lot’s neighbors saw the two angels enter Lot’s home and wanted Lot to send them out so they could “know them.” From the history we know about Sodom and Gomorrah, it’s safe to say those neighbors weren’t looking for a friendly chat over a cup of coffee at the local diner (Genesis 19:1). Was Lot also suffering from this “escapism,” or was he listening to the message sent from God?
 
I think back on my own life experience and remember those days in 2008, preceding the devastation caused by Hurricane Ike. We were living on our boat, moored in a marina in Seabrook, TX. Barry was still running his trucking company, BMS Transport, and was on the road. We kept in touch over multiple phone calls to see what I should do if this hurricane stayed on the projected path. I still remember the phone call when Barry told me to pack up and get outta Dodge!
 
So, I packed up what I could, loaded my black Lab, Eli, in the back seat of the pick-up, and we headed north. Good thing I did, too, because the scene, after Barry was able to get back into Seabrook, was not a pretty one. Our 1956 Chris Craft Constellation, Miss M Pulsive, was a total wreck and sitting on the bottom. Even our little 20″ VIP was crushed up against the roof of the marina. Was that escapism that caused me to pack up and head north, out of the path of the destruction? If it was, I hope I still have that sense of escapism because that is what kept Eli and me from ending up on the sandy bottom of that marina with our boat. Of course, that wasn’t God telling me to pack up and head out – it was my husband.
 
I haven’t asked Barry who told him…
 
Studying God’s Word and listening to that still small voice and then heeding what it says is not escapism – it’s wisdom. I pray that we all keep studying, and seeing, and understanding the signs that are all around us today. God gave us those signs for a reason.
 
Susan Mouw, Author
 
The Road to the Cross
Go Set A Watchman
As In the Days of Noah
 
Website: roadtothecross.org 

 


 
Daily Jot: Stupidocrisy: We’re for the little guy - Bill Wilson – www.dailyjot.com
 
How’s that Joe Biden election working out for you? Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Arizona, Texas, and Michigan have all admitted to voter irregularities and illegal voting methods during the 2020 presidential election. Of course, nothing to see here and if someone brings it up, they are cancelled, censored, and ridiculed. Within hours of taking office, Biden issued an Executive Order rejoining the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, which essentially means taxpayers will pay to clean up the world’s air, mostly polluted by China. He then cancelled the Keystone pipeline and ended oil exploration and leases on federal lands, again turning the US into an oil dependent country. But he’s for the little guy.
 
When Biden took office the national average price of gasoline at the pump was $2.46. Within a month, prices shot up to $2.79. Now, according to GasBuddy, a fuel savings platform dedicated to saving North American drivers money on gas, “The national average price of gasoline in the U.S. today (February 8) broke the existing record, rewriting the all-time high to today’s $4.104 per gallon. The previous all-time high was set back in 2008 at $4.103 per gallon, just ahead of the U.S. Great Recession and housing crisis. The national average price of diesel is also nearing a new record, now at $4.63 per gallon, likely to break the record of $4.846 per gallon in the next two weeks.” But Biden’s for the little guy.
 
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, inflation is at a 40-year high since Biden took office. BLS reports: “Over the 12 months from January 2021 to January 2022, the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) rose 7.5 percent, not seasonally adjusted. This is the largest 12-month increase since the 12-month period ending February 1982. Food prices increased 7.0 percent over the past year, while energy prices rose 27.0%.” All this in less than a year after Biden took office, translated: Biden policies are gouging the American citizen’s pursuit of life, liberty and happiness more than at any time in the past 40 years—an entire generation! But Biden’s for the little guy.
 
Biden told the nation in his State of the Union address that “Under my plan, nobody earning less than $400,000 a year will pay an additional penny in new taxes.” What Biden didn’t say is that when you tax corporations more, prices rise and we all pay more for goods. Even the left leaning Tax Policy Center said that up to 30% of middle-income households will pay more in taxes with the Biden plan. Point is, people like Biden and his party always say they are for the little guy. In fact, they say one thing while they are doing the opposite. James 1:24 says, “For he beholds himself, and goes his way, and forgets what manner of man he was.” If Biden and his ilk are for the little guy, I’d hate to be who they are against. Say it with me…Stupidocrisy. 

 


 
Daily Devotion: Friendship with God - by Greg Laurie – www.harvest.org
 
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. —Matthew 5:8
 
https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/friendship-with-god/ - Listen
 
Moses was taking things to the next level. He was going for the gold. He prayed for the very glory of God to be revealed to him. As he talked with God one day, he said, “Please, show me Your glory” (Exodus 33:18 NKJV).
 
In other words, “Lord, I love our conversations together, but I actually would like to see You.”
 
By the way, that is a good thing. As the nineteenth-century commentator A. B. Simpson wrote, “Once it was the blessing, now it is the Lord. Once it was the feeling, now it is His Word. Once His gift I wanted, now, the Giver own. Once I sought for healing, now Himself alone.”
 
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8 NKJV).
 
Moses wanted to see the Lord, but if he had, he would have died on the spot (see Exodus 33:20).
 
Therefore, God worked out a sweet deal for Moses. He told him, “Look, stand near me on this rock. As my glorious presence passes by, I will hide you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and let you see me from behind. But my face will not be seen” (verses 21–23 NLT).
 
I can’t even imagine what Moses saw. We’re in awe of such a relationship. But if you’re a Christian, your friendship with God is even closer than the very special friendship Moses had with God. That’s because Moses was under the Old Covenant.
 
When Jesus died on the cross, a New Covenant was established. He fulfilled all the Old Testament sacrifices and types in Himself. He was the Lamb of God who took away the sin of the world. As a result, we can have friendship with God. 

 


 
FROM THE HEART
    
Let Us Make the Short Time We have Left,
Count for ALL of Eternity!

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