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The Fullness of the Gentiles - By Randy Nettles - https://www.raptureready.com/2022/05/08/the-fullness-of-the-gentiles-by-randy-nettles/
Several of Jesus’ original disciples were fishermen, including the brothers Simon Peter and Andrew and the brothers John and James (the sons of Zebedee). Luke 5:1-11 tells the story of how Jesus first met these fishermen. “Jesus was preaching at the shore of the lake of Gennesaret and saw two boats standing by the lake, but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. Then he got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to go out a little from the land. And Jesus sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat. “When he had stopped speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.’ But Simon answered and said to Him, ‘Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at your word I will let down the net.’ And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!’ “For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.’ So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed him.” This was the fishermen’s first great catch of fish, but it wouldn’t be their last. These new disciples of Jesus did indeed become fishers of men during Jesus’ three years of ministry, and especially afterward. Many Bible scholars believe there is a symbolic meaning in this ‘fishing’ experience. The men became the disciples who became fishers of men that cast their net (word of Jesus/God) into the water (Holy Spirit). The water/Holy Spirit guided the multitude of fish (souls of men & women) into the net and then into the boat (Jesus’ ministry) and ultimately into the hands of the Lord. Jesus and his disciples caught many souls during his earthly ministry. Some of these lost souls became followers of Jesus and were baptized by the disciples with water, for the Holy Spirit was not yet given (John 4:2). Many of these followers later became ‘disciples’ (in some translations, brethren) of Jesus. After the death, resurrection, ascension of Jesus, and the giving of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the disciples became the ultimate fishers of men by preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ under the influence and power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit Promised On the same day Jesus ascended back to heaven (40 days after the resurrection), he met for the last time with his apostles (original 12 disciples). “He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, which, He said, ‘you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now'” (Acts 1:4-5). Jesus commissioned his apostles as witnesses to His ministry, resurrection, and coming ascension and to spread the gospel throughout the world. “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Jesus Ascends to Heaven “Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men (angels) stood by them in white apparel, who also said, Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven” (Acts 1:9-11). This is a prophecy by an angel in regard to Jesus’ ‘parousia.’ Parousia is the Greek word for ‘coming.’ It can refer to the Rapture or the 2nd Coming of Jesus. So, are these verses in Acts referring to the Rapture or the 2nd Coming? The answer is yes… both. Jesus will return “in the clouds” at both supernatural events. Don’t look around for Him on the earth; look up; he will be in the sky. “Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near” (Luke 21:28). Coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come (50 days after Jesus’ resurrection and 10 days after His ascension), the apostles were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:1-4). During the Feast of the early summer harvest known as Pentecost, Jews from all over the known world came to Jerusalem, as it was one of the three annual Feasts of the Lord that all adult males were required to attend. Of course, the Jews spoke the language of the nation, kingdom, or tribe where they resided. When these Jewish pilgrims heard the great sound of the Holy Spirit, the multitude came together and was confused because every man heard an apostle speak in his own language. It was like a reverse Babel incident. Instead of separating the people by making them speak different languages, this time, God brought them together by allowing them to speak the same language. This was done so the apostles could better communicate the gospel of Christ with the Jewish pilgrims who had dutifully gathered in Jerusalem for the Feast of the Lord, known as Pentecost. The Church of Jesus Christ is Born “Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.’ And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, ‘Be saved from this perverse generation.’ Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them” (Acts 2:38-41). On Sivan 7, AD 33, Peter cast his net preaching the word of God under the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit, and the 3,000 souls that were caught on that Pentecost day was a great catch indeed. The Church of Jesus Christ was born on this day, 1,989 years ago. It will die (end) and then be resurrected to new life and purpose on the day and hour of the Rapture. When will this happen? The answer (I know it’s not the one you want) is found in the book of Romans. Paul said: “For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in” (Romans 11:25). The giving of the Holy Spirit on that God-ordained Pentecost day was quite a contrast to one that happened a little over 14 centuries earlier when Moses received the 10 Commandments from the Lord on Mt. Sinai. The ‘contrast’ occurred immediately afterward when the children of Israel had Aaron make them a golden calf idol. You know the story. When Moses saw the calf and the lewd celebration, his anger became hot, and he threw the tablets of stone to the ground and broke them. Then he took the calf and burned it in the fire and ground it to powder. He then scattered it on the water and made the people drink of it. “Then Moses stood in the entrance of the camp, and said, ‘Whoever is on the Lord’s side—come to me!’ And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him. And he said to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel: Let every man put his sword on his side, and go in and out from entrance to entrance throughout the camp, and let every man kill his brother, every man his companion, and every man his neighbor.’ So the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And about three thousand men of the people fell that day” (Exodus 32:26-28). So, there you have two God-ordained events both occurring on Pentecost (both on Sivan 7, according to my research). Regarding the timing of the Rapture, and I am just speculating here and not setting dates (for nobody knows the day and hour), wouldn’t it be just like God if the 3rd (3 is the number for divine perfection) God-ordained event, the Rapture of the Church, took place on Pentecost. The coming down of God and the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai to the Hebrews (and the world), the coming down of the Holy Spirit upon Jewish and Gentile believers in Jesus as Messiah (start of the Church), and the taking up to heaven of Holy Spirit indwelt Christians (end of the Church) all occurring on Pentecost. The Law was good, the giving of the Holy Spirit is better, and the Rapture will be the best. You know the old saying, “The third time is a charm.” The Post Resurrection Great Catch of 153 Fish In John 21, Jesus showed himself again to the apostles at the Sea of Tiberias. This is now the third time that Jesus showed Himself to them after He was raised from the dead. This time Jesus appeared to seven of his apostles, including Peter and John. On this day, Peter declared to his fellows that he was going to go fishing. Six of the disciples decided they wanted to go with him. They fished all night and caught nothing. “But when the morning had come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Children, have you any food?'” (John 21:4-5). Jesus then told them to cast the net on the right side of the boat and they would find some fish. They did as this stranger told them and were not able to draw the net back into the boat for the multitude of fish. John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was the first to recognize that it was Jesus they had been talking to. He exclaimed, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he jumped into the water and swam to shore. The rest of the disciples came in the little boat dragging the net with fish. Then as soon as they reached land, they saw a fire of coals there with fish and bread laid on it. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have just caught.” Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not broken. Jesus said to them, “Come and eat breakfast.” Jesus then gave them fish and bread, and they did eat. Although the number of fish caught on this day may not mean anything (other than it was an abnormally large catch of fish), many theologians throughout the centuries have believed there is a prophetic significance to the number 153. There have been many theories given throughout the ages regarding the number of fish that were caught that day. Saint Jerome, the fourth-century historian and theologian, theorized that the 153 fishes caught by Jesus’ disciples represented all the species of fish. The fish represented all the races of man, and there was not enough room within the church to contain them all. Augustine also believed that this multitude of fish represented all kinds of men being saved by the gospel net. Augustine and Gregory the Great used mathematics and biblical numerology to try and solve the hypothetical meaning. They both agreed that the number 17 was the main number involved within the breakdown of 153. Gregory simply multiplies 17 by 3 and again by 3 or (17 x 9), and thus arrives at 153. Augustine, on the other hand, uses addition and takes the sum of all the digits up to and including 17 as amounting to exactly 153. Mark Becker, in his recent article on R.R., The Love of God, quotes Henry Morris, who further expounds upon Jerome and Augustine’s theories: “The reason why the disciples were careful to count and John to record the number of fishes brought to shore must again involve symbolism, as there seems no other reason for it. It has been calculated that there were 153 distinct nations in the world at the time of Christ (the number is not much different at present); these were represented at Pentecost by 17 ethnic groups (see Acts 2:8-11) when the disciples first began to carry out the Commission, preaching to the world in miniature, as it were. The number 17 is also symbolic; when all the numbers are added up through 17 (that is, 1+2+3+…+16+17), they add to 153. One might even multiply this 17-fold security by the 9-fold fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), and again there results 153-fold effectiveness in true evangelism.” I believe the number 17 is significant in the fact that it is the 7th prime number and is the sum of 7 and 10, two of the perfect numbers of God. In this instance, the number 9 represents the fruits of the Holy Spirit. So the number 17 represents the perfection of spiritual (7) and ordinal (10) order. 153, therefore, symbolizes Jesus sending the Holy Spirit to ‘catch’ believers for the glory of God. The Greatest Catch of All – The Rapture When the Rapture occurs, it will be the greatest catch of souls ever in the history of mankind. This supernatural event will be the end of the church age as we know it, for Christians who are indwelt with the Holy Spirit will be removed from the earth. The Holy Spirit’s role upon mankind will change after the Rapture. Here is how the late Bible teacher, Jack Kelley, explains it: “After the Rapture, I think the Holy Spirit will return to earth in a ministry similar to His Old Testament assignment. He’ll convict people of their sins and bring them to the Lord as He always has. He’ll be with believers and come upon them in power when needed, but He won’t be sealed within them to guarantee their salvation. That blessing belongs to the Church alone. Revelation 14:12 and Revelation 16:15 give hints that post-rapture salvation will be contingent upon obedience and faithfulness like it was in Old Testament times.” {1} Romans 11:25 says that when the “fullness of the Gentiles” (a term for the Rapture) has come in, then Israel’s blindness will be removed. What is the number of this fullness? No human knows, but the number is huge. Consider that the world’s population is currently at approximately 7.8 billion people. It is estimated that there are 2.5 billion Christians in the world. That is 32-33% of the population. I personally believe this percentage is greatly exaggerated as many of these so-called “Christians” are Christians in name only. Let’s be a little more realistic in our estimation and drop the percentage by 13% (number for rebellion and apostasy). That would place the percentage at 19-20% of the world population or approximately 1,530,000,000. If you break it down, it looks like this: 153 x 10 to the 7th power (seven 0’s- zeros). Peter just thought he made a great catch! It is minuscule when you look at Jesus’ (and the Holy Spirit) catch. If you believe this number of Christians to be raptured is still too high, you need to remember that all the young babies/children and those who don’t have the mental capacity to make a qualified decision for Christ will also be included in the Rapture. This great number of souls only accounts for the living believers being taken up but doesn’t take into consideration the dead souls/spirits in Christ (coming down from heaven). They will be resurrected with a new heavenly body and will meet the living believers (who are translated also) in the air where Jesus will be. The dead in Christ consists of all those believers who have died since Sivan 7/May 22, AD 33 (proleptic Gregorian calendar) on the day of Pentecost, and up to the moment of the Rapture. The living and dead in Christ, who will meet the Lord in the air at the Rapture, will be an astronomical multitude of souls. They will come from every nation, race, color, age, Christian denomination, and ethnicity. This multitude will include males and females, rich and poor, young and old, free and slaves from every age (1st century to 21st century) and background you can imagine. The one thing every one of them has in common is: “they obeyed the Lord their God and believed in the One He sent.” All of the redeemed will have new spiritual bodies made for eternity. Jesus Christ will then take his betrothed bride, the Church, to their new home in heaven, the New Jerusalem, and we will be with the Lord forever. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:3-6). Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. Randy Nettles [email protected] Endnotes: {1} www.gracethrufaith.com The Global Threat of Putin’s Deterioration - By Hal Lindsey - https://www.hallindsey.com/ww-5-11-2022/ Jesus said that war and rumors of war would mark the time before His return. Skeptics point out that there have always been both. Jesus clearly meant that end-time wars and messages about them would somehow be more extreme. With the use of atomic weapons, war changed at the end of World War II. Those weapons have not been used in battle since then, but thousands have been made and, through the years, made even deadlier. With the fall of the Soviet Union, most people were lulled into thinking the world was safe from nuclear destruction. But it isn’t true. This year things have grown much worse. It’s not just that the war in Ukraine involves a nation loaded to the teeth with hydrogen bombs. During the nuclear era, both the United States and Russia fought various wars. The difference this time is the deterioration of the man with his finger on the nuclear button. A few days ago, Vladimir Putin gave a warning to those nations helping Ukraine. “If someone intends to interfere in what is going on from the outside, they must know that constitutes an unacceptable strategic threat to Russia. They must know that our response to counterstrikes will be lightning fast. Fast. We have all the weapons we need for this. No one else can brag about these weapons, and we won’t brag about them. But we will use them.” Over the last few years, Putin has made several direct and indirect threats to use nuclear weapons. But now the threats come almost every week. At the same time, intelligence sources are warning about significant changes in the man who runs Russia. Putin has become more erratic. His decisions are increasingly paranoid and self-destructive. The former Russian spy Boris Karpichkov claims Putin is “obsessed by paranoid ideas…. He sees literally everyone, including those inside the Russian security services and even inside his close inner circle, to be ‘traitors.’” More concerning still, Karpichkov claims that Mr. Putin suffers from the early stages of dementia. The Russian president’s recent appearances on camera illustrate the fact that something is terribly wrong. He appears bloated and uncomfortable. He has been seen gripping the desk before him with white knuckles for extended periods. After watching a video of Putin, a body language expert from Texas Tech University, Professor Erik Bucy, said, “It’s an astonishingly weakened Putin.” Yevgeny Selivanov, a surgeon at Moscow’s Central Clinical Hospital, is reported to have met Putin at the leader’s Black Sea resort some thirty-five times. Selivanov wrote his thesis on the “treatment of elderly and senile patients with thyroid cancer.” Putin has always been extremely self-centered, with a touch of paranoia. But Russia’s disastrous invasion of Ukraine seems to have amplified his paranoia to new levels. He may also suffer from cancer and Parkinson’s disease, along with early dementia. In his deteriorating mental and physical state, he may be feeling that he has little to lose. And he controls the largest arsenal of nuclear weapons on the planet. He’s fighting a major war in Europe. And he regularly threatens the whole world with his nuclear weapons. There has never been a threat like him in the history of the world. Surely his present war and the war he threatens qualify as new and more extreme kinds of war and rumors of war. According to the Bible, it will get worse before it gets better. But this is a “lift up your heads” kind of moment. We should see the Putin-threat as another sign of the times. Combined with all the other signs, it seems obvious that we are getting close to the time of Christ’s return. And that, friends, is good news! Nearing Midnight: Global Supply Chain Crisis Bigger than 2020 – Todd Strandberg - https://www.raptureready.com/category/nearing-midnight/ Last year the world suffered a huge supply chain meltdown over the COVID-19 virus. Events have now conspired to create a supply chain snag for the later part of 2022 that will easily surpass the mess that occurred in 2020. China is in lockdown over fresh COVID-19 outbreaks, and we also have the supply breakdowns from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It’s still not clear what will be the impact of the war in central Europe. Russia and Ukraine have been major exports of several key commodities. The is no way Ukraine is going to produce various crops while fighting a war. With its southern ports locked up, the country can’t even export grain from previous years. Right after the invasion, wheat got up $13 per bushel, and it has leveled off at around $11 per bushel. This still leaves the price of wheat nearly double what it was at the beginning of the year. The war has resulted in the loss of many key commodities. Russia and Ukraine account for about 80% of the global sunflower oil market, 25% of the production of coal, 30% of the petroleum supply, and 20% of iron ore. Because food is vital to a nation’s stability, many counties have banned the export of several products. Indonesia banned the export of palm oil, which amounts to 30% of global cooking oil demand. The Indonesian government made this move to lower the cost of palm oil for the domestic market. With local farmers unable to export their palm oil to a global market, they have no incentive to increase their production. The export ban could backfire as some local marketers are showing a shortage of cooking oil. The biggest supply problem is Europe’s dependency on Russian natural gas. Germany gets 40% of its gas supply from Russia. If the war had taken place 20 years ago, Germany would be in a far better place. After the Fukushima nuclear disaster, Germany became fixated on closing all of its nuclear plants. At a peak in the early 2000s, nuclear power generated 40% percent of German electricity. Today only 20% of electricity comes from nuclear. The current plan is to close all nuclear plants by 2025. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine seemed initially to prompt a rethinking of Berlin’s nuclear policy, with Green economics minister Robert Habeck saying he would not stand in the way on ideological grounds of any decision to keep nuclear power plants running for longer. The CEO of Eon, Germany’s largest electrical utility, has ruled out extending the life of its nuclear power plants in Germany, even as Europe’s largest economy prepares for the rationing of energy supplies and to wean itself off Russian hydrocarbons. “There is no future for nuclear in Germany, period,” said chief executive Leo Birnbaum. “It is too emotional. There will be no change in legislation and opinion.” The company has three remaining nuclear sites in the country, near Munich. China’s COVID-19 lockdown is just pure insanity. Media outlets around the world, from the Chinese Ministry of Propaganda to the New York Times, were quick to declare that China had “won” the pandemic, having decisively defeated the virus and demonstrated the virtues of unbridled autocracy. Xi Jinping was set to use China’s apparent COVID success as a central argument for enshrining himself at the upcoming Communist Party Congress in October 2022 as emperor for life. Beijing’s zero-COVID policy has resulted in the shutdown of huge portions of the Chinese economy. In Shanghai, hundreds of factories have been closed, and all shipping traffic is on hold. At Shanghai’s port, 344 ships are dead in the water. Shipping something from a warehouse in China to one in the United States now takes 74 days longer than usual. Authorities are now enforcing a full or partial lockdown in at least 27 cities across the country, with these restrictions affecting up to 180 million people. This level of monetary restraint could be economic suicide for the nation. Another reason why the supply chains are becoming unstable is that we are using exchanges to over-manage various commodities. One recent example is nickel. Last month, shortly after the war in Ukraine began, nickel futures on the London Metal Exchange popped by 250%, jumping from about $29,000 to $100,000 per metric ton in a matter of days. The LME halted trading for a week and retroactively canceled about 9,000 trades worth nearly $4 billion. The metal is chiefly used in alloys; about 68% of the world’s production is used in stainless steel. We can create all the paper nickel we want, but when steelmakers need the physical metal, the monetary games come to an end. Over the past 12 years, I have become very fascinated by the endless parade of financial panics that have come our way. Each one seems to have the power to destroy our economy, but none have been able to trigger a crash. Because the rapture will occur during a time of “think not” tranquility, I think we have an explanation for why we have a historic ability to avoid a major recession. If we manage to traverse the Supply Chain Crisis of 2022 without harm, it will be one more indication that the forthcoming rapture is holding up the global economy. “Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh” (Matthew 24:44). Will Climate Change Kill National Sovereignty and Increase Globalism? – Dr. Ed Hindson – https://harbingersdaily.com/will-climate-change-kill-national-sovereignty-and-increase-globalism/ As we collectively hurtle into the era of climate change, international relations as we’ve known them for almost four centuries will change beyond recognition. This shift is probably inevitable, but it will also cause new conflicts. Since the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, diplomats — in peacetime and war alike — have, for the most part, subscribed to the principle of national sovereignty. The Charter of the United Nations says foreign countries have no right “to intervene in matters which are essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of any state.” The concept was born, along with the entire system of modern states, in the physical and psychological rubble of the Thirty Years War. Starting in 1618, European powers intervened in one another’s territories at will. Round after round of war left about one in three dead. It was in that continental graveyard that statesmen stipulated it was best if every state henceforth minded its own business. Nobody at the Peace of Westphalia was deluded enough to think this realist notion would end war. After all, by acknowledging sovereignty, the system accepted that countries pursue their national interests, which tend to clash. But at least the new consensus offered the chance of preventing additional indiscriminate bloodletting. Even then, the principle of sovereignty was never absolute or uncontroversial. For a long time, the best idealist counterargument was humanitarian — countries have not just the right but the duty to intervene in other states if, say, those are committing atrocities such as genocide. Now, however, there’s an even more powerful push against sovereignty, put forth by thinkers such as Stewart Patrick at the Council on Foreign Relations. It’s that in a world where all countries collectively face the emergency of global warming, sovereignty is simply no longer a tenable concept. An early demonstration of this shift in international relations was the dust-up in 2019 between Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and French President Emmanuel Macron. Bolsonaro was allowing fires to burn wide swathes of the Amazon rainforest. Speaking for many, Macron accused Bolsonaro of abetting “ecocide.” Sounds like the new genocide, doesn’t it? Bolsonaro shot back that Macron was a neocolonialist, a European power again trying to force his ideas on another sovereign nation. The underlying issue is sovereignty: Is a rainforest located in Brazil the business of Brazil or of the world? Would, in a hypothetical future scenario, an alliance led by France be within its rights to declare war on Brazil to prevent ecocide? This opens a new line of thinking about world affairs. Policymakers are already steeped in analyses of the new types of conflict that global warming will cause within and between countries. Those include wars over access to freshwater, the disappearance of arable land or mass migrations. Will some powers or alliances contemplate military interventions in other states to end what they will define as ecocide? Others may even go to war if they believe rival countries are taking unilateral measures against climate change that threaten their own interests. This has caused many to claim national sovereignty should be forfeited and the need for an ecological equivalent to what the World Trade Organization is to commerce: A new international body that makes the conundrum explicit and attempts to maintain order. This sounds very much like a global government that can force individual nations to do whatever it deems “best for the globe”. Could this push lead to a stronger emphasis on globalism and a one-world government? It certainly looks like it could be a possibility, and something strongly pushed by progressives in the future. Woe to Those Who Call Evil Good - Shane Idleman - https://www.christianheadlines.com/columnists/shane-idleman/woe-to-those-who-call-evil-good.html The title for this article comes from the oft-quoted Isaiah 5:20, "Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil. …" Isaiah's "woe" was designed to awaken and convict the nation to turn back to God before the hammer dropped. Sadly, that didn't happen. A lack of fear, repentance, and reverence for God led to physical and spiritual judgment. In the Bible, the word "woe" carries the idea of impending judgment brought on by the wrath of God in sin. It signifies overwhelming grief, sorrow, and regret, accompanied by suffering. The word "woe" adds a power-packed punch to what the prophet Isaiah is vocalizing. In essence, he is saying, "Listen, this is serious! If you don't heed my advice, the judgment and justice of God will fall, and the hammer will hit hard." It's been said that not even Sodom and Gomorrah reached the level of decadence that we see today in America. Praise God for the remnant and the churches that intercede. In my opinion, they are the only thing keeping God's judgment at bay. SIN FASCINATES BEFORE IT ASSASSINATES When Isaiah pronounced this "woe," the nation of Israel had become comfortable in their sin. Moral conviction was fading, and obedience to God was passé. As a result, they began to compromise and drift further from God. They were calling evil good and good evil. Two of the top evils were infanticide (laying their newborn children on the searing hot arms of Molech as a sacrifice) and sexual sin. Ring a bell? We still sacrifice our children on the altar of sexual sin. As I'm writing this, the news just broke of Justice Alito's thoughts on Roe v. Wade. The news that this law might be overturned has created a huge uproar. Imagine being angry that babies will live — "woe be to those who call good evil." Israel, not unlike America today, paid no attention as their leaders seduced them to do more evil than any other nation before them (see 2 Kings 21:9). They failed to see that when sin fascinates, it assassinates. CAN YOU HEAR ISAIAH TODAY? I SURE CAN.
Yes, all of those points are hard to hear for those caught in sin and enamored by idolatry; that's the point. The "woes" are meant to sound an alarm. They allow the hammer of God to break and the fire of His Word to devour sin. His Word is also like a double-edged sword that cuts deep and discerns the motives of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). CONTINUING TO DRINK THE POISON Instead of humbling themselves, repenting, and turning back to God, most dig their defiant feet into the soil of sin. Instead of running to the cure, they continue to drink the poison. As a recent headline illustrates, they become angry and belligerent: "Liberal group calls for protests at conservative Supreme Court justices' homes" (more here). They are not open to opposing views — "my way or the highway" is their mantra. This begs the question: Why do certain groups seek to silence God's truth and adamantly oppose His Word, whereas Christians are open to dialogue and discussion? It's because the truth invites scrutiny, and error runs from being challenged. It also has to do with the darkness hating the light because their deeds are evil. In short, God's Word exposes evil hearts and demonic plans. THE CURE HAS NEVER CHANGED Sadly, without a massive spiritual awakening, the divide in our country will only get wider. We all must learn from King Josiah in the Old Testament. Once he heard what God's Word said about the current condition of the nation, he humbled himself in a profound way, repented, and asked for God's intervention. God's answer also offers hope for us today: Because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself, I heard your cry and answered your prayer. I have stayed my hand of judgment for now (paraphrasing 2 Kings 22:19). The cure for spiritual disease never changes: humility, repentance, brokenness, and desperation lead to spiritual health. Our cry must resemble Isaiah's: "Oh, that You would rend the heavens! That You would come down! That the mountains might shake at Your presence" (Isaiah 64:1). Like any parent, God hears the cries of His children: Oh God, would you rip heaven open and come down and help us? This is our only hope. Would be to God that the nations would tremble again at His presence (cf. Isaiah 64:1-2). In these dire times, let's make sure we're on the right side of the "woe." Daily Jot: Stupidocrisy: The inflation debate - Bill Wilson – www.dailyjot.com Democrats, and the Biden Administration in particular, are running hard for the November mid-term elections—that is, running hard away from the policies that have destroyed a perfectly robust American economy. Their policies have produced record gasoline prices. The cost of living for some people in this country has become unbearable. One nearly needs a loan from the bank to fill up their car and get a week’s worth of groceries. Yet White House Council of Economic Advisors Chair Cecilia Rouse told CNN’s “New Day” on Tuesday that inflation “has been the consequence of mounting an effective response to the pandemic.” What? If this is effective, maybe there is beachfront property for sale in Arizona. Rouse said, “Because while we supported households and businesses, got shots into arms, which allowed people to start to come out of their homes and regain their lives, our supply chains could not support that demand. So, this is — we are not alone. All advanced countries are addressing…this. So, this is a consequence of having an effective strategy against the pandemic.” She earlier said that the higher gasoline prices were due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. She juked a question about government spending causing inflation. Both Rouse and the CNN reporter neglected to mention that under Donald Trump, the economy was beginning to recover. Ongoing business lockdowns disrupt supply chains. Democrats ignore this. Biden, in a speech Tuesday, also said that the two leading causes of inflation were Russia and the supply chain disruption of the pandemic. He blamed inflation on everything but his policies. Remember his very first day in office, Biden placed a stop work order on the keystone pipeline and then he stopped drilling on public lands. On January 18, 2021 just before Joe Biden took office, the national average price of gasoline at the pump was $2.464 per gallon. On March 1, 2021 it was $2.796, an increase of 33 cents per gallon in only 40 days. Now it’s $4.279. Let’s remember the COVID mandates in Democrat-run cities that caused a record backlog of supply ships waiting to be unloaded—that’s policy, not pandemic. Biden, in the same speech also struck a delusional chord. He began by saying, “And as I see it, everything—everything– across the country is–as I go across the country, our economy has gone from being on the mend to on the move.” I don’t know what country Biden is seeing, but people are hurting and his solution is to blame everything on Russia and the pandemic instead of fixing the stupidity he and his cronies created. Proverbs 18:2 says, “A fool has no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.” Biden’s policies on oil and COVID caused this inflation. It should be no debate. Every time government spending is out of control and leftists seek to stop the use of oil with no viable replacement, inflation happens. But as Proverbs says, a fool has no delight in understanding. Say it with me…Stupidocrisy. Daily Devotion: A Reasonable Response - by Greg Laurie – www.harvest.org We love Him because He first loved us. —1 John 4:19 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/a-reasonable-response/ - Listen Some people imagine the God of the Old Testament as harsh and mean, while the God of the New Testament is loving and kind. But that is nonsense. There is only one God of both the Old and New Testaments, and He is a God of love. He is a God who is gracious and a God who is full of mercy. But He is also a holy God and a righteous God. And He gives us absolutes to live by. We find those absolutes in the Ten Commandments. And when God gave these commandments to the people of Israel, He also gave the motive for keeping them: “I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery” (Exodus 20:2 NLT). Notice the Lord didn’t begin by threatening or scaring them. He started by reminding them of what kind of God He is: a loving, caring God who delivered them from their misery. God was saying, loosely paraphrased, “Hey, I took care of you guys. I delivered you from your bondage in Egypt. You were a slave there.” We might think, “Well, that’s nice, but I’m not an Israelite who was delivered from bondage in Egypt.” Yes, that’s true, but if you have put your faith in Jesus Christ, then you were a sinner who was delivered from the bondage of your sin, were you not? Think about all that God has done for you. Because of that, you should want to reciprocate. You should want to honor Him in the way that you live. The apostle John reminds us, “We love Him because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19 NKJV). He has certain expectations of us. Our love for God should be a response to His love for us. FROM THE HEART Let Us Make the Short Time We have Left, Count for ALL of Eternity! IF YOU HAVE BEEN BLESSED THROUGH THIS MINISTRY, THEN WE ASK THAT YOU WOULD PLEASE REMEMBER PROPHECY UPDATE IN YOUR GIVING - WE ARE TRULY, TRULY, THANKFUL FOR YOUR SUPPORT WORTHY OF YOUR SUPPORT? One of the most reliable ways to determine if a ministry is worthy of your financial support is to examine its fruits. If Prophecy Update is keeping you informed, and if that information inspires you, and causes you to draw closer to the Lord, if Prophecy Update equips you with valuable information and knowledge to share with and encourage other believers, and open the eyes of non-believers, and if Prophecy Update keeps you connected to current events relating to Bible Prophecy, then you are partaking of the fruit produced through this ministry. None of this would be possible without the Lords blessings and your support. I believe where the Lord guides, the Lord provides, and most of the time He provides through the willing and generous hearts of believers just like you and me. Humbly Seek Your Support Prophecy Update has no corporate sponsors. This ministry is paid for and prayed for by readers and supporters. Without your support, there would be no Prophecy Update, Please pray about becoming a monthly supporter - thanks! If ever there was a time to invest in God's Kingdom, it's now! What on earth are you doing for Heaven's Sake? "Share in the Blessings and Rewards that will last Forever!" "Folks, it's all beginning to unravel. America is in more danger of falling than at any time in its history. But I believe Bible prophecy predicts this very decline. From this point on, we believers have to get serious. We are going to face discouragement, disillusionment and, most certainly, persecution in the time between now and the Rapture. But don't be discouraged or disillusioned. The coming turmoil will provide us unrivaled opportunities to share the good news of the Gospel. So be ready to share your faith and your hope with those who need Christ. We still have time to reap a great harvest of souls for God's kingdom!" - Hal Lindsey 1) We need your prayers!- We proclaim the Truth of the Word of God and we are under constant spiritual and sometimes even physical attack. 2) We need your encouragement!- We need to hear from you, let us know how the Lord is blessing you through this ministry so that we can share it with others. 3) We need your input! - If you have a prophetic article or story or if there is a news related item we missed, let us know. 4) We need your financial support!- To put it quite simply, without your support, there would be no Prophecy Update. I ask that you would prayerfully consider partnering with us to get the Word out and keep the world informed. Remember, your gift, no matter how small, does make a difference! You will be helping to touch lives, around the world, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, thanks to the internet your generosity carries a global impact! - Thanks! Our Prayer for You- "Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else." 2 Corinthians 9:10-13 If you have been blessed by Prophecy Update and would like to help support this ministry financially. You can make a secure donation online by going to: DONATE NOW Or write us at: Prophecy Update P.O. Box 40516 Bakersfield, CA 93384-0516 We are very pleased to offer all our readers this FREE download on Bible Prophecy from the Evangelical Bible College of Western Australia - Just download and enjoy and be blessed! Feel free to share it with all your friends and family members. Click below to download! "AS YOU SEE THE DAY APPROACHING" If You Died Today, Would You Go To Heaven? Find out, visit: www.thegoodtest.net www.gotquestions.org www.wayofthemaster.com How to know God DID YOU KNOW? You can submit an article, leave a comment or praise report at email: [email protected] Maranatha! (Lord Come Quickly) "On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand, All other ground is sinking sand." "Let Us make the short time we have left count for all eternity!" YBIC-Randy
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