"But when these things begin to take place,
straighten up and lift up your heads,
because your redemption is drawing near."
Luke 21:28
The most difficult part of any race is always near the finish line. And one thing about a marathon is that each runner finds his own pace. For most of the participants, the goal is not to be the first across the line, but to finish the race. I know that we have individuals at all different places on the course. We've heard from some who have crossed the finish line, some who are right on track, some who gave up somewhere on the course, and others who are lagging behind but determined to finish. For those who are done - CONGRATULATIONS!!! To those who gave up at one point or another, I encourage you to begin to prepare yourselves for the next challenge. For those who are right on track, keep it up, your almost there. And for those who are lagging behind, don't give up! You can do it!!!!!!
This week our course takes several turns. We finish up Daniel with the encouragement that, "the end is still to come at the appointed time." We need to take to heart God's words to Daniel when He said, "Many will be purged, purified and refined; but the wicked will act wickedly, and none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand." If we are looking for the world to get better, politicians to be more pure, and people to act more godly, we are going to be extremely disappointed. Folks it's about to get a lot darker!!! We ain't seen nothing yet!
We finished our time with Daniel on Monday just in time for another mail call. We see that the Spirit through Paul wrote words of warning to the last-day saints, and once again the picture is pretty bleak. While some Christians are watching for a great revival to come to usher in Christ's return, Paul tells us He will come after a great falling away. Some believers are excited about the preparations being made by some zealous Jews who are making plans to build the Temple, but Paul tells us that it will be the man of lawlessness that sit in it. Deception, deluding influences, false signs and wonders; all of these will be the harbinger of Christ's coming.
In the recent elections in the USA we've seen the sky grow darker. At the end of the democratic convention when Obama won the nomination to represent the democratic party in the presidential election, I watched in horror as Dr. Joel Hunter, an "evangelical" pastor from Florida, led those at the convention to pray to all gods. Yes, the democratic convention was literally offered to the gods!!!! When I opened my eyes the next morning and my spirit was troubled, I heard these word, "I will not share my glory with another." Will God overrule their prayers? Eventually, but not until He's allowed them to run their course. The night Obama won the election, he promised to make this a better nation for all people both young and old, for all races and for THE GAYS. Don't be surprised in the days to come when, in an effort to be politically correct and to be accepting of all religions, Christians and Jews are singled out as the trouble makers. How dare we believe that Jesus is the only mediator between God and man! How dare we believe in only one God! For sure, the sky is getting much darker!!!
If ever we needed to take heed to Paul's prayer, today we need to listen to his words when he said, "To this end also we pray for you always that our God may count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power;" (II Thess. 1:11) Folks, this is not the time for complacency or compromise if we are going to be counted worthy of our calling! Paul's final word is, "Finally, brethren, pray...." My heart is crying out, "Oh God, teach me the power of prayer!" It seems like there are so many things that crowd in to rob my time. The Word and prayer must take greater priority in our lives. You may get tired of hearing me preach this same message, but I believe it is even more urgent today than ever before!
On Wednesday we met up with Jude. His message reiterates everything that Daniel and Paul have said. His description of people in the last days is pretty dreary: "In the last time there shall be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts, These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit." Days without sunshine can be depressing. Thank God for the promise that, "The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn growing brighter and brighter until the full day." This is the time we obviously need to keep looking up and in if we are growing in the Spirit and He is increasing in us.
We end this week with John as he shares with us the revelation he received from Jesus. But before God revealed to him the end times, Jesus evaluated their present lives. He weighed out their good traits with their bad. With each letter to each church, He closed by saying, "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." Did you notice that Jesus used the word "churches" and not "church." We cannot pick and chose which letters we embrace and leave the others as though they are for someone else. We are to hear all the letters to all the churches. I pray that you will evaluate your life in light of each letter. If we are going to overcome, we need to have revelation of each facet and know how to apply it to ourselves. Is it any wonder Jesus said, "Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near."
Yes, it is getting darker in this world, but remember, "When these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near!"
This week our course takes several turns. We finish up Daniel with the encouragement that, "the end is still to come at the appointed time." We need to take to heart God's words to Daniel when He said, "Many will be purged, purified and refined; but the wicked will act wickedly, and none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand." If we are looking for the world to get better, politicians to be more pure, and people to act more godly, we are going to be extremely disappointed. Folks it's about to get a lot darker!!! We ain't seen nothing yet!
We finished our time with Daniel on Monday just in time for another mail call. We see that the Spirit through Paul wrote words of warning to the last-day saints, and once again the picture is pretty bleak. While some Christians are watching for a great revival to come to usher in Christ's return, Paul tells us He will come after a great falling away. Some believers are excited about the preparations being made by some zealous Jews who are making plans to build the Temple, but Paul tells us that it will be the man of lawlessness that sit in it. Deception, deluding influences, false signs and wonders; all of these will be the harbinger of Christ's coming.
In the recent elections in the USA we've seen the sky grow darker. At the end of the democratic convention when Obama won the nomination to represent the democratic party in the presidential election, I watched in horror as Dr. Joel Hunter, an "evangelical" pastor from Florida, led those at the convention to pray to all gods. Yes, the democratic convention was literally offered to the gods!!!! When I opened my eyes the next morning and my spirit was troubled, I heard these word, "I will not share my glory with another." Will God overrule their prayers? Eventually, but not until He's allowed them to run their course. The night Obama won the election, he promised to make this a better nation for all people both young and old, for all races and for THE GAYS. Don't be surprised in the days to come when, in an effort to be politically correct and to be accepting of all religions, Christians and Jews are singled out as the trouble makers. How dare we believe that Jesus is the only mediator between God and man! How dare we believe in only one God! For sure, the sky is getting much darker!!!
If ever we needed to take heed to Paul's prayer, today we need to listen to his words when he said, "To this end also we pray for you always that our God may count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power;" (II Thess. 1:11) Folks, this is not the time for complacency or compromise if we are going to be counted worthy of our calling! Paul's final word is, "Finally, brethren, pray...." My heart is crying out, "Oh God, teach me the power of prayer!" It seems like there are so many things that crowd in to rob my time. The Word and prayer must take greater priority in our lives. You may get tired of hearing me preach this same message, but I believe it is even more urgent today than ever before!
On Wednesday we met up with Jude. His message reiterates everything that Daniel and Paul have said. His description of people in the last days is pretty dreary: "In the last time there shall be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts, These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit." Days without sunshine can be depressing. Thank God for the promise that, "The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn growing brighter and brighter until the full day." This is the time we obviously need to keep looking up and in if we are growing in the Spirit and He is increasing in us.
We end this week with John as he shares with us the revelation he received from Jesus. But before God revealed to him the end times, Jesus evaluated their present lives. He weighed out their good traits with their bad. With each letter to each church, He closed by saying, "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." Did you notice that Jesus used the word "churches" and not "church." We cannot pick and chose which letters we embrace and leave the others as though they are for someone else. We are to hear all the letters to all the churches. I pray that you will evaluate your life in light of each letter. If we are going to overcome, we need to have revelation of each facet and know how to apply it to ourselves. Is it any wonder Jesus said, "Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near."
Yes, it is getting darker in this world, but remember, "When these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near!"
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