What was your first thought when you read the title of this article?
Was it of a slender older man with round spectacles and a mustache, wearing a visor on his head and a puffy white long-sleeved shirt with bands around his arms and sporting a bow tie while waving a small stack of papers shouting, “Stop the Presses! Stop the Presses!”
If you are as old as I am, this was a prominent scene in many older black-and-white movies as the Editor of a struggling newspaper just got the proof for a hot news story and insisted that the new printing press be stopped to put in the “story of the decade” where, after it was finally printed in the wee hours of the night for the early morning edition, newspaper sellers on city street corners would exuberantly shout, “Extra! Extra! Read all about it!”
But this is not the press I had in mind. Our topic is better suited to the ancient Biblical olive press or winepress. The idea being that the pressing of an olive or grape – both so important in ancient times – was achieved by applying immense weight, pressure, and stress on the olive to produce the sought-after oil for needed light and the grape for delightful wine that cheered the weary soul.
This brings us to our Bible verse:
“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.” – 2 Timothy 3:1
The Greek word for “perilous” is 5467 χαλεπός “chalepos” and means difficult, hard, hard to do, hard to take, hard to approach, hard to bear, troublesome, dangerous, grievous, harsh, fierce, savage, perilous.
When considering these definitions, one cannot help but sense a high degree of stress to the point that the one going through such a traumatic experience would be led to invariably shout, “Stop the Presses!”
Do you sometimes feel this way in these seemingly last of the last days? I know I do.
For many years I have been putting together a two-part Prophetic Update that focuses in on certain end-time subjects, and I can tell the reader that the presses have certainly heated up.
[If you are interested in receiving the Prophetic Update by email, please just shoot me an email requesting to be signed up. I do not know how much longer I will be able to keep doing this, but God knows!]
All of the prophetic topics have been shooting up the proverbial Richter scale in frequency and intensity, but the ones that have really been speaking to my heart – and have a tendency to shout “chalepos” the loudest – are in the prophetic areas of Jewish and Christian persecution, moral depravity, lawlessness, and love waxing cold.
Jewish and Christian Persecution
When it comes to Jewish and Christian persecution, here are just a few recent examples:
WATCH: Celebration in Jenin over Tel Aviv terror attack | World Israel News
UN schools glorify terrorism, demonize Jews – JNS.org
New ADL’ audit’ finds 2022 had highest levels of antisemitism in 44 years – JNS.org
Convert, Marry Me, or Die by Acid: Christian Women in Muslim Pakistan :: Gatestone Institute
Christians Continue to be Purged: Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day :: Gatestone Institute
‘Murder’ threats now explode against Christians for LGBT, abortion views (wnd.com)
Chinese Province Requires Government Approval to Attend a Church Service (breitbart.com)
Oregon Denies Christian Woman Right to Adopt Children Because She Won’t Celebrate LGBTQ (disntr.com)
UK: SILENT Prayer Is Outlawed Outside Abortion Centers – PJ Media
Members of Congress: UK ‘threat’ putting Christians under attack | U.S. News (christianpost.com)
Along with Jewish and Christian persecution, the world is on a rapid downward spiral regarding morality.
Moral Depravity
Here is a brief rundown of what has been occurring within society at an accelerated pace.
Pride clothing for infants.
How Low Will We Go? Burlesque For Babies Draws Outrage (prophecynewswatch.com)
Drag Queen Gives Little Children a Lesson About “Twerking” (disntr.com)
Pentagon Orders Military To Put Male Soldiers In Female Showers (thefederalist.com)
Turkey: Islamist Sex with Children Is Fine; Condemning It Is an Offense :: Gatestone Institute
UN Wants to Decriminalize Sex Between Minors and Adults | The Gateway Pundit | by Anthony Scott
Government-Funded CBC Uses Taxpayer Money To Promote Sexualized ‘Drag Kids’ (prophecynewswatch.com)
The professing “church” has also taken the bait of society’s moral depravity.
Depravity in the ‘Church’
Here is a sampling of what is going on in professing “churches” around the world.
“Pastor” Says God is Every Point on Intersectionality Scale: Gay, Lesbian, Trans, Etc… (disntr.com)
Drag Queens Hold Drag Queen Story Hour at Church in Chesterland Ohio (disntr.com)
Woke Christianity: Historic London Church Hosts Drag Queen Performance (breitbart.com)
Megachurch Pastor Says Not Supporting Same-Sex Marriage is Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit (disntr.com)
With professing “churches” succumbing to, and even pushing, moral depravity, is it any wonder that the world would be experiencing a major uptick in lawlessness and a love that waxes cold?
Lawlessness and Love Waxing Cold
Here is a smattering of lawlessness that generally results from a society’s love that is waxing cold — even against its own children.
Woman Charged With Murder After She Gave Birth, Threw Her Newborn Baby in a Ditch – LifeNews.com
Attorney Who Represented Survivors of Sex Crimes Arrested for Child Pornography | NTD
VIDEO: Newborn Found Crying in Trash Can at California Gas Station (breitbart.com)
Nolte: Four Transsexual Mass Shooters in Less than Five Years (breitbart.com)
Church Attack in Nashville
I cannot imagine that there is a single person who is unaware of what happened in Nashville recently. What shocked me – in addition to the horror of the event itself – was the response from virtually everyone outside of the legitimate Christian community. From the Administration to the media, their impression and reaction to this attack was pure abomination on all levels.
Joe Biden: ‘Transgender Americans Shape our Nation’s Soul’ (breitbart.com)
Revoice Founder Defends Transgender Shooter: “Devastating Form of Parental Rejection” (disntr.com)
Demonic Liberals in Media Blame Christians for Mass Shooting at Christian School (substack.com)
And here we are, having gone full circle, back to Christian persecution.
No wonder the believer in Christ who witnesses these moral declines and lawless accelerations in virtually every sector of society has the inclination to cry, “Stop the Presses!”
What is the Remedy?
As always, for the child of God, the remedy to our stress from the press is God and His Word.
God’s Word – His commandments – are our delight.
“Trouble and anguish have taken hold on me: yet thy commandments are my delights.” – Psalm 119:143
When we are pressed and in distress – just as Yeshua always is – the Lord is always there.
“I called upon the Lord in distress: the Lord answered me, and set me in a large place. The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?” – Psalm 118:5-6
When fearful in this life, or because of what we see in this fallen world, we put our trust in God and in God alone.
“What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.” – Psalm 56:3-4
Our burdens are to be put upon the Lord because He cares.
“Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.” – Psalm 55:22
Jesus reiterated this very thought when it comes to our heavy-laden hearts:
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” – Matthew 11:28-30
We need to always cast our cares upon the One who loves us and bought us with His precious blood and paid our just sentence on Calvary’s cross.
“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” – 1 Peter 5:6-7
We should, as we trust Him for and in everything, be anxious for nothing because if we truly believe He is on His throne – and He is – then He has our best interests in mind, and our lives are in His omniscient and omnipotent hands.
Staying in prayer, communing with our Lord and Savior, offering our supplications to Him with thanksgiving, and making our requests known to Him, will always satisfy our “stressed from the press” souls.
“Be careful [anxious] for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:6-7
When we see and hear of all the evil in this world, we must remember that He warned us in His Word that this would be the condition of a lost humanity until He consummates history.
Ours is never to repay evil for evil but to offer sincere love to every person – His agape love – in all circumstances, as is our duty in service to Him.
Until then, we trust that God will make all things right in the end, and He will.
“Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
“Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
“Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” – Romans 12:17-21
When it comes to the child of God giving “place unto wrath,” the Lord says, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” This brings to my mind the imagery revealed to us in Revelation concerning Christ’s Second Coming, which speaks of God’s own winepress upon a God-hating, Christ-rejecting world when…
“… the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.” – Revelation 14:19-20
But until then, when we feel overwhelmed with the world’s evil systems and perverse ways, we have the Holy Spirit to help make intercession on our behalf and in our time of need when we are at an utter loss for words.
“Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” – Romans 8:26-28
Keep loving and keep serving in the Name that is above all other names, our God and Savior, Messiah Yeshua. He is with us and will complete that which He has started within us through His indwelling Holy Spirit, despite the presses we may endure along the way.
In the meantime, He will give you a peace that surpasses all understanding – a peace that has no explanation and no worldly rationale, apart from the Lord, because it comes from His glorious shalom that is promised to His faithful children. And He who promises is always faithful!
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” – John 14:27
Beloved Saint, I know it can be very difficult in these seemingly last of the last days to see what this lost and dying world is coming to, but please, do not fear or succumb to the presses. We were warned that this was coming on the world, and we know it will only grow worse until our Lord calls us home.
Remember, God is lovingly patient for all to come to salvation in His Son. But, one day – hopefully soon – this will all be over and we will be in His presence, which is what we all eagerly desire and look forward to.
Until then, we have one main job to do, and the field is ripe for the harvest. Beloved, continue to share the gospel with the lost – “occupy till he comes” – planting and watering seeds in the hearts of all, for this is certainly our reasonable service to our loving Master.
May we all keep Answering the Call of The Great Commission, and giving an answer to every man and woman who so desperately needs Jesus and asks us, “Why Am I Here and What Is It All About?”
Love, grace, mercy, and shalom in Messiah Yeshua, and Maranatha!
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