30 Sept 2024

Strange Winds Blowing

Climate change fear-mongering continues to grow as the nucleus around which the coming false religious system will likely be established. That harlot system of Revelation 17 will ride astride the beast described by Daniel the prophet and John, who was given Revelation to write by the Holy Spirit.

Most of us who closely observe these times from the pre-Trib view of Bible prophecy understand that the climate-change mantra is a Mother Earth worship ruse used by Satan to inject fear into the world’s populations – thus to bring into existence a new world order that will eventuate in the Antichrist regime of absolute evil.

Jesus Himself forecasted the weather in His Olivet Discourse. He said the winds and waves will be roaring. This can include, I’m convinced, both the literal seas and waves as well as the seas of people. And certainly, both the literal and the figurative are in tumultuous upheaval as these end times unfold.

With regard to the literal, any review of weather news on any given day is full of great storms that are becoming more violent and wreaking havoc on a global basis. The figurative seas and waves—the wars and rumors of war, the ethnic conflicts—are just as violent and growing more so by the hour. This ramping up of violence includes the ethnic strife within supposedly the most civilized nations, such as our own. There are warnings from many quarters that such turmoil is destined to flair in dramatic fashion no matter which party’s presidential candidate is victorious in November.

All of the above is part of the Bible prophecy picture coming into focus as we watch for and anticipate the wrap-up of this Age of Grace (Church Age).

So the winds Jesus gave us a heads-up about, as far as what to look for as His Second Advent nears, are beginning to blow in hurricane fashion on the end-times horizon. And it is yet another sort of prophetic allusion to tumultuous winds that will blow in the last days that I hope to look at for now. This is a climate-change matter we can point to that is truly upon us as the time of Tribulation nears.

The Apostle Paul prophesied this particular type of climate change for the end of the age: spiritual climate change. It involves a prophecy I believe is taking place at this moment.

“For 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; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables” (2 Timothy 4:3).

Paul further related this end-of-the-age doctrinal tumult to a dangerous windstorm:

“So that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes” (Ephesians 4:14).

It’s easy to see that we’re now in such an anti-biblical storm of anti-God assaults by strange winds that are blowing against the truth. The following gives credence to the tempest Paul warned of:

Brad Ruggles had already begun wrestling with his evangelical faith when he was called to launch a small church in a north Indianapolis suburb. As he pastored over his 200-member congregation, he found himself struggling with members’ resistance to issues of LGBTQ inclusion or questions raised by the murder of George Floyd.

Eventually, in 2021, he stepped down and away from his faith – but ultimately craved the brotherhood he’d enjoyed as part of a congregation. Then he found C3, an inclusive Sunday collective in West Michigan that had undergone its own transformation and now describes itself not as a church but a home for the spiritually homeless, dedicated to pondering existential questions and living out shared values…

“The post-religious organizational field is highly diverse and fluid,” said Christian Smith, a professor of sociology at the University of Notre Dame who is writing a book about younger generations’ diminishing devotion to traditional religion.

The patchwork existence of such churches means these communities provide their own oversight; their adherence to no doctrine leaves teachings open to constant shift. For now, that’s how they like it. (“As Millions Leave Organized Religion, Spiritual and Secular Communities Offer Refuge,” Mark Ramirez, USA Today)

All of Christendom is under this heavy spiritual weather. Strange winds are blowing, particularly within the organization many prophecy watchers believe will be at the dark center of the Revelation chapter 17 whore of Babylon false religious system headed by the False Prophet of Revelation 13. That prophetic wind might be said to be coming from the voice of the man currently heading up that organization. The following is interesting in that regard:

Pope Francis told young people in Singapore that being “Sikh, Muslim, Hindu, Christian” are just “different paths,” as “every religion is a way” to God…

Continuing, the Pope declared that each religion is a means to attain God, stating:

“Every religion is a way to arrive at God. There are different languages to arrive at God, but God is God for all. And how is God God for all? We are all sons and daughters of God. But my god is more important than your god, is that true?

“There is only one God, and each of us has a language to arrive at God. Sikh, Muslim, Hindu, Christian, they are different paths.”

The Pope’s words were warmly welcomed by those present in the hall, which included leaders and representatives of Singapore’s many religious bodies and the large papal retinue. (“Pope Francis: ‘Every religion is a way to arrive at God,’ Michael Haynes, Snr Vatican correspondent – LifeSite)

To my way of discerning these times and considering the strange winds of doctrine blowing across the spiritual landscape at this late prophetic hour, what might happen next is always at the tip of my mind. Everything points to the beast state–Satan’s Antichrist system—rapidly advancing toward Daniel’s seventieth week–the Tribulation era. That goal of the Ephesians 6:12 cabal cannot take place until the church–all born-again believers—is removed from the planet and taken into the clouds of Glory.

This is why we urge believers to be Rapture Ready.

If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, you must be watching for Him, as described in Mark 13:3, 7; Luke 21:28; and Titus 2:13. Be aware of and beware of strange winds of doctrine–like that which denies the scriptural truth that Jesus will come for His Church before the Tribulation begins (Revelation 3:10).

If you are not a believer in Christ for salvation, your time to get ready for when He calls looks to be very short. Here is what the Bible says you must do in order to be saved from the wrath to come and go to the Lord when He calls believers:

“That if you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and will believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9-10).

—Terry


What Will It Take?

The question that keeps coming to my mind this morning is this: What will it take? Most believers in America seem unaware of the many threats to their future wellbeing. Those apart from Christ have no idea of what’s coming.

What will it take to wake them up?

The normality bias in the U.S. is strong; even as an avid watcher for Jesus’ appearing, I feel it. It doesn’t take long, however, for the news of the day to rouse me to the fact the U.S. is living on borrowed time.

The myriad of signs pointing to the soon arrival of the Tribulation tells me that the Rapture is ever so near. What I see happening throughout the world tells me that God’s judgment has already begun.

The complacency of those outside of Christ is what I might expect, given the vast deception and gaslighting that floods the airwaves. Sadly, most believers also live in a similar state of unawareness concerning the perils that threaten their future wellbeing.

Consider the nominees of the Democratic Party for the highest offices in the land. How is it possible that they have such incompetent people at the head of their ticket with such vile records of wickedness and opposition to all that the Bible says is good and right? The support that they have garnered so far highlights the anti-biblical, and might I say anti-Jesus, worldview that’s now the norm in the U.S.

The political climate in America grows darker by the day. We have already witnessed two assassination attempts against former President Donald Trump, and according to a recent Rassmussen poll, 65% of likely voters believe we will see another attempt on his life. I just watched a segment on Telegram where the current Biden Commerce Secretary, Gina Raimondo, called for Trump to be “extinguished for good.” Why is the Biden administration inciting political violence, which has the potential to incite a civil war?

The massive debt level in the U.S., which some say is increasing by one trillion dollars every one hundred days, should by itself set off loud alarm bells. The economic devastation that’s coming will negatively impact nations all across the world.

With each passing day, the world moves closer to World War III. I’m not sure where I read this, but I wholeheartedly agree with it. Someone wrote that the president of Ukraine, Zelenskyy, knows that he can’t prevail in his current war with Russia. His only hope is to goad Russia into attacking NATO, whom he thinks will defeat his foe. For the past several months, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his officials have warned of a nuclear response that will reach the shores of America. Putin made this point especially clear on September 25, 2024, when he announced a lower threshold for a nuclear response.

The Middle East is another flashpoint that could easily draw America into a deadly conflict. The Biden administration has sent one-third of the Navy to the region along with a total of 40,000 service members. A few days ago, they announced the sending of the 101st Airborne Division to the area. The “what ifs” of this military buildup stagger the imagination. Are these forces there to defend Israel, or is there another objective for their presence?

Each of these troubling realities aligns perfectly with what the Bible says the world will look like in the last days. They tell us that the conditions depicted in Revelation 6:1-8 are not farfetched, as some would have us believe, but soon will mark the beginning of the Lord’s wrath upon an unsuspecting world.

What happened at the UN this past week fits perfectly the prophecies concerning the beast kingdom that the Bible tells us will dominate the earth during the last days. With the world’s attention focused elsewhere, they greatly expanded the UN’s power to establish a one-world government by 2030 through the implementation of its seventeen “Sustainable Development Goals.” The digital future they set in motion is necessary for the antichrist to someday control all the buying and selling on the earth.

What will it take for people to wake up to the perils on their doorstep? For most, it will be the Rapture. When Jesus appears, all of the redeemed, with no exception, will return with Him to Heaven. Watchfulness is a matter of obedience, but we are all saved “by grace through faith” and not by works (Ephesians 2:8-9).

For many church-goers, our disappearance will quickly alert them to their need to trust Jesus alone for their salvation. I believe this group will account for many of the great multitude of Tribulation saints that we read about in Revelation 7:9-12. Many who currently don’t believe in Jesus will awake to the reality that they need Him as they hear the Gospel proclaimed after our departure.

For the majority, however, this wake-up call will drive them further into their rebellion against the Lord. A great many people today fit with what the Apostle Paul describes in Romans 1:28-32 as possessing a “reprobate” or “debased” mind. They will refuse to repent despite all the judgments that the Lord will pour out on the earth during the Tribulation (see Revelation 9:20-21).

I have often written that apart from Jesus, I couldn’t even begin to cope with what I see happening in America. Yes, there are troubling realities in the picture that the Bible paints for the future of this world; we already see the beginning of these things. The Lord, however, calms our hearts with these two comforting truths:

  1. The signs of the approaching Tribulation shout with the message that God is sovereign and totally in control. Long, long ago, He said the world would look like this in the last days.
  2. The worsening conditions of our world point to the imminent appearing of our Savior, who will take us home to glory to the place He’s preparing for us. The Rapture must happen before the start of the coming day of wrath.

Maranatha!!

-Jonathan

23 Sept 2024

Blessed Assurance

True believers in Jesus Christ will never be depressed. We will never face circumstances that can cause a loss of trust in our position within God’s family, if we are truly saved.

The above statements are not validated by God’s Word. On the contrary, they’re propagated by the father of lies—the wicked one who stalks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he might devour. And I must confess to myself—and to you—that I have sensed the tempter’s whisper into my own ear lately. It goes something like, “Look around you. In every direction, things are growing ever darker. Think on these things and believe these conditions will grow infinitely worse, as Heaven taking action just isn’t in sight.”

This is my thought, even though I write about all of the strangeness I observe that is transpiring at this time so near the end of the age. I then reason that our Lord wouldn’t charge me with the business of correlating issues and events with end-of-the-age prophecy if there wasn’t the best possible end to it all at some glorious point in the future.

One sentence from Scripture almost always emerges in my thinking to replace the depression begun by that whisper from the evil one: “Comfort one another with these words.”

The most prominent placement of this statement in God’s Holy Word is where the promise of the glorious end of these evil days for believers is presented. And what a presentation it is!

“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18).

So, it was the other morning when I began my day with a number of thoughts about the depressing things going on in the world. Paul’s great prophetic utterance above, ending with the comforting exhortation, finally emerged near the surface of my aging gray matter. Then the thought struck that obliterated the depression the minion whispering earlier intended to inflict to ruin my day.

The words of “Blessed Assurance” burst into my memory–melody and all.

The Holy Spirit brought to mind that great old hymn I’ve heard all my life. You may have heard and sung it, too. And what a remembrance it was; what a comforting truth it delivered! Depression from all the oppression that dark region of Satan’s realm could fling had no chance of surviving that burst of “Blessed Assurance”!

Here are the lyrics to remind all of us of the magnificent future we believers in Christ have as inheritors of all of the heavenly riches that belong to Jesus Himself.

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine
Heir of salvation, purchase of God
Born of his Spirit, washed in His blood

This is my story, this is my song
Praising my Savior all the day long
This is my story, this is my song
Praising my Savior all the day long

Perfect submission, perfect delight
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight
Angels descending bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love

This is my story, this is my song
Praising my Savior all the day long
This is my story, this is my song
Praising my Savior all the day long
Praising my Savior all the day long

We can’t avoid the pure evil assaulting our eyes and ears–our spiritual senses—such as yet another attempt on the same presidential candidate’s life while he played golf on Sunday, September 15, in Florida. Yet all the wickedness we observe fades in the brightness of the Lord Jesus’ promise to call us into His presence at any moment. We have blessed assurance that we will not face the concluding seven hell-on-earth years marked by Antichrist’s regime or face the wrath and judgment of the righteous God of Heaven. We will be in Jesus’ Father’s house–which is our house, too (John 14:1–3), because of what Jesus did on that old rugged cross at Calvary.

As that old hymn, “Blessed Assurance,” says, we who are in God’s family are heirs… heirs of salvation and all of Heaven’s glory.

So, as we’re thinking about what Jesus has done for us, we can cast aside the depression–the oppression—Satan desires to inflict. All of this brings to mind another hymn with lines that express how Christ’s work on that cross and His Resurrection give us blessed assurance. This hymn tells us what we should be doing to do the work assigned us while we’re on Earth:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

If you don’t have that blessed assurance because you’ve never accepted God’s grace gift offer of salvation through belief in His Son, Jesus Christ, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, here is how to be part of God’s eternal family:

“That if you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and will believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9-10).

—Terry


Kingdom Curiosity

Do you know that we are heirs to a kingdom with wonders far beyond what we can imagine? The Bible says that New Testament saints, that’s us, will someday inherit a kingdom (James 2:5; Ephesians 1:11-14). Paul tells us that in our current state, we can’t yet receive our inheritance. However, Jesus will make us fit to do so by giving us incorruptible and immortal bodies at His appearing (1 Corinthians 15:50-55).

Is this not the most wonderful news imaginable? As I look at the deteriorating conditions around me, I’m relieved in no small way to know that a much, much better day awaits. This current world is not our final destination! It’s not where Jesus is preparing a forever home for us.

The struggles and disappointments of life often drown our curiosity regarding our heritage. Even as watchers, we easily become consumed with the signs of the approaching Tribulation and forget about the wonders of what it will be like to reign with the Savior in His kingdom.

Even though Scripture doesn’t answer all the questions that come to our minds regarding this future realm, it reveals many details for those curious as to what our lives will be like during the Millennium.

The Apostle John tells us that Jesus’ reign over the nations will last one thousand years. However, in Revelation 20:1-10, we don’t see many details concerning this time, apart from the fact that an angel will put Satan in a pit for its duration. That alone tells us this coming time will be unlike anything we can picture in our minds.

The Old Testament prophets reveal much about the conditions of the millennial kingdom, such as the pristine conditions of nature, greatly increased lifespans, harmony in the animal world, the rule of a totally righteous King, and universal worship of Jesus. Despite all these wonderful things, those who enter this realm in their natural bodies will disobey, and at its end, their descendants will rebel against the Lord.

However, there’s another book that sparks immense joy within me as I read its many prophecies regarding the realm to which I am an heir.

Would it surprise you to learn that it’s the Psalms? It exalts Christ as the coming King and, as such, deepens our understanding of what the world will look like between the Tribulation and the eternal state. Of course, His reign will last forever, but the psalmists lift our hearts heavenward with depictions of His Second Coming and establishment of His rule before the eternal state.

Psalm 2 sets us on our journey with its description of a still future time when Jesus inherits the kingdoms of this world and rules over them with a “rod of iron.” As we leap forward to Revelation 19:11-16, we read how these words come to fruition at Christ’s return to the earth.

We find many references to kingdom conditions in Psalms, such as in 46-47. When the Lord assumes control of the world, He will put an end to all wars (46:10). Like the Old Testament prophets, in these Psalms, the sons of Korah assume a gloriously restored Israel as a key aspect of Jesus’ rule over all the nations.

The Psalms emphasize the fact that the entire earth will praise the Lord during this time. The psalmists repeatedly encourage the subjects of the Lord’s future rule to praise Him. The words of Psalm 47:6-7 are typical of how they encourage people to worship the reigning King:

Sing praises to God, sing praises!
Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
For God is the King of all the earth;
sing praises with a psalm!

We see the same invitations to praise the King all through Psalms 95-99. The verses below reflect their theme:

The Lord reigns; let the peoples tremble!
He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake!
The Lord is great in Zion;
he is exalted over all the peoples.
Let them praise your great and awesome name!
Holy is he! (Psalm 99:1-3)

There is coming a time when praise for our Savior will fill the earth. From Daniel 7:27, we learn that when Jesus reigns, “all dominions shall serve and obey him.” Today, the nations rage against Him and His people. When He rules, they will bow down before Him in worship.

The millennial kingdom is not just simply what we read about and seek to defend against those who diminish its splendor by saying the church is it or will someday rule over it rather than the Lord. Please know that we will fully experience its wonders, benefits, and over-the-top joys as we carry out the various tasks that the Lord assigns us in this glorious realm.

The kingdom is only a part of the paradise that awaits all of us as New Testament saints. Our lives in this broken-down world don’t in any way resemble the glories of our final destination, which we will enjoy with immortal bodies. Paul David Tripp, in His book New Morning Mercies, wrote:

If you’re God’s child, the final chapter of your story will take place in an eternal paradise beyond your wildest dreams…. As you face the hardships of today, remember that grace has purchased you a ticket for the paradise that is to come.

Don’t let the sorrows of the present age deter you from looking ahead to the details of your inheritance recorded in Scripture. I’m confident the Lord will bless such kingdom curiosity.

-Jonathan