The year was 1985. A TWA 727 had been hijacked in the Middle East. The Islamist hijackers had forced the flight crew, over a three-day period, to fly between Beirut and Algiers. Passengers were held hostage for two weeks. A US Navy diver passenger aboard the plane was shot and his body dumped on the tarmac in Beirut. The hijackers had a list of demands that included the releasing of 700 Shia militants held as prisoners in an Israeli security compound. The situation was at a stalemate for almost half a month.

The Pentagon, early on in the ordeal, issued a directive to send in the Delta Force to the region to, if need be, storm the aircraft, free the hostages and crew, and “dispatch” the hijackers. I was part of a USAF C-141 transport crew that was tasked with flying from Charleston AFB SC, to pick up that elite commando unit from Fort Bragg NC, and under cover of darkness, in the dead of night, secret them away across the Atlantic, down through the Mediterranean and into a staging point at Sigonella Air Base in Sicily. There, our crew stayed for two weeks with those guys in case they had to be transported to another locale in that region of the world. Fortunately for all involved, their services for that incident were not employed, and the situation was eventually resolved somewhat peacefully.

The Delta Force is a highly trained, very skilled group of service members, who at any time, can be covertly moved throughout the globe and put in harm’s way to try to quell a sudden uprising or hotspot, usually in an effort to secure the freedom of individuals held captive in a dire situation. Their lives are constantly on the line when the orders come from on high, putting them in a very compromising position to reach an almost “no other option” choice and to hopefully effect a positive outcome.

Those men on our flight were very tough-looking hombres, physically fit individuals, and had a determined, purposeful look about them. They were not open to small talk and probably sensed, as in most of their operations, that not all may make it back on the return trip to the US. Can you imagine living a life where yours is constantly on the line, never knowing what a day may bring, in the hopes of saving other lives?

A force can be a positive thing. We have police forces to protect citizens from harm, although recently, some on the left have ridiculously called for defunding some police units throughout the USA. The US Air Force is a military service branch that protects our country against threats from enemy aircraft invading our airspace and our bases overseas. A show of force is usually a military tool implemented to try to make an evildoer think twice before acting irrationally. There are forces for good, but conversely, there are forces of evil in this world.

You and I, as believers in Jesus, are members of the Body of Christ. His Holy Spirit indwells each true believer. We can be a force for good in this world with Christ abiding in us. Military groups like the Delta Force operate in a purely physical sense to hopefully ensure a positive outcome in their theater of operations. We, with Christ acting through us, make up His Alpha/Omega force, if you will, to make a difference in this world as we conduct our operations, both in the physical realm of life as well as in spiritual campaigns throughout the globe.

The Delta Force squads are comprised of both commissioned officers and enlisted men who have made themselves available to the country’s call of duty. As part of Christ’s body, we have been commissioned to carry His gospel throughout the world in hopes of saving the lost from a disastrous eternity. We are trained through the Word of God to be aware of the enemy’s tactics and are strategically maneuvered to be at the right place at the right time, as we are positioned by the Holy Spirit to attempt to rescue a lost soul from the enemy’s grasp.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 28:18-20: “All power is given unto me in Heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

This is what we have been commissioned to do. These are our orders from on high. And the last part of that commissioning is where we find ourselves today: “even unto the end of the world.” We are at the precise moment and time when things on this side of His soon 1,000-year Millennial reign are wrapping up. The world will soon be in the dark days of the Tribulation hour. We have been tasked with getting out the gospel just before the end of the Church Age.

Have you ever considered why we are here on this planet at this precise time, instead of maybe living during some other period over the past 2,000 years of the Church Age? We are here to see the finish and hopefully make a huge difference in the lives of those around us. It is exciting to think that we have been planned to have our existence take place in this world at this present time, but also, it is a huge responsibility on our shoulders to fulfill our role now in His ranks. We must be a force for good, especially now, as we see end-time events starting to jump from off the pages of scripture and land squarely on the globe around us in these exact days and times that we are living in.

But the enemy, Satan, and his contingent of fallen angels comprise the forces of evil and are hell-bent to see that we are not successful in our attempts to save people for Christ. He has most of the people of this world right where he wants them: blinded from the truth of the Gospel and firmly on their way to an eternity without Christ. His forces will throw up a gauntlet in every direction we turn to try to witness to others the love of God and how Jesus went to the cross for their sins. He is not very appreciative of our efforts to try to win the lost. In these end times, he is pulling out his complete arsenal of spiritual weapons to impede our mission.

But Jesus again confirms to us in His Great Commission that He is with us unto the end of the world. In 1 John 4:4, we also read that the One who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. His force for good triumphs over the enemy’s forces of evil. As we see the world around us getting darker with each passing day, it appears that not only are we drawing ever closer to the start of that dreadful last seven years of end-time events, but that Satan and his forces seem to be running completely roughshod across the planet. But ultimately, it is Christ and His forces that will triumph, and we will be co-heirs with Him and His creation.

So, will we go out in a blaze of glory – “You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14) – or just sit on the sidelines and watch it all transpire without reaching out to a lost soul?

I remember a sermon I heard years ago from the late Adrian Rogers. He tells of a father and his little girl looking at a painting in a museum depicting a rescue boat getting ready to help people out of the tempestuous waves of a roaring ocean after their vessel had capsized. The little girl, seeing one of the men in the boat extending his hand to a person in the water, asks her father if the man is trying to save them or to just shake their hand.

We have been put here in this world, at this particular time, to be a force for good. Christ wants us to reach out to a lost and dying world with the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We know and sense that the time is at hand for when Christ will call his Body of Believers out of this world and for prophesied end-times events to unfold. Many souls are lost, and only a few, relatively speaking, will make it into Heaven.

While these are exciting times to be alive – because we know what is coming – it is also a bit disconcerting to know that not all our friends or loved ones are going to make it. They will be here enduring suffering after the Church is removed, and some will wind up in a Christ-less eternity.

We can each make a difference. Praying for our lost family members or unsaved friends; reaching out to them in an email, a phone call, a text or even a letter to inform them what lies ahead and how to avoid it; writing an article like this or on other topics in the hopes that people will see it and heed its warning; leaving Bible tracts where people can find them; or even inviting them to your local church worship service and praying the Holy Spirit will inspire them to take the free gift of salvation that only Christ has to offer.

Let us be a force for good. Let us make an impact for the Kingdom of God. Let us bring souls with us. Reach out and grab onto someone’s hand and rescue them from the fate that they would otherwise have to endure. Time is short. We are here for a reason. We must do what we are called to do. We have to live out the Great Commission. Christ could have called us home immediately after our conversion, but we were left here to further His Kingdom. He left His Body of Believers here to thwart the enemy’s desire to ruin as many lives as he could.

When we flew the Delta Force guys into Sigonella, our crew was ushered into a room, and we were forced to sign a non-disclosure form. We were ordered by a Major at the base not to discuss who we had just flown in. We could not tell loved ones or friends about the group of guys that were now in striking distance of the enemy.

The Lord’s Great Commission is somewhat opposite of that. We are to go out into the world with the news of the gospel. We are not to hide our light under a basket. The Lord is with us; He is watching us. Conversely, the enemy is also watching. He is not unaware of our attempts to get people saved. The more of an impact that you are making, the more that he will attempt to trip you up. IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) of doubt and discouragement will be laid before you. Grenade launchers of ridicule and scorn will be fired your way by family members and friends who will be whispered to by the enemy to stop you in your tracks. Timed explosives will be set off at just the right time to try to derail any good intentions that you are attempting to carry out.

These types of things do upset us and totally blindside us at times. They can render us immobile and not effective at all in witnessing to people. But we our told not to be ignorant of his devices. We are on a mission, and the enemy’s goal is to subvert that. Let us not faint from what we are to carry out. The end is near, and glory awaits. That does not mean that it will not get painful during the time left. But any suffering endured now cannot compare to the glory that awaits us.

You might be the only person that can present the gospel to a particular individual. Maybe they have never been exposed to it before by anyone else, and maybe no one else after you will come their way. You could be the difference-maker.

Let us be about the Lord’s business. Join forces with your brothers and sisters in Christ to offer a lifeline to those who are perishing. Steal away from the enemy what he thinks is now his. Storm his strongholds with prayer. Secure the freedoms of those around you. And when Christ ultimately returns to this planet, you will be included in His host and forces and will witness Jesus dispatching the enemy with the “spirit of His mouth and the brightness of His coming” (2 Thessalonians 2:8).

“And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the World” (Matthew 28:20).

stevemeehan1225@gmail.com

40 years ago, I happened upon the book The Late Great Planet Earth by Hal Lindsey. I do not recall how I discovered that book – whether in a used bookstore or just left behind by somebody who had already read it – but it greatly affected my outlook on life and inspired me to read more and more about the subject of end-time events. I could not get my hands on enough books and videos that dealt with the topic. It totally intrigued me and motivated me to read God’s Word more often and discover the hidden gems of what is to take place during the Last Days. It also compelled me to be absolutely sure that I was prepared for the onset of the dark days of what is referred to as the Tribulation period.

The number 40 is a significant number in the Bible. I have read that it is mentioned 146 times in Scripture, and it usually symbolizes a period of testing, trial, or probation. Jesus fasted 40 days and 40 nights in the wilderness to begin His earthly ministry. It rained 40 days and 40 nights during the time of Noah to bring on the Great Flood. Moses spent 40 days and nights on Mt. Sinai on two separate occasions when He communed with God and received His 10 Commandments. The first three kings of Israel – Saul, David, and Solomon – each reigned for 40 years. Jonah preached to the people of Nineveh that unless they repented from their sins, that in 40 days, their city would be destroyed.

While my 40 years of searching out information on Bible Prophecy pales in comparison to those momentous events, it is still to me a noteworthy time frame and makes me reflect even more on just how close we are to the summation of the Church Age – the Age of Grace – and the nearness to the time of Christ’s second appearing. Without trying to set a date as to when the Lord will take His Church out of this world and begin the prophesied last seven years of another testing period before He finally returns physically, I cannot help but wonder if it all could come to pass this year, especially when considering how badly the conditions of the world are deteriorating and how the end-time signs are completely engulfing us.

Growing up in the Roman Catholic system, I was never exposed to Bible prophecy. It was completely foreign to me. About the only time I would ever hear anything to do with Christ coming back was during their Mass when the mantra ‘Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again” is repeated daily just before their Communion service. Other than that, nothing. Never during sermons, CCD (Catechism) classes, or even 6 years of Catholic grade school. I was totally in the dark about it, just as most Catholics are. So, to read that book and to find out about things that take place in the Last days was new and extremely exciting to me.

Having my eyes opened to the subject – and it had to be Divine providence that led me to discover such books – it created in me such a desire to learn more about Bible prophecy and greatly motivated me to get involved in partnering with ministries that taught on end-time events, and especially those that reached out to the world with the great news that Jesus Christ is coming back soon and He wants you to be saved and to be prepared for what lies ahead.

Another effect of reading the Bible more diligently because of this new interest was that it led me to come out of the Roman Catholic religion and embrace Jesus Christ alone for my salvation – instead of a false system of works. We are saved freely by His grace and not by things that we do to earn it.

It really got me on fire to do my part to warn others and to be a part of the Lord’s Great Commission, as spelled out in Matthew 28:19:20: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them, in the name of the Father, the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.”

To those of us who study Eschatology – or Last Days events – it is abundantly clear that the world is rushing headlong into such an abysmal world-state and that with each passing hour, we are drawing ever closer to the onset of this horrible period. Most of the Earth’s population, conversely, has no clue as to what is going to happen soon. It will totally blindside most people.

To my way of thinking, what better part of God’s Word do we have to inform us of just how real and true His Word is than those verses that inform us as to what will transpire in the prophesied last days? We are now witnessing these things unfolding before our eyes? It is completely on target as we see events lining up exactly as the prophets and Jesus said they would to usher in the wrap-up of human government and His very soon return. You can literally open the Bible today and watch on the evening news or other media outlets the same things prophesied eons ago by inspired authors, the things that are taking place around the globe.

To those of us who study the subject and are clued into what was foretold to occur, we can see these end-time events developing. Without Bible prophecy, how would we know that Israel was to become a nation again? They were dispersed throughout the globe for almost 2,000 years, and yet we were told that they would be back in their ancient homeland again. That happened in 1948.

They would again establish Jerusalem as their capital and recapture the Temple Mount, where once stood the first two Temples. Prophecy tells us that a third Temple will be rebuilt soon on the exact site that the first two were erected, and there are movements taking place right now in Israel behind the scenes, as it were, to prepare for that soon occurrence. Prophecy also warns us that when this Temple is erected, a future world leader will defile that building and declare himself God.

Without knowing scripture about end-time events, most people and countries are clueless as to the significance of Israel being back in the land. God’s Word said it would happen, and it has happened for a reason. God’s Word is true, and His relationship with that nation and people is everlasting. He does not break His promises or renege on His covenants that He had established with them centuries ago.

How close is the world getting to the end? Here are some key indicators. The prophet Ezekiel warns that a conglomeration of Russia, Turkey, Iran and others will invade Israel in the last days. Those very nations are now just north of Israel in neighboring Syria, fighting insurrectionists, and have established a foothold in that region of the world. Something will trigger them to enter Israel “like a cloud,” and God Himself, not Israel, will destroy 5/6ths of the invading forces. They are on the doorstep now. How much more time will elapse before they make their ill-fated move? Read about it in Ezekiel 38, 39.

Students of prophecy are also keenly aware that the city of Damascus will be destroyed in a noticeably short time span. Isaiah 17 foretells that it will happen overnight – that quickly, which almost suggests a nuclear device will be employed. Israel, right now, is conducting almost weekly raids and airstrikes, in and around the city of Damascus, in an effort to quell the nefarious movements by Iran within Syria, in Iran’s often repeated quest to destroy the Jewish State.

How much longer until Damascus gets leveled due to a series of missteps and ratcheting tensions between a belligerent rogue nation like Iran – who is bent on the destruction of Israel – and the IDF forces of the Jewish State, who are compelled to go after these guys and thwart their desire to destroy them? It cannot be too much longer if Damascus is already in the crosshairs on a daily, if not weekly, basis. Keep an eye on that situation. It will not be much longer until literally the whole situation and the city will explode.

Israel is the key to Bible Prophecy; they are the focal point. The Bible is Israel-centric. It is at the very center of foretold end-time events and how the rest of prophesied occurrences will be tied to what is happening there and how things around the world will play out.

The condition of the world is extremely ripe for the rise to power of a foretold future world leader who will govern with an iron fist. He will come in peacefully at first, with a small group of like-minded individuals, and then will utterly transform life on Earth to a Hell-like condition. The Bible says in the second half of his seven-year reign that Satan will enter into this person and wreak havoc across the globe. You do not want to be here for that.

America is now primed to assist in seeing a person like this rise to power. Those on the radical left, who have a globalist agenda and are bent on the weakening of our nation, are doing all they can to sow the seeds of discord within our country and position us to abandon our sovereignty and fall in behind a one-world ruler and governance.

Such movements and the promotion of them by these Marxist-minded individuals include homegrown terrorist groups like BLM and Antifa, whose only goal is to inflame racial tensions. Other ways to weaken our nation include:

• Defunding the police forces.
• Opening up our borders.
• Promoting and further legalizing and funding the abortion industry.
• Doing all that’s possible to celebrate and export the perversion of homosexuality and transgenderism and compelling citizens of our nation to accept and embrace this abhorrent mindset.

One cannot escape hearing about or seeing these daily manifestations unless one totally shuts himself off to any or all news.

The Antichrist, when he does rise to power, will have no better ally than the present occupant of the White House and his administration. America’s influence will continue to diminish in the coming days, and we will lose our sovereignty. It must happen in order for all nations to align and be controlled by a central government operating out of the region of the old Roman Empire.

America is not even mentioned in Bible prophecy and has been an impediment to the establishment of a one-world government.

Donald Trump was the last obstacle to preclude the USA from joining forces with the globalists. His America First attitude and policies were a continual thorn in the side of those nations and groups who want to relinquish control over their states and bring about a central governance. He had to go at all costs. Two impeachments, a constant 24 hour, 7 days a week, 365 days a year smear campaign never let up until he was out. Even a very dubious election had to be unleashed to ensure this guy and his way of thinking were out of here. His kind of reasoning and policy-making could not be allowed to continue; it had to be snuffed.

The devil must be extremely pleased. He now has a dupe in the White House, and his policy can prosper. His man of sin can soon be promoted. The World is rejoicing, but they have no idea what lies ahead. Doom and gloom do not even begin to describe what the last seven years are going to be like when this guy is in place. Things will get completely out of control, and life on this planet will become extremely darkened as this leader gains more and more power. And he will not be impeachable.

The days are dark and getting darker. The Book of Revelation and Matthew 24, where Jesus informs His disciples just how bad life will get on planet Earth before His second coming, are just two of the key scripture books and passages that describe what lies ahead and how it is presently developing in the World. Time and space in this article preclude me from listing all that will come to pass.

Famines, pestilence, wars, disease, earthquakes, unusual and severe weather phenomena will decimate most of Earth’s population – only a fraction of the present 7 billion plus citizens of the world will make it all the way through the entire final seven years of this foretold Tribulation Period. Jesus talked of these things, and He does not lie. His intent in having these Bible prophecy verses included in scripture is not meant to scare us so much, but to prepare us. It is going to happen, and He wants you to be ready before it starts and to make a much-needed decision.

The devil is working overtime to get his players in position. He is fully aware that his time to destroy lives and to carry out his sinister operations is drawing to a close. Once the Tribulation Period is underway, he will have just seven years left to leave destruction in his wake on this planet. He wants to take as many as he can to the same abode where he will wind up and prevent souls from spending eternity in a state of bliss with the Lord in Heaven. He has been busy planning on how he is going make this planet a living hell for those left here.

And no one has to endure what is coming. By making a decision for Jesus Christ right now, you will be spared from the horrible hour that is soon upon us. He is going to remove His body of believers – the True Church, all those who have put their complete faith and trust in His finished work on the cross – just before the start of that seven-year period.

Those who have rejected His gospel by not accepting the free gift of salvation that He extends to everyone will be left here to try to survive the whole horrible ordeal. Jesus said about that time in Matthew 24 that no flesh would survive this time unless its days had been limited. It will be a time unlike ANYTHING that has ever occurred in this world.

To sum up what is coming, Jesus will remove His Church from Earth in what is known as the Rapture. A world leader will arise quickly – the devil has him picked out – and he will force Israel to agree to a seven-year so-called peace treaty. That action starts the clock on the Tribulation hour.

The world leader’s reign will begin somewhat peacefully, but as time goes on, things will radically worsen. While this is happening, 144,000 Jewish evangelists will be tasked with presenting the true gospel to those left behind. A great number of people will get saved, but most, if not all, will be martyred for their faith. The Antichrist and his false prophet – the leader of the coming One-World Religion – will force all to take a mark, to show their allegiance to this “man of sin” and to be able to buy or sell goods. Without his mark clearly displayed on people, they will be targeted and hunted down for elimination.

Far better to accept Christ now freely, than to have your head lopped off or any other means that they decide to implement.

Midway through these seven years, Satan will enter into this human leader, and from Jerusalem, in the rebuilt Temple, will declare himself God and force all people to worship him. This is what he has craved from the time of his fall; for all to worship him and not God.

All nations, at the end of this period, will be drawn into the land of Israel, where they think under the inspiration of the Antichrist, that they can do battle with Jesus Christ and his host of believers as He returns to Earth. Jesus destroys these satanically inspired forces, immediately sends this Antichrist and his false prophet to the Lake of Fire, and Satan is bound for a thousand years in a place of torment.

Jesus begins His 1,000-year rule on Earth from Jerusalem, then after that, the Great White Throne judgment occurs, and all those who have rejected the free gift of salvation will be cast into the Lake of Fire, where eternal torment will be a continual state of being. Not a pretty picture. But one that can easily be avoided.

If not for Bible prophecy, we would not know that these things are coming. Jesus Christ, in the Book of John, chapter one, is referred to as the Word. What He spoke and what is contained in the Word of God, the Holy Bible, is true. He does not lie. He is not out to trick people or misinform them. What He says is going to happen will happen. These events are going to take place. What are you going to do about it?

Souls hang in the balance. Your soul is on the line. Is it really worth forfeiting a free gift, only to have to maybe endure the whole seven years of hell on Earth, then an eternity separated from God and loved ones only to be dying forever in the Lake of fire? Why go through that??

Take the free gift of salvation. Is your pride really worth it? Who wins? Not you. Not God. Only another lost soul in a place that can never be escaped from. Do not be foolish. Do not spend eternity in anguish and regret.

The solution is simple and entirely free. What a deal. Will you take it? There is no end to eternity. For the lost, it will be a constant state of torment. Separated. Alone. All hope abandoned. And you are only there because you rejected the only way out.

Conversely, for those who do something to forever change their destiny on this side of eternity, Heaven awaits. You will be enjoying the rest of your existence with loved ones forever who have made the same decision as you. Your life then will really take off. Unlimited potential and desires will be realized. No aches, no pains, no sorrow, no bills, no dangerous threats, no fake news, and no devil to trip you up.

You will not be relegated to spending eternity on a cloud someplace strumming a harp. That is fiction. The Bible tells us that we will be co-heirs of the universe with Jesus Christ. If you want to explore the far reaches of the universe, suddenly it will be possible. Things that were impossible to do while here on this Earth, in our present physical bodies, will be attainable when we are finally clothed in a glorified new body that we will acquire in the heavenly realm.

The differences between those who spend eternity in Heaven versus those who regrettably opt out because of a poor decision will be vast. No hope, no loved ones, no joy, and no escape are the ever-present conditions and reality for those who say no to Jesus. Do not make such a foolish mistake. The split second that you die without Christ in your life, you will realize that you made an awful, tragic, unrepairable choice. At that point, it will be too late to change your circumstances. You will be in an unrecoverable condition.

Do not go into the Tribulation hour. It will be a horrible time on Earth. And beyond that – way, way beyond it – do not go into eternity without Jesus. Those things right now are staring you in the face. They are coming. It is going to happen. We are soon, very, very soon into that period.

Jesus says in John 14:6: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father but by me.” No particular denomination or no certain religious affiliation is the means for salvation. You MUST be trusting in Jesus Christ completely for your redemption. How?

Admit that you are a sinner. You are continually sinning, and you can’t help it. You don’t want to do it, but it happens. You need help with this condition. “For ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

Believe that Jesus Christ is who He said He is. He is the Savior of the World. He is the Son of God. He is God (John1:1). Only He can save us from our sins. He paid our sin penalty on the cross. He only is the means for redemption. Invite Him into your life to save you. Trust in His work and put all your faith into Him being able to save you. Outside of doing that – completely trusting in Him for your salvation – you will be lost and will die in your sins. Don’t do that!

Confess that He is your Savior. That you are trusting in Him alone. Not in your works, not in your goodness, not in anything else.

“That 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. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9:10).

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).

“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abides on him” (John 3:36).

stevemeehan1225@gmail.com