Where is today’s world heading? How should we as Christians view the world around us? How should we even behave toward it?
“Only the Strong” is an excellent read. There are two types of strength, physical and spiritual. Those of us in our later years may not be physically strong, but we can seek spiritual strength as we are told in Ephesians 6:12-13 (next slide).
It is readily apparent that the “dark powers of this world” are very active, even in our political system, emboldened by the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. This posting will take us on a journey looking at those forces and their impact on our Nation and even our own lives and those of our loved ones.
There was a time when most Americans would agree that we were “One Nation Under God”. If only the American people would once again realize that it constituted our very Foundational Values! How did we get here? With that being said, Pray for America!
Again, how did we get where we are, especially as we are told in the Book of Genesis, that God created a perfect world, and placed perfect people in it. So, what happened and why did it happen? How did it get “screwed up”? For better or for worse, this is our world, our nation, our city, our community, our church.
God created a perfect world, He created perfect people, placing them in a perfect Garden. Yet, they put self before God, the consequences of which brought chaos. With everything in perfect harmony, suddenly it became unbalanced and corrupt, and life was replaced by death. Everything on this planet dies at its given time. As Christians we know what lies ahead for us. If we die before the Rapture, Jesus will raise us up with perfect, gloried bodies (1 Thess. 4:16-18).
Sin left the world in a condition that Paul describes in Romans 8:22, noted on the slide. Paul also tells us in Rom 8:26-27—26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. NIV -- Nevertheless, God is sovereign and we’re under His loving, fatherly care.
Paul reaffirms what lies ahead for those who profess Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior—for we are saved by grace alone through faith along in Christ alone—an eternal truth that served as the foundation of the 16th century Reformation.
Each of us have contributed our share of sin to this world. But, through it all, Jesus Christ, carried the full weight of our sins as our Lord and Savior, paying the full penalty, so we didn’t have to. The end result is eternal life with a glorified, resurrected body on a restored and perfect new earth (Rev. 21:1). The cross is both a symbol of the shame He bore on our behalf, and a sign of His love for us.
We will be looking at what I'll call a “shadow of the Last Days of the End Time”. As Christians, our confidence, hope and faith should rest firmly anchored in Jesus Christ, as Lord and Savior.
For every generation the Great Tribulation in chapter 6 of Revelation, symbolized by the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, are closer than ever before, as to just when, only God knows. Nevertheless, since it is in the Bible, we can’t just ignore what it’s telling us.
As we are told in Revelation, "blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy because the time is near." Who were those words intended for? How does it apply to us? We are 2,000 years closer than when it was written. Shouldn't it be up to us to watch for signs, and even prudent to do so?
The End Times, as described on the slide, will also be a time of evangelism by 144,000 Jewish evangelists. How can we share that message? Perhaps, by example and prayer or inviting someone to church. Perhaps sharing this blog with others. The Last Days may not be for another year or ten years or a hundred years. We don’t know, but in studying Revelation, I think this generation should at the very least give it some thought and even a sense of awareness.
Looking back on history it becomes apparent that God both raises up and lowers nations for His purposes. God not only raised the Roman Empire, He used it to spread Christianity: It built a network of roads across the Empire, and “Pax Romana” (Latin for Roman Peace) allowed evangelists to safely carry the Gospel across the entire Roman world. Prior to Rome, Alexander the Great’s conquest of what became the eastern region of the Roman Empire, brought the Greek language as a common vernacular, which became the language of the entire New Testament, just as English is understood in most of the world today. Did God raise also up the British Empire for just such a purpose?
Map shows the British Empire at its peak, with the spread of English far and wide. Yet the British Empire, as such, no longer exist today. Today’s United Kingdom is confined to Great Britain and Northern Island, and some of its former dependencies that acknowledge the British monarch as the association's symbolic head. In other words, God’s purpose has been served.
Generations of Americans readily spoke of the United States as "One Nation Under God!" But that no longer seems to be the case for far too many Americans, which we are seeing in our own federal agencies, including Congress and the White House. Yet, history does tell us that God had a purpose for the United States of America.
If it wasn’t for the United States, most, if not all of Europe would have fallen to Nazi Germany, and even today’s world, most likely would still be under the yoke of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. The U.S. became the one and only superpower during and following the war. It prevented the spread of Soviet Communism beyond the Soviet’s WWII military conquests.
If it wasn’t for the U.S., Hitler’s final solution for the Jewish people would have been carried out, even beyond Europe and into the Middle East. The horrors of the Holocaust and total elimination of the Jews would have been implemented. But God had a different plan.
In 1948, God used the United States once again to achieve His purpose. President Harry S. Truman is shown “recognizing” the new State of Israel. Because of the Holocaust, the Jews left Europe and emigrated to Israel. Shown is the official White House ceremony of Truman’s recognition of Israel as a legitimate State. Israel’s very existence is Divine Providence. God did not discard His Chosen People, as many believed. Like the Parodical Son (Luke 15:11-32), He brought them home to the land promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Which would not otherwise have happened without the U.S. The Jews are yet to embrace their Messiah, but that day will come, with the 144,000 Jewish evangelists, 12,000 from every tribe (Rev. 7:4-8).
The comments noted on the slide are my thoughts in response to a 2014 American political documentary film by Dinesh D'Souza based on his book of the same title. It also raises the question: Where will the path we are currently on, lead us? Will it be as though America never existed, like other great nations? We can see in both WWII and 1948, God had a plan for the United States, which resulted in returning the Jews to the Holy Land.
President Ronald Reagan described America as "a shining city on a hill", from its very founding right up until WWII. My paternal great grandparents and maternal grandparents came to this country with millions of others from Europe, for that every reason. All I can say is “Thank God, they did”. So, what about today’s America? I have to ask, how did we sink so far so fast, in just a span of two years?
It was that very “shining city on a hill” that brought so many to these shores, legally. Almost all strived to become American, which was the heritage passed down to me on both sides—paternal and maternal. Neither side clung to the Old Country. Both sides couldn’t wait to get U.S. citizenship and vote to preserve the America they loved. Even their children, on both sides, served in the military during WWII for the preservation of America. Thank God!
Which brings us here. Reagan’s words are truly a warning for today, more so than ever before. Every vote counts. And with prayer and God’s grace, may the Holy Spirit steer us in the right direction, once again.
Election day is the first step in determining the direction for America’s future: Democratic Socialism or a return to our founding values, that by the grace of God and divine providence, made America “A Shining City of the Hill!” and hopefully, once again for future generations.
As stated in the preamble of the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of happiness.” The privilege to vote is anchored in these words.
The 2022 congressional elections will make that determination. But the end result is in God’s hands. Will He allow us to continue drifting away from Him, or will He give us a nudge in the right direction? Pray about it, I certainly am doing so. The outcome may very well be a sign of what's to come.
If enough Christians vote, it can very well help make the difference for where the Country is heading. Pray for God’s wisdom and guidance. The dark forces in Eph. 6:12 are at work, and our tool for today is our vote. One last question: Is God allowing the stage to be set for the Last Days? Or will He give us a reprieve by His grace? If He does, it will be through His people. So, vote!
One can just read the Book of Revelation and never recognize or even see signs of its coming. But in studying it in depth, one’s view of the world becomes increasingly into focus, especially the recent decline of our Nation. Our next posting will explore what may very well be signs of the End Times.
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