I think this cartoon covers a diversity of opinions. Yes, the Book of Revelation shows us that the world is on a road trip, the destination of which is the Tribulation and End Times. We are either almost there or there is still a long way to go. Only God knows when the time of Tribulation and the Antichrist, will come. This will be our last posting on this topic, unless evolving events dictate otherwise. 

What caught my eye was the number of this Bill, initiated by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. And the "Warnings” it prompted by both the Washington Times and Newsmax. An outline of the Bill is on the following slides. Everything noted is copied directly from the Bill. Does it bring us closer to the rise of the Antichrist? Draw your own conclusions after reading it, I did—especially the Bill number, “H.R. 6666” and its intent.  

Everything on this and the following slides is copied directly from the Bill—portions being underlined for emphasis. Its “short title” is as noted. Again, concern was raised that this bill is a step toward unprecedented government control, as stated in its title – “COVID–19 Testing, Reaching, And Contacting Everyone (TRACE) Act”

The Bill is available online via the following link (copy and paste it into your web browser to see the Bill): https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/6666/text

Again, what’s on the slide was copied directly from the Bill, which gives the government access to private residences, at their discretion. We are aware that the government used the COVID-19 pandemic to take unprecedented measures to override and restrict individual freedom. This bill will allow them to continue at their own discretion. It's seen as just another such step giving the government unprecedented power over everyone. One can only wonder, with a potentially decisive election in both the House and Senate, coming in November, how will this Bill be used if approved? 

As stated, the Bill gives the government the power to quarantine individuals that they consider a health risk. Think about that. 

It also gives the government the authority to test anyone, as they see fit. Will they use it to change voting laws, isolating people, as was done in 2020, which provides an opportunity to stuff ballot drop boxes as was witnessed in 2020? Hmmm? 

As noted on the cartoon, where do you think we’re going? We wouldn’t have to ask that same question if the Rapture were to occur; we would know exactly where we are. 

Does this number look familiar? Did you ever wonder how one man, the Antichrist, can gain ultimate power? He will have plenty of help by those with their own lust for power. Is the Bill’s number H.R. 6666 a coincidence or a warning? Before you even ponder that, look at everything that has and still is fundamentally changing the United States. Does it all tie together? I think so. 

Does it matter? Absolutely! Take a moment and think about Bill H.R. 6666. Not just the number, but the intent. In the O.T. God used Israel's own sinful desires and enemies to punish them when they turned away from Him. Can we expect anything different for the United States? We either honor God or turn away from Him and suffer the consequences just as happened with Israel. We can be certain that God deemed the End Times to coincide with the full measure of man’s rebellion. Think about everything we covered so far on this topic in previous postings (still available for review). Our focus as Christians needs to be on God, and prayer.  

The seal shown on the slide, was recognized as the most powerful leadership position in the free world, dating back to WWII. But much has changed since January 2021. How will it be perceived by both friend and foe going forward? The next few years will establish the future course of the United States. That decision also rests on the November 2022 congressional elections. If Christians are not interested, others will gladly step up to fill those positions. 

Too many seem to have forgotten that there are three branches of government, and the president isn’t authorized to make every decision without the consent of Congress. The man currently occupying this office will determine what America is and what it becomes going forward. My prayer is that God doesn’t abandon us as a people and as a Nation. In 70 AD, Israel suffered the consequences of its sinful rebellion against God. Nevertheless, He reinstated the State of Israel in 1948, which is relevant to the Book of Revelation, and raises the question once again, how close are we to the End Times? 

There was a time when President John F. Kenney’s statement on the slide, was not only true, but accepted, when the goal of both parties was to work together to put America first. Sadly, those days seem to be gone. It’s a principal reason why I voted for JFK—my very first presidential election and never missed a single election since. 

In its very creation as a Nation, God gave us a sacred responsibility. What John Kennedy stated in 1961 applies equally today. This is why Christians have to care enough to take an active role in selecting our representatives at every level, including the Oval Office, Congress,  the State house, and yes, even School Boards. God is sovereign, but our behavior is a factor in regard to what course we take. He will either bless us or leave us with the consequences of our interest or lack of interest. 

Those who are elected to fill those seats in November, will determine the future course of America. They will either embellish and support what’s happening or resist and reject policies that are detrimental and undermining what America stands for. We will either continue moving away from God, or hopefully, move toward Him. 

The future of our Nation's children hinges on what they are learning in school. Gender education is being taught in the early grades, a policy that teaches young children that gender identity is a personal choice and not a product of one’s natural birth. Children have been isolated from school and social activities for over a year, and with it, their normal childhood was set aside out of fear by the school system. Keep them in your prayers that God may have mercy on each and everyone of these young minds and souls. For truly, they are America’s future!

Inflation is not a small matter. Everyone who watches the news or goes shopping, is surely aware of inflation, and its impact on one's standard of living, especially seniors on a fixed income and families with young children. Is it in any way a sign of the End Times? In and of itself, No. But it is relevant to the events in the Book of Revelation and yes, does dovetails into the signs of the End times. 

Here’s one simple example of what inflation does, for both the Starbuck crowd and also the cost of coffee at the supermarket. 

Another simple illustration. The current rate of inflation is 8.5%, the highest since President Jimmy Carter's presidency. The current impact on American families equals a $5,200 inflation tax reflected in the cost of living.  Again, let’s put inflation into everyday terms as illustrated by the shopping charts. The shopping carts compares what $20 bought in 1998, compared to 2005 and 2013. The almost empty shopping cart in 2013, nine years ago. What about today and next year?

Have you noticed more empty shelves in supermarkets? Not quite this bad, but a lot fewer things on the shelves than what we had become accustomed to just a couple of years ago. Why am I posting this? It runs concurrent with higher gasoline prices affecting delivery of products, and also shortages from the Ukraine as previously reported, considered the world's breadbasket. The Book of Revelation warns of famine in the End Times. 

All of which, brings us here. One man will offer solutions for the world’s increasing problems, who will rise to ultimate power over the world. A once strong United States is no longer a deterrent.  

Where is America heading financially? The U.S. dollar is the most powerful currency that exists today. Nevertheless, there would be serious implications if the dollar lost its status as the world's reserve currency. As the government and Feds print more money, it moves closer in that direction. The U.S. government’s massive borrowing and increasing debt will affect how the world sees the dollar and could have negative consequences. But even more factors will make that determination. What we need in Congress are people who rely on God and believe in prayer. Remember that opportunity comes in November, only 6 months away. 

Back to the rise of the Antichrist. How does one man gain complete control over all buying and selling? Chart shows how in light of a weakened U.S. dollar, digital currency could lead to centralized control of all financial transactions, even grocery shopping. With the right level of government control, there would be no such thing as pocket change or cash transactions. What does that have to do with Revelation? Everything. The answer lies in Revelation chapter 13:15-18. If I had to create a diabolical plot to place the world under control of the Antichrist, this would be one of the principal ways, plus shortages of all the essentials. 

It isn’t here yet, but it notes a significant sign for how the Antichrist could/would take control over the entire world financial system. See v.15-18 for the entire message. All it would take is a tiny chip no larger than a grain of sand, just like a pet is chipped as shown on the next slide. Pastor Adrian Rogers message at the end of this posting looks at the Mark of the Beast—666!

Receiving the mark of the Beast is as simple as this. 

Pastor Adrian Rogers’ 37-minute message explains “the mark of the Beast”. (copy and paste the link below into your web browser)

https://youtu.be/_P8UTcjUn0w

So, what’s the answer regarding the End Times? 2 Chronicles 7:14 tells us (slide). Never forget the sovereignty of God over the affairs of man. Pray for our Nation, its people, our Pastor, his family and our church. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Notice: This series on the End Times began in January 2020. There are two ways of getting to week 1 of this topic. Click on "01/02--01/09" in the Blog Archive in upper righthand corner.  The second way is to scroll down to bottom of each page and click on "Older Posts", continue doing so until you get back to January 2020, noted as "Week 1" on first slide. 

End of Posting

(Scroll down for additional postings)

How often did your kids ask that question when on a road trip?  “Are we there yet?” Truthfully, the world is also on a road trip. The America we see now is a very different and much transformed America, which raises that same question: “Are we there yet?” We may not be there yet, as we told our kids, but we will get there. We don’t know how it will turn out, but we do know that God is sovereign over the affairs of man. Yet, man’s decisions have consequences; but prayer has blessings—when affirmed by God. 

What America do you envision over the next 10 to 20 years? One that turns to God in troubling times or one that drifts further away from Him? Only time will tell as we explore this very question.

Did you ever wonder why God created and blessed the United States of America? If it wasn’t for the existence of America, and its efforts in WWII, Nazi Germany would have conquered all of Europe and even the Middle East. Every Jew in those occupied countries would have suffered the miseries of the Holocaust and eventual death. The rebirth of Israel never would have occurred. And America never would have been a “Shining City on a Hill!” It all speaks of the Sovereignty of God over the affairs of man. So, have you wondered, what are God’s plans for America going forward? 

Have you ever paused and wondered what our nation may look like in just a few short years? Will we see an entirely different America, with the latest policy decisions and material being taught in schools: Critical Race Theory and Critical Gender Theory—where children decide their gender, and not their birth? Will the church see these changes as an occasion for evangelism? 

Several respected, well-known pastors, whose church services are broadcast on TV, have recently focused on the End Times and Book of Revelation. Why?  Let me answer with one quick response: “Sign of the End Times seem increasingly prevalent and evident.” We can shrug our shoulders, and say, “Oh well!” Or we can listen to what Jesus tells us in Mark 13:33 Be on guard! Be alert ! You do not know when that time will come. 

Some believe Jesus’ prophesy in Mark 13:33, was about the future destruction of the Jerusalem temple by the Romans; some equate it with the end times destruction of a 3rd temple. Some see a broader context, intended for every generation to be alert for what was to come in their generation, since we are told in 1 John 2:18, that there would be many antichrist. Looking at WWII, there were many signs regarding Hitler’s intended conquests, which were mostly ignored, leading to WWII. There were also signs regarding Putin’s plans to invade the Ukraine, but again, mostly ignored until it happened. The End Times will be no different. What are the “signs”? 

The bottom line in all prophecy and current events is God’s sovereignty. God is sovereign over the affairs of man in every generation until the very end of time. God is not a bystander watching a play, nor is He a puppet-master pulling the strings for man’s actions. God does not cause evil; man willingly and deliberately commit evil, yet God directs it to accomplish His plan as He decrees—like Judas betraying Jesus, and Pontus Pilot sending Jesus to the cross; and the Holocaust bringing the Jews back to a rebirth of Israel in 1948. The state of the world today is also subject to God’s will and Providence. Sin will not go unpunished nor is sin without consequences. The consequences for the Holocaust was the destruction of Nazi Germany, yet, it also led to the rebirth of Israel, the very land promised to Abraham. 

This is the America that President Ronald Reagan (1981-1989) envisioned. It’s the America he believed we were and would always remain as such. Do his words still ring true for our Nation? What has changed? Did we, as the Church, even notice it occurring? Is today’s State of the Union one big surprise? What is the Church’s role in today’s world, even with, maybe especially with, the covid-19 pandemic and unprecedented government mandates, controlling every aspect of life, even prohibiting church worship services? 

How long will it wave? Will open borders change our nation beyond recognition? Does “One Nation Under God” still apply? In the Book of Acts the Church was scattered, and in being scattered, carried the Gospel throughout a pagan world. How will a sovereign God use the Church in today’s uncertain world? How will He use America? And yes, God has a plan. Eph 1:9-10 -- 9 And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment — to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ. NIV

No political candidate is perfect. We are seeing corruption and moral decay deep within our political system, which is why we need to focus on policies when electing candidates. Does it matter? Absolutely! Both parties have evolved over the years. I state that observation as a former JFK Democrat in that I have seen that Party evolve, so much so that JFK himself wouldn’t fit, and its one that I no longer recognize. Bottom line, what policies is each Party advocating? Are they pro-biblical or anti-biblical? Does it matter? Absolutely! If Christians do not participate, others will gladly fill that void and have every intention of doing so. 

Photo shows the trend of American politics, especially in our universities and yes, even in our high schools. Notice those carrying the banner are not students. Are they teachers? Does this sound political? It isn’t. It is a moral, spiritual issue that hopes to eliminate God from every aspect of public life. Everyone who makes a claim of Democratic Socialism, will vote in an effort to set the course for tomorrow’s America on a path that is contrary to the Judeo-Christian values and principles America was founded on. 

Children’s beliefs are mostly shaped in school rather than at home, unless parents take the initiative in guiding their biblical beliefs, and the principles America has stood for since its founding as a Constitutional Republic: "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." America wasn’t always perfect in that regard, but more so than any other nation past or present. In today’s schools there is no longer a fixed standard of right and wrong, such as the 10 Commandments once were, which are now forbidden in the schools thanks to a 1962 Supreme Court decision. 

In Mark Levin’s book titled, “American Marxism”, he explains how this transformation has and is taking place. The consequences of which are very real. Levin describes it this way: “We have allowed American Marxists to define who we are as a people. They define us, slander our ancestors and history, and trash our founding documents and principles. They are mostly reprobates who hate the country in which they live, and have contributed nothing to its betterment. Indeed, they live off the sweat and toil of others, while they pursue a destructive and diabolical course for our nation, undermining and sabotaging virtually every institution in our society. Their ideology and worldview are based on the arguments and beliefs of a man, Karl Marx, whose writing are responsible for the enslavement, impoverishment, torture, and death of untold millions.” 

As waves of illegal immigration sweep across the southern border and into Texas, it is moving that state closer to being permanently blue like California, guaranteeing 257 electoral-votes for every election, just a breath away from the 270 needed to win the presidency (see map). Besides drugs, open borders allow human-trafficking of young girls and even boys, into the sex trade. We are seeing an erosion of America’s founding values firmly rooted in Judeo-Christian principles. It is a subtle yet real battle to undermine and destroy the very fabric of America, as we are told in Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

It was reported many times on FOX News and Newsmax that the latest wave of illegal immigrants are from 160 countries, including China, Africa, the Middle East and even Afghanistan. Almost all Americans can trace their roots back to someplace else. But, there is a difference between legal immigration and illegal entry across the border. 

Million of illegals have already entered the USA, and more at a recent estimate of ½ million per month under the current Administration’s open border policies. The facts on illegal immigration are not intended as an attack on immigration but a warning regarding illegal immigration. My paternal great-grandparents and my maternal grandparents were legal immigrants. Their goal in both cases was to become Americans both in citizenship and culture. My greatest and long-lasting civic lesson was from my immigrant grandmother on why they came to America and why becoming an America citizen was one of the proudest moments in their lives. They came for opportunity and not a government handout.

Let’s go back to President Ronald Reagan's vision for America. When we look at the founding of the United State, we can’t help but recognize the hand of God every step of the way regarding the very existence of America as a beacon on a hill for a troubled world, whose resolve saved the world from tyranny in both WWI and WWII, neither of which could have been won without America’s moral, economic and miliary might. 

The cost of America's independence came at a high price, with many of those who formed this Constitutional Republic, sacrificing their comfort, their fortune and for many, even their lives. What then was God’s intent for America? Has it already been fulfilled? Are we now being set adrift by God? If it wasn’t for America, there would be no State of Israel today, formed in 1948 by Holocaust survivors. Was that God’s sovereign plan from the very beginning all the way back to 1776? Are we now being left to go our own way, as our own decision, without His guidance and protection? Does He no longer have a plan for America? I cannot help but think of my grandkids as I write this. What will there America be like? 

The spirit of America was carried from sea to shining sea, sweeping across a great continent to form a new Nation, resting in God and His divine providence. Is that spirit still alive? When Moses led God’s chosen people out of Egypt and across the Red Sea, God had a purpose. Except the people rebelled because things weren’t going as they thought they should. So, they turned to worship a golden calf (Exodus 32:4), the consequences of which, that entire generation died in the desert, being denied entry into the land God promised through Abraham. Does that sound even vaguely familiar in today’s America? 

The Bible Story of the Golden Calf is very revealing of human nature and the tendency of people to stray away from devotion to God. It is ironic that while Moses was on Mount Sinai, receiving the Ten Commandments from God, the Israelites were breaking the very first commandment "thou shall not have any gods before me.“  Does America have a golden calf? What will it take for America to turn back to God? Will America turn back to God? 

Ex 32:4 He [Aaron] took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf , fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt."  (NIV)

What else can we learn from history? Did the people of ancient Rome have similar concerns? I am a strong believer in the lessons of history. In 476 AD, the Western Roman Empire fell because they could no longer defend their northern border, against Germanic tribes that sought to occupy the fertile lands of Italy. It wasn’t just an invasion that destroyed Rome, but a lack of will to defend their border. Consequently, even the mighty Roman Empire lost its sovereignty because it did not defend its northern border, nor did its government exhibit the will to do so. 

The following words associated with the Statue of Liberty, stands as a symbol of America. “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” Unless you’re a native American, all of us have roots that go across the ocean, either East or West. How relevant is the Statue of Liberty in today’s America? Is it even given a second thought by today’s immigrants? Or our school children? 

Those words on the previous slide are not actually inscribed on the Statue of Liberty. The only inscription can be found on the tablet in her left hand, which says JULY IV MDCCLXXVI (July 4, 1776), the day the United States adopted the Declaration of Independence. In the 19th century, waves of immigrants first sight of the United States was the Statue of Liberty, located on Liberty Island in New York harbor. Their destination was the adjacent Ellis Island for processing. The statue was a gift from the people of France to the people of the United States, dedicated on October 28, 1886. 

The Statue of Liberty was the first thing those early immigrants saw when they arrived...and remembered. What then is the significance of the Statue of Liberty to today’s America? Have we lost our Christian roots as One Nation Under God? Does past history still have a relevance for future history? Or will history be rewritten to suit today’s changing ideology?

Our first president, George Washington addresses that question of what America is all about. As the first president, he chose to be sworn in on a Bible, setting the precedent for all future presidents. Was it a deliberate message? Absolutely! We see his words on the slide and their relevance both then and now.

Pastor Adrian Rogers’ 29-minute message: “The Signs of the Times.” As you listen to his message, think about racial and gender divisions in today’s America. Think of the Ukraine as the world’s bread-basket; add to that shortages in supermarkets. What about pestilence? Think of the coronavirus and its impact on our culture and liberty. 

https://youtu.be/vh5yMtV9iqo 

(copy and paste link into your web browser)

End of Posting

(Scroll down for additional postings)

Stay tune for additional posting next Friday or Saturday

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Notice: To go to earlier posts, scroll down to bottom of page and click on "Older Posts" on the right, and do that multiple time to go to earlier posts. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------