RAISING KIDS WITH A BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW

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When you have a biblical worldview, you know that God loves you and He knows you love Him and trust Him. As a result, God is your foundation and His truth guides your decision-making about what you spend money on and what you spend your time on. Moreover, you want to have a good witness so that your family, friends, and those in your workplace see that you use God and His Word for all decision-making.

In a world that has largely excluded God from its life it is imperative we teach our children how to overcome, be resilient, and have a biblical worldview.

How do we raise Bible-minded children in a chaotic culture? That’s what Dr. Kathy Koch, founder, and president of Celebrate Kids, Inc., tackles in her latest book, “Resilient Kids: Raising Them to Embrace Life with Confidence.” “One of the things that does concern me is … the helicoptering, the overprotection of children, the bubble wrapping of kids,” she said. “I’m concerned about that because children need to grow up and develop their own strength. They can’t always depend upon a mom and a dad or a teacher.” Koch said kids’ character is strengthened and faith is developed after we face a challenge. Overprotecting children can weaken them because they’re not able to have these overcomer moments. She also described the power and importance of “resiliency.” “Resiliency is readily recovering from difficulties, readily coming back from trauma, grief, fear, loss,” she said. Another question many Christian parents today struggle with is how to ensure their kids love Jesus throughout their lives — and not simply because their parents do. Koch said it all comes down to the examples we set. “Do they see that we use God and his Word for decision-making?” she asked.

It’s all about our children seeing us live out authentic biblical truth in our lives.

MAY YOU USE THIS CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION TO BRING FAMILY AND FRIENDS TO OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR, JESUS CHRIST

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Jonathan Aiger reminded me of this hymn in his article on hymns of hope and comfort. I think he is right there is one Christmas hymn that stands head and shoulders above the others purely because of its scope. From the beginning of creation to the incarnation but then to a time of eternal victory. “Of the Father’s Love Begotten” was given to us by 4th-century Roman poet Aurelius Prudentius Clemens, by way of 19th-century translators J.M. Neale and H.W. Baker. The original stanzas are massive in their theological scope and warrant some study and meditation.

Of the Father’s love begotten, ere the worlds began to be,
He is Alpha and Omega, He the source, the ending He,

Of the things that are, that have been,
And that future years shall see, evermore and evermore!

At His Word the worlds were framèd; He commanded; it was done:
Heaven and earth and depths of ocean in their threefold order one;
All that grows beneath the shining
Of the moon and burning sun, evermore and evermore!

He is found in human fashion, death and sorrow here to know,
That the race of Adam’s children doomed by law to endless woe,
May not henceforth die and perish
In the dreadful gulf below, evermore and evermore!

O that birth forever blessèd, when the virgin, full of grace,
By the Holy Ghost conceiving, bare the Savior of our race;
And the Babe, the world’s Redeemer,
First revealed His sacred face, evermore and evermore!

This is He whom seers in old time chanted of with one accord;
Whom the voices of the prophets promised in their faithful word;
Now He shines, the long expected,
Let creation praise its Lord, evermore and evermore!

O ye heights of heaven adore Him; angel hosts, His praises sing;

Powers, dominions, bow before Him, and extol our God and King!
Let no tongue on earth be silent,
Every voice in concert sing, evermore and evermore!

Righteous judge of souls departed, righteous King of them that live,
On the Father’s throne exalted none in might with Thee may strive;
Who at last in vengeance coming
Sinners from Thy face shalt drive, evermore and evermore!

Thee let old men, thee let young men, thee let boys in chorus sing;
Matrons, virgins, little maidens, with glad voices answering:
Let their guileless songs re-echo,
And the heart its music bring, evermore and evermore!

Christ, to Thee with God the Father, and, O Holy Ghost, to Thee,
Hymn and chant with high thanksgiving and unwearied praises be:
Honor, glory, and dominion,
And eternal victory, evermore and evermore!

EXPERIMENTAL, IRREVERSIBLE, AND DAMAGING TREATMENTS FOR GENDER DYSPHORIC YOUNG PEOPLE

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Personal stories of gender dysphoric young people being led onto a pathway of experimental, irreversible, and damaging treatments were heard in Tasmania’s parliament on 23 November. In perhaps a first in Australia, the truth in relation to increasingly discredited affirmation therapy has been clearly spelled out in an Australian Parliament. For her courage in hosting the forum, Lara Alexander, the Liberal member for Braddon was attacked in the Tasmanian Parliament by members who had not attended and could not have known of what occurred at the Forum. Such is the state of our parliament.

Around 100 people attended “Australia’s Free Speech Parliamentary Forum” which was held in response to the highly contested recommendations by the Tasmanian Law Reform Institute (TLRI). They gathered to call upon the Tasmanian Government to oppose the TLRI recommendations which, if implemented, would include the following – Parents who urge caution to children who are questioning their gender or sexuality will be deemed to have conducted conversion therapy, thereby breaking the law and subject to penalties.

Despite experts warning that puberty blockers can have dangerous side effects and that the long-term impacts remain unknown, Clinicians would be required to unquestioningly affirm people, even children, in their preferred gender and treat them accordingly. They heard a learned presentation of the critical importance of careful psychotherapy and of the dangers of affirmation therapy and legislating to mandate it by former Professor of Psychology and Music at Sydney University, Professor Diana Kenny. There were powerful, yet profoundly concerning stories shared at the forum of young people whose bodies, and lives, have been irreversibly damaged by affirmation therapy. They provided clear evidence that the TRLI recommendations are uneducated, flawed, and must be rejected by the government.

Children suffering from gender dysphoria deserve the best support Australia has to offer. They should never be made to feel that they need to medically alter their bodies in order to live as their true self. Concerns that have been silenced for years are being proven correct, evidenced by the personal stories heard at the forum. The TLRI Report is hopelessly flawed and must be rejected. If the Rockliff Government legislates the TLRI recommendations, they will be wilfully ignoring the voices of those who have personal experience of the harm caused by what is being recommended. All the Tasmanian Government needs to do is look to the UK where 1000 families are expected to join a medical negligence lawsuit against the recently shut-down UK Tavistock Gender Clinic which is accused of recklessly prescribing puberty blockers with harmful side effects and having an “unquestioning, affirmative approach” to children identifying as transgender.

As well there is now the first Australian case in which evidence against puberty blockers was presented. The case settled with a court order prohibiting the use of puberty blockers until the child turned 16.

I hope you will join me to pray that the Tasmanian Liberal Government would listen, and shelve the TLRI report and conduct a proper judicial inquiry. Regardless, we know this is the last desperate attempt by Satan and his demons to get as many people as he can to turn against God and join his rebellion. We are in the prophesied last days before Jesus returns. The coming events are:

1. God refines His church by allowing the Antichrist to rule the nations for three and a half years.

2. God takes all the Saints to heaven (dead rise first) before He pours out His wrath upon the unrepentant with the trumpet and bowl judgements. This period will be exactly the same time as God poured out His wrath with the flood of Noah’s day, 1 year and 10 days. This ensures that the first year of Jesus’ Millennial reign is a Jubilee year.

3. God returns to the earth with the resurrected Saints to defeat the Antichrist at the battle of Armageddon and set up his Millennial Kingdom.

“Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron.” Revelation 19:11-15

DIVINE APPOINTMENTS

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One of the reasons I believe God is in control of all events that occur in His world is the number of divine appointments He arranges for me when I go on missionary trips. Now, when I go on trips I expect that God has gone before me to make sure the right people are sitting next to me. My trip to Kenya, Tanzania, and Rwanda in April/May of this year is a good example. I had ten airplane trips and two long bus trips and on every occasion, the person I sat next to was a ministry opportunity. It was mind-blowing. I gave away five of my books and am corresponding still with two of the connections made. As well, in Kenya, I stayed two nights at the Ark Guest House (owned by the Anglican Church) in Nairobi. At breakfast, I was joined by an Anglican minister who was in Nairobi for a conference with about 70 other Anglican ministers. He was taken by the fact that I had come all the way from Australia to put on a training session for leaders of the Kenya House Church Movement in Migori County. He sought me out at dinner the same evening and asked me if I was prepared to pray for him. What was missing from his and I expect many other Anglican church ministries was a belief in the work of the Holy Spirit in believers’ lives. We ended up going back to his room where I prayed for him and his ministry. He is one of the contacts with whom I still communicate.

Matt Augee who works in a ministry to veterans in the USA supplied this remarkable story about a divine appointment. 

“I had a God encounter a week ago at a veteran’s memorial monument when I was meeting a family to plan the celebration of life for the veteran they had recently lost. I felt God prompted me to go early and I arrived 25 minutes early, just in time to be there when a young woman walked in with her head down and face hidden and sat down at one of the memorials etched bricks in the ground and kept touching it and quietly sobbing and speaking without any sound. I watched her for a little bit and I instinctively felt that I needed to talk to her and that she was suicidal.

My service dog went over to her and sat down next to her and leaned on her. That opened up the opportunity for me to talk to her. She had lost all hope and she came to say goodbye to her grandfather who had raised her and died five years earlier. She came to say goodbye to him and then to take her own life right there. If I had not arrived early I would have come across a dead woman right there at the memorial. I asked her some questions and if she was open to talking about spiritual things and she was. I was able to pray for her and to get her help from our staff which gave her hope. She has subsequently, texted us to let us know that she’s doing better but she’s going to need a lot of care and follow-up. I’m just grateful that I was in the right place at the right time and ready to talk with her and give her hope in Jesus.”

The big question for all of us is are we available for Gods use and expectant on all occasions?

The story of the divine appointment given by Matt Augee was taken from the article “May God Open Our Eyes to the Needy People Who Surround Us” by Randy Alcorn on December 16th, 2022 – http://www.patheos.com.

WHAT WILL BE YOUR LEGACY?

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I just heard Jodi Benson give her testimony and it challenged me. She said she lives one day at a time because this really is all that we have. She is so right each of us needs to live this way being accountable to God for each day.

Legendary in the USA, “Little Mermaid” star Jodi Benson said she tries to find a way to serve others each and every day, explaining her hopes for the legacy she plans to leave behind for her family. “I would like God to be able to look at me and say, ‘You loved well and you served well,'” Benson told CBN’s Faithwire at the red carpet premiere of “The Wingfeather Saga.” “My daily prayer … is to be light, salt, and love every single day when we wake up.” She said she ponders how she can love and serve someone each and every day. “That’s all I’ve got — I’ve only got today,” Benson said. “And I want to be my best today.” As for “The Wingfeather Saga,” a new animated show from Angel Studios, Benson said she’s elated to be voicing the character Nia, and to be working with fellow Christians on the project. Watch what she had to say it is inspirational, encouraging, and at the same time challenging.

“I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Psalms 91:2

THE RISE AND FALL OF NATIONS

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Men see the strength of a nation in its wealth, population, armaments, technology, and knowledge. But where does God look? “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.” Proverbs 14:34. The Bible reveals that the cause of the rise and fall of nations is moral and spiritual. No nation can rely on its strength, power, human intelligence, social programs, and wealth to save it from the devastating effects of moral decay. Just look at history to see how this has played out relentlessly.

Since Israel had forfeited her privileged status, God promised to destroy her as He destroyed the Amorites and the Egyptians (Amos 2:9-10; 4:10,12). The people of Israel had gone so far that God expected no repentance from them. Israel’s opportunity to repent had faded away. It was too late!

As He had fought their battles for them in the past, now God would fight against them. Whatever their courage or expertise, nothing would go in their favor. The things that had formerly given Israel strength in war would be turned against them.

Most Western nations have been built upon Judaeo Christian principles but are now turning away from God just as the Israelites did and they are already starting to see the judgement of God coming upon them.

To heal a person and to heal a nation requires God’s Solution in His Eternal Word. Both require humility, prayer, seeking His face, and turning from their wicked ways. It could not be more clear.

“When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7: 13-14

The prophesied time when God pours out His wrath upon an unrepentant world with the trumpet and bowl judgements is fast approaching.

“When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?” Revelation 6:12-16

UUNDERSTANDING END TIMES BIBLICAL PROPHECY

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If you truly want to know what God is about to do in His world then you need to know that “end times” Biblical prophecies teach Christians will go through a time of tribulation even great tribulation but they will not face the wrath of God that is poured out with the trumpet and bowl judgements. In Philippians, we are told that we will suffer for Jesus’ sake.

“Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.” Philippians 1:27-30

In this passage, Paul builds on Jesus’s instructions to be fearless in the face of persecution. First, he admonishes us to stand firmly together as a unit. It is this unity in the faith that accomplishes God’s goal: to act as a sign; a sign of our opponents’ coming destruction and our salvation. Standing firm in persecution, a unified Church is living in a manner worthy of the gospel. Earlier Paul states that “to live is Christ, to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21 NASB). If we truly believe that Gospel message, what will we fear? When persecutors see Christians standing in absolute faith that a better life and reward is coming, it is a witness to the persecutors of both their coming judgment and the sure salvation of God. This is God’s battle plan. How many millions of our opponents will see this and be converted by this faithful act of witness?

“And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath because he knows that his time is short!” Revelation 12:11-12

The Tribulation or 70th Week of Daniel is about to start on this EXACT DAY! And the Book of Daniel supports this timing. Not only does the Bible tells us what day the Tribulation begins but it also tells us the exact day it ends. And both of these days are Feasts of the Lord. Watch this Nelson Walters video to discover what so few understand about the coming 70th Week of Daniel

IS WORLD HISTORY BUILT ON JUBILEE CYCLES?

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When God set up His own nation Israel, He codified as law the pattern of six days and six years of labour and one of rest. It is the reason God created the cosmos in six days and rested on the seventh it was the pattern for man’s working week. The seventh day (Sabbath) was a rest day and the seventh year (Shemitah) was also a rest year. The Jubilee is built upon the Shemitah cycle (7 x 7 = 49), the year following is the Jubilee year.

The Jubilee cycle begins and ends in the 50th year on the 10th day of the 7th month. The 50th year is also the first year of the next Shemitah cycle. The Jubilee Cycle is therefore 49 years.

Can we build a reasonable biblical case for the Jubilee cycles as the prophetic backbone of the Bible? A straightforward summation of early biblical patriarchal lineages, reveals there were 41 generations which also represent 41 Jubilee cycles between Adam and Abraham and 41 from Abraham to Yeshua. Further insight is added when we consider that the book of Revelation associates the New Jerusalem with the number 144 and that the 144th Jubilee begins the 8th Millennium (new heaven and new earth). The soon coming 7th Millennium is Jesus ruling and reigning with the resurrected Saints on this earth for 1000 years.

For more information on Jubilee Cycles can I suggest you download my free Powerpoint presentation – Jubilee Cycles – Provide prophetic milestones in God’s Redemptive Plan on http://www.millennialkingdom.net – Resources.

Out of Jonathan Cahn’s presentation, I have chosen just three of the Jubilee years that demonstrate that God is in control of history and that He established Israel as His nation for His purposes.

1917 Balfour Declaration, (November 2, 1917): Statement of British support for “the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people”.

1967 Battle for Jerusalem: Jerusalem was reunified under Israeli rule as a result of the 1967 Six-Day War launched against Israel by the Arab world

2017 On December 6, 2017, President Donald Trump announced what no previous president had officially declared while in office: Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. 

ATHEIST TELLS US HOW TO BE A GOOD CHRISTIAN

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Great article from James Macpherson. James writes Rebel News, Sky News, and The Spectator Australia. He appears on Sky TV weekly as a commentator on The World According to Rowan Dean. He is the author of “Notes from Woketopia: Laying Bare the Lunacy of Woke Culture”.

Atheist TV identity Andrew Denton, whose advocacy has been important to governments’ embrace of euthanasia, described the Catholic Church’s position as “a shameful act, devoid of love or Christian mercy towards the dying”.

“It is difficult to conceive of a less-loving or, indeed, Christian act,” he said.

So Denton, who is an atheist, will tell people how to be good Christians. ‘There is no God! Now let me instruct you on how to be a good Catholic.’

Denton is typical of the new totalitarian elites who now afflict Western civilisation. He and his ilk want everyone to be subservient and obedient, and to accept that people like him are the arbitrators of morality. But worse, Denton completely misrepresents what the Catholic leadership said. They never said a priest would refuse to attend a person’s deathbed or that they would withhold compassion. The Archbishop was very clear that pastoral support and prayers would still be offered. He simply said that if a person chooses to directly contravene Catholic teaching they couldn’t, at the same time, expect a Catholic blessing (the sacraments).

Denton twists the Archbishop’s words to make a political point. As Denton might say, it is difficult to conceive of a less-loving or, indeed, Christian act. Undeterred by context or nuance, Denton continued …

“It is little wonder that the latest census revealed that the Catholic Church in Australia is losing members at a historic rate.”

Denton’s comments would be pertinent if the church was running a popularity contest. But Christianity is true whether everyone believes it or no one believes it. The sun, after all, does not stop shining just because people close their eyes. He continued …

“If the leaders of this institution – which receives enormous subsidies from Australian taxpayers – wish to continue their acts of ferocity and contempt towards the wishes and laws of the broader community, then they can expect to see more of the same.”

Hilarious. On the one hand, people like Denton bang on about the importance of separation of church and state … and, on the other hand, they threaten the church with penalties if they don’t tow the State line. Does Denton really expect Christianity to change its doctrine every time the State changes its laws? Evidently, yes.

I believe Denton is an intelligent and compassionate man. But the entertainer suffers from the conceit of many a public intellectual, believing that his way is the only informed way. It leaves him sounding as doctrinaire as those he criticizes.

Denton’s tirade was prompted by The Australian newspaper report that Catholic priests are likely to deny the last rites to people who commit suicide with the help of the state. “Catholic priests to deny last rides in VAD (Voluntary Assisted Dying) backlash,” the headline read.

In other words, the church will continue to uphold the sanctity of life, even in the face of enormous pressure from the state and euthanasia activists. Well, thank God. Governments – with their support for late-term abortions at the start of life and unbridled enthusiasm for euthanasia at the end – can hardly be relied upon to uphold the value of life.

Christianity is pro-life. If you want people to cheer you as you engage the State to help you die, you might need to find a different religion.

But it’s interesting to me that the Catholic Church’s rejection of euthanasia is news. Is it news because people are surprised the church is willing to take a stand on a cultural issue? Or is it news because the media cannot imagine anyone – not even the Catholic Church – holding fast to timeless truths rather than bowing to the truth of the moment?

If the church said its ministers would bless euthanasia, that would be a news story, since it would represent a complete u-turn on 2000 years of Christian teaching.

I suspect the church’s intransigence on the issue is news because, as Westerners, we are so wedded to the concept of individual autonomy that we cannot imagine anyone – not even God Himself – daring to disagree with our personal choices.

If God loves us, as the church teaches, shouldn’t He cheer every lifestyle choice? And why not our deaths, while He is at it?

People who make a deliberate decision to act against the tenants of the Christian faith expect that same faith to enthusiastically bless them as they do. Talk about entitlement! (But then, isn’t that the very reason we need Christianity – to cure our innate sense of entitlement?)

Christianity is not a cult dispensing emotional support to whatever utilitarian approaches one chooses. It is an internally consistent moral framework based on fundamental commandments (e.g. “Thou shalt not kill”). If one cannot accept this, then one is free to look elsewhere for comfort.

WILL CITIES BE BUILT LIKE NEOM IN THE MILLENNIUM?

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In early 2021, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia announced The Line: a “civilizational revolution” that would house up to 9 million people in a zero-carbon megacity, 170 kilometers long and half a kilometer high but just 200 meters wide. Within its mirrored, car-free walls, residents would be whisked around in underground trains and electric air taxis. 

Satellite images of the $500 billion project obtained exclusively by MIT Technology Review show that the Line’s vast linear building site is already taking shape, running as straight as an arrow across the deserts and through the mountains of northern Saudi Arabia. The site, tens of meters deep in places, is teeming with many hundreds of construction vehicles and likely thousands of workers, themselves housed in sprawling bases nearby.

“At NEOM, we are addressing some of the most pressing challenges facing humanity by bringing together a community of the brightest minds committed to reimagining what a sustainable future will look like in 20 to 30 years, and building it today. We are redefining the future now. NEOM is open for business.” says NEOM Chief Executive Officer, Nadhmi Al-Nasr

NEOM INVESTS USD 175M IN VOLOCOPTER FOR ELECTRIC URBAN AIR MOBILITY

NEOM’s unique regional development provides a global living lab for advancing and embedding electric urban air mobility in a multi-modal sustainable transport system. Being built from the ground up, NEOM offers the ideal environment for trialing cutting-edge electric mobility solutions on land, in the air and at sea. In addition to NEOM, Volocopter has launched partnerships and offers its services in global cities that include Paris, Singapore and Rome, as well as in China.

There is no doubt in my mind that the latest technology will be used when Jesus rules the nations during His coming Millennial Kingdom. However, Neom is being built with the rich and famous in mind. In the Millennium we are told multiple times that Jesus and the Saints rule the nations with a rod of iron to ensure that there is equity in the distribution of wealth. Much of the laws and governance established for Israel will apply in the Millennium. The Sabbath, Shemitah, and Jubilee will be observed as well as the Feast Days.

“Foreigners shall build up your walls, and their kings shall minister to you; for in my wrath I struck you, but in my favour, I have had mercy on you. Your gates shall be open continually; day and night they shall not be shut, that people may bring to you the wealth of the nations, with their kings led in procession. For the nation and kingdom that will not serve, you shall perish; those nations shall be utterly laid waste.” Isaiah 60:10-12

What an amazing prophecy: it indicates as do other prophecies that Israel is facing even tougher times ahead “for in my wrath I struck you“. When God pours out His wrath upon the earth a second time for one year and ten days (exactly as He did with Noah’s flood) the whole topography of the earth is changed. Jerusalem is on the highest mountain on earth. Nations will go up to Jerusalem to worship their king.

“And if any of the families of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, there will be no rain on them. And if the family of Egypt does not go up and present themselves, then on them there shall be no rain; there shall be the plague with which the Lord afflicts the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths.” Zechariah 14:17-19

“He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, but with righteousness, He shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and He shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall kill the wicked.” Isaiah 11:3-4

Go to my website http://www.millennialkingdom.net to explore more details on Jesus’ coming Millennial Kingdom.