“The Holy Spirit is how God quickens us to new life and births us from above.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” John 3:5-7
“If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.” Romans 8:11
The third person of the Trinity. All three have a role in your Salvation.
The Holy Spirit has a special role as He seals us for eternity. The Apostle Paul says,
“In Him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” Ephesians 1:13-14
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. You know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.” John 14:16-17
“These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you.But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name,He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” John 14:25-26
“But When He, the Spirit of truth, comes He will guide you into all truth” John 16:13
“But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, He will bear witness about me.” John 15:26
“I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.” John 16:7
It is the Holy Spirit’s role to convict the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgement. We cannot convert anyone unless the Holy Spirit has first convicted the person of their sin.
And when he comes, He will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.”John 16:7-11
The Holy Spirit produces the fruit of the Spirit in your life.
“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things, there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23
He provides the gifts of the Spirit for ministry
“For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another, the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another, the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another, various kinds of tongues, to another, the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as He wills” 1 Corinthians 12:7-11
SUMMARY
He lives within you forever (John 14:16).
He directs your paths (Prov. 3:4-5, Romans 8:14, Acts 8:29, Acts 8:39)
He guides you into all truth (John 14:17, 16:13a).
He teaches you all things (John 14:26a).
He reveals to you things to come (John 16:13).
He reveals to you the deep things of God (1 Cor. 2:10).
He produces the fruit of the Spirit in your life.(Galatians 5:22-23)
He equips and empowers you for ministry. (1 Corinth. 12:7-11)
He freely gives you all things (1 Cor. 2:12).
He offers you the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16).
You cannot live a Christian life without the Holy Spirit. It is impossible. Make sure you do not grieve the Holy Spirit nor quench His work in your life but follow Paul’s advice that he gave to Timothy, “fan into flame the gift of God“.
“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” Ephesians 4:30
“Do not quench the Spirit.” 1 Thessalonians 5:19
“For this reason, I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, forGod gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” 2 Timothy 1:6
“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day”John 6:44
To make it even clearer, He says
“And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”John 6:65
So it is not we who found God, but God found us; He called us. Salvation is not a decision we make. It is an act of God upon those whom He brings to repentance and faith.
“God has granted repentance that leads to life.”Acts 11:18
“God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.” 2 Timothy 2:25
Jesus assures believers that
“All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.”John 6:37
It is the Father’s promise to deliver you into the kingdom as Jesus again says,
“This is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that He has given me, but raise it up on the last day.”John 6:39
Twice in three sentences, Jesus says that “All” will come to Him and of all given to Him (Jesus), so not one will be lost, as a result of the Father drawing us to Christ. I am not sure where I read this but I thought it was good enough to write in my Holy Spirit Journal.
God thought us; God sought us; God caught us; God bought us, and God taught us. It’s all about God and not about us.
“Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness! Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” Our God is in the heavens; He does all that He pleases.” Psalms 115:1-2
Moreover, Jesus will soon do all that He pleases on earth during His Millennial reign with the Saints.
“They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.” Revelation 20:4-6
A former professor of women’s studies at Syracuse University recently shared her personal journey from lesbian feminist to Christ-follower. During an episode of The Becket Cook Show, Rosaria Butterfield explained how converting to Christianity radically transformed her life, identity, and relationships.
She met a Presbyterian pastor who played an integral part in opening her eyes and heart to the Lord. “I talk about what it was like to meet a pastor, who was my neighbour when I was a lesbian, feminist, activist, professor,” Butterfield said. “I met Ken Smith, the pastor who the Lord used in my conversion. I thought this man is really smart. He and his wife Floy welcomed me into their world and they came into my world and they didn’t act as though I was polluting them.
Early on in our friendship, Ken said to me ‘there’s a difference between acceptance and approval and if you can live with that difference, I can live with that difference.’” Butterfield started reading the Bible and routinely met with Pastor Ken and Floy, which allowed her to discuss situations from a Christian perspective. “I saw the way his house functioned, it was amazing. We would talk about hard and heavy things. We would read the Bible, we would pray, and would sing songs. I couldn’t help but notice there was an aesthetic, palpable difference between my house and Ken Smith’s house.” She continued, “My house was filled with anxiety and constant frenetic, political activism. At Ken’s house, they would talk about hard things, but at a certain point, they would open the Bible. They’d pray and they would do this thing called ‘leave it at the cross.’ Then they would go on and laugh, feast, and have fun.
I was intrigued by that. I came to the Bible with a long list of things I was mad about that I needed to work through.” “In two years, I read the Bible seven times. I wanted to understand why Bible-believing Christians believed the things they did. This man-God, Jesus was and is compelling beyond description. I wondered two things: could I trust Him and is it true? And that was really the turning point. That’s when I decided that I needed to stop working with Ken Smith.” Butterfield explained that she came to a critical moment in her spiritual journey where the truth of the Gospel was visible and that frightened her. “At that point, Ken and Floy did not become stalkers but they came very close. They weren’t going to let go of me,” she said. “I stopped reading the Bible for research and started reading it for personal questions of truth, life, and death.
It was at that point that I was convicted of a number of sins. I was convicted of the sin of somehow thinking that I had been on the side of truth, justice, diversity, reparations, kindness, and compassion when it was really Jesus who was persecuted the whole time.” “I started going to church, I just showed up one day,” Butterfield said. “I discovered that sermons were this totally different thing and they would really force me to think about things that I hadn’t thought about before. I realized that part of why I didn’t understand how to be a godly woman was because I didn’t understand how to be a woman, which was hilarious because I’m a professor of women’s studies at the time,” she pointed out. “I was a mess, and I committed my life to Christ because I believed He was true and real and I had no idea what He was going to do with a mess like me.”
“Conversion put me in complicated and comprehensive chaos. I sometimes wonder, when I hear other Christians pray for the salvation of the “lost,” if they realize that this comprehensive chaos is the desired end of such prayers. Often, people asked me to describe the “lessons” that I learned from this experience. I can’t. It was too traumatic. Sometimes in crisis, we don’t really learn lessons. Sometimes the result is simpler and more profound: sometimes our character is simply transformed.” —Rosaria Butterfield
During Jesus’ earthly ministry, the disciples were always concerned with where they’d be ruling in the coming Kingdom, but Jesus told them that they had it all wrong. Here is the Living God, Jesus Christ; the omnipotent God, telling them that:
“even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”Mark 10:45
They thought like most of the world thinks; the greatest person is the one with the most servants, but Jesus flips that on its head, saying that:
“whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.”Mark 10:44
The Apostle Peter could not be clearer about how Jesus Christ brings salvation to the sinner. Peter says,
“that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold.”1 Peter 1:18
All the wealth in the universe would not be sufficient to redeem even one sinner. It took the shed blood of Jesus to redeem us. There was absolutely no other way.
“the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.”1 Peter 1:19
“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12
“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”John 14:6-7
“And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.” Hebrews 9:27-28.
Salvation was achieved by Jesus shedding His blood at His first coming to earth but at His second coming Jesus completes the task by resurrecting the dead Saints and the rapture of those that are alive with glorious new bodies.
“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it, we await a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.” Philippians 3:20-21
Source: Angela Rodriguez, Contributing Writer for Intercessors for America
When the Covid crisis began, supply chain problems popped up around the globe, leading to outbreaks of fear-based irrational behaviour. The supply chain issues have intensified since the war in Ukraine. When you walk into a supermarket, you notice your favorite cereal is missing. You also start to notice that the milk or other item you bought in 2021 is now costing you almost a dollar more. Many of us notice 30% or more increases in our favorite food items, well above the published inflation rate.
While the supply chain issues are multi-faceted, there are some specific reasons for the problems at hand. Ukraine and Russia are both major exporters of wheat, corn, and sunflower products, but that is just the tip of the harvest sickle. Back in mid-May, economist James Rickards posted an article where he laid out the reasons why we could see more food supply issues in the near future. He wrote, “In the Northern Hemisphere, the planting season for 2022 is well underway. Crops were planted in March and April. Based on that, you can already form estimates of output for next September and October during the harvest season. Plantings have been far below normal in 2022, either due to lack of fertilizer or much higher costs for fertilizer where farmers simply chose to plant less. This predictable shortage is added to the fact that Russian output is sanctioned, and Ukrainian output is non-existent because it’s at war.”
Rickards explains that Russia and Ukraine account for 29% of the global wheat exports and 19% of corn. But he stresses that this doesn’t mean they grow 29% of the wheat in the world–they grow 29% of the exports. There are some countries, such as Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Kenya, Sudan, Somalia, and other African and Middle Eastern nations, that receive a large percentage of their grain supply from Ukraine, Russia, or both. Rickards says the situation could become dire because many of the Ukrainian exports have shut down. To make matters worse, the planting season is almost over. Rickards concludes, “And you’re not going to get any grain in October if you didn’t plant it in April or May.” Projecting ahead to October–December of 2022, this means that the countries that rely the most on importing grain will not be able to get the amount they need.
According to Rickards, “The combined population of countries that get between 70%-100% of their imports from Russia or Ukraine is 700 million people. That’s 10% of the population… you’re looking at a humanitarian crisis of unprecedented proportions, probably the worst since the Black Death of the 14th century.” The fertilizer issue is perhaps the biggest nail in the coffin when it comes to the price of future supplies of food. With some farmers paying two to three times last year’s price, it’s inevitable that the consumer will absorb much of this cost. Farmers in North Carolina (USA) say they are feeling the impact of inflation and that increased input costs are not sustainable. One farmer said that fertilizer cost is “up three to four times what it was a year ago.” The farmer also added that “a 275-gallon tote of generic Roundup, which is a weed killer, a year ago was $1400; now it’s over $10,000…everything has risen out of sight.”
Add in higher prices at the pump and you get a recipe for rampant inflation. In places like the United Kingdom, farmers can’t afford to plant crops for the next season because of skyrocketing fuel and fertilizer costs. Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey declared that food prices are rising at the fastest rate in 30 years, causing “a huge income shock.” He described food price increases as “apocalyptic.” He warns that the UK may see a double-digit inflation rate by the end of the year.
In response to the shortages, the United States wants its companies to “ramp up” their purchases of Russian fertilizer, especially as inflation continues to increase. According to a Bloomberg report, “The challenge the US faces is that it must balance putting more pressure on Moscow, while also limiting repercussions for the global economy and the world’s food supply, which relies on a wide range of products from Russia.” At this point, however, over 25 million tons of grain, sunflower oil, and other goods are stuck in Ukraine.
While the grain supply is one concern, another issue is the outbreak of diseases among animal populations. In the United States, a bacterial outbreak occurred in two hatcheries in California, which could lead to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of fish. Additionally, the American poultry industry is getting slammed by what’s being dubbed the bird flu. An egg factory in Iowa slaughtered over 5 million chickens because of the virus in March 2022. Earlier that month 50,000 turkeys were euthanized at a different facility. Other states such as Nebraska, Maryland, and South Dakota have experienced outbreaks as well. Adding fuel to the fire, there’s also been a mysterious outbreak of fires in major food processing facilities across the country. One such facility, known as Azure Standard, was destroyed overnight, affecting liquid products such as honey, oil, and vinegar. A week before this, a fire erupted at Taylor Farms, where the main processing facility was destroyed. Known as a “major player” in the food supply chain for both Canada and the U.S., this loss did not go unnoticed.
Another fire occurred in March at the Maricopa Food Pantry in Arizona, resulting in the loss of 50,000 pounds of food. If that weren’t enough, in Minnesota, thousands of chickens died in a devastating blaze. Additional fires have flared up in Texas, Indiana, New Hampshire, Oregon and more. As these incidents and shortages play out, one can’t help but wonder what the globalists are saying, or more appropriately, what’s their role in all of this? It’s no surprise that one world organization like the United Nations is talking about food shortages. David Beasley, the current head of the UN’s world food program, is predicting a “perfect storm” of global agricultural collapse. The biggest problem this year is food prices, but he warns that next year, it will morph into a food availability problem as supplies run dry. In 2023 there will be a food shortage problem.”
Record low water levels in parts of China have put pressure on the nation’s hydropower generators
In China, the power crisis in the world’s second-biggest economy came at a time when supply chains were already strained by the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, China’s strict lockdowns, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It threatens supplies of everything from metals such as aluminum to automotive parts, as well as food commodities.
Ye Tan, an economist and founder of the consulting group Ye Tan Finance, told DW that the current crisis has also hit the agriculture sector hard. She said the provinces affected were the “food basket” of China — accounting for over 20% of the national agricultural output.
Poor autumn harvests in China will have a huge impact on the global market for agricultural commodities, causing already high prices to surge further, she said. The investment bank Goldman Sachs issued a similar warning, saying rice harvests would be at the greatest risk should the severe weather continue. China’s Agriculture Ministry also said over the weekend that high temperatures and unusually low rains since July have posed “a severe challenge” to fall grain production, Bloomberg reported.
The World Economic Forum (WEF) talked about food shortages at their annual meeting in Davos which was held May 22-26, 2022. Ahead of the meeting, World Economic Forum Founder Klaus Schwab said, “The return of war, epidemics, and the climate crisis, all those disruptive forces have derailed the global recovery. Those issues must be confronted in Davos, and the global food crisis in particular needs our immediate attention.” An article that is part of the Davos agenda lays out the food crisis initiatives. It begins by saying that the food system has been knocked off its axis and “stabilizing the global food system requires collaboration and partnerships among key players in agriculture. Climate resilience must be built into agriculture, including carbon-smart solutions and biological alternatives to artificial fertilizers.”
In this case, is it a stretch to ponder the idea that the globalists have their climate-friendly solution for world hunger already in hand? After all, they claim to be sustainable food supply experts who must act swiftly to save the world. At the 2022 meeting, they parroted all the answers and so did their stakeholders and partners. Speaking of the WEF and its supporters, the Rockefeller Foundation had a lot to say about the global food crisis in their guide titled Reset the Table: Transforming the U.S. Food System.
The objective is clearly stated on page 3: “One of the consistent needs we’ve heard expressed by those seeking to transform the food system is a SHARED NARRATIVE to motivate the needed changes in the system. We articulated a narrative and a message framework focused on the long-term transformation needed in the food system.” Further investigation of this guide reveals some common themes which are: racial justice, equity, fairness, sustainability, and shared prosperity. Additionally, while the consumption of healthier food is suggested, emphasis is placed on the use of government programs and subsidies, which are outlined in the guide.
The guide suggests immediate actions that need to be taken to produce “equitable prosperity throughout the supply chain” such as “Occupational Safety and Health Association (OSHA) must set and enforce mandatory guidelines to keep workers and the food supply safe,” as well as “provide credit, loan servicing and debt relief for farmers and ranchers.” This whole narrative the globalists are creating is likely part of a greater plan–one which will have many strings attached, such as global ID’s and carbon footprint trackers. As J. Michael Evans of the Alibaba group declared at the World Economic Forum’s 2022 annual meeting: “We are developing through technology the ability for consumers to measure their own carbon footprint. What does that mean? That is where they are traveling, how they are traveling, WHAT THEY ARE EATING, what they are consuming on the platform.”
Other hints of this same agenda come from the World Bank Group. They, along with the United Nations, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Secure Identity Alliance, Mastercard, the World Food Program and others have big plans for their universal ID program that is built upon sustainable goals. The World Banks states, “The alliance will therefore also work together to help countries build stronger food systems and gradually transition to a sustainable agricultural production base.” Hmm, here are a few questions for the Rockefeller Foundation, Alibaba, and the World Bank.
Will this universal ID be mandatory in order to receive the benefits of these food systems? Will our trackable carbon footprint affect what and how much we can eat? If we defy the approved narrative, will we be locked out of the program? How will food wealth be shared from one nation to another in order to provide “equity”?
“Also, it (False Prophet) causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.” Revelation 13:16-18
The truth is that food can be used as a weapon. So, what do we do about it? Of course, we must take this issue to our Great Provider, Jesus Christ, who is very aware of the true narrative surrounding this issue. No matter what happens, we must remember that God is more than able to provide for all our needs. Like the story of Elijah and the ravens, God can use the most unique ways to sustain us. The ravens brought Elijah bread and meat twice a day. In our times of need, God will not fail us.
Prayer Point: Lord Jesus, please intervene for the nations of the world who may be on the brink of a food crisis. Like Joseph, who supplied grain during a famine, please provide security and sustenance to everyone in need. Above all, keep our eyes fixed on you.
This is the question God asked Job. For thirty-five chapters Job seeks answers to why tremendous calamity has overcome him.
Star studded cluster in the constellation Sagittarius
“God doesn’t give Job an explanation. He just shows Job who He is. … and then says,
‘I ask the questions and you give the answers. Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?Job 38:4
We know why calamity overtook Job, God allowed Satan to bring it upon him. To most of us, this seems unjust, even offensive. Even though we know that God restored Job’s fortunes, twice as much as he had before, it is only when we read Job’s final response that we get to understand what God had achieved. Moreover, it is obvious who is in control of all that occurred.
“Then Job answered the Lord and said: “I know that you can do all things and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. ‘Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you make it known to me.’ I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”Job 42:1-6
As Francis Chan said in a recent sermon, “For any of us who think that we can come into the presence of God and say, ‘God, why did you make me this way? Why did I go through this? This is my body, my choice.’ God says: ‘No, wait a second. No. Nothing is yours. I spoke this world into existence.’ The world is the Lord’s and everything in it. It’s all made by Him.And He doesn’t owe us an explanation for what He does in it.
Chan also referenced Isaiah 66:2, where God says: “This is the one to whom I will look, he who is humble and contrite in spirit andtrembles at My Word.”
“Do you tremble at the Word of God? Do you tremble? Because if you want God to choose you and see you, you need to tremble at His Word. Do you tremble at James 4:6, where it says, ‘God opposes the proud? If there’s ever a verse to tremble at, that might be it,” Chan said.
Chan warned the audience against becoming like those who say they are Christians, but “they are not close to God, not the God of the Bible.” He added that they “can sing … [and] cry, they can talk about their quiet time, but if they are proud, then they’re not very close to that throne.”
“Those who are closest to God are those who are most humble. … Do you understand this God that we pray to? When people were close to God, they were not proud. Chan said, ‘whenever I see pride in my life, the answer to that is not OK, let me try to be more humble.’ No. ‘Let me try to get closer to God.’ Because when I’m in the presence of God, there is not going to be pride there.”
“As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.” James 5:10-11
Nomi Prins spent time at Chase Manhattan Bank, Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns, and Goldman Sachs, before hanging it up and becoming an investigative journalist that sheds light on Wall Street’s more nefarious practices and the US economy at large.
A free market cannot exist, so long as a central entity is setting interest rates and without a free market, some (chosen) parties will always prosper more than others. So, if you’ve ever felt like you have been held back, running in place, working long hours only to just barely get by, now you know why. The Federal Reserve is the reason 64% of Americans are now living paycheck to paycheck.
Hardly any mainstream publications stray far from the official narrative nowadays, but surprisingly Business Insider recently asked a powerful question regarding The Fed: Is America free if a private bank owns and controls our economy?
TRICKLE DOWN WEALTH
On paper, this is what central banking is supposed to do: “Trickle down wealth” is the term it is given, but Nomi believes this to be the biggest lie in financial history and I would tend to agree with her in this instance. Instead, this is what The Fed actually does: As one of the only entities in the world that can “print” or fabricate trillions of dollars and funnel it to the rich, it is doing exactly this.
This is the permanent distortion -the separation of the rich and elite versus everyone else. The bad news is that it could get worse. As we are on the verge of a financial shock that could soon replace all the physical cash in the world, with a digital counterpart. That’s right, Central Banking Digital Currencies (CBDCs) are on the way, with some 90% of central banks in the process of planning the digitalization of their currencies as we speak.
Nomi believes one single stock Block Inc. (NYSE: SQ) holds the power to create extreme wealth for early investors. One that the rich and elite are piling into, right now.
For example, the world’s biggest asset manager Blackrock has just acquired 24 million shares and Billionaire Jack Dorsey who founded Twitter is in for 48 million shares.
This stock is one of the few in its market to actually pull in profits, quarter by quarter, to the tune of nearly $1.3 billion in annual
It was also recently touted on CNBC as the decentralized “Bank of The Future.”
Naomi could be right with the World Economic Forum and the UN pushing for The Great Financial Reset.
I believe what we see unfolding here is leading up to the “end times” control the Antichrist has when he introduces the “mark of the Beast/666“. No one will be able to buy or sell without this microchip inserted into the hand or forehead.
We are quickly moving towards the prophesied last seven years before Jesus Christ returns to this earth first to rescue His sons and daughters before pouring out His wrath upon an unrepentant world. There are some 2000 Biblical prophecies concerning Jesus second coming so we are not to be taken by surprise. In fact, when Jesus answers the disciple’s question “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” Matthew 24:3 He provides great detail of the events that will precede His return and in addition, he says “See, I have told you beforehand.” Matthew 24:25
During the Seventh Bowl Judgement, there are massive changes to the earth’s geology and therefore its geography.
“And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake. The great city (Jerusalem) was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath. And every island fled away, and no mountains were to be found.” Revelation 16:18-20
Israel’s Borders
The future western border of Israel is ‘the Great Sea (Mediterranean Sea)’, (Ezekiel 47.20). This must refer to the Millennial earth and not to the new earth since the new earth has no sea (Revelation 21.1).
Division of the Landof Israelto the Twelve Tribes
“Thus says the Lord God: “This is the boundary by which you shall divide the land for inheritance among the twelve tribes of Israel. Joseph shall have two portions. And you shall divide equally what I swore to give to your fathers. This land shall fall to you as your inheritance.This shall be the boundary of the land: On the north side, from the Great Sea by way of Hethlon to Lebo-hamath, and on to Zedad, Berothah, Sibraim (which lies on the border between Damascus and Hamath), as far as Hazer-hatticon, which is on the border of Hauran.So the boundary shall run from the sea to Hazar-enan, which is on the northern border of Damascus, with the border of Hamath to the north. This shall be the north side. On the east side, the boundary shall run between Hauran and Damascus; along the Jordan between Gilead and the land of Israel; to the eastern sea and as far as Tamar. This shall be the east side. On the south side, it shall run from Tamar as far as the waters of Meribah-Kadesh, from there along the Brook of Egypt to the Great Sea. This shall be the south side.On the west side, the Great Sea shall be the boundary to a point opposite Lebo-hamath. This shall be the west side.” Ezekiel 47:13-20
God says He will rebuild the ruined places and replant that which was made desolate when the wrath of God is poured out during the Trumpet (Revelation 8&9) and Bowl judgements (Revelation 16). God also says He will increase the people of Israel like a flock. There will be lots of babies born and there will be no infant mortality. He says the waste cities will be filled with people. I assume that the surviving nations will flourish as well but not to the same extent.
Then the nations that are left all around you shall know that I am the Lord; I have rebuilt the ruined places and replanted that which was desolate. I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it. ” Ezekiel 36:36-38
“I will open rivers on the barren heights, and springs in the middle of the plains. I will turn the desert into a pool of water and dry land into springs of water. I will plant cedars in the desert, acacias, myrtles, and olive trees. I will put juniper trees in the desert, elms and cypress trees together, so that all may see and know, consider and understand, that the hand of the Lord has done this, the Holy One of Israel has created it.” Isaiah 41:18-20
“On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter.” Zechariah 14:8
Current map showing Engedi by the Dead Sea and Eneglaim by a small brook. In the Millennium fishermen can spread their nets from Engedi to Enweglaim.
‘Living waters’ flow from the new temple and wherever they flow they give life. Half of the waters flow east towards the ‘eastern sea’ (Zech. 14.8) and the map shows the latter to be the northern end of the Dead or Salt Sea. The effect is to remove the salt and enable ‘very many fish’ to live there – enabling fishermen to work from Engedi to Eneglaim.
“From Engedi to Eneglaim it will be a place for the spreading of nets. Its fish will be of very many kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea.” Ezekiel 47:10
“But its swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they are to be left for salt. And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, butthey will bear fresh fruit every month because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and theirleaves for healing.”Ezekiel 47:11-12
Why such detail if it is purely symbolic?
“The whole land shall be turned into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem. But Jerusalem shall remain aloft on its site from the Gate of Benjamin to the place of the former gate, to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king’s winepresses.” Zechariah 14:10
“In days to come Jacob shall take root, Israel shall blossom and put forth shoots and fill the whole world with fruit.“ Isaiah 27:6
“The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus; it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God.” Isaiah 35:1-2
“For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; in the haunt of jackals, where they lie down, the grass shall become reeds and rushes. And a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Way of Holiness;” Isaiah 35:6-8
Jerusalem
It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills, and all the nations shall flow to it,
In the millennium, Jerusalem takes on the names of a redeemed city. It is called ‘The Holy City, ‘The City of Truth‘, and ‘TheLord is There‘, reflecting the presence of Christ and the dissemination of the law from Jerusalem. In fact, the name itself, Jerusalem, is likely from the root ‘shalom’, and so Jerusalem is ‘the City of Peace’.
“Thus says the Lord: I have returned to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city, and the mountain of the Lord of hosts, the holy mountain.” Zechariah 8:3
“The circumference of the city shall be 18,000 cubits. And the name of the city from that time on shall be, The Lord Is There.” Ezekiel 48:35
The Gates of the City “These shall be the exits of the city: On the north side, which is to be 4,500 cubits by measure, three gates, the gate of Reuben, the gate of Judah, and the gate of Levi, the gates of the city being named after the tribes of Israel. On the east side, which is to be 4,500 cubits, three gates, the gate of Joseph, the gate of Benjamin, and the gate of Dan. On the south side, which is to be 4,500 cubits by measure, three gates, the gate of Simeon, the gate of Issachar, and the gate of Zebulun. On the west side, which is to be 4,500 cubits, three gates, the gate of Gad, the gate of Asher, and the gate of Naphtali.” Ezekiel 48:30-34
Jesus will control all aspects of nature
It is probable that imperfect aspects of nature, such as drought, locust, earthquake, and flood will be removed except when ordained as a judgement on a nation.
“For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.” Romans 8:19-20
“He shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root: Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit.” Isaiah 27:6
Once God’s Kingdom is established in Jerusalem among the people of Israel, Christ will ask representatives of all nations to come to Jerusalem to learn about His laws. He will summon them to Jerusalem to attend God’s annual Feast of Tabernacles:
“And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles”Zechariah 14:16; see Leviticus 23:33-44
Scripture reveals that not all nations will immediately cooperate. Early in Christ’s reign, strong measures still will be necessary to convince most nations that He intends to enforce the laws of God.
“He shall judge between the nations, and rebuke many people” Isaiah 2:4
How will He make this clear, especially to nations who obstinately refuse to attend the Feast of Tabernacles? His means of communicating His message to them will be straightforward. He will simply demonstrate His control over the natural forces of the earth.
“And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, on them there will be no rain”Zechariah 14:17
The nations will quickly learn that their existence depends on God’s blessing. Good weather and bountiful crops are blessings from God. From this time forward only nations that obey God will reap those blessings. All others will not. Such a system will serve as a convincing argument. In time, all nations will respond.
Rewarding the saints
Jesus Christ has promised to reward people who through the ages have faithfully served Him (Revelation11:18; Revelation 22:12). Notice their part in His Kingdom:
“Blessed and holyis he who has a part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shallreign with Him a thousand years.” Revelation 20:6
From the beginning of Christ’s millennial reign the faithful servants of God—including many who will have suffered severe persecution and martyrdom—will serve as the teachers and administrators of that wonderful world to come. They will assist Jesus in teaching the ways of peace and righteousness to the nations. This will fulfill Christ’s promise to His Church:
“To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne”Revelation 3:21
The prophet Daniel foretold the same thing:
“Then the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him” Daniel 7:27
Christ does not plan to change the world single-handedly. At His coming, His faithful servants will be immediately transformed from flesh and blood into immortal spirit beings who can assist Him. Paul explained:
“Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.” 1 Corinthians 15:50-53
These transformed beings will sit with Jesus Christ on His throne. They will serve with Him as teachers and administrators during His millennial reign.
Since Christ will establish Jerusalem as His capital, the first people to experience the effects of His rule will be the restored kingdom of Israel. As their King, He will immediately establish a close working relationship with them:
“Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them, and it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; I will establish them and multiply them, and I will set My sanctuary in their midst…Indeed I will be their God, and they shall be My people. The nations also will know that I, the LORD, sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forevermore.”Ezekiel 37:26-28
The people of Israel will play a necessary role in helping other nations implement God’s ways. Once God has forgiven their sins, Jesus Christ will begin using a humbled and repentant Israel to spread the knowledge of God’s law to other nations. The whole world will gradually come under the administration of a unified code of law, the law of God. Jesus will coordinate this as He reigns over the nations from Jerusalem. The world will finally learn to obey God’s law.
Israel will help the nations learn God’s ways
Concerning the restored nation of Israel during Christ’s millennial reign, God says:
“Behold … I will heal them and reveal to them the abundance of peace and truth. And I will cause the captives of Judah and the captives of Israel to return and will rebuild those places as at the first. I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities … Then [Jerusalem] shall be to Me a name of joy, a praise, and an honor before all nations of the earth, who shall hear all the good that I do to them; they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and all the prosperity that I provide for it.”Jeremiah 33:6-9
As the people of Israel learn to follow God’s ways, their example will inspire other nations to seek the same way of life and to want to reap the same blessings:
“Yes, many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem and to pray before the LORD. Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”Zechariah 8:22-23
Nations will see that keeping God’s law works. They will come to Jerusalem to learn how they can apply it in their own lands:
“Many nations shall come and say, ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.’ For out of Zion the law shall go forth, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem ” Micah 4:2
“The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea” Isaiah 11:9
The fruit of righteous knowledge
With Jesus Christ as King, Jerusalem will be the center of learning for the world. God’s Word, the Bible, will provide a solid foundation for the development of education and knowledge:
“So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth…It shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. For you shall go out with joy, and be led out with peace; the mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing before you, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree; and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.” Isaiah 55:11-13
Prosperity will increase while crime and corruption will cease:
“Instead of bronze, I will bring gold, instead of iron I will bring silver, instead of wood, bronze, and instead of stones, iron. I will also make your officer’s peace and your magistrate’s righteousness. Violence shall no longer be heard in your land, neither wasting nor destruction within your borders.” Isaiah 60:17-18
It takes much more than mere knowledge, however, to produce lasting peace and cooperation. A spiritual change is also necessary. It will be that spiritual change in the people of Israel that will inspire other nations to admire their way of life and want to emulate it:
“O house of Israel,…for My holy name’s sake…I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.”Ezekiel 36:22-27
The spiritual restoration of humanity is the most important transformation that will occur during this millennial period when the world is transformed. The Spirit of God will enable people to willingly and enthusiastically obey Him from the heart:
“But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” Jeremiah 31:33; Hebrews 8:10
God’s Spirit will phenomenally transform people. Obedience will be widespread; people will exhibit honorable leadership and enjoy a stable society:
“I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward, you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city.” Isaiah 1:26
The changes will be permanent, lasting throughout subsequent generations:
“Also your people shall all be righteous; they shall inherit the land forever … that I may be glorified. A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation. I, the LORD, will hasten it in its time.”Isaiah 60:21-22
Each new generation will carry on this tradition of righteousness:
“All your children shall be taught by the LORD, and great shall be the peace of your children.” Isaiah 54:13
People the world over will notice and respect their example:
“Their descendants shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people. All who see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the posterity whom the LORD has blessed.” Isaiah 61:9
Spirituality spreads
As people from other nations see what happens in Jerusalem and its environs, they too will want to serve the living God:
“Also the sons of the foreigner who join themselves to the LORD, to serve Him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be His servants—everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, and holds fast My covenant—even them I will bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer…For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.” Isaiah 56:6-7
Finally, the barriers between Israel and other nations will fall. This will occur because all will eventually realize
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” Galatians 3:28
Physical blessings
As people the world over begin to obey God, first by getting their spiritual priorities straight, they will begin to experience unprecedented physical prosperity:
“‘Behold, the days are coming,’ says the LORD, ‘when the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him who sows seed; the mountains shall drip with sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it…They shall build the waste cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink wine from them; they shall also make gardens and eat fruit from them.'” Amos 9:13-14
Isaiah compares this time to a perpetual feast with the best of everything:
“On this mountain, the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines, of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear.” Isaiah 25:6
Notice this inspiring description of blessings yet to come:
“They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labor in vain, or bear children for calamity; for they shall be offspring blessed by the LORD—and their descendants as well.Before they call I will answer, while they are yet speaking I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw like the ox … They shall not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain, says the Lord. ” Isaiah 65:21-25
This vision of the millennial reign of Christ is not an illusion but a promise of reality. Jesus Christ will return to earth to spiritually transform its people and establish utopia, a paradise on earth. The combination of removing Satan’s influence, giving humanity God’s Spirit and teaching the world the laws and ways of God will produce 1,000 years of peace and a society blessed beyond its wildest dreams.
But, incredible as this sounds, prophecy reveals that an even more amazing period awaits mankind, the new heaven and a new earth.
As Emma Duncan records in The Times and reported in The Weekend Australian, July 2nd, 2022.
Edward Chancellor has a gift for timing. Devil Take the Hindmost, his book on financial speculation, was published shortly before the stock market crash of 2000. His new book, The Price of Time, The Real Story of Interest, comes out just as tightening monetary policy threatens to tip the world into recession. He could have improved on the title, however:
Doomed! We’re All Doomed! would have better represented the book’s message.
Chancellor argues that, whenever money is too easy, financial markets become unstable. He takes the story to the present day, when interest rates have sunk lower than at any time in the five millennia since they were first recorded – including the extraordinary appearance of negative rates in Europe and Japan – and highlights how this has contributed to profound economic insecurity and financial fragility.
Chancellor reveals how extremely low-interest rates not only create asset price inflation but are also largely responsible for weak economic growth, rising inequality, zombie companies, elevated debt levels, and the pensions crises that have afflicted the West in recent years – conditions under which economies cannot possibly thrive. At the same time, easy money in China has inflated an epic real estate bubble, accompanied by the greatest credit and investment boom in history. As the global financial system edges closer to yet another crisis.
As I have posted previously The World Economic Forum and the United Nations have realised that the time is right for The Great Financial Reset. Read what they say on the WEF website.
As we enter a unique window of opportunity to shape the recovery, this initiative will offer insights to help inform all those determining the future state of global relations, the direction of national economies, the priorities of societies, the nature of business models, and the management of a global commons. Drawing from the vision and vast expertise of the leaders engaged across the Forum’s communities, the Great Reset initiative has a set of dimensions to build a new social contract that honours the dignity of every human being.
We are living in the time Biblical prophecy reveals is the time leading up to when the demonically inspired world leader (Antichrist) appears on the scene for his allotted time. We should not be surprised at what is unfolding in the world today. God has told us in advance so that we know He is in control of history and even allows the suffering and yes, the evil that happens for now within the context of His overall purpose.
“There shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all the kingdoms, and it shall devour the whole earth, and trample it down, and break it to pieces.” Daniel 7:23
“And the beast (Antichrist) was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. Also, it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, and all who dwell on the earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.” Revelation 13:5-8
“For through Him (Jesus), we have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In Him, you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.” Ephesians 2:18-22
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom He predestined He also called, and those whom He called He also justified, and those whom He justified He also glorified.” Romans 8:28-30
Coptic Christian martyrs for Christ
While this life is fraught with many trials and tribulations, the sufferings we experience are to be counted as incomparable with the glories to come. We groan, we wail, we suffer—yet with much hope as we persevere to the end, waiting for the redemption of all creation, and even our bodies. Yet in this, the tension that all mankind faces come to the forefront, and the reason for this is simple: we must wait. This anticipation for glory builds more and more anticipation the longer we must endure this life. This anticipation for glory sustains us and brings forth one major reason why we persevere: we hope in the age to come rather than in this broken and fallen age.
Paul says, that in the same way, this hope for glorification sustains us, the Spirit sustains us, for He knows precisely how to intercede on our behalf before the Father.
Where words and utterances fail us in our prayers, the Spirit transforms them into prayers that match the will of God. The very purpose of the Spirit’s intercession is not so we can feel good about His work in doing so, though we should have much joy in this fact. Rather, the Spirit’s work in transforming our failed prayers likewise culminates in us reaching the finish line, where we are ushered into the presence of our Triune Lord for all eternity. In other words, the Spirit’s work of intercession on our behalf is part and parcel of our endurance; we endure not only for the hope of the age to come but specifically because part of the Spirit’s work is to bring about endurance in us.
Here then is where we find our particular reference that God works all things for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. And what is that purpose? Paul says, the “good” that God is working all things together for, is explicit.
“For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.” Romans 8:29-30
Human suffering has a purpose that culminates in glory. To make that ever clearer: the purpose of our trials and sufferings is to bring us to final redemption, where we see God face to face, free from the pain, devastation, and destruction caused by the curse of sin, our adversary Satan, and death itself.
“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39
God sees to it, from eternity past to eternity future, that those who love God, that is, those who are in Christ, will one day be glorified, first to assist Jesus in His Millennial reign on this earth and then, after the White Throne judgement, to be ushered into a world free from the Fall and its effects. All of our groaning, all of our longing, all of our deferred hope for what is to come, shall be satisfied in the fullness and richness of God’s saving love through Christ.
Adapted from an article by Jason Gilbert “God Works All Things for Good” August 23, 2022, http://www.patheos.com
LIVING ETERNAL NOW 