APPOINTMENT OF MIKE JOHNSON AS SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

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Speaker Mike Johnson, U.S. Representative for the 4th District of Louisiana, sits down with Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council (www.frc.org) for a personal interview covering his Christian faith, the rise of anti-Semitism worldwide, and pressing priorities on Capitol Hill.

The House of Representatives had been in chaos for weeks after Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted by a motion to vacate. The House was paralyzed, and in such volatile times with tumultuous events in Israel and across the globe, the need for a strong Speaker of the House was evident. By an evident display of God’s providence, that need was filled by Speaker Mike Johnson.

Tony Perkins reported that before Speaker Johnson was elected, FRC had prayed for a speaker who would stand firm for biblical truth. In a remarkable display of the power of prayer, Mike Johnson was unanimously elected by the House Republicans as speaker. We are immensely grateful to have a speaker who shares our vision of advancing faith, family, and freedom.

GOD RAISES UP THOSE IN AUTHORITY

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There is no doubt that God is in control of history. Nothing happens in the Cosmos He created that He does not initiate or allow. However, often God allows people to elect the leader they want so they get what they deserve. Gay marriage, destruction of the family, etc.

By a slim majority, the Republicans have elected Mike Johnson, a devout Christian as House speaker, and in his opening speech, he spoke strongly about His belief that God is in control of history.

A devout Baptist, Johnson said that he does not “believe there are any coincidences in a matter like this,” saying that “the Bible is very clear that God is the One that raises up those in authority.”

“He raised up each of you, all of us,” Johnson said to his Republican and Democrat colleagues. “I believe that God has ordained and allowed each one of us to be brought here for this specific moment and this time.”

“This is my belief. I believe that each one of us has a huge responsibility today to use the gifts that God has given us to serve the extraordinary people of this great country and they deserve it.”

Johnson said God called Congress to help “ensure that our Republic remains standing as the great beacon of light and hope and freedom in a world that desperately needs it.”

Johnson spoke about the national motto “In God We Trust” and how the words were placed in the House chamber as a conscious rejection of communism during the Cold War.

He stressed the value of the Declaration of Independence and its statement that “all men are created equal” by God, quoting Christian writer and apologist G.K. Chesterton, who once said that “America is the only nation in the world that is founded on a creed.”

Johnson said that while he believes that right now is “a very dangerous time” and “the world is in turmoil,” he declared that “a strong America is good for the entire world.” “We are the beacon of freedom, and we must preserve this grand experiment in self-governance,” he said. “We’re only 247 years into this grand experiment; we don’t know how long it will last.” “We are in a time of extraordinary crisis right now, and the world needs us to be strong; they need us to remember our creed and our admonition.”

Johnson touched on the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, vowing that “the first bill that I’m going to bring to this floor in just a little while, will be in support of our dear friend, Israel.” “We’re going to show not only Israel but the entire world that the barbarism of Hamas that we have all seen play out in our television screens is wretched and wrong,” he said. “We are going to stand for the good in that conflict.”

He also spoke of the dangers presented by the wave of illegal immigration and the ongoing fentanyl crisis, declaring that “we must come together and address the broken border.”

Johnson acknowledged that Americans “live in a time of bitter partisanship” and “it has been on display here today” in the House of Representatives. “When our people are losing their faith in government when they are losing sight of the principles that made us the greatest nation in the history of the world, I think we’ve got to be mindful of that,” Johnson said.

“We’re going to fight; we’re going to fight vigorously over our core principles because they are at odds a lot of times now in this modern era. We have to sacrifice, sometimes our preferences, because that’s what’s necessary in a legislative body.”

Johnson noted that while “we will defend our core principles to the end,” noting that he considered the “core principles of American conservatism” to actually be “the core principles of our nation.”

“I boil them down to individual freedom, limited government, the rule of law, peace through strength, fiscal responsibility, free markets, and human dignity,” Johnson listed.

“Those are the foundations that made us the extraordinary nation that we are, and you and I today are the stewards of those principles.”

Knowing what the Bible has prophesied about the days we are living in, I doubt Mike Johnson will be able to change the trajectory of the USA as it continues to cast God out of all aspects of its life. Nevertheless, in His opening speech, he challenged the government’s representatives about the consequences of their decisions before God.

WHAT A LEADING U.S.A. FINANCIAL ANALYST IS SAYING ABOUT THE FUTURE

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The following economic information on the US is taken from an article by Simon Black, Founder of Sovereign Man. His recommendations are radical – it makes sense to consider having another place to go for you and your family to be safe.

The US national debt is now $33.6 trillion… and it has increased more than HALF A TRILLION DOLLARS just so far this MONTH. Astonishing. And it’s a pretty safe bet that the US government will continue its wild spending spree.

In the last fiscal year which just ended a few weeks ago, a whopping 83% of US tax revenue was spent JUST on Social Security/Medicare, the military, and interest on the national debt. And spending on those three programs is probably not going down.

Does anyone honestly think that a majority of politicians in Congress will slash defense spending at a time like this? Or eliminate Social Security? Or default on the national debt? Those three spending items can’t really be cut. In all likelihood, they will INCREASE. Given all the conflict in the world, US defense spending will probably grow. Social Security spending is already scheduled to increase according to the program’s own published forecasts.

And, considering how quickly the national debt is rising– coupled with higher interest rates– annual interest payments will skyrocket. This means that spending on Social Security, military, and interest, will likely increase from 83% of tax revenue to ONE HUNDRED PERCENT of tax revenue, over the next several years.

America will have to go into debt to fund everything else in the federal government, from Veteran’s Benefits to Homeland Security. But don’t take my word for it. Even the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), which is a government agency of the United States Congress, agrees.

The CBO’s most recent 10-year forecast shows that mandatory entitlement spending (like Social Security) plus annual interest payments on the national debt, will EXCEED all US federal tax revenue by 2031. And that doesn’t even include defense spending! This reality is only SEVEN YEARS AWAY.

Yet if that train wreck wasn’t enough, remember that Social Security’s key trust fund will also run out of money two years later in 2033, according to the program’s most recent annual report. And bailing out Social Security will cost trillions of dollars just to get started.

So, just to be clear, the government’s own projections show that they will reach the fiscal point of no return in just seven years… and then require a multi-trillion dollar bailout of Social Security two years later. Yet as grim as that timeline may be, these government forecasts also naively assume that there will be no major war, pandemic, or national emergency in the meantime. So in reality the doomsday may be much closer.

I’m not being dramatic or sensational. Again, I’m literally citing US government forecasts. Millions of unsuspecting people will have their lives turned upside down from the negative consequences.

Social Security is in serious trouble; 50+ million people are at risk of having their benefits slashed by 2033. There’s also a very high likelihood that the Federal Reserve will start cutting interest rates and printing money again in order to bail out the federal government… thus creating a LOT more inflation.

Taxes will almost certainly rise. Crime could definitely increase, especially petty theft and robbery. Business conditions could be a lot more difficult; it will be harder to raise capital, harder to borrow, and harder to sell, causing a number of companies to either fail or never be started in the first place.

If crime rates spike and civil disturbances become more frequent, it makes sense to consider having another place to go for you and your family to be safe. That might be somewhere overseas in a country where you enjoy visiting and your kids could pick up foreign language proficiency. It might even be a place where you could one day become eligible to apply for a second passport, creating a lifetime of benefit and flexibility for your entire family.

Also, if the value of the US dollar is going to decline… and the rest of the world seems likely to find a replacement as the dominant reserve currency… it makes sense to find alternative assets that can hold their value over time.

I have already written posts about how the elite: the World Economic Forum and the United Nations are planning to resolve this catastrophic scenario with The Great Reset and the Pact for the Future.

The United Nations Is Planning to make a Covenant with the Many in September 2024. Will this begin the Biblical prophesied last seven years and tribulation? The U.N. calls it the “Pact for the Future“. These proposals cover and I quote:  “A New Agenda for Peace that would reinvigorate our collective security framework; a global financial system that works for all; economic metrics that go beyond GDP [gross domestic product] to underpin policy decisions; a compact that would harness the benefits and manage the risks of digital technologies and artificial intelligence; a voluntary code of conduct on information integrity online; new protocols to manage global shocks more effectively; stronger cooperation in outer space; a transformation of education systems; the meaningful inclusion of young people in global decision‑making processes; ways to safeguard the future and uphold the rights of future generations; and a UN 2.0, better equipped to support Member States through the use of data, digital tools, innovation, foresight, and behavioral science. I commend the progress that has already been made on many of the mandated Our Common Agenda recommendations, through the debates convened last year by the President of the General Assembly; the establishment of the UN Youth Office; the five transformative measures for gender equality; the new vision for the rule of law; the Global Accelerator on jobs and social protection; and plans for the proposed open Biennial Summit among members of the G20 [Group of 20], ECOSOC [Economic and Social Council], leaders of international financial institutions and myself as Secretary-General of the United Nations.

The Pact for the Future will be your contract with each other and with your people.  It represents your pledge to use all the tools at your disposal at the global level to solve problems before those problems overwhelm us.  The challenges we face are universal. They require universal solutions and cannot be solved through small groupings of states or coalitions of the willing. The United Nations is the only forum where this can happen.  It will also be important to welcome the contributions of civil society, academia, the private sector, and other important stakeholders.

Former Congresswoman Michele Bachmann has told CBN News she fears all the world’s nations are about to submit too much sovereignty to a United Nations organization.

The former congresswoman points out that the Bible warns that a world-dominating power will bring trouble. “When you look at what the Bible says and the convergence of events that we are seeing across the world right now, and what the prophets from the Bible have said, we need to really pay attention to what’s going on. Because this is the creation of a platform for global government.  And according to the Bible, things that are not good come out of a global government.”

Michelle is correct, what we see happening is fulfilling Biblical end-times prophesies. It is the first move toward a one-world government and the Antichrist spoken of by Daniel.

Before the Antichrist arrives on the scene, the Bible speaks of a battle between Iran and Turkey, the winner being Turkey and for a short period of time the re-establishment of a revived Ottoman Empire. It is then broken up into four possibly by United Nations forces.

“Then the goat (revived Ottoman Empire) became exceedingly great, but when he was strong, the great horn was broken, and instead of it there came up four conspicuous horns toward the four winds of heaven.
Out of one of them came a little horn (Antichrist), which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the glorious land.” Daniel 8:8-9

The Antichrist arises out of one of these four kingdoms.

All the evidence indicates we are fast approaching the last seven years prior to Jesus’ return so how should we live?

Jesus made it possible for our Heavenly Father to send the Holy Spirit to enable us to live the Christian life. He is our Counsellor, Teacher, and Comforter. He produces the fruit of the Spirit in our lives (all 9, Galatians 5:22-24) and provides the gifts of the Spirit (all 9, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11) for ministry so God has provided all we need. All we need to do is to say each minute of every day, not my will but Your will be done in me today. Then God will use you mightily for His purposes.

GOD IS AT WORK IN COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES IN THE USA

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Over 1,000 students attended the Texas A&M Corpus Christi worship event:

More than 120 people were reportedly baptized during a recent revival event on the Corpus Christi campus of Texas A&M University, a gathering that has spurred increased attendance in church young adult groups in recent weeks. 

New Life Church of Corpus Christi helped organize an on-campus worship event on Aug. 31 known as “One Night,” an annual gathering held in the area for the past eight years and on campus for the past two.

New Life Church Young Adults Pastor Tarik Whitmore, whose church has a student organization on campus known as New Life Young Adults, told The Christian Post that their ministry outreach to Texas A&M began in 2015, saying its influence on the campus has “gradually increased over time.”

Whitmore reported that while last year’s One Night event had about 600 attendees and 51 baptisms, this year, they saw more than 1,000 in attendance (out of a student enrollment of around 10,800) and 124 baptisms.

“From the very beginning of worship, it was clear that something significant was happening because it was just, it was so powerful,” White said, noting that the gathering included “faces [we’ve] never seen [in church] before” who were “lifting up the name of Jesus.”

“For young people, it’s one thing for them to do that in a comfortable, familiar context like the Sunday morning; it’s another thing for them to do that at their college outdoors in front of their peers.”

Whitmore was amazed by how much anticipation there was for One Night. In the days leading up to the event, when he and other NLYA members spread the word, they came across many students who already knew and were planning to go. God is doing something with students in certain colleges and universities in the USA.

In February, Asbury University in Kentucky garnered national headlines when students held an impromptu worship service at the campus chapel that lasted 16 days and brought in tens of thousands of visitors from across the United States.

The revival service also inspired the launching of worship events at other schools, both public and private, as well as the creation of “outpouring teams” comprised of Asbury students to share their experiences with others off-campus.

God is at work across the world, particularly in countries where Christians are being persecuted.

Also, we know the end of the story; Jesus will return first to rapture the Saints to heaven and pour out His wrath upon an unrepentant world. Then Jesus returns to Earth with the glorified Saints to rescue the nation God established for His purposes, Israel. This needs to happen so that the covenant promises God made with Abraham and David will be fulfilled. As well, the new covenant spoken by the prophet Jeremiah must be fulfilled.

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” Jeremiah 31:31-34

Christians, we need to show the Palestinians, better still all Muslims that this prophecy will be fulfilled. All the Biblical prophecies of Jesus’ first coming as well as many other Biblical prophecies have already been fulfilled exactly as prophesied so we can be sure the many prophecies of Jesus’ future Millennial reign from Jerusalem will be fulfilled as well.

Jesus will rule and reign on this earth for a further 1000 years before it is destroyed by fire. The rest of the dead are raised (saved and unsaved) to face Jesus at the White Throne Judgement. The unsaved are thrown into the Lake of Fire where they face punishment and a second death. The glorified Saints go to a new Earth where only the righteous dwell.

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:1-4

“And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” Revelation 21:22-27

Note that even on the new earth there are kings and nations. There is a hierarchy on the new Earth as there is in heaven now with the Angels. The difference with the world today is the leaders on the new Earth will be humble servants of those they are assigned to direct their activities. Yes! there will be work to do on the new Earth and new Heaven.

GOD IS SOVEREIGN – YOU CAN BANK ON IT

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The arrogant ruler, King Nebuchadnezzar, the greatest king of the Chaldean dynasty of Babylonia (605 -561 BC) made a humbling discovery. God promised to take Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom from him for a time, and told him, “Your kingdom will be restored to you when you acknowledge that Heaven rules” (Daniel 4:26). That’s exactly what happened, and the truly humbled king afterward insisted that God “does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: ‘What have you done?’” (Daniel 4:35).

“Dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations” (Psalm 22:28). Because God has absolute power, no one—including demons and humans who choose to violate His moral will—can thwart His ultimate purpose.

Paul wrote, “In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will” (Ephesians 1:11). What does “everything” not include?

Even what appears random is not: “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from Yahweh” (Proverbs 16:33). If we believe this, our reaction to many of the difficulties we face will change. Problems will seem smaller, for although we can’t control them, we know God can—and that everything will work out for His glory and our good.

God is sovereign over evil and disaster.

Though evil had no part in God’s original creation, it was part of His original plan, because redemption from evil was part of His plan. Therefore, Scripture doesn’t distance God from disasters and secondary evils the way His children often do. Amos 3:6 says, “When disaster comes to a city, has not the Lord caused it?” A description of natural disasters follows in Amos 4:6–12, where God says He intended these not only as punishment but also as a discipline designed to draw His people back to Himself. (These passages have specific contexts in which God is bringing judgment on His people; they do not prove that all disasters are God’s judgment.)

Satan may bring about a “natural” disaster, but the Book of Job makes clear that God continues to reign, even while selectively allowing Satan to do evil things. Evil never takes God by surprise, nor makes Him helpless.

God isn’t the author of evil, but He is the author of a story that includes evil. In His sovereignty, He intended from the beginning to permit evil, then to turn evil on its head and use it for a redemptive good. God didn’t devise His redemptive plan on the fly, simply making the best of events that spiraled out of His control.

God is sovereign in the outworking of historical events.

Jesus declared that some events “must” happen, in line with Scripture and God’s sovereign will, among them, “From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life” (Matthew 16:21).

Because of what the triune God knew and decided in eternity past, Jesus not only might or could go to the cross, but had to. God chose.

Peter, speaking to a Jerusalem crowd, said of Christ, “This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge” (Acts 2:23). God planned His redemptive work and did what was necessary to make it happen.

God is sovereign over disabilities and diseases.

Every day since 1985 I’ve had to deal with the implications of my insulin-dependent diabetes. As a result, I recognize my absolute dependence on God. This has drawn me closer to Him, and I’m deeply grateful.

Some Christians try to distance God from disabilities, arguing that if we attribute them to the sovereign hand of God, we’re making Him out to be a monster. This argument doesn’t change what Exodus 4:11 actually says with startling clarity, that God directly claims to give people their disabilities: “Yahweh said to Moses, ‘Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, Yahweh?’”

I may fail to understand it, but if the Bible is my authority, don’t I have to believe it? I’ve spoken with many disabled people who didn’t find comfort until they came to believe God made them as they are.

My brilliant friend David O’Brien lived with a severe form of cerebral palsy since birth, and yet he demonstrated joy that transcended his body’s bondage.

At a conference for the disabled, David commented, “If Christ had to suffer to be made complete, how can we expect not to have some form of suffering?” Then he said something unforgettable: “God tailors a package of suffering best suited for each of his own.”

David spoke the following, in words difficult to understand, yet prophetically clear: “Dare I question God’s wisdom in making me the way I am?”

Skeptics may say of disabled believers, “They’re denying reality and finding false comfort. If there’s a God who loves them, he wouldn’t treat them like this.”

David’s audience found better reasons to believe and worship the sovereign God who purchased their resurrection with His blood—and who offers them comfort and perspective—than to believe the skeptics who’ve purchased nothing for them and offer only hopelessness.

We can trust God’s loving sovereignty in every hardship.

Benjamin B. Warfield taught at Princeton Seminary for thirty-four years until his death in 1921. Students still read his books today yet few know his story. On their honeymoon, lightning struck his wife, Annie, permanently paralyzing her. Warfield cared for her until she died. Because of her extreme needs, Warfield seldom left his home for more than two hours at a time during thirty-nine years of marriage.

Warfield viewed his personal trials through the lens of Romans 8:28–29 and wrote this:

The fundamental thought is the universal government of God. …If He governs all, then nothing but good can befall those to whom He would do good.… And He will so govern all things that we shall reap only good from all that befalls us.

Really, Dr. Warfield? Only good from all that befalls us? Warfield spoke from the playing field of suffering, answering an emphatic yes to the loving sovereignty of God.

Our state of mind determines whether the doctrine of God’s sovereignty comforts or threatens us.

Charles Spurgeon wrote, “There is no attribute of God more comforting to his children than the doctrine of Divine Sovereignty.… On the other hand, there is no doctrine more hated by worldlings.”

Imagining that God should let us run life our way sets us up to resent God and even “lose our faith” when our lives don’t go as we want. However, that’s a faith we should lose—to be replaced with faith in the God of sovereign grace who doesn’t keep us from all difficulties but promises to be with us in all difficulties.

God has a way of making what seems worst into the very best.

Nancy Guthrie writes of a speaker asking people to fold a paper in half. She then instructed them to write on the top half the worst things that had happened to them, and on the bottom half the best things.

Invariably, you’ll find things at the top of the page that are also at the bottom. Experiences labeled as the worst things that had ever happened, will, over time, give birth to some of the best things.

It’s the same with my own list. If enough time has passed since some of those “worst things” have happened, then almost certainly we’ll find an overlap.

Our lists provide persuasive proof that while evil and suffering are not good, God can use them to accomplish immeasurable good. Knowing this should give us great confidence that even when we don’t see any redemptive meaning in our present suffering, God can see it…and one day so will we.

Adapted from Randy’s book Hand in Hand: The Beauty of God’s Sovereignty and Meaningful Human Choice.

GOD IS STILL IN CONTROL OF NATIONS

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“And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.” Daniel 2:21

Daniel was shown by God that He sets up kings and takes down kings—the opposite of something that is random or arbitrary.

God had used three kings, Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, his son, King Belshazzar, and Darius, King of the Medes and Persians for His purposes to judge His nation Israel. It was for a season, 70 years.

“In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, by descent a Mede, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans— in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that, according to the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years.” Daniel 8:1-2

God is still using kings and presidents for His purposes today. The re-establishment of Israel as a nation in 1948 was a miracle and it had been prophesied by the O.T. prophets including Moses. Even before Israel went into the Promised Land, Moses told them that they would be cast out and scattered, but at the prophesied time God would regather them, and their Messiah, Jesus, would rule and reign the nations of the world. He would do so from a completely new Jerusalem on the highest mountain in a world restructured by the coming wrath of God as described in Revelation: the Trumpet and Bowl judgements.

The Seven Trumpets of God’s Wrath

“Now the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to blow them. The first angel blew his trumpet, and there followed hail and fire, mixed with blood, and these were thrown upon the earth. And a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up. The second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain, burning with fire, was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. A third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed… Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar before God, saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour, the day, the month, and the year, were released to kill a third of mankind... Revelation 8:6-9, 13-15

The Seven Bowls of God’s Wrath

“Then I heard a loud voice from the temple telling the seven angels, “Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God.” So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and harmful and painful sores came upon the people who bore the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became like the blood of a corpse, and every living thing died that was in the sea. The third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water, and they became blood... The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” 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 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. And great hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, fell from heaven on people; and they cursed God for the plague of the hail, because the plague was so severe.” Revelation 16: 1-4, 17-21

“Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also, I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. 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

GOD IS ALWAYS ON THE MOVE WITH THOSE TOTALLY COMMITTED TO HIM: FATHER, SON & HOLY SPIRIT.

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There’s a whole lot of baptism going on these days. Signs of revival have been ongoing around the U.S. since February when a spiritual awakening began at Asbury University. Initially, the awakening seemed to be happening mainly among college students. But the latest evidence is being seen in the form of hundreds of salvations and baptisms of all ages at churches across the country in just the last two weeks alone, not to mention over the past two months. From scores of souls being baptized at churches, to dozens being baptized at one prison, pastors across the U.S. are declaring that God is on the move. Pastor Eric Petree of Citygate Church in Cincinnati, Ohio posted online, “Over the past two weeks at Citygate we have seen 650 people give their life to Jesus, 93 baptized, and yesterday hundreds of people filled the altars seeking the baptism of the Holy Spirit.”

Sam Rainer, lead pastor, at West Bradenton Baptist Church in Florida, tweeted on Sunday, “Today we baptized 21 people at the beach. God is good! What a blessing!” At the Crossroads Church Jersey Shore Campus, 17 people professed their faith in Christ through public baptism. At the University of Houston, several students chose to be baptized in a public fountain after a Bible study. And Regent University in Virginia Beach just baptized nine students last week. A revival event was reported in mid-April in Damascus, Maryland at Difference Makers Church with non-stop worship that lasted for several days, with young people dedicating their lives to Christ. Jeremy Tucker posted the following photo, saying, “Worship has been going for 41 hours straight! Young people from churches all over Maryland/Virginia/DC are gathering to unite the bride of Christ for non-stop worship! We thought we’d never see it, but the Holy Spirit is finally breaking out in Maryland! Come, Lord Jesus!”

The GOSPEL is still the power of God to all who believe!” Many are also declaring their freedom in Christ, even behind prison walls. The God Behind Bars ministry reports, “First Baptisms Inside of this Prison in 7 years”. 35 men in a prison in Reno, Nevada were baptized!! What a powerful moment.” A recent conference at Trinity Baptist Church in Lancaster, South Carolina, reports, “Many were saved over the 2 days, and even more were encouraged to Keep on for Jesus!  …at the close of the Service, God moved on my heart to ask for prayer for those teens battling suicidal thoughts and over 20 raised their hands for prayer.”

And the list goes on and on. For weeks, churches have been reporting multiple baptisms, including people spontaneously choosing to join in. Christ Fellowship in Miami recently reported 14 baptisms. For the last few weeks, Faith Assembly Church in Winterville, North Carolina has reported baptism after baptism, week after week. Hope Missionary Church North Campus in Ossian, Indiana reported 31 baptisms just a few weeks ago. And two weeks ago, 14 more baptisms were reported at Revival Church in Modesto, California. A student-led evangelistic event based in Oklahoma quickly became one of the largest outreaches in the country after more than 80,000 people signed up for tickets within a matter of days.  Fill The Stadium (FTS) was a gospel outreach being held at the University of Oklahoma’s football stadium and happening in late April.

Source: CBNNews Robert Furman

HOW GOD PROMOTES HIS WARRIORS

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Martyn Isles joins Answers in Genesis which I believe was orchestrated by God. Martyn was used mightily by God in Australia when he became CEO of Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) at a young age. Recently, when the Board of ACL decided Martyn was no longer doing the work ACL had been established to do (lobby politicians) and they decided to part company, I was sure Satan must have been behind the move.

Now that Martyn has joined Answers in Genesis which was established by Ken Ham. I am confident God is the prime mover. I knew Ken Ham when he was in Australia. I think it was back in the 1970’s, Ken co-founded Creation Science Foundation (CSF). As CSF played a major role in my coming to Jesus Christ in 1982, I was a keen supporter. When Ken and the CSF Board decided Ken should move to the USA, he asked me if I would take on the role of CEO of CSF Australia. At the time, I was CEO and owner of Christian Press Pty Ltd and knew God was calling me to take Christian Press to the secular market under the banner Care & Share Products so I declined. The man who was destined to take on CSF was not aware of it at first but God had His way and in the end and Carl Wieland took what is now Creation Ministries International (CMI) to become a truly International organisation impacting the world mightily for Jesus Christ. Likewise, God has used Ken to establish a Kingdom ministry, under the banner of Answers in Genesis that is impacting the USA in a mighty way. I am now confident as I am sure Ken Ham is that Martyn Isles is the man God has prepared to take Answers in Genesis to a new level. The short video below outlines Martyn’s new position with Answers in Genesis.

It Begins with Genesis

God’s people need to stand on the truth of God’s Word beginning in Genesis 1:1 and not compromise with the secular religion of the day—evolution and millions of years. The more this compromise runs rampant in the church, the more we will see people doubt God’s Word in Genesis and be put on a slippery slope to unbelief.

A Biblical Worldview

There is no such thing as being “worldview neutral” because that belief in itself is a worldview! Moreover, Jesus dispelled the myth of neutrality when He stated, “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad” (Matthew 12:30).

CHRISTIANITY: Followers of Jesus Christ who base their thinking on the Bible—and the values they hold to—are increasingly under attack throughout the culture.

ORIGINS: Creation or Evolution? The evidence reveals incredible design in the universe (e.g. DNA – complex information that controls the machinery of each living cell) and complex laws that control how the universe functions. All the evidence screams Creator not Evolution by random chance from a Big Bang.

CULTURE: Our culture is rapidly decaying as the biblical worldview is ostracized and suppressed. More than ever, Christians need to stand on the authority of God’s Word!

FAMILY: The family is under attack today like never before. The Bible provides solid answers and God’s design for family, parenting, and marriage.

LOGIC: In logic and reasoning eventually you have to appeal to an absolute authority. Which is your authority: the Bible or man’s word?

MORALITY: Does morality—right and wrong—depend upon what the majority decides? Or is morality founded upon the rock-solid foundation of God’s Word?

PRESUPPOSITIONS: Presuppositions are simply beliefs that everyone has that affect how we think, view the world, interpret evidence, and read the Bible.

RACISM: Scripture declares there is only one race—the human race! Since we are all descendants of Adam and Eve and we are all one blood, there is no basis for racism.

SANCTITY OF LIFE: Mankind is made in God’s image and therefore human life is sacred. But euthanasia, eugenics, and abortion flow naturally from pond-scum-to-people evolution.

WHAT IS THE MEANING OF LIFE? Why am I here? What is the purpose of life? Do I even matter? Your worldview determines your answers to some of life’s most perplexing questions.

WORLD RELIGIONS: Is the biblical God just one of many deities? Is Christianity just one of several paths that lead to heaven? How do we know who is right?

TEXAS SENATE PROTECTS CHILDREN FROM A GODLESS FUTURE

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Lawmakers in Texas have advanced two pieces of legislation requiring public schools to prominently display the Ten Commandments in every classroom and allow school districts to set aside time for students to pray and read religious texts. 

If passed by the House of Representatives, God will bless this State for taking a stand for Him. Texas will be a light on the hill for God and He will make it stand out in many ways. In fact, it is already happening as many companies are leaving California to move to Texas. If passed. watch and see how this move to save children from a godless future will bless this State.

Last Thursday, the state Senate approved SB 1515, introduced by Republican Sen. Phil King. If passed by the House of Representatives, it would require Texas public elementary and secondary schools to display the Ten Commandments in each classroom. 

In its current form, SB 1515 amends current law relating to how the Ten Commandments are displayed in public schools.

While there is currently no such requirement in Texas, the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District made such a proposal at least legally feasible, the bill’s author contends. 

Joe Kennedy, a public high school assistant football coach in Washington state who was dismissed for praying on the field after games, was reinstated after he was punished by Bremerton School District for praying on the field after games in 2015.

The text of SB 1515 states that enacting the legislation will remind “students all across Texas of the importance of a fundamental foundation of American and Texas law — the Ten Commandments.”

State senators also passed SB 1396, which would allow public, non-religious school districts to adopt a policy requiring its campuses to allocate time for students and staff to participate in an optional “period of prayer and Bible reading on each school day.”

Authored by Republican Sen. Mayes Middleton, the bill would allow prayer or Bible reading to be delivered over a school’s public address system. It would require parents to opt-in for their children to participate.

“A public school student has an absolute right to individually, voluntarily, and silently pray or meditate in school in a manner that does not disrupt the instructional or other activities of the school,” the bill states. 

“A person may not require or coerce a student to engage in or refrain from such prayer or meditation during any school activity.”

TIMING OF RELEASE OF JESUS REVOLUTION MOVIE

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Considering the revival that started at Asbury and is moving across the country is it a coincidence that the Jesus Revolution movie is now being released across the U.S.A. and soon the world (Australia in April)?

Jon Erwin is one half of the filmmaking duo The Erwin Brothers. Jon and Andrew are the team that delivered the hits I Can Only Imagine, Woodlawn, October Baby, and Mom’s Night Out.” But it’s taken Jon seven years to bring a more than 50-year-old story to screen in his latest film Jesus Revolution and he believes it is God’s timing for the movie to be released now.

“This project has taken many twists and turns. It’s the longest I’ve ever worked on a movie,” Jon told CBN News’ Studio 5.

“My hope is people enjoy the movie. And we want to make you laugh and cry. But there really is a movement behind this movie.” 
The historic Jesus Movement began on the West Coast and spread. The Christian revival saw young people, often called hippies, turning to Christ.

The revival that unfolded in Southern California in the late 1960s and early 1970s is what Time Magazine called “The Jesus Revolution.” But just four years earlier, the front page of the very same magazine was asking, “Is God Dead?” 

Those magazine covers inspired Jon to begin work on his film, even before his hit film I Can Only Imagine.

Holding both magazines in his hand, Jon Erwin told CBN News, “I bought this seven years ago, and read this article. And then I bought this one as well. It was the first cover of Time without a picture. And that was my very question. What happened in between these two magazines? This bleak statement and then this psychedelic Jesus. And something was happening so undeniable in American society that Time Magazine had to give it credit with a cover story, as did Life Magazine and Look Magazine.” 

“Then I began to study it. And I wanted to meet people that lived “it”. That was the beginning of my relationship with Greg Laurie.”

Pastor Greg Laurie leads one of the largest church congregations in the country. But his faith story and love story begin inside the Jesus Movement of the 1970s. And both are featured in Erwin’s film. 

Studio 5 talked to Laurie and his wife Cathe as they walked the red carpet at the Los Angeles premiere of Jesus Revolution.

“People know me as an older guy, and it is interesting for them to be introduced to us when we were young,” Greg shared. “It’s our story, but it’s like I am watching another story. But it is a story of redemption. And we are sort of representing a generation of young people that were searching.” 

Cathe Laurie added, “I was aware of how powerful it was for me. It was life-changing. It was overnight. It was darkness to light. And I’ve seen it played out in others’ lives, as they’ve had encounters with Christ. But I never thought our story, especially my story, would be told in such a beautiful way.” 

Joel Courtney plays the role of Greg Laurie in the film. Anna Grace Barlow portrays Cathe Laurie and The Chosen‘s Jonathan Roumie rounds out the cast in the role of the young charismatic preacher, Lonnie Frisbee.  

These cast members shared their thoughts on what gave birth to the revival story they’re now helping to tell on the silver screen.

“The culture was in a moment of fraught need. I think that is what primes a revival. This kind of like lost sheep,” Courtney said. “The need, the desire to reground yourself. And there is no grounding that’s better than the cornerstone of Christ.”

Roumie said, “I think as humans we are hardwired for a couple of things. One of those is the community, only second to God. Relationship with God and community with each other. And when those two things seem to be compromised in society, the spirit starts to rebel against that and try to figure out how to put that back in its right order. And so you have these revivals.”

“And I think you see it now with what’s going on in Kentucky,” he said.

Barlow chimed in, “I want to piggyback on that because I can’t stop thinking about Damar Hamlin going down on the field a few weeks ago. And the gut reaction was to take a knee and pray. And to pray on national television. I haven’t seen anything like this in years.”

“When they say we are primed for it, that’s a buzz phrase I have been hearing around this movie, I think that’s true.”

Filmmakers often say that getting a movie made is a miracle. Producer Kevin Downes would agree. But he also saw miracles while working on this project.

Downes said, “There are moments of miracles whenever you make a film. Obviously, the entire process. But this one had miracle after miracle, where we really felt and sensed God’s presence throughout the entire process.”

The miracles include how veteran actor Kelsey Grammer signed on for the lead role of Calvary Chapel Pastor Chuck Smith.