PROPHESIED END TIMES SIGNS LEADING UP TO THE MARK OF THE BEAST

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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

THE HOLY SPIRIT SUSTAINS US THROUGH TRIALS AND TRIBULATION

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“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

PROOF BIBLE AUTHORS INSPIRED BY GOD

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Just look at what God revealed to Isaiah about Jesus. Isaiah the Prophet wrote a stunningly accurate portrait of Jesus’ all-encompassing work before, at, and after the cross.

BEFORE THE CROSS

In Isaiah 53, he states “Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed” (Isaiah 53:1). This is an accurate prediction: not many continued to follow Jesus after some of His hard teachings (John 6:66). Not many believed it in the end. At the Cross, they all fled. The crowds liked the fish and loaves of bread, but they were not willing to follow Him.

Jesus was a carpenter (Mark 6:3), and he probably looked just like any other Jew of the day. What does Isaiah tell us about Jesus’ physical appearance?  

“He had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him” (Isaiah 53:2).

The religious crowd despised Jesus for claiming to be Who He really was. Did Isaiah predict this happening?

“He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” Isaiah 53:3

AT THE CROSS BEFORE AND DURING HIS CRUCIFIXION

When taken before the Roman Governor, Pontius Pilot we know that Jesus did not try to defend himself. Could Isaiah have been shown this simple fact?

“He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.” Isaiah 53:7

Jesus took upon Himself the sins of the world, motivated by the love of God (John 3:16). Could Isaiah have been shown this 700 years before Jesus came to earth and in such detail?

“Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds, we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:4-6

“Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; He has put him to grief; when His soul makes an offering for guilt, He shall see his offspring; He shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in His hand. Out of the anguish of His soul He shall see and be satisfied; by His knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and He shall bear their iniquities.” Isaiah 53:10-11

AFTER THE CROSS

Could Isaiah have been shown details of Jesus’ death and burial? Once again in astonishing detail. We know that Joseph of Arimathea was the rich man who gave Jesus his own grave (Matthew 27:60).

“By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.” Isaiah 53:8-9

Does God reveal anything about the ultimate destiny of the nation, Israel, which He established for His purposes?

“For a brief moment I deserted you, but with great compassion, I will gather you. In overflowing anger, for a moment I hid my face from you, but with everlasting love, I will have compassion on you,” says the Lord, your Redeemer. “This is like the days of Noah to me: as I swore that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so I have sworn that I will not be (forever) angry with you, and will not rebuke you. For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you.” Isaiah 54:7-10

Israel has a glorious future ahead with Jesus ruling and reigning with the Saints during His Millennial reign on this earth. Will you be there? Start living eternal now ready for Jesus’ return.

“They (Saints) 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

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THE HOLY SPIRIT IS MOVING IN AFGHANISTAN

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Global Catalytic Ministries (GCM) has witnessed exponential growth in disciple-making through one of their leaders, “Jav.”

Massive Move of God In Afghanistan

GCM said, “We are always in awe of what God can do with just one ‘YES’. Jav was trained by the Iranian underground church and is leading the great move of the Holy Spirit in Afghanistan. Jav shared that he will baptize over 60 Afghan Muslims this week! He has discipled 5,000 people and communicates using one of the phones that were purchased with your donations. 5,000 new disciples a year is 416 disciples a month, 13 disciples a day, which means there is a brand new disciple every 2 hours for 365 days straight. That phone allows him to train, disciple, develop other leaders, and grow the kingdom of God. We will continue to keep you updated with information like this in the future. It is our privilege to share stories like this of how the Spirit is moving.” 

Joe Richardson whom I know is heavily involved with this ministry. Can I suggest you consider donating to GCM? You can check them out at http://www.globalcatalyticministries.com.

ARE WE READY FOR JESUS RETURN?

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“Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. Besides this, you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.” Romans 13:10-12

 Paul is reminding us of Jesus’ many warnings throughout the Gospels: to be READY and found DOING his will when he comes in power.  In light of all this, how are you going now? Are you living eternal now? Paul goes on to point out, with some urgency, aspects of our lives and behaviour that might need to be dealt with at present, concluding with the words: “Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not [even] THINK about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.”  Are WE in constant READINESS for the Lord’s Return?

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QUESTIONS WE ALL ASK

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Why were you born? Why do you exist? Is there a reason, a purpose, for human life? These questions have baffled the greatest thinkers and philosophers down through the ages. We ponder the meaning of life. A child naturally wonders, “Where did I come from?” As adults we ask, especially in our twilight years:
“Is this physical life all there is? Does my life have a purpose?”

the vastness of the night sky

Three thousand years ago King David considered the apparent insignificance of human beings when compared to the vastness of the night sky. As a shepherd, he had spent many nights outdoors gazing at the star-studded expanse overhead. Notice the thoughts he recorded in Psalm 8:3-9:

“When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas. O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!“ Psalms 8:3-9

David was reflecting on the dominion God gave mankind at creation, using basically the same language as Genesis 1:26-27.

“Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:26-27

The author of Hebrews quotes David when he is talking about us and the author of our salvation, Jesus. How wonderful it is to know that the Creator of the universe is our Saviour and he calls us brothers and sisters. Every human being needs to know this transforming TRUTH about why God made us and our destiny and it is our job to tell them.

“What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him? “You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor, putting everything in subjection under his feet.” Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, saying, “I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.” Hebrews 2:6-12

WHY DOES GOD PERMIT WHAT HE HATES?

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Why does God permit what He hates? Find out with special guest Joni Eareckson Tada.

Periods of awakening often coincide with periods of suffering for the people of God. The Bible indicates that Christians should expect suffering, for our Lord Himself suffered in this life.

“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.” Matthew 16:24

Joni, from her experience, provides us with a good understanding of the place of suffering in the Christian life, reminding us of our need for the Holy Spirit to sustain us as we face personal trials and even direct persecution.

Love this gem of wisdom given by Joni: God permits what he hates to accomplish what He loves. Christ in me the hope of glory.

LAST DAYS DECEPTION

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In this message preached over eight years ago, David Wilkerson exposes and rebukes Kenneth Copeland and the prosperity preaching crowd. These false prophets have been exposed and there is no reason why any true believer should follow or listen to their preaching or teaching. The false teachers have repeatedly given false prophecies and have drained poor people of all their money with the false promise of prosperity.

Pastor David Wilkerson warred against the false prosperity gospel for much of his ministry. David Wilkerson passionately exposed the last day’s deception. He encouraged listeners to pray and seek God. He preached with anguish. Enjoy this sermon and share it with others.

LIVING ETERNAL NOW TRUSTING GOD

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If you invest in the right treasury (eternal, not temporal), adopt the right perspective, and serve the right Master you have nothing to worry about. In contrast, those who invest in the wrong treasury (temporal, not eternal), adopt a here-and-now perspective, and serve the wrong master (money, not God) have every reason to worry.

“For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” Romans 8:15

Since we cannot serve two masters, our fear of not having enough reveals our true master.

Jesus specifically tells us not to worry about life’s necessities—food, drink, and clothes. Then He says,

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” Matthew 6:33

According to our Lord, giving isn’t what leaves us short of material provision. Jesus promises to provide for givers in full measure.

“Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” Luke 6:38

How about this promise in Malachi?

“Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.” Malachi 3:10

When we give away our treasures, we are seeking God’s Kingdom first. And therefore, “all these [material needs] will be added to” us.

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Paul told the Philippians, “I have received everything in full, and I have an abundance. I am fully supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you provided—a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God” Philippians 4:18, CSB

Their financial gifts were gifts to God. Since they gave so generously to provide for him and his work, Paul was confident God would provide the same for them: “My God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19, CSB). This is a familiar promise, but most people don’t realize that in context, it is specifically for givers who have stretched themselves to become sacrificial partners in Kingdom ministry. “For even in Thessalonica you sent gifts for my need several times” (v.16).

RANDY & NANCI ALCORN’S TESTIMONY

In some cases, God’s provision is obvious—we get an unexpected check in the mail or are given something we thought we’d have to buy. One time Nanci and I discovered an error we’d made in our bank balance, finding we had significantly more money than we realized.

In other cases, God’s provision is less obvious but equally generous. A washing machine that should have broken down a decade ago keeps working. A car with more than two hundred thousand miles runs for three years needing no repairs. A checking account that should have dried up long before the end of the month somehow makes it through. As God miraculously stretched the widow’s oil supply in Elisha’s day (2 Kings 4:1-7), and as He made the Israelites’ clothes and sandals last forty years in the wilderness (Deuteronomy 8:4), I’m convinced He sometimes graciously extends the life of things that would normally need replacement.

The God who fed a million-member family in the wilderness for forty years, fed five thousand with one boy’s lunch, and who is perfectly capable of turning water into wine and stones into bread, will not have any trouble providing whatever He knows you need.

Adapted from the article by Randy Alcorn, “If We Fear God, We Can Trust His Provision” August 8th, 2022 http://www.patheos.com

THE RESULT OF REJECTING GOD AND HIS HELP

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Ollie Davies was 26 years old and at the lowest ebb of his life when he made a decision to come out as a trans woman.

Estranged from his family, he was suffering from depression, anxiety, and behavioural problems as well as a crisis of self-identity. He existed in what felt like a dissociative state. “I felt as if I had no free will,” Mr. Davies says. “I was completely nihilistic and lonely and self-­hating and had no self-esteem. I was experiencing a total loss of identity and lack of sense of self.”

Mr. Davies, who was openly ­bisexual, had never questioned his gender identity as a child or young adult. But when people within his group of queer activist friends repeatedly suggested to him that he was trans, he began to believe it was true. “Ultimately it came from suggestions from others, people just started suggesting that I question my gender,” Mr. Davies said.

When Mr. Davies announced his decision to transition, the ­affirmation was immediate and intoxicating.

“Everyone I knew put trans people on a pedestal,” Mr. Davies says. “It was fashionable. I knew it would be celebrated and ­promoted. At first, it was euphoric. I felt like coming out as trans was my coming home and the key to everything that was wrong in my life.”

But, despite signing up for hormone therapy enthusiastically, being a woman never felt right. “These feelings of negative self-image and negative self-reflection became a downward spiral, and I kept trying to solve the problem further by being more of a woman,” he says. “And it just became more and more incongruent with who I am and what is natural for me. I came to realise it was a waste of time and a delusion.”

Ollie and Genevieve

In 2019, while still living as a woman, Mr. Davies met Genevieve Hassett and fell in love at first sight. “We were both fairly deep into the woke trans ideology,” Ms. Hassett says. “But the more I got to know Ollie the more I realised there was a lot of underlying stuff. I think he felt shame about being a man.”

There are no reliable statistics on how many people identify as transgender in Australia, but there is no doubt the numbers are on the rise. The number of children presenting at gender clinics has exploded in recent years and some predict Australia will begin to see legal actions as in the UK from those who allege they have been harmed by affirmative care.

Mr. Davies has now completed his transition back to being a man. He and Genevieve want to have a baby, but he is infertile from the ­effects of oestrogen on his body. “It’s devastating,” Ms. Hassett says. Mr. Davies now wants to ­publicly challenge what he describes as an activist-driven ­approach to diagnosing and treating gender dysphoria.

He questions the Australian Professional Association for Trans Health (AusPath) standards of care that gender-­affirmative doctors follow, which specify clinicians should take a ­patient-led, “affirmation enablement” informed consent approach “that recognises the patient is the final authority on their own gender”.

“The gender-affirming approach in medicine I think is a complete mistake,” Mr. Davies says. “I’ve seen an enormous amount of anecdotal evidence, ­including in my own life, that there are inadequate safeguards. I think that what has happened to me is just the thin edge of a massive iceberg.

“In my experience, people are inadequately educated about the risks when they initiate the process of transitioning, or even not told about them at all. It seems to me that to just say ‘we must affirm’ is just utterly failing those people and actually causing harm.

Trans health doctors under AusPath insist a mental health assessment is not required in order to facilitate a person to transition because “being trans is not a ­pathology”. But in the fallout from the ordered closure of London’s Tavistock Transgender Clinic, there is now active debate in medicine in Australia about how to care for young people raising gender concerns.

But Mr. Davies believes if doctors had properly assessed his mental health, probed his motivations, and taken an ordinary ­exploratory clinical approach, he may have taken a different path. “I think that in Australia there are hundreds of people like me who now regret it,” he says. “And I think that soon there will be thousands.”