Let us look at a few Scriptures relating to life on God’s earth. This first Scripture makes it clear that God knows each one of us before we were born and He knows how we will live out our days.
“Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.” Psalms 139:16
“So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.”Psalms 90:12
David asked God to teach Him. We need to have prayer filled lives and teachable hearts. Note: David wanted a heart of wisdom.
“For if, because of one man’s (Adam) trespass, death reigned through that one man , much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:17
There is only one way we can reign in this life. It is when we receive through Jesus Christ the abundance of grace (Holy Spirit) and the free gift of righteousness.
“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.” Philippians 1:21-23
It really does come down to how much do we treasure our Lord Jesus Christ. Do we treasure Him above all life’s earthly pleasures? Note the two life options for Christians: fruitful labour for Jesus on this earth which Paul obviously enjoyed or to depart and be with Jesus Christ which he acknowledged was the better option.
“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
We all face death but how different is the fate of those that reject God’s offer of eternal life through His Son. Judgement, the Lake of Fire, punishment and eternal death. Unbelievers should be fearful of the fate that awaits them after death. If they knew perhaps some would repent. Let us do our best to reach as many as God brings across our path with the Gospel of Christ.
Skillet frontman John Cooper is calling out what he described as the “woke ideology” permeating the church, arguing it’s “wrecking Christianity.”
He said, “You can’t believe in God and not believe in absolute truth, obviously, because one negates the other. Yet, that is what’s actually happening in Christianity.”
Cooper said he went through something of an awakening around 2016, recalling reading nearly 200 books in hopes of understanding the rapidly changing culture in which we live. Ultimately, Cooper explained, he came to the realization that people “don’t believe in absolute truth anymore.”
That conclusion led him to become “outspoken” about what he sees as a problematic cultural shift that is infiltrating Christian communities.
In his book, “Awake and Alive to Truth,” Cooper argues we “are living in a time that can best be described as a philosophical stew,” suggesting it’s highly influenced by postmodern thought. He relies on the following definition of postmodernism from Encyclopedia Britannica editor Brian Duigan:
A late 20th century movement characterized by broad skepticism, subjectivism, or relativism; a general suspicion of reason; and an acute sensitivity to the role of ideology in asserting and maintaining political and economic power.
The data seems to bear out the presumption that society is trending toward moral relativism and postmodernism. A recent study from the Barna Group found that a majority of teens and young adults — 65% — agreed with the claim that “many religions can lead to eternal life.” In addition, 31% of the survey’s participants said they “strongly agree” that what is “morally right and wrong changes over time, based on society.” Forty-three percent said they “somewhat” agree with that claim.
Cooper urged Christians to “be extremely vigilant about the Word of God,” suggesting a relativistic worldview will encourage some to reinterpret Scripture based on a cultural understanding untethered from absolute truth.
Of course this is exactly what is happening and it is what the Bible prophesied would happen in the last days before Jesus returns, first to take the Saints to heaven, and then to pour out His wrath on an unbelieving world with the trumpet and bowl judgements.
When He (Jesus) opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”Revelation 6:12-17
Sadly, Jesus tells us that prior to His return people will be like they were in Noah’s day when God judged the world and all but eight people perished in a worldwide flood, lawlessness will abound.
“And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.” Matthew 24:12
The American middle class is shrinking… and not in a good way. Millions of folks are sinking below the poverty line. As this massive socioeconomic shift continues, a shrinking sliver of the population controls an ever-larger portion of the national wealth.
Consider that in 1980, the richest 1% of Americans owned about 30% of all household wealth in the country. At the same time, the bottom 90% owned about 24% of all household wealth.
By 2012, the share of all household financial wealth owned by the top 1% had skyrocketed to more than 60%… and the share owned by the bottom 90% had plummeted below 10%.
Now the top 1% now own more wealth than the bottom 92%, and the 50 wealthiest Americans own more wealth than the bottom half of American society – 165 million people. While millions of Americans have lost their jobs and incomes during the pandemic, over the past year 650 billionaires have seen their wealth increase by $1.3 trillion.
Socialists like Sen. Bernie Sanders pins the blame for income inequality on his usual suspect – capitalism: “the most powerful and well-financed entities in the country, including Wall Street, the health insurance industry, the drug companies, the fossil fuel industry, and the military-industrial complex.” However, the truth is very different.
THE TECHNOCHASM – This term from Eric Fry a highly successful money manager refers to the role that technology plays in our increasingly wealth-divided society.
Year after year – and especially during the last pandemic year – dynamic, upstart companies topple established businesses that seem fairly sturdy and dominant in their markets.
In many cases, these dying businesses employ tens of thousands of workers. But the seeming strength of these businesses often hides their underlying weakness.
Companies that fail to adapt die a slow but certain death. Consider the following:
In less than seven years, Uber Technologies Inc. (UBER) demolished the “old” taxi industry while making its founders billionaires.
Around 2007, Netflix Inc. (NFLX) began transitioning into America’s No. 1 movie and television “streaming” service. This innovation crushed traditional brick-and-mortar rental companies like Blockbuster.
Since early 2009, shares of Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) soared more than 5,000%. Meanwhile, dozens of old-school brick-and-mortar retailers shuffled slowly into bankruptcy.
A study of the newspaper industry conducted by the University of North Carolina reported that 1,810 newspapers ceased publication from 2004 to 2018 thanks, in great part, due to vast amounts of cheap – or free – online content.
The destruction of much of the old-school economy wasn’t a concerted effort from Sanders’ usual suspects. It was due to the fact that technology advances so quickly that, thanks to a phenomenon known as the Law of Accelerating Returns, the rate at which these huge disruptions occur keeps speeding up.
Those disruptions will make the wealth gap grow wider every year. Exponential progress – the kind taking place in research labs and tech businesses right now – radically accelerates the pace of change we see in the world… and radically accelerates the wealth gap.
WHAT IS THE SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM?
Sen. Sanders’ solution to this problem is predictable.
We must raise the minimum wage from the current starvation wage of $7.25 an hour to a living wage of at least $15 an hour…
We need to make it easier, not harder, for workers to join unions…
We need to create millions of good-paying jobs rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure…
We need to do what virtually every other major country does by guaranteeing healthcare to all people as a human right…
We need to make the wealthiest people and most profitable corporations in America start paying their fair share of taxes.
Some of the senator’s prescriptions might be helpful, at least short term. But they would cost trillions of dollars and the government is already in trillions of dollars of debt that will eventually make the US dollar worthless. I wish I could tell you this situation will be resolved soon. But it won’t. The destruction of industries is accelerating as all technology is changing exponentially and its adoption is also growing exponentially. Consider robotics and its impact on employment, e.g. Amazon warehouses without employees. Companies can now operate with far fewer employees than ever before and this is only going to escalate.
Governments are not up to the challenge as we see more unrest and radical organisations and Critical Race Theory taking hold. Civil unrest is already rampant in the USA and will only escalate and the stage is being set for the Antichrist to come on the scene. The end time scenario prophesied in God’s Word is beginning to play out. Christians that hold to God’s moral values are already being ridiculed and ostracised. Institutional Churches are increasingly compromising with the world’s values (apostasy) exactly as prophesied.
Just before Jesus went to The Cross on our behalf and the disciples were overwhelmed with the events unfolding at the time. Jesus had already told them that He was going to die and be resurrected but this was beyond their comprehension. They wanted to know what was happening and asked Jesus to tell them.
“Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?
“And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet…. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.” Matthew 24:4-6, 9-12
How many churches are preparing their brothers and sisters for the coming tribulation? Sadly, not many.
God is using the tribulation that is already upon us to purify His church. Only those saints that have been born again with the Holy Spirit will be empowered to serve Jesus and live lives that bring glory to God the Father. For those Christians this will be an exciting time as they serve God in the power of the Holy Spirit with all of the ministry gifts of the Spirit being manifested just as they were in the early church as described in the Book of Acts.
The Parable of the Wheat and Tares is a rapture timing key. It is also controversial and misunderstood. However, Jesus not only explained it to his disciples but told 3 additional parables to help them understand it. The Wheat and the Tares is not only a key to Rapture timing but also to who is saved and who is not, and who will be taken and who is left in the end time. So many theories surround the events of the end times, especially the rapture. How will you know when it is time? What does it look like to live with a hopeful expectancy? In this episode Nelson will help you learn about the timing of the rapture and how to be prepared for the return of Jesus.
In just 11 minutes Francis Chan describes what the Bible says about church and then he describes the short comings of church today. And even more importantly what we can do to get back on track.
Left-wing activists wasted no time in pursuing Australia’s new assistant minister for women, Senator Amanda Stoker. Threatened by her pursuit of truth and justice for women, they have come out against her for having ‘wrong’ beliefs. Stoker is unashamedly Christian and has also spoken out against the aggressive transgender agenda. Keyboard warriors and TV personalities have been quick to attack, not based on facts, but on prejudice against her political and religious beliefs. Prominent LGBT activist and actor Magda Szubanski tweeted, “This reshuffle has handed power to Amanda Stoker, another of the small but noisy ‘Christian Soldiers’ faction hijacking the national agenda. All because a few guys doing the wrong thing. And worse.”
Senator Stoker refused to be intimidated stating, “Those criticising me on Twitter aren’t into delivery, they’re into the tribal. I think it’s a narrow slice of people who have fairly extreme beliefs.” Stoker believes that all women should be represented in public policy, not just those with extreme beliefs. “It’s important that as a government we speak to the full range of women’s experience,” she said. Binary spokeswoman, Kirralie Smith, commended the Senator. “Amanda Stoker has handled her critics well. Being targeted and harassed for her political and personal beliefs exposes their agenda. Stoker has proven time and again her advocacy for women, free speech and the exchange of ideas. Bullies who aim to cancel her want to advance their agenda at the expense of women who refuse to toe the line of their radical ideology.”
Senator Amanda Stoker, Assistant Minister for Women with Prime Minister Scott Morrison
This extremely simple presentation on a napkin outlines what church is all about, what it is designed to do and then explains what the institutional church has added which has made it extremely difficult for it to accomplish what Jesus designed for it to do.
Nicky shares with us the A-B-C process of Discovery Bible Study. I love this simple explanation of how to make disciples. Allow God’s Word to speak into their lives and expect the Holy Spirit to do His work. As Nicky explains in this video, in a group of four or five people the Holy Spirit will use one verse to speak a different message into the lives of each of them. It is awesome and confirms what the following two scriptures tell us.
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” Hebrews 4:12-13
“so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty,Isaiah 55:11
We just need to bring God’s Word and our own testimony to people who are willing to listen and allow the Holy Spirit to do the rest. People need to experience God for themselves our words will accomplish little. I am reminded of the KISS principle.
John Anderson talks to historian Dr. Stephen Chavura on the history of Western civilisation, Western thought and the historical roots of freedom, democracy and the rule of law. He explains how contemporary representations of Western history are often misguided and misleading. History is being rewritten to take God and in particular Jesus, the Bible and all the good that has emanated from the influence of Judaeo/Christian religion and ethics out of the history of nations particularly America and Australia.
Dr. Stephen Chavura teaches European and Australian history at Campion College, Sydney. Before he worked at Campion he was a lecturer in sociology and political philosophy at various Australian universities. He has published in numerous journals including History of European Ideas, Journal of Religious History, and Australian Journal of Political Science. His most recent (co-authored) books are The Forgotten Menzies: The Mind of Australia’s Longest-Serving Prime Minister (2021), and Reason, Religion, and the Australian Polity: A Secular State? (2019). He also writes opinion pieces on current affairs that have appeared in The Australian, Spectator Australia, and ABC Religion and Ethics.
I really enjoyed this video and realised how important true history is to understanding the world we live in. We need historians like Stephen Chavura who are intent on presenting a true view of history and can see how God and His Son Jesus changed history forever. The understanding we have of a God who made us in His image, hence we are all inherently of value, changed the world for the better. How can we go back to a world where there is no God, no meaning or purpose to life, and therefore no hope. It is absurd and in fact insane. No wonder the suicide rate of young people is on the increase.
The rate of death by suicide in people from 10-24 years old in the USA increased 57.4% over the 10 year period from 2007 to 2018, according to new data released by the Centre for Disease Control. The trend signals a nationwide mental health crisis with no end in sight.
Suicide is the leading cause of death among Australians aged 15–24 (See Deaths in Australia). The proportion of deaths by suicide is relatively high among children and young people due to the fact these age groups do not tend to die from other causes.
Suicide rates among young Australians are at their highest level in 10 years, despite a range of prevention strategies and investment from government, according to new research. The report highlighted that although suicide rates among young men were still higher than women, female suicide rates had doubled over the past 10 years.
I received the following email from Pastor Charles Otieno Owino. He is the leader of the Kenya House Church Movement which God is growing exponentially because it is all about making disciples who make disciples. There are no paid pastors nor church buildings. My followers would know that I have been connected with this group almost two years now. Moreover, my involvement as a Board Member of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) Australia has enabled me to connect the KHC group with the President of ICCC Kenya, Rene Kiamba who is introducing them to the ICCC training materials in particular the Transformed Working Life Series available for free on http://www.transformedworkinglife.net.
On a recent Zoom Meeting, which I organised when all of the KHC leaders were together with Charles in Migori, I had the opportunity to hear the testimonies of all the leaders. Not all had English so one of the leaders fluent in Swahili and English acted as interpreter. It was a humbling but wonderful occasion for me as I realised what a privilege it is to be able to support my brothers work in this relatively poor country.
The background to the following email was a request from Charles for a small amount of money to bring several of the KHC leaders to Migori for a meeting with a number of Catholics including a priest who are interested in starting a KHC group in their area. I asked Charles for more background information on the reason for the meeting and the priest.
Dear Ron. 22nd April 2021
The Roman Catholic priest is one of the priests under a chief priest in Nyarombo church, Oruba Paris, Migori county.
I connected with him through my aunt, who for many years had been a Roman Catholic sister at Rakwaro seminary, where she lived most of her life. As a sister in the church, she was unable to marry.
God gave me an opportunity, to share with her the word of God, something which did not take me a year, but nearly 3 years, until she came to the truth of God’s Word and came out of the convent. She is now a believer; a disciple of Jesus Christ and she is married.
I understand she knew this priest for many years back in her days as a Catholic sister. I am sure it is no coincidence that they are now neighbours that she is married. The opportunity came up for her to share with the priest her newfound faith. The Holy Spirit has given her favour with him and she has met with the priest regularly to share God’s Word.
She then knew it was time to tell him about me and organised for me to meet him in her home. I have been meeting with him and sharing the word of God over several months now.
As I have shared with you, my time with him has borne fruit and he has invited KHC leaders to meet him and other people, in his home this week.
Requesting your prayers for a positive outcome from our meeting with him and this Catholic group.
Shalom, Shalom.
Charles
If you feel led, please pray for Charles and the KHC leaders. I will let you know the outcome in another KHC post. Also, if you would like to join with me in supporting the KHC group then go to the DONATIONS link on the Home Page.
