TRUMP AND VANCE: IT IS THEIR ELECTION TO LOSE

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Donald Trump survived because God still has more for him to do. It is a miracle he is alive and most Christians will know that is the case. There is no doubt in my mind his response to the assasination attempt will help his election bid. It is now his election to lose. His choice of JD Vance as his running mate for V.P. is also an inspired move.

Vance converted to Catholicism in August of 2019, when he was baptized and confirmed at St. Gertrude Priory in Cincinnati, Ohio, by the Rev. Henry Stephan, a Dominican friar. According to an interview with American expatriate and writer Rod Dreher, who was present at the baptism, Vance chose St. Augustine as his patron saint.

Vance told Dreher that he’d converted because he “became persuaded over time that Catholicism was true” and had observed that the people who meant the most to him were Catholic. Vance said his conversion would have happened sooner if not for the clergy sexual abuse crisis, which “forced me to process the church as a divine and a human institution, and what it would mean for my 2-year-old son.”

Before becoming Catholic, Vance, now a father of three, was raised by Christian relatives, including many who didn’t go to church. Around when he started law school, he “went through an angry atheist phase,” as he told Dreher.

If elected, he would be the second Catholic vice president in U.S. history — after Joe Biden.

Vance is tied to ‘Catholic integralism,’ an ideology that seeks Christian influence over society

Vance is tied to an ideology known as “Catholic integralism,” an intellectual movement that experts say, prefers a “soft power” approach to exerting Christian influence over society. Thinkers in the movement herald the importance of a Christian “strategic adviser” to people in power.

As Kevin Vallier, a professor at Bowling Green State University and expert in Catholic integralism, told RNS earlier this year: “There’s the sense that the liberal order is so corrupt that elite Catholics have to find positions of influence and use them in a kind of noble and appropriate way,” he said.

Harvard University’s Adrian Vermeule, a leader in the movement, stated that integralists once viewed Trump as a figure similar to Constantine the Great, the Roman emperor who converted to Christianity. Vermeule has also praised Trump by likening him to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, a leader widely decried as being authoritarian.

Since receiving Trump’s endorsement for Senate in 2022, Vance has become a strong ally of the former president. Ahead of his Senate campaign, Vance apologized for previously calling Trump “reprehensible.”

“Like a lot of people, I criticized Trump back in 2016,” Vance told CNN in 2021. “I regret being wrong about the guy,” Vance said, adding he thought Trump was a good president.

Recently, Vance stood by Trump’s side at a New York courthouse during the former president’s criminal hush money trial. He has also made clear that his view of the constitutional limits on a vice president’s role in certifying election results differs from that of former Vice President Mike Pence, who drew Trump’s ire in January 2021 when he opted not to interfere in the process of approving electoral votes for Joe Biden.

There is obviously good chemistry between the two men which is imperative as Trump cannot fire his VP. He has to work with him for the entire four years if elected President.

WHO AM I? Solving the identity puzzle (1)

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I have just finished reading Martyn Isles’s book Who Am I? Solving the identity puzzle. It is a good book to make Jesus known and reveal more about God. Martyn makes the good point that we all like to think that we are made in God’s image but the reality is that while Adam was created in God’s image, as a result of the Fall, we are no longer in God’s image, we are in Adam’s image.

Now that I have finished the book, from my standpoint there is one major error and one significant omission. The error is that God made humans eternal. Martyn says that when God breathed into Adam He made him eternal, in essence immortal, yet all the Bible says is that he became a living creature.

“breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.” Genesis 2:7

Eternal/immortal means not subject to death. The Bible says God alone has immortality.

“Who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no person has seen or can see.” 1 Timothy 6:16

In this passage, we see that immortality is something that is part and parcel of the nature of God. He alone has it. The Scripture teaches that only God has life in Himself.

“For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself.” John 5:26

The New Testament also says that God grants immortality to humans who trust in Him.

“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” John 17:3

From the following passage we discover three things about immortality.

“So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory’” 1 Corinthians 15:53-53

1. Immortality is given only to believers, there is no mention of unbelievers receiving it.

2. It is a gift from God that believers will receive in the future at Christ’s coming.

3. Immortality refers not only to the soul or spirit but the body is also included. Believers become immortal when this mortal body puts on an immortal one.

The Biblical error of an immortal soul leads directly to a second error the fate of unbelievers. Despite Jesus making it clear that the wages of sin is death and unbelievers perish much of the church teaches unbelievers suffer conscious torment for eternity.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.“ John 3:16

“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.” Matthew 7:13

“Whoever is steadfast in righteousness will live, but he who pursues evil will die.” Proverbs 11:19

“Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” James 1:15

Note that sin ultimately brings forth death not life in everlasting conscious torment. Four times in Revelation we learn the fate of unbelievers is a second death.

“The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” Revelation 21:7-8

I like to keep my posts relatively short so they can be read in 5 to 10 minutes. Hence, I will cover in my next post, what I believe is a serious omission. Martyn makes no mention of the fact Jesus made it possible for our Heavenly Father to send the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit to be our helper. He is our Counsellor, Teacher, and Comforter. He produces the fruit of the spirit (all nine) in our lives and He provides the gifts of the spirit for ministry (all nine). Without Him, it would be impossible to live a Christian life.

HEALING FROM GAY DESIRES IS POSSIBLE

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Taylor Simon Maxwell struggled with gay desires. In his book, The Desire Tree he relates how walking beside his Heavenly Father as a son, he found radical transformation and healing in the Lord. Healing is possible.

Maxwell says, that having God as our Father is like having the best therapist in the world. And the great news is that you don’t have to pay for it. It was purchased with the blood of Jesus Christ 2,000 years ago. Humbly surrender before Him, recognizing that homosexual desires and behaviors are sinful. That homosexual desires are not a result of genetics but a result of sexualized wounds from our life stories. God wants to help you process and understand why you struggle with what you struggle with and bring healing. He is the loving Father who cares.

Christian men who are struggling with gay desires are not only sealed with the Spirit of God, forgiven of all their sins, and given eternal life, but are in a right relationship with the Father who loves them and longs to sanctify them. That means that we can bring our sinful desires, childhood wounds, hurts, and pains to the Father, and ask Him to bring healing. We can ask Him to change our desires in His Fatherly love. To help us see our sin the way He sees our sin. As God begins to mature us in the faith and change us from within, the things we once wanted lose their power.

Men who are struggling with gay desires must come to understand three truths in their healing journey. This is not an exhaustive list, but it is a good place to start.  

The first truth is that no one is born with hardwired homosexual desires. This argument is a creation of those who enjoy their sin and want to make an excuse to live the way they want to. Convincing oneself that you were born with homosexual desires is nothing more than a sinful coping mechanism. If you can convince yourself that you were born with homosexual desires, then you can convince yourself that the desires and the radical behaviors you indulge in are not sinful. “I was born this way baby. What do I have to repent for?”

The Bible says that we are born with a sin nature (Ps. 51:5), not that we are born with predetermined genetic sinful desires. Just like there is no such thing as an “I want to steal a pack of gum from the store gene,” or an “I want to cheat on my math exam gene,” there is no such thing as an “I want to commit homosexual acts gene.” The idea that people are born with a genetic proclivity towards homosexual behavior is not taught anywhere in the Bible. It is in direct opposition to what the Bible says about the location of our sinful desires. This brings us to point number two.

The Bible says that sinful desires, including sinful sexual desires, come from the heart (Matt. 15:19), not our genetics. And that through the power of Christ we can have our desires changed (Gal. 5:24). That we can have our minds renewed and find true and lasting freedom from the sin that is in our lives (Rom.12:2). Jesus said that a man who looks at a woman with lustful intent has committed adultery in his heart (Matt. 5:28), not his genetic code.

Nowhere in the Bible are we instructed to ask God to change the desires of our chromosomes. Rather, through repentance and the supernatural work of the Spirit in our lives, we can become more like Christ and have our hearts transformed (1 Thess. 4:3-8). This brings us to our third point, which is really two points in one.

Men who struggle with gay desires must understand that their sinful desires to connect with men in a relationally disordered way is a result of a complex assortment of wounds that have been sexualized. These men must also recognize, believing fully in their hearts, that homosexuality is contrary to God’s design for gender, marriage, and human sexuality.

Men were designed by God to relate platonically to one another as equal brothers. Fundamentally, homosexuality is predicated on men relating to one another not as equals, but within a sexualized hierarchy of dominance and submission. Truthfully, homosexuality is a desire/behavior to emasculate and/or be emasculated by another man. In the homosexual world, these are called “tops and bottoms.”

When it comes to gender expression according to God’s design, a husband will always express his masculinity by “giving,” and his wife will always express her femininity by “receiving.” A husband and his wife become one-flesh in marriage because a husband and his wife were created from the same flesh to begin with (Gen. 2:23). Homosexuality takes this beautiful design and distorts it. A man was never meant to “give” to another man, and/or “receive” from another man.

Homosexuality is thus, an attempt at recreating that relational dynamic, of which is proper for a husband and wife but is improper for two people who share the same gender. Men who struggle with homosexuality must recognize that the desire to engage in any behavior that is homosexual is a desire for something rebellious. Something rebellious against God’s design for gender, marriage, and human sexuality. The world says embrace these desires. God calls us to holiness (1 Thess. 4:3-8). A man for example, who desires a homosexual context, must humbly stand before God, recognizing it as a disordered desire. And that underneath the sinful desire for a sinful sexual context is a wound. The non-sexual desire, for example, to receive the love of an absent father figure is a very common wound amongst men who struggle with homosexual desires. And so, beyond repentance, there must also be a recognition in the individual that there are many wounds underneath the surface that need to be dealt with. This is not just “I desire sinful sexual contexts,” but also, “I have wounds that I have sexualized from childhood that I need to bring before the Father who loves me.”   

MADE IN THE IMAGE OF GOD?

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“When God created man (Adam), he made him in the likeness of God. Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them Man when they were created. When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.” Genesis 5:1-3

Adam is said to be made in the image of God but after The Fall things have changed such that Adam’s son is not described as created in God’s image but in fallen Adam’s image and likeness. This is a statement of theological significance confirmed in Romans 5 and 1 Corinthians 15.

“Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned… ” Romans 5:12

“For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners,” Romans 5:19

“Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust,” 1 Corinthians 15:49

Adam’s image includes two things that God’s image did not include. It includes SIN and DEATH. All humans have become dead sinners because we bear Adam’s image. Sin is pollution, which is why Jesus describes the human heart as the source of all kinds of wickedness.

“What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” Mark 7:20-23

Whilst we are no longer made in God’s image the good news is that Jesus is made in God’s image.

“He (Jesus) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.” Colossians 1:15

“the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” 2 Corinthians 4;4

“He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.” Hebrews 1:3

The entrance of Jesus Christ into world history was not a surprise. It was part of God’s plan to undo the Fall as prophesied in Genesis 3:15. These words were spoken to Satan.

“I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” Genesis 3:15

Jesus is the woman’s child. He will be injured (bruised heel). But he (Jesus) will destroy sin and death by crushing Satan’s head.

“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” Galatians 4:4-5

This is important because sin and death are our problem, not God’s. It is on us to put it right, but it is beyond our power to put it right because it is against God. So the powerful God became man to put things right for mankind.

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14

Scripture records that:

“For our sake, he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

“so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.” Hebrews 2:9

Just before His death, Jesus said this astonishing thing in prayer.

“I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.” John 16:4-5

END TIMES PROPHECIES BEING FULFILLED – FAMINES, PESTILENCES, EARTHQUAKES, WARS AND RUMOURS OF WARS

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“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. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.” Matthew 24:6-8

South Sudan is facing a confluence of humanitarian crises that are pushing the country to the brink of starvation. Conflict in neighbouring Sudan has caused over 692,000 people to flee into the country, hyperinflation is crippling the economy, climate change impacts continue to wreak havoc and all the while, the Humanitarian Aid Fund is only at 16%. At the same time, forecasts indicate that there will be above-normal rainfall in July following heavy rains that affected several areas in East Africa earlier this year. Already, 46% of South Sudan’s, 5.83 million people, were facing a worsening hunger situation with reports indicating that 1.7 million children could face malnutrition in 2024. Combined these factors are placing millions of lives and livelihoods at immediate risk. “The humanitarian situation in South Sudan is getting worse every day,” said Abel Whande, CARE in South Sudan Country Director. “We are particularly concerned at the condition of women, girls, and children arriving at transit centres in Rienk and Bahr el Ghazal, as part of the dramatic increase in refugees escaping violence in Sudan.

Hyperinflation and currency depreciation have made access to basic necessities nearly impossible, with families spending most of their income on food. This economic crisis, combined with the aftermath of years of conflict, severely undermines the communities’ ability to rebuild and recover. Adding to the difficulties, South Sudan is also bearing the brunt of the extreme impacts of climate change. Extreme weather events, including floods and prolonged droughts, are destroying crops, displacing communities, and exacerbating food insecurity. These climate shocks are pushing already vulnerable people into deeper poverty and despair. CARE alongside South Sudan local organizations are working hard to support communities and the refugees and returnees however they can but the situation is overwhelming. “The influx of refugees and returnees while communities already are facing severe conditions worsen an already bad humanitarian situation, ” said Angelina Nyajima, CEO of Hope Restoration, one of CARE’s partners.

To avert a catastrophe, the international community must act swiftly. Increased funding for the humanitarian response is paramount. More specifically, support must extend to the host communities, those who generously share their limited resources with displaced families. And long-term solutions, like investments in infrastructure, agriculture, and education, are the only way to break the cycle of poverty and vulnerability that fuels conflict.

Source: Care International

GOD’S WORD IS THE TRUTH THAT SETS US FREE

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In Matthew 4:4, Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Paul said in Romans 10:17 that our faith comes from “hearing through the word of Christ.” Psalms 119:105 says “Your Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path; something we store up in our hearts as to not sin against the Lord. Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 12:13 “the whole duty of man” is to “fear God and keep His commandments,” which can only be done by knowing Him and His commands through His Word. Paul said in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 the Bible is how we are “complete” and “equipped for every good work.” Jesus says the Word is the truth that sets us free.

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17

“Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” John 17:17

Really, all of Scripture proclaims our need for Scripture. All of Scripture proclaims our need to pray. Time with the Lord, via our communication with Him in prayer and time spent in His Word, are the most valuable, precious, and significant ways we can spend our time. Jesus knew this. In His earthly ministry, we see how He knew Scripture, preached Scripture, and lived out Scripture. Encompassing all of this was His consistent communion with His Father in prayer. Jesus is the best example we have of prioritizing spiritual discipline over all other disciplines, and we’re supposed to imitate Him. Yet not only do we often fail to imitate Him we also often neglect to even try.

Jesus said in John 14:15, “Whoever does not love Me does not keep My words.” This is not to say you don’t love your Lord and Savior, but do you keep His words? Do you read His Word? We may proclaim, “Lord, I love you!” But do we also proclaim, “I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your law is within my heart” (Psalm 40:8)?

God’s Word is utterly substantial and worthy of being the top priority in our lives. Sadly, we prioritize other things. But don’t you see? The pursuit of spiritual growth is worth putting forth the same effort as we would toward any other form of growth. In fact, it’s worth infinitely more effort — hopefully, you will soon be convinced of this, if you aren’t already.

It’s a perspective focused on the immediate that often drives us to prioritize things other than spiritual growth, and this isn’t surprising. It’s easy to see how working toward a healthy diet, physical activity, or career advancement is beneficial now, and when we focus on these things, we often allow the importance of spiritual growth to be put aside. However, challenge yourself to consider these areas in light of eternity, and you just might see how minuscule their weight truly is.

One day, our bodies and worldly achievements will fade away. If we shove the maturing of our faith to the side, it may be too late before we realize our faith is all that matters. In reality, unlike everything else that will fade away, our souls will go with us to the White Throne judgement by God, which inevitably makes them the most important aspect of our life now. Am I saying you should put aside all earthly ambition to pursue spiritual growth? Certainly not. The argument is that prioritizing spiritual growth is what allows you to then prosper in other areas.

It would be a mistake to think our spiritual well-being only matters when considering eternity. It surely does matter then, but it equally matters now. It’s worth our every effort to grow in our faith now because the effects of such a pursuit will become manifest in both the immediate and what’s to come.

To prove that our faith plays a role in all areas of life. My question is: Is this the perspective you have each day? Do you believe what you do right now counts for eternity? If so, then it should change the way you view your priorities. You just might see the spiritual growth that’s easily forgotten is exactly what you need to get through today, tomorrow, and each day that’s to come.

A heart with the Word of God written upon it can have peace in the chaos, joy in the trial, and hope for the future. A life that prioritizes spiritual growth is one that inevitably leads to growth elsewhere. The way I see it, a strong faith makes for a better friend, spouse, relative, co-worker, athlete, musician — you name it!

We already know as we’ve read from 1 Corinthians 10:31, that “whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” What we prioritize should glorify God, as well. And truly, I cannot think of a better way to glorify Him than by making His Word, His truth, and revelation what we cherish.

TENNESSEE DECLARES JULY A MONTH OF PRAYER AND FASTING AFTER PRIDE MONTH

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The state of Tennessee has called its citizens to spend the month of July in prayer and fasting as a way to “reclaim our nation” after Pride Month, we ask that “the Holy Spirit fill our halls of government,” and renew our nation in God’s image and likeness.

The resolution asks God to deliver the state and our nation “from violence committed upon our citizens by non-citizens,” as well as “human trafficking,” “deadly fentanyl” sales, family breakdown, and “corruption in our federal government.” “We hold that ‘Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain,’” the resolution says, quoting Psalm 127:1.

“As public servants in the Tennessee General Assembly, we seek God’s [m]ercy upon our land and beseech Him to not withdraw His Hand of blessing from us,” the resolution declares. “We recognize that God, as Creator and King of all Glory, has both the authority to judge and to bless nations or states. … We recognize our sins and shortcomings before Him and humbly ask His forgiveness.”

Importantly, it concludes with a petition for the renewal of the state and the entire country: “[W]e ask that the Holy Spirit fill our halls of government, our classrooms, our places of business, our churches, and our homes with peace, love, and joy,” says the resolution. It asks all Tennesseans to engage in a month of “prayer and intermittent fasting” as “a means of seeking God’s blessing and humbling ourselves to receive His [g]race and [m]ercy, transforming ourselves, our communities, our [s]tate, and our [n]ation.”

Tennessee State Rep. Jason Zachary (R), a co-sponsor of the bill, told “Washington Watch” Tuesday that legislators passed the bill in the spring with July in mind, because “this is the month of our independence. To be transparent: We are following Pride Month, which was part of the conversation — how we reclaim our nation? And the way we as believers approach that is through prayer,” said Zachary. “We know that we are facing an enemy looking to steal, kill, and destroy. And we serve the Author of all things, the King of Kings.”

Delegates envisioned “the people of our state being unified. Believers calling out, saying, ‘Lord, we need You. We’re a land that has lost its way. We’re still the greatest nation in the world, the freest and wealthiest people. We’ve done more to advance the Kingdom and further the cause of Christ than any other nation in the history of the world,” said Zachary on Tuesday.

“But we’re very different” than the faith-filled generations that carved the United States out of an undeveloped wild and founded a constitutional republic rooted in biblical principles, Zachary told “Washington Watch” guest host, former Congressman Jody Hice. “Even in the 10 years that I’ve been serving,” America has become “a very different nation.”

Elected officials saw this resolution as their way of putting into effect 2 Chronicles 7:14: “If my people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

Hice, the former U.S. representative turned senior vice president of Family Research Council, called the bill’s passage “a great source of encouragement” and “certainly a story that you are not going to hear about from the legacy media.”

The state House of Representatives passed the legislation, House Joint Resolution 803, by an overwhelmingly bipartisan 82-6 vote on March 4. All six no votes came from Democrats. The bill passed the state Senate 27-1 on April 8. Governor Bill Lee (R) signed the prayer resolution into law on April 16. The signature reflects the governor’s personal relationship with God, said Zachary, who declared, “Governor Lee loves the Lord.”

“We need the Lord to hear us and heal us and have grace on us once again,” said Zachary.

God does answer prayer, so watching the state of Tennessee will be interesting but as for the USA it is already under God’s judgement which will only escalate. Biblical prophecy shows us that the USA does not feature in the events of the last seven years when the Antichrist rises to power and this is understandable considering the godless state of the nation: abortion, homosexuality, gay marriage, transgenderism. The country is debt-ridden with corruption rife and its government is currently run by a senile President. It has already lost credibility with the rising powers China, and Russia, as well as the U.N.

DO WE WELCOME GOD’S REFINING FIRE?

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We’ve lost an understanding of the reality of suffering as a consequence of the fall and neglected to see how God overrules evil for his greater purposes. We need to understand this so our feet land on the solid foundation of God’s Word and the God of that Word—and there find understanding and hope. All other ground is sinking sand.

If you’ve trusted in Christ as the Savior and Lord of your life, you can rest in the truth that your afflictions and sufferings come to you for your ultimate good and his ultimate glory.

Let’s look at four specific biblical reasons why God ordains suffering for His people.

1. To Kill Sin and Grow Godliness

God uses suffering to expose the sin that clings so closely to our hearts. When we suddenly bear an affliction, our pride, impatience, and unbelief will often surface. Pain has a way of cracking open the heart, laying it bare. When I’ve faced suffering, I’ve responded with anger. Though the suffering itself isn’t evil, it illuminates the evil residing within me. Sometimes it reveals my lack of faith in God’s promises. I begin questioning God: How could you let this happen? 

If we’re prone to love something in this world—house, spouse, children, job—more than God, He may sometimes remove the idol. And it will hurt. In doing so, though, we are freed to refocus our primary love on him alone. King David saw a woman bathing, sent for her, slept with her, then had her husband killed. When the prophet Nathan confronted David about his sin, he responded with Psalm 51. Suffering serves as a cleanser, revealing and killing our present sin, and deterring us from greater sin.

2. To Relinquish the Temporal for the Eternal

God also uses suffering to wean us from a love of this world and redirect our thoughts and affections toward that which is eternal: “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Col. 3:2). Jesus told the rich young ruler to sell all he had and give it to the poor. Then, he said, you will have treasure in heaven. The young man went away sorrowful. Sometimes, God will simply remove those treasures for our greater good; it’s better to lose an eye than to face God’s judgement. (Matthew. 5:29).

As Christians, the afflictions we experience in this life should point us to the reality that we’re “sojourners and exiles” (1 Pet. 2:11; Heb. 11:13) here on earth, journeying toward the ultimate city. Our citizenship is in God’s Kingdom (Phil. 3:20). This fallen world is not our home, and the afflictions we experience along the way serve as arrows directing us to release what’s fading and grasp what’s unending.

Paul declares that God “comforts us in all our afflictions,” adding: “For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ, we share abundantly in comfort too” (2 Cor. 1:3–5). As the Lord of true comfort, we are to see our pain as “preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (2 Cor. 4:17).

“Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

3. To Produce a Hypocrisy-Free Faith

God also uses suffering is to refine us, as fire refines gold by burning away the impurities (Jer. 9:7; Zech. 13:9; Mal. 3:3). Suffering will often distinguish the true believer from the hypocrite by the response of each. In our suffering, we are given the opportunity to discover the sincerity of our love, hope, and faith in God.

Are there areas of dishonesty or insincerity in your heart? A plunge into a season of affliction can reveal these. When suffering falls on a church—whether through illness or persecution—“Christ’s summer friends” flee, as the Puritan John Flavel put it. Affliction causes the believer to cling to God and the unbeliever to forsake him. In this way, it comes as a sort of revealing test to separate sheep from goats and refine his precious people through fire.

4. To Bear Witness to the World

Under the rod of affliction we’re given the unique opportunity to bear witness to the gospel’s power in our lives—which effectively calls others to repent and believe. The believer’s own endurance under trial serves as a shining public witness to the truth of God’s Word.

I’ve known believers who have suffered so well that onlookers have asked about the unshakable hope and peace the sufferer enjoys. God uses the suffering of his people to display his grace in securing their salvation. Our frequent trials prove our hope and faith is not in vain, and serve as a platform to showcase gospel hope.

Our Father in heaven ordains suffering for us because he loves us (Heb. 12:6). He is weaning us from a love of this world, transforming us by the renewing of our minds (Rom. 12:2), and will complete the good work he began in us (Phil. 1:6). May we rest in the surety of his covenant promise that, even amid suffering and trial, he will never leave us nor forsake us (Heb. 13:5).

Editors’ note: This excerpt is adapted from Brian Cosby’s new book, A Christian’s Pocket Guide to Suffering: How God Shapes Us through Pain and Tragedy (Christian Focus, 2015). For a more extensive survey of these five points, see Cosby’s book Suffering and Sovereignty: John Flavel and the Puritans on Afflictive Providence (Reformation Heritage, 2012).

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SAN FRANCISCO: PUBLIC NUDITY PERMITTED IN PRIDE PARADE

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The recent San Francisco Pride Parade featured nude adults walking around in front of children and a “Fetish Zone” where men urinated on each other in a kiddie pool and performed other sex acts.

Do you believe a God of righteousness will allow this to continue? Thank goodness Jesus told us that this lawlessness would precede His return to deal with Satan, and his Antichrist, and restore righteousness.

Most mainstream media outlets that covered the event neglected to cover its lewder aspects, with the San Francisco Chronicle running with the headline: “SF Pride Parade draws thousands celebrating LGBTQ community: ‘We love our people'” “Pride takes over San Francisco streets with eye-catching costumes and fantastic floats,” read the headline from SFGate.

Multiple reporters on the ground over the weekend posted graphic footage on X of the annual event that receives millions in donations from corporations and civic organizations in San Francisco. The ATF and FBI also participated in the parade, according to footage obtained by TENET Media.

TENET Media field reporter Taylor Hansen interviewed multiple nude men on the street who attempted to justify their public nudity in front of children as natural and sometimes even good for them.

“None of the crybabies and parents who complain about it can ever explain exactly how a child is harmed by seeing the human body, and every study that’s been done on the subject shows that it’s not harmful. Children who grow up with it are more well-adjusted,” said one naked man who described himself as “a nudist and an artist.”

Footage taken by reporter Savanah Hernandez at the event’s Fetish Zone showed a bearded man in an inflatable kiddie pool being urinated on by a woman as others around them watched. Hernandez reported that despite the area being 18+, the attendant was not checking IDs. Footage of the same pool taken by Hansen showed a similar situation, but which also included fellatio. When Hansen approached police about the incident, they reportedly told him it was a “pick your own battles kind of day.” Other booths in the Fetish Zone reportedly featured men getting whipped and spanked, as well as other simulated sex acts.

This is clear evidence we are in the Biblical prophesied last days before Jesus returns so we need to tell our unsaved loved ones and friends that it is also the time when God pours out His wrath upon an unrepentant world with the Trumpet (Rev. 8:1-11:19) and Bowl (Rev. 16:1-21) judgements.

“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…” Revelation 8:1

“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.” Revelation 16:1-2

How many churches are making disciples that will preach this Gospel message?

QUANTUM COMPUTING Vs CLASSICAL COMPUTING

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If you have not read my previous report Quantum Computing and How It Will Affect the Job Market then you need to do so before you read this post.

Quicker processing speeds mean that computers can tackle more complex problems, which will improve predictive analytics, pattern recognition, and complex optimization tasks.

The implications here are hard to understate. While classical computers have made tremendous gains over the decades, we’re talking about a complete paradigm shift with quantum computing. You can throw Moore’s Law – which states that the number of transistors on a microchip (and, in turn, computing power) doubles approximately every two years – out the window.

Up until recently, building a quantum computer was prohibitively expensive. They were overwhelmingly complex and massive, and they needed to be kept in stable laboratory conditions and cooled to nearly absolute zero (-459 degrees Fahrenheit).

In other words, they were confined to academic research labs and a few well-heeled tech companies.

But thanks to a single piece of technology called an ion trapper, that’s all about to change…

Made of a composite group of highly specialized materials including silicon, quartz, and sapphire, an ion trapper uses electrically charged atoms to store and manipulate qubits. (A qubit is the quantum version of the classic binary bit.) The important thing to know is that this approach promises to take quantum computing out of the physics lab.

We’re talking about the first-ever commercially viable quantum computer. It will potentially be:

  • Able to operate at room temperature,
  • A fraction of the size of traditional quantum computers,
  • Stable enough to operate in any environment,
  • And as simple to use as any laptop.

Hopefully, all who read this can appreciate that what we are exploring is the complex world that God created for mankind. We can only do this because God created us in His image with some of the creative abilities that He possesses.

Sadly, we know from Biblical prophecy that the world we live in is like the world was at the time Noah lived. It has rejected God and is lawless and it will come under the control of Satan and his Antichrist. The good news is we know in advance that Satan and his Antichrist’s reign is short. As prophesied, Jesus will return, first to rescue the Saints and God pours out His wrath upon the Earth with the Trumpet (Revelation 8:6 to Rev 11:15) and Bowl (Revelation 16:1-21) judgements. Jesus then returns to Earth to defeat Satan and the Antichrist at the battle of Armageddon (Revelation 19:11-21).

Victorious Jesus sets up His Millennial Kingdom with glorified Saints. If you want to know more about what is next on God’s agenda for planet Earth, follow this website and go to http://www.millennialkingdom.net.