CITY-SIZED SWARMS OF LOCUSTS THREATEN FAMINE IN EAST AFRICA

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A historic desert locust infestation in East Africa could cause the next major famine as people in the region are already struggling with hunger after droughts were followed by cyclone flooding, one of the world’s leading evangelical charities has warned. 

God tells us that He commands the locusts to devour the land and why. He also tells us what we need to do resolve the problem.

“When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:13-14

When the disciples asked Jesus, “what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” Jesus answer included; “And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.”

A growing spread of city-sized swarms of locusts has reached seven East African countries in recent months. The invasion has been described as something similar to an account from the book of Exodus as the grasshoppers have torn through crops, grass and other green vegetation. 

Desert locusts infest crops in the Habru District of Ethiopia on Feb. 4, 2020. | World Vision

Experts say the crisis might be the result of exceptionally wet weather from rare cyclones that hit the Arabian Peninsula and East Africa in December. The crisis is expected to grow as locusts are breeding and migrating. Additionally, drier weather could lead to an exponential increase in the number of locusts in the region. 

The U.N. has warned that the outbreak has already damaged tens of thousands of hectares of cropland across the Greater Horn of Africa, signifying the worst locust outbreak in Kenya in over 70 years and the worst outbreaks in Ethiopia and Somalia in 25 years. 

According to the U.N., one swarm can eat as much in vegetation as 35,000 humans. 

The biggest worry, Joseph Kamara, World Vision’s regional director for humanitarian and emergency affairs in East Africa, said, is if the crisis is not controlled by the time cropping season rolls around. He stressed that the region is already facing food deficits after many crops were destroyed by flooding last year. 

“So if we haven’t controlled them, then the region is facing famine, not just a food crisis, but a potential famine,” he stressed. 

JESUS SAYS, CHRISTIANS WILL EXPERIENCE END TIMES TRIBULATION

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Jesus tells us what the signs will be of His coming and the end of the age in the Olivet Discourse – Matthew 24:3–14.

“Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”

“And you will hear of wars and rumours of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:3-14

Jesus links the great tribulation, persecution of God’s people with the abomination of desolation in verse 15 – “Therefore [οὖν, oun] when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand)”  and its ensuing ramifications of the great tribulation, the only possible referent of the great tribulation that is linked with the inference of oun in the previous immediate context would be found in v. 9 : “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.” The martyrdom realised in this verse is coupled with all the other trials that Jesus mentions.

It has perplexed interpreters why the end of the age is mentioned in v. 14 before the abomination of desolation event. Now they should know why, because of that short three-letter conjunction oun that is so significant!

The events portrayed in Matt 24:9–14 do not occur throughout church history. Rather, they are a variety of trials that Christians will experience during Antichrist’s great tribulation.

This naturally is followed by Jesus’s return to Rapture His saints. Note it is after the tribulation: 

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” Matthew 24:29-31

BIBLICAL END TIMES – THEY WILL CALL GOOD EVIL AND EVIL GOOD

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The BBC shamelessly opens a Pandora’s Box of gender confusion and sexual immorality, corrupting young, vulnerable minds—and schools are following their lead.

The BBC have released nine online videos titled “The Big Talk” for use in British schools as part of the UK’s new Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) curriculum, which came into force in September, 2019.

West-went-crazy

More than 100 gender identities have now been coined to cater for every possible choice that certain people have made regarding their sexuality. It was widely reported in the UK media that the BBC encourages “celebration” of this plethora of genders (see also our previous article, Celebrating gender confusion). To question this ideology is now considered rank heresy. However, the BBC’s teaching will only sow further confusion in our society. The unpalatable truth is that a radical, dangerous philosophy is now being forced upon the young and vulnerable as part of the advancement of an extreme political ideology. It is of grave concern that the BBC is preaching this new ‘all-inclusive doctrine’ to children as young as 9–12 years of age. However, they have no lower age limit in practice. In the BBC videos, school children are encouraged to transgress the clear standards of God’s Word and to celebrate this behaviour. Also, The Coalition for Marriage reports children as young as four are being instructed in transgenderism2—this is a gravely concerning situation.

Recently, Canadian academic Christopher Dummitt, a leader in the field of historical gender studies, bluntly admitted: “Everyone was (and is) making it up. That’s how the gender-studies field works.”4 Dummit confesses that his field is driven by the underlying, unproven, ideological belief that gender is socially constructed, that it is non-binary (i.e. not restricted to male and female), and that traditional masculinity empowers men to oppress women. Such thinking has dominated the liberal arts in Western academic institutions since the 1990s. But such an ideology Dummit admits is “bankrupt”, not based on biological fact.

HOW TO PREPARE FOR JESUS SECOND COMING

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Most evangelical Christians, that I know, believe we’re living in the prophesied end times, but for many it has made little difference to their lifestyle. There is no sense of urgency to get about their Heavenly Father’s business or to understand where we are on God’s historical timeline. Fortunately, Nelson Walters has put together this video, “How to Prepare for the Last Days – It first answers three fundamental questions:

  1. Have the end times begun?
  2. I’m saved, what else do I need to do?
  3. What are God’s purposes for the end times?

Once these questions are answered, everyone will want to see the rest of the video to learn Jesus’s special commands for the last days and the believers’ role in them.

PREPARE FOR JESUS COMING RETURN

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This following testimony is from Cody Archer. Cody Archer, along with his wife, Liat, help lead the youth group at Ahavat Yeshua and work together in Revive Israel’s international department.

In preparation for the coming prophesied persecution, it is important you read Cody’s testimony now to help you prepare for what lies ahead.

The following verses from Revelation reveal how believers are to overcome Satan in the “end times” just prior to Jesus return, first to rapture the saints, and then to return to earth with the saints to rule and reign in the Millennium.

“Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.” Revelation 12:11

We all want to be in the centre of God’s will for our lives as we approach the time of Jesus return, so it is important we understand what is ahead, remembering that even Jesus, in the Garden of Gethsemane, agonised over what was ahead of Him.

According to global statistics, over 200 million followers of Yeshua are undergoing high levels of persecution today—primarily in the Middle East, Asia and Africa. But, I believe the Scriptures teach that the time is coming when such persecution will be the norm in every country of the earth.

“When I was a new believer in my early 20s, a leader in my life spoke prophetically over me: “Cody, go deep in God’s Word now, because there will be a time in the future where it will be taken away from you, probably because you will be put in prison for your faith.” What an encouraging word for a new believer, right? I took that word seriously and have continued to devote much time to meditating in God’s Word almost daily for the past decade.

Heart Training

As I study the end times, one of the themes that continues to catch my attention is that of persecution. More and more in my quiet times, I have been picturing myself being arrested, beaten, put in prison and even martyred for my faith. I am training my heart now to walk in love for Yeshua and stand up for my faith when those times of extreme pressure come.

My sense is that this heart posture is almost nonexistent in most of the Western church today. Even If you and I don’t end up facing high levels of persecution, I believe it is wise to prepare our hearts, and the next generation, for what is coming.

What Is Coming?

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So what should we be preparing for? Here are some Scriptures I have been meditating on:

  • “But before all these things [read the preceding verses: false Messiahs, wars, great earthquakes, famines, pestilences, fearful sights], they will seize and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons” (Luke 21:12a). If you think you will get raptured out before persecution and trouble come, you will be in for a big shock.
  • Luke 21:16 warns us that biological and spiritual family and friends will betray us and put some to death.
  • “You will be hated by all for My name’s sake” (Luke 21:17). Consider this word: “all.” Atheists, people of other religions and humanistic, secular society may tolerate us at some level today, but this tolerance won’t last forever. Are you ready to be hated by all?
  • “They will put you out of the synagogues. Yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he is offering a service to God” (John 16:2). The deception will be so deep that people will think they are doing God’s will by killing us.
  • Before Yeshua returns, new laws will be passed against believers, rendering us criminals in the eyes of the world. Calling the nations to turn from their sins and not budging on Yeshua being the only way to God will be seen as major obstacles to global peace. Because lawlessness will abound and the love of many will grow cold, we should not expect human help or mercy when attacked, but instead the plundering of our possessions, major lies and attacks through media, lawsuits, fines and imprisonments (Isaiah 24:5-6, Matt 24:12, Heb 10:34).
  • The Antichrist will be granted to make war with the saints and overcome (Daniel 8:23-25, Rev. 13: 7). I believe prophetic patterns in Scripture like in Esther 3 and Daniel 3 where laws were passed forcing people into false worship and the destruction of the Jewish people will emerge again before Yeshua returns.
  • “As it was in the days of Noah and Lot, so it will be also be in the days of the Son of Man” (Luke 17:26; see Luke 17:26-30). The wickedness, violence and sexual perversion seen in the days of Noah and Lots are rampant again today and will continue to be directed against believers in an ever-increasing way (Gen. 6, 19).

One day, Jews and Christians will be the most hated people on the earth. But do not despair about the future; there is good news! The greatest outpouring of the Holy Spirit and harvest of souls will be happening simultaneously with this global persecution (Acts 2:17). There will be a remnant of faithful believers in every nation who will obey God over man (Acts 5:29) and not love their lives unto death (Rev. 12:11).

Lord, help us to apply Yeshua’s exhortation to watch and pray always, that we would be strengthened to resist compromise, sin and fear (Luke 21:36).”

JUBILEE CYCLES AND GOD’S REDEMPTIVE PLAN

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The 70  Weeks Prophecy given to Daniel reveals God uses Jubilee cycles to determine his timing of the events He planned for His Cosmos, His creation, His nation and His children.

The Jubilee Code: Prophetic Milestones in Yahweh's Redemptive Plan (Prophecies & Patterns Book 3)

From The Jubilee Code – Prophetic Milestones in Yaweh’s Redemptive Plan by William Struse:

Would you believe there are 41 Jubilee cycles from Adam to Abraham, another 41 Jubilee cycles from Abraham to Jesus and the break in the timeline of God dealing with the Jews with the destruction of the temple in 40 AD. Prior to this God had already appointed Paul to evangelise the gentiles. We are now in the 40th Jubilee of the era of the gentile church. It is no accident that in the 39th Jubilee from the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem and the dispersal of the Jews we saw the reestablishment of the nation of Israel. Is the time of the church drawing to a close? Could the 41 st Jubilee cycle from the destruction of the temple in 40 AD be a significant milestone?

I certainly think it could be and it fits with all the other Biblical prophetic signs we are witnessing unfolding in our time.

BIGGEST THREAT TO CHRISTIANITY IN THE 21st CENTURY.

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The biggest threat to Christianity in the modern day comes from within, a panel of theologians said at an event hosted by Ligonier Ministries on Tuesday evening to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation.

The panel of theologians at the Ligonier Ministries event “Reformation 500 Celebration” on Tuesday, October 30, 2017. Left to right: Chris Larson, president and CEO of Ligonier Ministries; Stephen J. Nichols, president of Reformation Bible College; Sinclair Ferguson, teaching fellow and Chancellor’s Professor of Systematic Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary; and Derek W.H. Thomas, senior minister at the First Presbyterian Church in Columbia, South Carolina, and professor at Reformed Theological Seminary.

Sinclair Ferguson, Ligonier Ministries teaching fellow and Chancellor’s Professor of Systematic Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary, responded that the greatest threat is “probably Christianity in this century.”

“That’s a greater threat than Islam. Christendom is a far greater threat to Christianity than Islam is. Islam can never destroy the Gospel, but Christendom can easily destroy the Gospel and is destroying the Gospel,” said Ferguson, adding, “the Church is the greatest threat to real Christianity in the world. God help us.”

“Especially with the Church in America, we have far too casual a view of God and that might be right at the centre of some of our theological malaise,” noted Nichols.

They stated the truth, but what they failed to say is that the majority of church denominations and Bible Colleges in the USA no longer hold to the inerrancy of Scripture, particularly the foundational book of the Bible – GENESIS. The acceptance of Evolution and billions of years history for the universe totally undermines the foundations laid in Genesis and its history of the Cosmos. Moreover, we should not be surprised as the Bible tells us that in the “last days” apostasy is rife – “there will be a great falling away”.