do not let your hearts fill with fear:
for these things must first come to pass;
the end is not yet.
Nation will rise against nation,
and kingdom against kingdom.
Fearful sights and great signs will appear in the heavens.
There will be signs in the sun,
and in the moon,
and in the stars.
On the earth will be great adversity between the nations,
and perplexity,
roaring like the sea's mighty waves.
Famines,
plagues,
and earthquakes will increase.
All these are the beginnings of sorrow.
Because evil will abound,
the love of many will turn cold."
--Jesus
On a visit to relatives the summer of my 15th year, I experienced a prophetic vision of sorts. In the early evening I was talking to a cousin and the conversation took a decidedly spiritual turn. As the Spirit of Jesus began to convict her of sin, righteous and judgment, I felt like I was re-living each word and movement that passed between us! Call it premonition, if you will, but I knew what was going to occur before it happened. When she reached into a drawer to discard the object of her repentance, I nearly exploded with joy - not only for her salvation but for the special privilege of knowing the Lord had chosen beforehand to show me this special moment!
The prophet Jeremiah was chosen to bring to the
nation Israel very unpopular messages regarding their future captivity and oppression. He exposed generational sins in the people that God could no longer tolerate. But much of his message regarded the future and even Jeremiah realized the ultimate test of a prophet is whether the predicted events come true.
A small event occurred that, I think, gave Jeremiah a moment of joy and a certain validation that God concerned himself with and used even the most incidental events in a magnificent way. It was revealed to Jeremiah that a relative was going to offer him some property in the occupied city of Jerusalem and that he should purchase it. Shortly thereafter the cousin showed up precisely as the Lord had revealed it to Jeremiah and the transaction became symbolic of God's future blessing to the nation that they would once again return and live in the land of God's promised prosperity.
There is coming a day when the work of rebellion among the inhabitants of this planet will be consummated, called to account and a final refining of the race results in the rule of righteousness revealed in the Son of Righteousness.
The events leading up to that moment, make no mistake, are terrible and terrifying. Even now we see the wicked attempting to manipulate what they intuitively sense about these impending cataclysmic events into an opportunity to profit and control the masses for their own benefit.
This scaremongering over issues like "man-made global climate change," ebola and radical Islam is a reflection of the nature of their Master. Not surprising, since the devil knows more about the Bible and its prophecies than most believers! But in keeping with his nature, rather than bow his will, he will continue to deceive and take down as much of humanity as he can until the final day.
Jesus, the source of all wisdom and knowledge, foresaw all these events, and painted with broad strokes the trials coming upon this rebellious world. Let us reflect for a moment that, in the midst of these horrifying troubles, the one thing that brings Him most sorrow is:
We don't need special prophetic gifts to know how we ought now to live! Keep loving and living without fear, always growing in His perfecting love! Then will we be able to stand strong in the day of judgment, blameless with great joy!
The prophet Jeremiah was chosen to bring to the
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| image source: flikr.com |
A small event occurred that, I think, gave Jeremiah a moment of joy and a certain validation that God concerned himself with and used even the most incidental events in a magnificent way. It was revealed to Jeremiah that a relative was going to offer him some property in the occupied city of Jerusalem and that he should purchase it. Shortly thereafter the cousin showed up precisely as the Lord had revealed it to Jeremiah and the transaction became symbolic of God's future blessing to the nation that they would once again return and live in the land of God's promised prosperity.
There is coming a day when the work of rebellion among the inhabitants of this planet will be consummated, called to account and a final refining of the race results in the rule of righteousness revealed in the Son of Righteousness.
The events leading up to that moment, make no mistake, are terrible and terrifying. Even now we see the wicked attempting to manipulate what they intuitively sense about these impending cataclysmic events into an opportunity to profit and control the masses for their own benefit.
This scaremongering over issues like "man-made global climate change," ebola and radical Islam is a reflection of the nature of their Master. Not surprising, since the devil knows more about the Bible and its prophecies than most believers! But in keeping with his nature, rather than bow his will, he will continue to deceive and take down as much of humanity as he can until the final day.
Jesus, the source of all wisdom and knowledge, foresaw all these events, and painted with broad strokes the trials coming upon this rebellious world. Let us reflect for a moment that, in the midst of these horrifying troubles, the one thing that brings Him most sorrow is:
"the love of many will grow cold,"
then let us realize that every transaction between you and another person, however seemingly insignificant in your own eyes, is an opportunity to grow strong in fearless love and symbolize the blessings yet to come for those who put their hope and trust in the Lord of Light, Life, and Love!We don't need special prophetic gifts to know how we ought now to live! Keep loving and living without fear, always growing in His perfecting love! Then will we be able to stand strong in the day of judgment, blameless with great joy!
