CHURCH OF THE LIVING GOD: PROPHECY UPDATE................8/3/2022

Top 10 Birth Pangs: A Countdown – Terry James - https://terryjamesprophecyline.com/blog/

Author’s note: This essay was previously published. It has been somewhat updated and continues to, through the prism of God’s prophetic Word, give an overall look at the world today as it lurches toward Christ’s return.

The term “birth pangs,” in terms of Bible prophecy, refers to certain convulsive geopolitical, geophysical, astrophysical, and worldwide socioeconomic events and issues scheduled to occur in the time leading up to Jesus Christ’s Second Advent (Second Coming). These are likened to the contractions experienced by a woman about to give birth, with those episodes increasing with frequency and intensity. Jesus’ foretelling of these birth pangs uses the word “sorrows” in His Olivet Discourse on end-time things to come.

And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, “Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?”

And Jesus answered and said unto them, “Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.” (Matthew 24:3–8)

Jesus’ prophecy is further expounded upon in another of the Gospels.

And he said, “Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, ‘I am Christ’; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them. But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by.”

Then said he unto them, “Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven…

And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;

Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” (Luke 21:8–11, 25-28)

All of the birth pangs were given by Jesus and the Old and New Testament prophets in context of the Tribulation–Daniel’s Seventieth Week. This will be the last seven years of human history leading up to Christ’s Second Advent.

Scholars in Bible prophecy believe that although the world isn’t yet in that prophesied time of unprecedented horror, the stage is being set. The birth pangs are already being felt. Christians are commanded by Jesus to watch for the birth pang-like developments.

“What I say to one, I say to all; watch.” (Mark 13: 37)

Many who observe the times believe that God in His mercy and grace is allowing us to see foreshadows of the coming apocalyptic storm. One such observer likens the the birth-pang symptoms to a storm front: “The storm front is in view, the birth pangs are being felt.

Top 10 Birth Pangs: A Countdown

Birth pang 10: Signs in Sun, Moon, Stars

And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring (Luke 21:25)

The present world earth dwellers has seen signs in the sun, moon, and stars that no other generation has seen. From looking into the universe with our powerful telescopes, to spacecraft traversing the black void beyond the farthest planet of our solar system, we have seen things through the prism of photographic science–something no other people in earth’s history have known.

Whether considering the solar flares that disrupt earth’s electromagnetic mechanics, looking with awe upon spectacular landings on the moon, or observing with horror the explosions of two shuttles, we have seen fearful signs. Who could but be mesmerized by watching the Shoemaker-Levy 9 comet slam into Jupiter in July 1994?

UFO sightings around the globe are becoming almost routine fare. Pilots, prime ministers, presidents, and just plain people report seeing spectacular light shows, moving apparently with directed intelligence throughout the night skies.

We have seen the beginnings of this birth pang, scheduled to become much more intense when the Tribulation begins.

Birth Pang 9: Violence upon the Whole Earth

And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. (Luke 17:26)

The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. (Genesis 6:11)

And God said unto Noah, “The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.” (Genesis 6:13)

All we must do is to look at the headlines to know that the earth is filled with violence. Jesus’ words of the world being like in the time of Noah just before the Flood certainly is an apt description of this generation, no matter what society one cares to examine.

If we go to the darkest regions, there are tribal slaughters. If we look at the sophisticated societies of the Western world, there is violence among gangs; destructive, even deadly riots, among families; and one-on-one homicidal rage. Terrorism from the Middle East is indicative of violence that literally saturates the human condition.

Violence in this last time is a symptom of the beginning of sorrows.

Birth Pang 8: Famines, Pestilence, Earthquakes

For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. (Matthew 24:7)

And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven. (Luke 21:11)

It is an astounding paradox that there is at the same time plenty of every variety of life-sustaining foods and medicines in most of the Western world—particularly in America—yet there are deadly pestilences and famines in places such as Ethiopia, the Sudan, and many other regions. These are created in almost every case by ethnic cleansing ordered by dictators, just as Jesus foretold. COVID, many believe, is one such end times pestilence–and that created to achieve globalist evil.

“Nation shall rise against nation…” The word for “nation” is the Greek word ethnos, from which our English word ”ethnic” is derived.

Earthquakes are being reported at an exponentially growing rate—not just quakes, but quakes of significant magnitude. The increase can be quantified and verified today, with the vast technological advances in monitoring.

Earthquakes, wars, and rumors of war are precursors to the impending emergence of a time of unprecedented sorrows.

Birth Pang 7: Nations in Distress with Perplexity

And there shall be signs… and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring. (Luke 21:25)

Planet earth and all of the nations during this last time are filled with perplexities when trying to fix the things that seem to be broken. Economies are in trouble; there is ethnic rage around the world; no one can live in peace; and terrorism threatens everyone, everywhere.

Yet, Jesus says these are just the beginning of sorrows–announcing the birth of a truly New World Order. It will be the birth not of the time of Antichrist’s regime, but, ultimately, of Jesus Christ’s Millennial Kingdom.

Birth Pang 6: False Prophets; False Teachers

And Jesus answered and said unto them, “Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.” (Matthew 24:4–5)

Jesus warned that there would be an assault on truth by false teachers. A couple of recent examples of this are the attacks on the deity of Jesus Christ. The secular entertainment and news industries–as well as some within “Christendom” are attempting to inculcate us with the message that Jesus didn’t really die on the cross—it was a faked death and resurrection. They say that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were actually lovers, who produced offspring that now make up a progeny that will one day rule in some nebulous way that is never explained.

Documentaries have been shown time and time again purporting that the bones of Jesus’ relatives–perhaps even of Jesus, Himself, have been found in ossuaries (bone boxes) in caves in and around Jerusalem. These are never backed by even the slightest of evidence–it is fiction of the worst order.

Jesus, however, said the generation that would begin seeing this type of false teaching would “believe it not.” He said they would come in His name, and would even claim to be Him. Recent news accounts tell of a man who claims just that, and he has received considerable news coverage.

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. (2 Timothy 4:3–4)

Most troubling of all are the false teachers within Christianity. These proclaim a “do-good” and “feel-good” gospel. They totally stay away from preaching and teaching that people are sinners, thus are separated from the God who created them. They don’t teach that a terrible price had to be paid to redeem us from our sins. “Jesus is love” is the only message they want to teach. But, they refuse to fully reveal the extent of that love–that God gave His Son, Jesus, as a sacrifice for the sins into which we are born since the Fall in Eden.

They fear–and their fears are well-grounded—that if they preach the rest of God’s love offering to mankind, they will lose their huge audiences, who want only to hear the fairytales they bring every Sunday in their gargantuan arenas, and through their multimillion dollar television forums.

The false teachers and itching ears of this last time are surely prime evidence that we are witnessing the birth pangs Jesus and the Apostle Paul prophesied.

Birth Pang 5: End-time Technology

But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. (Daniel 12:4)

Daniel the prophet prophesied a time when transportation and knowledge would increase. The past century to the present date has produced an explosion of transportation and knowledge experienced by no other people of any time in human history.

Man could mount a horse and ride at no more than fifty miles an hour or so from the time of the Garden of Eden until the middle of the nineteenth century. Since then, man has progressed to the point of traveling at more than twenty thousand miles an hour in a spacecraft, and his communication at the speed of light over wires, fiber optics, and beams of electronic transmissions through space and earth’s atmosphere.

And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. (Revelation 13:16–17)

That explosion of knowledge has produced the technologies that can enslave the world. Antichrist will use satellite and computer technologies, no doubt, to put all earth-dwellers in electronic bondage. Electronic funds transfer methodologies and devices are now capable of bringing all people into a cashless society–one that can fit within the system foretold in Revelation 13:16–18. This represents a major birth pang.

Birth Pang 4: Nations Aligning for Prophetic Fulfillment

Psalms

Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, “Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.” (Psalms 2:1–3)

Nations today are aligning against God just as prophesied in the verses above. The birth pang-like convulsions are coming in contractions, as nation after nation pulls farther from the prescription their Creator wrote for how life on earth must be conducted. Those nations specifically foretold to be end-time players can be found in the following Scriptures. They are in the news every day in our time.

Revived Roman Empire: Daniel chapters 2, 7, 8, 9, and 11

China and “Kings of the East”: Revelation chapters 9 and 16

Russia, Iran (Persia), Turkey (Togarmah), and many others: Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39

Birth Pang 3: Apostasy: One-World Church Forming

Revelation Chapter 13 prophesies that a False Prophet will point all earth-dwellers to Antichrist, who will, ultimately, demand worship. Second Thessalonians chapter 4 also speaks to this demand for the world to worship the “man of sin,” also known as “the son of perdition.”

There will develop an ecumenical amalgamation of many religions, leading to a one-world religious system, as outlined in Revelation chapter 17.

This syncretized apostate system will reign until Antichrist decides he wants all worship for himself. His regime will turn on all who run this one-world church, and destroy them.

There is a massive movement toward this system today. The cry is against true Christianity as being narrow-minded and bigoted. There are many ways to God, they cry. They proclaim that the only way to end the religious bickering is to meld all religious beliefs into one system.

The movement toward one-world religion is a major birth pang swelling and moving in our time.

Birth Pang 2: One-World Government and Economy Forming

The forming of a New World Order is underway at a phenomenal pace. The so-called international community has arisen in this last time to pressure less-powerful nations to conform to the developing one-world template, or remain forever in destitution.

The European Union is the reviving Roman Empire, many prophecy observers believe, and is on the ascent in a swiftness that amazes. Daniel chapters 2, 7, 8, 9, and 11, and Revelation chapters 13, 17, and 18 all foretell he rise of s one-world government.

We are seeing the development of world trading blocs on the order of the EU. One such trading bloc is taking place in North America, and includes Canada, the US, and Mexico—with smaller nations in the hemisphere most likely scheduled to be a part of the mix.

This union was dissolved for the most part during the Donald J. Trump administration, but has since been put back into the thinking of those who want to be part of a new globalist order. These world economic blocs look to be, if brought to fruition, what will eventuate in the ten-kings prophecy of Revelation chapter 17.

The economic convulsions taking place represent birth pangs that portend the coming Tribulation.

Birth Pang 1: Israel

A voice of noise from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the LORD that rendereth recompence to his enemies. Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child.

Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.

“Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth?” saith the LORD: “shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb?” saith thy God. (Isaiah 66:6–9)

Israel is without question the single most profound signal that we are on the edge of entering the Tribulation.

Key among factors surrounding Israel as the number-ne birth pang is that nation being at the heart of the cry for peace and safety. As a matter of fact, Antichrist confirming of a covenant of peace is the act that will usher in the Tribulation, it is foretold in Daniel 9: 27.

With the proposed dividing of land by almost every peace effort involving God’s chosen nation, Israel, there is an increasing cry from the world of diplomacy today for peace and safety. This is not without good reason. The threat of thermonuclear war is unthinkable, so deadly would be the results.

The Apostle Paul prophesied this would be the case for the last time, and what the final result of that cry would be.

For when they shall say, “Peace and safety,” then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. (1 Thessalonians 5:3)

There is great worldwide clamor for peace today. Whether considering the area surrounding the tiny Jewish state of Israel, the entire Mideast region, or other less biblical geographic areas of the world, people are grasping for peace and safety.

Specifically, there is a great cry for safety today, seeking security from the threat of global terrorism. This terrorism is, for the most part, wrapped around the existence of Israel in the area known as the Holy Land. Added to the volatility and tension is the matter of oil, which likely will be the catalyst–in the geopolitical sense—for bringing all nations to Armageddon. Israel is increasingly being seen by the world diplomatic community as the holdup to establishing peace. “Land for peace” is the deluded mantra. If Israel will give up more territory, the Islamic terrorists will cease their murderous rage.

The prophet Zechariah foretold that the whole world will turn against Israel, and that this will bring on the worst time of war-making in world history (read Zechariah 12:1–3).

The cry for peace and safety will be answered by the end-time world leader, but the people of the world will get more than they bargained for.

And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify [himself] in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand. (Daniel 8:25)

Israel—and its threat to world peace because of satanic rage against God’s chosen people—is the number-one birth pang that indicates where this generation stands on God’s prophetic timeline.

Imminence on the Accelerator - Lee W. Brainard - https://www.rev310.net/post/imminence-on-the-accelerator

There are two distinct, indeed mutually exclusive, concepts of imminence that vie for domination in the prophetic arena: random imminence and signs-based imminence.

Random imminence is the idea that the rapture that can happen at any random moment, indeed could have happened at any random moment since the apostles. This view allows no nearer or farther, closer or distant. Furthermore, because it is random, the rapture will be a signless event. No signs will herald its approach, not immediately, not distantly.

Signs-based imminence is the idea that signs herald the approaching rapture. While these signs enable us to know with certainty that the rapture is near, and while some of these signs are time sensitive, none of them yield the kind of information needed for believers to calculate the date of our blessed tryst in the clouds. We can’t know the day nor the hour.

Now random imminence is really a bizarre concept. It belongs in the same category as the unicorn. There are such things as horned animals. And horses are undeniably real. But mixing horns and horses takes us into the realm of mythology. The fact is, random and imminent are two very distinct concepts in the English language, and their semantic ranges don’t really overlap. Imminence implies known nearness based on objectively discerned phenomena. Randomness implies there is no certainty for either nearness or farness. All this to say, if the rapture is imminent, it is not random. If the rapture is random, it is not imminent.

The truth is, the use of imminence to refer to a random event is a unique sense of imminence that is not found outside of a small set of dispensational theologians who exploit the word imminence when they teach that it means that the rapture is a random event without signs or precursors. These men are guilty of hijacking a wonderful English word and giving it a sense which it bears nowhere else.

Now there are three things that a person must understand to have a full-orbed understanding of the biblical doctrine of imminence: the day and hour of the rapture is established by God, imminence is sign-based, and imminence comes in degrees of proximity.

First of all, God has set the day and hour of the rapture. It is not a random event. The day of the second coming is appointed (Acts 17:31). It has been set in redemption-timetable concrete since before the foundation of the world. Corroborating this is the fact that the sixth trumpet in Revelation 9:13-15 is set for an hour, day, month, and year. Indeed, we can rest assured that if the visitations of the seventieth week are set with such precision in God’s timetable, then the second coming itself is also established with this same precision.

Now if the second coming is set for a definite day and hour, and if the rapture bears a fixed relationship to it (seven years plus a short window), then the timing of the rapture is itself set in concrete. It too has an appointed day and hour. But—and here is the rub—we can’t calculate or know that time. God has arranged things so that we find ourselves looking into a brass mirror dimly. We can see events lining up and piling up which indicate the nearness of the rapture. But none of these events lend themselves to precision calculations. Ballpark estimations are the best we can do.

Secondly, when the Bible directs our attention to the coming of the Lord, it doesn’t exhort us to fixate on randomness. It exhorts us to pay attention to signs which indicate that our blessed hope is drawing ever nearer. “When these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draws near” (Luke 21:28). “You hypocrites. You can read the face of the heavens, but you can’t read the signs of the times” (Matt. 16:3). Again, “Exhort each other daily, and the more so as we see that day approaching” (Heb. 10:25). These all bear the same essential message. There are objectively discernable stage-setting events going on in the world around us which point unerringly to the approaching day. As these events increase in frequency, intensity, and iniquity, we can rest assured that the rapture is drawing closer.

Thirdly, imminence comes in degrees. This is best illustrated with a volcano. The early signs of a potential eruption include earthquake swarms and gas venting, followed by steam and ash venting. These signs can go on for many months, even years without an eruption. As the pressure builds up, a dome or bulge might appear. This bulging may be accompanied with explosive events and increased earthquake activity. At this stage, eruption is regarded as imminent in the near future. As the pressure continues to build, and the dome or bulge continues to grow, the warning signs will accelerate and intensify, indicating that eruption is imminent in the immediate future. Then—Boom!—the eruption explodes upon the environment around, bringing awful destruction.

Imminence works the same way for the rapture as it does for volcanoes. There are early signs which suggest that the rapture is coming, but most likely in the distant future. There are signs which suggest that the rapture will likely happen in the near future. And there are signs which suggest that the rapture is immediately imminent.

At the first coming of the Messiah, the world entered into the last days in a broad sense. Since then the entire age has been characterized by precursors of a general sort (like wars and rumors of wars, and wicked persecuting emperors and popes come in the spirit of antichrist). These precursors point to the imminent coming of the Lord, but they do not suggest that it shall happen in the near future. Nonetheless, believers looked to these signs, anticipating that somewhere along the line things were going to start accelerating and hoping, even expecting, that they might accelerate in their lifetime so they could see the coming of the Lord.

The endtimes pressure began to seriously build in recent centuries with the rise of rationalism, evolution, Marxism, and the modern NWO movement. The rise of Zionism in the latter half of the nineteenth century kicked the pressure up another notch. This movement led to the rebirth of Israel in 1948, an event which marks, for all practical purposes, the beginning of the last days in the narrow or technical sense. Those with prophetic perception understand that the generation that saw the rebirth of Israel would also see the rapture. That sign, and the string of prophecies that have followed, indicate that the rapture is now a near-term event.

In more recent years we have witnessed the rise of neo-paganism, Noahic-era perversion, anti-Semitism, and the global elite rolling out a plan to impoverish and depopulate the world. These pressures have further added to the expansion of the bulges on the fabric of the world—and these bulges have begun manifesting explosive events. Insane pressure is building for a time of tribulation that appears poised to explode upon the world in the very near term. Little is holding it back at this point except the restraining hand of God. And before the fulness of the mystery of iniquity explodes on the world, the rapture must and will happen.

This brings us to the title, Imminence on the Accelerator. As the signs for an imminent volcanic eruption accelerate from signs of a distant eruption to signs of immediate eruption, so we have witnessed the signs of the approaching rapture accelerate from indeterminate signs to signs that it was on the near horizon to signs that it is on the very near horizon. And the acceleration of the signs in number, scope, and degree continues on a breathtaking pace. Imminence has its foot on the accelerator. If we are not already on the cusp of the rapture being immediately imminent, we don’t have long to go. The preparations for the Gog and Magog war alone—Russia, Turkey, Iran, and Syria—should have the prophecy student on the edge of his seat.

Are you ready for the rapture? Personally, I believe that we have come to the place where the rapture literally could happen at any moment now. This from a man who for decades did not think the signs of the rapture were far enough along to talk about the rapture happening any moment.

Eyes wide open, brain engaged, heart on fire.

Watch a longer version of this message on video — IMMINENCE ON THE ACCELERATOR.

10 Promising Signs That The Insidious Mind Control Matrix The Elite Have Created Is Starting To Crumble - by Michael Snyder - http://endoftheamericandream.com/10-promising-signs-that-the-insidious-mind-control-matrix-the-elite-have-created-is-starting-to-crumble/

Are we witnessing the start of some sort of a mass awakening in the western world? For years, I have been writing about the extremely complex systems that are designed to shape and control what we think. Today, the vast majority of the “news” and “entertainment” that most of us consume is controlled by just a very small handful of immensely powerful corporations. And of course those corporations are ultimately owned and controlled by the elite of the world. To a very large degree, the elite have been able to determine what we focus on, what we think about current events, and how we feel about the world around us. For such a long time, most of the population would take whatever narratives that were pushed upon them by their corporate overlords as the gospel truth, and that always greatly frustrated me. Fortunately, there are indications that times are changing.

In order for any society to function effectively, there must be a high level of trust.

Unfortunately for the elite, we simply do not trust them anymore.

Trust in our politicians has fallen to an all-time low.

Trust in the media has fallen to an all-time low.

Trust in our corporations has fallen to an all-time low.

Trust in our health care system has fallen to an all-time low.

Trust in our education system has fallen to an all-time low.

Trust in the tech industry has fallen to an all-time low.

We no longer are buying into the crap that they keep shoveling our way.

And that is a really, really good thing.

It is morally wrong for them to try to control what we think. It is absolutely imperative that we all learn to think for ourselves, because that is the only way that we will ever be truly free.

I have been writing about this stuff for years and years, and a number of recent trends have given me hope that people are starting to wake up on a widespread basis. The following are 10 promising signs that the insidious mind control matrix the elite have created is starting to crumble…

#1 According to a recent Gallup survey, only 16 percent of U.S. adults have “a great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in newspapers and only 11 percent of U.S. adults have “a great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in television news.

#2 All over the Internet I am seeing article after article speaking out against the World Economic Forum. That is an incredibly hopeful sign.

#3 In the Netherlands, a new government plan would “cut fertilizer use and reduce livestock numbers so drastically that it will force many farms out of business”. This plan is deeply evil, but the massive farmer protests that have been sparked as a result are a really beautiful thing.

#4 After being arrested, a British man was told this: “Someone has been caused anxiety based on your social media post. And that is why you’re being arrested”. But the good news is that there has been a tremendous backlash on social media and so far the video of his arrest has already been viewed more than 2 million times.

#5 As more people on the west coast wake up, the exodus out of the state of California is rapidly becoming a stampede.

#6 Despite all of the spin from the Biden administration, 66 percent of Americans say that they believe that we are either in a recession or a depression right now.

#7 Joe Biden’s overall approval rating has fallen to an all-time low of 36 percent.

#8 Joe Biden’s economic approval rating has fallen to an all-time low of 30 percent.

#9 A recent CNN poll discovered that a whopping 75 percent of Democratic and Democratic-leaning voters actually want their party to nominate someone other than Biden in 2024.

#10 According to a recent Pew Research survey, only 24 percent of U.S. adults are satisfied with the current state of the country.

Almost all of us can see that our society is on the wrong track, and that is the first step in getting back on the right track.

As time rolls along, I believe that more and more of us will wake up.

And in the end I believe that the current “world order” that the western elite have tried so hard to establish will fall.

That process will be incredibly chaotic, but the end result will be worth it.

Before I end this article, there is one more thing that I wanted to mention.

According to scientists, we just experienced the shortest day ever recorded…

The shortest day on record has been broken by the planet Earth. On June 29, 2022, the planet completed its entire rotation in just 1.59 milliseconds, or slightly more than one thousandth of a second, less time than it typically takes for a 24-hour rotation.

Recently, the Earth has been moving quicker. Since the 1960s, 2020 marked the shortest month on record for the planet. On July 19 of that year, 1.47 milliseconds shorter than a typical 24-hour day, scientists recorded the shortest day so far.

Are the days being shortened?

I often tell people that it feels like the days are going by faster than ever, but I thought that it was just my imagination.

I have been told that as we get older it can seem like time is passing more quickly, and without a doubt 2022 seems like it is the fastest year yet.

It is hard to believe that the beginning of August is already here.

2023 will arrive before we know it, and I believe that 2023 will be a year that changes everything.

I know that there are a lot of bad things that are happening right now, and a lot of my articles tend to focus on those bad things.

But the truth is that there are a lot of good things happening too.

In fact, there is no other time in all of human history that I would have rather lived than right now.

It is when times are the darkest that the greatest heroes are needed, and the years ahead will provide plenty of opportunities for you to be the kind of hero that you were always meant to be.

Mine! Mine! - By Grant Phillips - https://www.raptureready.com/2022/07/28/mine-mine-by-grant-phillips/

What parent has not heard those two words screamed from the youthful lungs of a two-year-old? The sound hits the adult at the base of the spine and shoots upward to the base of the neck. As the screams continue, the adult brain is sent into overload. If it doesn’t stop soon, the adult brain goes into headache mode. Where’s the aspirin?

The apostle Paul, writing from a Roman prison, wrote his final letter (2 Timothy) to his protégé, Timothy. In the third chapter of our Bible, he informed Timothy of how people would behave in the last days just prior to our Lord’s return.

“But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” (2 Timothy 3:1-5)

This isn’t an exhaustive list by any means, but it pretty much runs the gamut of mankind’s characteristics in these last days. In just these five verses, Paul lists nineteen characteristics. Of the nineteen, I can relate at least ten characteristics to the two-year-old mentioned above.

Lovers of themselves:

Let’s face it. Children are sweet little cuddly blessings from God, but they are also very “Me” oriented. They are totally absorbed in their own little world.

Disobedient to parents:

What parent in their right mind would want their child fighting over a toy? So obviously, children are not being obedient to their parents when they are selfishly clinging to something they don’t want to share.

Unthankful:

I’ve seen children fighting over a toy when they have a room full of other toys to play with.

Unholy:

Sorry parents, your little darling doesn’t walk around wearing a halo.

Unforgiving:

Little ones can be very unforgiving, but at least children will reconcile quickly with a playmate if they’ve had a squabble.

Without self-control:

Children have little self-control because it’s something they must learn. Their natural reaction is without self-control.

Brutal:

Children can be very brutal if they are not taught self-control. They will pick up anything that is handy and lash out.

Headstrong:

Again, it goes back to training. They must learn patience and that they can’t have everything their own way (Proverbs 22:6).

Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God:

Children would much rather be involved in their imaginative little world, but hey … they’re children!

Having a form of godliness but denying its power

That innocent little face you behold sleeping can turn into a little monster when they want their way.

Now I may have some folks upset at this point, and that’s okay because the whole point I’m driving at is … Children have an excuse! They are children! They are innocent! They must develop! They must be trained!

Paul isn’t referring to children in our Scripture passage above. Paul is talking about adults! Adults are those who have grown up physically. They are no longer two-year-olds playing with toys. They should be emotionally mature, but that is getting to be a rarity these days.

We in the 21st century live in a very selfish, ego-driven society. Regardless of race, sex, age, education, wealth (or lack thereof), environment, social status, or anything else, this sin-indwelt sickness affects all.

Our main problem today is that people, in general, have little to no desire to know the one and only true God. Another problem is sloppy parenting from past generations that has produced a whole generation of adults who have never grown up emotionally and especially spiritually. They are spoiled brats in adult bodies. In other words, they are adults acting like little two-year-olds. Little children have an excuse, but grown adults should not be acting like two-year-olds.

All of the nineteen attributes Paul listed are alive and well in the majority of our society today. Don’t think so? Just take each item Paul mentioned, then look around you. Our society has become a train wreck. We need desperately to call out to God and seek His forgiveness. Lost sinners need to be saved, and saved sinners need to mature spiritually. Clearly, we need to repent (change our mind about the path we’re on).

I like the way the King James Study Bible by Nelson defines the word “repent.” It is clear and precise.

Repent (Gr. metanoeo) means a change of mind that results in a change of conduct. Repentance is not merely sorrow. It involves a complete change of attitude regarding God and sin and is often accompanied by a sense of sorrow and a corresponding change in conduct. Such repentance does not arise within man himself but is the result of God’s mercy in leading man to it (cf. Acts 5:31; Rom. 2:4; 2 Tim. 2:25). Thus, repentance involves the very process of conversion whereby men are born again. [The King James Study Bible by Nelson; page 1409; Matthew 3:2 note]

Our society as a whole is corrupt, but the only thing that can change the path we are on is a change of heart. However, the heart cannot be changed without true repentance, and repentance of any kind is of no avail without calling upon Jesus Christ to save us and make us His own. Otherwise, all we can expect is the judgment of God upon our heads.

As a society, there is not a sin that can be mentioned that we do not commit and refuse to forsake. We are carbon copies of the societies of Noah and Lot’s days. We, as a society, think we are getting by with it because judgment has not come …yet, but justice delayed is not justice averted.

When I was a child and my parents said, “Just wait ’til we get home,” I knew exactly what they meant, and they, much to my disappointment, never forgot. There is a seven-year period of time coming upon this world, commonly called the Tribulation. This period of time is for God to bring Israel back to Himself and to judge the nations (the world). It is coming. The stage is set. All that is needed at this point is for God to pull the curtain back, and judgment will begin.

This seven-year period of time will be the scariest this world has ever seen. God has said in His Word that it is coming, and neither does He forget. Jesus Himself made it clear that no one in their right mind would want to want to experience this time of judgment.

“For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.

“And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened” (Matthew 24:21-22).

Little children are innocent in so many ways, even in their shortcomings, and God does not hold them responsible. The same cannot be said of adults. God does hold every adult responsible, but there is one, and only one, way to avoid His wrath. Jesus paid our debt to God and took His wrath upon Himself for all who will put their faith in Him.

“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6).

Jesus said, “… I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).

Our sins bring nothing but death and judgment, but in Jesus, we can have forgiveness and eternal life.

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

Little two-year-olds are innocent until they reach a point of accountability with God. As for adults, “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts” (Romans 13:14).

Grant Phillips

Email: Phillip5769@twc.com

Pre-Rapture Commentary: http://grant-phillips.blogspot.com

Rapture Ready: https://www.raptureready.com/featured/phillips/phillips.html

Daily Jot: Stupidocrisy: Joe’s COVID rebound – Bill Wilson – www.dailyjot.com

There is an old Jim Croce song where the lyrics go something like this: “You don’t tug on Superman’s cape; You don’t spit into the wind; You don’t pull the mask off the old Lone Ranger, and you don’t mess around with Jim.” It’s a song that tells the story of the “baddest man in town” and how anyone with any common sense wouldn’t mess with him. There’s a lot of things in life that way. For example, you don’t quarantine healthy people; you don’t lockdown entire nations and economies; you don’t mandate or coerce experimental and unproven vaccines; and you don’t lie to people about their health. But the federal government did all these things and more during COVID. And Joe Biden is a living example.

Biden, arguably one of the most vaccinated men on earth, caught COVID and went into “isolation.” Most of us didn’t notice he was gone and were likely thankful that his agenda may have been slowed down in his absence—that is yet to be determined. So then the White House doctor declared Biden COVID free after he tested negative four days in a row. But then on the fifth day, he tested positive again and he once again said he would go into isolation “for the safety of everyone around me.” If that were the case, it would be safer for the country if Biden just went into permanent isolation and declared a two-year government holiday. It doesn’t accomplish much good being open under his leadership as it goes, but I digress. Biden’s doctor said Joe was suffering from COVID rebound. Remember Tony Fauci also suffered the same.

Dr. Yuhong Dong, medical doctor and Ph.D in infectious diseases, is the Chief Scientific Officer and co-founder of a Swiss biotech company and former Senior Medical Scientific Expert for Antiviral Drug Development in Novartis Pharma in Switzerland, writes in the Epoch Times that there are two possible reasons why Biden was still infected despite having received four doses of COVID vaccines. She says one is that the vaccine is not effective against the new BA.5 strain of COVID and the other is that Biden’s natural immunity is not strong. Studies have indicated the vaccine interferes with natural immunity and leaves people less able to fight off COVID because the spike protein caused by the vaccine continues to deplete the natural immunity of the person. That’s why COVID is now an epidemic of the vaccinated.

Dr. Dong concludes, “No matter how many doses of vaccines are given or how many antiviral drugs are dosed, they’re only a single type of measure to prevent viruses or a type of external helper to eradicate the virus. However, all of us have an innate God-given, powerful system to fight against all different types of viruses and mutants. If we maintain them well with adequate protection, they will work for us day and night.” If Biden wasn’t four-time vaccinated and had also focused on improving his personal immunity, perhaps he wouldn’t have gotten COVID, or had “rebound COVID.” In Luke 4:23, Christ referred to the parable, “Physician heal thyself.” God provided natural immunity for us to heal. Boosting natural immunity shows intelligence and common sense. Solely depending on multiple doses of a vaccine that doesn’t perform is, say it with me…Stupidocrisy.

Daily Devotion: In Spite of Sickness - by Greg Laurie – www.harvest.org

God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away —Revelation 21:4

https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/in-spite-of-sickness-3/ Listen

God can work in spite of sickness. He still answers prayer and heals people today, and He still does miracles. In sickness and in hardships, He can work in a person’s life. Even if a person still has the sickness or problem, God can work in spite of it and give them a special strength. And no matter what happens to our physical bodies here on earth, we have the promise of heaven and ultimate healing in heaven. At that time, God says He will wipe away all our tears. There will be no more death, sorrows, crying, or pain (see Revelation 21:4).

What a glorious promise! There is more — so much more! — beyond this life on earth. Whatever our limitations, whatever our problems, God promises us that we will one day receive a new body that won’t have the shortcomings we experience today.

And God can also use sickness to bring a person to Himself, can’t He? I know of many people who have come to the Lord in the hospital or when facing death. Suddenly they reevaluate their lives. They wonder, What am I living for? What’s really important in my life? What’s going to happen to me when I die? And they begin to think about eternity.

As the psalmist said, “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Your word” (Psalm 119:67). God can work in spite of sickness, and He can work through sickness. Nothing is impossible for Him.