Friday, September 16, 2022

END OF THIS AGE, AND COMING TRIBULATION, PART 2


 







by Pastor Mike Taylor

 “As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things happen, and what {will be} the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" NASB. (Matthew 24:3)

Jesus has just come from the temple mount and prophesied that the temple would be torn down, “not leaving one stone upon another.” This disturbed the disciples, as the temple was the center of their world, the world of the nation of Israel. The KJV has the last part of the above verse as “the end of the world.” We know that it is more proper in context to use the “end of the age” as when Jesus comes back to rule for 1000 years, it will be on this very earth we now populate, but with major revisions to return the earth to it's former glory when Adam and Eve walked with God in the garden. It will be the end of the world, as we know it. But let us take a look at the signs that would precede the coming of the Son of Man in power and great glory.

I will do a line by line bible study of this chapter that must be followed up with the next chapter of Matthew 25 in a follow up sermon, as all are connected, but let's take the first sign of the end of this age.  Continuing in Matthew:

24:4  And Jesus answered and said to them, "See to it that no one misleads you.
24:5  "For many will come in My name, saying, `I am the Christ,' and will mislead many.


Folks have taken this to mean that many will come as claiming to be the Messiah. True, there have been many false messiahs that have claimed to be Him, but what was Jesus talking about? I don't believe He was talking about what many believe.  It's pointing to false religions, false doctrines, and deception that will fill the churches in that day. Men claiming to be followers of Jesus Christ will use His name to appease the masses they wish to delude. These frauds and double agents would come in His name, that is, appearing to bear His authority. In particular, the name of "Christ" would be exploited as cover for their nefarious trickery, and by this ruse, great numbers of people would be deluded. The phrase, "saying, I am the Christ," should not be understood, as the New King James Version has punctuated it, to mean that many would come claiming to be the Messiah. No, they would come claiming that Jesus is the Messiah—a truth—and thereby gain people's trust. From that point forward, deception through doctrinal change, both major and minor, provides the means of deception. As the anonymous maxim puts it, "The nearer a lie is to truth the more deceitful it is."

NEW AGE AND THE EMERGENT CHURCH

Folks, look around you. Have there ever been a time when there is false doctrine permeating our churches? They promote a feel good gospel. They promote false healing, miracles, and signs used to deceive. All the while they have agents in the background who are setting up this charade to influence the masses to what end? Money! They are religious entertainers in our churches that use smoke and mirrors to fool the people looking for truth. I have never seen so much imagery and modern technology that gets the juices of these adherents to a feel good gospel all whooped up in a frenzy and elevate the man preaching a feel good sermon, instead of Jesus Christ. Jesus warned us of these “wolves in sheep clothing” that would come into to devour the sheep. They have continued unabated in these New Emergent Churches and promote universal tolerant view that there are many roads to God. They preach that all religions will find the way to Heaven, meaning Gnostics, Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus, and Jews right along with true believers in Jesus Christ will all receive the same salvation and eternal life. “”All roads lead to God and all religions are the same”” God is love and no one will go to any “hell”. This flies in the face of Acts 4:10-12, in which Peter asserts that only by the name of Jesus Christ is salvation possible. I call this Emergent theology, the “First Church of Blasphemy”. They make a mockery of the saving Grace of our Lord and Savior. They preach that all will receive “Universal Reconciliation” and no one will end up in hell, nobody. This is not found in scripture anywhere as Jesus spoke of hell more than He did heaven.


WAR AND RUMORS OF WARS

Jesus continues in Matthew:
24:6 “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.
24:7  For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
24:8  All these are the beginning of sorrows.”(Matthew 24:6-8)


Men have been fighting each other for 2000 years since Jesus made this statement, but the last century of modern times has been the bloodiest of all the centuries past. More people died in this last 100 years of 2 world wars, and the various conflicts that have killed more people in them than the preceding 1900 years combined. Various wars and conflicts by count of the dead totals 262,000,000 people....that's millions, folks. And this was the “beginning of sorrows”. That's a large portion of every man, woman and child that resides in this country we called the United States of America as a population count.

24:9 “ Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.
24:10  And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
24:11  And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
24:12  And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
24:13  But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”

You look at other third world countries, the Middle East and other dictatorships say of Russia, or China, and it's not safe to be a Christian even in our modern times. It hasn't come to America YET, but Christians are becoming viewed increasingly with suspicion by the powers that be, even in our country, the USA.  People are being slain for the name of Jesus Christ right now, even as you read this. Jesus said it would be so, and it is becoming more and more common place. As it was in Jesus day, being persecuted by the Romans and even the “Holy Roman Empire” (sic), ie. the Catholic Church has now come full circle to engulf our world with the same genocide of whole races and people who profess Jesus Christ and Him crucified. But stay tuned, as you haven't seen anything yet!! Look at verse 12 of the above passage. Here in the home of the brave and the free, we have become a nation that is filled with iniquity in all shapes and forms and it has grown exponentially in the last 50 years. No one would have believed when I was growing up that men and women of this nation and for that matter, the world, would grow emotionally cold and not value human life. That is even where we have slaughtered over 60 million of the unborn in the name of sexual freedom and love for our off-spring has nearly died in many parts of our society. Not to mention crime growing worse every day and terrorist attacks coming even to our shores.


THE GOSPEL PREACHED WORLDWIDE

24:14 “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
24:15  When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)”24:14-15)

No other time in history has there been so many ways to transmit the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The technology has advanced at such a rapid pace, that an email sent across the world is delivered within seconds. The Gospel News has covered the entire earth. So what prevents the end of the age? I believe nothing, except the timing held by God the Father who knows when the last person will accept His offer of Grace.


JESUS REFERED TO  PROPHECY in DANIEL 9 v. 27

“And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.” (Daniel 9:27)

Jesus speaks of the Abomination of Desolation that Daniel spoke of, and says when you see this man standing in the temple of God, claiming to be God, then RUN or “get out of Dodge” so to speak.

24:16 “Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
24:17  Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:
24:18  Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.
24:19  And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!
24:20  But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:
24:21  For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
24:22  And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.”(Matthew 24:16-22)



Notice the people Jesus speaks of? He doesn't refer to the Gentiles, or the rest of the world, but those who live in Judea. Jesus takes dead aim at only one group of people. He was talking about Israel. Observant Jews cannot travel more than a days walk from their home on the Sabbath, and to travel with child is difficult. Pray it's not snowing, as it sometimes does in Israel and it's cold making travel a problem. But Jesus warns them to get out, head for the hills....hide yourself. Don't take anything with you. Why? Because Israel will reject this “man” claiming to be a god and in his rage will attempt to destroy the nation of Israel because of their rejection of him as a liar and know they have made a deal with the devil.


The Holocaust of the Nazi's will pale in the attempt of this man to destroy all remnant of the house of  Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I've spoken of it many times in sermons past. Israel will be refined as silver is in the fire. They will be persecuted and hunted down because they reject this “false messiah” and his “false prophet”. Malachi chapter 3,

3:2  But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap:
3:3  And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.
3:4  Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years.” (Malachi 3:2-4)


How do you refine silver? You heat it red hot, but not too hot, or the silver is destroyed, but hot enough to remove the slag that floats to the top, to reveal the pure silver beneath.


That is what will be Israel's purification. Until our Lord and Savior can see His image in them, He will continue to allow the heat of persecution to turn them to their Messiah that they had rejected 2000 years earlier. Only when they realize this and proclaim, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” (Luke 13:35b.) , then swiftly, the Lord God will come to do battle for His people Israel and save them out of tribulation and set them as a crowning jewel of His city Jerusalem on a mountain lifted high. He will save them all for the promise He made to their father's and because of His glorious Name. So much for Replacement Theology.

JESUS WARNS OF THE ANTICHRIST AND FALSE PROPHET

24:23 “Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.
24:24  For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
24:25  Behold, I have told you before.
24:26  Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.”(Matthew 24:23-26)

Not only has there been false prophets and false messiahs leading up to this time, but I believe Jesus is talking of  THE false messiah, and THE false prophet that all of the Gentile nations will follow who have pleasure in unrighteousness. He speaks to the Nation of Israel to believe it not, as the Gentiles who have rejected Jesus Christ and will follow whole hog after this charlatan who claims divinity. I submit that all nations will be fooled, as there is nothing to give them discernment of this false hood, as they believe in themselves, and reject God. They follow a god on earth, that leads them in their wickedness. Paul warns of this in 2nd Thessalonians:

 2:8, “And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
2:9  Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
2:10  And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved.
2:11  And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
2:12  That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” (2
nd Thessalonians 2:8-12)

Notice the next few verses? Jesus, I believe is giving an almost chronological order of the time leading up to His glorious appearing and the events that happen right after that.



24:27 “ For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
24:28  For wheresoever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together.” (Matthew 24:27-28)

Some misinterpret this to mean the sun shining from the east to the west and all will see Him....I believe this is reference to the sudden appearing of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, suddenly, when they think not. As lightning flashes suddenly from the eastern part of the sky and flashes to the west, this will be sudden and without warning. All will know something has happened, as the signs are all around them. People missing, people screaming for loved ones that have vanished and the realization that an unexplained calamity has befallen their world.  Untold havoc will rule the day.

But what of that next verse, verse 28? In the days Jesus lived in and we see it somewhat in our world here in the USA, carrion birds smell death. This verse is better translated as vultures, as eagles kill live prey, not dead ones. Vultures circle a carcass and many gather for this putrid feast. Jesus was making a comparison that Jerusalem was dead in spirit, and by extension of end time prophecy, saying that those who miss the greatest happening of our lifetime, will be devoured, as so much dead bodies as they are spiritually dead. Note that Revelation says that 2/3 of all mankind will be destroyed, by divine judgment, including natural disasters, and to a lesser degree, man-made persecution. I calculate upwards of 5 billion+ people will die in 7 short years. Notice in the opening lines of this sermon, 262 million people have died in the last 100 years by war....during the tribulation, this will be 15-20 times that amount, not millions, but billions of people who will die in 7 short years, with the majority in the last half. Woe to the person who reads this and puts off what I preach of the nearness of our Lord's return, and not accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, by grace through faith. Then they will see just what I am referring to in all its horror, which is beyond anything I could describe.

24:29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
24:30  And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
24:31  And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”(Matthew 24:29-31)


Notice the progression of events as Jesus explains them? Jesus came prior as a flash of lightning, quickly and without warning. People are then dying by the millions into the billions called the tribulation and then the Great Tribulation, where judgment from God gets kicked into high gear. Then immediately, a sign of impending doom covers the earth. Here we have people dying all around, so could things get any worse? Yes, much worse. Seven angels pour out 7 vials of the wrath of God in it's full strength. The sun fails to shine, the moon quits reflecting the sun during night hours, stars are falling, and the powers of heaven and earth are shaken....what could shaken mean? Untold destruction, signs of impending doom and everyone knows. I mean everyone knows that something is about to happen and the dread grips them, until their hearts and circulatory systems collapse or maybe they go mad and crazy with fear. One can only speculate. People will mourn. It says that all the tribes of the earth will mourn. You will not mourn for something that gives you joy as we will at His appearing, but mourn because of spirit filled dread and loathing, so the church of God is not included in this analogy, as we prayed for His appearing, and it  brought great joy 7 years earlier.

When Jesus comes to reign and rule and destroy all rebellion, will this time be sudden, without warning, without anyone noticing a difference in their environment? Would you notice? If you are witness to it, and I pray you are not, then you would definitely notice some type of world shaking event that is about to happen.  Will men repent of their rebellion, what with all the disasters and environmental changes, not to mention inescapable displays of divine wrath that can only come from a Higher Power? They must know that it's the God of Heaven doing this to them and to this world. Will they repent? God says they will not as found in the verses of Revelation.  We see angels flying in the air proclaiming the Gospel to the nations left.


Why are Angels proclaiming the Gospel at this time? Was that not the Church’s job to preach unto the highways and the byways? Yes, but since the Church is NOT here, the job is left to an Angel to proclaim one last time that Gospel of Jesus Christ, as we are not on this earth...another sign of the rapture of the church. God gives them every possible chance to repent, but alas, they will not.


Then verse 31, He shall send His angels to gather all of the elect who have died for the witness of Jesus Christ. Who are these elect? During this time of Great Tribulation, there will be 144,000 evangelist from the 12 tribes of Israel. You will have two witnesses who are preaching nonstop for 3.5 years at the temple of God. Who will believe their message? The Nation of Israel will be their focus. People of the rest of the world have been fed a strong delusion, and they believe a lie. They have taken a mark of loyalty to the Beast Power and are spiritually doomed. The angels are gathering saints, fallen saints during this tribulation. They have died believing in their Messiah and have not denied Him, to the death. They are Israel and a minority of Gentiles, as God has purified them all as silver is refined in the fire....He has washed them as with fuller soap....clean, white, and pure because of the blood of their Savior, our Savior.

Now Jesus backs up in time continuum and speaks a parable of a fig tree:

24:32 “ Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
24:33  So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
24:34  Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
24:35  Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
24:36  But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” (Matthew 24:32-36)

Earlier in Luke, Jesus blasted the Pharisees for not perceiving signs that were given them:

12:54 “ And he said also to the people, When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it is.
12:55  And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, There will be heat; and it cometh to pass.
12:56  Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?” (Luke 12:54-56)

In their blindness, they had the prophecy of Jesus appearing, as He was right in front of them. They did not perceive or understand. Today we have the prophecy right in front of us, as they did. They did not perceive His coming to them as their Messiah. Will we understand and perceive His glorious appearing and gathering His church, in the twinkling of an eye?


51 “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.” (1st Corinthians 15:51-53)



A SURPRISE FOR THOSE IN DARKNESS



As I just mentioned in the preceding paragraphs, the time of His coming to rule and reign to put down all rebellion on earth, will not come as a surprise. All will know that impending doom is coming. It will be an unprecedented time and not a day like all others. Jesus speaks of an earlier time, when a fig tree is about to blossom and putting forth new leaves. When did that fig tree appear? Correct, in May 1948, when Israel was made a nation again after almost 2000 years. Unprecedented and amazing, not suppose to happen, but it did....divinely so. He says when these events start to happen, then know He is near...right at the door!

A generation will not pass till all things be fulfilled. What is a generation? The bible says in Psalm 90 that a man has 70 years to live his life and 80 years by strength to live on this earth. Now I warn others, we can't make predictions about dates, or times, noting v. 36, but we can know the season....add 1948 plus 70-80 years....see what I mean, are we on the cusp of the fulfillment of this scripture? Note that the lower age of 7o years was fulfilled four years ago. How much longer, Lord?

24:37 “ But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
24:38  For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
24:39  And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”(Matthew 24:37-39)



Jesus speaks of a day, that's like any other day. People are merrily going about their business. They continue their wickedness, not knowing anything is amiss, much like the people of Noah's day. UNTIL, the warning ends, and the event takes place. Life will change for everyone who misses the warning and continues in their wickedness. Much like Noah's Ark.  This ship (Jesus Christ and Him crucified) of the Church of the Living God will leave port and bound for glory, and the world will wander around as blind people wondering what happened.

24:40 “ Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
24:41  Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
24:42  Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.”(Matthew 24:40-42)

Notice the suddenness of the event, as described here which is synonymous with the parable about Noah and warning people of the Antediluvian period. Some take this as a bad sign for the one removed, but I take it as to mean the elect being removed by force, without warning. Why do I say that? Because of the next few verses:

24:43  But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
24:44  Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” (Matthew 24:43-44)

Jesus comes suddenly, without warning, much as a thief would break into your home. Another emphasis on the unforeseen. Did you know he was coming? No, that's why he's appears as a thief. Jesus is not a thief, but the analogy fits as it describes the unforeseen, so you take precautions and that you are prepared for the suddenness of His coming. How do you prepare? By accepting Jesus as your Savior.

 24:45 “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?(preaching the Word in the time we have left) emphasis mine.
24:46  Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
24:47  Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.
24:48  But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
24:49  And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
24:50  The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
24:51  And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 24:45-51)

Then comes this last part. Ministers that read this, take note. Who is Jesus speaking of here? Is it the everyday Joe that the Lord has given him ruler-ship over His household? What is His house? The church and the  people who make up that church. Sadly, there are many so called “ministers” that take the office of shepherd lightly and abuse the office of their calling. That is many in the main stream denominations today. I believe Jesus is making special mention of men and women  who have been called to teach, to preach the Gospel, to counsel, and to minister to the children of God who make up His body. To neglect that duty and wander into sins of the flesh, be it stealing, lying, adultery, or any other sin that abuses the folks, then woe to that servant.

Sadly, these wolves in sheep clothing, or ministers that abuse their office, have the flock looking to them for leadership. They look for spiritual meat for life, as found in the Word of God. If a minister falls, and fails in his calling, is it only him that it takes down? No, it takes many people who looked to him for spiritual leadership and they fall away from following God. They sadly, put their stock in a man, as their example and failed to realize, that there is only One example, and that is the man/God, Jesus Christ. Is this minister responsible for the spiritual condition of His flock? To a point, yes he is. But in the same breath, each of us are responsible for our own salvation. It's just sad that this minister, or false prophet, since he failed, abused this office and the reward is severe. How severe? God is the judge, not me.


YOUR REDEMPTION DRAWETH NIGH

The signs of the end of the age are all around us. Jesus gave us the prophecy 2000 years ago, and it is being played out with pin point accuracy, in His day and in ours. Jesus is God and He knew when He spoke of these words to His disciples the path that this age we live in would take. The question is: Are you taking Him seriously? Do you read these words and scoff, or take warning? Have you been playing church, or wandering around in the dark and know not my Savior? You say you believe in Jesus Christ, but do you live like you know Him? People, the time is growing short. History is winding down to the end of the  Church age, or the Age of Grace. Suddenly, the Words of Jesus will be all too  real for anyone that turns a deaf ear to the warning. Will you survive what is coming? Will you even want to? Will you make your home with the angels or with the demons of hell? Will you dwell with God Almighty for all eternity, or be banished to outer darkness where this is weeping and gnashing of teeth?

Many places within the Bible speaks of prophecy, as it is full of signs and wonders for the close of human existence on this planet. Will  you be found in Him, by accepting His blood sacrifice on a cruel cross for your sins, and mine? Will you enjoy eternal bliss and glory in a world that no man can imagine? Or will you worship yourself and pay the penalty with everlasting punishment apart from God? I beseech you, that you present yourself as a living sacrifice to  God and believe on the only name, that is above every name, Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, as the signs speak of the end of the age closing fast.


16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John 3:16-18)

The above verses are the whole point of the Bible, as it's all about Jesus and what He did for mankind nearly 2000 years ago on a cruel Roman cross bleeding and dying for your sins, and for mine. You see, the salvation message is so simple that even a small child can understand their need for a Savior..I've seen children as young as 6 years old proclaim Jesus as Messiah, their Redeemer and their need for His sacrifice applied to their lives. As Jesus said,

And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3)

We may not fully understand everything about the Gospel message, but we understand God's Grace through our faith confessing Jesus as Lord and Savior of our lives.

8 “But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.

13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:8-13)


This is Pastor Mike Taylor, praying God's salvation in your life today. If there is anything I can counsel you on, pray with you about, or just listen with a sympathetic ear, email me at pastormiketaylor@yahoo.com, or visit me online at www.pastormiketaylor.blogspot.com, God bless you all,


till we meet at Jesus feet.


PROPHECY UPDATE. VIDEOS.........9/16/2022

https://rumble.com/v1jskrp-prophecy-update-powerful-prophetic-demonic-deception.html


https://rumble.com/v1jsq7j-prophecy-update-the-real-purpose-for-electric-cars.html

PROPHECY UPDATE.................9.14/2022

 




Dark Storm Clouds Are Approaching - By Grant Phillips - https://www.raptureready.com/2022/09/10/dark-storm-clouds-are-approaching-by-grant-phillips/

 

Eleven years ago, I wrote an article titled The Stage Is Nearly Set, in which I listed several important occurrences and their dates. Following is that listing.

 

  • 1920 American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) founded
  • 1945 The United Nations (U.N.) replaced The League of Nations.
  • 1945 The atomic age began with the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
  • 1946 The Atomic Energy Commission was created.
  • 1946 Xerographic photocopying process was invented.
  • 1947 Truman Doctrine (aid to countries whose governments are threatened with overthrow)
  • 1947 India and Pakistan proclaimed independent nations
  • 1947 First airplane to break the speed of sound
  • 1947 The transistor invented at Bell Laboratories
  • 1947 Americans United for Separation of Church and State (AU) founded
  • 1947 Holography invented
  • 1947 Doomsday Clock invented by scientists
  • 1948 The Marshall Plan (giving aid to 16 European countries)
  • 1948 Foundation of the State of Israel
  • 1948 Communists take over Czechoslovakia
  • 1948 Organization of American States founded (human rights)
  • 1948 First flight of first commercial jet airliner
  • 1948 World Council of Churches formed
  • 1948 U.N. adopts Universal Declaration of Human Rights
  • 1948 World Health Organization (WHO) founded
  • 1949 Communists forces gain power in China (nationalists flee to Taiwan)
  • 1949 North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) established
  • 1949 Soviet Union detonates its first atomic bomb
  • 1949 Israel admitted to the U.N.
  • 1949 Lucky Lady (U.S. Air Force) completes first non-stop around-the-world flight
  • 1949 Electron microscopy developed
  • 1949 Council of Europe formed
  • 1950 National Council of Churches formed
  • 1958 European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) and European Economic Community (EEC) formed by six European countries (the beginnings of the European Union, as known today)

 

I also find it interesting that Madalyn Murray O’Hair was born in 1919, and one year later, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) was founded. The American Atheist, founded in 1963 by Madalyn Murray O’Hair, and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), founded in 1920, have been Satan’s left hand and right hand in his attack upon Christianity.

 

Isn’t it interesting that most of the dates listed above are in the same general time period, either before or after another very important date? Israel became a nation on May 14, 1948.

 

If that isn’t enough, here are some more occurrences and their dates that are in the general time period, either before or after another very important date. On June 7, 1967, during the Six Day War, Israel reunified Jerusalem.

 

  • 1963 American Atheist founded by Madalyn Murray O’Hair (pushed separation of church and state)
  • 1963 Murray vs. Curlett resulting in Supreme Court decision (8-1) that year, which made it unconstitutional for school-sponsored Bible reading in public schools
  • 1967 Israel defeats Arabs in Six-Day War
  • 1967 First Super Bowl
  • 1967 First heart transplant (by Dr. Christian Bernard)
  • 1967 First celebration of Earth Day
  • 1967 First broadcast of Sesame Street
  • 1967 Israel reunified Jerusalem

 

In 1980, the Israeli Parliament declared Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel. On May 14, 2018, the United States of America moved its embassy to Jerusalem under President Donald Trump.

 

When I was born, there was no nation of Israel, but God said He would bring them back, and bring them back He did.

 

“Before she was in labor, she gave birth; Before her pain came, She delivered a male child. Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion was in labor, She gave birth to her children” (Isaiah 66:7-8).

 

“Then say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Surely I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone, and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king over them all; they shall no longer be two nations, nor shall they ever be divided into two kingdoms again” (Ezekiel 37:21-22).

 

By the time I was one year old, God brought the children of Israel back from where they had been scattered and established them back as a nation in ONE DAY! That is unheard of! No other group of people, EVER, has been dismantled, scattered throughout the other nations, and then brought back as the SAME nation! … let alone in ONE DAY! He is still bringing His children home.

 

God has made it clear in the book of Daniel, Ezekiel, and others that He would bring Israel back as a nation, and they would have seven remaining years that He would judge them, and He would also judge the world. We know this period as the Tribulation, and the last 3 ½ years of the Tribulation as the Great Tribulation. That time period is getting closer and closer.

 

In the late fifties, the Internet was birthed, and on August 6, 1991, the World Wide Web became publicly available. Today, nearly everything functions via the Internet. We can’t live without it. Don’t think so? Ask any teenager.

 

Most all of the items I have shown in the two listings, and many more I haven’t listed, have been stepping stones that have brought us to the last days spoken of in God’s Word, the Bible. We don’t know the day or hour of Jesus’ return, but you can rest assured that we are in the season of His return.

 

Israel becoming a nation again in 1948 is the one major sign that the clock is ticking. The second major sign, in my opinion, is the convergence of all the prophetic signs in our day. When I was born, none of the signs of the coming Tribulation existed, but today they are overwhelmingly visible.

 

David Reagan has written an excellent article on an overview of the signs of the times at http://christinprophecy.org/articles/an-overview-of-the-signs-of-the-times/ . It would be well worth your time to read his article.

 

Folks, time is running out. One day soon, maybe much closer than we think, Jesus is going to remove His bride (the true Church) from this earth, and then the seven-year Tribulation will begin.

 

Noah warned the people of his day that God was going to judge the world by water. All those not in the Ark would drown. For 120 years, Noah warned the people, but they laughed it off, just as people today are laughing at God’s message that another worldwide judgment is coming called the Tribulation. When considering the worldwide flood of Noah’s day and God’s coming judgment in the seven-year Tribulation, the Tribulation will be even worse. Reading the book of Revelation makes that clear. Jesus says of those Tribulation days:

 

“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).

 

Don’t be like those of Noah’s day and die without Jesus.

 

Grant Phillips

 

Email: Phillip5769@twc.com

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

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






They Have Been Destroying Our Culture For Decades, And We Can See It Degenerating Right In Front Of Our Eyes - by Michael Snyder - http://endoftheamericandream.com/they-have-been-destroying-our-culture-for-decades-and-we-can-see-it-degenerating-right-in-front-of-our-eyes/

 

Our culture has been completely and utterly turned upside down. If Americans from 1776 could visit us today, they would be absolutely horrified. Everything that they considered to be good is now considered to be evil, and everything that they considered to be evil is now considered to be good. We may pay lip service to the Constitution that they gave us, but the truth is that we have completely rejected all of the values that were the bedrock of their society. As a result, our culture is rapidly degenerating and we can see evidence of this all around us.

 

Have you ever heard a politician say that “America is great because America is good”?

 

At one time, that was actually true.

 

But now our country has been taken over by people that are unashamedly evil.

 

They control the education of our children, they control most of our news and entertainment, they run most of our large corporations, and they occupy most of the major positions of power in our largest cities.

 

Sadly, they also completely dominate the halls of power in Washington.

 

Over time, the American people allowed them to creep their way in, and now they are “the elite”.

 

And they are literally destroying our culture.

 

Traditional American values have been banished to the remote fringes of our society, and they have been replaced by values that represent the exact opposite of what our society once believed.

 

At this point, the elite have become so bold that they want to begin sexual indoctrination in kindergarten, they are attempting to normalize some of the most extreme forms of sexual deviancy imaginable, and they are pushing to set up vending machines “that will distribute drug supplies” even in very remote rural areas of the nation…

 

The Biden administration will be spending $3.6 million to set up vending machines in rural Kentucky that will distribute drug supplies as part of a project run by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

 

“Our kiosk, or KyOSK (KY Outreach Service Kiosk), will be supplied with injection equipment, naloxone, fentanyl test strips, hygiene kits, condoms, and other supplies,” according to the project. The vending machines will allow drug users to procure items like syringes without having to come into contact with health experts.

 

In addition to drug paraphernalia, the kiosks will also distribute “food kits, water, socks and gloves, feminine hygiene products, wound care, and resources/guides,” the National Institute on Drug Abuse told the Free Beacon.

 

In our schools, reading, writing and arithmetic have been replaced by sex, drugs and political correctness.

 

When many of our impressionable young kids finally become adults, they behave like wild animals because they have absolutely no moral foundation.

 

Over the weekend, there were brawls in stadiums all over the country as the NFL kicked off a new season.

 

And if you visit your favorite local restaurant, there is also a chance that you might find yourself in the middle of a mass brawl…

 

WATCH VIDEO

 

These days, the police often don’t even respond to such incidents because they are not deemed serious enough.

 

But if you actually behead someone, that will be enough to get their attention…

 

A Northern California mother of two who was beheaded with a sword last week has been identified and the father of one of her children has been accused of committing the brutal murder.

 

The family of 27-year-old Karina Castro has confirmed that she was beheaded on the street outside her home in broad daylight on Thursday by a man with a sword, KGO-TV reported.

 

The man who police say killed her is 33-year-old Jose Raphael Solano Landaeta, the father of Castro’s 1-year-old daughter.

 

Could you picture something like that happening on American streets in 1776?

 

Of course not.

 

But these days even our wealthiest cities have been transformed into crime-ridden, drug infested hellholes. For example, just consider what has happened to San Francisco…

 

The city is now famous for its depravity and decline. With multiple “poop tracking” apps to help residents avoid stepping in human fecal matter piled on the sidewalks as well as entire neighborhoods and street corners overrun with homeless people and Fentanyl addicts, it’s very hard for the city to play itself off as a destination of dreams (though they still try). Much like LA and the city of Portland, wherever the political left takes full control these are the kinds of unfortunate scenes you are likely to witness on a regular basis in San Francisco:

 

WATCH: https://youtu.be/Sq7bPIFW26k

 

Recent estimates project at least 20,000 homeless will reside in the city in 2022, and poverty levels will remain around 11.3% of the population. Previous homeless estimates date back to 2019, and surveys were skipped in 2020 due to the covid lockdowns. The Bay Area’s crime rates are FAR above the national average according to FBI stats, with property crime more than double that of the rest of the US.

 

Everywhere you look, the thin veneer of civilization that we all rely upon on a daily basis is disappearing.

 

Our once civilized society has been replaced by one that is absolutely teeming with predators, addicts, perverts and serial criminals of various types.

 

Sadly, the sentence above even describes the man currently residing in the White House and his family.

 

In such an environment, it is difficult for anyone to feel truly safe. When I came across the following story about the murder of a notorious rapper, I thought that it really summed up where we are as a society today…

 

Rapper PnB Rock posted a video to his Instagram showing off diamond chains just before being shot and killed in a robbery at a chicken eatery in Los Angeles after his girlfriend gave away their location by tagging it in a post.

 

The rapper, 30, was shot to death around 1 p.m. on Monday at a Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles in south Los Angeles, police said, days after revealing he’d been the target of several recent failed robbery attempts.

 

In the video posted to his Stories on his since-deleted Instagram, Rock is seen wearing a Louis Vuitton sweatshirt with massive diamond chains around his neck as he raps into the camera while driving around with his influencer girlfriend Stephanie Sibounheuang just before the fatal shooting.

 

In the days ahead, it won’t matter which side you are on.

 

Everyone will be a target.

 

Things didn’t have to turn out this way.

 

If we would have clung to the values of our forefathers, our nation would be a far different place today.

 

But instead we have consistently chosen wicked leaders that have put us on a course that leads to national suicide, and only a very small portion of the population is loudly objecting to this.

 

If you love this country, what has happened to us should deeply, deeply sadden you.

 

The elite thought that they were setting up their version of a “utopia”, but instead what they have given us is an endless nightmar





Although The World Works To Redefine Human Rights, No Legal Ruling Changes Biblical Truth – Answers in Genesis - https://harbingersdaily.com/although-the-world-works-to-redefine-human-rights-no-legal-ruling-changes-biblical-truth/

 

As God’s image bearers, humans are entitled to certain rights—but the Creator, not culture, makes the rules.

 

According to the United Nations website, “Human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, regardless of race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, or any other status. Human rights include the right to life and liberty, freedom from slavery and torture, freedom of opinion and expression, the right to work and education, and many more. Everyone is entitled to these rights, without discrimination.”

 

It’s quite common today for an array of cultural voices to appeal to human rights as justification for their ideas and agenda. For example, in June 2022, when the US Supreme Court voted to overturn Roe v. Wade, news headlines and social media posts lamented the loss of the basic human right of abortion.

 

But where do human rights come from? Is everyone really entitled to them? And what happens when these rights conflict with what Scripture teaches?

 

Rights and Worldview

 

In general, the evolution model explains human rights as a socially evolved concept that is currently beneficial to society. They are not a required moral reality and could be easily changed or swept away in the continued process of evolution.

 

According to dictators like Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot, and Mao, human rights—if they exist at all—come from the ruling elites and only some people are worthy to access these rights. We see a similar mindset today as the communist government of China commits genocide against the Uyghurs, whom they arbitrarily deem undeserving of human rights.

 

Religions like Islam, with its low view of Jews and “infidels,” or Hinduism, with its caste system, would say human rights originate from some sort of deity but don’t apply equally to all.

 

In all manmade worldviews—which is everything but biblical Christianity—humans are ultimately attempting to construct and define human rights. If human rights originate from man, they can be added to, subtracted from, modified, revoked, or selectively applied by man. Old rights can be withdrawn to coerce and control people. New rights can be easily invented to push an agenda.

 

A striking example shows up in today’s LGBTQ movement. As a whole, the movement seeks to redefine human rights to include almost any sexual preference or any gender feelings at any given moment. LGBTQ revolutionaries have co-opted the language of America’s civil rights movement and equate the demand for the equality of those with different innate ethnicities to the demand for equality of those with various sexual preferences. They argue that, just as people of all skin shades receive equal rights, so should people of diverse sexual inclinations or variant feelings of gender.

 

Advocates argue that the Civil Rights Movement and today’s LGBTQ crusade are essentially the same fight. They dogmatically claim they’re both fighting for the rights of people and that sexual preference and skin shade are the same fundamental issue because in both cases the person is born with those characteristics. Is this equivalence true? Not even close.

 

Born That Way?

 

The mission of the Civil Rights Movement was good, true, and biblical. Every person, no matter their ethnicity, deserves unconditional equal treatment as an image bearer of the living God. The diverse, immutable physical traits that people possess from birth, such as skin shade, display God’s beautiful creativity and in no way affect their inherent, indelible value.

 

However, an individual’s sexual preference is just that—preference. It is a choice. Of course, LGBTQ zealots reject this truth as they demand everyone accept that those who engage in the LGBTQ lifestyle are just “born that way.” But this argument quickly falls apart with a little investigation and logical, biblical thinking.

 

First, there is currently no biological or genetic basis for homosexuality. Any future discovery to suggest a scientific basis would simply confirm the fall’s corruption on mankind (Genesis 3).

 

Secondly, since we descend from Adam, all humans are born with sinful inclinations of various sorts. But having a sinful orientation or desire does not make that desire good, normative, or just. Someone inclined toward violence is not justified in beating his wife or children. Someone physically attracted to another person isn’t justified in committing adultery. Whatever the influencing factors, a sin is still a choice. And to choose any sexual activity outside the bounds of God’s design revealed in his Word is a sin, not a right.

 

Mankind’s Whims and God’s Word

 

Rights ultimately come from the Creator God—even the US Declaration of Independence acknowledges such when it says “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Without the one true God, human rights are nothing more than the whims of men that come and go like the ocean’s tides. And those tides can quickly change. In fact, those who call loudest for human rights often happily modify or take away the rights of others if those rights conflict with their definitions.

 

The Bible, God’s revelation of reality, says something much different and infinitely better. “Human rights” is a title given to a God-ordained truth that every human being has equal and inherent value far above any other aspect of creation. Why? Because every human being is made in the image of the living God (Genesis 1:27; Psalm 139:13; Jeremiah 1:5). Humanity is the crowning jewel of God’s creation. As such, all humans are intrinsically worthy of dignity, respect, care, and love.

 

Rightly understood, human rights come from God and are defined by God. The revelation of God in his creation, created order, and his Word provides the parameters for his image bearers’ rights. So when someone says, “A woman has a right to abortion,” we can authoritatively say, “No, she doesn’t,” because Scripture informs us that an unborn child is also a human (Psalm 139:14) and abortion takes a child’s life. That’s called murder, and murder is a sin, not a right. Or when someone declares that same sex marriage is a right, again we can boldly and lovingly state that it is not. God defined marriage and sexuality when he created male and female (Genesis 1:27), and Scripture is clear that homosexual behavior is sinful (Romans 1:26; 1 Timothy 1:9–11). Anything opposed to his revelation in the Bible is a sin, not a right.

 

Though the UN or other groups may attempt to redefine human rights and justice systems may pass laws advancing those alleged rights, no legal ruling changes the biblical outlines of sin and human value.

 

Based on Scripture, every human bears the image of God and unequivocally has human rights. Thankfully, our innate, invariable human rights come from God, not man, and are clearly understood from God’s revelation.

 






The Prince and His Power - By Terry James - https://www.raptureready.com/2022/09/13/the-prince-and-his-power-by-terry-james/

 

Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli has often been called the “father of modern political philosophy and political science.” He was an Italian diplomat, politician, historian, philosopher, humanist, writer, playwright, and poet of the Renaissance Period.

 

He was often brought up during my hours spent at university. He seemed to me to be both admired and disdained by the professors who stood before us at lectures. It was a strange alchemy of thought that sometimes confused—at least yours truly—while the professors both lauded and lambasted this strange purveyor of political presumption.

 

Always central to their lectures was Machiavelli’s most famous work, written in 1513—The Prince. This is a brief treatise on how to acquire power, create a state, and keep it. The book represents Machiavelli’s effort to provide a guide for political action based on the lessons of history and his own experience as a foreign secretary in Florence, Italy.

 

Most of my professors, even during those days of the early 1960s, lectured from the socialist perspective. The lectures hadn’t quite become the Marxist-oriented lies we hear being spewed today, but the anti-America-as-founded propaganda was plenteous, even back then.

 

As I say, the professors seemed to admire this man and his work—and detest him and his treatise at the same time. Almost always, they blamed any political ideology that opposed the socialist view as being Machiavellian in its wickedness.

 

Today, the political left, while not mentioning the Machiavellian model at all, totally embraces its methodologies.

 

Probably the best way to characterize winning and sustaining power within the model presented by The Prince is “ends justify means.” Machiavelli viewed injuring enemies as a necessity. He stated: “If an injury is to be done to a man, it should be so severe that the prince should not be in fear of revenge.” The prince must be absolutely ruthless in order to win and sustain his power.

 

We see this Machiavellian principle in today’s national and geo-global politics. Injury by use of forced compliance by the globalist cabal of the new world order sort is employed every minute of every day by those seeking to tear down national sovereignty.

 

Compliance with globalist mandates, no matter who is hurt, is at the heart of the ruthlessness. They state they’re determined to pare down the populations of humanity on the planet over which they intend to rule—all, of course, for saving the planet.

 

In preparation for the “prince that shall come,” can we discern the Machiavellian principle in play? I believe the answer is more than obvious. Can you say “Trump derangement syndrome”?

 

In America—and across the world, for that matter—the borders of nations are forced open by the globalist leaders, all of whom seem to be in lockstep. They open borders so that other peoples can flood through the openings. Into America they come by the hundreds of thousands—even millions—with most of the illegals unvaccinated, unchecked as to criminal background.

 

Even though there is pushback by some, the resistance is relatively small by comparison to the immensity of the problem of nations being overrun. This is because the world’s mainstream media is a part of the collective globalist mindset. Their narrative, their full propaganda machinery engine, is pushing the drive to bring about a new world order. Opposition and resistance to this movement are suppressed at every turn.

 

This should be no surprise because everywhere we look, we see humanity going against the God of Heaven and His directives for mankind. We don’t have to be male or female as God brought us into this world. We can be whatsoever gender we choose. Man doesn’t have to be joined to woman in sexual oneness; we can choose which sex to engage with in such activity, totally apart from the God of Heaven.

 

It is okay for children as young as 2 or 3 to begin the transition from their birth gender to whichever gender their parent says the child should become.

 

This is pushed by media at every level now, every hour of every day. This is because they—the media—have as their supreme leader the prince of the power of the air. We understand this from the words of the Apostle Paul to the Ephesians.

 

“And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others” (Ephesians 2:1-3).

 

Satan is that prince of the power of the air. He dominates the dissemination of the falsehoods we are incessantly bombarded with while the new world order is being prepared for the “prince that shall come.”

 

But we who are in Christ—who are saved by belief in His death, burial and resurrection—have nothing to fear while we endure this demonic construction taking place. Satan’s prince will be dealt with by another prince. Here is what God promises those who are in His eternal family.

 

“And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. 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 8:24-25)

 

True power resides with the King of all kings. Jesus is that Prince, that coming King of Revelation 19:11. If you are not yet, but want to be a member of that holy Kingdom, here, again, is how.

 

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9-10).






Daily Jot: Stupidocrisy: Bidenflation - Bill Wilson – www.dailyjot.com

 

He keeps saying it. And he keeps expecting people to believe it. Inflation is under control, he says. What planet is Joe Biden on? Have you been to the grocery store lately? Have you filled up your car with gas? Oh yes, gas prices are down a little, but food prices continue to soar. And Mr. Bidenflation continues say it’s all good. On Tuesday, Biden brought in the big guns to celebrate the Inflation Reduction Act. Yep, James Taylor sang some songs on the South Lawn of the White House and Jill Biden, Kamala Harris, Nancy Pelosi, Charles Schumer and Joe Manchin joined Joe in hopes that their appearance will give Americans confidence that we can declare inflation over with, kind of like how COVID disappeared.

 

Biden gushed about the Inflation Reduction Act, saying “I said it then and I’ll keep saying it: With this law, the American people won and special interest lost. Say it again: The American people won and special interest lost…After all, this bill cut costs for families, helped reduce inflation at the kitchen table, because that’s what they look at — how much are their monthly bills and how much do they have to pay out for their necessities. And it gave them just a little more breathing room, as my dad would say…This bill alone is going to lower the deficit by $300 billion over the next decade.” In fact, reputable think tanks, including the prestigious Wharton-Penn Budget model, predict it will have zero impact on inflation, after raising inflation initially. And a $300 billion reduction in the deficit is hardly something to celebrate against $31 Trillion in debt.

 

They all applauded his victory lap speech. The media ate it up, too. AP reported that inflation eased for the second straight month. And then the truth comes out, but everyone is too wrapped up in James Taylor to ponder it. Truth is, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said on Tuesday that consumer prices rose three-tenths of a percentage point in August. America is still experiencing the hottest inflation in 40 years. And these jokers—the media and the White House—expect you to believe everything is cool. The price of food at home jumped 0.7% compared with the previous month. Over the past 12 months, grocery prices have gone up 13.5%–eggs up 39.8%, potatoes up 15.2%, bread up 16.2%, ham up 9.2%.

 

This is just another example of how this government and the news media are in cahoots about gaslighting folks like you and me into thinking a sewer smells like a rose bed. They say that the Inflation Reduction Act lowered taxes, when it raises taxes; that it lowers the deficit, when it doesn’t; that it lowers healthcare costs, when it doesn’t. that it lowers inflation, when it won’t. In fact, Biden sells this as the cure-all for everything—Go back to your homes, everything is all right. One thing the Inflation Reduction Act does do—it incentivizes (new term for government wealth redistribution) the buying of electric cars, so you can bet that these crooked politicians are getting their pockets filled by the manufacturers. Electric cars that even California can’t charge because of the blackouts. As in Jeremiah 9:8, “Their tongue is an arrow shot out; It speaks deceit.” Say it with me…Stupidocrisy.





Daily Devotion: The Value of Discipleship - by Greg Laurie – www.harvest.org

 

I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’

—Acts 20:35

 

https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/the-value-of-discipleship/ - Listen

 

A true mark of spiritual maturity is taking our eyes off ourselves and thinking of others. As believers, we should be looking for ways to tell others about Jesus and “disciple” them.

 

Jesus said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19–20 NKJV). This is called the Great Commission, and Jesus is saying here that He will be with the person who does this. What does it mean to “disciple” people? It means taking them under your wing and helping them get on their feet spiritually.

 

Discipling is important not only for new believers but also for older believers. The older believers discipling the younger believers stabilize them and are in turn energized by doing so.

 

When you’ve been going to church for 10 or 20 years, you might start critiquing things. The music is a little too loud, or the sermons seem a little too long. Maybe you gripe and complain sometimes. But if you have a brand-new believer with you, you won’t be critiquing the sermon or criticizing the church. After the service, that new believer might say, “The pastor said this, and I’ve never heard that before.” Suddenly, you find yourself elaborating on the message. It’s helping you and them.

 

Yet, many of us aren’t sharing the truth; we’re hoarding it. But there’s joy in sharing. Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35 NKJV).

 

Look for opportunities to initiate conversations about Christ. To the best of your ability, seek to lead people to the Lord and then “disciple” them.