My day began with prayer and will end with prayer, Lord willing. I am drinking a hot cup of Door County Roasted Praline Coffee and although it tastes good, I think my taste buds are as numb as my heart and brain.
Earlier in the week I received a text message from a friend. Their 24 year old daughter had died. This was a shock to me and I cannot imagine what they are going through.
The the stock market crashed because of the caronavirus that is impacting many countries. It seems to be spreading and has killed many.
Then yesterday a man opened fire on his co-workers at the local brewery where many people from our city work. We prayed and waited to hear if one of the ladies from our church was safe. She was, yet 5 lives were lost to a senseless act of violence.
I know that God is right next to me as I write this, but this has been a week of pain for many people including Rene and me. I asked God as I prayed "did You see this stuff"? I know He did and I really have no right whatsoever to ask that question of God, who holds my next breath in His hands. He answered me softly with patience,I did not deserve.
Pastor Roger Thomas wrote "Sometimes tragedy happens because of Satan. The Bible is clear. Satan is real. He is not make believe. He is not a fantasy or a symbolic idea. Despite the claims of many wishful thinkers, Satan is alive and well on Planet Earth. The Bible says he prowls the world like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8-9). We live in a war zone. People get hurt when spiritual forces clash.
Satan is behind the hatred, war, oppression, and corruption in the world. He works behinds the scenes in every level of society. Much of the world’s suffering flows directly from his successes. The Bible tells us that it will get worse before it gets better.
One only need watch the newscasts of the looting, crime, price gouging, and general meanness taking place in the aftermath of the hurricane to know that a lot of suffering is the result of spiritual wickedness.
The Bible has one other very important word to say to our questions. This answer is the most important one. Even when bad things happen, God is still in control. Nothing that happens escapes God watchful eye or tender concern. Jesus taught us that “the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows” (Mt 10:30-31)."
I need and we all need to trust by faith in God who never sleeps, never lies and is with us through these storms. I trust in the end of the story. Jesus comes back for us and there isn't anymore pain. sorrow or stress. Their aren't any tears in heaven.God bless,
Marty
We are in the later times in this season. We are seeing the beginnings of the birth pains that are talked about in the bible. We have always been told that the prince of the power of the air, Satan is the ruler of this world. We have been told that the antichrist has been in the world and that there have been many antichrists already in the world. In 168 BC the Greek king Antiochus IV Captured Jerusalem and sacrificed a pig on the Holy altar and erected a statue of the god Zeus. The Maccabees drove out Antiochus from the temple. Many ancient Jews thought the prophecy of Daniel 9:27 was enacted in the actions of Antiochus. But in AD 70 the Roman general Titus invaded and entered the temple and vilely desecrated it and took holy items from the temple to Rome and put them in a place of desecration where they ought not to be. 1John 2:18 :Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that Antichrist is coming, even now many Antichrists have arisen; from this we know that it is the last hour ... Many have come from that antichrist spirit, Mussolini, Stalin, Hitler, and leaders in our current world. Hitler was treated as a god by his people. They worshiped him as a god. He had an altar built in Germany that had been renovated from the temple of Antiochus where it had been desecrated and where they offered sacrifices to Zeus. It still stands in Germany today. How did this one man get millions of people to follow him in this evil, especially take note, the people that followed him were from the church? If there was not a power of the antichrist in him, how was this possible. He comes against the people of God because God loves them. He was advancing towards Great Britain and there was no hope of them defeating him. At that hour, Churchill got on the radio to the nation and told the people there was not hope and the only thing they could do was pray. He told EVERY man to get on his knees and pray to the Lord. On that day, every person got on their knees in prayer to the Lord. Right after that, Hitler decided to change course and go into Russia and that is where he was defeated. What would have happened if the knees did not bow? Only God knows. We as children of Christ and the church are to occupy and be about the business of the Lord until the end. We are to be praying praying praying AND be interceding for God's will against the principalities in the heavenlies for our fight is not against flesh. We are to be praying against the antichrist spirit that is taking over our government, our schools, our businesses, our politics, our judicial system, our courts, our media, and yes, even our churches. We are not to let any idols come before the Lord Jesus Christ. He is to be Lord over our Lives. We are not to give up, we are to keep persevering until the end in prayer, in faith, in hope for if Jesus is truly Lord of our lives, we dwell under the shelter of the holiest of the holy and we can claim Psalm 91 for we are under the shelter of the almighty, under His protection and the prayers of even 1 righteous man avails much and the power of the Holy Spirit shall come down on earth and come against the evil one. "My Kingdom come, My will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Church we need to get on our knees and repent and pray for God's will to be done. Church, where were we when Roe vs. Wade was passed, where were we when our schools lost the ability to pray, oh church where were we when we gave up the sanctity of marriage. When we signed the covenant of the 501 C3, who did we replace as the head of our church? Church oh church repent, get on our knees, do not give up, put our hope, our faith in the power of the name of Jesus Christ, using our bodies as a holy sacrifice in order to bring down the power of His Holy Spirt from heaven down to earth. This is my prayer for us in this time in the precious name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, the Holiest of the Holiest.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment. It is well prayed out and I enjoyed the writing. God bless. I just prayed for you not to be discouraged. Keep up the good fight.
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