SIGNS OF COMING PERSECUTION(THE ANTI-CHRIST)

"Come," they say, "let us destroy them as a nation, that the name of Israel be remembered no more" (Ps 83:4).

God calls us to know the signs of the times. The final end time conflict will arise when nations of the world will come against Israel. The Bible is clear that Jesus will return to the physical place of Jerusalem to collect His bride, represented as all those who believe and trust in Jesus, the Messiah. "Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready" (Rev 19:7). "I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband" (Rev 21:2).

Israel will always be a place of conflict in the world because Satan knows that this is the place Jesus must come back to in order to collect His bride. And when Jesus does that, it will be the end of Satan's influence on the earth through anti-Christ nations. But until Jesus returns, the land of Jerusalem will be in a tug of war among the nations.

There is a growing intolerance in the world for anyone who has a belief system in absolutes. Christians will be viewed as rigid, inflexible and intolerant of other faiths. There will be a season of political moderate philosophy among many nations and individuals. This moderate philosophy will even happen among Christians, Muslims, and political groups. This will open the door to the influence of the antichrist to come against any group believing in absolutes.

A growing trend of anti-Semitism and persecution will emerge against Jews and committed Christians. Christians will be called to stand with our brothers and sisters in Israel. When this happens it will be one of the reasons Jews will believe in the Messiah.

There has been a season of peace for followers of Christ in the western, European and Asian world. But know that a season of persecution is to come. "However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name" (1 Peter 4:16-17).

Pray that you will be faithful.

WALKING WITH GOD

Can two walk together, unless they are agreed? - (Amos 3:3)

The idea when you are taking a walk with someone is to walk with that person. And in the Christian life, when we are walking with God, we should not be running ahead of Him. Nor should we be lagging behind. The idea is to walk with God.

And who sets the pace? God does. The prophet Amos asked, “Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?” (Amos 3:3). The Hebrew translation of this verse implies a meeting at a fixed place at a fixed time.

A friend of mine who is very prompt shared this saying with me, which he has been using in his family for years: “Early is on time. On time is late. And late is never acceptable.”

Can you imagine being late for an appointment with God? Every day, we have an appointment to keep with God, a time to start the day with His Word, to start the day with prayer. Every day, we have an opportunity to think of Him, to focus on Him, and to walk in harmony with Him. Are you walking in step with God today?

BEING SAVED: THE REAL TRUTH

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” ~ Matthew 7:21

I was meeting with a man one day in my office about a problem he was having in his marriage. I asked him some simple questions about his relationship with Jesus Christ, and I could tell he was clearly uncomfortable talking about spiritual matters. So I plainly asked him, “Are you a Christian?”

He shifted in his seat, thought for a while, and said, “I think I accepted Jesus when I was little, but I haven’t really thought much about Him since.” So I was able to give him some guidance, beginning by telling him what it meant to place his faith firmly in Christ.

That conversation could be repeated again and again with many people all over who identify themselves as Christians, but have never really become followers of Christ. They think walking the aisle at church camp or being baptized is what gets them in, never realizing that those who love Jesus will give Him much more than just lip service.

Maybe you resonate with that story today, having confessed Christ at one time but never really giving your life to Him. If so, it’s never too late to trust Him. Pray right now and surrender your life, trusting Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins, and enter into the joy of eternal life!

REAL FAITH IS MORE THAN JUST LIP SERVICE. TRUST CHRIST FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF YOUR SINS TODAY AND GIVE YOUR LIFE TO HIM.

THE 'PORN' GENERATION

A while ago, a Christian couple we know caught their 14 year old son viewing porn on the family computer. Their response: to spank him, adding humiliation to shame. 

Recently, a father who discovered his son viewing porn wrote a letter that has been widely circulated on the internet. This dad took the “tolerant approach” going so far as to offer his son some “safe” porn sites.  

The responses above are extreme; both are damaging. The first will drive a boy into isolation and toward a secret addiction, while the other opens the door wide to sexual sin. 

How should parents respond when they catch their children viewing porn? 

First, we need to face reality. Today’s surveys show that:

• The average age of first exposure to porn is ten. Some statistics say younger. 
• 90% of eight to 16 year olds have viewed porn online.
• 80% of 15 to 17 year olds have view hard core porn.
• Four out of five 16 year olds regularly access porn online.

Part of the problem is that many in the church are still living in the ostrich position.  Leadership doesn’t address sexual sin from the pulpit, and it’s not discussed in youth groups. We avoid it in the home; “there won’t be a problem in my house.”  

Then Junior, who’s more tech savvy than Mom and Dad, learns about porn from his peers, many who have smart phones with unrestricted internet access. Or maybe he stumbles onto the cache of his father’s porn on the family PC. With statistics showing that 50-60% of Christian men viewing porn, it’s not uncommon.

Then one day the child makes a mistake and his parents find out. If Mom and Dad are grounded in reality the chances are higher that they respond with wisdom and care. If not, a train wreck of confusion, miscommunication, and isolation is minutes away.  

Following is an approach to take when addressing porn with your family. We’ll begin with steps for preparation.  

Be proactive.

A lot of what the church does today is reactive; we wait until the building is half burned to the ground instead working to protect against a fire. Your child should hear about sex from you first, not his peers. In our pornified culture this may mean as young as age 8, depending on the maturity of the child. This doesn’t mean you need to dump the whole sex- talk truck-load on an eight year old, but at least consider the Hansel and Gretel approach of steadily feeding them a few crumbs over time. You should also discuss the dangers of porn with your children and what to do if they’re exposed to it.  

Set God’s standard for sex. 

God made sex for marriage only between one man and one woman. It’s nothing to be ashamed of; the Lord addresses it candidly throughout the Bible. Anything outside of marital sex is sin, can destroy your child’s life when he grows up, and will hurt those he loves. Discuss this plainly with him. 

Plan ahead

Long before your children are of the age where porn will be an issue, safeguards should be set in the home. This could be as radical as doing away with the TV, or not having cable. Every computer should have a porn blocking solution installed. 

When appropriate, share your story.

As your child matures, consider discussing your past struggles with lust or porn.  This will open new doors in your relationship, show your kids you’re human, and cut the lust-monster down to size when they see that God has made you an overcomer. An appropriate age for such a disclosure might be the teen years, should you decide to go through with it. 

When you discover your child has been exposed to porn (I say when because the odds are heavily stacked that it will)... 

Don’t freak out. 

You want your child to feel safe with you so they feel free to discuss anything. If you condemn or shame them, they’ll shove sex into their “never discuss with Mom and Dad” closet, increasing the risk of retreat into the secret fantasy world of porn addiction. Isolation breeds lust; it’s critical that the doors of communication are kept wide open. 

Maintain a kind, compassionate tone. 

If you need to, take some time and calm your emotions before sitting down with your child. Talking it out with your spouse can help. Pray. Don’t go at it with a full head of steam. 

Remember the goal…

…which is to help, guide, and walk with your kids in their journey through adolescence.  Many children will be confused—and terrified of what your response might be. Think of how you’d want your parents to react if you got caught viewing porn, and how a grace-centered approach would help. 

Focus on listening.

Talking too much up front can start things off on the wrong foot; especially if you’re lecture-prone. Start by asking questions. Calmly ask how they were first exposed to porn and how long it’s been going on. Ask how it makes them feel… especially if there’s shame afterwards. Ask if they’ve stimulated themselves. You want your son or daughter to feel heard and accepted; this will have the effect of releasing them from the burden of shame and fear.  Their answers may lead to more questions; play that out. You may discover that they hate what they’ve seen and are relieved to be able to open up with you, which will open the door for your input on how to deal with the problem. 

Without going into lecture-mode, remind them of the truth of God’s plan for sex.

You might point out that the actors and actresses in porn hate what they’re doing and many of them are drunk or on drugs when they’re “acting.” Help your child to see the lie behind the fantasy and discuss the fact that sin never satisfies. 

Put them at ease. 

They’ve not committed the unpardonable sin; if they were inadvertently exposed to porn they haven’t sinned at all. Re-emphasize your love for them. If they’ve been viewing porn for an extended period of time, help them to understand that Jesus died for and will forgive them; the slate will be wiped clean, along with all the guilt and shame. 

Pray with them. 

Lead your child in prayer, asking God to cleanse them of everything they’ve been exposed to. Confess sin with them. Bringing the Lord into your conversation may be one of the most poignant moments of your time together. If your child prefers, you can say the words and they can repeat them. Thank the Lord for His forgiveness immediately after confessing any sin so they get a sense of closure.  

Make an action plan with them. 

Ask your child for suggestions for an action plan so they can resist temptation in the future. This will help them take ownership for their actions and give them a sense of working with you, instead of “My parents are coming down on me.” They could also pleasantly surprise you with some ideas you hadn’t thought of. 

Here are the basics: 

1. Cut off the stumbling blocks (Matthew 5). Assuming they’ve been viewing porn on a PC or their phone, get an ap/software solution that will prevent this. If video games, movies, or a friend is the problem, take action, even if it means throwing away treasured items and/or severing a relationship. 

2. Set up a time when they will be accountable to you; perhaps once every week or two (James 5:16). Help them understand that isolation is a silent killer when it comes to lust, and this isn’t a “check up on you to see if you’ve been bad” time. Accountability is a key strategy in the battle. 

3. Pray for them daily, and encourage them to do the same. There’s a spiritual battle going on, and the enemy is sure to hit them with temptation again. I also suggest that you pray together after each of your accountability times. 

Finding out that your child is viewing porn isn’t the end of the world; God is bigger than the problem. If a parent responds with grace and truth they can nip the problem in the bud, strengthen the relationship, and model how the church should respond when someone is caught in sin. 

Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.

Galatians 6:1

PEACE OF GOD VS. PEACE WITH GOD

"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you" ~ John 14:27 

 

Peace on earth--that's what everybody wants. But nobody can guarantee external peace because nobody can control other people or circumstances. Nations sign and break peace treaties with frightening regularity. Couples lament that there would be peace in their home "if only he/she would shape up." No one can guarantee peace at home or on the job site. However, we should always strive to be peacemakers. Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God" (Matthew 5:9). Paul instructed, "If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men" (Romans 12:18).

 

 

But let's face it: Peace with others isn't always possible, because peace doesn't just depend on us. Peace on earth is what we want; peace with God is what we have; the peace of God is what we need.

 

Peace with God is something you already have (Romans 5:1). It's not something you strive for; it's something you received when you were born again. The Prince of Peace reconciled you to God by shedding His own blood.

The peace of God is something you need to appropriate daily in your inner world in the midst of the storms which rage in the external world (John 14:27). There are a lot of things that can disrupt your external world because you can't control all your circumstances and relationships. But you can control the inner world of your thoughts by allowing the peace of Christ to rule in your heart on a daily basis (Colossians 3:15). There may be chaos all around you, but God is bigger than any storm. I keep a little plaque on my desk which reminds me: "Nothing will happen to me today that God and I cannot resolve."

 

 

The peace of Christ will rule in your heart when you "let the word of Christ richly dwell within you" (Colossians 3:16). And when you turn to Him in prayer, "the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7).

 

Prayer: Prince of Peace, rule in my heart today. Give me Your peace and make me a peacemaker in all my relationships.

LIVING FREE FROM FEAR AND SHAME

“Fear not, for you will not be ashamed; be not confounded, for you will not be disgraced;

for you will forget the shame of your youth....” ~ Isaiah 54:4

I was reading in the newspaper awhile back on my iPad and saw a wonderful testimony about a couple that eloped when they were in Bible college. They’d never spent time alone together—that wasn’t allowed at this particular school—but they’d been slipping around and getting to know each other on campus between classes.

He was 21 and she was 18 when they eloped, and they just celebrated their 50^thwedding anniversary. A reporter asked them if they had any advice for maintaining a strong marriage. So the wife said, “Live every day so as not to be afraid of tomorrow or be ashamed of yesterday.”

That’s not just good advice for marriage; it’s good for life. And when we commit our lives to Christ, we don’t have to be ashamed of yesterday or afraid of tomorrow. Our sins of the past have been completely forgotten and our future is in the hands of a Father who loves us and will work everything out for our best.

In Christ, you can live free from fear of tomorrow and shame of the past. Only in Him can you truly live for today. So instead of worrying about the past or the future, live each day in the power of the Spirit to the glory of God!

THANK GOD THAT YOU CAN LIVE FREE FROM FEAR AND SHAME BECAUSE YOUR PAST SINS ARE FORGOTTEN AND GOD WILL GUIDE YOUR FUTURE!

SMALL SLITS SINK SHIPS

He must become greater; I must become less. - John 3:30

Did you know scientists now believe a series of slits, not a giant gash, sank the Titanic? The supposedly invincible cruise liner went down in 1912 on its first voyage. Fifteen hundred people perished, making it the worst maritime disaster of its time.

Until recently, the most widely held theory was that the ship hit an iceberg, opening a huge gash in the vessel’s side. But an international team of divers and scientists has used sound waves to probe the wreckage, buried in the mud under two-and-a-half miles of water. The damage was surprisingly small. Instead of a huge gash, they found only six, relatively narrow, slits across the watertight holds.

Small slits can sink great ships. What are the small slits in your life that might have serious consequences? Is some shoring up in order? If you don’t know what exactly needs shoring up, or you do know but don’t know how—seek some help—from a friend, your pastor, or a professional counselor.

“A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.” -Unknown
 

LOST AND FOUND

I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents (Luke 15:10).

How much do you matter to God?  Three parables in Luke 15 compare the value of a lost coin, a lost sheep and a lost son to the value God places on each human life.  In each case, these three things were highly valued and diligently sought after when lost. 

And, in each case, there was much rejoicing when found. Jesus tells us that likewise, and in much greater measure, God and His angels rejoice over even one sinner who was lost and is found.  That's the reality of how much God loves you. 

Hebrews 2:7 tells us, "God has crowned us with glory and honor."  We have the ability to live like royalty as sons and daughters of The King.  But first we must recognize that our crowns are broken because of sin, turn to Christ for forgiveness and trust Him to restore us to our royal position through the power of the cross.  Are you living up to the value God has placed on your life? 

Take your flimsy and broken crown to the the feet of Jesus Christ, repent of your sins, and let him give you a new crown of eternal glory.  And start living like royalty!

CLARITY VERSUS TRUST

Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the word of his servant? Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God. - Isaiah 50:10

When the philosopher and professor of ethics, John Kavanaugh, went to work for three months at the “house of the dying” in Calcutta, he was seeking an answer about how to spend the rest of his life. His first morning there he met Mother Teresa. She asked, “And what can I do for you?” Kavanaugh asked her to pray for him. “What do you want me to pray for?” she inquired.

He voiced his pressing burden: “Pray that I have clarity.” Mother Teresa firmly refused!  When the bewildered Kavanaugh asked why, she said, “Clarity is the last thing you are clinging to and must let go of.”

When Kavanaugh commented that she always seemed to have the clarity he longed for, she laughed and said, “I have never had clarity; what I have always had is trust. So I will pray that you trust God.”

Are things in your life so clear that there’s no room to trust God?

“All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen. ” - Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

UNDER SPIRITUAL ATTACK

1 Timothy 4:1 ~ "The Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons"

 

 

A seminary student stopped by my office to tell me he was having difficulty getting to school on time. What should have been a five-minute drive lengthened to 45 minutes because a voice in his mind kept telling him to turn at intersections. Not wanting to disobey what he perceived to be the "still, small voice of God," he was treated to a tour of the city almost every morning.

 

A pastor's wife, desperately needing the comfort of the Holy Spirit and desiring His leading, passively believed that whatever entered her mind was from God. She soon found herself bound by fear and plagued by condemning thoughts.

 

These examples underscore the wisdom of John Wesley's words: "Do not hastily ascribe things to God. Do not easily suppose dreams, voices, impressions, visions or revelations to be from God. They may be from Him. They may be from nature. They may be from the devil. Therefore, do not believe every spirit, but try the spirits, whether they be from God" (Martin Wells Knapp, Impressions , Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1984, p. 32).

 

In a survey of 1700 professing Christian teenagers, 70 percent admitted to hearing voices, like there was a subconscious self talking to them. I don't believe they are psychotic or paranoid schizophrenic. There is a battle going on for their minds. I have shared with many tormented people that they aren't going crazy but are under spiritual attack. They usually respond, "Praise the Lord, someone understands." It's freeing to know this truth, because if there is a battle going on for our minds, we can win that war.

 

Prayer: Lord, today I choose to test the spirits and assume my responsibility to think upon that which is true.

TRANSFORMING A WORKPLACE

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Rom 12:1-2).

A cab driver in the Philippines became radically saved. He was taught that he now had the power of God in his life to transform his community. Because he had not had any prior religious training to the contrary, he took a literal approach to believing what the Bible says about prayer and miracles.

He decided that the best mission field for him was the local bar in his neighborhood. So he began to visit this bar to find the most qualified sinner he could find in order to minister to him. He met the bartender and determined that he was a great prospect because he was also a gay drug addict and a pimp to 65 prostitutes. The cab driver visited the bar regularly and got to know the bartender while drinking his "usual" Coke. Eventually, the Lord used the cab driver to bring this man to Christ.

The power of God moved greatly in the bartender, and he was delivered from his homosexual lifestyle. He began to change his life and share Jesus with the prostitutes. All 65 of them became Christians, and they began meeting in the bar for Bible study.

Soon, the owner of the bar began to notice the change in these people, and he also was saved. The bar became a church, and the group started 10 cell group churches in the neighborhood. Now that is a miraculous transformation!

No matter what situation we find ourselves in, we should always remain aware that God wants to intervene. He desires a moment-by-moment relationship with us, and He wants to demonstrate His loving power to others through us. We can approach God about any situation, for there is nothing that is too small or too great for Him.*

Ask God to be a transformer in your workplace and city.!!