Bible Warns of Apostasy and Persecution: Birth Pang 4A
The point is that at some time in the future, God will take a leader that turns out to be the leader of a northern group of nations (but will also include nations south of Israel (like Ethiopia) and around Israel and God will use this leader for His purposes. Notice that even though God is going to “put hooks into (Gog’s) jaws” and will “bring you out with all your army…” etc., to Gog, it will feel as though it’s his idea.
Entering the Narrow Way Leading to Life
How do you tell those people about Jesus? How do you tell them that God loves and cares for them? As a Christian of course, I realize that we are responsible for our own pain in many cases. We are born into this world as sinners and that puts us on the outs with God at the very beginning. However, for people like Clara Bow, who come into this world with a tremendous background of evil that happens to them, they seem to go from the frying pan directly into the fire. Because of the terribly large holes in their lives, they try in vain to fill those holes with fame, fortune, or the love of others. They always seem to be missing the boat, or taking the wrong path in life. Do you know people like that personally? Does not your heart go out to them? I hope so.
Bible Warns of Apostasy and Persecution: Birth Pang 3
At this point, Israel gained control of the eastern portion of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. To this day – on paper – Israel controls these areas, yet it would seem that this is not the case. The reality is that once Israel gained control, they left physical control in the hands of Arabs and that has been the case since the end of the so-called Six-Day War. Israel could, at any point now, banish Arabs from the Temple Mount and destroy the Dome of the Rock and Al Aqsa mosques. Of course, if they did this, war would break out with many nations becoming involved in the fray. There will come a point though when somehow, some way, Israel will be able to build another Temple on the Temple Mount and this is highlighted in Scripture.
Bible Warns of Apostasy and Persecution: Birth Pang 2
This is actually Birth Pang #2 because this began occurring officially in 1948. What about the rest of the text, you would do well to ask? It hasn’t happened yet! This is a process that God is doing with Israel to get them ready for the final remnant to enter into the Millennial Kingdom where Jesus will reign. Isaiah 11-12 discuss this same thing, much of it dealing with the results of God regathering Israel, sprinkling them with water to purify them, giving them a new heart, and bringing them into the Land where they will finally and fully enjoy all the Land that was promised to them via Abraham. But it is clear from Scripture that this is a process that doesn’t happen overnight. In fact, the regathering itself of Jews to the Land has taken decades and even a few generations and it is still ongoing!
Expect Even Less Discernment as the End of the Age Approaches
It is the same with our relationship with Jesus. You know what I always think as being a bit strange? During worship services, you’ll see people wiping their eyes, getting out their handkerchiefs, and crying. I’m assuming it’s because of how much these folks know and believe they are loved and maybe how much they love God in return for what He’s done. There’s nothing necessarily wrong with that except that too often, people can come to rely on those feelings and when they are not there, they begin to doubt the truth, which is clearly stated in His Word throughout. It can be a form of Cultural Marxism that has crept into the church, teaching people to rely on the way they feel about things.
Lack of Discernment is Astounding in Some Churches
The pastor seemed to want to instruct us on everything from tongues to healings to other gifts that Christians are supposed to evidence in their lives so that people will know they are Christians. It got convoluted very fast, jumping from John 1, to John 8 to Acts 1, to Acts 8 and then to Romans 12. The emphasis was seeing real change in people as evidence that they were actually saved. I would argue that change only really comes to Christians who enter into and maintain fellowship with God in Christ and while salvation offers this path, not all Christians take it.
Christianophobia? Not Enough Lions? What?
If the world loves us, then we may well be doing something wrong as they may very well see little to no difference between their lives and that Christian’s life. If there is no difference, then the “love” those Christians believe they are evidencing in their lives toward the world may not be love at all, but more of an act of self-survival. It’s simply some nebulous feeling that does nothing more than make those Christians feel good about themselves. That cannot truly save anyone because there’s nothing there beyond feelings. There’s no real truth in it.
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