The Last Days

The escalation of events, politics, and circumstances in the world is making a steady advance towards what the Bible describes occurring in the "last days." Last days is really a misleading term, because the Bible is clear that life on earth is not about to end. Life without Jesus physically on earth is certainly about to end!


In Cyprus, bank depositors just had up to 40% of their bank accounts confiscated. This is just the beginning. The US-backed World Bank is about to get some serious competition, as China, Russia, South America, and India (and a few other countries) align to form the new BRICS bank. This bank is intended to form an "alternative to dollar-trade finance" which are fancy words to say they don't trust the dollar will hold its value long term, and they believe that the endless printing of money by the US Fed and the ECB is unfair to their interests...which it clearly is. When the world threatens to stop using the US dollar, there is going to be a world-wide economic problem...we will all feel like Cypriots shortly.


This isn't opinion; this is simply the law of economics taught by history. You can fool some of the people some of the time, but you can't fool all of the people all of the time. The US is the largest debtor in world history, yet we are literally printing money (83 Billion per month) like the largest creditor. We print money just to keep the lights on, because we can’t find anyone crazy enough to buy our massive debt anymore. This is the biggest game of musical chairs ever. It is happening in Europe, too. When the music stops there, economies are literally collapsing, riots are occurring, and marshal law is implemented.


We haven't seen anything yet. The first few rounds were played out in small countries with economies, populations, and militaries smaller than most states. The problems in these small countries like, Ireland, Greece, Portugal, and now Cyprus are sending shock waves through the world economy, because the solutions are getting progressively scarier. But, there must be a day of reckoning. We can't all just keep printing money. The third world is tired of being the third world. They are now the only productive places in the world. They are generating the capital, which means they can remake the system, and they are rapidly doing it. What happens when the third world money clashes with the first world military might? A huge economic crisis will result. There are very few ways this ends smoothly.


We are headed for a currency crisis, and we have governments all over the west that refuse to waste a good crisis. This coming storm is just the sort of problem that will REQUIRE a new global currency. The Bible is clear that as the events of Revelation unfold, a global currency will be used to control the masses, to actually force them to worship a man:


Revelation 13:11, 16-17 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.


This describes the most unusual of alliances: religion and a new economic system the world has never seen before. The false prophet is the "other beast" who comes up out of the "land." Earlier in Revelation Chapter 13, we learn of the antichrist, which comes up out of the sea, or the quickly shifting political movements of the earth. The false prophet comes up out of the land, or a firmer traditional religious establishment...one that has appeared stable for a long time. The false prophet will play the role of the Holy Spirit in satan's unholy anti-trinity. He will be a very popular spiritual leader, who will lead millions of people. By performing false signs and wonders, he will convince his followers, who will trust his words as God's, that it is ok to start using this new currency. He will tell people that the antichrist is good, and is here to help people. The false prophet will say that he trusts the antichrist so much that he will put all of His great religious influence behind him, causing millions to trust antichrist, many against their better judgment but swayed by this trusted religious leader, as well.


This new economic world order will require the participation of anyone who wants to work, buy, or sell. This is designed to bring everyone into a trusting relationship with the government...with the man who wants to be worshiped...satan's own son. Many in the world right now, when they hear words like these, are scared. The idea of choosing between fidelity to God or working to feed my family the way I always have seems very uncomfortable. Most would rather not think about such things. I don’t fault those with this attitude, I have felt the same way, but I have come to realize an important truth: Fear of what the Bible says is going to happen is an important test to evaluate myself on. Fear of God's plan always reveals two things: either I don't fully believe in the power of God, or I don't really trust in the fullness of His love.


Jesus is the One behind the events of our day. Satan isn't winning...satan is losing. Big time. Many mistakenly think Revelation is about the antichrist, satan or evil winning for a little while. This is completely untrue. Satan does not want the events described in Revelation to happen. He can read and he knows the end of the story. This is Jesus' plan and it is really beginning to happen right now. Jesus said if we didn't understand He was the one allowing these things to happen, that we risk being "offended" by Him and falling away. Jesus said these days will require great "endurance":


Matthew 24:9-13 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.


II Thessalonians 2:2-4 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.


If the idea of not being able to work, having our money become worthless or confiscated, and not being able to buy or sell produces fear in me, it is an indication that my trust is placed in money, or my ability to work, or the comfort afforded by what I have stored up, and NOT God. God has a proven track record of providing food from the sky in the desert, water from a rock, money from fish, food for 5,000 people from 12 loaves and two fish, rescuing His servants from jail with earthquakes...the list goes on and on. If those are just stories in my mind, and not realities I am excited about living in, then I am going to have a very hard time adjusting to what is going to steadily increase on earth.


The book of Acts is about the persecuted Church flourishing in a time of tribulation. It isn't primarily about the trouble, it is about the victory. Very few western believers have an idea of victory that agrees with the Bible. We want to picture victory as never loosing comfort, but the Bible, time and time again, demonstrates God's people enjoying complete victory in intense circumstances despite what appear to be overwhelming odds. The Church needs a paradigm of victory that is based on the book of Acts or the book of Exodus, and not Extreme Home Makeover or the Biggest Loser.


Jesus told us exactly how to prepare ourselves for the certain coming economic collapse: don't stand on what will be shaken! If you want to break your soul tie to trusting in money, secretly start giving it away. There are plenty who are in need. You won't have to look hard to find someone who could greatly use $20, $100, or even $1,000, and you will feel freedom come in waves as you stop trusting in what you can touch.

Matthew 6:19-21 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.