Trouble
The trouble that is just beginning to break across the earth will become much worse. We are at the beginning of a time of trouble unlike the earth has ever seen:
Matthew 24:21“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.
22“And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.
23“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it.
24“For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
25“See, I have told you beforehand.
26“Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it.
27“For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
This is what we see beginning to unfold all over the earth right now. It is the baby beginning. It is a process that builds in intensity...it will build very quickly. Next up is a financial shaking of unprecedented scope.
Many will keep trying to "put it off", but it won't work.
Isaiah 47:10“For you have trusted in your wickedness;
You have said, ‘No one sees me’;
Your wisdom and your knowledge have warped you;
And you have said in your heart,
‘I am, and there is no one else besides me.’
11Therefore evil shall come upon you;
You shall not know from where it arises.
And trouble shall fall upon you;
You will not be able to put it off.
And desolation shall come upon you suddenly,
Which you shall not know.
12“Stand now with your enchantments
And the multitude of your sorceries,
In which you have labored from your youth—
Perhaps you will be able to profit,
Perhaps you will prevail.
13You are wearied in the multitude of your counsels;
Let now the astrologers, the stargazers,
And the monthly prognosticators
Stand up and save you
From what shall come upon you.
14Behold, they shall be as stubble,
The fire shall burn them;
They shall not deliver themselves
From the power of the flame;
It shall not be a coal to be warmed by,
Nor a fire to sit before!
15Thus shall they be to you
With whom you have labored,
Your merchants from your youth;
They shall wander each one to his quarter.
No one shall save you.
At some point, every person on the planet will have to deal with why it is happening... It is happening because Jesus is coming. You can't buy the answer to the trouble... you can't escape it.... You can't out run it. The trouble is designed to chase us down and get us to decide: do I really want to resist the coming of the one who made the earth and act like I can keep my comfort in a world filled with darkness and depravity? Will I really believe the lie that peace and safety are coming when the whole planet is rejecting the only one who provides peace and safety? Am I cheering for a church running sideways to God or away from repentance, even as many in the church embrace physical solutions of wielding power and impatient action rather than prayer and intercession?
1 Thessalonians 5:1 Thessalonians 5:3 NKJV — For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.
Since 2013, not one aspect of the trouble engulfing the planet has chilled out...even as ISIS is put on the ropes, much bigger state actors of oppression and terror have risen up. Depravity hasn't subsided one bit. Natural disasters have increased exponentially, news coverage has died down to barely faint whispers of what is actually happening, even as large portions of the west burn and Asia drowns, the vast majority of Americans have no idea wildfires are raging in our own country or millions are pummled by hail, flooded, or buried alive elsewhere .
Nuclear weapons are literally being loaded onto missiles to be launched by madmen, and madmen with greater stature negotiate more of the madness. Worst of all, the thin veneer of civility holding us in check is quickly eroding... You can try to "think positively", but that is a false religion and simply won't work in the long run. True faith that works believes the BIBLE... Followers of Jesus glory in tribulation and teach others to do the same:
Romans 5:1Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
2through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
3And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;
4and perseverance, character; and character, hope.
5Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
The world is in uncharted waters...there is no clear captain, the crew is drunk, and the passengers simply could not care less, though the nagging realization that no one is driving and the ship is taking on water is becoming less and less ignorable.
There is only one answer to this moment in time in the Bible. Over and over it is stated: gather together and repent...perhaps you will be spared
Zephaniah 2:1Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together,
O undesirable nation,
2Before the decree is issued,
Or the day passes like chaff,
Before the LORD’s fierce anger comes upon you,
Before the day of the LORD’s anger comes upon you!
3Seek the LORD, all you meek of the earth,
Who have upheld His justice.
Seek righteousness, seek humility.
It may be that you will be hidden
In the day of the LORD’s anger.1Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together,
O undesirable nation,
2Before the decree is issued,
Or the day passes like chaff,
Before the LORD’s fierce anger comes upon you,
Before the day of the LORD’s anger comes upon you!
3Seek the LORD, all you meek of the earth,
Who have upheld His justice.
Seek righteousness, seek humility.
It may be that you will be hidden
In the day of the LORD’s anger.
Joel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Jesus, Peter, James, Paul, John....they all have the same answer: If you want to escape the testing, gather together in night and day prayer/repentance, called the "Tabernacle of David":
Amos 9:9“For surely I will command,
And will sift the house of Israel among all nations,
As grain is sifted in a sieve;
Yet not the smallest grain shall fall to the ground.
10All the sinners of My people shall die by the sword,
Who say, ‘The calamity shall not overtake nor confront us.’
11“On that day I will raise up
The tabernacle of David, which has fallen down,
And repair its damages;
I will raise up its ruins,
And rebuild it as in the days of old;
Luke 21:34“But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.
35“For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.
36“Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
The point is NOT to take control of the world and put off the trouble. The point is to see the trouble as the greatest incentive ever to take control of my own heart and bring it to the One who is coming...to make peace with Him while he is in the way AND to learn to live with others willing to speak truth in love:
Psalm 2:8Ask of Me, and I will give You
The nations for Your inheritance,
And the ends of the earth for Your possession.
9You shall break them with a rod of iron;
You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ ”
10Now therefore, be wise, O kings;
Be instructed, you judges of the earth.
11Serve the LORD with fear,
And rejoice with trembling.
12Kiss the Son, lest He be angry,
And you perish in the way,
When His wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.
Jesus isn't raising up tyrants to deliver the church or Israel. There are no good tyrants.
1 Samuel 8 NKJV - 1 Now it came to pass when Samuel was old that he made his sons judges over Israel.2 The name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba.3 But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice.4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah,5 and said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.”6 But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” So Samuel prayed to the LORD.7 And the LORD said to Samuel, “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.8 “According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even to this day—with which they have forsaken Me and served other gods—so they are doing to you also.9 “Now therefore, heed their voice. However, you shall solemnly forewarn them, and show them the behavior of the king who will reign over them.”
Jesus isn't raising up a man or company of men to lead us in victory, He is raising up a storm to see who is willing to trust Him in it believe Him through it and humble ourselves before it.
Matthew 8 NKJV - 23 Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him.24 And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep.25 Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!”26 But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.27 So the men marveled, saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”
As trouble and confusion increase... as one bad decision leads to another, and false teachers take advantage of the confusion and offense (these false leaders are just as blind as those that flock to them... blind leaders of the blind), many are promised to walk away from Jesus in HIS name!!
This has always been in the Bible!
Matthew 24:10“And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.
11“Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.
12“And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.
13“But he who endures to the end shall be saved.
14“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
Matthew 15:14 NKJV — “Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.”
Matthew 7:18“A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
19“Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20“Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
21“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
22“Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’
23“And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
24“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:
25“and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
To practically respond to these truths, you simply have to practically respond to them! You spend more of your time praying with others about the person you want to be when Jesus arrives. You spend more of your money making a way others to get close to Jesus. You fast and pray and test yourself in what you really want. Am I in a place practically doing this? It's not about a good program, or a good outreach...it's about really getting searched before God and getting rid of my junk.
That is the point of the storm...it's testing what we REALLY want!
Hebrews 10:20by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh,
21and having a High Priest over the house of God,
22let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
23Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
24And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,
25not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
26For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
27but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.
28Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
29Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?
30For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. And again, “The LORD will judge His people.”
31It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
32But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings:
33partly while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became companions of those who were so treated;
34for you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven.
35Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward.
36For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:
37“For yet a little while,
And He who is coming will come and will not tarry.
38Now the just shall live by faith;
But if anyone draws back,
My soul has no pleasure in him.”
39But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.
Matthew 24:21“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.
22“And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.
23“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it.
24“For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
25“See, I have told you beforehand.
26“Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it.
27“For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
This is what we see beginning to unfold all over the earth right now. It is the baby beginning. It is a process that builds in intensity...it will build very quickly. Next up is a financial shaking of unprecedented scope.
Many will keep trying to "put it off", but it won't work.
Isaiah 47:10“For you have trusted in your wickedness;
You have said, ‘No one sees me’;
Your wisdom and your knowledge have warped you;
And you have said in your heart,
‘I am, and there is no one else besides me.’
11Therefore evil shall come upon you;
You shall not know from where it arises.
And trouble shall fall upon you;
You will not be able to put it off.
And desolation shall come upon you suddenly,
Which you shall not know.
12“Stand now with your enchantments
And the multitude of your sorceries,
In which you have labored from your youth—
Perhaps you will be able to profit,
Perhaps you will prevail.
13You are wearied in the multitude of your counsels;
Let now the astrologers, the stargazers,
And the monthly prognosticators
Stand up and save you
From what shall come upon you.
14Behold, they shall be as stubble,
The fire shall burn them;
They shall not deliver themselves
From the power of the flame;
It shall not be a coal to be warmed by,
Nor a fire to sit before!
15Thus shall they be to you
With whom you have labored,
Your merchants from your youth;
They shall wander each one to his quarter.
No one shall save you.
At some point, every person on the planet will have to deal with why it is happening... It is happening because Jesus is coming. You can't buy the answer to the trouble... you can't escape it.... You can't out run it. The trouble is designed to chase us down and get us to decide: do I really want to resist the coming of the one who made the earth and act like I can keep my comfort in a world filled with darkness and depravity? Will I really believe the lie that peace and safety are coming when the whole planet is rejecting the only one who provides peace and safety? Am I cheering for a church running sideways to God or away from repentance, even as many in the church embrace physical solutions of wielding power and impatient action rather than prayer and intercession?
1 Thessalonians 5:1 Thessalonians 5:3 NKJV — For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.
Since 2013, not one aspect of the trouble engulfing the planet has chilled out...even as ISIS is put on the ropes, much bigger state actors of oppression and terror have risen up. Depravity hasn't subsided one bit. Natural disasters have increased exponentially, news coverage has died down to barely faint whispers of what is actually happening, even as large portions of the west burn and Asia drowns, the vast majority of Americans have no idea wildfires are raging in our own country or millions are pummled by hail, flooded, or buried alive elsewhere .
Nuclear weapons are literally being loaded onto missiles to be launched by madmen, and madmen with greater stature negotiate more of the madness. Worst of all, the thin veneer of civility holding us in check is quickly eroding... You can try to "think positively", but that is a false religion and simply won't work in the long run. True faith that works believes the BIBLE... Followers of Jesus glory in tribulation and teach others to do the same:
Romans 5:1Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
2through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
3And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;
4and perseverance, character; and character, hope.
5Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
The world is in uncharted waters...there is no clear captain, the crew is drunk, and the passengers simply could not care less, though the nagging realization that no one is driving and the ship is taking on water is becoming less and less ignorable.
There is only one answer to this moment in time in the Bible. Over and over it is stated: gather together and repent...perhaps you will be spared
Zephaniah 2:1Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together,
O undesirable nation,
2Before the decree is issued,
Or the day passes like chaff,
Before the LORD’s fierce anger comes upon you,
Before the day of the LORD’s anger comes upon you!
3Seek the LORD, all you meek of the earth,
Who have upheld His justice.
Seek righteousness, seek humility.
It may be that you will be hidden
In the day of the LORD’s anger.1Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together,
O undesirable nation,
2Before the decree is issued,
Or the day passes like chaff,
Before the LORD’s fierce anger comes upon you,
Before the day of the LORD’s anger comes upon you!
3Seek the LORD, all you meek of the earth,
Who have upheld His justice.
Seek righteousness, seek humility.
It may be that you will be hidden
In the day of the LORD’s anger.
Joel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Jesus, Peter, James, Paul, John....they all have the same answer: If you want to escape the testing, gather together in night and day prayer/repentance, called the "Tabernacle of David":
Amos 9:9“For surely I will command,
And will sift the house of Israel among all nations,
As grain is sifted in a sieve;
Yet not the smallest grain shall fall to the ground.
10All the sinners of My people shall die by the sword,
Who say, ‘The calamity shall not overtake nor confront us.’
11“On that day I will raise up
The tabernacle of David, which has fallen down,
And repair its damages;
I will raise up its ruins,
And rebuild it as in the days of old;
Luke 21:34“But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.
35“For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.
36“Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
The point is NOT to take control of the world and put off the trouble. The point is to see the trouble as the greatest incentive ever to take control of my own heart and bring it to the One who is coming...to make peace with Him while he is in the way AND to learn to live with others willing to speak truth in love:
Psalm 2:8Ask of Me, and I will give You
The nations for Your inheritance,
And the ends of the earth for Your possession.
9You shall break them with a rod of iron;
You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ ”
10Now therefore, be wise, O kings;
Be instructed, you judges of the earth.
11Serve the LORD with fear,
And rejoice with trembling.
12Kiss the Son, lest He be angry,
And you perish in the way,
When His wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.
Jesus isn't raising up tyrants to deliver the church or Israel. There are no good tyrants.
1 Samuel 8 NKJV - 1 Now it came to pass when Samuel was old that he made his sons judges over Israel.2 The name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba.3 But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice.4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah,5 and said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.”6 But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” So Samuel prayed to the LORD.7 And the LORD said to Samuel, “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.8 “According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even to this day—with which they have forsaken Me and served other gods—so they are doing to you also.9 “Now therefore, heed their voice. However, you shall solemnly forewarn them, and show them the behavior of the king who will reign over them.”
Jesus isn't raising up a man or company of men to lead us in victory, He is raising up a storm to see who is willing to trust Him in it believe Him through it and humble ourselves before it.
Matthew 8 NKJV - 23 Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him.24 And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep.25 Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!”26 But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.27 So the men marveled, saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”
As trouble and confusion increase... as one bad decision leads to another, and false teachers take advantage of the confusion and offense (these false leaders are just as blind as those that flock to them... blind leaders of the blind), many are promised to walk away from Jesus in HIS name!!
This has always been in the Bible!
Matthew 24:10“And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.
11“Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.
12“And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.
13“But he who endures to the end shall be saved.
14“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
Matthew 15:14 NKJV — “Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.”
Matthew 7:18“A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
19“Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20“Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
21“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
22“Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’
23“And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
24“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:
25“and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
To practically respond to these truths, you simply have to practically respond to them! You spend more of your time praying with others about the person you want to be when Jesus arrives. You spend more of your money making a way others to get close to Jesus. You fast and pray and test yourself in what you really want. Am I in a place practically doing this? It's not about a good program, or a good outreach...it's about really getting searched before God and getting rid of my junk.
That is the point of the storm...it's testing what we REALLY want!
Hebrews 10:20by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh,
21and having a High Priest over the house of God,
22let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
23Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
24And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,
25not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
26For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
27but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.
28Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
29Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?
30For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. And again, “The LORD will judge His people.”
31It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
32But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings:
33partly while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became companions of those who were so treated;
34for you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven.
35Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward.
36For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:
37“For yet a little while,
And He who is coming will come and will not tarry.
38Now the just shall live by faith;
But if anyone draws back,
My soul has no pleasure in him.”
39But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.
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