Dear friends and readers,
Somethings are happening right now that may be indicators of much larger things to come. Mainstream news agencies are far more interested in bashing presidents and glorifying the Hollywood elite so many people worldwide simply do not get to see interesting articles that involve vastly important, extremely powerful enemies of our vast world. People and nations with evil intent. And I might add, enemies of Christianity.
I talk a lot about Biblical prophecy, much of which has already been realized and even more that will be in the future. But, I do not believe in trying to fit prophecy into particular news events although we also cannot discount current trends that could conceivably end up becoming parts of fulfilled prophecy at some future date. It is a balancing act! The other thing I do not do is try to "sensationalize" individual events to attract readers. I just report what is happening and you decide. I don't know about you but it upsets me no end when I see articles with titles that looks like the "sky is falling" but after reading I realize it is just so much sensationalism intended to push ratings to the tops of the charts. However some headlines do need to grab attention because the results of both political and military actions by some nations are potentially bad news stuff!
Along those lines some increasingly provocative actions are currently being undertaken by both the Russian Bear and the Chinese Dragon. Two countries who reside next to one another and both have slightly different forms of communism in their long histories. And both of whom are practicing forms of socialism (although Russia claims to be a democracy---don't you believe it for a second). Historically these two nations have NOT been kissing cousins. Far from it because they both posses large standing armies and nuclear weapons. Even more so, vastly different types of cultures which have always led them to distrust one other. So why should we care? After all we are here and they are---WAY over there!
First both Russia and China are thought to be among the next generation of FINANCIAL super powers but the fact is that both countries spend far more on weaponry than on helping their own citizens survive and prosper. As of 2017 Russia boasts about 6,800 nuclear weapons opposed to second place United States with a mere 6,600. Not much of a difference I grant you. China on the other hand has only about 270 but then it would take a mere fractions of that number to destroy the world. Also many nuclear devices are equipped with multiple warheads so who really knows who has what and who has an advantage should a nuclear war break out. Of one thing I am certain, the various governments will never tell "John Q public" the truth!
Simply as a comparison tiny Israel is estimated to have about 80 nukes. Several other nations also have nuclear weapons but frankly of them all my bet is that it would be Israel that would pull the nuclear trigger first if overwhelmed by surrounding neighbors and facing imminent destruction. Why would I say that? Because Israel faces threats of total and complete destruction every single day while there are zero other countries facing that challenge. I do not believe that Israel would EVER allow another Holocaust, nor should they, nuclear weapons not withstanding.
As of this writing Russia and China (as stated above---centuries old enemies) are launching the largest combined war games of this century. It began last Tuesday and involves thousands of Russian troops and an estimated 3,500 or more Chines soldiers. But those are only "smoke and mirror" figures for public consumption. More realistic figures are estimated at upwards of 300,000 total soldiers, 36,000 military vehicles, 80 ships, 1,000 military aircraft plus an untold number of helicopters and drones.
This is leading speculation among NATO partners that the real goal of these massive war games might be a possible rehearsal for a large scale conflict. As in REAL near future war. Obviously not between Russian China so that leaves the possibility of a large scale dispute between those two countries and NATO which includes the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Canada,
United Kingdom and several other countries both large and small for a total of 28. On the surface it seems silly for just two countries, Russia and China to pit themselves against 28 nations. But perhaps not when you consider China's expansion into the South China Sea and Russian saber rattling where the nation of Ukraine is concerned. Remember that Russia itself represents 11% of the worlds total landmass with China not far behind and the United States in third place. Population wise China is by and far the largest with 1 1/2 billion people, opposed to Russia with a piddling 145 million. In comparison the United States has a population of 325 million but then the U.S. also has the greatest amount of defense spending worldwide. It dwarfs both Russia and China, but far less so if you put them together as military partners. A very complex mix.
But here is the "kicker" and why China and Russia may be trying to flex their combined muscles. In 2017 China spent a total of 220 Billion on defense, Russia 66 1/2 billion. Lots of money but compare that to the United States at 610 BILLION and of the other 27 Nato countries, France, Germany, the U.K, and Canada, alone spent a combined 191 Billion. NATO IS ONE HUGE THREAT TO RUSSIA AND CHINA, both of whom are displaying aspirations for both regional and worldwide domination.
So the real question being asked is why now? What is this huge military exercise all about between otherwise long time enemies? Plus there are other disturbing things happening that should raise the awareness of Christians worldwide.
TO SWEETEN A VERY UNSAVORY POT! China has recently launched a new program called a "SINICIZATION CAMPAIGN". What that means is fancy speak for a purge of Christians, crosses and churches. This is confiscation and burning of Bibles, destroying crosses, forcing Christians to sign documents renouncing their faith, preventing internet Bible downloads, and both closing and in some cases burning churches. A recent FOX NEWS report indicated that China is in full scale suppression of religious freedoms---not new for them but certainly increasing. And what replaces religious freedom? Forced loyalty to the atheist Chinese Communist Party. However to maintain appearances, China's government approved state authorized bibles that of course water down the Word of God immensely. And pictures of Jesus are being destroyed and replaced with pictures of China's President Xi Jinping. A government atheistic version of the true church is making it's way across China.
All of this is reminiscent of the beginnings of Soviet pogroms and Spanish inquisitions. The world is changing before our very eyes and many who watch the evening news in the United States and other western nations are not in the least bit aware of these issues. Mathew 24:9 states "Then they shall deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name sake" (JESUS SPEAKING).
We have a tendency in western countries to look upon scriptures like that as something that will happen during the future tribulation years of the book of Revelation. BUT, we should all remember that persecution of believers is something that is happing in several countries of the world at this very moment. And although it is not reported widely by news agencies, Christians being martyred for their faith is increasingly drastically in several countries of the world.
However history tells us a bit of good news in the face of terrible adversity. Fact: "THE CHURCH" always grows faster during times of persecution than during times of peace, tranquility and bounty. It is also reported that no matter what the Chinese government is doing to kill off true Christianity, the underground church is not only surviving but thriving.
The question as we see these things happening is simple. Do any of these things portent future fulfillment of Biblical prophecy? Is any of this connected in any way to the fulfillment of future Biblical prophecy? Is the stage being set for the next act? I sincerely wish I knew for certain but of one thing I do know. The world is becoming a very dangerous neighborhood. Only time will tell what may be on the horizon. But it is time to pay attention to the signs of the times.
Please join me in praying for the Chinese Christians and their churches and may God bless them and all of us as we head into a very uncertain worldwide future! Also for the heads of western democratic free nations to see clearly what if any threats to worldwide peace may be afoot.
God bless,
Pastor Rance.
Saturday, September 15, 2018
Tuesday, September 4, 2018
Waiting upon the Lord? What does that mean?
Dear friends and readers,
Today I want to expound a bit on something we frequently hear in church or during discussions between believers; "WAIT ON THE LORD"! Ok, lets do that but first it is important to understand the concept.
The command to wait upon the Lord is found in several places in both New and Old Testaments. Many of the New Testament references have to do with waiting for Christ' second coming. Old Testament style the term may well mean waiting for God's personal and providential care for individuals, families and even the nation. But in both cases there is a whole lot more inferred in the concept to "wait on the Lord" than folks may realize.
First as a general concept waiting for the Lord to speak, do, provide, answer prayer or increase knowledge is just simply what followers of the God of Creation should be doing---coupled with both faith and prayer. The questions many learn to deal with as they mature as believers are simply these; What does faith really mean? Can I trust the Lord to actually answer prayer? Does He really heal the sick? can He really be depended upon to provide my need? Oh ok, no problem trusting him for my needs but for my children? Well, that's a whole lot higher level of faith. In a nutshell all faith is can be defined in one simple word. TRUST! Do I trust God? And if the answer to that is REALLY REALLY yes, well for those kinds of folks, they do seem to experience the Lord working in their lives.
Is that scriptural? Yes it is absolutely. James 1:6-9 speaks of a testing for faith. Specifically this scripture is speaking about seeking Godly wisdom but this Biblical principle stretches across a very wide path of our lives no matter the sincere need. "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. BUT let him ask in faith (believing---trust---my emphasis added) WITH NO DOUBTING, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord"! OOH, tough words. NO doubting? How do we get there?
The simple answer is by PRESSING INTO the Lord. Not really a Biblical term but it demonstrates a point. Once again James demonstrates this concept (4:8) by telling us "DRAW NEAR TO THE LORD AND HE WILL DRAW NEAR TO YOU"! In this case the first responsibility is ours. It is God who responds. Elsewhere the New Testament refers to a sweet smelling aroma. 2 Corinthians 2:15 tells us that "WE"---believers, are the fragrance (sweet smelling aroma) of Christ, among those who are saved and among those who are perishing". I have thought about that scripture a great deal over the years and here is my take on what God is saying; I picture God the Father sitting upon His heavenly throne and breathing deeply in while saying "My son Fred, James, Joe, or my daughter Jane, Anita or Jazmine TRUSTS ME---AAAAAH! Can you picture that in your minds eye? But what would He be doing while breathing in mistrust or prayer full of doubts?
So, how does "waiting in the Lord" impact our walks and what does it specifically mean? First every single thing we do as believers should be based upon scriptural truth. God said what He meant in the Bible and meant exactly what He said. EXAMPLE; Oh how many times over the years have I had someone say to me, Pastor, have you heard about "so and so's church"? Wow all kinds of "EXTRA BIBLICAL" new gifts of the Holy Spirit are breaking out? Really? No hold on right there, if a "gift of the Holy Spirit" cannot be verified in scripture it is nothing more than a contrived super spiritualized false "whatever" that ends up leading people astray. Mankind was created in the image of a Holy and Righteous God, and jumping pews, screaming, multiple people yelling in tongues at the same time, clucking like chickens or barking like dogs is OUT OF ORDER. 1 Corinthians chapter 14 verse 40 nails it down where the gifts of the Holy Spirit are concerned (all of which I believe in by the way) "Let all things be done decently and in order"!
Next There is no EXTRA BIBLICAL anything. Period. God may not have told us everything there is to know about Heaven or our Universe but what He has told us is exactly what He wants us to know until we get there. Where prayer is concerned, there is no magic bullet or set prescriptive. Talk to God with respect as though He were your father, which by the way He is. Ask Him for what you NEED not what you want. Don't treat Him like a sugar daddy. Be patient and wait for Him to answer. On that note I have learned that sometimes God gives us (in answer to prayer) what HE KNOWS we really need rather than what we thought we needed. Example; On one occasion I remember someone prayed for money to settle debts but God instead brought physical healing which enabled that person to go back to work so debts could be paid.
Listen for God to speak to you. Some will say God only speaks through written scripture (and in fact He frequently does) but He also speaks through events, other people, nature, circumstances and sometimes through that "STILL SMALL VOICE" that was experienced by the prophet Elijah in 1 Kings 19:11-13. Ah you say but that was Old Testament. Right you are, it was. And it was also in the Old Testament that God said in Malachi 3:6 "I Am the Lord, I do not change"! And in the New Testament Jesus Himself said (John 10:27-28) "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them and they follow Me".
Did you notice that Jesus DID NOT say, they "WILL" as in someday, hear my voice? No, so you say why have I not heard the voice of the Lord speaking to me? First have there been times for you that you absolutely did not know something and then suddenly you did? Or perhaps you experienced what seemed like a "knowledge or wisdom dump" into your very core? That was most likely the Holy Spirit speaking to you folks but always remember that whatever you think you are hearing or have heard from others needs to be verified with scripture. On another note, Elijah the prophet was alone in the desert, it was probably very quiet. In our world there is nearly always noise and distraction. Horns blowing, children yelling, schedules to arrange, church services on the next horizon, little league or "soccer mom" stuff competing for our time and energy.
Frequently when people pray they are the only ones doing the speaking but do not taken the time to just sit quietly and listen, "waiting on the Lord"! Take some time and get alone in a quiet place and just speak to your Father and then sit back and listen. When we are hurting, don't know what to do, crying out desperately to the Lord, literally sucking all the oxygen out of the room--- we probably could not hear the Lord speak to us if He were beating a brass drum! While I certainly cannot guarantee you will hear some kind of voice from without, remember that the Holy Spirit is the one who is feeding your spirit.
Waiting on the Lord really depends upon your own attitude towards Him. 1). Are you at a place in your life in which you are ready to be completely and totally dependent upon Him? That does not mean quitting your job and waiting for buckets of money to fall from the sky. But it does mean deciding that you will 100% accept GOD deciding the terms and the timing of His plan for your life or even immediate future. 2). Trusting God with the timing of future things is a difficult thing to do for all of us. But here is something that might help you; God looks at your life differently than you do. You do not know tomorrow nor can you but God sees your birth and your passing from this earth at exactly the same time. He is Omnipresent and Omniscient. Here is an example; Picture in your mind a standard everyday yard stick. 3 feet long, one yard. Hold that yard stick in both hands so you can see the number beginning with #1 in your left hand. Imagine that number 1 was your birth. Number 6 was when you graduated from high school. Number 12 represents when you married and number 15 when you began having children. Today you are 40 years old and looking at number 25 on that yard stick. But number 26 is tomorrow and so you do not see what that number will represent.
God looks at the yard stick of your life from end to end, not sideways as you do. He fully knows what number 26 represents. He already knows how it will play out and He uses your prayers in your best interest but you must trust Him to do so.
Romans 5:5 "hope does not disappoint". Romans 8:19 "The creation waits in eager anticipation for the children of God to be revealed". Psalm 62:1 "For God alone my soul waits IN SILENCE (my emphasis added)---my hope is from HIM"!
Waiting for the Lord is trusting in Him to decide your fate, your future, your next move. It does not mean stopping, it means moving according to His plan for your life. Going all the way back to Exodus chapter 14:14 "THE LORD WILL FIGHT FOR YOU---YOU NEED ONLY TO BE STILL"!
Today we are blessed with credit cards, bank accounts, retirements, social security, stocks and bonds. insurance, doctors, lawyers and accountants. All good stuff, none of it bad in itself. BUT, is it a possibility that we have become so dependent upon all those security blankets that we do not really turn to God until those things begin to fail us? Has God become the last resort?
I wonder what would happen in all of our lives if we turned to God first? I am not suggesting getting rid of the security blankets but rather depending upon the Lord to decide how that all plays out in our day to day lives.
The Biblical issue of "waiting on the Lord" actually means doing all we can DAILY and changing our perspective from stuff and things and the provisions of this world to absolute trust that our Heavenly Father will use our stuff and our circumstances to help us navigate through a hectic world. It is listening to that wee small voice just like Elijah FINALLY DID when he was running away and was deathly afraid of his own death at the hands of King Ahab and his Queen Jezabel.
When Elijah was alone and petrified and he was crying out to the Lord, God met him. God provided for Elijah the peace that passes all understanding.
Mankind has changed and so have our busy lives but God has not changed one whit!
God bless you all today,
Pastor Rance.
P.S. Sometimes I have to read my own writings so I remember as well (-:
Today I want to expound a bit on something we frequently hear in church or during discussions between believers; "WAIT ON THE LORD"! Ok, lets do that but first it is important to understand the concept.
The command to wait upon the Lord is found in several places in both New and Old Testaments. Many of the New Testament references have to do with waiting for Christ' second coming. Old Testament style the term may well mean waiting for God's personal and providential care for individuals, families and even the nation. But in both cases there is a whole lot more inferred in the concept to "wait on the Lord" than folks may realize.
First as a general concept waiting for the Lord to speak, do, provide, answer prayer or increase knowledge is just simply what followers of the God of Creation should be doing---coupled with both faith and prayer. The questions many learn to deal with as they mature as believers are simply these; What does faith really mean? Can I trust the Lord to actually answer prayer? Does He really heal the sick? can He really be depended upon to provide my need? Oh ok, no problem trusting him for my needs but for my children? Well, that's a whole lot higher level of faith. In a nutshell all faith is can be defined in one simple word. TRUST! Do I trust God? And if the answer to that is REALLY REALLY yes, well for those kinds of folks, they do seem to experience the Lord working in their lives.
Is that scriptural? Yes it is absolutely. James 1:6-9 speaks of a testing for faith. Specifically this scripture is speaking about seeking Godly wisdom but this Biblical principle stretches across a very wide path of our lives no matter the sincere need. "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. BUT let him ask in faith (believing---trust---my emphasis added) WITH NO DOUBTING, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord"! OOH, tough words. NO doubting? How do we get there?
The simple answer is by PRESSING INTO the Lord. Not really a Biblical term but it demonstrates a point. Once again James demonstrates this concept (4:8) by telling us "DRAW NEAR TO THE LORD AND HE WILL DRAW NEAR TO YOU"! In this case the first responsibility is ours. It is God who responds. Elsewhere the New Testament refers to a sweet smelling aroma. 2 Corinthians 2:15 tells us that "WE"---believers, are the fragrance (sweet smelling aroma) of Christ, among those who are saved and among those who are perishing". I have thought about that scripture a great deal over the years and here is my take on what God is saying; I picture God the Father sitting upon His heavenly throne and breathing deeply in while saying "My son Fred, James, Joe, or my daughter Jane, Anita or Jazmine TRUSTS ME---AAAAAH! Can you picture that in your minds eye? But what would He be doing while breathing in mistrust or prayer full of doubts?
So, how does "waiting in the Lord" impact our walks and what does it specifically mean? First every single thing we do as believers should be based upon scriptural truth. God said what He meant in the Bible and meant exactly what He said. EXAMPLE; Oh how many times over the years have I had someone say to me, Pastor, have you heard about "so and so's church"? Wow all kinds of "EXTRA BIBLICAL" new gifts of the Holy Spirit are breaking out? Really? No hold on right there, if a "gift of the Holy Spirit" cannot be verified in scripture it is nothing more than a contrived super spiritualized false "whatever" that ends up leading people astray. Mankind was created in the image of a Holy and Righteous God, and jumping pews, screaming, multiple people yelling in tongues at the same time, clucking like chickens or barking like dogs is OUT OF ORDER. 1 Corinthians chapter 14 verse 40 nails it down where the gifts of the Holy Spirit are concerned (all of which I believe in by the way) "Let all things be done decently and in order"!
Next There is no EXTRA BIBLICAL anything. Period. God may not have told us everything there is to know about Heaven or our Universe but what He has told us is exactly what He wants us to know until we get there. Where prayer is concerned, there is no magic bullet or set prescriptive. Talk to God with respect as though He were your father, which by the way He is. Ask Him for what you NEED not what you want. Don't treat Him like a sugar daddy. Be patient and wait for Him to answer. On that note I have learned that sometimes God gives us (in answer to prayer) what HE KNOWS we really need rather than what we thought we needed. Example; On one occasion I remember someone prayed for money to settle debts but God instead brought physical healing which enabled that person to go back to work so debts could be paid.
Listen for God to speak to you. Some will say God only speaks through written scripture (and in fact He frequently does) but He also speaks through events, other people, nature, circumstances and sometimes through that "STILL SMALL VOICE" that was experienced by the prophet Elijah in 1 Kings 19:11-13. Ah you say but that was Old Testament. Right you are, it was. And it was also in the Old Testament that God said in Malachi 3:6 "I Am the Lord, I do not change"! And in the New Testament Jesus Himself said (John 10:27-28) "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them and they follow Me".
Did you notice that Jesus DID NOT say, they "WILL" as in someday, hear my voice? No, so you say why have I not heard the voice of the Lord speaking to me? First have there been times for you that you absolutely did not know something and then suddenly you did? Or perhaps you experienced what seemed like a "knowledge or wisdom dump" into your very core? That was most likely the Holy Spirit speaking to you folks but always remember that whatever you think you are hearing or have heard from others needs to be verified with scripture. On another note, Elijah the prophet was alone in the desert, it was probably very quiet. In our world there is nearly always noise and distraction. Horns blowing, children yelling, schedules to arrange, church services on the next horizon, little league or "soccer mom" stuff competing for our time and energy.
Frequently when people pray they are the only ones doing the speaking but do not taken the time to just sit quietly and listen, "waiting on the Lord"! Take some time and get alone in a quiet place and just speak to your Father and then sit back and listen. When we are hurting, don't know what to do, crying out desperately to the Lord, literally sucking all the oxygen out of the room--- we probably could not hear the Lord speak to us if He were beating a brass drum! While I certainly cannot guarantee you will hear some kind of voice from without, remember that the Holy Spirit is the one who is feeding your spirit.
Waiting on the Lord really depends upon your own attitude towards Him. 1). Are you at a place in your life in which you are ready to be completely and totally dependent upon Him? That does not mean quitting your job and waiting for buckets of money to fall from the sky. But it does mean deciding that you will 100% accept GOD deciding the terms and the timing of His plan for your life or even immediate future. 2). Trusting God with the timing of future things is a difficult thing to do for all of us. But here is something that might help you; God looks at your life differently than you do. You do not know tomorrow nor can you but God sees your birth and your passing from this earth at exactly the same time. He is Omnipresent and Omniscient. Here is an example; Picture in your mind a standard everyday yard stick. 3 feet long, one yard. Hold that yard stick in both hands so you can see the number beginning with #1 in your left hand. Imagine that number 1 was your birth. Number 6 was when you graduated from high school. Number 12 represents when you married and number 15 when you began having children. Today you are 40 years old and looking at number 25 on that yard stick. But number 26 is tomorrow and so you do not see what that number will represent.
God looks at the yard stick of your life from end to end, not sideways as you do. He fully knows what number 26 represents. He already knows how it will play out and He uses your prayers in your best interest but you must trust Him to do so.
Romans 5:5 "hope does not disappoint". Romans 8:19 "The creation waits in eager anticipation for the children of God to be revealed". Psalm 62:1 "For God alone my soul waits IN SILENCE (my emphasis added)---my hope is from HIM"!
Waiting for the Lord is trusting in Him to decide your fate, your future, your next move. It does not mean stopping, it means moving according to His plan for your life. Going all the way back to Exodus chapter 14:14 "THE LORD WILL FIGHT FOR YOU---YOU NEED ONLY TO BE STILL"!
Today we are blessed with credit cards, bank accounts, retirements, social security, stocks and bonds. insurance, doctors, lawyers and accountants. All good stuff, none of it bad in itself. BUT, is it a possibility that we have become so dependent upon all those security blankets that we do not really turn to God until those things begin to fail us? Has God become the last resort?
I wonder what would happen in all of our lives if we turned to God first? I am not suggesting getting rid of the security blankets but rather depending upon the Lord to decide how that all plays out in our day to day lives.
The Biblical issue of "waiting on the Lord" actually means doing all we can DAILY and changing our perspective from stuff and things and the provisions of this world to absolute trust that our Heavenly Father will use our stuff and our circumstances to help us navigate through a hectic world. It is listening to that wee small voice just like Elijah FINALLY DID when he was running away and was deathly afraid of his own death at the hands of King Ahab and his Queen Jezabel.
When Elijah was alone and petrified and he was crying out to the Lord, God met him. God provided for Elijah the peace that passes all understanding.
Mankind has changed and so have our busy lives but God has not changed one whit!
God bless you all today,
Pastor Rance.
P.S. Sometimes I have to read my own writings so I remember as well (-:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)