The Prophecy Update Newsletter - 1/15/25 - ‘Kingdom Now?’: Today’s Self-Appointed Prophets and Apostles Need a Reality Check

News & Information for the End Times

Jan 15, 2025

ISRAEL AT WAR!!! Day 467 - PRAY!!!

Pray For Israel — Psalm 122:6-8, "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces. For my brethren and companions' sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee."

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In Today’s Newsletter…

*‘Kingdom Now?’: Today’s Self-Appointed Prophets and Apostles Need a Reality Check

*A Man for Such a Time as This, Part 2 of 2

*Prophecy Update Videos

*Recommended Reading

*Huckabee and Profound Prophetic Appointments

*As We Draw Near to The Return of Christ, This Is Not the Time for Complacency In The Church

*Daily Jot: Stupidocrisy: LA fires among other things

*Daily Devotion: The Good Shepherd

*Prophecy Update News Headlines

(Scroll Down to Read)

‘Kingdom Now?’: Today’s Self-Appointed Prophets and Apostles Need a Reality Check

By Jan Markell - https://harbingersdaily.com/kingdom-now-todays-self-appointed-prophets-and-apostles-need-a-reality-check/

Is the church anointed to reign? The short answer is no, but let me state the problem and explain my answer.

Understand that I am thankful Donald J. Trump was elected our next U.S. President. I think he is good for the gospel, and that is just a huge factor as we wind down the Church Age. Too many on the Left are clearly enemies of the gospel.

But his election produced the following headline I caught: Trump Win Brings Era of Church ‘Anointed to Reign’. In a statement by Tim Sheets, brother of Dutch Sheets, in early December. It represents the false teaching of Kingdom Now or Dominion Theology, often promoted in the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR).

The church is not appointed or anointed to reign. Jesus Christ is in his thousand-year Millennial reign on earth.

Sheets said on the Elijah List that God told him that it’s time for a newly confident ekklesia—a term dominionists use to refer to the church as a governing body on Earth—to exercise a higher level of authority. He said the church now has a “prevailing anointing” and is “overwhelming hell’s effort on Earth.”

NAR leaders teach that modern-day apostles and prophets, and their Christian followers are meant to take dominion over governments and other institutions of cultural influence to speed the day when a triumphant church will rule and reign with a returning Christ.

One of the fastest-growing false teachings in the church today is called by various names: Kingdom Now, Dominion Theology, Reconstructionism, and the Restoration Movement. It is an effort to use the church to make the world perfect for our Lord’s return.

The excellent online resource, Got Questions (GotQuestions.org), writes, “Lance Wallnau coined the term Seven Mountain Mandate and is one of its prominent teachers (within Dominionism). Wallnau adapts the missionary mandate of Jesus to His disciples to ‘go and make disciples’ of all the nations into a mandate to effect social transformation. He reasons that, since churches already have a presence in every nation in the world, we need to now concentrate on influencing the systems (the ‘mountains’) within these nations.

“The seven mountains are education, religion, family, business, arts/entertainment, and media. These seven sectors of society are thought to mold the way everyone thinks and behaves. So, to tackle societal change, these seven “mountains” must be transformed. Those who follow the seven mountain mandate speak of ‘occupying’ the mountains, ‘invading’ the culture, and ‘transforming’ or ‘taking back’ society.”

This theology is borne out of the Manifest Sons of God movement and Latter Rain movement in about 1948. It also has ties to the positive confession movement.

The number one purpose of the church is to take away the souls of men from Satan. The rest of society may be a lost cause because of the Fall in the Garden. The world is a sinking Titanic ripe for judgment, not Garden of Eden perfection. Jesus will take dominion over the cleansed earth. For men to speak of doing that before the judgment of this earth is spiritually arrogant and ignorant.

There are far too many verses in the Bible that speak of the coming apostasy in the church and not the glorification of the church! The Bible says that in the last days, the church will not give heed to sound doctrine (2 Timothy 4:3-4) and will feature far too many “doctrines of demons” (I Timothy 4:1). There will actually be “wolves among the flock” (Acts 20:29).

That does not sound like a reigning church. That’s because the world requires a reigning Messiah serving His Millennial kingdom. Today’s self-appointed prophets and apostles who are Dominion proponents need to do a reality check.

A Man for Such a Time as This, Part 2 of 2

By Randy Nettles - https://www.raptureready.com/2025/01/14/a-man-for-such-a-time-as-this-part-2-of-2-by-randy-nettles/

Modern Day

In many ways, America in 2025 reminds me of Judah in Josiah’s day (although, of course, there are many differences as well). After several evil rulers (Obama and Biden) who didn’t have the people’s interests and priorities in mind, Donald Trump is coming into the presidential office (again) with the intention of making America great again (MAGA). Now, I am not comparing Trump’s righteousness with Josiah’s, as Trump is not particularly religious (as far as I know). I am not even sure if Trump is a Christian (someone ought to ask him). However, like Josiah, I believe Trump has the people’s best interests at heart. We have seen how he served as president before.

Trump came into office after Obama’s disastrous two terms as POTUS. Instead of wasting time listing Obama’s failures, here are a few links where you can be reminded of his attempt to “fundamentally transform the United States of America” (Obama’s quote from an October 30, 2008 campaign rally in Columbia, Missouri): “Fundamentally Transforming the United States of America” and How Barack Obama Fundamentally Transformed the United States| National Catholic Register. I believe this quote was a dog-whistle for transforming the U.S. from a democracy to a socialist country. Obama nefariously began this process with his liberal and progressive agenda and policies.

Now compare Trump’s policies and achievements, which correlate with his slogan, “Make America Great Again,” (MAGA – which Biden and the Democrats use as a slur as if making America great again is somehow a bad thing) with Obama’s policies of fundamentally transforming the U.S. in a very negative manner for its citizens. See Trump Administration Accomplishments – The White House. Trump temporarily halted Obama’s ‘transformation’ as he won his bid to become the 45th president of the U.S. over Hillary Clinton, the chosen successor of Obama. Trump, like Josiah, initiated many reformative policies and executive orders that halted the destructive actions of his predecessor.

During Trump’s presidency, he enacted many policies regarding the sanctity of life and religious liberty for the United States and the world. Regarding being a friend and ally to Israel, Trump recognized Jerusalem as the true capital of Israel and quickly moved the American Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem; acknowledged Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights; declared that Israeli settlements in the West Bank are not inconsistent with international law; removed the United States from the United Nations Human Rights Council due to the group’s blatant anti-Israel bias; and brokered historic peace agreements (the Abraham Accords) between Israel and Arab-Muslim countries, including the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Bahrain, and Sudan (from link above).

Trump may not be the man of God that Josiah was, but he did what was right for his people and Israel, unlike his predecessors (and Josiah’s). I expect him to do the same as the 47th president of the United States.

Joe Biden became the 46th president of the U.S. on January 20, 2021. There is no need for me to go into great detail regarding the deteriorating condition of the country since he has taken office, as everyone is cognizant of the situation (except for Joe Biden). I believe even the Democrats are aware of the decline and eventual ruination of the country, even though they will not admit it. They are willing to lie, cheat, and put politics ahead of the safety and security of their fellow citizens just to remain in power. Some RINO Republicans have the same moral compass.

The number of people illegally entering the country surged after Biden and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas halted many preexisting border security policies, advanced sweeping parole and other policies to release the greatest number of illegal foreign nationals into the country, encouraged people from all over the world to use a phone app to enter the U.S., and facilitated U.S. entry application processes in foreign countries, among others.

“The Biden administration is now on track to hit 10 million encounters at America’s borders nationwide well before the end of the fiscal year––showing the border crisis remains at catastrophic levels. It is clear that the Biden administration has used unlawful mass-parole programs to shift hundreds of thousands of inadmissible aliens to ports of entry for release into the interior, often with little or no vetting. The end result is the same—a continuing, historic border crisis.” {2}

“U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) released its latest statistics Monday (September 2024), showing nearly 530,000 migrants flew into the U.S. and were paroled into the country as part of the Biden administration’s controversial mass parole program for those migrating from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela (CHNV). It also shows that about 813,000 migrants have scheduled appointments that were made on the CBP One app at ports of entry, to be released into the U.S. Both are considered “lawful pathways” into the U.S. and were created by the Biden administration. But the numbers do not count in data from the Border Patrol because they are not considered illegal crossings. Migrants taking part in the CHNV program are paroled into the U.S. on two-year humanitarian parole grants, which allow them to apply for work.” {3}

Increased illegal immigration brings increased crime and potential terror attacks against our citizens. Regarding crime in general, the Left advocates for soft-on-crime prosecutors who are backed by Soros’ funds and for sanctuary cities. The following link includes a summary of U.S. Border Patrol enforcement actions related to arrests of criminal noncitizens for Fiscal Years 2017 – 2025. Criminal Noncitizen Statistics | U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Besides not enforcing our immigration laws and soft-on-crime policies, Biden’s list of failures is stunning. The Afghanistan withdrawal, COVID-19 response, inflation and economic issues, foreign policy decisions, energy policies, supply chain issues, and putting woke and DEI ideas above common sense are a few of the Biden Administration’s failures.

In a 2023 State of the Union address to Congress, Joe Biden used the phrase “finish the job” 13 times. It was thought that Biden was referring to his upcoming re-election campaign in which he would rebuild the economy and unite the nation. However, I believe it was a (dog-whistle) reference to finishing the job that Barack Obama had begun to fundamentally transform the United States of America into a socialist country. I believe if Biden (or Harris) had been elected president in 2024, our country would have undergone that transformation within the next four years.

As we have seen from the time of Josiah, it only takes one generation for a nation to fundamentally change for the worse. All it takes is for the citizens to follow the lead of their rulers (political, religious, and familial) and ignore or openly rebel against the word and will of Almighty God. Even though Judah had a great revival under Josiah, it was not enough to compensate for the sins of Manasseh.

“Because Manasseh king of Judah hath done these abominations, and hath done wickedly above all that the Amorites did, which were before him, and hath made Judah also to sin with his idols… Moreover, Manasseh shed innocent blood very much, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another; beside his sin wherewith he made Judah to sin, in doing that which was evil in the sight of the Lord” (2 Kings 21:11,16).

I believe the innocent blood that Ahaz, Manasseh, and Amon shed were their sons, who they sacrificed to their pagan gods. Has America, as a country, passed the point of no return where God can no longer delay His righteous judgment against us? Like Judah, under Manasseh, our lands have been filled with the blood of the innocent pre-born by way of legal abortions under the guise of what the liberals call “women’s reproductive rights.” What a misnomer! Yes, women have the right to reproduction (giving birth), but do they have the right to end a life before birth (or at the time of birth or after)? God knows!

It appears that when sin reaches its zenith (fullness) in different civilizations, God’s judgment soon follows. Nineveh, Assyria, was one such civilization, as recorded in the Book of Jonah. “Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me” (Jonah 1:1-2).

Of course, we know the story of Jonah being swallowed by the great fish for three days and three nights, and then his reluctant resumptive mission to Nineveh. Jonah’s message was simple, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” Amazingly, the people of Nineveh believed Jonah’s message and repented. “So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. Then word came to the king of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes” (Jonah 3:5-6).

The king and all the people cried to God and turned from their evil and violent ways. “Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it” (Jonah 3:10).

Because of the repentance from sin by the king and the citizens of Nineveh, God relented from His judgment of doom against them. This is what America must do, both as a nation and as a people, before God’s judgment falls upon us. The Ninevites’ obedience was short-lived, however. Due to their continuing fullness of sins, Nineveh was destroyed by the Babylonians in 612 BC, after Nahum had prophesied about its coming judgment.

The average age of empires is 250 years, according to Sir John Bagot Glubb, a specialist on the subject, who wrote a short treatise called “The Fate of Empires and Search for Survival.” Although the U.S. of America has not been an “empire” for 250 years, it will officially turn 250 years old in 2026. Will we, as an independent nation, survive that long, or will our fullness of sins against the Lord cause our demise, like those nations who have come before us?

God gave the Amorites 400 years to repent, according to Genesis 15:13-16. However, He knew they wouldn’t, and the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob would drive them out and inherit the land of Canaan. The children of Israel were the instrument God used to exact his judgment on the Amorites.

Perry Miller, a mid-20th-century scholar of history and literature, believed the true beginning of America was when the Puritans founded Boston in 1630 with the arrival of John Winthrop on the ship Arbella. Miller believed that the precise moment occurred amid the passage itself when Winthrop delivered a lay sermon aboard the Arbella. He called this sermon “A Model of Christian Charity.” Today, many mistakenly think the title was called “A City Upon a Hill,” as the sermon is famous mainly for its use of the phrase “a city on a hill,” used to describe the expectation that the Massachusetts Bay colony would shine like an example to the world. Winthrop’s phrase “a city on a hill” was taken from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount after he taught the multitudes regarding the Beatitudes ((Matthew 5:13-16). Winthrop’s sermon occurred 1,600 (400 x 4) years after Jesus’ sermon (during Jesus’ first year of ministry) in 30 AD.

The Great Migration from Britain to New England began in 1630. For the first time, the authority for a colony’s government resided in a colony, not in England. John Winthrop knew if his colony were to succeed, they would need God’s help, and if they were to receive His blessings, they would need to obey His word and do His will. If not, the same curses Moses prophesied against the children of Israel for disobeying the LORD would come upon them. “And you shall become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword among all nations where the Lord will drive you” (Deuteronomy 28:37).

In 2030, it will be 400 years since the Puritans came to New England and founded (present-day) Boston, Massachusetts (and 2,000 years since Jesus’ sermon on the mount). Boston became a Christian commonwealth, and the Puritans had a profound effect on the rest of the developing new nation. Will God judge America for her fullness of iniquity after 400 years as He did with the Amorites? Ruth Graham, the wife of Billy Graham, once said, “If God doesn’t judge America, He will have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah.”

The global elites are determined to bring in a New World Order and seem fixated on the year 2030. The United Nations has set a deadline for achieving its Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development by the year 2030. 2030 seems to be the predicated year for significant change in the world. Global entities, such as the UN, WHO, WEF, IMF, WTO, and others, say this change is for the good of all mankind, but those who read and study their Bible know it is not. This significant change or “Great Reset” will lead to the worst time in history, known as the Tribulation or Jacob’s Trouble.

It appears that 2026 and 2030 are pivotal years for America and the rest of the world, as well as the brand-new year of 2025. Although Donald Trump is not a godly man, I think Donald Trump is God’s man for this late prophetic hour, like Josiah was for Judah in the waning hours of that kingdom. I agree with Terry James’ statement in his article, Trump’s Peace Trap, “Despite his (Trump) sometimes audacious demeanor, I have no doubt he is precisely the person God has brought to the forefront of what I believe to be the final moments of this Age of Grace for Heaven’s great purposes. And, I’m convinced he truly is a friend of Israel–one who intends to again bring America to genuinely embrace that nation in a manner like before the Obama and Biden administrations that, in my view, acted treacherously against the Jewish state.”

Russia, Iran, Turkey, and the other nations involved in the prophecy of Ezekiel 38-39 appear to be in the beginning stage of their prophesied coalition against Israel. As long as Trump is in office, Israel will have an ally in America and not just one who submits a mild protest (mentioned in Ezekiel 38:13) against the massive future invasion. As I believe this prophecy will occur within the next 4 years, I think the only way Trump wouldn’t come to the aid of Israel is if he is somehow removed from office (by death or otherwise) or if the Rapture occurs. This is just another reason why I think the pre-tribulation Rapture is imminent.

Conclusion

Yes, it would be nice if we had a great man of God, like Josiah, who was leading us in these prophetic times, but it is reassuring that we have a president who has America and the American people’s interests at heart…instead of a president who is actively working against our national sovereignty and whose secret intent is to join a cabal of world government enthusiasts. Quoting Terry James again, “The Lord uses men–sometimes terribly flawed ones—to accomplish His holy will and to bring about prophetic fulfillment.” The Bible gives many examples of this phenomenon: Jacob, Samson, Moses, Cyrus II of Persia, and Saul of Tarsus. Saul, whose name was changed to Paul, became the greatest missionary and theologian in the history of the Christian church, spreading the gospel throughout the world.

Even though Josiah and Trump are miles apart in their spiritual walk with the Lord, I believe they were both destined to lead their people in a time of unprecedented evil against their nations. Let’s pray that Donald Trump appoints godly men as his advisors who are learned in biblical prophecy and eschatology. I think Trump’s pick for ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, is a good choice, as he is pro-Israel and is against a two-state solution with Palestine. “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee” (Psalm 122:6).

Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Randy Nettles

rgeanie55@gmail.com

Endnotes:

{2} STARTLING STATS FACTSHEET: Biden Administration on Track to Reach 10 Million Encounters Nationwide Before End of Fiscal Year – Committee on Homeland Security

{3} Nearly 530K migrants flew into US ‘legally,’ paroled into US under controversial Biden program: CBP | Fox News

PROPHECY UPDATE VIDEOS

Huckabee and Profound Prophetic Appointments

Terry James - https://terryjamesprophecyline.com/2025/01/12/huckabee-and-profound-prophetic-appointments/

Margaret and I were leaving Highland Heights Baptist Church after a Sunday service sometime in the 1980s. As we turned to trek down the side of the church on the road leading to the parking lot, I heard the voice: “Terry! You and Margaret come here. I want to introduce you to Mike Huckabee.”

It was our pastor, Robert McDaniel, who was standing near the frontage road talking with Mike Huckabee, who had delivered the sermon that morning as a guest speaker.

“Mike is running for lieutenant governor,” the pastor said. “I wanted you to meet him and shake hands with him.”

We did so, and spent a few minutes in pleasantries, with my thanking him for his sermon.

Little did I imagine Mr. Huckabee would achieve the level of national and international prominence the Lord chose for him, of course.

He was, and remains, the personification of a Christian gentleman, according to all I have known from reports all these years. This, despite his being engaged in the rough-and-tumble (some would say “wicked”) business of political warfare in our state of Arkansas and in the nation.

There were many in the Christian community in those days when Mike ran for lieutenant governor and later for governor who either questioned a Baptist preacher becoming intertwined with the often nefarious art of politics, or who adamantly opposed such engagement by a Baptist preacher.

I, myself, remember asking why a Baptist preacher would want to become a part of the politicking in our state and nation.

My question has since been answered in my spirit. The Lord has had his hand on Mr. Huckabee–as well as on his daughter, Sarah, who was a youngster when Margaret and I shook hands with her father. She, of course, became President Trump’s press spokesperson and is now governor of Arkansas.

Mike, of course, ran for president, and he and the rest of the GOP field were defeated by one Donald J. Trump. Trump went on then to be elected president in defeating another who was once part of Arkansas government–Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton’s First Lady when he was governor here, and, later, when he was president of the United States.

The 2016 election was, as we recall, a complete surprise to many–especially to the Hillary Clinton presidential-aspiration camp. The shock of that victory continues to reverberate with wave after wave of political and cultural impact.

Point is that God’s mighty hand continues to be on display as He restrains evil, has that “wickedness in high places” in derision, and especially as He brings all into focus for the prophesied wind-up of this Church Age (Age of Grace).

To those who observe developments through the prism of Bible prophecy, no instance of God’s great hand of providential direction and control is more profound than the dynamics involving Israel taking place at present.

We’ve seen God moving powerfully since the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023. Remember, for example, the strategic brilliance employed by the IDF in the exploding of communications devices, killing many enemy terrorists in the process. We who believe Israel’s God neither slumbers nor sleeps know this seeming miraculous action was orchestrated by Heaven, while the Supreme Maestro, Israel’s God, continues to direct the prophetic stage-setting.

That same Supreme Maestro has placed in the president-elect’s mind, I’m convinced, to appoint Mike Huckabee to be the next ambassador to God’s chosen nation. Here is a news brief framing that appointment.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to be ambassador to Israel, has long rejected a Palestinian state in territory previously seized by Israel and has repeatedly signaled his staunch support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Huckabee, a former TV host and Baptist preacher, frequently visits Israel and once said he wanted to buy a holiday home there. He has maintained throughout the years that the West Bank belongs to Israel, and recently said “the title deed was given by God to Abraham and to his heirs.”

His argument for a so-called “one-state solution” contradicts longstanding official U.S. support for the eventual establishment of a Palestinian state.

He has described the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas as “horrific” and “beyond anything I’ve ever witnessed in my lifetime” and argued that the U.S. needs to stand firmly behind Israel. (“Trump picks Mike Huckabee to serve as US ambassador to Israel,” AP News, Adriana Gomez Licon, November 13, 2024)

The most important thing about Trump choosing Mr. Huckabee is not that a Baptist preacher will be in the position to wholeheartedly bring America’s full support to God’s chosen nation. Even more profound is that he will have this president’s ear in such an influential way.

This message isn’t only for Mike Huckabee. I want to implore others as well who have Donald J. Trump’s ear. That is, I implore other godly men to advise without reservation as Mr. Trump performs the duties God has appointed him to carry out. That is a main reason they’ve been placed by the God of Heaven into the pathway of this unusual man who will soon again be the most powerful human leader on planet Earth.

God’s men who have this president’s ear, such as John Hagee and Robert Jeffress, have, like Mike Huckabee, a responsibility to inform the president, at every opportunity, about Heaven’s ultimate control over things at this prophetic hour. Your advice in that Holy Spirit sense, gentlemen, is far beyond the Senate’s “advice and consent authority” under America’s constitutional prerogative. Please do not shirk that great responsibility.

As We Draw Near to The Return of Christ, This Is Not the Time for Complacency In The Church

By Jonathan Brentner - https://harbingersdaily.com/as-we-draw-near-to-the-return-of-christ-this-is-not-the-time-for-complacency-in-the-church/

Although I had read the verse well over a hundred times, I had always missed its relevance for today and, in particular, our anticipation of Jesus’ imminent appearing. Perhaps it was because the words don’t directly relate to Bible prophecy that I overlooked their relevance to it.

However, as the new year dawned, I saw in the verse below an understanding of why so many people today cling to their hope of a return to normality rather than what Jesus says about their only sure hope for the perilous days in which we live: “For the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacency of fools destroys them” (Proverbs 1:32, emphasis added).

It was the word “complacency” that leaped from the page on January 1. The Hebrew word is shalvah, which also denotes a sense of ease and prosperity. The online Merriam-Webster dictionary defines complacency as “self-satisfaction, especially when accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies.”

It’s understandable why many English versions of the Bible translate shalvah in Proverbs 1:32 as “complacency,” as it fits rather well with the Hebrew word’s sense of self-absorption that leads to a dismissal of dangers until it is too late.

Today’s Church

Unfortunately, today’s prosperity leads many to a state of complacency regarding the Lord’s return, one that causes them to ignore the multitude of signs pointing to the start of the Tribulation. Like the church in Laodicea, arrogant “self-satisfaction” is prevalent among many gatherings of the faithful, particularly in America.

False teaching and/or quietness from the pulpit directs most church attenders away from any awareness that we live in the last days of human history as we know it. Their shepherds fail to teach them how to discern the times in which we live. Their messages might contain fleeting mentions of eternal life, but there’s no meaningful teaching about what it means for New Testament saints.

The resulting complacency among many of today’s church-goers doesn’t mean that those who are truly born again will lose their salvation, no, not at all. But why should believers continue with such an earth-based outlook on life, shalvah, which for those outside of Christ will result in ruin?

The World

The world rejects any notion that the Lord might intervene in our world. Since they spurn all the warnings of Scripture, it never enters their minds that God might judge the wickedness of our day. Not only is the idea of Jesus’ return laughable to them, but they also readily scorn any notion of God’s judgment, now or in eternity.

Peter A. Steveson, in A Commentary on Proverbs, put it this way in his insights into Proverbs 1:32: “Filled with the carelessness of self-confidence, these fools show no concern over divine judgment.“

We see this same worldly recklessness in the words of Ezekiel as he used the word shalvah to describe the people of Sodom before they experienced the Lord’s sudden destruction (compare 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3): “Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy” (Ezekiel 16:49, emphasis added).

The problem with such self-satisfaction is not with what one possesses but rather with the fact it breeds complacency regarding the warnings of God’s Word and a failure to recognize that the Lord’s promise of eternal life is vastly superior to anything the world offers.

Those Who Hear

I know the majority of those reading fall into the category described in Proverbs 1:33: “But whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.”

Those who hope in Jesus’ imminent appearing possess a peace amid all the unwelcome news that continually comes our way. We pray for the Lord to keep us resisting the wickedness and violence of our day, but at the same time, we rest in the confidence that Jesus is coming for us before the terrors of the Day of the Lord.

Is it too much of a leap to say that the wise believers of our day discern the times in which we live and thus recognize the imminency of Jesus’ appearing? Please note the reassuring words that the Lord gave to Daniel, and to us, shortly before the prophet’s death: “Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand” (Daniel 12:10, KJV).

In today’s world, it’s the discerning saints who avoid the complacency that characterizes many church-goers and those in the world who don’t believe that the Lord will directly intervene in the affairs of humanity.

If you look for and long for Jesus’ appearing, thank the Lord for the insight He has given you into Scripture. In 1 Corinthians 1:18-31, Paul contrasts the wisdom of God with that of the world and ends with these words: “And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.’”

We must always give the Lord all the credit for who we are in Him as well as for our understanding of what the Bible says about our “blessed hope.” I know many sincere New Testament saints remain complacent regarding the signs of the times and Jesus’ imminent appearing. I don’t fully understand why this is the case or why it’s so clear to us and not to others.

What I do know for sure is this: if there ever was a time for complacency in the body of Christ, this most assuredly is not it.

Daily Jot: Stupidocrisy: LA fires among other things

Bill Wilson – www.dailyjot.com

It truly is a firestorm over Los Angeles. Sadly, lives, homes, businesses are going up in flames. It would appear that the entire state of California can take some blame. President-elect Donald Trump points the finger at Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom, who refused to allow excess rain and water from snow to flow to the southern areas of the state because he wanted to preserve the smelt fish. The fire hydrants in LA are essentially dry and the first openly LGBTQ fire chief Kristen Crowley is taking heat for putting gay pride and Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) over making sure the city is protected. The firefighting budget was cut while the DEI budget received over a million-dollar increase. Now it’s hell in LA.

LA’s Democratic mayor Karen Bass had flown off with members of the Biden Administration on a taxpayer-funded junket to Ghana, West Africa to attend the inauguration of President John Dramani. Meantime, her city was burning. At the airport upon her return, she was asked multiple times by Sky News, “Do you owe citizens an apology for being absent whilst their homes were burning? Do you regret cutting the fire department’s budget?” Bass proposed a $23 million cut in the fire department budget, but she only got a $17.6 million cut from the city council. Others say the city is spending billions on housing for illegal immigrants and the homeless while there is no money or water for fire prevention.

Christ said during the sermon on the mount (Matthew 5:45) that God the Father, “makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” Indeed, both the just and the unjust would love some rain to fall on LA about now. Many of the very liberals who vote for the California governor and LA mayor found themselves having to evacuate their multimillion dollar homes and several A-list celebrities such as Adam Brody, Leighton Meester , Ricki Lake, Paris Hilton, and Jennifer Grey lost their homes. Several more like Jamie Lee Curtis, Mandy Moore and Maria Shriver were among the more than 100,000 people forced to evacuate, according to the Epoch Times.

It is sadly ironic that the people who vote for and financically support the policies and politics of delusional political leaders are now suffering from the consequences of their foolishness. Just like the FBI and the politicians putting gay pride, lawfare, climate control and a host of other superfluous issues ahead of public safety, so did the political bosses of California. And now look at the mess they created. More is on the horizon. Most of the big cities in America have critical challenges because their leadership refuses to be guided by common sense and Godly values. They reject both. Proverbs 29:2 says, “when the wicked bear rule, the people mourn.” All these leaders, and the people who support them, are suffering from a lethal dose of, say it with me…Stupidocrisy.

Daily Devotion: The Good Shepherd

by Greg Laurie – www.harvest.org

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.

—John 10:11

https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/the-good-shepherd-2/ - Listen

In Jesus’ day, religious and political leaders were sometimes called shepherds. Jesus wanted His followers to recognize that some shepherds aren’t what they appear to be. After Jesus healed a blind man on the Sabbath, the religious leaders hounded, intimidated, and threatened the man and his family. They wanted the family to support their lie that Jesus didn’t actually heal the man.

These leaders, who were supposed to be shepherds, cared nothing about the sheep in their flock. They were quick to mistreat them when it suited their needs.

Jesus used the image of a sheep pen to help people recognize the difference between a shepherd (leader) who deserves to be followed and an imposter. A good shepherd gains entry to the flock the right way: through the door. He earns the right to lead. He proves himself worthy with his compassion, concern, and courage. He sacrifices his own well-being for the sake of others. He treats his leadership position as a sacred responsibility.

Fake shepherds get their positions in other ways. They use their connections. They dazzle people with their education and credentials. They lie and manipulate. They intimidate and threaten. They make bold power plays. They do whatever it takes to satisfy their ambition.

Fake shepherds take an impersonal attitude toward those who follow them. Often, their focus is on the size of their flock and not the individual sheep. A good shepherd “calls his own sheep by name” (verse 3 NLT). He has a personal connection with the individuals who follow him. He concerns himself with their specific needs. He understands that one leadership style will not necessarily fit all.

Fake shepherds drive their flocks. They make them bend to their will. A good shepherd leads his flock. He inspires confidence and loyalty by spending time among them and making his heart known.

Jesus said, “After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice” (verse 4 NLT). If we follow Jesus, we have to know His voice. We have to know what He said—and what He didn’t say. There are a lot of fake shepherds who try to speak for Him. They’ll tell us which causes Jesus wants us to support, which issues He wants us to oppose, who He wants us to vote for, what He wants us to do with our money, and where He wants us to send our payments.

If we don’t know His voice—if we don’t know the truth about His words—we risk being led in the wrong direction. We learn to recognize Jesus’ voice by studying God’s Word, memorizing His teachings, and applying them to our daily decision-making.

Finally, Jesus said, “The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep” (verse 11 NLT). Jesus sacrificed His life to save us. He proved Himself to be the Good Shepherd. We have everything to gain, and nothing to lose, by following Him.

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