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New Post has been published on https://presenttruth.info/be-not-troubled-2020/
Our world is beginning to experience the most difficult problems it has ever faced. Bible students understand that these troubles are going to increase until the Lord returns for His people (Matthew 24; 2 Timothy 3:13). The speed in which things are going to change will be shocking. The last events will be rapid ones. “Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time” (Revelation 12:12).
So, how should we react to these developments? Jesus said, “…ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet” (Matthew 24:6). Don’t be troubled by the things that are happening. Jesus promised, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). The peace Jesus gives us is His own peace. Let that sink in!
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Notice what the Bible says, “…because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father” (Galatians 4:6). God has given you the Spirit of His Son. Several verses later Paul continued, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,…” (Galatians 5:22). The result of receiving the Spirit of God’s Son in your heart is that you get His peace, faith, love, etc. That is incredible, and it is true! You have the peace and faith of Jesus. What kind of peace is that?
The Bible says, “And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but [Jesus] was asleep. And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm” (Matthew 8:24-26). The peace of Jesus is so great that nothing troubles Him. When His disciples frantically awoke Him to face a storm so great the waves were covering the ship, He responded, “Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?” Wait a minute! What? There is a storm so powerful that the strongest sailors can’t survive. In this situation Jesus says, “Why are ye fearful.” You don’t have any reason to be afraid. The things that people are afraid of are not worthy of our fear. While the children of Israel were afraid of the giants in the Promised Land, the giants were terrified of the children of Israel. (Numbers 13:30-33; 14:4; Joshua 2:9-11). You have no reason to be fearful, not even in the most dangerous storms of life.
After Jesus was on a mountain and saw His disciples struggling to row against a violent storm, He came to them walking on water. “And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?” (Matthew 14:26-31).
It took a tremendous amount of faith for Peter to leave the security of the ship and walk in the raging water, against which the disciples had been struggling all night. Everything was going great for him until “he saw the wind boisterous.” That was happening all along! When he focused on the waves he was afraid. The first words of Jesus were, “O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?” You don’t have any reason to fear. Trust in the Lord, and you can do the impossible, “For with God nothing shall be impossible” (Luke 1:37).
Today, we are living with the threat of the coronavirus infecting us. So what? Don’t be afraid! You might get it, you might not, and if you do, you most likely are among the 99% that will not be harmed by it. Even if we accept the inflated numbers, it is a much smaller threat than cigarette smoking, cancer, or heart disease. The reaction is much more troubling and damaging than the virus itself. Jesus is speaking to us now, “Be not afraid,” “Let not your heart be troubled,” “Fear not,” “Where is your faith?” (Matthew 14:27; 17:7; 28:10; Luke 8:25; 12:4; John 14:1, 27; Acts 18:9).
What is going on now is very minor compared to what is coming. Don’t think your life is going to get back to normal, because it will not. This is “the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:8). You still do not need to worry at all. God is for us. (For more information on the coming crisis, please request a free copy of the booklets entitled, The Mark of the Beast, A Time to Choose, and Shelter in the Storm.)
Don’t let these small trials trouble you. “If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?” (Jeremiah 12:5). If little things get you down, what will happen when the big things start happening? In all of this, don’t be afraid of anything! God’s got this! (Take time to memorize Psalm 91:1-16. You can do this to music as we have done for years every time we gather for Bible study by singing along with this video: youtu.be/E1oCEN8qUf8.)
Do Not Try to Save Your Life
In difficult times, most people default to the “every man for himself” mentality. Jesus said, “…a man’s foes shall be they of his own household” (Matthew 10:36). That is exactly opposite to how Jesus is, for He “gave Himself a ransom for all” (1 Timothy 2:6). In context of the troublous times coming right before Jesus returns in the clouds of glory, He said, “Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it” (Luke 17:33). These words can be confusing. What is He talking about?
You see, you “are not your own,” “For ye are bought with a price” (1 Corinthians 6:19, 20). If you do not belong to yourself, but to the one who has bought you then you should not seek to cling to your old life to be directed by yourself. If you seek to save your life for you to decide what happens to you, rather than submitting your life to God, then you will lose your life in the end. Yet, if you lose your life by submitting yourself to be guided by Jesus, you will preserve your life. “For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3).
Jesus said, “If any man will come after me, let him (1) deny himself, and (2) take up his cross daily, and (3) follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it” (Luke 9:23, 24). Here we find that losing your life for Jesus’ sake is equivalent to denying yourself and taking up your cross. Let us look deeper at this to make sure we understand it.
We can learn a lesson of what denying yourself means from Peter’s bitter experience. Jesus told Peter that he would deny Him three times. On the third time Peter said, “I know not the man” (Matthew 26:73, 74). A denial of a person includes a complete rejection of knowing that person. To deny yourself requires a complete disconnect from your old life. When faced with negative aspects of your old life, confess, “That is not me anymore. I do not know that person.”
Jesus said, “He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal” (John 12:25). He says a person must hate his life. That does not mean that he should wish to end his life, physically. Instead, he must recognize that his life without Christ, no matter how nice it seems to be, is not worth living anymore. Until you realize that your old life is not worth trying to save and fix, that you need an entirely new one, you will not be ready to be born again into the new life God has prepared for you.
One time a young man came up to Jesus asking, “Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, (1) sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, (2) take up the cross, and (3) follow me” (Mark 10:17-21).
Notice the three-step process in Jesus’ response. Step one for this man was to sell everything he had and give to the poor. For him, this was denying himself. After that, he was to take up his cross and follow Jesus. Jesus does not ask everyone to sell everything and give the money to the poor, but He does say, “whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33). Never forget that all you own is not yours, but God’s. He wants you to be wise stewards of His property to be used as He directs, which may or may not be for you to give all of your belongings to the poor. For the rich young man, getting rid of everything was exactly what he needed to experience a completely new life. He had to recognize that his old life must be given up, to get a new life in Christ. This would have allowed him to go on to the next step.
Step two, taking up your cross, represents death. When a person was carrying a cross in Jesus’ time, it meant they were going to die. The cross represents death. Taking up your cross means that your old life dies (2 Corinthians 4:10, 11). Until that happens, all attempts to follow Jesus are in vain. The life of following Jesus is a completely new life (2 Corinthians 5:17, 18). That new life begins by birth, the new birth (John 3:3-7). The old life is gone. Christ lives in you now. That is the only way you can truly follow Jesus. (See also Luke 14:25-27 & Matthew 10:37, 38. For further study request a free copy of You Must be Born Again.)
There is nothing in this world that deserves our love more than Jesus, including our own lives. When we come to the point where we are willing to give our entire lives for Jesus, that we no longer want to live for ourselves, then we have denied ourselves. Until that happens, we cannot be disciples of Jesus.
For some, coming to that point takes a severe life-altering experience, for others it takes the bitter disappointment of trying to live a godly life on their own. But, in every case, it can only be reached through a deeper insight into the love God has for you, individually. This is the work of God in each of our lives. God gives us His Spirit to open our eyes to see His love. “…the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us” (Romans 5:5). Then, as we see God’s love, “…the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance” (Romans 2:4). Repentance is when we come to God, sorry for our sins, asking Him to forgive us and transform us into His image (1 John 1:9; Psalm 51:9-12; Colossains 3:10). We must come to that point before we can live a new life with the peace and faith of Jesus. (For a deeper study into God’s great love and how it can transform your life, request a free copy of The Source of Love.)
Jesus promised, “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you” (Matthew 17:20). That is an incredible promise, and one which we will need to cling to as times get tougher.
God loves us very much, and He has promised to supply all of our needs. Jesus said, “Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith? And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:27-32).
Do not be afraid, nor be of a doubtful mind. Trust God, for He has promised to “…supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). Just like God did for Elijah, God will provide you with food and water (1 Kings 17:1-16; Isaiah 33:15-17).
There is an amazing story found in the Bible which clearly illustrates that the trials we face are small compared to the amazing power God has waiting to help us.
“Then the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp. And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place; for thither the Syrians are come down. And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once nor twice. Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled for this thing; and he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not shew me which of us is for the king of Israel? And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber. And he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send and fetch him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan. Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about. And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?” (2 Kings 6:8-15).
Elisha and his servant were in a difficult situation. An entire army had surrounded their city seeking for one man, Elisha. Many, including Elisha’s servant, would look at this situation and think there is no chance of escape. But Elisha was not troubled. He knew something his servant did not.
“And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.” (2 Kings 6:15-17). You might want to read the rest of this story to see how God took care of this problem.
We learn here that our eyes should not be focused on the things we can see. “For we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). There is a much larger battle going on in the background. It is a spiritual battle, and those on our side are so much more powerful than those who are against us. We do not need to fear anything. The battle has been won. “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4). Jesus has won, and His army is twice as large, and much stronger than all the forces of the devil (Revelation 12:4, 7-9).
There are many stories in the Bible illustrating that God’s amazing provisions far outweigh anything that can come against us. Even though we cannot see the invisible battle raging around us, we can be sure it exists. Moses knew it was there, “for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible” (Hebrews 11:27). You can do this, too, friends (Psalm 16:8). Do not be afraid of those things you see coming on the world. Many will be afraid, but you do not have to fear anything. “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?” (Psalms 118:6).
Even when facing death, we have nothing to fear. Jesus said, “And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him” (Luke 12:4, 5).
There is no need to fear death, for those who kill the body have nothing more that they can do. When threatened with death, the three faithful Hebrews who refused to worship the idol the king had setup, said, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up” (Daniel 3:16-18).
God delivered these three men in an amazing way. They were thrown into the fiery furnace and Jesus showed up to prevent the fire from harming them (Daniel 3:25). They emerged from the fire without a singed hair or even the smell of smoke. This event teaches us some valuable lessons that will greatly help us as we near the second coming of Jesus.
The final crisis will be over worship (Revelation 13:4, 8, 12, 15; 14:9, 11; 15:4; 16:2; 19:20; 20:4). There are many theories about what the Mark of the Beast is, yet the true test will be over worship. There will be methods to enforce the rules of the Beast and his image, yet the bottom line will be about worship. The first four of the Ten Commandments deal with worship, while the last six deal with our relationships to other people.
When asked about paying tribute to Caesar, Jesus said, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Mark 12:17). You see, love is what we owe to every man. The Bible says, “Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law” (Romans 13:8). The last six Commandments are “briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Romans 13:9). On these Commandments the state has the right and responsibility to legislate and enforce, but upon the first four Commandments, which deal with worshipping God, the state has no jurisdiction. Obedience to these Commandments is reserved for God alone, and here is where the state has no right to tread. Do not render to the state that which belongs to God.
This is precisely the issue that came up when the king of Babylon required his subjects to bow down to an idol. That is worship, and the state has no right to require of people anything regarding worship. God performed a miracle to deliver the three Hebrews from the fiery furnace to demonstrate that the state is out of line when requiring such things. Later, God performed another miracle to deliver Daniel from the lion’s den when prayer to God was forbidden by law (Daniel 6:1-23). Again this demonstrated that man has no right to enact laws regarding worship. Whenever laws are passed by the state that would cause us to break one of God’s laws, then we must “obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).
Surprising Laws on the Books
Something that may surprise you is that in many countries there are already religious laws to enforce worship. Keep in mind that any of these laws, whether seeking to enforce true worship or false worship, are cases where the state is treading where it has no jurisdiction. Any laws that have been enacted in the past and have not been repealed are still laws of the land even if they are not currently enforced.
The most widespread laws regarding worship surround the fourth Commandment and are called “blue laws.” “Blue laws, also known as Sunday laws, are laws designed to restrict or ban some or all Sunday activities for religious or secular reasons, particularly to promote the observance of a day of worship or rest” (en.wikipedia.org, article: “Blue Laws”).
Have you ever wondered why many businesses are closed or have shorter hours of operation, on Sundays? In many cases it is not because of choice, but because laws restrict their businesses on Sundays. In most states in the United States it is illegal to buy or sell alcohol until noon on Sunday. In some states it is illegal to buy or sell a car on Sunday. Until 1985, in the state of Texas, it was illegal to buy or sell pots, pans, and washing machines on Sunday. In North Carolina “Alcohol sales are prohibited between 2am and 7am Monday through Saturday, and between 2am and either 10am or 12pm on Sundays depending on the county. Gun hunting is prohibited between 9:30am and 12:30pm on Sundays” (worldpopulationreview.com/states/blue-laws-by-state). In New Jersey, “Shopping for clothing, electronics and furniture is not allowed on Sundays in Bergen County, which has four major malls. The city of Paramus in Bergen County has stricter blue laws, which ban all type of work on Sundays except in grocery stores, pharmacies, hotels, restaurants and other hospitality workplaces” (Ibid).
There are many other such Sunday laws in affect all over the world. All of these Sunday laws are religious laws, and are in direct violation of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution which says, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”
According to the Bible, Sunday is one of the “six working days” (Ezekiel 46:1). The pope of Rome attempted to change the Sabbath Commandment from the seventh day of the week to the first day (Daniel 7:25). The Catholic Church claims, “The Church is above the Bible; and this transference of Sabbath observance from Saturday to Sunday is proof positive of that fact” (Catholic Record of London, Ontario, September 1, 1923). However, God said, “Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work. But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work,…” (Exodus 20:9, 10). God calls the Sabbath, “my holy day” (Isaiah 58:13). Man does not have the right, nor the ability, to change God’s holy day. (Request a free copy of The Law of God and 100 Facts About the Sabbath.)
Honoring one day of the week above another is strictly religious in nature, directly relating to our worship of God. Despite those who suggest otherwise, there can be no other reason for honoring a day of the week than that of worship.
In his encyclical letter, Laudato Si’, dated May 24, 2015, Pope Francis suggested another reason for honoring Sunday, encouraging people to cease from labor as a way to care for our common home. In this letter the pope exalted Sunday as “the day of rest” that “motivates us to greater concern for nature and the poor.” The Covid19 catastrophe has strengthened this push for Sunday closing laws. With the stay-at-home orders, smog in cities has been reduced, which has caused some to embrace the idea that the planet needs a day of rest, and most see that this day should be Sunday. (calmatters.org/health/2020/04/as-californians-stay-at-home-air-quality-improves-for-now, www.questia.com/magazine/1G1-177412383/give-it-a-rest-earth-needs-a-break-and-so-do-we, www.climatecolab.org/contests/2016/shifting-behavior-for-a-changing-climate/c/proposal/1328902).
Sunday observance can really only relate to worship, and the government has no right to regulate what we may or may not do on Sunday, if it is lawful any other day of the week (Mark 12:17). Yet, this is precisely what the government sought to do in the time of Constantine (321ad) when it was used to persecute God’s people, and it is what the so-called “Christian Coalition,” and other groups are seeking to do again (www.cc.org; greensabbath project.net; comece.eu/dl/OtmNJKJKKlKOJqx4KJK/Future_of_Work_Report_EN_2P.pdf).
This push for Sunday laws are in harmony with the Catholic Church’s agenda to enforce Sunday laws worldwide. In a primary instructional book for all people in the Catholic Church we read, “In respecting religious liberty and the common good of all, Christians should seek recognition of Sundays and the Church’s holy days as legal holidays” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2188, vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/P7O.HTM).
In 1998 Pope John Paul II stated that “Sunday rest” is “a worker’s right which the state must guarantee” (Pope John Paul II, Dies Domini, 66, May 31, 1998). Sunday, as a legal holiday that is guaranteed by the state, is a Sunday law. This is one of the great desires of the Roman Catholic Church, the Beast power of Revelation 13, who wants us to receive Sunday as “the mark of her authority.” A Catholic Cardinal stated: “Of course the Catholic church claims that the change (from Sabbath to Sunday) was her act and is a mark of her ecclesiastical power and authority in religious matters” (Letter by Cardinal Gibbons, October 28, 1895).
One Catholic publication stated, “It was the Catholic church which, by the authority of Jesus Christ, has transferred this rest to the Sunday. … Thus the observance of Sunday by the Protestants is an homage they pay, in spite of themselves, to the authority of the [Catholic] church.” (Plain Talk About the Protestantism of Today, by Mgr. Louis Segur, 1868, p. 213).
The Mark of the Beast crisis will revolve around worship and the government legislation of worship. It is certain that the governments of this world will pass a universal law regarding worship. They will, most likely, follow the example of Constantine and enforce religious observance of Sunday, and this will be promoted as a way to save the planet. In this way, Sunday observance will not be so obviously linked to worship, but make no mistake Sunday legislation is about worship. The deception over this will be pushed by big pharmaceutical industries. Notice what the Bible says about the corrupt power behind the lies: “by thy sorceries were all nations deceived” (Revelation 18:23). The Greek word for “sorceries” is φαρμακεια pharmakeia, which means, “1) the use or the administering of drugs 2) poisoning” (Thayer’s Greek Lexicon). According to the Bible all nations will be deceived by the pharmaceutical industry.
Friends, this is happening right now on a global scale. Do not believe everything you are told! The Covid19 PCR tests cannot possibly test for infection nor for the possibility of infecting others (cebm.net/covid-19/pcr-positives-what-do-they-mean). This is the first time vaccines have been pushed through so quickly, and it is the first mRNA vaccine to be approved. Bill Gates spoke about using vaccines to reduce the population. He said “Now the world today has 6.8 Billion people that’s heading up to about 9 Billion. Now if we do a really great job on new vaccines, health care, reproductive health services we could lower that by perhaps 10 or 15%” (bitchute.com/video/7u0U1GqDSCos). According to US law, if vaccines kill or harm anyone, the manufacturers are not accountable (law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/300aa-22).
The lockdowns and greater control are not about protecting people, but about preparing the world to accept the Great Reset and the Mark of the Beast. Those who do not blindly follow the plan will be blamed for the calamities that will come upon this world.
TThe Mark is Not a Microchip
Let me make something very clear. The Mark of the Beast is not a physical tattoo or RFID tag or any other microchip. Microchips may be used to keep people from buying and selling, but they, themselves, are not the Mark of the Beast. Today, there are hundreds of people who have already, willingly allowed microchips to be implanted under their skin. These people have not received the Mark of the Beast. Microchips alone cannot possibly be the Mark of the Beast because this does not involve worship. For anyone to receive the Mark of the Beast they must worship contrary to God’s law, and violate at least one of God’s Commandments regarding worship.
The Mark of the Beast will be about worshiping a false god on the wrong day. Those who have ignorantly, or even knowingly, kept the first day of the week instead of the Sabbath have not yet received the Mark of the Beast. The Mark of the Beast will be mandated by the government. Until that happens, nobody could receive the Mark of the Beast.
Jesus said, “Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.” (Matthew 5:38-42). Bible students recognize that this world is coming to an end, making way for the New Earth that God will create for His people (Revelation 21:1-5; 2 Peter 3:9-14; Isaiah 65:17-25). Current events demonstrate that this earth is coming to an end, and that fact should not surprise us. It just means we can look forward to the Lord’s return very soon. Jesus said we should not fight back.
When Jesus was arrested, Peter started to fight, but Jesus said to him, “Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?” (John 18:11). You do not have to fight in this battle (2 Chronicles 20:17; Exodus 14:13). Jesus did not resist His captors as they led Him to be crucified. He went as a lamb (Isaiah 53:7; Mark 14:60; 15:4). This quality will be manifested in Christ’s followers as well. James says that in the last days the rich will “weep and howl” for their calamities, for they have “condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist” (James 5:6).
Concerning His people in the end, God says, “Thus saith thy Lord the Lord, and thy God that pleadeth the cause of his people, Behold, I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, even the dregs of the cup of my fury; thou shalt no more drink it again: But I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee; which have said to thy soul, Bow down, that we may go over: and thou hast laid thy body as the ground, and as the street, to them that went over” (Isaiah 51:22, 23).
Some people think that the Christian thing to do is to take up weapons and fight, but Jesus said, “resist not evil” (Matthew 5:39). You are not going to be able to stop it, so there is no need to fight. God will step in and put an end to this madness, yet before this God’s people will face very difficult times (Matthew 24:21, 22; Revelation 18). God will deliver His people (Jeremiah 30:5-7).
On February 18, 1890 there was a Breckenridge Sunday Bill presented to the House of Representatives in the United States. Here is a portion of what this bill included.
“Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That it shall be unlawful for any person or corporation, or employee of any person or corporation in the District of Columbia, to perform any secular labor or business, or to cause the same to be performed by any person in their employment on Sunday, except works of necessity or mercy; nor shall it be lawful for any person or corporation to receive pay for labor or services performed or rendered in violation of this act…”
JO Corliss testified before the house in opposition to this bill saying,
“…In this connection let me say, gentlemen, that the District of Columbia has just the same kind of a Sunday law as that of Ohio. This law of the District of Columbia was in force when this book was issued which I hold in my hand, which was April 1, 1868; and I am told that this law (which I will read) was re-enacted in 1874. I now quote from the law. Section 1 provides that- ‘If any person shall DENY THE TRINITY, he shall, for the first offense, be bored through the tongue, and fined twenty pounds; … and for the second offense, the offender being thereof convict as aforesaid, shall be stigmatized by burning on the forehead with the letter B, and fined forty pounds; and for the third offense, the offender being thereof convict as aforesaid, shall suffer death, without the benefit of the clergy.’ Section 10 of the same law has this:- ‘No person whatever shall do any bodily labor on the Lord’s day, commonly called Sunday …’ Now, gentlemen, that law has never been repealed.” (Arguments on the Breckinridge Sunday Bill, by AT Jones, pages 3, 13).
Friends, we are living in perilous times. The Lord is coming soon. The final crisis will be over worship, and the two primary aspects that will be brought to law will cause people to violate God’s Ten Commandment Laws on the true God we worship, and the day on which we worship Him. How those will be brought to play in forbidding people to buy or sell unless they violate these Laws is yet to be seen, but laws are being put in place now to make this a reality. Worshiping “the only true God” (John 17:3) would bring you into violation of the law quoted above. Make sure you know who you worship, and worship Him in Spirit and in Truth (John 4:23), and worship Him in part by resting “the Sabbath day according to the Commandment” (Luke 23:56). (For deeper insight into these things request a free copy of God’s Love on Trial, Understanding the Personality of God, Answering Objections, National ID and the Mark of the Beast, and The Mark of the Beast.
I pray that none of you reading this article will receive the Mark of the Beast. Obey God’s Commandments, “worship Him in Spirit and in truth” (John 4:24), and you will not receive the Mark of the Beast. You will go through difficulties and “shall be hated of all men… but he that endureth to the end shall be saved” (Matthew 10:22). Read again the first part of this article to get comfort and hope from the Scriptures (Romans 15:4), which will enable you to remain fearless of those things coming on this earth (Psalm 56:11; Luke 12:4).
When asked about His second coming, Jesus answered, “Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. …Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” (Matthew 24:4, 5, 23-27).
There will be a false return of Christ that will be so believable that even many Christians will accept him, but it will be the Antichrist, the Devil himself, pretending to be Jesus. Do not be deceived!
Christ is expected to return by all the major religions of the world. Satan is preparing people to receive Him. One of the most prominent prophets of the New Age movement was a British painter by the name of Benjamin Creme. He started a movement called Share International. On their official website there is a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) with answers by Benjamin Creme. Notice how Creme answered the following question:
“Q: Could you explain the relationship between the disciple Jesus and the Christ?
“BC: The disciple Jesus, who is now the Master Jesus, was born in Palestine as a third degree initiate.… He was, and still is, a disciple of the Christ and made the great sacrifice of giving up his body for the use of the Christ. By the occult process of overshadowing, the Christ, Maitreya, took over and worked through the body of Jesus from the Baptism onwards.…
“Jesus… lives now in a Syrian body which is some 600 years old, and has his base in Rome. He has, in the last 2,000 years, worked in the closest relation to the Christ, saving his time and energy where possible, and has special work to do with the Christian Churches. He is one of the Masters who will very shortly return to outer work [physical manifestation] in the world, taking over the throne of St Peter, in Rome. He will seek to transform the Christian Churches, in so far as they are flexible enough to respond correctly to the new reality which the return of the Christ and the Masters will create”
(share-international.org/background/FAQ/faq_main.htm#anchor17).
Creme “asserted that the second coming, prophesied by many religions, would come in the form of Maitreya,…” (Wikipedia, article: Benjamin Creme, online at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Creme)
When asked “Who is Maitreya?” The Share International website answers:
“He has been expected for generations by all of the major religions. Christians know him as the Christ, and expect his imminent return. Jews await him as the Messiah; Hindus look for the coming of Krishna; Buddhists expect him as Maitreya Buddha; and Muslims anticipate the Imam Mahdi or Messiah.
“Although the names are different, many believe that they all refer to the same individual: the World Teacher, whose personal name is Maitreya (pronounced my-tray-ah).
“Preferring to be known simply as the Teacher, Maitreya has not come as a religious leader, or to found a new religion, but as a teacher and guide for people of every religion and those of no religion.
“At this time of great political, economic and social crisis Maitreya will inspire humanity to see itself as one family, and create a civilization based on sharing, economic and social justice, and global cooperation.
“He will launch a call to action to save the millions of people who starve to death every year in a world of plenty. Among Maitreya’s recommendations will be a shift in social priorities so that adequate food, housing, clothing, education, and medical care become universal rights.
“Under Maitreya’s inspiration, humanity itself will make the required changes and create a saner and more just world for all” (share-international.org/maitreya/Ma_main.htm).
Notice that this antichrist will “inspire humanity to see itself as one family, and create a civilization based on sharing, economic and social justice, and global cooperation.” This is almost identical to Pope Francis’ latest encyclical letter, of October 3, 2020 entitled, Fratelli Tutti, where the pope calls for a socialist world where immigration is greatly increased and strengthening borders is frowned upon (Fratelli Tutti, 37-41). The pope also suggests that private property should be used for public use, and even claims that the property of the rich also belongs to the poor (Fratelli Tutti, 119, 120). With this mindset it would not be robbery for the poor to take those things that belong to the rich. This idea has been vividly demonstrated in the recent riots and thefts all over the United States where businesses were vandalized and robbed with hardly anyone claiming that this was wrong and few arrests were made. The socialist style of governing is gaining widespread approval from many places, and will be the priority of the Antichrist to bring in one-world religion (without destroying any of the mainstream religions) and one-world government so all the world can be forced to receive the Mark of the Beast. It is interesting to see the pagan religions and the Catholic Church uniting in this push for socialism.
Satan is preparing his followers in all pagan religions to receive him when he fakes the second coming of Jesus. Sadly, Satan has convinced many Christians to expect Jesus to return and setup a kingdom on earth where there will be a thousand years of peace. This is a great deception! At the second coming of Jesus He will not touch the earth (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17), and He will take His people to live with Him in heaven for a thousand years (Revelation 20:1-9). During the thousand years this earth will be uninhabited (Isaiah 24). The deception that Jesus will setup a kingdom on this earth is preparing Christians to receive the Antichrist as if he were Jesus. Do not be deceived!
Friends, we are facing incredibly difficult times in the years ahead. Food shortages are already starting to hurt people around the world. Sadly, food producers are being asked to dump large amounts of food, while at the same time people are dying of starvation (youtu.be/UO5N5nPPwGA, bitchute.com/video/QxxYe25OV6tb). Some food-producing companies are being allowed to open up again, but they are being required to serve at 25% capacity with 12 feet distances between workers, etc. This will have drastic affects upon our food supply.
The final test will include controlling who will be able to buy or sell to control whether you live or die. Food will be the driving factor that will cause many to receive the Mark of the Beast. All the pieces are coming into place. Get ready! Get ready! Get ready! Jesus is coming soon. Now is the time to make sure you are connected to the only source of life.
To see some of the alarming things coming on this earth, watch these videos:
bitchute.com/video/FqPwWzjUYhTi
bitchute.com/video/jNwUrbHlxzig
bitchute.com/video/zarFW3hwuyBc
video.foxnews.com/v/6210242675001
There are many more videos that would help explain things even more clearly, but they are being deleted everyday by those controlling what is “acceptable” content on the Internet.
The last two videos of the above list show a link between Bill Gates and the World Economic Forum, a group that has an extremely detailed and alarming plan for the future of the world as a response to COVID19 on their website here: intelligence.weforum.org/topics/a1G0X000006O6EHUA0?tab=
publications.
This seems to follow the plans for the future written in 2010 by the Rockefeller Foundation which envisioned a world where everyone must wear a face mask to enter supermarkets. You can find it here:
stopthecrime.net/wp/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Scenarios-for-the-Future-of-Technologya.pdf. This document also envisioned a world where the gap between the rich and poor “grew wider than ever” and the “distinction between ‘developed’ and ‘developing’ nations” was no longer relevant. Everywhere became a third world country with the very rich living in “high-walled fortress(es)” “surrounded by slums.” We are seeing these plans beginning to be fulfilled before our eyes with the shutting down of small businesses by using stay-at-home orders and looting mobs funded by the super rich. This is part of a plan to destroy the middle class and bring in a New World Order or The Great Reset (https://www.weforum.org/great-reset; time.com/collection/great-reset).
In 67ad Jerusalem was surrounded by a Roman army. They planted their flag to claim the territory, but then mysteriously departed. They returned three years later in 70ad, and this time starved the inhabitants to despair and destroyed the city. All the Christians had time to leave the city during those three years. We may be at the same point now. I encourage you to take this as a warning to get your heart right with God and get out of the cities. Move into the country somewhere. God said, “Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field, till there be no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth! In mine ears said the Lord of hosts, Of a truth many houses shall be desolate, even great and fair, without inhabitant” (Isaiah 5:8, 9).
Friends, “Be not afraid” (Matthew 7:7). Jesus said, “…take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” (Matthew 6:25-34).
Seeking God and His righteousness first is the only way that we will be secure in the coming crisis. “…it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you” (Hosea 10:12). God bless you richly!
