Morning Devotional

A Preface

On the morning of September 11, 2001, a great day of tragedy began to unfold in our nation. There are so many words that have been spoken and written that history will be hard pressed to catalogue all of them. As I begin to write, I am painfully aware that I do not speak from a position of any authority, however, I offer these words as comfort to any who may read them.

The following thoughts are just those, thoughts. They come with my sincere prayers that the God of grace and mercy will flood into your soul and fill you with an incomprehensible peace that goes beyond understanding. I pray that you will able to reconcile some of the conflicting emotions and thoughts that flood your mind during these days of challenge. God bless you.

Introduction

President Bush began his memorial remarks in the National Cathedral of Washington with the following:

We are here in the middle hour of our grief. So many have suffered so great a loss, and today we express our nation’s sorrow. We come before God to pray for the missing and the dead, and for those who loved them.

On Tuesday, our country was attacked with deliberate and massive cruelty. We have seen the images of fire and ashes and bent steel.

Now come the names, the list of casualties we are only beginning. They are the names of men and women who began their day at a desk or in an airport, busy with life. They are the names of people who faced death and in their last moments called home to say, Be brave and I love you.

They are the names of passengers who defied their murderers and prevented the murder of others on the ground. They are the names of men and women who wore the uniform of the United States and died at their posts.

They are the names of rescuers — the ones whom death found running up the stairs and into the fires to help others. We will read all these names. We will linger over them and learn their stories, and many Americans will weep.

It seems to me that we are in the midst of that time when America is weeping and wondering why such a tragedy has fallen on our country. There have been many who have offered various reasons for such a tragedy.

Some have indicated that the reason is found in the judgment of God. They have said that it is the apostasy of our national state that has brought the wrath of God to bear against us. It is a tragic response born out of ignorance that prompts such irresponsible declarations. While I would be the first to point to a decline in morals in our world and a seeming disregard for the truth of God, it is not God who has brought death into the homes of so many so quickly. There is an enemy who seeks our destruction, however that one is not the God of Jacob and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In fact, as the statistics are compiled. It is very apparent that God’s grace was at work in the midst of tragedy. It is a fulfillment of the promise that “what men meant of evil, God turns for good.” Such things as planes one-third full, buildings more than half empty, numerous people who were saved providentially from being in harm’s way are all indicators that God was at work. God is not the source of evil.

And, further, it is not merely the work of terrorist organizations around the world. Though we may directly place blame at the feet of these misguided and heartless people, they are not the real enemy. Whether it is Osama bin Laden or Saddam Hussein, or any other of a dozen world terrorist leaders, they are not the ultimate enemy.

Our enemy is the devil, who seeks our destruction by and through any means. As we approach what I believe to be the last days, it is important to recognize the devil’s schemes and act accordingly. The future is bright for the people of God.

The Apostle Paul wrote many centuries ago under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to the Church in Thessalonica some clear thoughts in response to their questions and fears regarding the future. They hold truth for us today as well.

I really don't need to write to you about how and when all this will happen, dear brothers and sisters. For you know quite well that the day of the Lord will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. When people are saying, "All is well; everything is peaceful and secure," then disaster will fall upon them as suddenly as a woman's birth pains begin when her child is about to be born. And there will be no escape. But you aren't in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won't be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief. For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don't belong to darkness and night.

So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be sober. Night is the time for sleep and the time when people get drunk. But let us who live in the light think clearly, protected by the body armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation. For God decided to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. He died for us so that we can live with him forever, whether we are dead or alive at the time of his return.

So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing. Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord's work. They work hard among you and warn you against all that is wrong. Think highly of them and give them your wholehearted love because of their work. And remember to live peaceably with each other. Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone. See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to everyone else.

Always be joyful. Keep on praying. No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. Do not scoff at prophecies, but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. Keep away from every kind of evil.

Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until that day when our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. God, who calls you, is faithful; he will do this.

1 Thessalonians 5:1-24, NLV

What About the Last Days?

While it is true that no man can know the future, God has directed us to remain watchful and examine the times and the seasons. The Scriptures command us to watch and be ready. There are many verses dealing with these days that we are living in; they show us what to look for. There are specific verses in the Bible that clearly indicate we are to look for certain things and even listen for certain things to be said. When we see certain things or hear certain things, then we should know that other events are about to happen. We are told to be on our guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be sober. It is a clear call to examine the current events in light of the revelation of God’s will and purposes in the world.

Jesus said, "Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its buds become tender and its leaves begin to sprout, you know without being told that summer is near. Just so, when you see the events I've described beginning to happen, you can know his return is very near, right at the door.” (Matthew 24:32-33, NLV). Have the “buds become tender”? Are we living in that last generation? I believe that they have and we are!

The entire prophetic scenario began in the miraculous year of 1948, when three major world events occurred simultaneously.

1. The first was the rebirth of the land of Israel. Jesus Himself predicted this event would precede His return in Matthew 24:32-33 when He told His disciples to come to grips with the message of the parable of the fig tree, which always represents Israel in the Bible (Joel 1:7; Hosea 9:10). Jesus said, “When its buds become tender and its leaves begin to sprout, you know without being told that summer is near.” When Israel became a nation on May 15, 1948 the leaves once again began to sprout. After more than two thousand years of being enslaved by other nations, it was at this time that Israel rose to freedom politically. It was a singular event that should not be passed over lightly in prophetic significance.

2. In addition, that year witnessed the first meeting that would lead to establishment of the revived Roman Empire, the European Union. This last-days entity would form the political and military basis for the coming one-world government - the apparatus by which the Antichrist might rule. The culmination of this will take place on January 1, 2002 when the Eurodollar makes its debut throughout Europe. The Columbian newspaper, published in Vancouver, Washington, featured an article titled "The Euro cometh: Four reasons Americans should care." In this article it states "After a thousand of years of strife and war, the nations of Europe will close the bloodiest century in their history by binding themselves more tightly into a United States of Europe." Another piece of this article states "The euro, Europe's new unit of currency will debut on Jan. 1, 1999, uniting 11 of Europe's disparate economies." These 11 nations joining on Jan. 1,1999 are Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain and Portugal with four nations possibly joining by Jan. 1, 2002. These four nations are Britain, Denmark, Sweden and Greece. These 15 nations are becoming one nation economically. The land that these 15 nations occupy is almost identical to the land occupied by the original Roman Empire from 44 BC to 117 AD

3. The third important event of 1948 was the formation of the World Council of Churches, which could help lay the groundwork for the one-world, Ecumenical - Ecclesiastical, false religious system described in Revelation 13:11 and 17:9. For more than fifty years now, the stage has been set for a world dictator to emerge, a man with power and authority far beyond the scope of Nebuchadnezzar or any of his successors. The world anxiously awaits his appearance. I have little doubt that this great impostor is alive and waiting in the wings. How close are we to the fateful day of his appearance? Here is what three citizens have said: "We are in a leaderless world." (Walter Cronkite); "We have a rendezvous with a world dictator and his appearance may be soon." (Julian Snyder); and, "Europe is looking for a man so powerful that he will hold the allegiance of all the people. Be he man or devil we are ready to receive him." (Dr. Paul-Henri Spaak). However, it is not just a political leader for whom the world is looking. All the major religions discuss the emergence, in the last days, of a powerful and terrifying spiritual figure, someone that will ultimately proclaim himself to be God. Today's widespread New Age philosophy is laying the groundwork for the Antichrist's global religious system.

If these are the last days, what are we to do? Listen again to the apostle Paul: Always be joyful. Keep on praying. No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. Do not scoff at prophecies, but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. Keep away from every kind of evil.

We began with the question “why?” At least some of the answer is to be found in our understanding evil in the world. The purpose of the devil is now and has been for eons to rob, kill, and destroy. Hate him and his purpose in the world. Love God and His purpose in the world.

Some Conclusions

First, we as a nation and as Christians should turn our attention and hearts back to God. It is in Him that we may find the only source of hope. As more and more changes are made, as we see our lives altered forever, turn your attention toward God. Let His presence pervade your every fiber and bring you peace in the midst of great uncertainty and turmoil.

Second, it is just that our nation hold responsible these men and women for their actions. Our government is charged by God to keep the peace. They do not wield the sword in vain. It is not revenge that we must seek, but justice. It is not wrong for our nation to take steps to enforce the common laws of decency and freedom. In fact, it is the charge of God that we might live at peace in the world. Support our leadership with your prayers and encouragement.

Third, we are to watch, prepare and warn others before it is too late. Even if the Lord’s return is not for another thousand years, we must be watchful and earnest in our preparation of others and ourselves for these approaching days.

In order for you to be better informed and more easily watch, the following is a scenario of twelve major events to occur in our near future. They have been put together by Bible prophecy experts, theologians, and current events analysts. The exact order of events is not known, but they are presented in their approximate most likely order.

1. An increase in wars, famines, disease and earthquakes - For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes in divers places (Matthew 24:7). We are seeing an increase in military unrest such as in Somalia, Sudan, Bosnia, Palestine, and Kuwait. The Jimmy Carter Center even now is monitoring over 112 armed conflicts worldwide. Many more people will be effected by famines; many areas in Africa and also North Korea are experiencing this, and China may be next. Diseases such as the Ebola strain will become more widespread. The AIDS crisis will continue to worsen. Right now over one million Americans have HIV, and half of them don't even realize it. The number of earthquakes will continue to increase. History shows that the number of killer earthquakes worldwide remained constant until the 1950s, averaging between two to four per decade. In the 1950s there were nine. In the 1960s there were 13. In the 1970s there were 51. In the 1980s there were 86. From 1990 through 1996 there have been more than 150!

2. The worst economic depression in history (Deuteronomy 28:38-48 applied to America) - The United States could experience total economic collapse. The national debt is now over five trillion (5,000,000,000,000) dollars. If that amount were put end to end in a line of 100 dollar bills, the line would extend over 4.5 million miles. The debt is increasing at a rate of $600 million every day. Ever increasing amounts of revenues are being spent just to pay the interest on the debt. The federal government will soon reach the point where it will not be able to fund itself. It will then be forced to monotize the debt; that is, print up extra money to cover the huge interest payments. Inflation will then skyrocket like it did in post WWI Germany and also in Argentina and the U.S. dollar will become virtually worthless. The ECU (Eurodollar) will replace the U.S. dollar to become the world's standard currency. Economically, America could be ruined. Massive poverty, rampant crime and social disorder would prevail. In this scenario the U.S. would have too many internal problems to function as a world power.

3. The Russian (perhaps the Biblical “Gog”) attack on Israel (Ezekiel 38-39) - Russia could come under the power of a new strong dictator, who would be a communist or a strong nationalist. He would decide to invade the Middle East. Once in the Middle East the Russian army would attack Israel, along with other allies including Syria, Turkey, Iraq, Egypt, Ethiopia and Libya. The United States being isolationist and in economic chaos, would only protest this attack but would be in no position to respond. As the invading armies approach Jerusalem, they would be completely destroyed, by a combination of a massive earthquake, infighting, and possibly a nuclear weapon. The popular Russian politician, General Labed, who could win in the next Russian elections, has stated that he wishes to invade the Middle East. Colonel Kadaffi, dictator of Libya, once said, “…the time has come to wage a holy jihad (war) to liberate Jerusalem.” That sentiment is one often echoed in Arab nations.

4. A one-world religion led by a great prophet - The new age movement could continue to grow, and with the ecumenical movement, the World Council of Churches and various unity-oriented religions (such as the Bahais and the Unitarians), the movement would blossom into a global superchurch. A prophet could arise as a leader of the movement. He would be heralded as a model of self-realization and would even be able to perform many signs and wonders, such as making fire come from the sky. He would support the powerful leader who would rise up to lead the European Union. The two would work for global political and religious unity.

5. All genuine Christians disappear (Matthew 24:31) - Most likely just shortly before the 7-year Israel peace treaty, every genuine Christian on earth would vanish into thin air! Millions would be missing. All sorts of explanations would be offered - radiation levels, UFOs, mother earth cleansing herself of those unwilling to move into the New Age, etc. The truth is that God will take up (rapture) the true believers in Christ up to Heaven to spare them from his wrath and anger that will be poured down upon the earth.

6. The rise of Europe as a superpower under the great leader (Daniel 7:23-26) - The European Union would become more centralized, with a common currency and a common army. Then, in the midst of the economic chaos, a charismatic leader would arise and take full control of the European Union. He would unite the EU into a superpower and would implement effective economic programs. He would solve a very volatile situation in the Middle East and bring peace by signing a 7-year treaty with Israel. Under the conditions of this treaty, his European military would provide full protection to Israel, and the Jews would be allowed to rebuild the Jewish temple in Jerusalem. They would do so quickly and animal sacrifices would be reinstated. The Jews would see the European Leader as their Messiah.

7. The cashless society and the mark (Revelation 13:16-18) - The collapse of the U.S. economy could plunge the whole world into economic chaos. The European leader would save the currencies of the U.S. and other nations by buying out those currencies. The ECU Eurodollar would become the currency used worldwide. The European leader would effectively link all other nations into the European Union and, in effect, becomes leader of the entire world! The leader would then introduce a worldwide cashless system. With this system, all transactions would be electronic; there would be no cash. This would eliminate cash theft, counterfeiting, and cash for drug deals and tax fraud. Instead of using credit or debit cards, the system would use high-tech extremely small (virtually invisible) microchips injected into the skin on the right hand or forehead of each consumer. Each person’s microchip would have all of that person’s personal and financial information. Computer scanners similar to those used today would carry out all transactions. Once the program is implemented, it would be impossible to buy or sell without the microchip implant (known as the mark) on the right hand or forehead. In order to receive the mark, however, one would have to pledge complete loyalty to the new world leader. It should be noted, however, that this charismatic leader of the European Union, who would become the world leader, and who would implement this system, would be the antichrist! The book of Revelation clearly describes this cashless system: He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast, for it is a mans number. His number is 666. (Revelation 13:16-18). 666 and the trend towards a cashless society The number 666 is a key number in some types of computer programming. On the UPC code, for example, a pair of two thin lines separated by a thin space always represents the number six. Almost all UPC labels have 3 of these pairs of lines (a little longer than the others, one on the left, one on the right, one in the middle) but for some reason they do not have numbers beneath them. Therefore virtually every UPC label has 6-6-6! The UPC code is not sinister or evil of course, but is a stepping stone to the cashless society and an illustration of the link between consumer computing and 666. The cashless society is nearly here. Gas stations, Movie Theaters and now even McDonald's and Burger King are accepting credit cards. Newspaper vending machines that accept only cards are being used in some locations. Analysts now say that within 5 years every American would have a smart card (all accounts combined on one card) and electronic transactions would be the standard. Bank machines would soon be giving out electronic transfers onto personal cards instead of cash. The technology for the microchip implant Mark of the Beast already exists. Millions of animals have been injected with microchip implants for identification purposes. They are also being tested for use on babies and military personnel. Consumer advocate Ralph Nader recently said, "Is there a number or a mark planned for the hand or forehead in a new cashless society?" Yes, and I have seen the machines that are now ready to put into operation.

8. The Antichrist breaks the peace treaty with Israel (Daniel 9:27) - The World leader (antichrist) would receive a fatal wound to the head, but would miraculously recover. The world would be amazed. He would then break his 7-year treaty with Israel after the first 3 and a half years. He would enter the rebuilt Jewish temple and declare himself to be God! An image (possibly a high-tech 3-D hologram) of him would be set up in the temple and people would be forced to worship it. Those refusing to worship the image and those refusing to receive the mark of the beast on the right hand or forehead would be sentenced to death. The guillotine would be the main form of execution.

9. Terrible disasters and plagues (Revelation 16) - Conditions would worsen. There would be 2 prophets of God in Israel who would call down various plagues of judgment on the world. The antichrist would have them killed, but 3 days later they would rise again from dead and be taken up to heaven. This would probably be seen on worldwide television. Many would die from poisoned water. The seas and rivers would turn to blood. The sun would scorch people with intense heat. Each person with the mark of the beast would develop a large painful sore on the place where the mark was injected. Finally, a great earthquake would occur, wiping out the mountains and islands. Huge hailstones weighing about 100 pounds each would fall from the sky.

10. The Battle of Armageddon (Revelation 16:12-16) - Also during this time, China and some other Asian nations could invade the middle east with an army of 200,000,000 men! They would cross the Euphrates (which would have dried up) and would invade Israel. They would encounter the armies of the antichrist in the Valley of Armageddon. Millions would die in the ensuing battle.

11. The second coming of Christ (Revelation 19-20) - Just when the Battle of Armageddon is about to escalate into a global nuclear war, Jesus Christ would return to earth in all his glory with the armies of Heaven. The antichrist and his gathered armies would attempt to fight against Christ and his army, but they would be defeated. The antichrist would be captured, and along with the false one-world religion prophet, would be cast alive into the lake of fire. Jesus Christ would then physically reign from Jerusalem over the earth for 1,000 years. There would be a final rebellion at the end of that millennium which would fail. There would then be a new heaven and a new earth.

12. Judgment day (Revelation 20) - If anyone's name is not found written in the book of life, he would be thrown into the lake of fire.

Just as the Apostle Paul closed his letter to the Church in Thessalonica, so I conclude this article: