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Prepare War, Wake up the Mighty Men
The world is in a state of upheaval and change, changes that many did not see coming.
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Saturday, March 29, 2014
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www.bibleinthenews.com Audio & Print versions
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Since the end of World War 2, major world powers have not truly clashed apart from cold wars and proxy wars. With so many years past since World War 2 and the collapse of the Soviet Union, many have been lulled into thinking that the days of “empire building” are over. Certainly the West has lost its appetite for conflict and many did not see this coming. It was in a debate leading up to the 2012 US Presidential Election that Barack Obama mocked at Mitt Romney for saying that Russia was the biggest threat to world peace. How foolish that sounds now.
Welcome to another edition of the Bible in the News, this is John Billington with you this week.
However, those studying the Bible would know that the time of conflict is far from over. The last few editions of the Bible in the News have drawn attention to the writings of John Thomas back in the 1800’s who looked for Russia to once again build up its empire. Even after the collapse of the Soviet Union when Soviet aggression seemed to be a thing of the past, and countries where happy at the thought of cutting defence budgets, the writer Grahame Pearce in Milestones 1992, written in 1993, wrote the following: “The speed with which we have witnessed the dismantling of Europe and the economic links being forged between Germany and Russia have tended to make us impatient as we have witnessed the slow ponderous steps of uncertainty in 1992. Out of this human chaos God will prod the Russian bear to reassert its role of guardianship over its allies and confederacies. We await with renewed interest of these skilful and divine manipulations.” The events that we see in the world have certainly been expected by some, based on their reading of scripture. While much of the world wants peace, true peace will not come until the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. Before the return of the Lord Jesus however, things will get worse before they get better.
Today, Russia is doing a great job of keeping the world guessing what its next move will be. It seems certain however that there will be a next move. It may not come today or next week but it will come. The prophecy of Joel and chapter 3 calls for the nations of the world to get them selves ready for war prior to Christs return. The following is from verse 9 to 16:
“Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up: 10 Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong. 11 Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O Lord. 12 Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. 13 Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great. 14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. 15 The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining. 16 The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the Lord will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.”
It is amazing how fast the priorities of nations can change. It was only last year where the biggest threat to world peace seemed to be greenhouse gasses, Russia has quickly changed that. Now oil and gas wells, pipelines and fracking will be state priorities. In fact British Prime Minister David Cameron recently said “fracking will be good for our country” at a recent Nuclear Security Summit in The Hague, according to The Guardian. It is clear that as the world will turn to building armaments they are readying themselves for judgements from the almighty. The question I ask myself and something we should all be asking ourselves is: are we ready for God’s judgements?
One reason God gives us prophecies is so that we may be ready, the apostle Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, “but ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.” Christ’s coming will be a surprise to the world but it should not be to those reading the prophecies. At the time of the Passover in Exodus the children of Israel had to eat the meal with their coat and shoes on and staff in their hand, they had to be ready for the call to leave.
The following words were written by Grahame Pearce in 1982 and I think are very fitting as we contemplate our actions in these final days: How shall we deliver ourselves from the rushing tide of the nations going headlong to destruction? Draw ourselves with our children around the Word of God and make its lessons live. Teach them what to look for and the significance of the times in which our lives are cast. Let us be about our ecclesial affairs, building faith and love in all the members of our meetings and boldly exhorting against the brash and profane manners of the rising generation. We must not conform. We must resist every step which seeks under all plausible human wisdom to change the standards of our behaviour and decorum. The ways thereof are the ways of death. And since, in the blessings of our Heavenly Father, we have the message of the times, let us persue a vigorous proclamation of a true Gospel and be prepared personally to give an answer of the hope that is within us, with meekness and with fear.
“Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. 8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. 9 For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. 10 For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. 11 But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.”
Before we finish our program this week and in light of recent events in the Ukraine, we would like to invite you to join us for a special live presentation entitled, “Russia’s Bid for the Conquest of Europe Foretold in the Bible.” The presentation will be given by Mr. Paul Billington the editor of the Bible Magazine and who you often hear on the Bible in the News. The presentation will be on April 3rd at 7:30pm Eastern Daylight Time and will be broadcast live via the internet on the following link: http://viewer.dacast.com/beta/b/20856/c/21288 Of course if you are in Southern Ontario you can join at the 442 Dundson St, Brantford Ontario N3P 2B1. We appreciate you joining us this week, come back next week for another edition of The Bible in the News on www.bibleinthenews.com
Printed: Saturday, March 29, 2014
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