Continued from previous post.

In the past, wars were not global events involving millions of people.  Both World War I and World War II are so named because much of the world was involved.  That had never happened before in history, and yet it happened twice in less than 30 years.  In World War II alone, about 93 million soldiers were fighting on both sides and about 22 million of them were killed.  But amazingly, over 30 million civilians died during that war! (1)  Some estimates put the total death count from World War II at over 60 million! 

And wars have continued around the globe.  In 1993, the Associated Press reported that another 23 million plus people have died in various wars since 1945. (2)

In part of that verse we looked at in Matthew 24, Jesus also said there would be famines and earthquakes.  There have always been famines and earthquakes so that is not such a big prophetic remark, is it?  Well, we have seen that the world has become involved in bigger and bloodier wars lately, so have there been more and worse famines and earthquakes as well?

In 1996 it was reported that 800 million people go hungry every day, and that “Some 40,000 hunger-related deaths occur every day…” (3)  Did you know that 2000 years ago, when Jesus was walking the Earth, there were only about 300 million people alive on the whole planet? (4)  This means that even if every person on the planet in Jesus’ time were hungry, it still would not come close to the problem we have today.

Okay, famines are worse nowadays.  What about earthquakes?  Between the years 1000 and 1800 there were only 21 major earthquakes. Eight hundred years and only 21 major earthquakes does not seem so bad.  But between 1800 and 1900 there were 18…almost as many earthquakes but in only one-eighth the time span.  Between 1900 and 1950 the number grew to 33.  Thirty-three major earthquakes in only 50 years?  Ouch!  And then there were 93 major earthquakes between the years 1950 and 1991. (5)  Wow!  More and more major earthquakes are occurring all the time. 

But what about right now?  What has happened in the past 15 years or so?  Well, according to the United States Geological Survey, the world has seen 15 monster earthquakes measuring over 8.0 on the Richter scale (see Appendix 1) between 1991 and 2006!  In that same time period there have been 240 earthquakes measuring between 7.0 and 7.9 on the Richter scale. (6)

 I would say that Jesus is 3 for 3 on his prophecy about wars, famines and earthquakes.

The Books of Daniel and Revelation.

 

I'm having trouble downloading the pictures in my sister's book. I'll be working on that.

A few years ago, I saw a bumper sticker that made me laugh out loud, and every time I think about it I laugh again.  It says, “Where am I going, and why am I in this hand basket?”  This pretty much sums up the state of this world today; it seems to be going to hell in a hand basket. 

But is this true?  Well, for millions of us alive today, especially those of us living in industrialized nations, our standard of living and our quality of life are better than at any time in history.  

Medicine has made advances at an exponential rate over the past century, finding cures for much of what used to contribute to shorter life spans.

We can communicate with each other instantly by telephone or email, and visually through satellite feeds or from our homes via the Internet.

And we can get from place to place faster than ever.

So why do many of us often feel as though the world is doomed?  Could it be because it IS doomed and we know it?  Or are we simply running around like Chicken Little, screaming that the sky is falling?

The Bible has a lot to say about the end time of this world, so perhaps we should find out if we are living in the end time or if we are just worrying for no reason.

You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars.  See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end.  For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes.  But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.  Matt. 24:6-8

 Most Bible scholars agree that what Jesus said in Matthew Chapter 24 applies both to what happened on a small scale -- the fall of the city of Jerusalem in the year 70 CE (see Appendix 1) - and what will happen on a large scale to the world at the end time.  So let’s look at how this applies to our world today.

There have always been wars, so what is so special about stating the obvious?  Well, yes, there have always been wars, but not on the scale we have seen in the past century.

The Long Wait. (Or Waiting for God to do Something.)

Around 4 years ago, God told my sister to prepare for a disaster of some kind. She was to buy equipment to survive in the mountains. For two years she bought these things from Amazon and was finally ready. She expected something to happen very soon, so did I. She was very impatient and wondered why God was taking so long to fulfill his words. She has now learned patience and is waiting on Him.

All this time, I’ve been reminded of how God made promises to many people in the Bible, but they had to wait for many years for their appearance.

Noah was told to build a boat. God told him the exact measurements and wood that he must use. Noah did this, but it took 120 years for him to finish. All the while, he preached to the people and warned them, but none believed him, and in the end only he and his family went into the ark and were saved.

God promised Abraham he would give him a son, but God waited for 20 years until his wife Sarah conceived. During that time of waiting, Abraham sinned and took matters into his own hands and took his wife’s slave, Hagar, and had a son, Ishmael, by her. This caused great heartache to all concerned. But God was with Hagar and Ishmael and helped them when they were forced to leave Abraham’s camp.

Moses was told he would rescue the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. He killed one Egyptian and was forced to flee for his life to the desert. There he lived for 40 years as a shepherd. He was humbled and close to God and now was ready for God to use him.

The Israelites were in the desert for forty years because they didn’t trust in God to help them fight for the land in Caanan. God waited until a new generation arose who would trust him to help them.

David was anointed King of Israel when he was very young. Saul was king at the time and he was jealous of David and tried to kill him. David fled and lived in the caves and mountains for around 20 years until he was finally crowned King of Israel.

The prophet Daniel was taken prisoner from Jerusalem, castrated and brought into King Nebuchadnezzar’s palace. He was taught the laws and ways of the Babylonians and given a job. He was exiled there for 70 years, when Cyrus defeated the Babylonians. God had made a promise that Cyrus would let the Jews go back to Jerusalem and rebuild it. Cyrus read the promise written years before and he obeyed God and did that.

After Jesus was crucified, arose from the dead and went back to heaven, many believers thought he would return right away. None of them knew it would be many years before his return. Perhaps some of the disciples knew this though.

In the 1980s, I noticed the rise of Christians getting deeply involved in politics. I knew from reading the book of Revelation, the end times would be when politics and religion would unite to persecute people in the Western nations. I thought Jesus might be returning very soon. Well, it’s been around 40 years and he hasn’t, but politics and religion are now hand in hand in the Republican Party. Christians have protested against gay people and made a fuss about everything they don’t like.

One thing I know for sure, none of the early Christians, nor Jesus himself, would have ever protested against the Romans or the Greeks. They told the people who joined their churches not to live as the Romans and Greeks lived. They told them of the love, mercy and forgiveness of God and how to live a noble life. The Apostle Paul even said he would have nothing to do with judging those who weren’t Christians. That was up to God.

Some of the year spans in this article might be off and few years, but I am 74 now and don’t feel like checking everything. May the Lord bless you with his light and presence.

 

The Civil War in Our Hearts.

 

I listened to a sermon last week by Timothy Keller on his podcast, “Timothy Keller Sermons Podcast by Gospel in Life.” What I learned helped me tremendously in my walk with God. He taught about the spiritual warfare than lies in each human heart. How when we may not want to do something we know is wrong, but we do it anyway. How we may want to act better, but we can’t. Then he spoke on how we can do better with Jesus.

I came upon this sermon after a week of personal trials, both physical and mental. I was feeling very depressed about my reaction to these trials. I know Christians should bear trials with patience and endurance. But sometimes, when my trials seem overwhelming, I revert to my old stand-by: “I cannot bear this. I hate my life. Why do you (God) put people on earth to suffer? I’ve had enough of suffering. When is my life finally going to be over? Please just kill me.”

I’m sure these statements shock normal (if there are any) people. I’m not normal, I have a few mental illnesses, like PTSD, social phobia, dissociation etc. I have a sister who is also sick and, thank God, understands me.

So, as I said, I revert to this kind of thinking after I think I have it licked. I learned my lesson. I’ve read an armful of books on why God allows suffering. I’ve prayed about this and read the Bible every day. I like God, and sometimes don’t like him. This comes and goes. Sometimes I think I actually love him, but I’m not sure if that is sincere.

After listening to the sermon, I began to understand something. I never thought of my depressive thoughts as being a temptation to sin. I thought of them as a tangible outpouring of who I am. I knew a lustful thought was a temptation, but angry depressing thoughts about God?

So, just as I talk to God immediately about lustful thoughts and ask him to make me think of something else, I can do that with those thoughts of anger against him. It isn’t any worse than a lustful thought. I don’t have to feel hopeless and see my inner self as a rebel.

Anyway, I’ve put some links here to help you find these sermons. I listen to Tim Keller on Apple podcasts, but there are dozens of places to find him online. I hope these sermons will help someone else, as they helped me. God be with you all.

https://www.oneplace.com/ministries/gospel-in-life/listen/the-war-between-your-selves-part-1-1168407.html

The War Between Your Selves (Part 2) – Listen to Gospel in Life with Tim Keller, May 31, 2024 (oneplace.com)

War Between Your Selves (Part 1) | Timothy Keller Sermons Podcast by Gospel in Life Podcast (everand.com)

Timothy Keller Sermons Podcast by Gospel in Life: The War Between Your Selves (Part 2) on Apple Podcasts

Christian Podcasts that Have Helped Me.

 

Kritzolina

I thought I’d like to list some Christian podcasts that were new to me and some of the old ones. I appreciate Christian podcasters very much. Every day I listen to one or two and have found them to be helpful in my walk with Jesus.

“Hearing Jesus,” with Rachael Groll.”

“Praying Christian Women.”

“Christ with Coffee on Ice.” With Ally Yost.

“The Russell Moore Show.”

“The Peace-Filled Mind,” with LaToya Edwards.

“The Messy Table,” with Jenn Jewell.

“Timothy Keller Sermons,” by Gospel in Life.

“Passion City Church DC Podcast.”

“Jesus Calling.”

“How to Study the Bible,” with Nicole Unice.

“The Bulletin. Christianity Today.” News on Christianity.

 

 

Hello Again.

 

I haven’t written on this blog for a long time. I think there were three reasons for this. One, my fibromyalgia grew much worse, two, I was grieving for my grandson Jordan, and three, my sister asked me a few months ago to join Twitter because she was on it and told me it was fun. I could only stay online for about an hour each time, but I did get to know many wonderful people on Twitter. But my eyesight has been worsening and I had to quit except for posting Bible verses. I have found reading online makes my eyes twitch, hurt and make me dizzy.

I’ve learned many things this year from God. I’m so grateful to him for being with me, teaching me and bringing me great comfort.

I don’t know what to write about tonight so I guess I will tell you about a book I read, “Look for Me There”, by Luke Russert. It’s a wonderful book, even though I couldn’t listen (I need audio books) to the middle of the book when he visited Hiroshima, Nazi concentration camps and genocide story from Zimbabwe. I have read about these things before and can’t bear to any longer. So, I read the first part and last part of his journey to find himself and grapple with his father’s death.

I could understand why his father’s dearth was so hard for him. He admired and loved his father so much, and for good reason. My favorite part of the book was its ending, (Spoiler Alert) when he goes to the Holy Land, prompted by a voice inside himself. Some days after he got there, when he was praying to Jesus about how he wanted to know his purpose in life and what he should do.  He felt a shaking and heard a voice saying, “Keep praying.” Of course I’m not explaining it very well, you would have to read the book yourself to understand. What I do know is that answer from God rings true to me.

This is how God speaks to me, when he does. Short and to the point. No long explanations of what to do, where to go and what the future holds. I’m sure God speaks differently to each Christian, but this is how he speaks to my sister, Liz, and to me.

My fibromyalgia has been getting better since my sister advised me to try Omega 3-6-9 pills. The have fish oil and other ingredients that are supposed to make your muscles stronger. I’ve been taking them a month and I’m happy to say they are indeed making my legs stronger and also lessening my fatigue.

It isn’t hard on me to type. It is looking at the computer screen and reading that is hard. Anyway, Love to all of you, May the Lord bless your lives, and give you peace, hope and love.

Toxic Churches/Toxic Leaders

 

I was reading 3^rd John and was amazed by how toxic a Christian church had already become just a few years after Jesus was here on earth.

John was a disciple of Jesus. He walked with him for more than three years, learning and growing in his presence. Yet, here in this book of the Bible, John was writing to Gaius, a believer in Jesus, about a toxic church and leader.

First John commended Gaius for helping the “traveling teachers” who had come from Jerusalem to encourage the church. Gaius took them into his house and cared for their needs. But there was a man in the local church who refused to do this. In fact, he would throw anyone out of the church who helped these teachers. John said this man, Diotrephes, would not listen to those of the church in Jerusalem. “I wrote to the church about this, but Diotrephes, who loves to be the leader, refuses to have anything to do with us.”   3 John 1:9

Imagine the rebellion of not listening to the disciples of Jesus at that time. John said this man had always wanted to be a “leader.” Now he was, and he was committing great sin and leading others to do the same.

Paul, in his letters, spoke of the same thing. False teachers leading others astray. I think some people think the Christian churches are doing something new by being unlike Christ. No, it isn’t new, it has happened for more than 2,000 years. Jesus warned us of this. He said, “Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?  Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, by their fruit you will recognize them.”  Matthew 7:15-20

And this is the fruit: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”  Galatians 5:22,23

If a pastor, leader or church does not have the fruit of the Spirit, it will become toxic and harmful to everyone it touches. They bring upon all Christianity a bad name. They slander God and the gospel.

So be careful about what and whom you believe. The Bible says, “Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world.”  1 John 4:1