Author: jdwvaw2

Unless you’ve been living in a cave, I’m sure you’re aware of the world going to ‘hell in a handbasket’. The political, social, and moral decay is accelerating in our day. Evil is getting more openly evil and prospering to the dismay of real Christians who are seeing more persecution and isolation than ever before. What’s a Christian to do ? We seem to spend a lot of time grousing about this with our friends who are like-minded with us. But this is non-productive as far as combatting the evil trends expanding all around us. We’re simply preaching to the choir. While this may portend eschatological fulfillment leading to the antichrist, we do not have to sit idly by. In fact, we do not have to merely defend our stance as Christians, but have a whole arsenal of offensive weapons at our disposal. It’s time we use them !

First, we must recognize our enemy; “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12) Second, we must dress appropriately. “….let us put on the armor of light.” (Romans:13:12), “….the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left” (2 Cor.6:7), “….having girded your waist with truth….the breastplate of righteousness….shod you feet with the gospel of peace…. and the shield of faith….and take the helmet of salvation.” (Ephesians 6:14-16) Properly clothed, we can then take up “the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God.” (Ephesians 6:17) This “Word of God” is the most powerful thing in the universe; and we have it at our disposal ! The apostle Paul adds this about our warfare “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God….” (2Cor. 10:3-5) Yes, our weapons are mighty (all powerful) in busting up the strongholds the world has erected against us. Mighty in God ! We Christians hold all the cards. Greater is He that is in us than he that is in the World ! (1John 4:4) We need not be intimidated by what the world is doing. While things may seem impossible to combat at times, think of David and his battle with Goliath. No problem. Just an uncircumcised Philistine. He simply rested in the fact that the “battle is the Lords”. Much of our warfare is to be fought on our knees. James, our Lords brother, said this; “The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” (James 5:16)

Saints, we need to draw our swords and mount a united offensive against the strongholds of this world. Remember, “.…in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him…” (Romans 8:37)

Maranatha, Jim

If you’re a born-again believer in Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, you’re in line for a stupendous inheritance. Truly unfathomable. In this life, a worldly inheritance is usually a share in the estate left behind by deceased parents or relatives. You, as a Christian, however, will not inherit a mere share in the estate, but the complete estate ! And, just what is the estate you are about to inherit ? Why, it’s nothing short of the entire Kingdom of God ! You see, Jesus, because of His obedience in sacrificing Himself to death on the cross for us has inherited everything in the creation. As the only begotten Son of the God, He was always in line to inherit all that belongs to the Father. We who are born-again of the Spirit are adopted into the family of God as brothers and sisters of Jesus Himself. “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” (Romans 8:29) “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26) “And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Galatians 3:29) “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons….and if a son , then an heir of God through Christ.” (Galatians 4:4-7)

God considers Jesus as our older brother. As adopted children of God, we are co-heirs with Him. “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our Spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs-heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ….” (Romans 8:16-17) Jesus said this to His disciples; “Fear not little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32). In Revelation, Jesus said this to those who overcome; ” …to him I will give power over the nations….I will grant to sit with Me on my throne....” (Revelation 2:26, 3:21) Meditate on that for a moment. We will be able to sit with Jesus on His throne ! We will reign with Him as kings and priests. “….And have made us kings and priests to our God and we shall reign on the earth.” (Revelation 5: 10)

What a future we have to look forward to! Our main task will be to steward our inheritance; the kingdom and everything in it. If your name remains written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, you’re in the will, and your inheritance is guaranteed. Knowing this, as the apostle Peter said “….be even more diligent to make your call and election sure….” (2Peter 1:10)

Maranatha, Jim

“And do this, knowing the time, that now is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore, let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.” (Romans 13:11-14) NKJV

That’s a shocking title. It should be shocking to you. It’s been called world war 3 or the sixth trumpet war. It’s very clear prophecy. There’s no stopping it. It’s coming. And, it’s coming soon. If my timing of end-time events is reasonable, then very soon. (See previous posts on “Discerning the Time”) The description of this horrific war is detailed in Revelation chapter nine.

“Then the sixth angel sounded: And I heard a voice….saying….Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates. So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind.….the number of the army of horsemen was two hundred million….out of their mouths (horses) came fire, smoke, and brimstone….by these three plagues, a third of mankind was killed….For their power is in their mouth and in their tails….and with them they do harm.” (Revelation 9:13-19)

The Greek word for mankind here is anthropos, or human beings, all of humanity. It’s not talking about an isolated portion of humanity or certain ethnicity, but all who are descended from Adam. As I am writing this, the world’s population is approximately 8 billion. I would estimate that at the time this conflict breaks out it will be 9 billion. One third equals 3 billion. Three billion people are going to die in this war. That’s staggering. WW2, the greatest war the world has ever seen had 50 million people killed. This war will kill 60 times that many!

You may be wondering about these “horses”. Horses, in the bible, are necessary sophisticated instruments to carry out war. Here, in Revelation, they are described as having power in their tails and destruction in the form of fire, smoke, and brimstone issuing from their mouths (heads). I think it’s quite probable John was seeing something impossible for him to describe – missiles-perhaps nuclear missiles. They are powered in their tails and spew destruction from their heads (warheads). Unless some new technology emerges, it’s hard to imagine 3 billion killed if it were non-nuclear. In case you haven’t noticed, the origination of this coming conflict (the Euphrates River) is made up of countries heavily armed with conventional and nuclear weaponry. The eyes of the whole world are currently focused on this volatile area.

You may also be wondering if this war is Armageddon, the final battle before Jesus sets up His Kingdom. It’s not. Armageddon is a localized war fought primarily in Israel over Jerusalem between the antichrist and his gathered armies and Jesus Himself. (Revelation 19:11-21) The destructive elements of Armageddon are earthquakes, huge hailstones, and the sword from Jesus’ mouth. The destructive elements of this world war 3 are fire, smoke and brimstone. And, it doesn’t take place solely in Israel, but starts in the area of the Euphrates river.

Make no mistake. A devastating, probably nuclear, war is coming to this planet. There’s no getting around it. This prophecy has 100% chance of soon occurrence. All of the countries surrounding the Euphrates are currently in turmoil with wars and rumors of wars. Included in that area are Syria, Turkey, Iraq, and Iran, along with the Persian Gulf basin countries such as Saudi Arabia.

This war will probably be the lead-in to the rise of the dominance of the antichrist. He will have no problem imposing his economic system on a war-torn world. He will most certainly have a receptive populace. “But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands…. and they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.” (Revelation 9:20-21)

Saints, these are certainly not the most pleasant scriptures to talk about. But talk about them we must. Jesus did His best to warn us and prepare us for what’s coming in the years just prior to His return. Are you ready for World War Three ?

Maranatha, Jim

Have you made any deposits lately ? In His sermon on the mount, Jesus said this : “….lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.” (Matthew 6:20) What exactly did Jesus mean by ‘laying up treasures in heaven’ ? Unfortunately most of us concentrate on maximizing our earthly IRA’s so that we can, supposedly, enjoy years of retirement in relative ease. But, this pursuit of a fat IRA can become a snare that takes precedent over more important life issues. The larger it gets, the more attention is required to manage the assets; worry about stock market trends, interest rates, tax liabilities, etc. And yes, while rust and moths are no longer concerns as in Jesus’s day, many trends and bad investments can contribute to losses of these stored “earthly treasures”. Jesus said in the next verse; “For where your treasure is there your heart will be also.” If our focus is on heavenly treasures we will be in good stead for a rest that lasts for eternity rather than a few short years of earthly retirement. We need to be investing for the long haul; eternity in the Kingdom.

Many investors turn to gold as a hedge against catastrophe in their IRA’s. It is viewed by many as a more stable investment in the long term. But, Jesus said this about gold: “I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich…” (Revelation 3:18) So, we are advised to buy gold, but not physical gold from a precious metals broker, but gold refined by fire purchased from Jesus Himself ! How do we do this ? The following scriptures will provide clarity. “….you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 1:6-7) “That their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Colossians 1:2-3) The genuineness of your faith will continually be tried and tested, but you will be encouraged by your growing treasure of wisdom and knowledge you have been ‘purchasing’ from Jesus and the Father. This comes and grows from study of His Word as you allow the Holy Spirit to impart wisdom, transforming and renewing your mind. All other attempts to accumulate and store up earthly treasures are transitory, at best, and ultimately futile, particularly in these last days. “Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your silver and gold are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days.” (James 5:1-3) Not a pretty scenario!

So, continue to study your bible and allow your stores of knowledge and wisdom to accumulate freely, purchased from Christ Himself. Remember, that refinement of these treasures will come as your faith is tested, particularly in these last days.

It’s quite simple to acquire vast wealth as you make deposits in your ‘heavenly’ IRA.

Maranatha, Jim

If the following article is true, and I believe it is, this Nazi – type experimentation on live aborted babies is truly disgusting and must be stopped.

Officials Silent About Allegations Of Nazi-Level Experiments In Pittsburgh (thefederalist.com)

Sigh. The US is not far from severe punishment.

Matthew chapter 24 is Jesus’ detailed description of what the end times will look like. Included is this sobering statement: “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.” (Mt. 24:12)(NKJ). The word ‘love’ here is agape which means the ‘God-kind’ of sacrificial love present only in those who are in Christ. The Greek for ‘many’ is polos which actually means most or the major portion. What Jesus is clearly saying here is this; In the last days the love of most Christians will grow cold due to the deception of false prophets and wide-spread lawlessness. This is a staggering statement! He follows this up with the next verse “But he who endures to the end will be saved.”(Mt 24:13)

In my younger days as an incoming freshman at a challenging engineering college I listened as the Dean addressed the newcomers. He said “take notice of the person on your left and the person on your right. If you graduate four years from now, they won’t. That turned out to be more than true. Out of 55 students in my chosen discipline only 7 of us graduated. Now let’s think of Jesus’ statement. An astute Christian Pastor could say to his congregation ; “Take notice of the person on your left and on your right. If you, in spite of great deception and lawlessness, endure to the end when Jesus returns to gather you to Himself, they won’t.” Most Christians won’t make it!

Jesus, through the apostle John sent a letter to the local church at Ephesus. What He told them was that their first love had grown cold, just like He said will happen to the end-times church. “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember, therefore, from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place – unless you repent. (Rev. 2:4-5)

Don’t let anyone deceive you. The last-days church is in for the greatest trial it has ever faced or will face again. We have all the tools we need to overcome and be victorious. Simply knowing that most professing Christians will fail the challenge should strengthen your resolve. Keep on studying your bible and growing in your faith. Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world!

Maranatha, Jim

The title above comes from a recent letter (letter 1oo) by catholic Archbishop Vigano detailing the rapid progress of the “great reset” taking place in our world. Nelson Walters provides commentary on his letter in the following video. It is quite startling: Deep State and Deep Church Conspire Together – NEW! Bishop Vigano Warning of Global Takeover – YouTube

Vigano’s letter can be read in it’s entirety here ; Letter #100, 2021, Tuesday, August 31: Viganò – Inside The Vatican His letter, of course, is uniquely catholic and quite long, naming a lot of names; definitely an interesting read .

Your take-away from all this should be the lateness of the hour from an eschatological standpoint and the realization that the only 100% reliable truth we can count on is the Word of God. The immense deception of the last days that Jesus warned us about is upon us. Don’t be deceived. Keep studying your bible. If you are, none of these things should surprise you.

Maranatha, Jim

Most of you, I’m sure, have heard a statement like “He was a God-fearing man”. The bible tells us clearly and often that we should fear God. What does scripture mean when it says to fear God ? Should we be cowering and cringing in terror when approaching the Father ? I’ve been taught by many preachers that to fear God means to revere God with awe and respect. But, is that all it means ?

The Greek word for fear in the bible is phobos or phobeo (verb form) from which we get the English word phobia. I think we all know what phobias are; a mostly inordinate fear of something that prevents us from interacting with that something, whatever it is. The word fear is used 400 times in the KJ version of the bible about half the time in reference to the fear of God. In the new testament, it is evident that fear of God is for the Christian as well as the unsaved. “...beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” (2Cor. 7:1) “...work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” (Phil. 2:12) “...since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you come short of it.” (Hebrews 4:1) Jesus Himself was very clear when instructing His disciples; “And do not fear those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. ” (Matthew 10 :28)

Clearly, we, as Christians are to fear God, not just in the sense of awe and respect, but also in dread of the coming horrific judgment if we do not ‘endure to the end’. We must do all we can to avoid the easy road toward sin that so easily entangles us and could lead to eventual apostacy and alliance with the antichrist’s economic system. Fear of God’s judgment on the unrighteous should be incentive enough to keep us on the narrow path that leads to eternal life. “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Hebrews 10: 31)

Though the above scriptures might sound scary, it is also clear from the scriptures that God does not desire that we should live in fear of Him. Just like our earthly fathers, we can expect discipline when we err in His eyes, but it does not mean we should dread approaching Him. We should “…come boldly to the throne of grace , that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16) He is a God of infinite love. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and of a sound mind. ” (2Timothy 1:7) Jesus said to His disciples “Fear not little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32) John says “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear….” (1John 4:18) The word ‘perfect’ here means complete. Jesus showed us perfect love when He completed the greatest act of love the world has ever known. He is our example. Perfecting love in our lives will drive out all fear. Those who follow the ‘god of this world’, either wittingly or unwittingly, have every reason to fear what’s coming. “mens hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth…” (Luke 21:26) We need to continually be confronting those around us of the nearness to God’s judgment coming soon to the whole earth. And, yes, fear God.

Maranatha, Jim

Jesus instructed the apostle John to write letters to seven churches in Asia Minor that may also have been written with the eschaton in mind. Consider the following scriptures from Revelation:

“And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations... ” (Rev. 2:26)

“…Therefore if you will not watch, I will come to you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.” (Rev. 3:3)

“Because you have kept my command to persevere, I will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world to test those who dwell on the earth.” (Rev. 3:10)

“And behold, I am coming quickly, and my reward is with Me, to give to everyone according to his work.” (Rev. 22:12) “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches…” (Rev. 22:16)

While there is no question these seven letters were directed to seven real churches existing in John’s day, it is also evident from the above scriptures that what is contained in them is important teaching from Jesus Himself specifically for last-days Christians as well. We are those last-days Christians. Therefore, it behooves us to study and meditate on both Jesus’s criticisms and praises of these seven churches. They likely represent a microcosm of Christianity today. Allow me to sum up in my own words Jesus’s praises and criticisms contained in the letters to the seven churches.

Praises; Good works, Much fruitful labor, Patience, Intolerance of evil, Testing of those who say they are apostles, not growing weary of doing good, Enduring tribulation, Enduring poverty, Enduring persecution, Holding fast to the name of Jesus, Faithful even unto martyrdom, Showing love, Latest works better than the first.

Criticisms; Abandoning your first love, Idolatry, Sexual immorality, Toleration of false teaching, Seduction by false prophets, Adultery.

I think you can readily see all of the above present in world wide Christianity today. Read and study the seven letters. The consequences of not taking seriously Jesus’s criticisms are severe and eternal. The rewards, however, according to John are awesome. ” Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates and into the city.” (Rev. 22:14)

Maranatha, Jim