A CALL TO THE “NOW” ANOINTING
 
The Body of Christ has been robbed for years by her theology.  We cannot seem to accept God’s Word for the NOW anointing because our theology has told us that it will all come LATER after we are dead and in heaven.  The Church is flooded today with books and movies about “prophesied events” that will happen after the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  But there is a current restoration theology that states that we can and will receive a present dimension of Biblical promises on this side of eternity. Most of the Bible was written for our lives here and now. We are called to rule and reign, not tuck, run, and fly away.
 
Many of us were brought up with an eschatology, (study of end times), that taught us that the Church is in a lot of trouble and that the devil’s kingdom would increase and totally dominate the earth until the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.  We were taught that our Lord Jesus would return and rescue a beaten up and defeated Church.  Then our Lord would destroy the enemy and his forces through His power, truth and light by way of His return.  This thinking has programmed defeat within the body of Christ.  Therefore, the church sits in a corner defeated with her only hope tied to a theology that lies in the future at the return of our Lord Jesus which allows her to escape to a better place.
 
The idea of a strong militant mighty Church waging an effective war against the devil is completely foreign to much of our thinking.  Many would agree that there will be a time of heightened spiritual conflict, but to believe that God is going to bring about a great massive harvest during this time seems unthinkable to many within the body of Christ. So, much of the teaching and preaching of the Church over the years has been a theology about a future kingdom.  It would be a kingdom that is established after the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.  It would be only in the “New Heaven” and “New Earth” that His righteousness would be established.  Until then, according to this theology, we can only expect the world and the church to lie helpless in the hands of the evil one. With this theology the final glory and victory of the Church will have to wait until the end of the earth and the re-creation of the heavens and the new city. But the Lord Jesus Christ through His death, burial, and resurrection, has given authority and government to the Body through the Apostolic and Prophetic ministries. There is an army rising up that is ready to take back what is legally and rightfully ours. The problem is that the body is walking in hurt, unforgiveness, rebellion, and broken relationships. There needs to be places of refuge whereby the spiritual leaders and body of Christ can be healed. 
 
Question:  Is it true that the enemy was defeated at Calvary or do we have to wait until the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ for his defeat?

John 16:7-8 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. [8] And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 
John 16:11  Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. 

1 John 3:8  He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.  
It is consistent with the teachings of the Scriptures that our Lord is ready to destroy all the works of the evil one through His Body, the Church, in this present age, so that the world would know that the enemy’s judgment has already taken place and that the Church is victorious.
 
We are not sure as to how far we can go in this final work of our Lord until He returns but we know that the world longs for the manifestation of the Sons of God to come forth. The Scripture of Jn.14:11-14 must be a reality for the NOW and not something just hoped for all our lives.
 
John 14:11-14  Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.  12  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.  13  And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  14  If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

It is easier to talk to people about preparation for hard times and tehends times when we are going through the hard times. When you can't find the items you need on the sheves of any store and when you try to order them they say you can't because of being "out of stock," it becomes a little more clear as to why we teach about stocking a few things back for emergencies.

When the smoke clears, the Coronavirus has made it's run through the world, and we can get back outside, please don't try to run down to the store and stock up thousands of dollars of stuff. Preparing for times when the trials have really hit the fan takes a little planning and sacrifice.

As Debby and I were attending Bible College our monthly income was 600.00. That was a total of 600 dollars with 2 little boys. For 3 1/2 years we lived off of meatless spaghetti and a lot of beans and chili. We did what we had to do. The same is true when you go camping. If you are a normal camper you eat hotdogs and other foods you don't eat everyday in your home. It will be that way when all the stuff starts hitting teh fan. This should have been a wake-up call for the world. Things will get worse and more intensified, and it will last longer in duration. Therefore, getting food on yur shelf will be things that have a longer shelf-life and foods that have the best nutrition. We will need protein and carbs to maintain strength to do what will need to be done.

When we speak about preparing we do not want to give the idea nor get the mindset of being a survivalist. The believer is called to be an overcomer and not a survivalist. However, in preparation we will be able to assist others who are not in the faith or are weak of faith.

We encourage believers to store sufficient food, clothing, and where possible fuel for at least three months. Some prepare for one year. The best way to do this, is when you do your normal weekly shopping pick up one or two of the items on this list and store it away.  We have not laid down an exact formula for what should be stored, but a foundation that you can build on based on your location and space.

Stocking up on some items will:
*  Provide peace of mind as we obey the counsel to prepare.
*  Help ensure basic needs in case of personal or natural disaster.
*  Strengthen skills in preparing and using basic foods.

Once you have stored the basic food items, you need to regularly include them in your daily meals so as to accustom yourself now in what you will eat later. This also allows you to rotate your stored items keeping them current in date.

We suggest that the Saints concentrate on essential foods that sustain life:

1.   Grains: Grains include wheat, rice, rolled oats, dried corn, pearled barley, and other cereal grains. Flour, cornmeal, and pasta products such as macaroni and spaghetti are also included. Each family should store various grain items that suit their individual circumstances. For example, rather than storing three to four hundred pounds of wheat per person, a family might choose to store two hundred pounds of wheat, one hundred pounds of flour, twenty-five pounds of rice, twenty-five pounds of rolled oats, twenty-five pounds of dried corn, and twenty-five pounds of macaroni per person. There are numerous combinations. This gives variety to the menu and encourages using and rotating the supply. It also provides choices for those who do not like or cannot eat a particular grain.

Most grains can be dry-pack canned in small containers. This makes them more convenient to use and reduces the possibility of spoilage. Grains may also be stored in tightly sealed metal or heavy plastic containers.

2.   Legumes: This is an inexpensive, nutritious protein food. This includes beans (soy, pinto, white, kidney, lima, winged, red, navy, pink, and black-eyed), split peas, lentils, and peanuts.

They can be stored in clean, dry metal or plastic containers with tight-fitting lids. They may also be dry-pack canned.

3.   Fats and Oils: Fat is essential to every diet. Shortening, cooking oil, margarine, and mayonnaise are suggested for storage.

Store fats in sealed containers in cool, dry, dark places and rotate them frequently.

4.   Powdered Milk: Nonfat powdered milk, instant or regular, is an excellent storage item. It contains all the nutrients, except fat, found in fresh milk. In the past, storing large amounts of powdered milk has been recommended. However, this has often led to spoilage and waste. More recent studies show that smaller quantities of milk are adequate if people store and eat larger quantities of grains.

Powdered milk can be stored in the original sealed packages, or if purchased in bulk, it can be stored in tightly covered metal or plastic containers. It can also be dry-pack canned. You may also use canned milk as part of the milk storage program, but you must rotate it regularly.

5.   Salt: Nutritionists recommend iodized rather than plain salt, when it is available.

Salt can be stored in its original container in a cool and dry place.

6.   Sugar and Honey: Whether to store sugar or honey is a matter of personal choice. Sugar may harden and honey may crystallize and/or darken. Neither affects the safety of the product.

Store honey in small containers. Then, if it crystallizes, you can immerse the containers in hot (not boiling) water to liquefy it.

Store granulated sugar in a tightly covered metal or plastic container or place it on a shelf away from moisture in its unopened cloth or paper bag. Occasionally knead the bag to help prevent the sugar from hardening.

Water: Water is more essential than food in sustaining life. Store a minimum of seven gallons of water per person for drinking and food preparation. Store an additional seven gallons per person of the same quality water for bathing, brushing teeth, and dishwashing.

Use heavy plastic containers with tight-fitting lids. Metal containers, which may corrode, tend to give water an unpleasant taste. If you have any doubt as to the bacterial safety of stored water, you may purify it by boiling vigorously for one to two minutes or by adding chlorine bleach (5 percent sodium hypochlorite solution). Generally, half a teaspoon of bleach will purify five gallons of clear water, and one teaspoon will purify five gallons of cloudy water. If you store it away from sunlight in clean containers, and if it is safe bacterially at the time of storage, water will remain pure indefinitely.

WHAT TO STORE UP IN PREPARING FOR END TIMES:

When we speak about preparing we do not want to give the idea nor get the mindset of being a survivalist. The believer is called to be an overcomer and not a survivalist. We are called to be a people of faith and not rely upon the flesh. However, in preparation we will be able to assist others who are not in the faith or are weak of faith.

We encourage believers to store sufficient food, clothing, and where possible fuel for at least three months. Some prepare for one year knowing that it most likely will not last a year. We have not laid down an exact formula for what should be stored. I will place some items to stock up on in a list in the next study.

We suggest that the Saints concentrate on essential foods that sustain life, such as grains, beans and peas, cooking oil, powdered milk, salt, sugar or honey, and water. Most families can achieve and maintain this basic level of preparedness. The decision to do more than this rests with the individual.

Do not think that once a crisis hits that you will have time to gather the necessary things to hold you and others over. There is only a three day supply of food and necessary items on the shelves of our stores. So start stocking now a little each month or it will be to late to get anything. 

I happen to believe that the Father is going to care for His children with bread from heaven as He did with the Hebrew children in the wilderness for 40 years. If He did it then He will do it again. However, not everyone will be able to believe God for this. The food that we store will serve to minister more to others than for the true believer walking in faith.

We encourage you to follow this counsel with the assurance that a people prepared through obedience to the commandments of God will be able to minister by assisting others during the “End Times” tribulations. Fear is not a character that a believer should have. Therefore, if fear is the motive for storing then there is a heart problem with the heavenly Father and His Word of Truth. The words of our Lord in the “Book of Matthew” do not end when the tribulation starts.

(Matthew 6:25 ESV) "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

(Matthew 6:26 ESV) Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

(Matthew 6:27 ESV) And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?

(Matthew 6:28 ESV) And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,

(Matthew 6:29 ESV) yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

(Matthew 6:30 ESV) But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

(Matthew 6:31 ESV) Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'

(Matthew 6:32 ESV) For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.

(Matthew 6:33 ESV) But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

(Matthew 6:34 ESV) "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

If families would think in terms of storing only foods basic to human need, or if they would supplement the food storage they already have with the basics to build it up to a year’s supply, the task would be simpler than they might think. They would then be prepared for food emergencies. A year’s supply of food storage is beneficial in several ways.

However, the key is always remember to seek the Kingdom of God first and foremost, and not to walk in fear.

I am spending a few lessons on the topic of gold because so much trust has been placed on it. From the governments of the world for their economic stability to the individual seeking to have a solid financial security for the future, gold has been the ch
oice of many.

The Old Testament role was quite straight forward. Gold served as money or adornment. Corruption certainly existed during Bible day. For example, people would shave gold coins, until they ended up as little more than nubs. Still gold remained and its value was not systematically destroyed nor manipulated through a financial money system. The time of King Solomon was known as the Golden Age of Israel. Solomon had lots of gold, in fact earning over 600 talents of gold per year and more.

We have seen what gold has done over the years of history since the birthing of the church. This history according to Acts chapter 2 is known as the period of “the last days”. Gold prices have climbed and fallen. However, it is the use and value of gold during the Tribulation period which should interest us. The Bible seems to suggest that gold holdings will be of little help at that time.

Ezekiel 7:19 ESV They cast their silver into the streets, and their gold is like an unclean thing. Their silver and gold are not able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD. They cannot satisfy their hunger or fill their stomachs with it. For it was the stumbling block of their iniquity.

People will continue to hold on to their materialistic idolatries and corrupt financial systems despite terrible times of crisis and tribulation.

Revelation 9:20-21 ESV The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, (21) nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.  

In Rev.6:6 we that it will take a full days wage to buy some grain for bread. I would like to share a story from the internet about a grandmother in Germany telling her grandson about a time between WWI and WWII.

Revelation 6:6 ESV And I heard what seemed to be a voice in the midst of the four living creatures, saying, "A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not harm the oil and wine!"

ONE MAN’S STORY:

As a little boy I used to ask my grandmother to tell me stories of her life as a young girl in Germany. She was always reluctant to talk about it, but I was usually able to coax something out of her. I didn’t understand until I was much older, but her reluctance was a result of the pain those memories caused. One of the stories that she would tell took place after the First World War.

Germany lost and, in so doing, agreed to the Treaty of Versailles. In addition to the loss of geographical territory, the German Weimar Republic was forced to pay enormous sums in reparations. In essence, the Germans had to pay for all of the damage done in the war. Germany did not have the financial means to pay these damages and their solution was to just print money.

As this new money moved into circulation the impact was devastating to the German economy. The inflation rate was absolutely staggering. A few years after the end of the war the German economy had an inflation rate in excess of 300% per month! The economy had essentially collapsed and the country was experiencing a depression of enormous proportions. This set the stage for the rise of the Nazi party several years later.

Which brings us back to my grandmother’s story. She would tell me how her father and brothers, all coal miners, would get paid twice a day. The currency was devaluing so fast that it needed to be spent as fast as it was earned. My grandmother told of collecting the money and going shopping for food.

The grocers didn’t even bother counting the money. They just estimated the amount by how large the stack was. A loaf of bread could be purchased for two bags of money in the morning, by the afternoon the price might be three bags. The currency had so little value that people would burn it in their stoves for heat because wood had more value than the money.

The reason I share this is because many people everywhere will be starving, and money and gold will be worthless compared to a scrap of bread.

GOLD AND SILVER (Continued)

I am spending a few lessons on the topic of gold because so much trust has been placed on it. From the governments of the world for their economic stability to the individual seeking to have a solid financial security for the future, gold has been the choice of many.
 
The topic of gold evokes interest today just as it always has throughout the millennia. Much of mankind’s history has surely been motivated by the possession of this fascinating metal. One would think that there must be lots of gold in the world today. Not so. If all the gold presently existing above ground in the world were put into one place, it would amount to one solid cube the size of a doubles tennis court and 45 feet high.

That block would represent most of the gold ever mined in history. It is estimated that only about 15% of all gold ever produced has been either consumed or lost. The rest of it all remains accounted for and owned by some person or entity today. There is only about 160,000 tons of gold in the world today. This seems like a lot but it equates to less than one ounce per person on the earth.

Why the big attraction to gold? It is a rare and special substance and one of its most valued properties being that it does not corrode. The only other metal that rivals gold’s properties is platinum. However, platinum is very difficult to produce and is much rarer. The timelessness of gold and also the fact that it is only found in pure form in nature are qualities much admired. In the Bible, gold is used to express ideas of purity, value and wealth.

Gold also plays a significant role in prophecy. Today’s world with its corrupt monetary systems, will want to heed what the Scriptures say about gold, especially its “last day” roles. Unfortunately, there exist some serious misconceptions and false hopes about gold today.

Many believe that in light of hyperinflation, perhaps a massive worldwide economic depression, monetary debasement by corrupt governments or any other form of economic theft, gold will hold its value. Is this really the case? No! We could cite reams of supporting economic and financial history on this point, both ancient and modern.

The history of the past century alone will dispel all such comfortable notions. Despite two world wars, a supposed massive debasement of our currencies hyperinflation, and the recent gold rally, gold has returned a total of -9% in real terms in 111 years. The supposed financial safe harbor of gold has been a myth. Yet it still stands as a stronger investment value than any currency.

Before going any further, it is therefore important to settle this point of “false hope.” In this present age of gold, as alluring and hopeful as it may appear, it does not offer a sure escape from monetary corruption nor judgment. It may be a promising investment from time to time. It may even provide protection from the ravages of inflation during certain periods. But it will not provide assurance against a world “where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.” (See Matt.6:20). In the first place, we must remember that our Lord Jesus Christ still remains in heaven and that this world still remains thoroughly corrupted. 

This great era of human history from a commercial point of view can be called “the Age of Global Capital”. It is marked by world-wide sophisticated forms of monetary corruption and theft. Because of these conditions, many people seek a safe haven for their savings. Investors therefore value gold for what they believe is its property of “real money.”

Just what does the Bible say about gold today and its future roles, especially at the time that God restores everything? In tackling this subject, we need to consider gold’s role over five different eras of time:

1.  Old Testament times
2.  The Last Days (beginning with the revealing of the Church in the Book of Acts)
3.  The Tribulation period
4.  The Millennium
5.  The Eternal Jerusalem

To be continued...

GOLD AND SILVER (Continued)

We have been discussing the use and need for gold and silver in the end times. One of the ways to see how these will be used in the end times is to see how they were used in the Old Testament. Remember these verses in Ecclesiastes which basically tells us there is nothing new under the sun. The things that were will be again. The things that are now have been before. In other words history repeats itself. So, we can look to the use of gold three to five thousand years ago and see how it will be used in the end times when there will be a one world-wide money system.

Ecclesiastes 1:9-11 ESV (9) What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. (10) Is there a thing of which it is said, "See, this is new"? It has been already in the ages before us. (11) There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of later things yet to be among those who come after.

Ecclesiastes 3:14-15 ESV (14) I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. (15) That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away.

GOLD-SILVER-SEED-FLOUR:
We will see a return to using gold and silver along with seed and flour as a means of money for a season: If you can't afford to have gold or silver, then get seed and flour. However, don't place your trust in these. They will be a short-lived means of trade in the end times.

Gold and Silver, as is all of creation, are from God, and given to man for good use, for a useful purpose. Gold, silver, seed, and flour, were all used as money in the Old Testament, (See Lev. 27:16, 2 Kings 7:1).

SIGN OF WEALTH:
There has been a lot of false teachings concerning true Biblical prosperity in the body of Christ over the years. As a result of the teaching the only ones getting wealthy are the TV evangelists asking for your faith seed. There will be those in the end times that will be deemed the wealthy and for a season will have some clout.

The vast majority of the time that gold and silver are mentioned in the Bible, it is in reference to the wealth of the kings of Israel or to the wealth of the Temple of the Lord. Gold and silver were used in the workings and furnishings of the Ark of the Covenant, and the vessels in the temple. Therefore, gold is definitely approved by God for men to use as money and as a store of wealth.

We strongly believe that the Jewish Temple needs to be rebuilt. Everyone talks about the need for the Ark of the Covenant, the Red Heifer, and the re-establishment of the High Priest and the priesthood. However, lest we forget, it will take an incredible amount of gold to rebuild the Temple with everything that was required. This means that there are some Jews who are storing gold for such a project.

UNJUST MEASURE:
The people were to have and use "just weights and measures." The standard Hebrew units to measure the weight of things such as iron, stone, flour or anything, were the shekel or talent (or other measures), and also used to measure the weight of gold and silver. Unjust weights and measures were "an abomination to the Lord", (See Lev.19:35, Deut.25:15, Prov.20:10).

As it was in the early Old Testament days so will it be in the last days. There will be crooks looking to survive by cheating others in their weighting of gold silver and the product being purchased.

UNJUST INTEREST:
We scream a lot about certain immoral decisions coming from our law-makers, but are silent about other things. When a Jew borrowed money from a Jew it was forbidden by God to charge him interest.

However we built a nation of banks on the interest charged from loans. Just because we all have paid interest all of our adult lives does not mean that it is right. 

Charging interest when lending money was forbidden by God’s Law unless to a foreigner, (See Ex.22:25, Lev.25:36-37, Deut.23:19-20, Ps.15:5, Prov.28:8, Ez.18:12-13, Neh. 5).

Currently I have seen credit cards with interest rates from 22 to 29 percent. This is not only against God's law but it is robbery. When the last of the last days comes upon us we will see interest rates sky rocket to 100 percent or higher. Those who have will take advantage of those who need.

To be continued:

Many believe that prior to the return of Christ Israel will become very rich in gold and silver. I will pose some statements and questions and then offer some Scriptures. Although I have extensive teachings on each question I have intentionally left it out so that you can formulate your own opinion based on Scriptures.

I want to continue on the topic of GOLD & SILVER from part 7 to help us understand the role of these precious metals during the last days. In part 7 I listed Scriptures concerning Gold and Silver. In this part I will share what I believe will happen to lead us to the one world money system.

1.  SHOULD I INVEST IN THE STOCKMARKET, STOCKPILE MONEY, GOLD, SILVER, LAND, OR HOUSES? (Continued from part 7)

SILVER AND GOLD:

These precious metals must rise in value enough so to move other nations to envy so that Russia and the Arab nations will be led to invade Israel at the start of the tribulation period, (See Ezekiel 38 & 39). This is because Israel will possess a lot of the world's gold.

Many believe that gold and silver at the start of the tribulation will become extremely valuable, even much more so than today.  This is especially true after all major currencies suffer devaluations and there is severe economic collapse. This devaluation and economic collapse is a planned event to bring about the chaos necessary to humble the nations into accepting world rule by the antichrist.

The world rule by the antichrist in the tribulation will involve a world currency, which might include an electronic tracking system of gold credits, (See Dan 11:38, 11:43).  All of this will bring about the mark of the beast which is needed to buy and sell anything, (See Rev.13:16-18).

It is believed that during this tribulation period, many (not all) of those possessing gold and silver, who refuse to accept the mark of the beast, will be hunted down and beheaded, (See Rev. 20:4).

This may lead to a law which will make it illegal to possess gold and silver in physical form as an unauthorized individual, (without the mark or number or authority of the beast). I believe that this would be a worldwide ban, (See Ez.7:19). This will probably just be the final 3 1/2 years of the tribulation period, (See Dan 7:25, 9:27, Rev 13:5).

Finally, for the survivors of the tribulation, gold and silver will be restored as money worldwide, in accordance with the economic laws and principles as outlined in the Hebrew law, (See Zech. 14:16, Is.2:2-5).

A key set of verses in the Bible in Ecclesiastes reveals that the things that were will be again. This means that we can look into the way certain things were used in the Old Testament and determine how the end times will repeat the same usage. The next study in the series will cover this.

Ecclesiastes 1:9-11 ESV (9) What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. (10) Is there a thing of which it is said, "See, this is new"? It has been already in the ages before us. (11) There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of later things yet to be among those who come after.

Ecclesiastes 3:14-15 ESV (14) I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. (15) That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away.

This part of the preparation is for the believer. It will not answer every question, and although I have some strong opinions about some areas of end times preparation I will leave the final conclusion to the reader.

Let me make some statements about the preparation of items for the “End Times” before getting into a list. First I want to say that we cannot store enough stuff to overcome what is about to happen.

We are saved BY FAITH and KEPT BY FAITH. So even though we should be prepared and store up some items, our trust is not in what we store. The storage of items are meant to be for ministering in the “End Times” and not meant for us to solely move into a survivalist mentality. At the time of this writing we in the United States and most of the world are on lockdown because of the pandemic Coronavirus. Over the last 20 years I have been a quasi-prepper. I have a lot of things stored up, but certainly not enough. As an example, when the virus hit and people cleaned the shelves of necessary items, such as alcohol, I already had a supply stored back.

Question: Would we feed ourselves and our family and watch our neighbors starve to death? If we are survivalists we really need to rethink our motivation for stockpiling. We believe that the Old Testament is a shadow of New Testament substance. Much of the “End Times” theology is taken from Old Testament Scriptures.

But why is it that we pick and choose which Scriptures and which shadows we should borrow from? How about the story of the Israelites coming out of Egypt and God cared for them for 40 years? They were fed each morning with Manna from heaven, and they were not to stockpile from day to day but trust the Lord each day for provision. I see this happening again for believing believers. Therefore, the stockpiling of food is mainly for use to feed those who have no faith and are coming to know the Lord in the crisis of the events.

I will pose some statements and questions and then offer some Scriptures. Although I have extensive teachings on each question I have intentionally left it out so that you can formulate your own opinion based on Scriptures.

1.  SHOULD I INVEST IN THE STOCKMARKET, STOCKPILE MONEY, GOLD, SILVER, LAND, OR HOUSES?

SILVER AND GOLD:

The topic of gold evokes interest today just as it always has throughout the millennia. Much of mankind’s history has surely been motivated by the possession of this fascinating metal. One would think that there must be lots of gold in the world today. Not so. If all the gold presently existing above ground in the world were put into one place, it would amount to one solid cube the size of a doubles tennis court and 45 feet high. That block would represent most of the gold ever mined in history. It is estimated that only about 15% of all gold ever produced has been either consumed or lost. The rest of it all remains accounted for and owned by some person or entity today. There is only about 160,000 tons of gold in the world today. This seems like a lot but it equates to less than one ounce per person on the earth.

Everyone wants to have a piece of gold, or they are trying to sell you gold for your financial security. Now that we have established some facts about gold. Let's look at some Scriptures.

(Zephaniah 1:15 ESV) A day of wrath is that day, a day of distress and anguish, a day of ruin and devastation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness,

(Zephaniah 1:16 ESV) a day of trumpet blast and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the lofty battlements.

(Zephaniah 1:17 ESV) I will bring distress on mankind, so that they shall walk like the blind, because they have sinned against the LORD; their blood shall be poured out like dust, and their flesh like dung.

(Zephaniah 1:18 ESV) Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them on the day of the wrath of the LORD. In the fire of his jealousy, all the earth shall be consumed; for a full and sudden end he will make of all the inhabitants of the earth.

(Daniel 11:38 ESV) He shall honor the god of fortresses instead of these. A god whom his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts.

(Daniel 11:39 ESV) He shall deal with the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god. Those who acknowledge him he shall load with honor. He shall make them rulers over many and shall divide the land for a price.

(Revelation 13:16 ESV) Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead,

(Revelation 13:17 ESV) so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name.

(Ezekiel 7:19 ESV) They cast their silver into the streets, and their gold is like an unclean thing. Their silver and gold are not able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD. They cannot satisfy their hunger or fill their stomachs with it. For it was the stumbling block of their iniquity.

Preparing for the end times is like politics, everyone has a different opinion about what we need to do to fix everything. Mindsets about preparing for the end times really differ based on the spiritual condition of the person. Actually, knowing how the world thinks about the end of the world is helpful. One of the ways for us as believers to prepare is to know how the lost man thinks about the End times.

Knowing that a lost man thinks in the flesh of the old Adamic nature and thinks in the terms of self-survival gives us an idea of what not to do. This will help us not get caught in the trap of worldly thinking and it will help in our approach of witnessing in these last days.

Isaiah 55:8-9 ESV For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. (9) For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

1 Corinthians 2:14 ESV The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

Romans 8:7 ESV For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot.

1 Corinthians 1:18 ESV For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

There are basically two mindsets of the lost person concerning End Times: PARTY HARD before the coming storm or PREPARE HARD for the coming storm.

PARTY HARD: In the first option of PARTY HARD, they would say, “Make love, party hard, and go out with a bang.” This group of people really do not believe that the end of the world is upon us. However to be safe they would typically say "If the world ends" when addressing the topic. This way of thinking about the End Times says that if the whole world is going to end, then you should enjoy the last few days or hours with everything you can. In this scenario, stocking up with guns and food is stupid since we'll all be dead anyway. So make love, enjoy some good food and wine, and call your family to say goodbye. Or just put together a wild party and celebrate the end of life as we know it! If you know anything about the Bible, does this not sound like the people in the days of Noah, when their plan was to eat, drink and marry.

PREPARE HARD: The second option of the lost person is to prepare, survive, and thrive to live another day. This lost person acknowledges that the end of the world as we know it is coming. This line of PREPARE HARD reasoning concerning End Times says that by proper preparing now you can survive almost any catastrophe that "mother nature" can throw at us.  If you stock up now with the right supplies; like weapons, ammunition, survival gear, toiletries, water, food and energy generators then you'll be able to protect yourself and your family in the event there happens to be a "Day After." The mindset that drives these survivalists is that those who properly prepare will not only be ready for a major world-wide crisis but will rule in the “day after”. It is amazing the number of TV series that have come out of Hollywood over the last 6 years with this type of scenario. However, it is a misinformed attitude that the end of world will really be nothing more than surviving a bad hurricane.

Ecclesiastes 8:12-13 ESV (12) Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life, yet I know that it will be well with those who fear God, because they fear before him. (13) But it will not be well with the wicked, neither will he prolong his days like a shadow, because he does not fear before God.

Imagine this: The news is broadcasting frightening images of a world gone crazy. The world wide governments have ordered martial law. Still, the streets are littered with rioters, gangs and innocent men and women just looking for some gas to put into their vehicles are beaten or killed.

This is not hard to imagine because we have already seen this happen in our streets.

People are stealing and hoarding supplies, food and water. They're killing each other trying to prepare for an impending doomsday. A flood of Biblical magnitude sweeps upon major coastal cities.

This is not hard to imagine because we have already seen this happen in our cities. We have seen rioting in our cities that resulted in innocent bystanders beaten and killed. We have seen parts of major cities turned into war zones as people crash into stores and take what they want and then burn the stores. We have seen attacks on our police force and police cars destroyed and burned.

Just when we thought that we have seen the worse of times and the worse of the depravity of mankind, unfortunately things will get worse. Things in our world are not going to get better or return to "NORMAL."

We will experience power outages. It may be more than just a temporary power outage. It could be the actual end of the normal life as we know it on earth. Imagine: No air conditioning in the summer of extreme heat. No heat in the winter of extreme cold. Where will you be? What will you do? Will you be stressing out trying to survive the chaos as you look for supplies, power, food and water? You think this is just hype. I watched on social media a couple days ago three grown women fight it out in the middle of a store over toilet paper. This is not people fighting to survive for something that can be the difference between life or death. This is a fight over toilet paper. 

Will you be a part of the problem or a part of the solution? Will you be stressed out in worry wondering what you will do or will you be at peace, already prepared to stand in faith at the inevitable end of the world as we know it? If you've ever thought about becoming a "prepper" and preparing for or surviving the "End of the World" foretold in Matthew 24, there are some things that you need to know.

No one will survive the end.

I know this sounds doomsday in the message however we need to read and reread Matthew 24 and the Book of Revelation. We cannot pray enough, fast enough, witness enough, be revived enough to stop what is going to happen. We are in the birth pains now. 

The world as we know it will be destroyed and God the Father will bring about a New Heaven and New Earth and a New City. We are not called to be survivalists but overcomers. 

This does not mean that we are not to be prepared but it should change our thought process. If we are surviving as believers, tell me, how long do we need to survive? The end of the ages will not be like a major Hurricane or flood hitting an area and we try to “hold on” until things get back to normal.

Oh, but we are Americans. We have weathered every storm, pulled ourselves up by our shoestrings and moved on. We know how to outlast anything thrown against us, and rebuild anything that has been destroyed. Why, because we are Americans and it is what we do. That is a great national attitude, however, it will not stand against what God said He would pour out on the world. When God starts, there will be NO GETTING BACK TO NORMAL! The “End Times” message is just that…the end times. We cannot fast, pray, or store enough stuff to outlast or stop the end that is coming. The reason I say this is because there are those among both Christian and lost people who acknowledge that an “End Times” event will happen but that if we are “prepared enough” we will weather the storm and things will eventually get back to some state of normal with whatever and whoever is left behind.

More on this later. Rejoice the Lord is coming.

SPIRITUAL AND MENTAL PREPARATION FOR THE END TIMES:

In part 3 of the series we said that we needed to...
1.  PRAY!  PRAY!  PRAY!
2.  TAKE ACTION SPIRITUALLY:
3.  SEARCH OUR HEARTS:

The next thing to do is...

4.  WORK TO SAVE OTHERS:

Proverbs 11:30 ESV The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and whoever captures souls is wise.

Luke 5:8-10 ESV But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." (9) For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, (10) and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men."

The time for excuses needs to end. We have everything to gain by witnessing to the lost. The lost have everything to lose if we don't tell them about Christ. We have to get over ourselves with feelings of inadequacy. Many of us have been in church listening to the Word for years. If we say that we don't know enough to witness, then I would ask what have we been listening to in church and what has the Pastor been preaching?

5.  GUARD YOUR SOUL:

There is so much false teachings and mindsets within the church and in the world. If the Christian is not guarded he/she will inadvertently assimilate mindsets that go against the Word of God and the Spirit of God. 

1 Timothy 6:20-21 ESV O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called "knowledge," (21) for by professing it some have swerved from the faith. Grace be with you.

2 Timothy 1:12-14 ESV which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me. (13) Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. (14) By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.

2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

Isaiah 33:14-16 ESV The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling has seized the godless: "Who among us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who among us can dwell with everlasting burnings?" (15) He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, who despises the gain of oppressions, who shakes his hands, lest they hold a bribe, who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed and shuts his eyes from looking on evil, (16) he will dwell on the heights; his place of defense will be the fortresses of rocks; his bread will be given him; his water will be sure.

SPIRITUAL AND MENTAL PREPARATION FOR THE END TIMES:

1. PRAY!  PRAY!  PRAY!

It goes without saying that we need serious wisdom in these last days. There is a lot of good knowledge on the world wide media now that we can draw from. However there is also some serious junk that is nothing more than conspiracy theories that can lead us into an action that will be self destruction. Therefore we need the wisdom of God to be able to judge the truth from the lies and then how to act on them.

James 1:5-6 ESV If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. (6) But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.

Pray for Wisdom, Strength, and Endurance. You don't always need to pray on your knees or in your prayer closet. You can ask God for help or leadership anywhere you are. You can praise Him while you go about your day. Tell Him of your sorrows, trials, and concerns for He cares for you. Ask Him to help you be ready for what is coming upon the earth.

Keep your wants, your joys, your sorrows, your cares, and your fears, before God. You cannot burden Him and you cannot weary Him. He who numbers the hairs of your head is not indifferent to the wants and needs of His children. Take to Him everything that bothers your mind and keeps you from inner peace. Nothing is too great for Him to bear for He holds up worlds and He rules over all the affairs of the universe. There is nothing that concerns our peace too small for Him to notice. The relationship between God and each person is as distinct and full as though there were not another soul upon earth to share His watch care.

Psalms 147:3-6 ESV He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. (4) He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names. (5) Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure. (6) The LORD lifts up the humble; he casts the wicked to the ground.

2.  TAKE ACTION SPIRITUALLY:

The things that are going to take place are unparalleled in history and we need to be ready. The first area that we need to ensure that we have settled is in the spiritual. People arm themselves with guns and store food for the end times thinking that these things will sustain them. We need first and foremost understand that our Lord is going to return with judgment in His hands and we need to be ready to stand with Him and not against Him.

Matthew 24:44 ESV Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

Don't let the cares of this life be so consuming that you have no time for spiritual things. Remember that one of the thorns that crowded out and chocked the Word of God in the parable of the four soils was the cares of the world.

Matthew 13:22 ESV As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.

Matthew 6:31-34 ESV Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' (32) For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. (33) But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (34) "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
 
3.  SEARCH YOUR HEART:

Psalms 139:23-24 ESV Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! (24) And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!

God not only wants our obedience, He wants our hearts. He wants us to obey Him because we love Him. Many times we can deceive ourselves as to our true condition before God. We should ask Him to help us in this matter.

John 14:15 ESV "If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

1 Corinthians 11:28 ESV (28) Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

2 Corinthians 13:5 ESV Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!

Earlier END TIMES POSTINGS: click the END TIMES category to the right

The Father has been telling those who have prophetic ears to hear the disease was among us. We have been writing about it. Now here it is. There is more to come soon following this outbreak.

Apr.20, 2019: Pestilences

​Nov.20 2019: The Signs Of The End Times? They Are Upon Us:
I stated under point #3
"It is a contagious epidemic outbreak of a deadly disease that is devastating like the bubonic plague was." 
"Many of the diseases that are across the globe are kept quiet in the media and need to be researched to find the name of the disease and the extent of the outbreak. Once these reach full stage there will be no way the outbreaks can be hidden."

Jan.4 2020: Prophetic End Times Events That Are Currently Taking Place Or Soon Will Happen.
#5 on the list is Pestilences from Matt.24:7, Lk.21:11 & Rev.6:8

Luke 21:11 ESV  There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven.

Matthew 24:6-8 ESV And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. (7) For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. (8) All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.

DISASTERS:
The disasters we have seen or read about recently are not the “end” but according to Scriptures they are the “beginning of sorrows.” The kind of knowledge we urgently need is both natural and spiritual. We, as believers, do not want to be among those who wait until it's too late. At the same time we do not want to operate out of fear for fear is a tormenting spirit and is not from God.

1 John 4:17-18 ESV By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. (18) There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

WE WILL BE HATED:
At the same time we need to know that the Scriptures state that in the end times “true believers” will be hated and betrayed, and the love that many have for God and His Word will fail because of the intense increase of wickedness on the earth. We are called to endure unto the end. This means to “endure in the faith.”

This is certainly not the time to seek to be people pleasers. We will fall prey to the trials and temptations of the enemy if being a friend to the world and to lost people is more important than obeying the truth of God's Word.

Matthew 24:9-13 ESV "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. (10) And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. (11) And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. (12) And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. (13) But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 

I asked myself, " How can a New World Order come about?" What can happen that will cause the majority of Americans to willfully give up their National pride, their guns, and their American freedom for a globalization government under one leader? Then I got it.

Americans as a whole over the years have accepted anything that will crease strife and division against another group except Christianity. It is the doctrine of tolerance for the sake of unity in diversity and false peace.

Just a few years ago, all we saw and heard was the atrocities committed by the radical Muslims. The beheadings, the killings, and the tortures. We slowly became desensitized to the people committing the violence and seeing them more as the victims. We as a nation are doing whatever it takes to stop the violence by way of appeasement and compromise. In this we think that we are building a safe fence around our little world.

Compromise? One might say, "no way, not me." Well some American Christians are having joint services in their Christian churches with Muslims. However, I dare you to walk into a Muslim Mosque carrying a Bible or praying to Jesus.

War is coming soon. It is recorded in the Bible that it will happen. We as Americans will be so sick of the violence, the killings, the threats within the boarders of our own towns and cities, the wars and rumors of wars, that we as Americans will do anything and follow anyone who can bring PEACE. This is why and how we as Americans will give up our rights, our weapons, and our freedom. We actually believe that we will receive a greater good in globalization and a New World Order.

Here are some statements from Henry Kissinger's book released in 2014 called "WORLD ORDER." His agenda over the last 60 years was to see a New World Order for world-wide peace.

Henry Kissinger offers in World Order a deep meditation on the roots of international harmony and global disorder. Drawing on his experience as one of the foremost statesmen of the modern era—advising presidents, traveling the world, observing and shaping the central foreign policy events of recent decades—Kissinger now reveals his analysis of the ultimate challenge for the twenty-first century: how to build a shared international order in a world of divergent historical perspectives, violent conflict, proliferating technology, and ideological extremism.

There has never been a true “world order,” Kissinger observes. For most of history, civilizations defined their own concepts of order. Each considered itself the center of the world and envisioned its distinct principles as universally relevant. China conceived of a global cultural hierarchy with the Emperor at its pinnacle. In Europe, Rome imagined itself surrounded by barbarians; when Rome fragmented, European peoples refined a concept of an equilibrium of sovereign states and sought to export it across the world. Islam, in its early centuries, considered itself the world’s sole legitimate political unit, destined to expand indefinitely until the world was brought into harmony by religious principles. The United States was born of a conviction about the universal applicability of democracy—a conviction that has guided its policies ever since.

Now international affairs take place on a global basis, and these historical concepts of world order are meeting. Every region participates in questions of high policy in every other, often instantaneously. Yet there is no consensus among the major actors about the rules and limits guiding this process, or its ultimate destination. The result is mounting tension. According to the Word of God, it will and must happen. We as believers should NOT be a part of it because we are of another world and another kingdom.

We, as believers, choose to present to the Lord a heart that says “AMEN” at the beginning of each day. An AMEN heart is one that says yes to the Father no matter what He says. We will present a “So be it” and an “I’ll do it” heart to the Father so that we can hear the voice of the Father.

The Laodicean Church:

I’m going to begin with some “WE MAY” statements.
We may very well be the last generation of human culture and life as we know it.
We may be approaching what is known as the end of the age.
We may, as the body of Christ worldwide, seem to be manifesting some of the the traits of the Laodicean Church spoken of in Revelation 3:14-22.

What if these statements are true? What if the Church is manifesting the signs as if she were that Laodicean church, that end of the age church, that last generation church?

What our Lord Jesus sees!
Revelation 3:13-16 ESV He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.' (14) "And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: 'The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation. (15) "'I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! (16) So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.

How the church sees herself!
Revelation 3:17 ESV For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.
 
Command from our Lord:
Revelation 3:18 ESV I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.

Invitation from our Lord:
Revelation 3:19-20 ESV Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. (20) Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

Reward from our Lord:
Revelation 3:21-22 ESV The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. (22) He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'"

It is my intent to share with all of us from the Word of God in such a way that we can determine where we are in our Christian life. It is the belief that the Word going forth has to do with a woman who wants to make herself ready for the return of the Lord.

If this is the end of the age then there are really two things evident from the Word of God happening at the same time. First we will see a portion of the Church making herself ready for the Lords return. Secondly we will see a portion of the Church so deceived that she does not even know where she is or who she is.

Which portion are we a part of? Actually we can't answer that question now can we? If we knew that we were deceived we would do something about it. We can only know truth if we have ears to hear what the Spirit is saying.