Wars and Rumors of Wars...

If you live ANYWHERE right now, you have most likely heard Russia and Ukraine are at war! So, we have war following. well joining really, a pandemic that has affected the entire globe! Has war been around awhile? Sure. The difference here is that it is paired with a global Pandemic. The only other events that I have learned of that literally affected the entire globe are World Wars I and II, The Great Depression and the flood of the time of Noah. If only one of these events was taking place, I wouldn't put much thought into it, but when we have war, pestilence, famine in many parts of the world and earthquakes in various places happening concurrently, I feel a bit differently.

Jesus warned us of certain events to watch for in the book of Matthew, specifically Matthew 24:4-8, "Jesus told them, "Don't let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming, "I am the Messiah." They will deceive many, and you will hear of wars, and rumors of wars, but don't panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won't follow immediately. Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. But all this is the first of the birth pains, with more to come."

I believe, we could be living out this biblical warning at this very moment! We are not only hearing of wars, but we are also hearing rumors of wars too! I have seen many rumors of the possibility of World War III developing from this war between Russia and Ukraine. What is your take on this event?

The Bible tells us that in the last days the world will be as it was in the days of Noah and Lot. If you would like to read about this yourself, you can find the exact material under Luke 17:26-37 in your bibles. These verses, in summary, tell us that everyone was ignoring Noah and his warnings, continuing on with their daily lives, no changes made to their lifestyles or hearts, right up to the second of the flood! This is because the world at the time was overrun with evil and wickedness. Nobody had the care or the want to, to hear Noah out. They were all more concerned with their parties and daily lives and anything that meant that would be interrupted was not anything they wanted to hear about. Unfortunately, not heeding to Noah's warnings from God, cost them their worldly lives and, I assume, also their eternal lives! Would you believe someone if they were telling you a massive and deadly flood was coming and they were physically building an enormous ark? This is a difficult one, isn't it? This is why being close to Jesus is a necessity. The stronger your spiritual relationship with Christ is, the easier it is to see the direction He wants you to go.

You can learn in Genesis Chapter 19 how Lot's wife just couldn't let go of the life she lived in Sodom. She was told by angels not to look back, but she just couldn't resist watching the destruction. She became a pillar of salt the moment she looked back! Lot's wife turning into a pillar of salt is what I believe to be an example of what happens when we disobey God's instruction and do what we desire instead. I also interpret this as the result of choosing THIS world over our SALVATION! This is quite relatable for most of us, I think. The world has trained us to love it and want what it has to offer us, because it is tangible and here right now, in front of us. If you were instructed by angels to leave your city or hometown, do you think you could uproot your life and your family's lives, if applicable, with full faith and no regrets about leaving your home, goals or favorite coffee spot? These are the questions we are rarely asked in this world, and I think that is because Satan wants to normalize any and everything that doesn't lead people to Christ.

Earlier we mentioned that we would see famine and earthquakes in various places on our journey through the last days. I don't know about you all, but I have noticed a significant number of recalled items recently. Before this pandemic, it was rare to see an empty shelf in the grocery store or a product on backorder for months! It seems limited product production is a global issue right now. Have we been short on supplies and food before? Yes. 100 years or so ago, many experienced what was named, The Great Depression. This was a devastating time when the people put much of their trust into the stock markets and then they crashed, leaving them in debt and hopelessly scrounging for food, shelter and other supplies for a good while. As a matter of fact, this pressing time was preceded by war and followed by war. So, what's the difference today? According to the books of Matthew and Mark we are waiting for the Good News (The Word of God) to be preached to ALL the nations and then the end will come.

With the internet now in the picture, the possibilities of this prophetic event reaching fulfillment have increased dramatically! We can now have video calls with people around the globe right from our homes. In the 1800s, U.S. Mail delivery used to take about a week and a half to get one letter delivered a few states over by horse and today we can receive products from the other side of the world in about the same amount of time or even less! We have gained the ability to fly across the country in just a few hours. We can now take our phones with us anywhere and this also means we can take the internet anywhere with us! Reaching all nations back then was not likely to happen with the resources of their time. Our means of communication and travel have improved significantly over the years, so, the possibility of The Good News reaching the entire globe now, is very real! In fact, it may have already occurred!

In close, I think we should pray for the people of both Ukraine and Russia, please join me...

"Dear Heavenly Father,

We come to You right now and we humble ourselves Lord and we just ask Father God for strength, courage, protection and mercy to be poured out over the people of Ukraine and Russia and anyone in the path of destruction Father. We ask that the husbands, fathers, mothers and children are blessed with the ability to stand strong physically, mentally, emotionally and most of all spiritually throughout this immensely tragic time Lord and we ask that You show them that You are there with them dear Jesus, always by their sides. These things we pray and believe Lord, in Jesus holy name we pray, Amen."

Thank you all for praying with me!