IN TIMES LIKE THESE

The Ravens are Coming!


“You will drink water from the brook.
I have ordered some ravens to feed you there.”

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Most people will agree that ravens are ugly mysterious birds that we often associate with evil or the dark side! We don’t seem to know much about them, but researchers tells us that they are highly intelligent creatures. We understand that they can reason on the level of dolphins and chimps.

God’s prophet Elijah had an unexpected relationship with ravens. He came to evil king Ahab and told him God was punishing him, along with Israel, for their evil deeds! Elijah told Ahab that, according to his word, there would be no rain and all Israel would suffer as a result. Elijah walked away from that meeting and, as promised, Israel suffered for years while looking everywhere for water! We see Elijah was not exempt from the draught! How would he survive and where would he get water and food? God knew exactly where he was and his dire need, and commanded ravens to feed him and had a brook to supply him water! God sustains His people! God, in His mercy, is even sustaining the whole world (Ps. 145:16)! There’s coming a time when He will withhold His sustenance from the masses of people because of their rejection of Him (Rev. 18:8).

We have to understand that the people in the Bible are no different than us. God simply supplies the needs of those who trust in Him. He fed 5,000 people who had no means. He even clothed Adam and Eve when their eyes were opened concerning their nakedness. We who live by faith, believe that the ravens are near, and somehow God will keep us alive. Many generations have experienced diseases and famines. We just have to know our biblical history. Egypt experienced great famine, and God’s people, as well as the world, were delivered from it under Joseph’s leadership. The Lord sent pestilence in Israel during the reign of king David and 70,000 died in a short time (II Sam. 24:15). There was pestilence in the time of the prophet Amos. The new testament church at Jerusalem suffered famine. We also read that the psalmist had experience enough to write to us from his day: Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. (Ps. 33:8-9). What a mighty God we serve!

If you have God’s Spirit abiding in you, and you believe in God, let the words in this article comfort you. (Suddenly, inspired biblical words you read should have more impact.) Let’s believe the words of king David, that great leader:  “I have been young, and now I am old, and I have never seen the righteous forsaken, nor his offspring begging bread.”

 

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Volunteers of Humility!


Submit to God’s royal son, or he will become angry, and you
will be destroyed in the midst of all your activities—  for his anger
flares up in an instant. But what joy for all who take refuge in him!
(Psalms 2:12 – NLT)

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God is shaking our world and very few people will be able to put confidence in any earthly means! What many have trusted in will come back to mock us. The author, a few days ago, spoke with a medical doctor who said he spent the entirety of his profession saving up and investing, only to lose a 1/4 of his earnings in one week! There are people who have confidence in family, others have relied on institutions. Still others have given their whole lives to sports and different forms of entertainment. Some have even carved out a living by promoting worldly comedy and laughter. What an oxymoron for the times we live: “happy comedian”. It seems everyone has some measure of reliance on something that makes them happy, but God has the option of dispelling those things (Jer. 13:25).

VOLUNTEERS OF HUMILITY

Everyone is searching for answers through many of the same means that we are used to relying on. Those means are fading away. As a result, our dependence on those things are fading, as well. God is showing us — even those who belong to Him — that we have been, in many ways, independent from Him. And yet, who speaks about humbling ourselves as a nation? Who will voluntarily show signs of humility? Who will proclaim that we have sinned against God? We will either do this involuntarily or become “volunteers of humility.”

Here are some scriptures that may interest you:

Exodus 15:23-26 (CEB)
When they came to Marah, they couldn’t drink Marah’s water because it was bitter. That’s why it was called Marah.
The people complained against Moses, “What will we drink?”
Moses cried out to the LORD, and the LORD pointed out a tree to him. He threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. The LORD made a regulation and a ruling there, and there he tested them.
The LORD said, “If you are careful to obey the LORD your God, do what God thinks is right, pay attention to his commandments, and keep all of his regulations, then I won’t bring on you any of the diseases that I brought on the Egyptians. I am the LORD who heals you.”

John 13:4-5
So he got up from the table and took off his robes. Picking up a linen towel, he tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a washbasin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he was wearing.

Matthew 23:12
For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased: and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Prov. 11:4
Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death.

Psalms 145:16
When you open your hand, you satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing.

Isaiah 2:12
For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low.

Rev. 3:10
Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

 

 

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Where is the Promise of His Coming?


“Where is the promise of his coming? For since
the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as
they were from the beginning of the creation.”
(II Peter 3:4)

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OFFICIAL SOUNDING VOICES
Have you been listening lately to all the “official” sounding voices in our world — everyone from neighbors and their opinions, to news, to talking heads, to agencies around the world. We are constantly being bombarded with voices about impending dangers and signs of what a new normal may look like.

THE VOICE OF THE SPIRIT AND OTHER VOICES
If you take a moment to turn off all the chatter and sit in silence, there is another voice that is in the earth, and this voice also has the ability to speak. It is the voice of the Spirit! The Spirit of God can reveal to us signs of things to come, as well! These signs were first spoken of by the Old Testament prophets, and then by the Lord, and followed by New Testament teachers. These all spoke of the coming of the Lord! Those who are caught up in the affairs of this world will pay unnecessary attention to what the world says (I John 4:5). The world speaks in terms of politics and sports, and stocks, bonds, and investments, entertainment and pleasures. The world has little concern for a God and His Savior!

DOING BUSINESS AS USUAL AND THEN THE GREATEST CRISIS
The voices that are in the world just want to get a crisis over and let us return to normal to do business as usual. But…it is written: “The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. (I Thessalonians 4:16-18.) This worldwide event will change the course of the world and after that no one will be able to escape the things that will come on the entire world (I Thessalonians 5:3; Luke 21:34-35.) Many, including the majority of the church world, have not stopped to consider this. This great event could be tonight! The world does not fully understand this event and many have even mocked at it, nevertheless, the great resurrection will take place suddenly; faster than any sweeping virus (I Thessalonians 15:52)! Thank God, there is a part of destruction, disease, famine, and death that the church will not experience because those events belong to another day (time or season) (I Thessalonians 5:2-5).

There certainly is a difference between the resurrection of God’s people and Christ’s second coming. (The purpose of this article is not to discuss the two in detail.) Just note that both these events will happen suddenly and without warning (I Corinthians 15:51-52; Revelation 22:12)!

It seems that many think we have time to recover and things might get back to normal; and that may very well be true. But…what if the events that are currently taking place in our world is just a brief precursor to the great resurrection, which is Christ’s return for His church!

Will you be ready?

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How? – Short Inspiration from the Scriptures.


“And in the desert you saw HOW the Lord your
God carried you, like one carries a child. And he
has brought you safely all the way to this place.”
(Duet. 1:31 – NCV)

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“How…?” is usually a question we ask or ponder that seemingly has no foreseeable answer. The Israelites questioned Moses many times about the way things were unfolding in the wilderness. Many of them murmured and complained or just simply did not believe that God, through Moses, was able to bring them to their destination. What we do see is a great and loving God, who provided for an estimated 2 million people for approximately 40 years! Our God is God!

God doesn’t give us any details in the scripture above as to HOW He preserved Israel from all the dangers in the wilderness and HOW He kept them from becoming extinct as a nation. We do understand from the scripture that He preserved them by carrying them and brought them to their promised land! “How” – is God’s business! Our business is to trust!

Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest
the desire of every living thing.
(Psalms 145:16)

You may be asking “how…?” today. Know this…God has a track record and history that those who belong to Him have been sustained. The old are often overlooked in our society, but look to those who are old and righteous and ask them about His power to provide (Prov. 16:31). King David, in the Bible, had come to a long and fulfilled life and his words remind us of God’s faithfulness: I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.  (Psalm 37:25)

Look back on your life and see where God has brought you from and, right now, GIVE HIM THE PRAISE! Then…from there…there is nothing else to say but this: Trust God!

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