The Good News

Is there any good news?

These days of rising prices and high unemployment, inflation running high and crimes reported from neighbors to the biggest elites and government, people ask- “Don’t you have any good news?”

Of course there is good news. We know these are signs of the return of our Lord Jesus Christ! We who believe watch in anticipation as we see the events unfolding in the world and in our localities. In talking about the final days Jesus said “But of that day and hour no one knows, no, not the angels of Heaven, but only My Father.” Matthew 24:36. However He said “Now learn a parable of the fig tree. When its branch is still tender and puts out leaves, you know that summer is near. So you, likewise, when you see all these things, shall know that it is near, at the doors. Truly I say to you, this generation shall not pass until all these things are fulfilled.” Matthew 24:32-34. “Therefore watch; for you do not know what hour your Lord comes.” Matthew 24:42

In speaking of “this generation” Jesus was speaking of the generation that would see the signs he described in Matthew 24.  Friends, we are this generation. Some 63 years ago Israel became a nation after there was none for around 2,000 years. This is also described as a sign in the Old Testament.

And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.

And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.

And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. Isaiah 11:10-12

 And He said to me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, our bones are dried and our hope is lost; we are cut off by ourselves. Therefore prophesy and say to them, so says the Lord Jehovah: Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves, and will bring you into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am Jehovah when I have opened your graves, O My people, and have brought you up out of your graves. And I shall put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. And you shall know that I Jehovah have spoken and have done it, says Jehovah. Ezekiel 37:11-14

Both of these are concerning the rebirth of the nation of Israel and peoples that had been scattered will return. This has happened. And in Isaiah 67 the prophet tells of the nation being born in one day as happened in 1948.

Before she was in labor, she gave birth;

      Before her pain came,

      She delivered a male child.

      Who has heard such a thing?

      Who has seen such things?

      Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day?

      Or shall a nation be born at once?

      For as soon as Zion was in labor,

      She gave birth to her children

Isaiah 66:7-8

This accurately describes what happened on May 14, 1948 - when the Jews declared independence for Israel as a united and sovereign nation for the first time in 2900 years.

The New Testament also describes the last days as days of lawlessness. We have seen children gang raping other children. When I was a child we could play in the street at night unguarded with no fear. Homes were left unlocked. Schools have children murdering numbers of other children. Adults are attacking children in record numbers. You know what is happening these days so I will not dwell here.

Romans 1: 18-32 and the book of Jude describe a long list of behaviors that will not only occur but be acceptable. Homosexuality, wickedness, greed, evil, envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice, gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, unloving, unmerciful and untrustworthy. These are the characteristics of the final generation. These are all happening in ways and numbers never before seen.

Behavioral experts have found that infants begin to lie from as young as six months. In a poll, 75% of women say they lie about money to boyfriends, husbands, and family members. Over 60% of people felt they could wiggle out of their lies once discovered and not suffer the consequences. 13% of respondents admitted they lied to researchers in the study that found this statistic.

Nearly 40% of folks said they have lied about following a doctor's treatment plan and 30% lied to their doctors about their diet and workout regimen. 60% of people lie at least once during a 10-minute conversation. people are most likely to lie on the telephone rather than via e-mail, instant messaging or face-to-face conversations. 31% of people admit lying on a resume. Men lie twice as much as women. On average, men tell six lies per day to their spouses and colleagues; women tell three.

In every single region of the country, when we asked how people make up their minds on issues of right and wrong, we found that they simply do not turn to God or religion to help them decide about seminal or moral issues of the day. For most people, religion plays virtually no role in shaping their opinions on a long list of important public questions. This is true even for questions that seem closely related to religion: birth control, abortion, even teaching Creationism and the role of women in the clergy. On not one of those questions did a majority of people seek the guidance of religion in finding answers. Most people do not even know their church's position on the important issues. That, perhaps, is the true measure of America indifference to the teachings of organized religion: We don't follow what our church says because we're not interested enough to find out what it's saying." (pp. 200-201).

The researchers for the book The Day America Told The Truth concluded: “Americans lie. They lie more than we had ever thought possible before the study. But they told us the truth about how much they lie. JUST ABOUT EVERYONE LIES – 91 PERCENT OF US LIE REGULARLY. The majority of us find it hard to get through a week without lying. One in five can’t make it through a single day – and we’re talking about conscious, premeditated lies. In fact, the way some people talk about trying to do without lies, you would think that they were smokers trying to get through a day without a cigarette! When we refrain from lying, it’s less often because we think it’s wrong (only 45 percent) than for a variety of other reasons, among them the fear of being caught (17 percent). We lie to just about everyone, and the better we know someone, the likelier we are to have told them a serious lie…” (pp. 45-46, The Day America Told The Truth)

He are some of the startling conclusions made by the authors of this book:

• There are more serious liars right now (liars who do harm) than at any time in our nation’s past.

• Lying has become a cultural trait in America. Lying is embedded in our national character. That hasn’t really been understood around the world. Americans lie about everything – and usually for no good reason.

• The majority of Americans today (two out of every three) believe there is nothing wrong with telling a lie. Only 31 percent of us believe honesty is the best policy.

Again, we see the words of the prophets coming to manifest in these days. The birth pains, as Jesus described, are growing in intensity and number. We are clearly coming to the end of the age. It is time to watch and pray as the great tribulation is almost here. The stage is set for the one world government spoke of in Daniel and Revelation.

The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. - Daniel 7:23-25

And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If any man have an ear, let him hear. He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. - Revelation 13:1-10

Even though the power of a small group of International banksters is colossal today according to Harvard and Princeton professor emeritus, Carroll Quigley, they are finding it increasingly difficult to conceal their true nature. He said of this group:

"Their aim is nothing less than to create a world system of financial control in private hands able to dominate the political system of each country and the economy of the world as a whole. The system was to be controlled in a feudalistic fashion by the central banks of the world acting in concert, by secret agreements arrived at in frequent private meetings and conferences." (Carroll Quigley, Tragedy and Hope (New York: The Macmillan Co., 1966)

So where is the good news you ask? Jesus died so that we may live. Jesus said “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father but by Me.” John 14:6. And we are surely familiar with John 3:16 in which Jesus said “For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

What must we do to be saved? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, Acts 15:10. And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved, and your household. Acts 16:31

Being saved understands that the Lord Jesus Christ gave His life for you and me. You must believe to be saved. Then when He calls His people to join Him in paradise, For the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. And so we shall ever be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18

When you are saved by grace that comes from God and not by men, then “Watch therefore, praying in every season that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things which shall occur, and to stand before the Son of Man.” As Jesus tells us in speaking of the tribulations of the end times in Luke 21:36

If you have not given your life to Christ, now is the time. Make the decisions now and see that these things are all good news to those who believe.