by haRold Smith
from Jerusalem, Israel
"And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near." Luke 21:26-28
Rosh Ha'Shana, or the Feast Of Trumpets, also known by its Biblical name Yom T'ru'ah (day of the sounding of the Shofar or rams horn) is the Jewish Biblical New Year (Leviticus 23:23-24). Tuesday, September 30, 2008 (1 Tishrei, 5769 on the Jewish calendar) was the day that started a new 7 year cycle - six years you shall work the land the seventh it shall be left fallow. It is a Sabbath for the Land (Leviticus 25:4).
There are times when something jumps up in front of you and becomes so blatant, it demands attention. Did you notice that this year, on the eve of Yom T'ru'ah, the Biblical day when one 7 year cycle ends and the preparation for the start of another 7 year cycle is complete, that the Dow Jones Industrial Average in the United States fell 777 points, the most ever in history in a single day, or a total of 7%, or that the Congressional buyout that was being asked for to, ostensibly, mitigate this fall was valued at $700 billion? 7 years, 777 points, 7%, $700 billion. Seven is the Biblical number of Completion and scripture tells us that the time of Tribulation will also be for 7 years. Do you think this all to be coincidence? Or do you think, just maybe, God is saying something here - that maybe, just maybe, we are in the time of times?
It is virtually unheard of for politicians, economists and financiers to all to be in agreement over anything at the same time. Everybody associated with this monumental event are ALL saying the same thing - that this cycle we are in is deeper, wider and more inclusive than anything we have ever faced since the Great Depression of the 1930's and, even with infusion of capital from the United States Treasury, it will still be with us for some time - years, in fact.
"I have seen more fearfulness in men than I have ever seen in my lifetime. I had never imagined I would be witnessing anything like what I am seeing today. This is an economic Pearl Harbor."
The issue we face is not about a few banks failing on Wall Street. The issue before us is the collapse of the entire worldwide economic system as we know it. There is a contagion of fear that has gripped the world markets. This fear, as we have seen over the past few weeks, causes a motivation within men to try to "do" something to "fix" the problems facing them so as to try and alleviate the discomfiture of the immediate situation. What is not understood is how the longer range ramifications of those "fixes" put in place today will impact other arenas where the underlying connections are not fully appreciated, thus, compounding and exacerbating the situation further.
In August, 2008, Russia invaded the United States supported country of Georgia. All political overtures from the US administration to the Kremlin were seen as non-consequential, reflecting the diminishment of American influence on global events and placing questions on its future effectiveness around the world. On September 4, 2008, Hurricane Gustav hit New Orleans, Louisiana on the very day of the 3rd anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans the day after the United States pressured Israel into pulling its citizens out of the Gaza - the first time in history that Jew expelled Jew from the Land. September 13, 2008, Hurricane Ike made landfall at Galveston, Texas with the acknowledgement that its destructiveness was far more severe than anyone estimated (three weeks later millions are still without power and essential services all along the Gulf Coast, being told to endure for several weeks more) and has been compared to the devastation left in the wake.of Katrina.
• Are you aware that "Katrina" (Greek in origin) means "Pure, virginal"?
• Are you aware that "Gustav" is a Russian name and means "Weapon of God"?
• Are you aware that "Ike" is Hebrew in origin (a form of Isaac) and means "Laughing One"?
Many more surprises are in store. A random sampling of the news wire reveals over 160 critical financial, industrial or governmentally supported institutions around the world are on the verge of collapse. For instance, the financial system that has bankrolled the country of Iceland's rapid growth is teetering on a "meltdown" (to coin a term also applicable to its environmental glacier issue), the entire country is on the verge of collapse without being able to find credit. The state of California is out of cash and is seeking $7 billion from the federal government (there is that number again) by October 28 or it will go into default, not being able to pay for the basic necessities of law enforcement, fire fighting, waste removal, etc. Other states have already announced they are soon to follow.
Already, we are seeing massive amounts of liquidity being artificially pumped into the system to prop up institutions from the US to Japan to England to Russia to Brazil to Germany. The spider-web tentacles from each of those institutions as they collapse will have unprecedented effects far and wide, affecting many in diverse businesses, economies and social networks across the globe. As man continues to tinker with this global system in one part of the world, unexpected consequences will be felt in seemingly unrelated areas in other countries which will create a further domino effect in other markets. Social instability in regions who are already holding a fine line on order and who are not able to mount an offensive to combat this invisible threat are sure to follow.
Many believers are finding themselves caught in a place of real struggle in this turmoil and, unfortunately, scripture tells us it is only going to get worse. The teaching most of the Body of Christ has been given, beginning over 30 years ago, has been deceptive at its core. This notion that somehow, as believers, we are insulated from this earthly realm to a life full of prosperity and comfort is just not found in the doctrinal tenants of scripture, nor is it found in the lives of those guys recorded there - not one of them, starting with Yeshua as our example. They all died penniless and Yeshua said if we are to follow Him, we should take up our cross and expect to do the same
(Luke 16:13).
The idea, also, that we can pray away the catastrophic events of the coming tribulation only shows a lack of comprehension of the time we are in, causing those prayers to actually come into contention with God's Plans and Purposes.
because your redemption draws near"
We are often taught to "Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart" (Psalm 37:4), but we are never told how that delighting is to occur. Scripture tells us (paraphrased to make a point) - "If you turn away your foot... From doing your pleasure... And shall honor Him, by not doing your own ways, Nor finding your own pleasure, Nor speaking your own words, Then you shall delight yourself in the LORD; And I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth, And feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father. The mouth of the LORD has spoken." (Isaiah 58:13-14)
When we make Him the sole focus of our life by laying all of our desires at His feet that is how we delight in Him. Laying down our desires means abandoning them (and subsequently ourselves) to Him to not pursue those desires with our heart any more - regardless of the outcome, knowing and trusting that He has our best interests in His heart. He knows what you want, He knows what you have need of and as our Father, just as we as parents for our children, wants to see our desires fulfilled. But He also has a higher agenda for us - He wants to see our spirit excel.
Where we get into trouble is "...when he is drawn away by his own lusts and enticed. Then, when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death" (James 1:14-15). This word "lust" used here in the Greek is epithymia and means desire, craving or longing. It is the same Greek word Yeshua uses at the last supper with the disciples when He says, "With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer..." (Luke 22:14-16).
It is not a sin to have desire, as evidenced above. What becomes sin is when we allow those desires to become the motivating focus of our lives. When those desires become the center of our being, the reason for our existence, they replace Him and, ultimately if they remained unchecked, will cause us to extend our hand (and heart) into arenas He never intended for us.
We forget that our purpose for existence in this world is not to be comforted, but is for the refinement of our spirit to be able to live with Elohim for eternity and then to bring that refinement into this earthly realm
(Matthew 6:10,
Matthew 6:10,
Matthew 12:28,
Luke 10:9).
He uses the externalities of this world to accomplish that refinement
(Romans 5:1-5,
Hebrews 5:8).
Light and darkness cannot occupy the same space at the same time. The external circumstances of our lives are not necessarily initiated by Him, but certainly are utilized to expose the darkness in our hearts so that we can then be able to distinguish that darkness and to deal with it - to separate it from the Light within us. But we have to allow Him entry into our life in this manner - He will not overstep our will, our choices.
When we lay our desires at His feet, abandoning them for His Perfect Plan, His Will, for our lives, the turmoil in our hearts is laid to rest. He is then able to rise to a place of supremacy in our heart and His Presence of Peace permeates that place desire once occupied. He, then, becomes our desire, our sole desire, our sole focus, our reason for being. This is what it means to become content with Him (Philippians 4:11).
When was the last time you heard Matthew 6:24-34) preached from any pulpit? Those words are very, very clear. I believe He meant what He said. 1Timothy 6:8 says with food and clothing be content. That is all God is on the hook for; the Son of Man had no place to lay His Head - shelter is a blessing above and beyond what we are to expect. Yeshua said in Matthew 5:44-47 that God sends the rain on the just as well as the unjust and tell us how we are to respond in order to be considered children. Acts 14:22 says it is with MUCH tribulation we enter the Kingdom Romans 14:17. John 6:53-56 says unless we eat of His Flesh there is no Life in us. What was the flesh He partook of? He suffered in the flesh (Hebrews 2:10, Philippians 3:10-11). And in John 6:66 (isn't this an interesting set of numbers?) it says that many left Him when they understood what He was saying. Why did those disciples not want to walk with Him anymore? The flesh that Yeshua lived was one of suffering. He suffered the consequences the world handed Him as a result of His refusal to compromise His Witness by His Life to the Truth (John 18:33-37). That is the mark of the beast to come - people will prefer preserving their life to losing it.
The biggest contention I have with "comfort theology" is that it is leaving most of us unprepared to deal with the tribulation that is ahead. In order to keep our comfort zone we are going to have to compromise His Life. Many have said that currency will become worthless. I see it more as claiming a steep price to attain it - the rebuttal by our life to the Truth of what His Life is. When we read of those early believers in Hebrews 11:35-38 we don't find them walking this kind of life during the day and then go home to a soft mattress at night - it says they lived in holes in the ground. But they did not accept deliverance, which indicates to me they could have. Just as Yeshua did not have to go to the cross and endure that torture - He did so willingly for the glory set before Him. He is calling upon us to follow Him, to eat of the flesh that He lived that we, too, might partake of His Glory which is set before us.
We have some hard decisions ahead of us and at the core of those decisions is who will we serve by the actions of our life - God or the mammon this world has to offer. Will we seek to preserve or lives? Or willingly lose it for the Kingdom's sake? This is the true meaning of
Joshua 24:15.
John 16:33 says to be of good cheer, however, for He has overcome the world. He is 'ha Ne Amon' (Hebrew for the Faithful One). In over 40 years of walking with Him, I can tell you with assurance that He has never failed or forsaken me. Neither I, nor my family, have ever missed a meal. He has done everything He has told me He would do. I can't ask for more than that.
| "Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near - at the doors!" Matthew 24:32-33 |