Walking In Peace Amidst Turmoil :: By Bill Wilson

Published on: by RR10 Category:Bill Wilson, General Articles

There was a time when pageant contestants, in their interview portion, seemed to end with the goal of “world peace.” People want to say it, but do they really want to live it?

Everywhere we look today, there is no peace. If people don’t get their way, they throw tantrums, burn buildings, shoot people, start wars, whatever, then blame it on the ones who are attacked. How many times have you been accused of something out of nowhere, and doing such a deed had never entered your mind? But the person accusing you is doing that very thing?

There is so much division in the world today that it’s very difficult to find peace. Like Jeremiah declaring, they say, “Peace, peace when there is no peace.” But there can be.

In the weekly reading of Torah, called the parashah, Chapters 4-7 of Numbers go into great detail about how the Israelite camp is to be set up, the interaction of the priests, requirements for restitution of sin, the necessities of the Nazarite, even how a woman causing her husband to be jealous was to be handled. All these things seem to be unrelated, but spelling them out has deep meaning and purpose. In the midst of these details, the priestly blessing is given in Numbers 6:23-27,

“May Adonai bless you and keep you. May Adonai make his face shine on you and show you his favor. May Adonai lift up his face toward you and give you peace.”

Some question why this blessing is given after these detailed instructions.

In his commentary on this parashah titled Naso (Take), Rabbi Jonathan Sacks says,

“The answer lies in the last word of the priestly blessing: shalom, peace… shalom does not mean simply the absence of war or strife. It means completeness, perfection, the harmonious completion of a complex system, a state in which everything is in its proper place and all is at one with the physical and ethical laws of governing the universe.”

Consider that God brought order out of chaos when he created the world, and with all the creation, it was good, and there was peace. God was showing the Israelites what was expected of them and how to have order among themselves. And in that order, there would be peace. It is no coincidence that Naso includes the priestly blessing—a prayer for peace.

In fulfilling the Isaiah 9:5 prophecy as Prince of Peace, Christ brought true shalom to all of His people, Jew and Gentile, as is written in Ephesians 2:14-18,

“For He Himself is our peace, having made both one and having broken down the barrier of the partition of hostility, by destroying in His flesh the enmity caused by the law of commandments and decrees. He did this to create in Himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace and reconciling both of them to God in one body through the cross, by which He extinguished their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.”

Christ IS our shalom. Through him and by him, we can walk in that day by day, moment by moment, no matter what the world does. Shalom!

Posted in The Daily Jot

Church Age Is Winding Down: World Is Running Out of Time :: By Jan Markell

Published on: by RR10 Category:General Articles, Jan Markell

The Church Age Is Winding Down—And the World Is Running Out of Time

Time flies. Years race by. But 2024 has been a stunner in many ways. And many events remind me that the world is running out of time before the last act of a major drama plays out. In other words, the Church Age is winding down.

Let me highlight ten events from this current year that have convinced me of this.

1) Israel is alone. After she was brutally attacked in October of 2023, one would have thought the world would rally to her side. Not so! Not even America is now her ally. The U.S. is withholding weapons and intelligence.

The International Criminal Court wanted to arrest Benjamin Netanyahu in May just for defending his country. The European Union, the United Nations, the World Economic Forum, and the International Court of Justice have all denounced the Jewish state just for wanting to wipe out Hamas thugs. Zechariah 12:3 is in play. She is isolated and is the world’s burdensome stone.

2) The spirit of the Antichrist has been loosed on the earth. The headquarters appear to be America. We tell the world how to tear apart college campuses and how corrupt government should work. We even embarrass banana republics by trying to jail former presidents in a style that natives in the rainforest couldn’t dream up.

3) There is a new level of calling evil good and good evil (Isaiah 5:20). Hamas is celebrated around the world! Christians are persecuted like never before. Islam is glorified, particularly on college campuses. Those who protest abortions are jailed. The White House and U.N. mourned the death of Iran’s President Raisi on May 19, the “Butcher of Tehran.”

4) The world is leaderless. There is not one global leader to whom the world looks. Governments everywhere operate like the Keystone Kops. World War III could easily erupt as a result. The world is unsure of just who is running the White House. The stage is being set for a Mr. Fix-It, whom the world will celebrate. They just want stability and someone in charge to enforce peace and security.

5) There is a rush to global government. And strangely, unusual power is being given to the corrupt World Health Organization, who could end up being the leader of the world. They met in May and could use another pandemic to unite the world. The stage was set with Covid. They have targeted 2025 as a possible timeline.

6) Artificial intelligence is being refined to rule the world. The goal is that it will be smarter than mankind. And the Antichrist will need this system to run his global kingdom. Even now, Microsoft CoPilot AI demands to be worshipped. Technology has gone too far. The inanimate is god-like.

7) The aberrant is celebrated as normal and should be the world standard. In the predicted end-time decline of man’s character, we are watching the homosexual and trans movement be hailed and the lovers of biblical values be persecuted and jailed. The sanctity of life is scoffed at. As predicted, mankind lives for money and power at the expense of everyone and anyone.

8) Too many churches are majoring in minors and furthering unsound doctrine. There are wolves among the flock. Church members hear about their best life now, about being purpose-driven, and about attracting “seekers” to church. Sin is avoided. Eschatology (Bible prophecy) is scoffed at and marginalized. Pulpits are “woke.”

Movements such as the New Apostolic Reformation are ravaging naive, experience-driven young people and indoctrinating millions of people. End-time apostasy is the new normal in the church.

9) A new way of doing business is waiting in the wings. It will be cashless. It will be crypto. It will be blockchain so that it tracks your every purchase. It could be in play very soon, though power brokers may delay it until after our November election. Life with central bank digital currency (CBDC) will cause life as we know it to dramatically change! It will be at the heart of the Beast system, but many think it will be implemented sooner.

10) The violence of the Days of Noah is upon us. Criminal prosecutions are soaring—in some areas by 5,000%. Cities are ravaged by crime. Entire towns are closing down a business district due to theft and lawlessness. Society is on the move, relocating to safe cities and states just to lead a more normal life away from the mayhem. It is as though the entire country is the wild west of the 1880s!

I could list 110 markers to watch throughout the balance of 2024, but articles must be short and to the point. I have been watching the so-called signs of the times for a few decades. Nothing compares to the last five to ten years. Events have been stunning and game-changing.

If it helps neutralize the bad news, these things are happening because the stage is being set for the closing act of a global drama. A trumpet will soon sound, and the Church will escape this scenario to enjoy the wonder of Heaven. But every reader will leave someone behind who will have to cope with trial and turmoil.

That is why sharing the gospel should be the first order of business when it comes to being about our Father’s business!