(Proverbs 15-16; 2 Corinthians 1)

If you look around and think the world has gone nuts, you’re probably right. As we near the end of history as we know it, with the soon-coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, the veil of deception has overshadowed the vision of most of secular society. The very thing that Jesus warned about is occurring. Consider Matthew 24:3-4 (NKJV):

“Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, ‘Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?’ And Jesus answered and said to them: ‘Take heed that no one deceives you.'”

Here we are at the end of the age; if someone disputes that… well, perhaps they’ve been deceived. The deception is so thick, it’s like fog that could be described as the proverbial pea-green soup. We often quote this saying from Jesus, but only because it’s so incredibly true for our times.

Most of us can agree that the prophet’s warning in Isaiah 5:20 is upon us:

“Woe to those who call evil good
and good evil,
who put darkness for light
and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet
and sweet for bitter!”

Sadly, this is the new normal where everything said and done is literally upside down. What do you do other than shake your head at it that things could be so out of whack?

Not only has every government around the globe been expressing its totalitarian instincts, but literally every other institution – whether trusted or not – has joined them. We have only to look at the medical establishment for proof. What is the Hippocratic Oath? Some excerpts:

I will apply, for the benefit of the sick, all measures which are required, avoiding those twin traps of overtreatment and therapeutic nihilism.

I will remember that there is art to medicine as well as science, and that warmth, sympathy, and understanding may outweigh the surgeon’s knife or the chemist’s drug.

I will respect the privacy of my patients, for their problems are not disclosed to me that the world may know.

I will prevent disease whenever I can, for prevention is preferable to cure.

Above all, I must not play at God.

Briefly, some comments:

With COVID, has there been overtreatment? Considering that the template for hospitals was to send people home when they contracted the illness and to have them wait until they got really sick; then when the infection was at its worst, they would put them on a ventilator – yes, I would say they’ve overtreated.

Therapeutic nihilism is interesting. According to Wikipedia, it is: “a contention that it is impossible to cure people or societies of their ills through treatment.”

Has the medical establishment gone along with the government narrative that everyone must be vaccinated in order to cure the world of COVID?

Reports from many quarters as to how COVID patients have been treated at hospitals are that there is no examination of true underlying symptoms. Everyone is considered to have COVID and treated accordingly. They are isolated and not allowed to have any family or friends visit or advocate for them. Dealing with people as human beings has gotten lost in the rush to make everything about COVID.

Is there any medical privacy today? It’s hard to conceive of, given the fact that everyone’s vaccine status is a matter of public exposure.

Prevention has gone out the window. Valid, safe, and efficacious drugs such as Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and Ivermectin have been ridiculed, demonized, and outlawed. The idea that Zinc and Vitamins C and D3 might actually be useful to build up the immune system is scoffed at.

There is a reason, of course. If these alternative treatments were available and considered useful, then the so-called vaccines could not have been approved under the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). Authorities worldwide could not dictate that the entire populace of the planet must get jabbed. Big Pharma would not rake in the billions that it has. The conditioning of people to prepare them for worldwide submission could not happen. Preparation for the absolute control of people’s lives could not occur. The coming Beast System under Antichrist couldn’t be realized.

The classic version of the Hippocratic Oath begins in this way:

I swear by Apollo Physician and Asclepius and Hygieia and Panaceia and all the gods and goddesses, making them my witnesses, that I will fulfil according to my ability and judgment this oath and this covenant.

Isn’t it fascinating that originally doctors swore this oath to false gods? Can anyone truthfully say that the medical establishment today isn’t playing at being gods? All one must do is look at the man who has assumed the role of chief deity: Dr. Anthony Fauci. You did see, didn’t you, where someone suggested he be addressed as Saint Fauci?

I preface with all this background information to come to my main point. Mankind has come under a dark cloud of deception and lawlessness. Those who have eyes to see and ears to hear – mostly true Christian believers, but some otherwise, as well – understand that the medical system is being used as the mechanism for the implementation of totalitarianism. This has strong Marxist roots; ultimately, it is spiritually demonic. The ones who will be targeted for their civil disobedience and non-compliance in all the various demands the government makes will be those of us who stand boldly for Christ.

Over a year ago, I wrote that it was quite likely the church would go through some level of trials and tribulations before the Rapture. That made a number of people uncomfortable because, quite naturally, they (as we all do who believe in the pre-Trib Rapture) wanted Jesus to come snatch us away before we had to endure any difficulties. We’re seeing now that the true church of Christ must undergo some amount of persecution and suffering. I’ve always said it would surprise me if the only oppression and hardship we in the western church had to deal with were ease and comfort.

God needed to shake us out of our lethargy. We were too apathetic and lukewarm in our faith. Consider what Paul said in 2 Corinthians 1:9-10:

“Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again.”

Why did Paul have to go through the many ordeals that he did? God had to show Paul how he must rely only upon Him. It was when Paul received the sentence of death that he knew there was no escape other than by placing his entire trust in God. And what did He do? He delivered Paul and gave him the confidence that He would do so again – always being with him in times of trouble.

This is what the Lord wants for His true church. This is why we are alive for such a time as this. God will shape and mold us into believers of staunch faith whereby we boldly proclaim the Name of the Lord Jesus. Those who don’t will fall away. They will be revealed as the wolves in sheep’s clothing they’ve always been.

As we experience the darkness, we must not despair. What we see around us is grievous. But God wants us to keep our eyes on Him. He is our only hope.

What does that song say?

Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full, in his wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of his glory and grace.

This is what we need to remember in these difficult times. The Lord will deliver us as we keep our focus on Him. He will come for His beloved Bride. Then the real trouble on the earth will begin!

[Author Note: Briefly, I want to set the stage for you as to the nature of most of my articles in this season. Each year I read the Bible through completely at least once – that has been my practice since I came to the Lord in 2005. I remain astounded at what God has done in my life because of that discipline! Each day, I read from both the Old and New Testaments. I choose a verse from one of those passages and write my commentary and reflection based on that. In the title of my article, you’ll see the verse I chose. In addition, you’ll see the reading for that day if you’d like to follow along with greater context.]

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Gary W. Ritter is a lay pastor, Bible teacher, and prolific author. His Whirlwind Series comprises three books: Sow the Wind, Reap the Whirlwind, and There Is A Time. These books are contained in the collected volume of the Whirlwind Omnibus. Gary has been given the Christian Redemptive Fiction award for three novels: The Tattooed Cat, Alien Revelation, and for his collaboration with Terry James in writing The Minion Protocols, the third book in James’ Second Coming Chronicles.

Earlier this year, Gary released a four-volume set of Awaken Bible Study Notes that comment verse-by-verse through Scripture from a Biblical prophetic lens. He is currently editing a sequel to Alien Revelation called Alien Zombie Plague, which he plans to release later in the fall of 2021. Recently, Gary wrote a novella for the new Kindle Vella platform. That story is called Tribulation Rising: Seal Judgments – The Coming Apocalypse. This seven-part short work can be found at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B099Z462WD.

Each day this year, Gary has been writing commentary and reflections based on his reading through the Bible in a year. The intent in all his writings is to bring a strong Christian witness to what people read. You can see all his books and blog articles and reach him at his website:www.GaryRitter.com or his Facebook Author page: https://www.facebook.com/gritter3390. You can also see his older video Bible teachings on his Gary Ritter YouTube channel – look for the fish symbol, and more recently on Rumble on his Awaken Bible Prophecy channel: https://rumble.com/c/c-783217.