Riots and Rumors of Riots :: By Daniel Payne

What we’re currently witnessing in America is nothing short of lawlessness. It’s quite obvious that the goal of the powers of darkness is to castrate the rule of law in America, through any and all of their willing puppets. It is only then that true lawlessness will follow.

Matthew 24:12, “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.”

The liberal news media is either complicit or insane. They only seem to serve to exacerbate any crisis situation, like COVID-19, or now the current riots.

There is an order to everything in nature: for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

There is an ebb and a flow. Think of the tides rolling in and out of a bay. The incoming tide flows in, followed by the outgoing tide flowing out. That’s just the way of nature.

If there’s bad news that points toward things against opening up our economy, there’s also good news that points in favor of opening up our economy.

Why then does the liberal media always seem to only report “news” that leads against opening up the American economy? Why must they always dwell on the negative without dwelling on the positive?

The only thing positive they dwell on are COVID-19 test results. Even if they do happen to mention something that could be construed as a positive toward opening our economy, they always add an additional negative comment that extinguishes any hope.

Why? Do they not understand the natural order of things? It’s not possible for every thing to be negative as it relates to people getting their freedom back.

It’s as if they’re not letting the incoming tide follow the natural flow back into the bay. They’re like a giant face continuously blowing their enormous breath of putrid wind against the ocean, in order to keep the bay and inland waters from being refreshed by its plentiful waters.

To a reasonable person, it’s as if they’re trying to ensure that the COVID-19 crisis lasts as long as possible. How can that be? Is the media responsible for how many people get sick?

Of course not, and that’s the point. People are gonna get sick, most people are gonna get better, and some people will not. That’s just the way of things.

However, the media can and does control the response to the crisis, and they certainly know that. Nothing will stop them from laying out the red carpet for the man of sin.

Jesus warned us of these exact days that we’re currently living in:

Matthew 24:6-8, “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.”

The same Greek word translated as “wars” above is also used by James to describe quarrels:

James 4:1, “Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?”

It’s as if Jesus was warning us of the mobs and riots we’re seeing more and more now around the world. The word Jesus used for “wars” can also mean “battles,” and no one can deny that what we’re currently seeing around American cities today is nothing short of battles.

Then, in the next verse, Jesus described nations rising against nations. The Greek word that Jesus used for “nation” means “nationality,” “ethnicity,” or “race.”

In other words, the warning given by Jesus as to what the last generation would witness right before the Tribulation “could” rightly be translated as:

And you will hear of riots and rumors of riots. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For race will rise against race, and country against country. And there will be famines, viruses, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.

With social media, information spreads at light speed, both true and false information. What’s really happening, and what’s rumored to happen.

With mobs tearing down statues, stores, monuments, police stations, and anything they can get their hands on, the words “wars” and “battles” seem very appropriate. It’s obvious that the raging lunatics have no real cause except to hate all righteous authority.

Psalm 2:1-2, “Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against His Anointed.”

Based upon Christ’s warnings, it seems very likely that we’ll be witnessing wars between countries very soon. Of course, earthquakes can strike at any place, anytime; but with the fear of COVID-19, a brand-new Ebola virus outbreak in the Congo, and the pestilences of locusts and other factors causing severe famine in certain parts of the world already happening, military warfare seems next on the horizon.

Not to mention, this hurricane season is forecast to be yet another one for the record books.

Exactly when the true, faithful, watching, waiting, and warning church will be caught up to meet Jesus, will determine just how much more trouble we are going to witness.

However, nothing that is happening is outside God’s knowledge, power, and ability to protect His own. He has an exact date picked out already when we will be brought to stand before Jesus while the rest of the world stands before Antichrist.

Luke 21:36, “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

 

The Recovery We Won’t See :: By Edwin Tan

About a week ago, I got in touch with a buddy of mine from high-school days. He recently retired from the banking industry. Before proceeding to chat about happier moments in our youth, he alluded to the state of affairs where equity markets were concerned – specifically pinpointing stocks in the aviation sector. These were indeed at historic lows, but he cautioned any hasty move – citing further downside possibilities. But the old-timer was fairly optimistic in the longer term, indicating good prospects in five years’ time where handsome profits mattered. Second-guessing that this topic took on the rhythm of a lullaby, he switched to pertinent nostalgia.

His second-guessing during the WhatsApp phone conversation was quite off the mark. I was analyzing his line of argument quite closely, and what struck me was the ‘whale of a time’ half a decade would be, especially in the context of the breakneck speed by which things were capable of evolving. Only, around the end of the Lunar New Year festivities, the notion of a full-blown pandemic buffeting North America sounded like the beat of distant drums. But within a couple of months, the picture was drastically altered!

Given the very strong likelihood that quite a lot of happenings could account for headline news during this time frame, my buddy could still be spot on. But getting there would definitely not be a textbook, plain-sailing journey. On the contrary, it would take the form of a multiplicity of rough and excruciatingly painful moments.

Prior to the present-day trauma, it was more than business as usual. Ever since the financial debacle caused by the collapse of AIG plus Lehmann Brothers, nothing novel was ingrained in the psyche of the markets. Quantitative easing by major central banks, including the Fed, was primarily a tool to stabilize the situation which was meant to stave off a horrendous meltdown. But somehow, it was misread by a bullishly exuberant mindset that prevailed amongst the wider investment community. So the principal markets around the world tested record highs where their indices mattered. Stock valuations soared in tune with overrated optimism.

The seemingly unending gravy train seemed to perpetuate a one-sided view of things, especially that which was material. For a lot of people, prosperity that looked unshakeable meant there was space for designer labels from top to toe – coupled with every other thing associated with high living. More malls, more retailers with every conceivable facet of sophistication and certainly higher stakes when the going was great. Market projections were more than rosy; more hotels, a larger car rental fleet, more aircraft, the same said for cruises and even larger casinos! All of it was based on demand that was nothing more than a mirage!

Without doubt, the corona virus scourge can be considered as one of mankind’s harshest reality checks. A string of unthinkables became a matter of hard facts. International as well as domestic air travel suddenly became risky business. Scores of aircraft were on the ground, and the ripple effect did not waste any time in rearing its horrible head. Hotels racked up sky-high vacancies, travel agencies were bled dry with a flurry of cancellations, and rental vehicles idled in congested lots. As this hemorrhaging got worst, job losses mounted. Recently, Rolls Royce announced layoffs to the tune of nearly nine thousand because of reduced air traffic, while long-established Hertz Car Rental filed for bankruptcy.

Would it not be just a passing trend but could it be the tip of the iceberg? With lockdowns across the continents aggravating the inherent fragility of the global economy, there is only scope for further gloom and doom. This is the result of decades of mindless excesses in the leading economies. The ultimate price is yet to be paid, so what we are seeing is perhaps the initial down payment!

The possibility of a V-shaped recovery looks very unlikely, and the same could be the case for a U-shaped one. L is the alphabet to be the shape of an eventual turnaround. This translates into many hurdles to scale before any modest inkling of better days appear on the horizon. In the meantime, there will be an unimaginable pack of ‘too big to fail’ casualties amidst an epic unemployment tsunami. Supply chains could go haywire, resulting in food shortages that could translate into famine.

It would amount to an ‘end of the world’ sense of despondency, while there a reasonable number of folks who would cling to a straw in this overwhelming torrent of hopelessness. Anyone or anything that would be their saviour would do, regardless of the repercussions. They would happily take it, even if it were hook, line and sinker!

It might be the case that those howls of desperation would not fall on deaf ears. Someone would not just hear it but be more than gladdened by it. It is the cue to announce to a sickly planet his timely arrival as the Mr. Fix it!

This guy would make things happen through a slew of lying wonders that make it have that ‘too good to be true’ feeling. Recovery would then be a reality; wealth would once more be flowing through the veins of the earth. Enough to make him like a super hero worthy of worship! The symbol of worship would take the form of a mark of acceptance and adherence.

“Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead” (Revelation 13:16). From reading this piece of Scripture closely, it is obvious that there is a social class – the existence of wealthy individuals which says that prosperous times have returned.

But this is as good as history repeating itself. There would a period of upheaval likened to twilight of the last Kaiser ahead of a turnaround that was spearheaded by an art school dropout. In spite of this man’s lowly credentials, he managed to mesmerize many German people to believe that he had answers through awe-inspiring rhetoric. They believed everything he said and somehow he delivered, albeit for a limited period of time. Feels like this could happen again, except that whoever is part and parcel of the Bride will be long gone when all this unfolds.

“For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:9).

Maranatha

Edwin

edwinuk13@gmail.com