(There is a special message at the end of this article for those who might happen to read this and do not have Jesus in their life and are looking for peace and a way to better understand the present-day insanity and confusion.)

There was a general sense of optimism on November 6th both in this country and in a large number of the other countries of the world.

The election of Donald Trump has sent a message to those of the globalist bent who thought they were going to have their way in implementing their NWO (New World Order) tyranny early on while America was asleep on guard duty.

Reality is beginning to manifest itself.

Recent events in national and world political machinations are increasingly adding to an awakening of opposing sides of human beliefs and, I believe, a widening gap between the two world views that are affected most. The opposing sides are:

>Christian believers in God, His Son, Jesus Christ, and His Promises.

>Everyone else.

The plumb-line in past as well as near future world events is made clear by the Sovereign and Only God in His Word.

“Remember this and be brave; take it to heart, you transgressors! Remember what happened long ago, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me. I declare the end from the beginning, and from ancient times what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and all My good pleasure I will accomplish” (Isaiah 46:8-10).

The Old Testament prophecies that have been fulfilled with precise timing and detail are more than empirical proof that God is, indeed, who He says He is.

Those who deny Him do so, not despite those proofs, for they are clearly evident, but because they must willfully choose to deny Him.

“For what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from His workmanship, so that men are without excuse” (Romans 1:19-20).

This brings us to the present day as I write this (17 Jan), and instead of calm and peace rising in the world, there is only the illusion of it.

Recent events related to the “cease-fire” between the Israelis and their Jew-hating enemies are being touted worldwide as though it will lead to a permanent solution apart from God, but His inerrant Word says it will not be permanent. This is not the “covenant with death and hell” of Isaiah 28, but it will be setting a precedent leading to its fulfillment.

“Because you have said, ‘We have made a covenant with death, And with Sheol we have made a pact. The overwhelming scourge will not reach us when it passes by, For we have made falsehood our refuge and we have concealed ourselves with deception'” (Isaiah 28:15).

God has promised that His “purpose will stand.”

“Your covenant with death will be annulled, And your agreement with Sheol will not stand; When the overflowing scourge passes through, Then you will be trampled down by it” (Isaiah 28:18).

The execution of the events described in the Book of Revelation appears to be emerging into the consciousness of many who have gone through life with ‘blinders on.’ Something is going on. This is just as God’s Word indicates. While this verse is directed at Gentiles, it applies to all peoples, as is made clear elsewhere in scripture.

“who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them” (Romans 2:15).

Now to the crux of this article.

Panic: As the unbelieving NWO globalists of the world perceive that their assumed control of the world’s population of “useless eaters” – as people have been called by them – is not going according to their plan, they will execute even more desperate measures to try and regain control. Do not be surprised by this.

As well, the overall God-rejecting population of the world, instead of humbling themselves, will execute even more frenetic and ungodly activities as they sense that their perversion and debauchery are being rejected, but they still want to keep them.

Patience: For my sisters and brothers who have received Jesus Christ and are observing these events, we must remember that God will execute all His purposes, and we will experience the call we so long to hear. I expect you have read this verse more than a few times!!

“in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:52). Emphasis added by me. Also see Revelation 4:1.

Promise: This from the Lord Jesus Christ,

“For I tell you truly, until heaven and earth pass away, not a single jot, not a stroke of a pen, will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished” (Matthew 5:18).

To those who still put their trust and hope in ANY human:

>God’s Word foretells a time when He will allow a false Christ (antichrist) to rise to control the whole world. It will be a time of unprecedented evil. He will allow this in order to judge those who reject His Grace and Mercy made manifest in the death of His only Son, Jesus Christ, as a substitute for the sins of the world. See John 3:16.

“For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matthew 24:21).

The Gospel (Good News) is a very simple and profound invitation to all who are willing to be reconciled to God, and this is why it truly is Good News:

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Emphasis added by me.

There is no reason (see Isaiah 1:18) to believe that you cannot be reconciled to God by receiving Jesus Christ and Him only as your very personal Lord and Savior. God already knows everything about you and all you have ever done (or ever will do). I pray that you will read and heed the Special message below and take this verse from the Book of Revelation to heart.

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with him, and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20).

The special message I promised you:

For anyone who may read this article and has not trusted in Jesus Christ and therefore has no hope or peace in your life.

You can have hope. You can have the peace that Jesus has promised to all who have made Him their Lord and Savior. The peace that passes understanding.

It requires that you come before God on His terms and that you do so in your living years.

And, what are His terms according to His Word?

• Genuine repentance (turning to God instead of continuing to reject or ignore Him).
• Confession of sins (that you are a sinner and acknowledge that to God).
• That you understand that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).
• To acknowledge to God that you are unable to pay that debt.
• Belief that Jesus Christ paid your death sentence for you on the cross and rose from the grave three days later, conquering death, just as He promised.
• To believe that Jesus is the Way, the only Way, that God has established by which humans may be saved from the consequences of their sin and rebellion.

God has made it absolutely clear that there is no one who comes before Him, under His terms, that will be refused.

• No one: no race, no color, no country of origin, regardless of any previous belief system: no one.
• No matter what your past sins have been, God can and WILL forgive you because He says He will.
• Salvation is available to everyone without any exceptions.

If you put all your trust for salvation in Jesus, and Him only, you can follow that prayer up by simply saying, “Thank you, Father God, for hearing my prayer and saving me,” because we can trust Him to keep His Word. He always has. He always will.

“Truly, Truly, I say to you that he who hears My words and believes the One who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned. He has crossed from death to life” (John 5:24).

There are no answers and there is no hope in the world by governments, organizations, politics or politicians. There are only lies and deception. But you can have the Truth and the peace you seek.

The answers are in the Word of God—The Bible. If you ask God, with all your heart, He will hear you.

“And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).

Pro Salvator Vigilans

To contact me: canoeman96@gmail.com

 

Matthew 8:1-22; Mark 1:32-44, 4:35-41; Luke 7:1-10, 8:26-39

Summary: Matthew, Chapter 8 describes the power of the Lord Jesus to heal the sick, cast out demons, and show that following Him involves a cost that few are willing to pay.

Matthew 8: 1-4 – Jesus Cleanses a Leper

Chapter 13 of the book of Leviticus gives instructions on handling the disease of leprosy. Leprosy was a slow, lingering form of death on whoever caught it, with one of the consequences being permanently isolated from friends, family, and society. The leper in this story took a huge risk in approaching the Lord Jesus, but he was desperate for healing, and he knew that Jesus was the only source of hope he had. This leper risked being stoned to death for approaching anyone in public, but he was willing to take that risk if it meant being freed from a disease that literally caused one’s flesh to fall off.

He approached Jesus in a gesture of respect and reverence and asked Him if He was willing to make him clean. Jesus demonstrated His compassion and love for this poor soul by not only touching him but healing him completely of the disease. The sores were gone, and his flesh was whole again.

Jesus instructed him to follow the Law of Moses and go to the priest for examination and validation that he was completely healed. Jesus also told the man not to tell anyone what had happened. Why?

This should have been an opportunity for the LORD to show more people His ability to do wonders and perhaps open the eyes of many to see that He was the Promised Messiah. All throughout the Gospels, we read of the power of Jesus to physically heal people and raise them from the dead, but this was not the primary reason for which He came. We can be delivered of physical ailments, but if we do not address the issue of our souls and where we go when we take our last breath, then we miss the point of Jesus’ mission. He came to heal us of the disease of sin (Isaiah 53:4-6; Romans 5:6-11, 6:23) and give us eternal life (John 3:16, 14:6; Acts 4:12).

The bodies we currently have will turn to dust but will be resurrected, either to enjoy the bliss of heaven or the horrors of a very real hell (John 5:28-29; Hebrews 9:27: Revelation 20:11-15). Jesus wants true followers and not a bunch of curiosity seekers.

vv. 5 -13 – The Healing of the Centurion’s Servant (also recorded in Luke 7:1-10)

As Jesus entered the town of Capernaum, He was met by a Roman centurion (or his representative, according to Luke. The point is that this soldier was in need of a touch from God, no matter how he approached Jesus). This soldier was a Gentile, someone who had been reared in a pagan environment where the worship of many gods was common. Yet, this centurion knew that there was something special about Jesus. Here was someone who actually heard and responded to the man’s request, unlike the silent status of deities who were at best indifferent to the plight of mortals according to Graeco-Roman mythology. It is reasonable to assume that while living in the region of Judea, he came to recognize the God of Israel as being the true and living God.

The centurion (or his representative) told Jesus about his servant, whom the family loved and treated as one of their own. Jesus shows His compassion by offering to go to his house and heal the servant. The centurion believed that he was unworthy to have the LORD enter his home. Perhaps he had witnessed Jesus do a mighty work or heard Him teach and knew then that He possessed true authority. The centurion also pointed this out in his life as well. Jesus shows amazement at the faith of this man and declares that He had not witnessed this in Israel from His own people.

This is a rebuke to Israel for their unbelief. They should have known better, considering their history and how God had done mighty works on their behalf. Jesus said that there would be people worldwide who would fellowship with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. The sons of the kingdom, His own people, would be shut out in darkness. This happened when the nation rejected Him as Messiah. He then declared that the servant was healed because of the centurion’s faith and humbleness. This shows that anyone can come to Jesus in faith despite their background, nationality, education, or status. He offers salvation to everyone (Matthew 11:28-30; John 10:28-30).

vv. 14-22 -Healing the Sick and the Cost of Following Jesus

Matthew gives a brief description of the healing of Simon Peter’s mother-in-law. Perhaps the apostle had told this story many times, and it did not warrant a lot of detail. The healing is mentioned here as a reminder of the love, power, and compassion of our LORD. By first healing a leper, then the servant of a Roman soldier, and a woman, Jesus was dealing with those people who were either excluded from or considered unimportant according to the prejudice of many in Israel.

He had been uncontaminated by being in contact with leprosy and other diseases and was not bound by the narrow-mindedness of His people. He receives those whom the world tends to despise, healing all who came to Him in accordance with the prophecy of Isaiah 53:4-5.

Matthew now turns our attention to what might be considered the “aftermath” of what the people had witnessed and whether Jesus was worth the effort and dedication to give themselves over to His authority and work. As He prepared to leave Capernaum, a scribe approached Him and said that he would follow Jesus wherever He went. This declaration was probably based on emotions fueled by what Jesus had said and done that day.

This was an example of speaking before thinking everything through. To follow Jesus, you risked the possibility of losing everything, including material possessions and contact with family and friends. Jesus brought the scribe to his senses by telling him that while animals have their places of rest and dwelling, Jesus had no place where He could lay His head. Was this man ready for such a commitment?

The next potential “disciple” requested that he go to bury his father before he can commit to following the LORD. Jesus’ reply sounds harsh, but it needs to be explained in terms of Jewish social life. In Israel, it was the practice to bury someone on the day they died. If the man had to bury his father, he would not be talking with Jesus at that moment but instead be at home preparing the body for burial and providing care for his immediate family. What this man wanted to do was to wait until his father had died, take care of family obligations, and then follow the LORD. This could have been months or years in the making. He wanted to follow Jesus when it was convenient for him. That would not do, as Jesus calls anyone who is serious about committing their lives to Him to do so with total obedience and devotion.

Throughout history, many followers of Jesus did sacrifice all to follow Him, often at the cost of their lives. Some have been blessed to where they have used their fortunes and talents to advance the kingdom of God. The point is that when anyone gives their life over to the Lord Jesus, it is at that point where He OWNS us, and we are to obey His commandments no matter what the world or our own rebellious nature might do or say otherwise (Luke 14:25-33).

The question is whether or not you are willing to bow to Him now and surrender your life to Him (2 Corinthians 6:2) or remain in your stubborn and rebellious condition (Proverbs 29:1). Time and opportunity are running out. Where do you stand with Him?

In our next study, we will look at the power of Jesus over nature and evil in verses 23-34.

donaldwhitchard@outlook.com

www.realitycityreverend.com

https://ocosbe.org/donald-whitchard/