PREPARATION FOR DIFFICULT DAYS AHEAD

Yesterday I spent the day quietly observing Yom Kippur at home. Just waited on the Lord and read some scripture. Time in prayer was quiet waiting and thanking Yahweh for His grace and mercy. It was a refreshing time and I'm looking forward to Sukkot (Tabernacles) in five days. The three end time feasts, Trumpets, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot are all about the second coming and the end of "the time of the Gentiles."


Can't help but think of the Presidential election here in the US. It has reached new lows I've never seen in my 65 years of life. It is a sad commentary that this once great country has been reduced to such nonsense. As the nation turns from faith in God the entire country sinks to lower and lower morality and truth. Who knows what to believe anymore!?


Our Rock is Yeshua and the word of God as expressed in both the old and new testaments. Nothing that is happening out there is anything new under the sun. The Word has already covered it all.


We see the nation of Israel (the northern kingdom) and Judah (the southern kingdom) both falling into idolatry, immorality, and corruption in the Old Testament. Read the first five chapters of Isaiah and you see a picture of the United States today. The parallels are amazing! This is where we are right now:


For, behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water. The mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient, The captain of fifty, and the honorable man, and the counselor, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator. And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them. Isaiah 3.1-4


Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Isaiah 5.20


Therefore is the anger of the Lord kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them: and the hills did tremble, and their carcases were torn in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.  Isaiah 5.25


It is only a matter of time before the storm hits. These words are hard but ultimately they will turn many back to the Lord during coming days. Many will repent and turn back to God. It is going to be a very difficult time for all of us, but the Lord will prevail and the righteous will shine. Today is a day of preparation for God's people.


Those testing's and trials you are currently experiencing are preparing you for the difficult days ahead. If we understand this, we can persevere through the current trials, knowing we are being prepared for greater things ahead.


We all desire to be used by the Lord but often fail to realize the difficulties we are facing today are His way of preparing us for greater use. Yes, it is difficult and unpleasant, but if we are honest with the Lord and yield to his chastisement we will begin to be changed into His image. Then Yeshua's resurrection power will flow through us to a broken and dispirited nation.


That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.


 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3.10-14


Paul understood that the more difficulties he experienced the more effective he became--leaning on the resurrection power of Yeshua!


Blessings!