Ecclesiastes 7:13-14 NET “Consider the work of God: For who can make straight what he has bent? In times of prosperity be joyful, but in times of adversity consider this: God has made one as well as the other, so that no one can discover what the future holds.”

There are many things being said in the media, many predictions about the future. These can weigh heavy on the heart. And many of these foretellings go contrary to what God says:

Matthew 6:31-34 NIV “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things WILL be given to you as well. Therefore DO NOT WORRY ABOUT TOMORROW, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Are you gonna let someone else paint your reality? And fill your mind with constant worries? Or will we listen to God who is the Beginning and the End, the Alpha and the Omega. (Revelation 22:13) He knows the whole story and how it’s gonna end before it even starts. That’s powerful! I think that’s the person we should listen to not the media, don’t you?😊

Use the extra time we currently have due to the pandemic to dive deep into God’s word. Hear His voice. Listen to what He is saying. It is the total opposite of the picture the world is painting for us. It always is.

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Psalms 42:11 NET “Why are you depressed, O my soul? Why are you upset? Wait for God! For I WILL AGAIN GIVE THANKS to my God for his saving intervention.”

If the giant killer got depressed who says we will never experience depression? Throughout the Bible book of Psalms David expresses his feelings of depression to God quite often. But that’s OK.😁 In the passage above David shows us the secret of how to get over and defeat depression. GIVE THANKS TO GOD!!!😃 That’s right, while you’re feeling like crap thank God anyway for his saving interventions. Think about the times when God saved you. Remember that one? Yeah, remember that other one? Remember the one when it looked like it was all over for you? Your enemies thought they had you then, didn’t they? Yet God rescued you, didn’t He?😊 If you and I would only do what David did when he felt like dung: pray to God about it and openly share our feelings with Him, then think about the many times he saved us against all odds, and thank Him regardless of how you’re feeling, I promise you will feel better. If you and I do this throughout our lives we will not only feel better immediately we will also overcome and defeat depression.😊

Philippians 4:6-7 NET “Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation, through prayer and petition WITH THANKSGIVING, tell your requests to God. And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

Colossians 3:17 NET “And whatever you do in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, GIVING THANKS to God the Father through him.”

Colossians 2:6-7 NET “Therefore, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him and firm in your faith just as you were taught, and OVERFLOWING WITH THANKFULNESS.”

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Exodus 23:32 KJV “Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods.”

2 Corinthians 6:14 NIV “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial?”

Ain’t it interesting how some people are always trying to get us to join them in something? Doesn’t the verses above explain why? It’s not something we’re suppose to do. We’re COMMANDED not to do it. Yoking with the wicked is a recipe for our disaster. Ain’t it interesting too how when you obey God refusing to bond with them; resisting their temptations, they try to make you feel guilty? Like you owe them something? It’s a trap. I could go on and on about this how witchcraft is at play here but I won’t. I will say this though: Christians come under a spell when they disobey God and yoke themselves with unbelievers.😳 And witches know it. They know they have to get you to disobey your God to bewitch you. There will be consequences to pay for disobedience. Sometimes really bad things happens. Read Numbers chapter 25 and see how Israel was bewitched, and the really bad consequences.😢

HOW TO BE SAFE

If you and I do our best to obey God we’re fine, WE’RE SAFE.😊 We don’t have to know (and shouldn’t want to know) all the ends and outs of witchcraft; how they operate, etcetera. LOVE for GOD and OBEDIENCE conquers everything the enemy throws at us. (Luke 10:17-20)

Ephesians 6:16 KJV “Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench ALL the fiery darts of the wicked.”

In conclusion I’m gonna leave you with a couple of passages that are very encouraging. In them the Master (Jesus) tells us like it is. Ponder them. Listen to what He is is really saying. Understand it. Follow His words and be blessed:😊

Matthew 10:34-42 NIV “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn

“‘a man against his father,

a daughter against her mother,

a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law —

A MAN’S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS OWN HOUSEHOLD.’

“Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it. “Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”

Luke 12:51-56 NIV “Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” He said to the crowd: “When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘It’s going to rain,’ and it does. And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and it is. Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time?“

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Revelation‬ ‭12:11‬ ‭CEV “Our people defeated Satan because of the blood of the Lamb and the message of God. They were willing to give up their lives.”‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬
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If I asked, “What did Jesus warn about the most that would mark His return?” many of you would say: Deception. And you would be right. But how many of us are heeding the warning? Our time is the most deceptive in human history!😳 We all get tricked and fooled sometimes. If you think it can’t happen to you you are already deceived. You are under a spell.

Knowledge alone can’t save us from being hoodwinked. Eve quoted God’s command not to eat from the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil right to the serpent in the Garden. (Genesis 3:2-3) She had knowledge, yet she still ate.😳 She was deceived the Bible says. (1 Timothy 2:14) Adam had this knowledge too. He still ate as well. What will keep us from being tricked by the Devil? Love and Obedience: doing what God says regardless of perceived negative consequences.🤔 (John 14:23-24)

The Devil loves to plant bad assumptions in our heads for obeying God: “If you follow that command too strictly this or that bad thing will happen to you and/or your family, and you won’t be able to get what you want. You must do what you feel and bend the rules a little bit. God understands.” Nope, God does not understand! That’s a lie from hell. Whenever you and I feel like this it’s a trap. It’s a whisper from the Devil. Even if obeying God costs us our physical lives we still have eternal life.😊 Nothing short of that can be all that serious to throw away our relationship with God. The Devil is tricking us if we believe we have to disobey God in order to get what we want. This is a deception.

A certain deception is coming to the whole world that will damn people FOREVER! (2 Thessalonians 2:10-12) This is nothing for lovers of God to fear but we must still be vigilant. Remember, Jesus said that GREAT DECEPTION would mark our time. It behooves us to be extra careful for our enemy walks about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (through deception).

1 Peter 5:8 KJV “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”

Parents, is it time to start or continue having certain conversations with our children, to help them remain vigilant? Of course not to scare them, that’s not our intention, but to help them get ready for possible scenarios. Then if these should come about they won’t be so panicked because they were mentally and spiritually prepared. Church, is it time to start or continue to have frank talks with one another about eternal life after physical death; strengthening one another in the faith we have in the resurrection hope?😁 For the same reason as stated above?

Remember how God’s word says we overcome our enemy:

Revelation‬ ‭12:11‬ ‭CEV “Our people defeated Satan because of the blood of the Lamb and the message of God. THEY WERE WILLING to give up their lives.”‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

I strongly encourage you and me not to be afraid or sad. We serve the God who not only sees the beginning to the end, He is the beginning and the end; He is the Alpha and the Omega! We need not worry. Our God is in full control!😁
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Isaiah 8:11-13 NET “Indeed this is what the Lord told me quite forcefully. He warned me not to act like these people: 12 “Do not say, ‘Conspiracy,’ every time these people say the word. Don’t be afraid of what scares them; don’t be terrified. 13 You must RECOGNIZE THE AUTHORITY OF THE LORD OF HEAVEN’S ARMIES. He is the one you must respect; he is the one you must fear.”

What great advice. If you read the context of the above passage (read Isaiah chapter 8) you will see there was impending doom coming on the people. It was sent by God Himself because of their rebellion. Destruction, great fear, darkness, anguish, hunger, etcetera was prophesied to come as a result of their apostasy. And when the people would become hungry and are starving God said they will look up to heaven and curse Him. Not look down on themselves and curse their unfaithfulness and curse their rebellion. (Isaiah 8:21) Sounds familiar?🤔

Revelation‬ ‭16:8-11‬ ‭NET‬‬ “Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was permitted to scorch people with fire. Thus people were scorched by the terrible heat, yet THEY BLASPHEMED the name of GOD, WHO HAS RULING AUTHORITY OVER THESE PLAGUES, and they would not repent and give him glory. Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast so that darkness covered his kingdom, and people began to bite their tongues because of their pain. THEY BLASPHEMED THE GOD OF HEAVEN because of their sufferings and because of their sores, but nevertheless THEY STILL REFUSED TO REPENT of their deeds.”‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

God told His faithful prophet Isaiah not to fear what everyone else was fearing, and not to call a conspiracy all that they called a conspiracy. Only fear God Isaiah was told, and it’s what we’re being told today. There are so many conspiracy theories out there about what’s going on. Some of the information is true, but it is, “GOD, WHO HAS RULING AUTHORITY OVER THESE PLAGUES,” not the Illuminati, or any secret society. (Ecclesiastes 7:13-14 Isaiah 45:7)

Death, doom, darkness, anguish, great fear, mourning, fire, and famine has been prophesied throughout scripture to come upon the wealthiest parts of the world in the last days. (Revelation 18:8-11) Why? For the same reason it happened in Isaiah’s day: mankind’s great rebellion against God. You don’t keep giving the middle finger day after day year after year to The Creator Of Heaven And Earth and expect nothing to happen.🤔

You and I dear church need to FEAR GOD AND GIVE HIM GLORY! And fear nothing else! Acknowledge, “GOD, WHO HAS RULING AUTHORITY OVER THESE PLAGUES.” Recognize the time of the end we are living in, it was foretold long ago. (Matthew chapter 24, Mark chapter 13, Luke chapter 21) Now it is here!😊

Luke‬ ‭21:28‬ ‭NET‬‬ “But when these things begin to happen, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”😃‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬
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Proverbs 2:14 KJV “Who REJOICE TO DO EVIL, and delight in the frowardness of the wicked.”

Proverbs 6:14 KJV “Frowardness is in his heart, he DEVISETH MISCHIEF CONTINUALLY; he soweth discord.”

Cunning is the talent of the weak, lazy, froward person. Do not underestimate them just because you can easily see through them. They are ALWAYS plotting evil ALL THE TIME. They are always planning someone’s downfall, especially the righteous. They use artful evil tricks because they are weak and lazy; they have no other power. I’ve met people with noticeable physical and mental disabilities who were the most wicked people ever! Oh how they know how to play the victim role; the, “feel sorry for me,” game in front of others. They grated folks while nobody was looking hoping to get a retaliatory response so that when others did look they would say, ‘Why is he/she picking on that weaker person?’🤔

The perverse, weak, lazy person has no real power which is why they must solicit the services of others in their attacks. They may be weak and lazy but they have experience at mischief and deceiving others. DO NOT underestimate them. And .…..

DON’T RETALIATE

When you and I retaliate in anger at the wicked oddly enough they look to be in the right. We’re the ones whose hot anger is on display. No, no one saw what he/she did or said to you first. All they see is us throwing a tantrum. This makes the wicked person rejoice inside. Sometimes they’ll even look at us with an evil smirk once they’ve gotten us all riled up; “Mission accomplished, all too easy,” is what they say to themselves. But we don’t have to play and lose at that game. Remember, the person who responds in anger loses:

James 1:20 NIV “Because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.”

Proverbs 15:1 NIV “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”

Ephesians 6:12 KJV “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”👽

THE UNSEEN ENEMY

One of the first steps to dealing with any problem is being able to see the problem. You and I aren’t simply dealing with wicked human beings here. We are battling evil, wicked, unseen spirit forces!👽 These are the main reason why we should never underestimate our enemies. The people are merely puppets of these unseen evil forces. Once we recognize this sleight of hand it becomes easier to deal with contentious people, because we are aware of what’s going on. The Bible says, ‘The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger.’ (Proverbs 19:11)

We may even find ourselves praying for our human foes as Jesus commands us to. Then our reactions to the goading of our enemies becomes totally different, totally opposite of what they were expecting: WRATH! In fact our foes become bewildered and blown away by the fact that their voodoo isn’t working on us; they can’t make us mad.😡 This brings praise to God as our mild tempered conduct witnesses to them and others. It shows them and others that God’s power is way more powerful than their wicked influences. Some figure out exactly why their witchcraft isn’t working on us: JESUS!😊

Matthew 5:43-48 NET “You have heard that it was said, ‘ Love your neighbor ’ and ‘hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, LOVE YOUR ENEMY and PRAY FOR THOSE WHO PERSECUTE YOU, so that you may BE LIKE YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN, since he causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Even the tax collectors do the same, don’t they? And if you only greet your brothers, what more do you do? Even the Gentiles do the same, don’t they? So then, be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”😊

It is demons who are behind wicked, annoying human beings. It is mainly they who are trying to get us to NOT, ‘BE LIKE OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN.’ See the trick?👽 If they can use human puppets and get us to hold grudges, live in anger, unforgiveness, wrath, hatred, etcetera, they win! (Matthew 6:14-15) They have successfully gotten us to throw away our own souls. Let’s be smart. Let’s ‘BE LIKE OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN.’ Let’s have mercy on people who have been taken captive by the devil, hoping that God will grant them repentance and salvation. (2 Timothy 2:25-26) The reward is oh so great.😊

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