Thursday, June 30, 2022

THE ULTIMATE BATTLE BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL

 

  • Choices, Part 6
    Rick Joyner

“We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one” (I John 5:19 NKJV).

         We live in enemy territory. When we were born, we were dropped behind enemy lines. Our lives will not only be a continual battle against the evil that dominates the earth but also against the fallen evil nature in which we are born. Why have we been cast into such conflict? Because we were born to fight, to be warriors, so we could be given a role in the greatest battle ever—to fight for the King in the ultimate battle between light and darkness.

The Lord could have slayed the devil and his evil hordes with a flick of His finger after His resurrection, but He did not for our sake. There will be no greater opportunity for the saints to prove their love for God and His truth than to stand against the “deep darkness” that now covers the earth. Remember, the greatest saints and prophets always arose during the darkest times, and so it will be during this time. If we are alive in these times, we have an opportunity to be counted among the greatest of all.

Those who have been so honored to live at the end of this age will fight in the ultimate battle between good and evil. Never have so few been called to stand against so many who are driven by evil in its ultimate maturity. Even so, the battle is fixed; we cannot lose! The enemy has already been defeated yet we must fight, not because we have to but because we get to. Those who come through this great tribulation will be some of the most honored throughout eternity (see Revelation 7:14-17).

         Some ancient theologians and teachers believed the Lord’s parable of the shepherd leaving the ninety-nine to go after the one speaks of the Lord leaving other worlds behind to go after planet Earth, which had gone astray. We do know when Satan was cast out of heaven he was cast down to Earth. Why Earth? Earth is where all the rebellion and evil in creation was confined, which is what we now face. Still, those who have the Spirit of God living in them have One much greater inside them than all the evil hordes.   

As the biblical prophecies make clear, to live at the end of this age is to live through the greatest time of trouble the world has ever known (see Daniel 12:1; Matthew 24:21). Jesus said our response to seeing such things come to pass should be to look up and rejoice (see Luke 21:28). His people will go through the worst times ever with joy. Our joy will not be in the terrible troubles people are suffering but in our redemption being so close. The joy of the Lord is our strength, and to go through the greatest trials is to witness the greatest victories.

Our joy may seem to the world unnatural, and it is because we are called to live supernaturally. Never lose hope or faith. True faith is not in an outcome but in a Person. Our King has never lost a battle, and He will not lose this one, so never lose joy. In fact, losing our joy is a sure sign we have drifted from Him, since in His presence is fullness of joy (see Psalm 16:11). If darkness or depression start to come on us, we should consider that a sign we have drifted from Him and return to Him with  resolute hearts.

So long as there remains one soul in bondage, we must continue to fight. We must take up our crosses daily to fight for our Lord and His truth. This means we must stand against nearly everyone on earth. Yet we are not fighting them; we are fighting for them. We are not to defeat and subdue those in bondage but set them free. Jesus said those who followed Him would be hated by all nations, but we do not hate them. We love them because they are the Lord’s inheritance. Because He loves those who hate Him, we too must love and do good to them by leading them to redemption and restoration.

As the great angelic majesties, principalities, and powers witness His frail and harried people fight the evils of this universe while standing for God and truth even to the death, they know His truth will prevail. When they see God’s chosen fighting so hard against such odds with constant battle as their only apparent reward, yet they remain faithful, even the greatest angelic majesties know such are worthy to be their judges.

For all these reasons, C.S. Lewis said, “Christianity is a fighting religion.” So let us fight and resolve never to surrender.

Will A Financial Crisis Be The Trigger For The Rise Of The Antichrist?

 Will A Financial Crisis Be The Trigger For The Rise Of The Antichrist?

News Image BY BRITT GILLETTE/END TIMES BIBLE PROPHECY JUNE 30, 2022
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As the global economy wrestles with rising fuel and food prices, several financial executives have warned of further trouble ahead. In early June, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon warned of trouble in the weeks and months to come, comparing the current financial landscape to the time just before a hurricane hits. "It's a hurricane," he said. "Right now, it's kind of sunny, things are doing fine, everyone thinks the Fed can handle this. That hurricane is right out there, down the road, coming our way. We just don't know if it's a minor one or Superstorm Sandy or Andrew or something like that. You better brace yourself."

Wells Fargo CEO Charlie Scharf echoed those concerns. "The scenario of a soft landing," he said, "is extremely difficult to achieve in the environment that we're in today." Not to be left out, Goldman Sachs President John Waldron said. "This is among - if not the most - complex, dynamic environments I've ever seen in my career. The confluence of the number of shocks to the system to me is unprecedented."

This is the situation we find ourselves in following decades of fiscal and monetary policy mismanagement. All the world's major economies use fiat currencies, meaning nothing backs their currencies except faith in the governments behind them. Central banks, such as the Federal Reserve, oversee monetary policy, and their policies have brought us one crisis after another. 

For instance, loose monetary policy in the late 1990's helped blow the Dot Com Bubble. Once that bubble popped, the central banks lowered rates even further. This fueled a bubble in housing and mortgage backed securities, the bursting of which led to the Great Financial Crisis. The central banker reaction to that led to another stock market bubble that started to pop in March 2020 due to the COVID lockdowns. The central banker reaction to that blew major bubbles in stocks, bonds, housing, cryptocurrencies, and a host of other markets.

All along the way, with each busted bubble, central bankers and politicians rewarded corrupt and incompetent bankers and business executives with huge bailouts. Politicians and central bankers have done everything in their power to avoid the pain of a recession or even a major stock market correction. But no matter how hard they try to avoid the inevitable, a day of reckoning will come. They can distort the free market, but they can't hold off the consequences forever. Sooner or later, the bill comes due, and that brings us to the present day.

The COVID economy stayed alive because of unprecedented policy actions. Zero percent interest rates with central banks buying corporate bonds, junk bonds, and government bonds. Stimulus checks, enhanced child tax credits, rent/mortgage moratoriums, PPP loans, and student loan deferments. Almost all of these things have come to an end, and now rising prices for food and fuel are wreaking havoc on the global economy.

The Road Before Us

Decades of foolish policies have put central bankers in a no-win situation. Since COVID, it's only gotten worse. In an effort to avoid a lockdown-induced depression, central bankers and politicians flooded the world with trillions of dollars in new currency. Their answer to a crumbling economy was to throw more and more currency at an ever-expanding list of government aid programs and targeted bailouts. The result? Multi-decade highs in inflation. How will the policymakers react? They only have two options:

Option #1): Tighten Policy - To fight inflation, central bankers can increase key interest rates within the banking system and reverse their policies of buying bonds and mortgage backed securities (known as quantitative easing). The central banker belief is this will cause "demand destruction" (i.e. a slowing economy) and inflation will cool to lower levels. The risk? They could overshoot. They could slow the economy too much and cause a global recession or even a depression.

Option #2): Do Nothing or Loosen Policy Even Further - To avoid slowing the economy too much, central bankers could choose to keep interest rates low and continue quantitative easing. This lessens the risk of recession/depression, but it also risks fanning the flames of the inflation fire. When people come to expect high inflation year after year, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. At that point, inflation gets out of control and can quickly turn into hyperinflation.

Which Road Will We Choose?

Expect today's central banks to go with Option #1 - at least initially. In fact, they're doing it now. Inflation is bad for politicians and their re-election prospects. Have no doubt, they're applying maximum pressure on the central bankers to bring it under control. But expect everyone to reverse course soon. Why? Because at some point, as conditions tighten, everything will crash. Right now, inflation is the world's great menace. Stopping it is priority number one. All that will quickly change when the crash comes.

The Asset Bubble Collapse

Higher interest rates and an end to quantitative easing will put immense pressure on the global economy. Decades of accumulated debt and misallocation of capital will cause the global financial system to crash. How overvalued is the stock market? Even after the recent 24% decline in the S&P 500, the Buffett Indicator shows this is still the most overvalued stock market in history - even more overextended than the Dot Com Bubble. 

After a 40 year bull market in bonds, the bond market peaked in 2020. If interest rates continue to rise (which is likely in an inflationary environment), the bond market will sell off significantly. The same is true of real estate. 2020 and 2021 saw record low mortgage rates and a boom in housing prices. As we approach the mid-point of 2022, mortgage rates have more than doubled from their all-time lows. 

The result should come as no surprise. Home sales have come to a screeching halt. If this continues, expect a huge downturn in the housing market. As if a simultaneous bursting bubble in stocks, bonds, and real estate weren't enough, they pale in comparison to another bubble about to burst - the derivatives market. Derivatives are financial contracts whose value is determined by the value of other assets. Examples include corn futures, stock options, credit default swaps, and other contracts. How big is the global derivatives market? No one knows. But some estimates peg it at over $1 quadrillion.

The Crash

When the derivatives markets start to implode, the whole system will come crashing down. We saw a preview of this in 2008 when Lehman Brothers declared bankruptcy. They owed money to some of the largest financial institutions in the world, and the Lehman implosion put many of those companies on the verge of collapse. Fearful to lend anyone money, credit markets froze. The economy went on life support as the world stared into the abyss of a deflationary spiral. 

What is a deflationary spiral? The Great Depression is the most famous example. In a deflationary spiral, credit contracts and the overall money supply shrinks. People cut spending. Workers lose their jobs. Debt levels become a massive burden. Businesses fail and bankruptcies rise. Unemployment spikes. Breadlines form. All this sounds terrible, and it is. 

A deflationary spiral is a painful event for all of society. It foments riots and calls for revolution. Yet, the pain of deflation is necessary to clear the economy of bad debt and poorly managed enterprises. Despite that, central bankers and politicians try to avoid deflation at all costs. Why? Because that temporary economic pain threatens their power.

I believe the current campaign to hike interest rates and tighten financial conditions will result in a deflationary crash. How will the politicians and central bankers react? The same way they did last time. Only this time, the outcome will be quite different.

Worldwide Weimar Hyperinflation

After enough pain takes hold, politicians and central bankers will ditch Option #1. Faced with a deflationary depression that threatens their power and position, they'll immediately move to Option #2 on steroids. Here's what they'll do:

• Take interest rates to zero
• Buy unlimited amounts of government bonds to keep interest rates low
• Buy unlimited amounts of corporate bonds to keep failing companies alive
• Send cash to every man, woman, and child (i.e. Universal Basic Income)

When you see the arrival of universal basic income, you can be sure the final collapse has arrived. Trillions of new currency units will flood the global economy, and we'll be on the road to hyperinflation. 

The Weimar Republic gave us the most famous example of hyperinflation. Crushed under a mountain of post-war debt and reparations, Germany printed more and more currency to meet its obligations. The result was a massive loss of purchasing power for the German mark. 

Prices rose at breakneck speed to reflect the new reality. A 160 mark loaf of bread at the end of 1922 cost over 200 billion marks less than a year later. In one story from that time, a woman carried a wheelbarrow of marks to the bakery just to buy a loaf of bread. When she went into the bakery, someone stole her wheelbarrow, but left the pile of worthless marks. That's how quickly the currency lost its value.

All this happened because an unrestrained government vastly increased the supply of currency, and basic economics says when supply increases without an increase in demand, price falls. In other words, the citizens of Germany quickly figured out that what they thought was "money" was nothing more than worthless pieces of paper. The mark wasn't anchored to gold, silver, or anything of real value. 

Once this reality came to light, the world lost all faith in the mark, and its purchasing power plummeted. Eventually, it became worthless. Today, all the major market economy currencies are fiat currencies. This means a hyperinflationary event will be global - and the world will demand a global fix.

A Dangerous Economic Crisis

So what does all this mean? It means a major economic crisis is on the horizon. It may be the worst global economic crisis ever - worse than the Great Depression. In times of chaos and economic instability, dangerous political leaders and demagogues capture the public imagination. Past economic crises led to the rise of Napoleon, the launch of the Bolshevik Revolution, and the consolidation of German state power in the hands off Adolph Hitler. All these events had grave consequences for the entire world, not just the individual nations in question. Why should we believe this time will be any different? We shouldn't.

In a recent interview, Berkshire Hathaway Vice Chairman Charlie Munger had this to say:

"Think of all the Latin American countries that print too much money. They get strongmen and so forth. That's what Plato said happened in the early Greek city state democracies. One person, one vote. A lot of egality and you get demagogues, and the demagogues lather up the population and pretty soon you don't have your democracy anymore. I don't think that was a crazy idea on Plato's part. I think that accurately described what happened in Greece way back then, and it's happened again and again and again in Latin America. We don't want to go there. At least I don't.

Not only do we have a serious problem, but the solution to it that is the easiest for the politicians, and for the Federal Reserve too for that matter, is just to print more money and solve the temporary problems that way. And that, of course, is going to have some long-term dangers. And we know what happened in Germany when the Weimar Republic just kept printing money, the whole thing blew up. And that was a contributor to the rise of Hitler. 

So all this stuff is dangerous and serious, and we don't want to have a bunch of politicians just doing whatever is easy on the theory that it didn't hurt us last time so we can double it and do it one more time and then we double it again and so forth. We know what happens on that everlasting doubling, doubling, doubling. You will have a very different government if you keep doing that enough. And so you're flirting with danger somewhere, unless there's some discipline in the process."

At 98, Charlie Munger has spent a lifetime studying business and economic history. He's seen a wide variety of business cycles and economic conditions. He thinks the current environment is "flirting with danger."

What's Next?

So what happens now? Once the world experiences a massive inflationary spiral, the current monetary system (in place since 1971) will come to an end. A new monetary system will rise from the ashes. What will it look like? We don't know for sure. But in all likelihood, it will be built upon some sort of digital currency. Central banks openly discuss their plans to replace national currencies with new cryptocurrencies, giving their governments unprecedented power. With such power, not only will government be able to track everything you buy or sell, it will be able to kick you out of the economic system - just as the Bible says.

If government cryptocurrencies replace paper currencies, individual freedom and liberty will disappear. Governments will be able to "turn off" an individual's cryptocurrency. That means if you do something the government doesn't approve of, they'll be able to shut down your ability to buy and sell. 

The Canadian government already showed its willingness to do this when it cut off financial access to anyone who supported the Canadian trucker protest. The Bible says this is precisely what will happen in the end times. The Antichrist will establish a global system of commerce. His system will play a part in every economic transaction on earth. It will be so dominant, no one will be able to buy or sell anything without the Antichrist's approval (Revelation 13:17).

We're fast approaching a time the prophets warned about. We see the foundations of the Antichrist's economic system coming into place today. We just experienced a global pandemic (Luke 21:11). A global famine is on the horizon (Matthew 24:7). Israel is back in the land (Jeremiah 23:7-8). The Jewish people are back in Jerusalem (Luke 21:24-28). And the Gospel is being preached throughout the world (Matthew 24:14). 

Make no mistake. The tribulation, the Antichrist, and global government are part of the world's immediate future. But don't despair, this also means the return of Jesus is part of our immediate future (Revelation 22:20). His is an everlasting kingdom (Daniel 2:44) with no more death or crying or pain (Revelation 21:4). So keep your eyes fixed on Him!

Britt Gillette is author of the free ebook Coming to Jesus as well as the books Signs of the Second Coming & Racing Toward Armageddon.

https://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=5446

MARIO’S NEW BOOK IS COMING AT YOU

 

MARIO’S NEW BOOK IS COMING AT YOU

by  | Jun 29, 2022 | Mario Murillo Ministries


Mario Murillo’s new book is causing shock waves. This kind of straightforward writing is not supposed to be popular today. But those who have read Do Not Leave Quietly know better. The reaction is almost universal: the book puts into words what so many are thinking but either didn’t know how to say it, or were afraid to say it.
This book destroys the idea of remaining silent in the face of evil. It obliterates the lie that everyday people are helpless in this storm of wickedness. Most importantly, it turns everything we consider a disadvantage into an advantage.

This book destroys the idea of remaining silent in the face of evil.

The book roars the warning that God’s surprise attack on evil in America has already begun. Every believer is gifted and chosen to play a key role. Do Not Leave Quietly fits perfectly in the soul of leaders, politicians, business owners, educators, preachers, stay at home moms, and youth.
The first gift of this book is urgency. You will see why everything we do for God now will grow out of the right level of urgency.

The next gift of DNLQ is wisdom. We need to stop giving knee jerk answers and hollow cliches to a dying generation. God wants us to have powerful words—effective communication. You will find the source of those mighty words in these chapters. And you will begin to speak those words.
From there you will gain boldness. Boldness is the golden key to influencing a nation. As you turn the pages you will watch yourself become an educated bullet—a devastating instrument in the hand of God. You will confidently answer the mad ravings of current America.

As you turn the pages you will watch yourself become an educated bullet—a devastating instrument in the hand of God.

DNLQ will reconcile factors that seem at odds with each other. How do we combine political action with moral awakening? How do we bring together a Biblical balance of supernatural signs and wonders and irresistible preaching?
Let’s face it…this summer you are going to read a book. This is the book for you to read. But there is an even bigger reason for you to get your copy: IT IS A WIN-WIN!
Here’s why: All the proceeds from Do Not Leave Quietly go directly to soul winning. You heard right. Not only will this book ignite a revolution in your mind and spirit, it will help us reach more lost souls. And that statement takes us to a burning issue: Please do not give your money to Amazon! Get your book from us. To induce you further we are offering you free shipping and something that Amazon cannot give you: Mario will sign your copy.
These books are moving fast, so please act now. Use the link below to order your book right now! Click where it says Do Not Leave quietly.

 

When Homosexuality, Adultery, Immorality and Pornography Are Condemned Not Celebrated

When Homosexuality, Adultery, Immorality and Pornography Are Condemned Not Celebrated

(Charisma News archives)

The theater darkened and a packed audience focused on the screen to watch the long-anticipated biopic of the "King of Rock 'n' Roll," Elvis! Young people, millennials, baby boomers—everyone was ready for this family-friendly entertainment.

After a promotional featuring Nicole Kidman gracefully strolling into a theater to be enraptured escaping into the realm of AMC movie magic, a trailer appeared. It was pure LGBTQ propaganda.

Upon its conclusion, several yelled out strong disagreement with its placement and that probably captured the sentiment of multitudes of offended patrons. Thank God it was removed the next night.

'Parading Sin Like Sodom'

We are living in a time of continuing cultural decline where people "parade their sin like Sodom" (Isa. 3:9, EHV). We are bombarded wherever we go with an ongoing avalanche of sinful activity and images that are grievous to a holy God.

The progressives' progression of evil is simple: accommodate it, then accept it, then adopt it. This is the downward spiral of sin described in Romans 1:24-32 where people turn from God. Satan and society may "repackage" sinful practices under new names yet Scripture states it clearly: "I, the Lord, do not change" (Mal.3.6).

"Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness" (Isa. 5:20).


During gay pride month where God's commands were profaned and His name blasphemed, it behooves us to be discerning amidst all the hoopla trying to glamorize and normalize what is sin. "Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness but rather expose them" (Eph. 5:11, ESV).

Compassion and Conviction

One of my heroes, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was named after the towering figure who ignited the Reformation that changed world history. He followed Martin Luther and his conviction to uphold the Word of God. So must we in these "perilous times" (2 Tim. 3:1), when we tell people compassionately like Jesus, "Neither do I condemn thee, but go and sin no more" (John 8:11).


"Unless I am convinced by the Scripture and plain reason, my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything for to go against conscience would be neither right nor safe. God help me. Here I stand, I can do no other."

—Martin Luther

As obedient followers of Jesus Christ, we too can do no other in uncompromisingly rejecting that which grieves God who created us to glorify Him by enjoying Him forever.


4 Areas to Stand Strong
When I yielded my life to Jesus Christ over 50 years ago I had lots of questions about what I should or should not do as a genuine Christ follower. I am forever grateful for a pastor who answered my questions by directing me to appropriate Scriptures explaining God's commands are for His glory and our ultimate good. "I have spoken these things to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full" (John15:11).


"For the time will come when people will not endure sound doctrine, but they will gather to themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires, having itching ears, and they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn to myths. But be self controlled in all things..." (2 Tim. 4:3-5).

1. Homosexuality – "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor homosexuals ...will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, and you were justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus by the Spirit of our God" (1 Cor. 6:9-11).

As far as homosexual/same-sex "marriage" or transgender self-selection of gender identity, God determines gender identity as male or female and one man and one woman in covenant matrimony. "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning made them 'male and female', and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife...'" (Matt. 19:4-6).

2. Immorality – Fornication (sexual intimacy before marriage or living together and engaging sexually) is sin. It's lust, not "love."

"You know the guidelines we laid out for you from the Master Jesus. God wants you to live a pure life. Keep yourselves from sexual promiscuity. Learn to appreciate and give dignity to your body, not abusing it, as is so common among those who know nothing of God. We've warned you about this before... If you disregard this advice, you're not offending your neighbors; you're rejecting God, who is making you a gift of His Holy Spirit" (1 Thess. 4:2-8, Message).


3. Adultery – Hollywood promotes, celebrates and glamorizes "having an affair" a "fling" or simply a little erotic "fun" with someone other than your spouse. Stop! It is sin.

Two of the 10 Commandments underscore fidelity in marriage and faithfulness to marital vows: "You shall not commit adultery" and "You shall not covet your neighbor's wife" (Exod. 20:14, 17).

"God hates divorce" (Mal. 2:16) but there is one thing He hates more and that is shattering the marriage covenant through adultery. That is why Jesus allowed divorce if marital unfaithfulness occurs without genuine contrition and repentance (Matt. 5:32).

4. Pornography – During the historic Brownsville revival, Dr. Michael Brown, other leaders and I yearly equipped almost 1,200 students. At the end of a semester in which I taught on moral purity, a young fellow handed me a plaque that I have kept underneath our television screen to this very day:

"I will not put any evil thing before my eyes. I have hated the work of those who turn aside; I will not have it near me. Perverseness of heart shall be far from me; I will know nothing of evil" (Ps. 101:3-4).

Every Man's Battle is the name of a book dealing with the cancer of porn, written by Steven Arterburn. It has destroyed lives, marriages, families, ministries and destinies of once dedicated men and women of God.


In the Sermon on the Mount, the greatest sermon ever given by the greatest Teacher who ever lived, Jesus said the following:

"You have heard that it was said by the ancients, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that whoever looks on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart. And if your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away. For it is profitable that one of your members should perish, and not that your whole body be thrown into hell" (Matt. 5:27-9).

Take this seductive sin seriously and get support if this is an area where you struggle.

Here's the deal: The Bible tells us, "The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth in order to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are fully blameless towards him" (2 Chron. 16:9). If you've been convicted and challenged, get equipped to strand strong in these two ways:

1. View the brief and free YouTube videos covering these themes at bullseyechallenge.com.

2. Watch the upcoming "Week in Review" 10-minute video addressing homosexuality (July 4).

They are my gift to you to help you as we together "run this race with perseverance fixing our eyes on Jesus the author and finisher of our faith" (Heb.12:2).

Larry Tomczak author of 10 books, is a cultural commentator of 50 yrs, Intercessors for America board member, best-selling author and a public policy adviser with Liberty Counsel. His new, innovative video/book, BULLSEYE, develops informed influencers in 30 days (see www.bullseyechallenge.com). and he has a variety of resources on his website (see www.larrytomczak.com). You can also hear his weekly podcast here.