Scripture of the Day

Hebrews 10


36. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
37. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.
38. Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
39. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

Scripture of the Day

1st Timothy 1


8. But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully;
9. Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
10. For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;
11. According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.

Scripture of the Day

Psalms 77


7. Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be favourable no more?
8. Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore?
9. Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Selah.
10. And I said, This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High.
11. I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old.
12. I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.
13. Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God?
14. Thou art the God that doest wonders: thou hast declared thy strength among the people.
15. Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah.
16. The waters saw thee, O God, the waters saw thee; they were afraid: the depths also were troubled.
17. The clouds poured out water: the skies sent out a sound: thine arrows also went abroad.
18. The voice of thy thunder was in the heaven: the lightnings lightened the world: the earth trembled and shook.
19. Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known.
20. Thou leddest thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

Understanding of the Times

Throughout history there have always been men & women who had an understanding of the times in which they lived. Those who understood the good & evil, those who refused to bow to wickedness and evil rulers. Those who understood their faith & the end results of their actions and words.

1st Chronicles 12:32. And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment.

1st Kings 19:18. Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.


1st Peter 5:12. Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
13. But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
14. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.

From the Halls of the Faithful echoes Hebrews 11:32. And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets:
33. Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
34. Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.
35. Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:
36. And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:
37. They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;
38. (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
39. And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:
40. God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

Reader, all of these examples are people who knew and had an understanding of the times in which they lived. Believing in a Living GOD they trusted HIS words & love, not blindly but because they saw the hand of the Divine moving in their lives and in the world around them. Some saw miracles others only had the message yet they believed.

In our day, in Western societies, most calling themselves believers, have little understanding of the times. Their minds & heart have become clouded with the current Zeitgeist or spirit of the age. This Zeitgeist is a huge vague nebulous blob of ideas and beliefs which can be molded into nearly any form.

Ephesians 2:1. And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
2. Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
3. Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

In the west today, it seems governments are trying to emulate the first Biblically recorded attempt at world governance. History doesn’t repeat itself, it echoes through the corridors of time.

The EU headquarters looks to be designed after what the tower of Babel was thought to look like. Yeah, I know, some believers follow the mainstream narrative and scoff at the mentioning of similarities, others claiming to be believers decry such ideas as conspiratorial and ignore them. In my opinion those who do so are listening to The Spirit of the Age, they’ve chosen their Zeitgeist.

Sin running rampant, wickedness flowing from every crevasse of societies, corruptions of morals & norms both inside & out of the Chuches, with Scripture being delegated to mythological status. The world in which we are living is turning darker by the hour. Ignoring those proverbial signs is going to lead believers into more treacherous times.

Knowledge doesn’t equate to worries, stressors exist everywhere in our lives. Knowing something doesn’t mean you have to get stressed about what it is you know. As believers we read in 1st John 4:17. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
18. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
19. We love him, because he first loved us. We as believers should have this understanding; that because we have this perfect love already inside of us, that perfect love is the Spirit of God which we received from Jesus the Christ. This world’s Zeitgeist brings with it fear & torment, but the Spirit within us is saying no to fear.

In our lifetime to have an understanding of the times is necessary now more than ever. As believers we need reach out to those around us, those in our circle of influence and lovingly share the Gospel or good news with them. We need to pray the Holy Spirit of GOD will convict them of sin, of righteousness, & of judgment, as we read in John 16:7. Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
8. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
9. Of sin, because they believe not on me;
10. Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
11. Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. We as believers need to seek that wisdom from above, humbling ourselves daily before our Savior and prayerfully asking for guidance. As stated in James 4:8. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
9. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
10. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

Sharing with others the simplicity of the Gospel and planting seeds of real love & repentance in their hearts & minds is beyond value, as stated in 2nd Corinthians 1:12. For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward. Knowing that time is short believers need to turn away from this worlds Zeitgeist and turn their hearts toward Jesus. Today is the day of salvation, none of us have a guarantee for a tomorrow nor do those around us.

Please do not ignore the signs around you. Aside from sin and wickedness the world governments and elites are reeling from their own hubris. Economic collapse stands at our doorsteps, inflationary signs are everywhere to be seen, earthquakes are increasing around the world, nations are preparing for war, Christians and other religious groups being persecuted & killed.

Yes all of these outward signs have always existed in their own various shades & colors, but never before has all of these events been able to affect so many on a global scale at a single point in time.

Here is a decent article on Ways to Survive an economic collapse, I would highly recommend reading it.

Another decent site for Can be found here, Offgrid Survival.

If you do a search for survival or prepping you’ll find an abundance of resources. There will be those who will say I’m not going to worry, God will provide. Those people are partially correct, God is providing, HE is providing you with the opportunity to prepare both spiritually and physically for what’s coming. To ignore the warning signs is like this:

So people wake up, see and know, having an understanding of the times.

In prayer, cya.

Scripture of the Day

John 12


24. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
25. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
26. If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.

Scripture of the Day

Proverbs 10


11. The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.
12. Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.
13. In the lips of him that hath understanding wisdom is found: but a rod is for the back of him that is void of understanding.
14. Wise men lay up knowledge: but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.

China’s AI surveillance spreads—and Christians brace for terror

The camera lens homes in, mapping the man’s face—measuring the space between his eyes, the distance between the nose and mouth, the angle of his cheekbones, the shape of his chin. Instantly, that data is converted into a string of numbers or points, called a “faceprint.”

His face is recognized, compared with tens of millions of photos of faces in a database. His identity is confirmed. And he doesn’t even know he has been “detected,” “recognized” and “tracked.”

You’ve seen the images in movies. Many of us willingly submit our “data” every day, holding up our phone as the operating system algorithm detects, identifies and recognizes our face.

This is the mass AI technology that China has developed. And it is one of the most powerful surveillance tools—and Christian persecution tactics—ever made, especially when you consider that the country has installed millions of these cameras on streets, in public venues, on university campuses—and churches.

See why China is No. 17 on the 2021 World Watch List.

Facial recognition tech in all state-approved churches.

Reports from counties in Henan and Jiangxi provinces say cameras with facial recognition software are now in all state-approved religious venues.

China maintains it moved decisively to contain COVID-19 after the virus took flight in Wuhan, but for the country’s 97 million Christians, the cost in heavy restrictions—as surveillance reached into their homes, online and off-line interactions were tracked, and their faces were scanned into the Public Security database—is high.

Reports from counties in Henan and Jiangxi provinces say cameras with facial recognition software are now in all state-approved religious venues. Churches that have refused to install these cameras have been fined raided and even banned, like the 1,500-member Zion Church in northern Beijing.

In April 2018, Zion Church, one of the Chinese capital’s largest house churches, received a letter from city officials asking them to install 24 surveillance cameras in their sanctuary for “security reasons.”

“The church decided this was not appropriate,” Zion Church Pastor Ezra Jin told Reuters. “Our services are a sacred time.”

After the church refused, state security officials and police began to harass churchgoers, contacting their workplaces and asking them to promise not to go to church. In August 2018, authorities threatened to close Zion Church because they refused to install the cameras. A month later, officials banned the church and confiscated materials.

Zion leaders understood what the government was asking. Reportedly, many of these cameras are installed next to standard CCTV cameras, but they link to the Public Security Bureau, meaning artificial intelligence can instantly connect with other government databases. The facial recognition software will eventually be linked to China’s “Social Credit System,” which monitors the loyalty of citizens with regards to the tenets of communism. With 415 million surveillance cameras and counting, the state has the infrastructure and legal framework to pressure religious minorities in both direct and indirect ways we’ve never seen before.

And these potentially detrimental systems are spreading beyond China.

Story found here.

Scripture of the Day

Galatians 5


16. This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
17. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
18. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
19. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20. Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21. Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
22. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23. Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
24. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
25. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

What Things?

Philippians 3:7. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
8. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
9. And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
10. That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
11. If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

When the time comes for each of us to be called home to be with our Savior, I wonder how many will actually know what things they’ve actually lost? Here, the old world measures success by how much you’ve got, whether money, property, goods, toys, clothing, social networking, etc. Everyone’s looking at their own conceptualization of their version of “now”.

Paul, in the Scriptures above, says he counts those gains of his as a loss for Christ. I wonder how many professing Christian’s today would count their losses as a gain for Christ?

With the world’s desired “Great Reset” you can find several videos about “own nothing & be happy”. I was thinking about that statement from a Biblical perspective and lo & behold, we are to count all thing as a loss for the excellency of knowing our Savior.

As believers we are travellers through this old world, pilgrims looking for that hereafter where our home really is, so how much do we really own in the wicked and sinful world? Honestly not very much, we can’t take whatever we have here with us on our journey home, so surely we already own little to nothing. I’m not saying sell you home and live under a bridge, but if you lost your home due to sickness or financial hardship, would you be able to mentally count it as a loss for Christ?

Most people’s mindset is to be focused on their now, they want a home, transportation, comfort, food. Few willing step out into those paths which cause a physical struggle. Doing the work of an evangelist, or missionary, or working with a prisons ministry, these examples and others require a mindset few willingly possess nowadays, fewer preachers actually cultivate these ideas to their congregants leaving them at a loss of knowledge. I do commend those who send forth missions and who support outreach ministries, reaching the lost is a responsibility for every believer.

We need to remember the instructions of Jesus and the Apostles & prepare our minds to be ready to count all things as a loss for Christ, those days of loss may soon be overshadowing believers.

GOD Bless, and Happy New Year.

Scripture of the Day

Psalms 87

A Psalm or Song for the sons of Korah.
1. His foundation is in the holy mountains.
2. The LORD loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.
3. Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Selah.
4. I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that know me: behold Philistia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia; this man was born there.
5. And of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her: and the highest himself shall establish her.
6. The LORD shall count, when he writeth up the people, that this man was born there. Selah.
7. As well the singers as the players on instruments shall be there: all my springs are in thee.

Scripture of the Day

Mark 14


3. And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head.
4. And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made?
5. For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her.
6. And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me.
7. For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always.
8. She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying.
9. Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.

Scripture of the Day

Hebrews 8

7. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.
8. For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:
9. Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord

An Open Letter to God

–> Full transcript–> The Challenge of our Day

In an open letter to God fearing Christians and Jews in the west, Head of American Alliance of Jews and Christians, Rabbi Daniel Lappin warns of a war on the Judeo-Christian culture in the west. the letter in its entirety states the following:

….

Tyranny comes when citizens are seduced into trading freedom for the promise of safety and security.

Considerably more intellectual energy is being pumped into the propaganda campaign against Christianity than was ever delivered to the anti-smoking or anti-drunk-driving campaigns. Fervent zealots of secularism are flinging themselves into this anti-Christian war with enormous fanaticism

….

For a full transcript please read the link at the top.

Scripture of the Day

Titus 2

11. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
12. Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
13. Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
14. Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.