He felt a new kind of weariness, one that was not physical, but which seemed to crawl through him like a fever.”
–Luke Short (Marauder’s Moon)
“They all fool and defraud each other; no one tells the truth. With practiced tongues they tell lies; they wear themselves out with all their sinning.”
–Jeremiah 9:5 (NLT)
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Several years back I started separating materials into four stacks. One was immediately thrown away as it contained material I wasn’t interested in, or material I didn’t understand, or material that was flat out not truthful. The next stack contained good thoughts; thoughts that should be filed away until a later date. Then there was the stack that I labeled “Use This.” Much of this information made it into the Echoes. Then there was the stack that hollered, “Now!”
I used to write in a more scholarly manner–proper style and grammar (except for a mistake here and there). Except for Saturday when ol’ Ira always seemed to appear around the kitchen stove with a pot of coffee to discuss the issues of the world and the proper way to drink coffee. Once in a while there may be a piece of pie thrown in if’n he had a mind to share. Now, I write more for the “layman” whether is be for a nonacademic crowd or nontheological-minded group.
All of what I just wrote, leads to this morning‘s devotion that I pulled from the stack that contained good thoughts–a sermon by David Wilkerson in 2007. So I drew from his thoughts as I wrote this morning; it seemed to be the time to use this information. I want to draw your attention to a few Scriptures:
“Behold, the LORD makes the earth empty and makes it waste. Distorts its surface and scatters abroad its inhabitants.”
–Isaiah 24:1 (NKJV)
“For in one hour such great riches came to nothing….”
–Revelation 18:17(NKJV)
The King James and the Amplified version say of the verse from Isaiah that the world will be “turned upside down.” Now, the verse in Revelation refers to the city of “Babylon” during the Tribulation. But think for a moment. How long did it take the media to turn the virus into a pandemic that shook, and is still shaking the world? How long did it take to promote a world to live in fear?
What Isaiah is referring to could be the Day of the Lord, or it could be destruction that will come because of rampant sin and terrible evil. Whatever it refers to the destruction cannot be undone and mankind does not have the ability to respond. (David Wilkerson) It is referring to a destruction that will shake the earth. It is more than a pandemic over a virus for in an hour the livelihood of the country/nation/world will have changed. Could it be nuclear war–an attack by Iran on Israel, North Korea on the South, or even China upon the United States?
There is, among some circles, a clamor for reparations regarding slavery that took place 150 years ago, while currently there are more slaves today than ever before, most involving sex-trafficking. There is the horrible situation of murder of the unborn, the killing of the innocents on a scale never seen before. A nation cannot long hold back the wrath of God when it involves the murder of the children. There are those in our country who would seek to mutilate a child to change their gender or at a very young age cause mental confusion. “There is no worse violence than the brutalizing of children, and heaven cries out for judgment.” (David Wilkerson)
This goes beyond babies, for youth in the classroom are being taught the things of evil. This happens from kindergarten and through college there the doctrines of demons are being taught and called “truth.” Some of the teaching is subtle, while other lessons are blatant. Let us then realize what is happening around us. Let us not fear or fret, or live in anxiety wringing our hands.
“But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.”
–1 Thessalonians 5:8 (NKJV)
God is on the throne, so when these things begin to happen look to Him. “So when destruction comes, and there’s panic all around, you’ll have the calm of the Holy Spirit. Something will quicken inside you… Arm yourself with faith. Build up your belief now, before the day comes.” (David Wilkerson)
What is coming I do not know. Will there be more destruction, confusion, terror, pestilence before the Rapture? Unless the Lord returns soon, I would have to say “Yes.” It doesn’t take long for disaster to strike, and if the nation continues on its current course in regard to the treatment of the children we can expect God to remove His hand of protection and possibly even strike with His vengeance.