Sign of the Times
Greetings in the Lord!
Today's word comes from 2 Kings 6:24-7:20. It's a story of a seige that happened to Samaria by the Arameans when King Joram was king and Elisha was prophet. The seige lasted so long and was so severe that even the most unedible parts of unclean animals were hugely expensive (80 shekels of silver)...and some people even resorted to eating their young!
King Joram was beside himself--he felt abandoned by God and wanted to get rid of Elisha because he felt Elisha was partially responsible for the disaster to the city. However, just as the king arrived to Elisha with his guards, Elisha told him: "Hear the word of the Lord. This is what the Lord says: About this time tomorrow, a seah of flour will sell for a shekel and two seahs of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria." The head officer with King Joram doubted it and Elisha told him he would see it, but not eat of any of it.
The story goes that the next morning 4 men with leprosy went to the Aramean camp to surrender, hoping that maybe they would give them food and not kill them. Instead, they found an empty camp as the Lord caused the Arameans to hear the sound of many chariots and they fled--leaving all their supplies behind. The camp was plundered by all of Samaria and a seah of flour did indeed sell for a shekel in Samaria the next day!
How quickly the Lord caused the prices to change. Provision made available literally overnight. A miracle? A wonder of the Lord? Yes. Because the prophet had announced it beforehand, we can be sure that the Lord had caused it.
But what about counterfeit miracles and lying wonders? We are living in those days the Lord reminds us. Recently the Lord has been talking to me more about 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. It started when I was filling up my gas tank and marveling at how cheap the gas was--less than half the price of what it has been for quite some time. The Holy Spirit said, "It's a sign."
"The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. (2 Thes. 2:9-10)
Many times the Lord has spoken about those verses but I had always imagined it to be some sort of traveling 'healer' running around doing false healings...and maybe that might be true too. But what I know for sure is that the "coming of the lawless one" will include many lying wonders and deceiving signs in the financial arena. In fact, these may be some of his most enticing tricks up his sleeve: cause financial chaos and instability, then swoop in with provision and "answers" to all our economic woes...and many will follow that man right to their end.
He will also allow (cause) much trouble to break out secretly, terrors and attacks, then call off the dogs so to speak and look like a hero, a champion of peace. He will set people up as traitors and as enemies of the people so he can get rid of them and show himself as a "righteous" man, a man in pursuit of integrity in this world. Unlike George W. Bush, who recognized radical Islam as a threat and spoke directly to the situation, the lawless one and his agents will embrace those leaders, placate them and speak of peace and unity with them, even giving them honor before the nations---all the while he will harness their hatred to carry out a political agenda. He will target his political opponents AND Christian believers who will speak out in truth and hold fast to the Word of God.
In December a movie about an assassination plot to get rid of Adolf Hitler will be out. It's interesting that Scripture mentions an assassination attempt in the End Times scenario---only that this person would be "miracluously" healed and return to their position to rule--and many more people follow him because of this "miracle."
"But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word." 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17.
~Be blessed and be a blessing.
Today's word comes from 2 Kings 6:24-7:20. It's a story of a seige that happened to Samaria by the Arameans when King Joram was king and Elisha was prophet. The seige lasted so long and was so severe that even the most unedible parts of unclean animals were hugely expensive (80 shekels of silver)...and some people even resorted to eating their young!
King Joram was beside himself--he felt abandoned by God and wanted to get rid of Elisha because he felt Elisha was partially responsible for the disaster to the city. However, just as the king arrived to Elisha with his guards, Elisha told him: "Hear the word of the Lord. This is what the Lord says: About this time tomorrow, a seah of flour will sell for a shekel and two seahs of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria." The head officer with King Joram doubted it and Elisha told him he would see it, but not eat of any of it.
The story goes that the next morning 4 men with leprosy went to the Aramean camp to surrender, hoping that maybe they would give them food and not kill them. Instead, they found an empty camp as the Lord caused the Arameans to hear the sound of many chariots and they fled--leaving all their supplies behind. The camp was plundered by all of Samaria and a seah of flour did indeed sell for a shekel in Samaria the next day!
How quickly the Lord caused the prices to change. Provision made available literally overnight. A miracle? A wonder of the Lord? Yes. Because the prophet had announced it beforehand, we can be sure that the Lord had caused it.
But what about counterfeit miracles and lying wonders? We are living in those days the Lord reminds us. Recently the Lord has been talking to me more about 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. It started when I was filling up my gas tank and marveling at how cheap the gas was--less than half the price of what it has been for quite some time. The Holy Spirit said, "It's a sign."
"The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. (2 Thes. 2:9-10)
Many times the Lord has spoken about those verses but I had always imagined it to be some sort of traveling 'healer' running around doing false healings...and maybe that might be true too. But what I know for sure is that the "coming of the lawless one" will include many lying wonders and deceiving signs in the financial arena. In fact, these may be some of his most enticing tricks up his sleeve: cause financial chaos and instability, then swoop in with provision and "answers" to all our economic woes...and many will follow that man right to their end.
He will also allow (cause) much trouble to break out secretly, terrors and attacks, then call off the dogs so to speak and look like a hero, a champion of peace. He will set people up as traitors and as enemies of the people so he can get rid of them and show himself as a "righteous" man, a man in pursuit of integrity in this world. Unlike George W. Bush, who recognized radical Islam as a threat and spoke directly to the situation, the lawless one and his agents will embrace those leaders, placate them and speak of peace and unity with them, even giving them honor before the nations---all the while he will harness their hatred to carry out a political agenda. He will target his political opponents AND Christian believers who will speak out in truth and hold fast to the Word of God.
In December a movie about an assassination plot to get rid of Adolf Hitler will be out. It's interesting that Scripture mentions an assassination attempt in the End Times scenario---only that this person would be "miracluously" healed and return to their position to rule--and many more people follow him because of this "miracle."
"But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word." 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17.
~Be blessed and be a blessing.
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