The video above is but a sampling of all that's been going on in the world -- pestilences, wars, rumors of wars, hail, weird weather, diseases -- all prophesied in the Bible.
Researching further, I also saw the horrific bat invasion in Queensland, and the disturbing mouse plague in rural NSW.
And I was watching those videos last night, a 6.4 earthquake rocked India in one area, while another secton was already reeling from their own covid crisis.
Not to mention what the world has already been going through for over a year now with regards to that curious health challenge.
As a student of SPIRIT, I do know of the POWER of GOD over heaven and earth.
I also realize what man is capable of, under the influence of the prince of the world.
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days
shall the sun be darkened,
and the moon shall not give her light,
and the stars shall fall from heaven,
and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
30 And then shall appear
the sign of the Son of man in heaven:
and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn,
and they shall see the Son of man
coming in the clouds of heaven
with power and great glory.
31 And he shall send his angels
with a great sound of a trumpet,
and they shall gather together
his elect from the four winds,
from one end of heaven to the other.
Matthew 24:29-31
King James Version
32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree;
When his branch is yet tender,
and putteth forth leaves,
ye know that summer is nigh:
33 So likewise ye,
when ye shall see all these things,
know that it is near,
even at the doors.
34 Verily I say unto you,
This generation shall not pass,
till all these things be fulfilled.
35 Heaven and earth shall pass away,
but my words shall not pass away.
Matthew 24:32-35
King James Version
36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man,
no, not the angels of heaven,
but my Father only.
37 But as the days of Noah were,
so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood
they were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage,
until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came,
and took them all away;
so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Matthew 24:36-39
King James Version
40 Then shall two be in the field;
the one shall be taken,
and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill;
the one shall be taken,
and the other left.
42 Watch therefore:
for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
Matthew 24:40-42
King James Version
43 But know this,
that if the goodman of the house
had known in what watch the thief would come,
he would have watched,
and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
44 Therefore be ye also ready:
for in such an hour as ye think not
the Son of man cometh.
45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant,
whom his lord hath made ruler over his household,
to give them meat in due season?
46 Blessed is that servant,
whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
47 Verily I say unto you,
That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.
Matthew 24:43-47
King James Version
48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart,
My lord delayeth his coming;
49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants,
and to eat and drink with the drunken;
50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day
when he looketh not for him,
and in an hour that he is not aware of,
51 And shall cut him asunder,
and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites:
there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew 24:48-51
King James Version
(Note: I purposely took the verses a phrase and a thought, at a time, because the Holy SPIRIT taught me to do that -- at least for myself -- and it helps me understand the SACREDNESS and PRECISION of the LORD's Words. Let the LORD Jesus speak to you, in a way you can understand, too. All verses sourced from biblegateway.com)
It's just been nine months since I first accepted and followed JESUS.
In that time, I learned one striking thing -- The ego has gone. No longer do I hold on to old thoughts, old ways, old habits, erroneous ways, but instead, wish to be corrected by the Bible, and the HOLY SPIRIT -- every step of the way -- JESUS' Way. Like an eager child, my heart sought GOD's WORD alone.
I am therefore grateful for what my Bible teacher shared.
Here's what he said about the "sanctification process": -------------------------------------------------------------- Once we become born again, all our sins, past, present, future, are forgiven! In that sense, we are justified and positionally pure, sinless, in God’s sight because Jesus paid the price for all our sins by His death. He died in our place so we may live! Here’s one supporting verse:
Ephesians 2:1
King James Version
2 And you hath he quickened,
who were dead in trespasses and sins;
On another hand, practically or experientially, we cannot completely free ourselves of sin for the rest of our lives. It can be minimized but not completely eradicated. In other words, one cannot attain perfect obedience everyday for the rest of our lives. The best we can do with the help of the Holy Spirit is to live a life of sanctification, where we undergo spiritual growth or maturity day by day until we leave this earth. The sanctification process is achieved by walking in step with Jesus, through God’s Word The degree of one’s sanctification will depend upon one’s rate of obedience to God’s Word.
For the rest of our lives as born again Christians, the challenge to stay away from sin will always be there. Paul himself had this challenge.
Romans 7:14-25
King James Version
14 For we know that the law is spiritual:
but I am carnal, sold under sin.
15 For that which I do I allow not:
for what I would, that do I not;
but what I hate, that do I.
16 If then I do that which I would not,
I consent unto the law that it is good.
17 Now then it is no more I that do it,
but sin that dwelleth in me.
18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,)
dwelleth no good thing:
for to will is present with me;
but how to perform that which is good I find not.
19 For the good that I would I do not:
but the evil which I would not, that I do.
20 Now if I do that I would not,
it is no more I that do it,
but sin that dwelleth in me.
21 I find then a law,
that, when I would do good,
evil is present with me.
22 For I delight in the law of God
after the inward man:
23 But I see another law in my members,
warring against the law of my mind,
and bringing me into captivity
to the law of sin which is in my members.
24 O wretched man that I am!
who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God;
but with the flesh the law of sin.
Of course, Jesus is the solution and verse 25 deals with one’s sanctification process. Unbelievers have only one nature, the sinful nature, mainly because they don’t believe in Jesus, the gospel, and God’s Word.
1 Corinthians 2:14
King James Version
14 But the natural man
receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God:
for they are foolishness unto him:
neither can he know them,
because they are spiritually discerned.
Born again Christians have two natures, the sinful nature remains but we are now given a divine nature. Because the sinful nature remains, we can still sin, but now that the divine nature is there, we have the ability to defeat sin. This battle between these two natures remains! As Christians we must do our best to put to death our sinful nature during our lifetime.
Note that these verses were addressed to the Colossians, a body of believers, a church. (Not to unbelievers.)
Colossians 3:2-10
King James Version
2 Set your affection on things above,
not on things on the earth.
3 For ye are dead,
and your life is hid with Christ in God.
4 When Christ,
who is our life, shall appear,
then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
5 Mortify therefore your members
which are upon the earth;
fornication,
uncleanness,
inordinate affection,
evil concupiscence,
and covetousness,
which is idolatry:
6 For which things' sake the wrath of God
cometh on the children of disobedience:
7 In the which ye also walked some time,
when ye lived in them.
8 But now ye also put off all these;
anger,
wrath,
malice,
blasphemy,
filthy communication out of your mouth.
9 Lie not one to another,
seeing that ye have put off the old man
with his deeds;
10 And have put on the new man,
which is renewed in knowledge
after the image of him that created him:
Note verse 5, the existence of an earthly or sinful nature.
True born-again Christians won't take it personally, being called sinners, for we all are. Finally, we have a "name" to our "disease". JESUS did say:
John 8:7
King James Version
7 So when they continued asking him,
he lifted up himself,
and said unto them,
He that is without sin among you,
let him first cast a stone at her.
The moment Eve took a bite of that fuirt, sin was upon us all. We merely need to open our hearts for correction, and live a life of sanctification. In this teacher's words: "where we undergo spiritual growth or maturity day by day until we leave this earth". We really have all help going for us. In His mercy, GOD gave us Jesus to die for our sins, and as this teacher said, "so we may live!" This much I can tell you about my own experience. The moment I feel that my thoughts stray from the LORD, I pray right away, in my own simple, direct, child-like way. And you know what? My course, my path, my thinking, is righted IMMEDIATELY! You can really feel the power of Jesus that way. And, of course, JESUS asks that we sin no more.
