“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV (emphasis mine)
Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
Have you ever kept silent because what you know to be true isn’t politically correct? Have you ever been out to dinner with friends and something controversial comes up like homosexuality, transgenderism, or abortion? Have you noticed how much influence TV has on what people believe?
As I was reading in the book of John this morning, I was struck by the fact that Pilot refused to do what he knew was right (to release Jesus). It was more important to him to please the crowd who cried, “Crucify Him!”. And so he bent to the pressure.
“Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. 2 The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe 3 and went up to him again and again, saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!” And they slapped him in the face.
4 Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews gathered there, “Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him.”5 When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!”
6 As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, “Crucify! Crucify!”
But Pilate answered, “You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him.”
7 The Jewish leaders insisted, “We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God.”
8 When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid,9 and he went back inside the palace. “Where do you come from?” he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer. 10 “Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?”
11 Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.”
12 From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jewish leaders kept shouting, “If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar.”
13 When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge’s seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic is Gabbatha). 14 It was the day of Preparation of the Passover; it was about noon.
“Here is your king,” Pilate said to the Jews.
15 But they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!”
“Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked.
“We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered.
16 Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.” John 19:1-16 NIV (emphasis mine)
How difficult it can be to do what is right when the pressure of the crowd demands we do otherwise. We can be tough on Pilot for giving in to the crowd, but going against the tide isn’t easy especially when there is a lot at stake.
I believe it is only going to get worse. Our culture is changing faster than we ever dreamed possible. Who will stand up for truth? Who will say, “No! This is not right!”?
Research done by the Cato Institute reported that self-censorship is on the rise in the United States, with 62% of Americans saying the political climate today keeps them from expressing their beliefs. And “77% of conservatives … feel compelled to keep their beliefs to themselves.”*
If we can’t openly speak the truth of God’s Word, truth will be silenced and deception will reign.
“The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.” 1 Timothy 4:1 NIV
How much easier that will be if truth is silenced. God’s Word is the source of truth.
Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
This is what the past is for! Every experience God gives us, every person he puts in our lives is the perfect preparation for the future that only he can see.”
CORRIE TEN BOOM
Corrie ten Boom was a survivor of Auschwitz concentration camp during WWII. She was truly a light in the darkness. Her book The Hiding Place has sold millions of copies and is a must-read. You can find the movie on YouTube.
Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
“Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.” Isaiah 40:26 NIV
Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
Look up! Jesus is coming back for His bride! That is our blessed hope.
(God’s grace) “teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” Titus 2:12-13 NIV (emphasis mine)
Jesus Christ was very clear: One day he will return – and no one knows when. Vocal fanatics claim to know the details of his coming, causing many people to all but ignore the gospel and the good news that Jesus is coming again. God’s Word assures us of the Second Coming and commands us to know the signs of the times, to remain watchful, and to always be ready for Christ’s return – whenever it may be. (emphasis mine)
John MacArthur
Jesus scolded the Pharisees saying, “You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.” Matthew 16:3 NIV
I recently discovered a ministry that is both interesting and informative. It is called Understanding the Times and is part of Olive Tree Ministries. I have learned so much from it that I want to recommend it to you.
Many things that are happening in our world today remind us of end-time prophecy. In the verse below we are told that during the tribulation people will have to take the mark of the beast to buy or sell. For the first time, we have seen how this might be possible. Governments can control the freedoms of the people via vaccine passports. In Sweden, for example, a vaccine passport implant is actually placed under the skin. Read about it here.
Prophecy: “It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.” Revelation 13:16-17 NIV
There have always been those who falsely predicted the day of Jesus’ return.
Jesus said, “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”
But the Bible also contains many prophecies about end-times events and discusses signs of the times. So we should study these Scriptures. There are many.
The Apostle John wrote, “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.” Revelation 1:3 NIV (emphasis mine)
This post doesn’t begin to cover all the interesting prophecies and events happening today that many of us are completely unaware of. That’s why I encourage you to check out Olive Tree Ministries and Understanding the Times, today.
Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
Real Christian Women 