Greetings in the name of Jesus, the Prince of Peace. I hope you had a great Thanksgiving. I know I am so thankful for all that God has provided. Some may think they have somehow done it on their own, but we know it is the God of heaven that gives us the ability to gain wealth (Deut. 8:18). He provides all the more when we use our increase to establish His covenant with mankind, as we are instructed to do—every door of life swings on the hinges of gratitude. So, if you have closed doors you are trying to open, maybe you need to oil the hinges with thanksgiving? The second part of that word is “giving.” Sacrificially giving of oneself—be it time, money, or whatever—is how to get those doors open.
It’s so appropriate that Thanksgiving comes before Christmas. How thankful we should be that we have a Savior who was obedient to His Father, and then a Father who so wanted us all in His family that he would give His only begotten Son to pay for our adoption. Think about that for a minute. In order to have you and me as His children, the Father sacrificed the only Son born directly from Him. WOW! Talk about being thankful to someone!
Many do not know to be thankful because they do not fully comprehend everything God did for them by sending a Savior. They do not realize it’s more than a promise of heaven, but a promise for here and now. Salvation is sozo in Greek, which means “to save,” i.e. to deliver or protect (literally or figuratively); heal, preserve, save (self), do well, be (make) whole. We will not need any of that in heaven, so this sozo is for us all today. We all need it now, and it was paid for with the blood of Jesus. Jesus was born as a man so He would have that blood to shed. I’m so thankful for the birth of Jesus! It doesn’t matter whether or not Christmas is His exact birthday. The important thing is to give thanks in celebration of His coming, Emanuel.
As we saw, one definition of sozo is to “protect.” Don’t you need protection from the wicked people of this Age? Not just the wicked, but how about someone driving while on their phone and seemingly doing everything besides paying attention to their driving? Or, consider the travailing of the earth, such as earthquakes, as it anticipates the coming of the Lord. Then, we see the activities of the prince of the power of the air, with tornadoes, hurricanes, and storms of a destructive nature—we all need the protection of the Lord from all these occurrences.
What about terrorists? We saw what happened in Israel in October. Hamas was shooting people in their cars, burning them alive, even putting babies in the oven while raping the mothers in front of the fathers, then killing them both heinously. I do not tell you this to shock or scare you, but to make you aware of the evil you may need protection from. These terrorists who call Israel the “little Satan” call us in the United States the “BIG SATAN.” To destroy us is their ultimate goal, and they have had an open border since 2021 to infiltrate our country freely.
Let not your hearts be troubled, though. Believe God! Jesus gave His life for your protection (or salvation). The Father has given His angels charge over you to keep you in all your ways (Ps. 91:11). These angels excel in strength and jump to action when they hear God’s Word spoken (Ps. 103:20), causing a thousand to fall at one side of you and ten thousand at your right hand, but no harm shall come near you . . . if you believe (Ps. 91:7). But, how can you believe if you have not heard? How can you have faith if you don’t know who and what to have faith in? This is why we need the Word of God daily and ministers in our lives. This is why you go to church, which the Scripture says is even more important in these Last Days (Heb. 10:25).
This statement may seem odd considering what has been happening, but God is preserving Israel so they may come to celebrate their Savior Jesus. “Yeah, but so many died on October 7th.” This earth is a spiritual battle zone, and you are stuck in the middle of it. In spiritual battles, there are sometimes physical deaths. Our examples are the Disciples. They fought in the same spiritual war that you and I should be fighting. Only one out of the twelve lived out his life to the full, and that was John. The rest died in battle. People today die in battle with their weapons lying all around them, rusted and malfunctioning for lack of care. Some do not even know what those weapons are, much less how to use them. I’m talking about the Word of God, the confession of His Word, prayer according to His Word, and obedience to His Word.
Israel has enemies surrounding them on every side. Yet, God’s Word says that once they are planted in their own land, they will not be plucked up (Amos 9:15). I’ve seen pictures of Israeli soldiers whose Book of Psalms that they carried stopped bullets. I don’t know of the other miracles taking place now; however, another soldier was reported saying after coming off the battlefield, “Keep praying. We are seeing miracles.” God has always provided great protection and deliverance for Israel: Deliverance from Egyptian forces by parting the Red Sea (Exod. 14:21-31), Gideon facing thousands of warriors with only 300 men and destroying them (Judges chapter 7), and even in recent years, newspapers reporting Israel’s God smacked rockets into the sea.
If God is doing this for Israel, who for the most part have not yet accepted His Son, Jesus, how much more will He do for us, His End-Time Harvesting Army—the Body of Christ—the Church? We who have accepted Jesus are His children, obedient to His Word, and thankful for all that has been provided. He will manifest great exploits for us if we believe!
If you look back through history, you can see the parallel acts of God for Israel and the Church. For instance, in 1948, God brought Israel back into existence and started its restoration. Almost 2,500 years had passed since they were swept away into captivity under heathen nations. Also, in 1948, a great healing revival was happening in the Church. There were large tent meetings where crutches, canes, and wheelchairs were stacked in mountainous piles because they were no longer needed. Ambulances would line up with terminally ill patients and leave the meetings empty. Yes, what God has done and is doing for Israel, He will do for His Church even more!
Jesus is coming again, soon and very soon. Things are beginning to happen suddenly. COVID happened suddenly and changed the entire world in less than three months. The war in Israel has suddenly caused anti-Semitism to rise at a preposterous rate around the world. In both cases, it has amazed many people and myself how easily antichrist spirits have been able to influence the worldwide population. It is as if the Holocaust and World War II never happened. These spirits have used our schools, colleges, and sometimes our pulpits to promote Marxism and the antichrist agenda–all in a devious “under the radar” manner that has seduced leaders and the very elect (Matt. 24:24). Their infiltration has given them the ability to sway nations of people to follow their agenda.
These are the days of great darkness and deception (Is. 60:2); however, there is light in Goshen, or shall I say in the Kingdom of God (Exod. 10:23). When you stay in the Word and start to know the voice of the Holy Spirit, the light comes on. This light guides your path and keeps you from deception (Ps. 119:105). It allows you to be in a peace that surpasses all understanding when chaos is all around (Phil. 4:7). You can be like Jesus, asleep in the back of the boat in the midst of a torrential storm (Mark 4:38). Stay close to God and His Word. It is where your protection lies. Things may change suddenly, but God’s “suddenly” is always so good. Be in a position to see them. These are the days of salvation, so be immovable and see the saving grace and provision of the Lord (Exod. 14:13).
Thank you for supporting us in Jesus’ ministry this past year. We are expecting great events and meetings in 2024 as Jesus stands at the door. We will see more! More souls saved, miracles, healings, deliverances, blessings, and increases! I pray you will be a part of this move of the Holy Spirit.
May you have a Merry Christmas with the joy of the Lord abounding in the hearts of you, your family, and your friends. No matter what the situation this Christmas, Jesus will give you peace. So be of good cheer and go tell it on the mountain that Jesus the Anointed One has been born!
Until next time remember . . . Jesus is coming VERY soon! Be ready!
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