Hope for a New Year: The Lord is Still in Charge!

I pray that you had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! With all of the mandates, rules and stress many of us are feeling this time of the year, I believe that we need to take a step back, a deep breath and concentrate on what is truly important. For those of us who believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, we are blessed beyond all measure. We have been given the greatest gift one could ever receive, the gift of eternal life with Jesus Christ in heaven. What a day it will be when we get to heaven and see God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Yes, things are bad here on earth, but the Bible predicted that this would happen. We can read about the end times in the books of Daniel, Ezekiel and Revelation as well as other books. The Bible lets us know that things will get worse before the Church is raptured. However, we need to keep our eyes focused on the Lord during perilous times, Hebrews 12:2 states: “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (KJV)

While it is difficult to watch our Country be enmeshed in such sin and even silliness, we know that the Lord has a plan and that HIS will is always accomplished. John 16:33 states: “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (KJV) Jesus told us we would have troubles and tribulation, we need to keep watching and praying and sharing Christ with a lost and fallen world.

We just celebrated Christmas and we need to remember the gift that was given to the world the very first Christmas, God’s own Son, born as the baby Jesus. From the foundation of the world, God knew that mankind would sin and need to be redeemed from their sins in order to have a relationship with Him. In Genesis 3:15 we read: “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” (KJV) Satan thought he had won the battle in the garden by deceiving Eve, but the battle for the souls of mankind had just begun.

We read throughout the Scriptures that Satan was constantly attacking the faithful servants of the Lord, but ultimately, God wins. We read in Isaiah 7:14: “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” And in Isaiah 9:2 we read: “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.” Jesus is the Light to a dark world, we are so blessed to have a relationship with Him.

Most of you know the Christmas story as found in Matthew chapter one and Luke chapters one and two. Mary and Joseph were a young couple engaged to be married. An angel of the Lord appeared to Mary and told her she was favored by God and that she had been chosen to bear the Messiah. Mary was probably only about 14 or 15 years old and showed a great deal of maturity. She asked the right question, how can I have a baby since I have never been intimate with a man? The angel told her that through the power of the Holy Spirit she would conceive this Divine baby. “And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.” Luke 1:38. Mary accepted this assignment from God the Father and undoubtedly knew that many residents of their village would gossip about her and Joseph and wouldn’t believe she was carrying the Son of God, as the angel had foretold.

After the angel’s visit, Mary had to tell Joseph that she was expecting a baby and that this baby was the long awaited Messiah, the Son of God. Matthew chapter one tells us of Joseph’s struggle with this news and then his encounter with an angel. Joseph was a righteous man and he obviously struggled with this news.  He didn’t want to see Mary stoned to death which was the punishment for having a baby out of wedlock, yet he knew that he wasn’t the father of Mary’s baby. I am sure that Joseph fell asleep thinking about all that Mary had told him. During the night an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said: “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” (NKJV) Matthew 1:20-21.

The Bible further states that Joseph did what the angel commanded and took Mary as his wife. (Matt. 1:24) Since God can do such miraculous things, we don’t need to be afraid of what is happening in this life as the Lord is ultimately in control. We may not see how He is working, nor understand why certain things may be happening; but never fear, He is working. God never forgets His children and we need to depend upon Him to daily meet our needs.

Watching all of the political things going on in our Country should compel believers in Christ to brush up on their knowledge of end-times prophecy as the world appears to be winding down right before our very eyes. Isaiah 5:20-21, 23 prophesied: “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!” Remember, while events may surprise us, nothing is ever a surprise to the Lord.

With all of the canceled flights, trains and buses this holiday season, nothing escaped the notice of the Lord. It is interesting that weather and Covid illness were the two culprits that the airlines and the CDC used as excuses for the delays and cancellations. It is quite noticeable that illnesses, heart diseases and other complications from the experimental mRna injection aren’t given as reasons that employees are out.

Those who have refused the experimental injection are being blamed for the uptake in “outbreaks,” overloading of hospitals, if indeed they are truly overloaded, and a variety of other accusations. “We are intent on not letting Omicron disrupt work and school for the vaccinated. You’ve done the right thing, and we will get through this,” White House Wuhan Coronavirus Coordinator Jeff Zients said during a recent press briefing. “For the unvaccinated, you’re looking at a winter of severe illness and death for yourselves, your families, and the hospitals you may soon overwhelm.” 

Read this: “The statement from Zients is jarring, and given that vaccinated individuals also spread the disease, his remarks are unscientific. Further, doctors from South Africa and the UK have repeatedly said cases of the latest variant are mild among the vaccinated and unvaccinated. The variant is also not causing hospitals to be overwhelmed.”

I cannot ever remember a public official making statements such as these. Here is Mr. Biden’s similar statement: “But it’s here now, and it’s spreading, and it’s going to increase … We are looking at a winter of severe illness and death for the unvaccinated — for themselves, their families, and the hospitals they’ll soon overwhelm,” Biden said. “But there’s good news: If you’re vaccinated, and you have your booster shot, you’re protected from severe illness and death.”

Earlier during the year, in July 2021, Mr. Biden called out those who have refused this experimental vaccine, “If you’re not vaccinated, you’re not nearly as smart as I thought you were,” Biden said. Apparently Mr. Biden feels that insulting millions of Americans is fair game.

The government also said that vaccines are “safe and effective” despite having no long-term data to prove these claims. Multiple studies have also shown that vaccine effectiveness is questionable at best.

Vaccinated individuals represent the majority of new infections and hospitalizations in Israel, which is one of the most vaccinated nations in the world. Studies show that new infections in Israel have surged a few months after the COVID-19 vaccines were introduced.

So while the politicians and public health officials are trying to control our lives, finances and our ability to work, shop, travel, attend church in some instances and many other freedoms, remember the Lord knows our needs. At this time, Dr. Fauci is trying to force all travelers to be fully vaccinated with all of the current “boosters” before they are allowed on planes, ships, trains and buses. No one knows how many boosters will ultimately be required.

The Lord is in control and He alone, not the politicians or unelected public health officials, will ultimately decide the timeline for the Rapture of the Church, the Tribulation and the Victorious Second Coming of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus and realize that these are skirmishes in the war between God and Satan.  We have read the Book and God wins!

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