"The joy of the Lord is your strength" (Nehemiah 8:10). At the time these words were proclaimed, the Israelites had just returned from captivity in Babylon. Under the leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah, the people had rebuilt Jerusalem's ruined walls. And now they set their sights on reestablishing the temple and restoring the nation.
The economies of the nations are shaking and crumbling, and fear is mounting worldwide. And now, as this shaking continues, we're witnessing Jesus' words come to pass:
"...upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity...men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken" (Luke 21:25-26). Christ is warning us, "Without hope in me, multitudes of people are literally going to die of fright!"
I want to share with you two verses from Helen Spurrell's original Hebrew text:
"When designing pursuers approached me, who are far from thy law; then Thou, O Jehovah, wast near, with all thy faithful commandments..." (Psalm 119:150-151).
There is a glorious truth in this passage that can change your life, bringing you peace and giving you rest beyond anything you have yet experienced. You see, once you understand the truth of God's constant nearness to you — that he loves you and is continually near you — all fear and anxiety must go!
"And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy....
"And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven" (Revelation 13: 1, 5-6).
America is dying! The country's wound is incurable. It is now in the final throes of a terminal disease. The great empire is crumbling!
I am convinced that many who call themselves Christians are not going to endure to the end. It has been proclaimed that the love of many will grow cold and die because of explosive wickedness. Others will turn away from the truth and run after false teachers and prophets who will cater to their selfish lusts and deceive them. There will be those seduced by doctrines of demons who will become spiritually blind and end up given over to reprobate minds.
"Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me" (Jonah 1:2).
"Behold the day cometh that shall burn as a oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be as stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch" (Malachi 4:1).
"The whole world lieth in wickedness" (1 John 5:19).
I bring you a prophetic word from the Lord. The Redeemer of Zion is about to appear in His glory, in our day, in His church!
"And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the Lord..." (Isaiah 59:20).
The vision of Isaiah the prophet is about to be fulfilled. God is about to move with vengeance toward all who have twisted the truth, and all who have turned to covetousness. Isaiah spoke to the conditions in the church of the last days:
What would you think if our president, addressing the nation on network TV, confessed — "We really don't know what to do! Your leaders are confused, and we have no sense of direction." That would be some kind of speech. The nation would be convulsed with ridicule and scorn for him and all his associates.
There’s a lot of teaching in the church today about how God’s power is released in our lives. What they’re really talking about is divine authority. Whenever this subject comes up, I think of Elijah. His life illustrates the divine authority God wants to endow us with, especially for times like these.
