Israel is at war. Here is a portion of the address to Israel from their Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday morning: "Citizens of Israel, we are at WAR. Not in an operation or in rounds, but at war... I have ordered an extensive mobilization of reserves and that we return fire of a magnitude that the enemy has not known. The enemy will pay an unprecedented price... We are at war and we will win it." Hamas, one of two major political parties in Palestine—which governs more than 2 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip—is designated as a terrorist organization by Israel, the U.S., the E.U., Canada, Egypt, and Japan, and is part of a regional alliance offering them support, composed of Iran, Syria, and the Shi'ite Islamist group Hezbollah in Lebanon. Hamas conducted a massive ‘surprise attack’ on Israel during a major Jewish holiday (Feast of Tabernacles) and on a Sabbath at 6:30am—which they have called "The Al-Aqsa Flood/Storm" (Hamas is angry over Jews praying at Temple Mount). This attack coming almost 50 years, to the day with the 1973 Yom Kippur Attack against Israel (Oct. 6, 1973). The attack consisted of: a barrage of more than 5000 rockets overwhelming and confusing the "Iron Dome" anti-rocket system, and a coordinated ground attack launching from land, sea and air; took out 50 Israeli outposts along the border and made way for 1000 enemy terrorists to rush in—with over 100 soldiers, commanders, and civilians being murdered in their homes and taken hostage by the terrorists. Men, women and children were paraded on main road, dead bodies paraded on main road. Latest available updated tell us over 300 killed, over 1450 wounded (October 8, 2023)—the most civilian casualties in one day since rebirth of Israel. Israel has notified the U.S. that they will conduct a "prolonged and powerful campaign" deemed, "Operation Iron Sword" to destroy this threat.
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I just want to start out point blank with where we are going today. We are not meant to know the day or hour of Jesus' return, but He did not give us hundreds of prophecies about the events of the Last Days so we would be blind to His works; so we would be blind to the days we are living in. There have been alarmists in every generation believing they were seeing the events of the Last Days. Some were honest enough to recognize the end could not come unless Israel was home. We have seen this incredible return of Israel from every corner of the world in our time. We cannot know the day or the hour of His return, but we can see certain objective facts which undeniably say He is close at the door. Jesus warned us not to be lackadaisical about His coming, but watching, vigilant, ready. I want us to stop for a moment and take in the snowballing events around us today and look up.
Last study we had a life-changing talk...About how God's Greatest Desire is not just…
To have a Saved believer...But that His Ultimate Goal...Is to have real, intimate connection with us RIGHT NOW! THAT... Is the SOLE reason we were Created! Today's Study will have no impact on you... If you do not truly grasp that FACT! So, please go back to last weeks Study if you missed it! If you embraced the Truth of last week's Study...Of just how deeply God Wants to know you better NOW! The OBVIOUS NEXT QUESTION has to be..."HOW do I make that happen?" Some would answer by saying, "I have tried to be closer to God for years..And it's never happened!.. Is it even possible?!" We all have a lot of distractions!...But, even though we all obviously WANT to be here...It is so easy to be distracted with others in service...So easy to be distracted with thoughts in our heads...So easy to be completely focused on everything...
But why we are really here! In every one of our lives... Everyday...God Wants our focus... Our attention... Our closeness... Our reverence...We’re too busy, distracted, self-focused, uninterested... Or honestly... Too lacking in desire...To ever stop... And completely, totally be given to HIM! There is so much happening in the world... So fast…That I felt a fresh look at all of the current events...In light of Scriptures…Is very needed and eye-opening!...But I want us all to consider something today...What good is recognizing these events around us...And seeing how everything is unfolding as prophesied...And becoming convinced we are nearing the end of this era...If that Truth falls on unprepared and apathetic hearts?
What if I spent weeks with a fresh Airborne Unit…Giving detailed classes about WHY it looks like…They may be jumping over Ukraine very soon...And didn’t use any of that time actually sending them…Through Jump School? Would it really be of any help to them... Knowing exactly why they maybe leaving soon...If they were not trained & prepared for the battle? If they did not have the heart or courage to face the conflict yet? Today... We are going to take an in-depth look...At the First Chapter of the Book of Peter...
And without further introduction...You will quickly find out why...These Passages are literally "Custom Written"...For OUR GENERATION TODAY!...Because WE... RIGHT NOW, IN THIS COUNTRY... ARE FAST APPROACHING THE CULTURE AND PREDICAMENT...In which the recipients of this Letter found themselves! It is so easy... And natural... To wish we were not living in such...Anti-Christian... Angry, and difficult times! But we desperately need...TO COMPLETELY CHANGE OUR WAY OF SEEING...THE TIMES WE ARE LIVING IN...AND WHAT OUR PURPOSE IS...IN THE MIDST OF THESE TROUBLESOME DAYS...IN WHICH WE FIND OURSELVES! I ask that everyone here... Refuse to think about...ONE SINGLE OTHER PERSON this sermon might pertain to today! THIS SERMON IS FOR YOU! YOU ALONE! Listen and apply every word to SELF!... And send it to every person you know who claims Jesus... Because we all need it desperately!...And every time you compare this message to another today...YOU... Are proving how desperately YOU need it!
Their are 93 million selfies taken each day in the world! The average millennial is projected…To take over 25,700 selfies in their lifetime! (1) Spending and of 54 hours a year just taking selfies! (2)
To show how obsessed and imbalanced we’ve grown in selfies... Consider these: People have lost jobs for taking selfie’s while calling in sick! Dumb criminals have been caught for taking selfies (Sweden) Forbes Magazine: From 2011 to 2017... 259 people die while taking selfies! God Wants YOU to know something today... Before you leave here...You can have complete peace & confidence...In Who you are... Where you are... And What is happening in your life! PERIOD... PERIOD!
Most of us here today...Don't truly know who we are in Jesus Christ...Therefore...We can't see and love others as He Desires...Therefore... We stay in a frenzy of stress, depression, bitterness & discontent! What He Truly Died To Give To Us: Genesis 2:25 (ESV) And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed. I want to share with you what God is doing in my own heart right now. I know that God has been working to bring me to a closer and more serious relationship with Him, as He does with all of His children. In very obvious and personal ways, He has made a number of things glaringly clear to me—some of which I want to share with you today. Question: Do you want to truly know God in a more personal and absolutely real way? Stop and truly think about this a moment. Do you think that will happen because God joins you in your life, your sins, your plans, your desires? Or do you think that will happen by becoming more like Him, thinking more like Him, acting more like Him, joining Him where He is? Because after all, He has some pretty big plans that He's working on.
One of the most asked questions by Christians is “What does God Want me to do?” “What is His Will for my life?” “How can I know if this is God, or just my desire?” This problem is compounded by the wrong teachings and worries saying that we shouldn't even expect God to speak the same way today that He did in Biblical times; because we now have the written Word and it is complete—we don't need to hear from Him anymore today. This causes some to not even to try. Then we have those who feel hearing from God is for the ‘Christian elite’—super-spiritual people, pastors, teachers, etc.—but not for average Christians. Well, here are practical and Biblical answers to those thoughts to hopefully put these this misconception out of your mind permanently: God still speaks. God did not just speak to His people in times past so He could bring them the written Word until completed, but because He was personally and intimately involved in their lives and events.
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