Wars and Rumors of War

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Wars and Rumors of War

MP4 Video - 720p (125.94 MB)
MP3 Audio (2.71 MB)
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America debates war action in Syria. What does it mean and how do you understand it?

Transcript

 

[Darris McNeely] Like the song says, I went home last night, and I turned on the news. And what did I hear? Wars and rumors of war. I watched briefly Senate hearings regarding the case of whether or not the United States is going to take any action in Syria as a result of the gassing that has occurred over there either by the regime of Bashar Assad or some of the other rebel forces. That is yet to be determined. But an atrocity has taken place. The United States now is debating what to do. And they say that they're going to take some action.

As I watched what I heard last night it was not encouraging because I saw basically a set piece presentation by the Senators and the government officials. No one has any vision. No one has any real statesmen-like qualities. It was all seemingly staged and well managed in what I was listening to. And I thought to myself: You know, as people watch this and they see an impending action that can take place, and no one really knowing what would happen as a result of any American action or any other Allied action over there. Will Iran retaliate? Will something happen to Israel that will force them to retaliate in kind and further ratchet up the war over there? Again you see this war and rumors of war. And I know that people are concerned.

I've had people through the years call me at times just as such as this. What does it mean, Mr. McNeely?

What does this mean from a prophetic scenario? One of the things that I've learned to do in answering that question, and you probably have the same one, is certainly to look at what Jesus said in Matthew chapter 24 when He talked about wars and rumors of war in Matthew 24:6. He said, "You will hear of wars and rumors of war. See that you are not troubled." Jesus always emphasizes when He speaks even of very serious prophetic matters don't be troubled. He said, "These are things that must come to pass, but the end is not yet. Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom" (Matthew 24:6-7). And so right now on the eve of this event we see these wars and rumors of wars and we see a clash of kingdoms and powers once again taking place there.

One of the things that I've always done as one of the scriptures, and actually it's one of the most encouraging of Psalms, that I have turned to at a time such as this is back in Psalm 91 where it says that "He who dwells in the secret place," Psalm 91 a very encouraging Psalm, "Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, 'He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.' He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence" (Psalm 91:1-3). And it goes on to talk about God's deliverance. A very encouraging Psalm to tell us that at any time of trouble, personal or even national or international like this one where we have wars and rumors of war, put your trust in God. Put your faith there.

Put your understanding there. One of the additional things that I have learned and so many others have learned as we obey God, as we seek to put our mind and heart in the Bible and follow God's way of life, is not only to look at Psalms such as this and draw a measure of encouragement, but also by the observance of God's Holy Days, God's Festivals, which you already know on Beyond Today we teach and advocate as God's way of life.

We are right now, today, September 4th on the verge of, the day before the Feast of Trumpets, what the Bible calls the Festival of Trumpets. The Jews will call that the Rosh Hashanah. It's the beginning of the Jewish New Year, but it's also one of God's Festivals and God's Holy Days. And it is a day that talks about a sounding of the 7th trumpet. And it pictures God's intervention in the affairs of this world.

One of the most insightful scriptures that I turn to, that I always read on the day of Trumpets is in Revelation 11:15, which describes the sounding of this trumpet. It says, "The 7th angel sounded and there were loud voices in heaven saying, 'The kingdoms of this world have become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever.'" This one verse, Revelation 11:15 signifies the most massive transfer of world power in all of the history of the world. From the kingdoms of this world to the Kingdoms of our Christ, of His Christ it says to the Kingdom of God. Christ intervenes at that point to stop the wars with one last event that Revelation talks about that culminates in the end of this age, but the beginning of God's Kingdom upon this earth.

Those who observe the Feast of Trumpets, this Festival of God in this spirit, with this understanding also have a measure of comfort in knowing and understanding where we are even today in the pace of world events leading up to these end time events and where we stand in Bible prophecy.

Keep God's Holy Days, and you will understand that no matter who you are and where you are in that sense you will have an understanding of what God is doing and your place within that plan. So be encouraged. Don't let wars and rumors of war get you upset, but put your mind in God's word and come to understand deeper what God expects of you.

That's BT Daily. Join us next time.